Green Power Spirulina Cookbook - Sample Pages

GREEN POWER T H E S P I RU L I NA C O O K B O O K

Helen Peacocke and Sylvia Vetta

Supporting the Nasio Trust Spirulina Project

www.philiphind.com

Endorsements

Contents

Given our lives of plenty, it is easy to forget that in many parts of the world there are still many, far too many, who have little or nothing. The Nasio Trust’s wonderful support centres for orphans in Western Kenya are working towards becoming self sufficient but to date they are still largely funded through the hard work of the inspirational Nancy Hunt.

She relies on the generosity, commitment and fundraising ideas of Nasio supporters and organisations such as Kennington Overseas Aid (KOA).

Green Power, put together free of charge by Helen Peacocke and Sylvia Vetta, serves to show how well friendships can blossom across continents for the benefit of all. Enjoy the recipes and the superfood properties of spirulina whilst supporting the Nasio Trust in their valuable work.

Jane Cranston High Sheriff in Nomination (2017/18)

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How it all Began: Nancy Hunt and the Nasio Trust

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The Kennington Connection

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The Spirulina Project

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What is Spirulina?

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Helen Peacocke

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St Swithun's School

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Lives Transformed: young people from Kenya and Oxfordshire

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Exit 7 A Nasio project in the UK

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Nasio — past, present and future

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Sylvia Vetta

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Over to you!

Having a nutritious diet is something that it is all too easy to take for granted in this country. At St Swithun’s School, we were privileged and excited about being involved in this project. The proceeds from the sale of Green Power will contribute to children in Western Kenya, supported by the Nasio Trust, having a healthy diet – which in turn will make a difference to their life chances, helping them to thrive, prosper and achieve their potential.

Helen Atkinson Headteacher, St Swithun's School, Kennington

Recipes 21

Safi Green Ugali

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Spiced Red Cabbage

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Beetroot Soup with Feta

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Apple Hamburgers

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Individual Apple Pies

Sponsored by The Souter Charitable Trust (www.soutercharitabletrust.org.uk), Dr Halcyon Leonard, Sylvia Vetta and Dr Marilyn Farr.

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Autumn Spirulina Pasties

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Baked Potato and Pumpkin

Photo credits Fig Photography, Oxford Careers Office, Jonathan Hunt, Philip Hind, Clive Rodgers

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Beetroot and Coconut Dip

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Pasta Casserole

Recipes © Helen Peacocke 2016 Published by Philip Hind (www.philiphind.com) Printed by SS Media Ltd

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Contents 42

Bubble and Squeak Spiced Cakes with Kale, Spinach and Egg

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Caesar Salad

46

Grilled Chicken Legs

50

Apparcardo Smoothie

52

Faggots in Tomato Sauce

54

Salmon Fish Cakes

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Parsnip and Potato Cheese Bake

58

Grilled Figs and Gorgonzola

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Kale Chips

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Barbecue Chicken Kebabs

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Pea and Roasted Garlic Soup

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Pesto Sauce

70

Squash Bread

72

Quail Scotch Eggs

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Spirulina Dip in Green Pepper

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Wild Garlic Soup

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Yellow Split Peas and Cauliflower

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Beef Casserole

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Spirulina Dog Biscuits

Facing page: Fadhili and Irene with Ellie 4

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The Spirulina Project by

Sylvia Vetta

I first heard about the Nasio Trust when, in 2012, I interviewed Jo Thoenes.

At that time she was the presenter of Jo in the Afternoon on Radio Oxford.

She told me about an inspirational charity called the Nasio Trust run by Nancy Hunt. From humble beginnings in a shack it had gone on to build and run two daycentres where it was supporting over 300 orphans and vulnerable children many of whom were HIV positive. She told me that Nancy had even persuaded her to climb Kilimanjaro to help raise money for the charity.

I discovered that I was not the only KOA committee member to have become aware of Nasio. The result was that at the shortlisting meeting in June 2013, the Trust was asked to submit a project. When their submission arrived in October, the project came as a surprise. Nasio was asking us for a grant to set up a unit comprising 40 tanks to produce spirulina. Frankly only one committee member had heard of spirulina.

The Trust explained that it has the highest protein content of any natural food (50-70%). It grows in shallow water tanks and doubles its biomass every 2-5 days. They attached a recent study that showed that when added to their diet HIV children are much healthier, put on weight and develop normally (see page 20 for more information about this miraculous ingredient).

Anyone in Kennington can come to the selection meeting in January and cast their vote for one of three possible projects. In 2014 all three projects were worthwhile but the Nasio project was chosen by a large majority. Over that year, we ran an exciting programme of fundraising events and as a result handed over £25,000 to the charity. Our treasurer Clive Rodgers passed most of it on as we raised it so that they could start work on the construction of the tanks. In 2015 we received good reports of its success.

In the meantime I had decided that 2016 would be my last as chair of KOA and as we had no secretary or vice-chairman it looked as if 2016 — KOA’s 48th year — could be its last. There was still good support for all our popular events but no new people coming forward wishing to take on the responsibility and commitment needed to sustain KOA. Given the circumstances, I suggested that it would be preferable not to invite new charities to submit projects but instead to ask three charities who are run from Oxfordshire and from whom we get great feedback to share the money raised in 2016. Those charities are, the Children’s Radio Foundation, Lunch 4 16

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We have also employed an experienced Technical Advisor (a Kenyan leading expert in spirulina production), Job Essombo Kangula, who is helping us increase yields up to 30 kg a month when dried, ready for consumption and market.

The story behind the Green Power cookbook I began writing for the Oxford Times, in 1998, and every month since have written a feature in the award winning Oxfordshire Limited Edition magazine. In 2008, I embarked on a mission to maroon remarkable people on a desert island. I asked them to choose an object, work of art or book to take with them. Once I knew something about Nancy’s story, I put her name forward to the then editor Tim Metcalfe as candidate for the island of Oxtopia. She joined food writer Helen Peacocke whom I had cast away upon her retirement.

Team Green widows at work

Learning and the Nasio Trust.

By this time Nancy had a dream of the project in Musanda becoming selfsufficient by 2020 through sales of spirulina. While it will continue to be used as a supplement in the children’s diet, the amount of spirulina produced with additional tanks could make it commercially viable as an income raiser.

They estimated that by building extra capacity, Nasio could generate £500 per month. Nancy said, We have been fortunate in getting the support of two Oxford University interns. Hannah Carmichael is the volunteer project manager and William Hodgkins of New College is working on marketing; Xuchen Yang from The Queen’s College is looking at the science behind the agriculture.

When Helen, Nancy and I began talking ‘spirulina’ we realised that most people have no idea how to use the supplement. Helen is a wonderfully creative chef and I am not sure if she volunteered or was pushed into creating the 26 recipes in this book. She has done it all out of the generosity of her heart. We found sponsors who made publication a possibility and we wanted the book to be of interest both in the UK and in Kenya. By using it to promote the Nasio Trust we hope it will help the charity realise its dream of becoming self sufficient by 2020.

As for the title … the story behind that is on page 49!

Their detailed manual of how to produce spirulina for the local community and their market analysis report identified unmet demand for good quality spirulina across East Africa – both in the institutional humanitarian market, and in the high end ‘wellness’ markets in cities such as Nairobi and Kisumu.

In those cities, spirulina is bought and sold at far higher prices than within the local markets. If we can regularly supply that Kenyan market I would like our Musanda project to be self-sufficient by 2020, thus reducing or eliminating the need for future reliance on funding from the UK.

As a result of the money raised in 2014 and the Nasio Trust’s hard work, the greenhouse with 10 tanks, were already producing 13 kg of dried protein-rich Spirulina weekly. The project had created an opportunity for salaried work for six widows and one teenager. Nancy said, 18

Project manager Hannah Carmichael with the Oxford Interns 19

Spiced Red Cabbage Because the cabbage with its lovely slightly bitter pepper flavour is high in colour, a teaspoon of spirulina mixes well but does not dominate the overall colour and its flavour mingles comfortably.

1 red onion 1 tbsp fennel seeds Piece fresh ginger the size of a walnut 2 cloves garlic ½ medium sized red cabbage 1 Bramley apple 1 small bunch coriander 75 ml red wine vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil 2oz/50g soft brown sugar 1 tsp spirulina Pinch of salt to season

• Pour oil into a large heavy bottomed pan and heat.

• While the oil is heating prepare the ingredients – finely slice the red onion, peel and chop the fresh ginger and cloves of garlic.

Slice the red cabbage, chop the apple into small chunks and then last of all chop the coriander leaves quite fine.

• When the oil is hot add the fennel seeds and cook for about 2 minutes.

• Stir in the chopped ginger and garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes until a delicious aroma of cooked garlic wafts round the kitchen.

• Add the cabbage and apple, the wine vinegar, spirulina and soft brown sugar, stir well and allow the mix to simmer gently on the back of the stove for at least 25 minutes until the cabbage and apple are cooked. Although you want to cook the cabbage right through, to give the dish a real edge it still has to have some bite.

If the cabbage goes soggy this dish will lose some of its impact.

• Stir well, taste, adjust seasoning, toss in the chopped coriander and serve hot or cold with cold meats, particularly chicken.

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Barbequed Chicken Kebabs The smoky flavour of dishes that have been cooked on the barbeque mix particularly well with spirulina that has been scattered over the meat before cooking. The green hue that the spirulina gives to the meat, particularly chicken and turkey, adds its own special touch. A splendid dish to serve your guests on a hot summer’s day.

Serves 4 2 large, skinned chicken breasts 3 capsicums, red, yellow and green.

2 tsp spirulina 2 tsp white flour Salt and freshly ground black peppercorns to season Vegetable oil 4 skewers on which to secure the ingredients

ӧӧ Begin by preparing the barbeque so that it is nice and hot when you are ready to cook the kebabs once they are prepared. ӧӧ Get the kebabs ready by cutting the chicken or turkey flesh into bite-sized cubes. ӧӧ Prepare the capsicums by chopping their outer shells into squares the same size. ӧӧ In a large saucer mix together the spirulina, flour and seasoning. ӧӧ Toss the meat pieces into this mix and ensure that they are well covered, then weave them onto wooden skewers, fixing a piece of meat alongside a slice of capsicum highlighting their appearance with the bright colours of the capsicums. ӧӧ Brush the kebabs on both sides with oil and place on the hot coals of the barbecue. Cook over fast heat until the meat and vegetables begin to brown. ӧӧ Serve with rice on a large dish that allows guests to help themselves.

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Wild Garlic Soup The delightful thing about wild garlic is its subtle fragrance. It is not an aggressive flavour, it does not dominate a dish, yet it adds that certain memorable something that encourages you to ask for more.

It is native to the temperate regions of Europe during the spring, particularly in deciduous woodlands alongside the bluebells if you are foraging in England. The white flowers are beautiful and make for an attractive garnish, particularly if you are serving fish.

Often named Ramsons, Buckrams or Bear leeks they are most prolific and at their best during April. Their leaves add a superb touch to spring salads and the result is particularly flavoursome if you wrap the leaves round a fillet of white fish and poach in wine.

Turn it into a soup for an easy to make starter which is superb when served with crusty garlic bread.

Serves 4

4 oz (100 g) butter Two medium potatoes, cut into medium sized pieces One medium onion, cut into medium sized pices 1 litre vegetable stock Four big handfuls of wild garlic leaves and flowers Generous dash double cream 1 tsp spirulina Salt and freshly ground black peppercorns to season

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ӧӧ Heat the butter in a large pan and add the potato cubes and onion. ӧӧ Gently cook in the butter for about ten minutes. ӧӧ Toss in the wild garlic and spirulina and continue cooking until wilted. ӧӧ Allow to cool a little, then add cream and liquidize. ӧӧ Season, taking care not to add too much salt. ӧӧ Once served in soup dish, scatter a few of the flowers onto the surface to garnish.

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GREEN POWER

GREEN POWER

GREEN POWER The Spirulina Cookbook

Helen Peacocke

by Helen Peacocke and Sylvia Vetta

Connecting across continents is as dynamic as the Green Power plant, spirulina. Helen Peacocke’s beautiful and easy-to-prepare recipes need just a sprinkle of the protein-packed supplement.

The Green Power Cookbook was named by children from St Swithun’s School (Kennington, Oxford) and is in support of the inspirational Nasio Trust.

This guide to a diet filled with goodness is also about changing lives.

£4.99

cover2.indd 2

www.thenasiotrust.org

Supporting the Nasio Trust Spirulina Project

18/05/2016 13:47