July 2016 - Nourishbooks

Matcha Superfood Bites

Posted on July 30, 2016July 29, 2016 by Nourish

These antioxidant-packed nuggets from The Gut Health Diet Plan by Christine Bailey are ideal for healing the gut and lowering inflammation. Matcha has anti-bacterial effects on the digestive system making it a useful choice for improving gut health. The raw cacao butter makes the snacks rich and creamy – an indulgent healing treat.

Makes: 10 bites

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes soaking and 30 minutes chilling

Ingredients:

60g/2 ¼ oz/1/3 cup xylitol

60g/2 ¼ oz/ ½ cup dried cherriesor goji berries

120g/4 ¼ oz/ ½ cup cashew nut butter

zest of 1 lemon 1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp matcha green tea powder

a pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp raw cacao powder, lucuma powder or goji berry powder

60g/2 ¼ oz/heaped ¼ cup raw cacao butter or coconut oil, melted

30g/1oz/scant ¼ cup plain, vanilla or chocolate vegan protein powder, colostrum powder or collagen powder

½ tsp vanilla extract

matcha green tea powder, lucuma powder or cacao powder, for dusting

Method:

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Put the xylitol into a blender or food processor and grind very finely. Soak the cherries in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain.
Put the cashew nut butter into a food processor or a bowl and add the xylitol, lemon zest and juice, matcha, salt, cacao powder and cacao butter. Pulse, or stir, to combine. Add the cherries and the remaining ingredients, and process, or stir, to form a dough. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.
Use a spoon to scoop out walnut-size pieces. Roll into balls and put on the prepared baking sheet. Roll the truffles in a little matcha powder or use some or all of the powders for dusting. Serve or store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Christine Bailey

The Gut Health Diet

£12.99, available from Nourish Books

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Braised Chicken with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon

Posted on July 28, 2016July 29, 2016 by Nourish

The combination of spices, lemon and herbs from The Gut Health Diet by Christine Bailey provide plenty of flavour for this Turkish-inspired, one-pot dish. It’s ideal for a weekday meal because it can be prepared ahead of time. Serve with cauliflower rice or Paleo bread, if you like. A spoonful of sauerkraut or pickles alongside the dish will give it a probiotic boost.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small pinch of saffron threads

4 boneless chicken thighs

1 tbsp coconut oil

4 shallots, cut into halves

2 garlic cloves, sliced

¼ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

2 tomatoes, chopped

10 pitted green olives

250ml/9fl oz/1 cup chicken bone broth (page 39)

1 preserved lemon, chopped

1 handful of parsley leaves, chopped

sea salt and ground black pepper

Seeded Paleo Bread , to serve (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas
Put the saffron in a small mortar and crush using a pestle. Leave to one side.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole over a medium heat and cook the chicken on all sides for 2–3 minutes to brown it. Remove the chicken and leave to one side.
Add the shallots, garlic, saffron and spices to the casserole. Cook gently for 5 minutes or until the shallots are soft. Return the chicken to the casserole and scatter over the tomatoes and olives.
Pour in the broth and bring to the boil. Cover and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Stir in the preserved lemon and parsley, then serve with Paleo bread, if you like.

https://nourishbooks.com/shop/the-gut-health-diet-plan/

Thai Green Vegetable Curry

Posted on July 27, 2016July 29, 2016 by Nourish

This recipe of Thai green vegetable curry comes from the book Top 100 Low-Carb Recipes by Nicola Graimes. The Top 100 Low-Carb Recipes is the essential tool for anyone who is interested in controlling their weight by cutting down their intake of carbohydrates. The key to success is eating the right type of carb alongside good sources of protein and fat.

Ingredients:

2 tsp sunflower oil

200ml/7fl oz/1 cup reduced-fat coconut milk

150ml/5fl oz/2⁄3 cup vegetable stock (see page 23)

115g/4oz/1 cup small broccoli florets

1 corn on the cob, husk removed, sliced into 2cm/3⁄4in pieces

1 small red pepper, seeded and sliced

55g/2oz/1 cup fresh spinach leaves, shredded

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro, to garnish

Spice Paste:

3 green chillies, seeded and chopped

1 stick lemongrass, peeled and finely chopped

1 shallot, sliced juice and zest of 1 lime

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1cm/1⁄2in piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander/cilantro

Method:

Place all the ingredients for the spice paste in a food processor and blend to a coarse paste.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the spice paste for 1 minute, stirring. Add the coconut milk and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until reduced.
Add the broccoli, corn and red pepper and cook for 3 minutes, then add the spinach and cook for another 2 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.
Season to taste and sprinkle with coriander/cilantro before serving.

Nicola Graimes

Top 100 Low-Carb Recipes

£5.99, available from Nourish Books

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Get Some Behind the Scenes from Judith Hann’s Herbs Photoshoot

Posted on July 20, 2016July 20, 2016 by Nourish

Keep your eyes peeled for Herbs by Judith Hann, out in September 2017. To get a little taste of this fantastic book and enjoy the behind the scenes of the photoshoot, follow the great work of our design and editorial team on Nourish Books Instagram!

Herbs have a transformative power – they can lift a dish from humdrum to heavenly. Written by a true herb aficionado, Herbs is an ode to enjoying herbs all year round. In each seasonal chapter, Judith Hann skillfully weaves together guidance on cooking and growing – whether you have a full herb garden or simple pots on the windowsill – so that you can find recipe inspiration for more common herbs, as well as discover the wonderful varieties of herbs that aren’t so readily available in the supermarket. Judith shares a huge collection of recipes that have been tried and tested at her herb cookery school – from simple herb sauces and salads to more ornate dishes, such as Guinea Fowl with Lovage and Lime, or Spare Ribs with Plum, Chilli and Sage Sauce. Also included are herb features, which provide a wealth of further quick recipes and ideas for:

Pestos, made with a variety of herbs
Herb syrups and sugars
Herb ices
Preserving recipes with herb flavourings
Herb cheeses, and many more

Full of anecdotes, this is a wonderfully personal account of a love affair with herbs, as well as an indispensable guide on how to make the most of them every day.

Smart Sizzling – How to Have a Healthy Barbecue

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Victoria Lagodinsky

If you’re planning on firing up the barbecue, this is a good time to turn to the Barbecue chapter of my new book The Right Bite. On the face of it, a barbecue ticks a lot of health boxes, after all, grilled meats and salad seem to be a relatively healthy option, but there are some major pitfalls to watch out for. Here are four top tips to help you enjoy your next barbecue and maximise the potential health benefits.

Select a Superior Sausage
If you’re partial to a sausage, then take a close look at the actual meat content on the label, as this can vary dramatically. Some sausages contain less than 40% meat, which can include fat and connective tissue too, and which leaves a lot of room for fillers, such as rusk and water. The more your sausage leaks water or white liquid into the pan, the more it is likely to be largely made up of fillers. A premium sausage will contain 85-90% meat which makes it of far superior quality and ensures fewer additives and fillers. If you’re wondering which sausage to choose, spare a thought for a venison sausage – they’re a better source of protein than beef or pork sausages, as well as containing higher levels of energy-boosting iron.

Tone Down the Toxins
It’s a smart move to use lean cuts of meat, such as chicken, and to cut the fat off any red meat, as this will help to reduce the amount of fat that drips from the meat onto the barbecue which causes flames. Cooking meat over an open flame can lead to the creation of powerful toxins, known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which have been associated with an increased risk of cancer. You could also partially cook the meat in advance, so that barbecue cooking time is reduced. Using smaller cuts of meat and cutting off any charred bits could also help to reduce your potential exposure to PAHs.

Shun the Sauces
It’s easy to undo all your good work and careful choices by getting carried away with sugary sauces and glazes. A modest 37ml serving of sweet chilli or honey-based barbecue sauce contains around 4 teaspoons of sugar, so it’s important not to pour it on with a liberal hand. If sauce is a must, then opt for an unsweetened chilli sauce, a hot pepper sauce or even mustard, as these contain very little sugar.

Keep the Coleslaw
If it’s a toss up between coleslaw and potato salad, then you should choose coleslaw every time. Largely made up of antioxidant-rich cabbage and carrot, it contains about half the carb content of potato salad and twice as much fibre, which is good news for your waistline and your digestion. It’s also a smart move to opt for full-fat rather than low-fat coleslaw, as manufacturers often add extra sugar to low fat products to enhance the flavour, and coleslaw is no exception.

If you’d like more handy barbecue tips or would like to find out about the best choices for picnics, takeaway food and other tricky eating situations, then The Right Bite is definitely the book for you!

Jackie Lynch is a Registered Nutritional Therapist and runs the WellWellWell clinics in West London. Passionate about the importance of good nutrition for optimum health, she creates practical nutrition programmes suitable for a busy 21st century lifestyle. Jackie also provides advice and support for a range of blue chip companies, in the form of individual consultations for staff, nutrition workshops and menu analysis and has acted as a food consultant for brands such as Tetley. She is the ‘go-to’ person for the Mail on Sunday for sensible nutrition advice and has a regular column in Reveal Magazine. Jackie is also Chair of Trustees for the Institute for Optimum Nutrition.

Jackie Lynch
The Right Bite
Available from Nourish Books

Towards the Olympic Games: Renee McGregor and Aly Dixon

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Nourish

The term ‘training’ can mean so many things. For some of you it will be about increasing your stamina over an increasing distance; for others it will be about increasing your speed. You might train using a combination of speed, core, strength and endurance sessions or you might use only one or perhaps two of those techniques. Some of you will go with active rest days, while others might take whole days off altogether. Whether your sport is running, cycling, swimming or team-based, you probably know that training is fundamental to your performance.

Training Food author Renee McGregor interviews Rio 2016 Olympics qualifier Aly Dixon. Aly is a long-distance runner, the fastest British woman to finish the 2016 London Marathon, assuring her place in Rio 2016.

https://youtu.be/lVXeAGjTiYE

Renee McGregor is one of the UK’s top sports nutritionists, advising athletes from amateur to Olympic levels. With years of experience and expertise in sports nutrition, she offers vital and unequalled insight into what you need to fuel your success in your given sport.

Alyson Dixon is an English long-distance-runner who has competed in several marathons and half marathons and won the 2011 Brighton Marathon. She competed for England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, but did not finish due to a calf injury. This year she qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympics. For more information, you can visit her website.

Smoked cheese potato cakes with crispy kale, and Its Part-Time Vegetarian Variation

Posted on July 6, 2016July 6, 2016 by Nourish

These potato cakes from Nicola Graimes’s The Part-Time Vegetarian are a great midweek supper that can easily be prepared in advance. You can also easily adapt the recipe to your own preferences. For example, for a non-vegetarian version, try using salmon instead of cheese.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
Potato cakes
750g/ 1 lb 10oz white potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 ½ tbsp butter
4 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
olive oil, for frying, plus extra for brushing and drizzling
4 large handfuls of curly kale, tough stalks discarded, torn into large bite-size pieces
3 smoked garlic cloves or regular garlic
100g/ 3 ½oz/ heaped 1 cup grated smoked Cheddar cheese
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and grated
4 tspb capers, rinsed, patted dry and roughly chopped
1 large handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
flour; for dusting
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Caper mayonnaise
6 tbsp mayonnaise
juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp drained capers, rinsed, patted dry and finely chopped
1 tbsp nori flakes or 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

If possible, use a naturally smoked Cheddar in the potato cakes, rather than a smoke-flavoured one, which can lack the intensity of flavour and requisite dry texture. The smoked garlic embellishes the overall smokiness of the potato cakes, but you could use regular garlic instead.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190C, 375F/ Gas 5. Cook the potatoes in plenty of boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and return the potatoes to the hot pan to dry briefly. Leave until cool enough to handle (or use rubber gloves) and coarsely grate into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the butter.
While the potatoes are cooking, brush the tomatoes with oil, place in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 20 minutes, or until softened and starting to blacken, then leave to one side. Reduce the oven to 150C/300F/ Gas 2. Toss the kale in a little oil, season with salt and pepper, and place in a roasting pan in an even layer. Roast the kale for 10-15 minutes, turning once, until crisp. Keep an eye on it as it can easily burn.
Meanwhile, blanch the smoked garlic in a small pan of simmering water for 2 minutes until softened. Drain and roughly chop, then gently fold into the potatoes with the Cheddar, eggs, capers and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover a plate with flour and form the potato mixture into 8 thick cakes, about 8cm/ 3 ¼ in diameter. Lightly dust each potato cake in flour. Heat enough oil to generously cover the base of a large non-stick frying pan and fry the potato cakes in two batches for 3 minutes on each side until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the bottom of the oven with the tomatoes.
While the potato cakes are cooking, mix together all the ingredients for the caper mayonnaise. Serve the potato cakes with the roasted tomatoes and crispy kale and with the caper mayo by the side.

Part-time variation:
Salmon potato cakes

Cook the potatoes, tomatoes and kale as described above. Replaced the smoked cheese, smoked garlic and hard-boiled eggs with 635g/ 1lb 6oz canned salmon, drained, skin and bones removed and fish flaked. Stir the salmon into the grated potato with 4 tbsp capers and 1 large handful chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, as instructed above. Form and cook the potato cakes as described above.

Nicola Graimes
The Part-Time Vegetarian
£20.00, available from Nourish Books

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A Part-Time Vegetarian Choice: Pikelets with Pear and Ginger Compôte

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Nourish

A cross between the English crumpet and American pancake, the pikelet is thought to have originated in Wales. You need to plan ahead when making pikelets as the yeast requires time to do its thing, so these are best served for brunch (or indeed for tea). Nicola Graimes’s recipe from The Part-Time Vegetarian includes a warming pear compote flavoured with ginger and cloves, but they could also be served topped with a few rashers of crisp bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus rising

Cooking time: 16 minutes

Ingredients:
Pikelets
225g/8oz/ 1 ¾ cups plain/all-purpose flour, preferably spelt
1 tsp instant dried yeast
2 tsp caster/ granulated sugar
1 large egg
270 ml/ 9 ½ fl oz/ scant 1 ¼ cups milk
½ tsp salt
sunflower oil, for frying
Greek yogurt, to serve

Pear and ginger compot:
3 just-ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into bite-size cubes
finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cm/ ½in piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
6 cloves
40g/ 1 ½oz/ 1/3 cup sultanas/ golden raisins
1-2 tbsp clear honey

Method:

To make the pikelets, mix together the flour, yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl until combined, then make a well in the middle.
Whisk the egg into the milk. Pour the mixture into the well and gradually draw in the flour, whisking to make a smooth batter. Cover the bowl with cling film/ plastic wrap and leave for 2 hours in a warm place until bubbly and risen. Stir in the salt just before cooking, otherwise it will inhibit the yeast.
Meanwhile, to make the compote, put the pears, orange juice, ginger and cloves in a saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and stir in the orange zest and sultanas/ golden raisins. Cover the pan and simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until the pears are just tender but not falling apart. Stir in enough honey to sweeten.
Heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and wipe it over the base using a crumpled up sheet of paper towel. Place a small ladleful (about 3 tablespoons) of the batter into the pan, then repeat to cook 4 pikelets at a time. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until risen and golden. Keep warm wrapped in a cloth or low oven while you make the remaining pikelets.
Serve the pikelets with pear and ginger compote and with yogurt on the side.

Nicola Graimes
The Part-Time Vegetarian
£20.00, available from Nourish Books

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Gut Health: Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Tomato Chipotle Sauce

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Nourish

This flavourful dish of Italian-style meatballs has a subtle spicy kick from the sauce. This recipe comes from The Gut Health Diet Plan by Christine Bailey. The sauce and meatballs can be prepared in advance, then reheated and cooked when ready to eat, for a quick and easy mid-week meal.
Even better, turkey is a high-protein, low-fat meat that is rich in gut-supporting nutrients, including iron and zinc. It is easy to digest and contains essential amino acids for gut repair. Serve with the courgette/zucchini noodles on page 87 for an even healthier meal!

Serves 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
1 small red onion, cut into quarters
2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
½ red pepper/ bell pepper, deseeded and cut into large chunks
500g/ 1lb 2oz plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
2 tsp olive oil or coconut oil
1 tsp chipotle sauce or a few drops of Tabasco sauce, to taste
1 tsp lime jusice
250g/ 9oz minced/ ground turkey
½ egg, beaten
1 tbsp coconut oil
sea salt and ground black pepper
chopped parsley leaves, to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/ Gas 5. Put the onion in a roasting pan and add the garlic, red pepper/ bell pepper and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the olive oil. Toss the vegetables in the oil to coat, then roast for 30 minutes until tender and lightly golden.
Put the roasted vegetables into a blender or food processor and add the chipotle sauce and lime juice. Blend until smooth, then transfer to a saucepan over a medium-high hear and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Leave to one side.
Put the turkey in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the egg and stir well. Shape into little balls. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the balls for 5-6 minutes until browned on all sides. Drain on paper towels.
Return the sauce to a gentle simmer, then put the meatballs in the sauce and cook for a further 5 minutes until cooked through. Scatter with parsley and serve.

Christine Bailey
The Gut Health Diet Plan
£12.99, available from Nourish Books

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Towards the Paralympic games: Renee McGregor and Piers Gilliver

Posted on July 1, 2016July 13, 2016 by Nourish

You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get. – Michael Phelps

Training Food author Renee McGregor interviews Rio 2016 Paralympics qualifier Piers Gilliver. Piers is Britain’s number one wheelchair fencer and he qualified for the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

https://youtu.be/Phv3Ge8MKnw

Month: July 2016

Matcha Superfood Bites

Braised Chicken with Green Olives & Preserved Lemon

Thai Green Vegetable Curry

Get Some Behind the Scenes from Judith Hann’s Herbs Photoshoot

Keep your eyes peeled for Herbs by Judith Hann, out in September 2017. To get a little taste of this fantastic book and enjoy the behind the scenes of the photoshoot, follow the great work of our design and editorial team on Nourish Books Instagram!

Smart Sizzling – How to Have a Healthy Barbecue

Towards the Olympic Games: Renee McGregor and Aly Dixon

Smoked cheese potato cakes with crispy kale, and Its Part-Time Vegetarian Variation

A Part-Time Vegetarian Choice: Pikelets with Pear and Ginger Compôte

Gut Health: Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Tomato Chipotle Sauce

Towards the Paralympic games: Renee McGregor and Piers Gilliver

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