Good Food Friday Treats :: walnut inspired eats

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My kitchen this week has turned into a nut crackers delight; a result of being given a very large bag of walnuts. I've cracked and I've cracked and let me tell you, quite frankly, I don't want to crack another nut for a long time. My hands feel broken and I'm finding walnut shells in the weirdest of places, because as you crack, they fly. Thankfully, there is a reward for all that, and I now have several jars of walnuts lined up, ready for enjoyment.

Have you taken a look at a walnut closely? They look like a teeny tiny brain. Interestingly enough, they support brain function as well as sport a host of other nutritional benefits (a rich source of Omega 3's, immunity boosting qualities and huge cardiovascular benefits too).

Needless to say, my recipes are based on walnuts for this Good Food Friday.

Pear Salad with Walnuts and Roquefort

(original recipe from 500 Salads by Susannah Blake)

1 bunch of rocket

1 bunch of watercress

5 tbs roughly chopped walnuts

100 g of Roquefort cheese, crumbled (I substituted this for Meredith Goats Cheese)

2 ripe pears

for the vinaigrette:

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

6 tbs olive oil

4 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp honey

salt and freshly ground pepper

Remove stalks and tear the leaves of watercress and rocket and place into a bowl. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts and half the cheese in also.

To make vinaigrette, whisk garlic with oil and vinegar. Season to taste with honey, salt and pepper and pour the mixture over the greens. Mix well.

Peel the pears and remove the core. Cut into slices and place pears into the bowl with the salad and toss. Once stirred, top with the remaining cheese and walnuts!

This next recipe, I wasn't going to post but my are these biscuits amazing! So, you are getting it not because they are 'healthy' but coming into Christmas, they would be a perfect addition to your baked gifts. I'm now helping you get organised for Christmas too! This place is like a one stop shop. Of course, homemade goods are always healthier because you know what's in them!

Chocolate Puddle Cookies

(taken from 101 cookbooks)

Toast 3 cups of walnuts lightly and allow to cool. Chop and put into a bowl.

Once the toasting is done, pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees.

Add 3 cups of sifted icing sugar, 3/4 cup coco powder, 1/2 tsp salt. Mix and then add 3 egg whites (straight into mixture, not beaten) Mix well.
Place dollops of the batter onto baking trays lined with baking paper. Don't put more than 6 per tray - they spread out A LOT!
Cook for 12 - 15 minutes. If you don't cook for long enough, you can't get them off the paper. They will go glossy whilst they are cooking and then start to crack. Once they start cracking they are more on the ready side.

I warn you. These spell DANGER! They are so delicious, it is really hard to stop eating them! That said, you may still include me on your list for a bag of your baked goods this Christmas!

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Be simple. Eat simple. Get out of your pickle!

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You can eat them though! Pickles are very good for you, excellent for healthy gut function.

I've been sifting through research articles that have made their way into my inbox. To be totally honest with you, my brain is frazzled. The do's and don'ts that are fed to you by us 'experts' probably leave you feeling not too dissimilar. Brain fried. I mean no disrespect, there is a huge realm of valuable information out there, but by the same token, if we were to take it all on board, we would live on a diet of air and water and even then, more than likely these elements would be polluted and then where are we left? In a BIG pickle. Of course, what I tell you will often vary from the practitioner next door, not because I'm trying to be different, but because I use methods that work for me. When it comes to the clinic and how I choose to educate my patients, it's all about efficacy; what sees my patients have fast, but lasting results. I want healthy people and lots of them. Why? Because healthy people make healthy babies, quickly.

So as I sifted though the emails, I considered writing about causes of increased cancer rates, how studies indicate that antibiotics are making us fatter, how vitamin D is affecting fertility as well as our psychological state of mind (I could keep on going and going) but one thing kept coming back into my head. More than likely, we wouldn't be in this pickle if we ate and lived more simply. I read Sarah Wilson's blog post yesterday and it has been resonating in my head ever since. She talks about eating close to the source because basically, we are slowly killing ourselves with the food choices we are making, and what's worse, many of us are simply unaware of what we are consuming. She goes onto add that if we all ate cleanly and steered clear of 'diets' there would far less health and weight issues going around. The bottom line is you cannot go past fresh ingredients and foods you make yourself, from scratch. And no, this doesn't include a jar of 'poultry tonight' or similar, because that is the very food I'm talking about.

My point is this. As valuable as all the research and results, do's and don'ts are, it can be overwhelming and seemingly too hard. It may be easier to give up or dismiss the research because perhaps you don't know where to begin. The very best place to start is in your own home. Start eating more simply, thinking more simply, breathing more simply. Clean out the pantry, chuck out the nasties, do the same with your fridge. Every part of your being will thank you for it. And then, once this is done and your body is being fueled with food and drink which can ONLY make you healthier, the rest will become clearer as you do so. It is from this point that you can then look at the do's and don'ts with more clarity and decide from a place of health which are most appropriate for you.

Good Food Friday Treats :: lentil and mushroom moussaka

Martha goes green showed up at my door step. I have two words. Oh. My. It's delicious from top to bottom, back to front. Have you got a copy? What an awesome little investment she is. Have a look at her. She's just adorable!

My Good Food Friday Treat comes straight out of there today.

I've been obsessing about this recipe since the book arrived. I can tell you it's totally delicious and busting with flavor. What's more, I'm pretty certain my Greek mother in law would be proud.

Lentil and Mushroom Moussaka

3 large eggplants

3 Tsp salt

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

6-8 button mushrooms, sliced

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp dried oregano

3 tomatoes, diced

400g can brown lentils, drained, rinsed

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

4 Tbsp bread crumbs

bechamel (white sauce)

2 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour, sifted

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Remove ends from eggplants and slice into 1cm thick rounds. Lay rounds on a large tray, sprinkle each side with salt and let sit for 20-30 minutes. This will draw out any bitterness and excess liquid. Rinse, pat dry with a paper towel and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper.

Using 3 tablespoons of oil, brush each side of eggplant and bake for 20-25 minute or until soft and golden brown.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and cook onion and garlic until clear. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. add cinnamon, allspice, oregano, tomatoes and lentils and stir to combine. Add tomato paste, vegetable stock, salt and pepper, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid has reduced.

To prepare bechamel melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, add flour and stir until mixture becomes frothy. Slowly pour in milk, whisking as you go. Bring to the boil and whisk as mixture thickens. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and egg and season with salt and pepper.

Spread half the bread crumbs on the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Place half the eggplant on top, followed with half of the lentil sauce. Repeat with remaining eggplant and sauce. Pour over bechamel and smooth. Sprinkle remaining bread crumbs on the top and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden.

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Water. How much is enough?

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As part of an initial consultation in the clinic, I spend a little time talking about water. How much do you drink? How often do you drink? Are you thirsty? Can you quench your thirst? Do you drink a certain amount because you think you should? And so on. I generally establish one of two things. Either the patient is actually drinking too much water or they don't drink any at all. There doesn't seem to be many that fall in between. So how do you know what enough is?

It is possible to have too much water, although it won't generally cause too much havoc. It will however, dilute the 'good stuff' in your body. This is assuming it's not massive amounts. Large quantities of water are in fact, very harmful, but as a rule so long as you aren't taking in more than your kidneys can handle, you will be fine. I'm really stunned by the amount of patients who tell me they force in 3 Litres per day. I actually wonder what else they have time for between trips to the loo and filling up their water bottles. That's a lot of water! As with most things in life, not one size fits all. The amount of water you require depends on several factors including your weight, how much you exercise, the climate you are in and a few other factors such as breast feeding and medications. I put myself through this: Hydration Calculator. The results showed that I require 2 litres per day, 20% of which may come from foods and so long as I eat a very clean diet, I can get away with 1.7L. Now that’s more like it.

Being unable to quench your thirst is a different matter all together. From a Chinese Medicine viewpoint, it may be an indication that the patient is 'yin deficient' (yin pertaining to fluids and other hydrating matter). In such cases, no amount of water is enough. Because this is a reflection of the internal organs (most likely kidneys), I use herbal formulas and acupuncture to support organ function and nourish the body, which will in turn see the body is well hydrated and able to adequately process fluids.

Every part of your body needs water however the kidneys are the powerhouse that take the biggest beating if you haven't taken enough in. For me as a Natural Fertility Specialist, this is vital, as the kidneys are imperative for healthy reproductive function. Of course, all areas of your body need to be in tip top working order to make babies, but simple changes like drinking enough water, can make all the difference to your reproductive health and wellbeing.

Remember the following and stay well hydrated.

* Coffee, Tea, Soft drinks etc, need not apply. They do not count to your daily water intake - in fact they will make you dehydrated.

* Drinking all daily water intake in one foul swoop just won’t do. Pace yourself.

* I suggest to all patients they set times to drink water, to create a habit. So it might go something like this; upon waking, at 10 am, before lunch, at 2pm, before you leave from work, before dinner and before bed (or whatever works for you). Before you know it, you have consumed your 6-8 glasses in for the day.

* Excessive thirst indicates something isn't right - get it checked out if this applies to you.

* Get the best quality water you can. Filtered tap water is on the top of my list. Bottled water is fine also. Avoid drinking water that has been sitting in plastic bottles for long periods of time, as the toxins of the plastic will surely find their way in!

Happy World Vegan Day!

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I'm on a mini break, with a few days off (ahh the serenity) - but I thought I'd post you a recipe being World Vegan Day today.

Being World Vegan Day, I encourage you to make something simple and delicious and of course nutritious this evening. This is one of my most favorite Salads that everybody will love!

spiced chickpea & carrot salad

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander and 1 teaspoon of paprika. Cook for 1 minute and then pour spiced mixture over a 400gm can of organic chickpeas (rinsed and drained of course). Toss chickpea mixture with 2 coarsely grated carrots, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey.

Awesome!
original recipe from donna hays 'no time to cook' 2008

Good Food Friday Treats :: Fetta and Pumpkin Muffins

As soon as I saw this awesome muffin recipe on 101 cookbooks, I was itching to make them. I'm totally in love with fetta, and the combination with roast pumpkin is delicious. These are the perfect addition to this weekend's picnic basket.



Fetta and Pumpkin Muffins
Olive oil to drizzle and prepare muffin tins
2 cups pumpkin chopped into 1-2cm cubes
200 gms of fetta
100 gms parmesan cheese
3 tbs of pine nuts
4-5 springs of thyme
2 tbs seeded mustard
1 cup of soy milk (or milk of your choice)
2 eggs
1½ cups of spelt flour
½ cup of millet flour
3 tsp baking powder
Black pepper
salt and pepper to season

1. Cut up pumpkin and place in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and place in an oven of 180 degrees. Allow to cook for approx 20 minutes or until cooked through. Whilst pumpkin is cooking, grease tins - enough for 12 muffins.
2. Once cooked, allow to cool slightly. Combine in a bowl ¾ of the pumpkin, ¾ of the fetta (remaining will be used on top), parmesan, thyme, mustard, pepper & pine nuts and mix roughly.
3. In a separate bowl, combine milk and eggs and whisk. Once combined, add to the pumpkin mix and roughly stir. Avoid over stirring so that the pumpkin and fetta remain in tact.
4. Sift in flours and baking soda to the mixture and again stir roughly.
5. Place mix into muffin tins. Place the left over pumpkin and fetta on top of each individual muffin. Once complete, cook in the same temperature oven for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the tops become hard and golden.

I slightly modified the flours and seasoning to suit what I had in the cupboard. You could use regular flours if preferred, or any combination really. Don't ever be afraid to modify recipes to suit whats in your pantry. You might just surprise yourself and come up with something even more delicious!