Recipes

Date and Banana Bread

This naturally sweetened loaf might not keep for as long as a traditional cake, but I wouldn't know, as it never hangs around long enough to find out!

• 175g self-raising wholemeal flour
• 1 rounded tsp baking powder
• 2 rounded tsp mixed spice
• 75g dates, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp milk or oat drink
• 2 tsp vanilla essence (not vanilla flavouring!)
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 40ml extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/ gas mark 4.
2. Line a 450g loaf/1lb tin with greaseproof paper.
3. Mix the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and dates in a bowl.
4. Mix the egg, milk, vanilla essence, mashed bananas and oil together in another bowl.
5. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for between 30 and 55 mins, until the cake looks and smells done.
7. Remove from oven, allow to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out and peel off the greaseproof paper.

Cream of Celery Soup

Wonderfully easy but absolutely delicious!

Serves 4

• 15g butter
• 2 large leeks
• 8 stalks of celery (with leaves if present)
• 1 organic vegetable stock cube made up with 500ml boiling water
• 150ml organic whole milk
• Ground black pepper

1. Wash, trim and chop leeks and celery.
2. Melt butter in large pan, then add leeks and a generous sprinkle of ground black pepper. Saut� for a few minutes before adding celery and stock.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Liquidise.
6. Gently stir in the milk.
7. Serve.

Spicy Tomato and Lentil Soup

Something hot for a cold day?

Serves 3-4

• 1 onion, chopped
• Sprinkle of Chilli powder or Cayenne Pepper
• Olive oil
• Tin of tomatoes
• Red or green pepper, chopped
• 4 Carrots, chopped
• 100g/4oz rinsed red or green lentils (or 1 tin of lentils, drained and rinsed)
• 1 organic chicken or vegetable stockcube, made up with 500mls boiling water

1. Lightly saut� onion and a sprinkle of chilli powder in olive oil.
2. Add a tin of tomatoes, 1 chopped red or green pepper, red lentils, and stock (when using stock cubes, always go for organic stock cubes, to avoid any of the nasty ingredients that can sometimes crop up in this sort of product).
3. If you enjoy very spicy flavours hot peppers can also be added to this recipe, as desired.
4. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until lentils are soft. Cooking time can be reduced to 12 minutes if tinned lentils are used.
5. Turn off heat.
6. Liquidise soup if desired, (taking care to avoid hot splashes if using a hand-held blender).
7. Serve with your choice of wholemeal roll, or warm wholemeal pitta bread.

Butter Cobbler

Wonderfully easy but absolutely delicious!

Serves 4

• 1 Small or Medium Butternut Squash
• 4 Red Onions, peeled and quartered
• Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
• Ground black pepper, to season
• 1 heaped spoonful plain wholemeal flour
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 80ml red wine
• 1 tin Butterbeans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small tin of tomato pur�e (approx. 140g)
• 400-600ml stock, e.g. 1 organic stock cube, made up according to instructions
• 160g (6oz) wholemeal self-raising flour
• 80g (3oz) Butter
• 2tsp dried mixed herbs (or fresh herbs, finely chopped)

1. Preheat oven to 220c, 190c fan, or Gas Mark 7.
2. Wash the Butternut Squash, and cut into chunks, removing ends and seeds, but leaving skin on.
3. Drizzle with oil in large casserole dish, toss well.
4. Place in oven for 10 minutes, add prepared red onions, sprinkle of black pepper and toss again.
5. Roast for further 20 minutes until vegetables are starting to brown at edges.
6. Remove from oven and stir in the plain flour, then red wine, garlic, Butterbeans, tomato puree and vegetable stock.
7. Return, covered, to oven at 180c, fan 160c, Gas Mark 4 for 30 minutes.
8. Meanwhile make the cobbler by rubbing Butter into the self-raising flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, stir in herbs, then add enough cold water to bind into soft dough.
9. Divide the cobbler dough into 8 or 12 pieces, and roll into balls.
10. Carefully place dough balls on top of casserole and return to oven, uncovered, for further 20 minutes, until cobbler is golden.
11. Serve with side of fine green beans/French beans/runner beans.

Vegetable "Chilli"

Quick and easy

Serves 2-4

• 1 Tin (420g) Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tin (400g) Plum Tomatoes
• 1 Courgette, chopped
• 1 Pepper (Green, Red, Orange or Yellow), chopped
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Puree
• 1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
• Teaspoon of turmeric
• Sprinkle of cayenne pepper
• Ground Black Pepper

1. Fry courgette and onion in the Olive Oil, over medium heat, for 2 minutes.
2. Add turmeric, cayenne and ground black pepper and fry for 1 further minute.
3. Add tin of tomatoes, stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the chopped pepper and the kidney beans, stir.
5. Simmer for a further 4-6 minutes.
6. Stir in Tomato Puree and heat for further 2 minutes.
7. Serve.

Serving suggestions:

• Serve with Brown or Basmati Rice.
• Top with a spoonful of organic natural yogurt, if desired.

Chicken Tikka

A healthy twist on a takeaway favourite

Serves 4

• 400g diced skinless chicken (or turkey)
• 2 dessertspoons lemon juice
• 2 generous dessertspoons tomato puree
• 2 generous dessertspoons organic natural yoghurt
• 1 rounded or heaped teaspoon medium/tikka curry powder
• 1 onion: ½ finely chopped, ½ roughly chopped

1. Preheat Oven to Gas Mark 5, 375 degrees F, 190 degrees C (180 C fan).
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Cook in oven for 20 minutes, stir, then cook for a further 10 minutes. This will give a dry Tikka.
4. To get a "Tikka Masala" sauce, use 6 dessertspoons of the ingredients, instead of 2, and cook for an extra 10 minutes.
5. Serve with Basmati Rice, Peas, Side-Salad and Raita

Cucumber Raita Dip

Cool and refreshing

Mix together a quarter of a cucumber, chopped or grated, with a couple of large spoonfuls of full-fat and organic live natural yoghurt.

Experiment with adding fresh or dried mint, chopped onion, garlic, and black pepper, until you achieve whatever level of zing you desire!

Serve with vegetable crudités and/or fingers of wholemeal pitta bread. Alternatively serve with your favourite curries.

Stewed Apple Surprise

A simple, but surprisingly luxurious, dessert!

1. Slice two or more eating apples.
2. Place in saucepan with a little water.
3. Bring to the boil, then simmer with lid on pan, for 5-10 minutes, until apples are soft.
4. Remove lid, and lightly sprinkle with a tiny bit of mixed spice.
5. Bring back to rolling boil, with lid off, for a short time to allow excess water to evaporate.
6. Serve hot with a dollop of organic live natural yogurt.

Banana Split

A healthy take on a childhood treat

1. Slice banana lengthways.
2. Place live, full-fat, organic natural yogurt down centre.
3. Top with your choice of currants or berries.

It is important to eat some breakfast, in order to fire up your metabolism at the beginning of the day and keep blood sugar levels on an even keel. If you find facing food difficult first thing in the morning, even a slice of wholemeal toast or a banana is better than nothing. Other breakfast ideas include:

• Porridge, made with water or oat milk. Top with berries or nuts etc., as desired.
• A boiled egg and wholemeal toast "soldiers".
• Live organic natural yogurt and sliced mango.
• Hot herby tomatoes on wholemeal toast.
• Breakfast pancakes (see below).
• Homemade fruit smoothie - try adding some rolled oats to the mix.
• Sugar-free muesli - I make my own each morning with a scoop of oats, a spoonful of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and a large spoonful each of currants and walnuts.

Pancakes and Syrup

These simple breakfast pancakes, made with wholemeal flour and organic eggs, provide a great start to the day at weekends, and controlled energy release. However, it is important to serve them with real maple syrup and not the cheaper type of highly sweetened "maple flavour syrup".

Makes around 8 pancakes

• 150mls (1/4 pint) water
• 150mls (1/4 pint) full-fat milk or oat milk
• 2 organic free range eggs
• 100g (4 oz) plain wholemeal flour
• Olive Oil

1. Whisk together water, milk and eggs.
2. Add flour and whisk again, along with a teaspoonful (approx 5mls), of olive oil.
3. Heat a little oil in a non-stick milk saucepan, or small cast-iron frying pan. Use a medium-high heat, and when oil is hot add enough batter to generously cover the base of the pan.
4. After around two minutes, when base of pancake is golden brown, flip to brown the other side.
5. Keep warm in a low oven until all pancakes are ready, then serve drizzled with real maple syrup.