14 minute read
Healthy Autumn harvest recipes
AUTUMN HARVEST For the love of apples Granny Smith’s Famous Apple Scones
Advertisement
Try these three apple bakes for comfort food that’s healthy too!
Preparation: 15 minutes, plus chilling Cooking: 18 minutes Makes 14
INGREDIENTS 450g self-raising flour Pinch of salt 110g butter, chilled and diced 150g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 4 South African Granny Smith apples Pinch of ground nutmeg or cinnamon 1 large egg Approx. 280ml milk Clotted cream, to serve
Enjoy these yummy apple scones while they’re still warm, topped with clotted cream and warm poached apple slices.
METHOD 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6. Put a baking sheet into the oven to preheat (this helps to give your scones extra lift).2 Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in 100g sugar.3 Peel and core the apples, chop half of them and stir into the scone mixture. Slice the remaining apples thinly and put them into a saucepan with the remaining 50g sugar, a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon and 100ml water. Heat and simmer until tender – about 10 minutes.4 Beat the egg in a measuring jug, then add milk to bring the liquid up to 300ml, mixing well. Add just enough to the rubbed-in mixture to make a soft (not sticky) dough - there will be some liquid left. Bring the dough together. 5 Knead the dough lightly on a floured work surface for a few moments. Wrap in cling film and chill for 10-15 minutes, though no longer, as you don’t want the dough to be icy cold and tricky to roll.6 Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 3cm thick. Use a 5cm plain or fluted cutter to stamp out rounds. Gather any trimmings together, re-roll and cut out more scones.7 Arrange the scones quickly onto the preheated baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining egg and milk mixture. Immediately transfer to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes towards the top of the oven, until well-risen and golden brown. Cool a little, then serve with the poached apples and clotted cream. Cook’s tip: Avoid twisting the cutter when stamping out the scones - just press it straight through the dough. This will help your scones to rise evenly. Recipe: www.south-africa-fruits.com
INGREDIENTS – for one person 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted) Vegan Apple Spice & Hazelnut Pudding 1 tbsp xylitol sugar alternative (available in supermarkets and health stores as Total Sweet) 2 tbsps unsweetened almond milk
A few drops of apple cider vinegar 35g plain flour ½ tsp mixed spice ¼ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp of baking powder
Pinch of bicarbonate of soda A quarter of a sweet eating apple peeled and chopped (around 20/25g) 5g chopped hazelnuts You will need a tea cup which holds approx 180ml of fluid and that is microwave safe METHOD 1 Put the coconut oil, xylitol, drops of apple cider vinegar and milk in a teacup and give it a good whisk. Since reaching the semi-finals of the 2017 The Great British BakeOff, Stacey Hart has moved away from the icing coated cakes she was famed for and now creates healthier, but still just as delicious, bakes. Here she shares a quick and easy low sugar vegan bake, packed full flavour. 2 Add the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and baking powder to the mug and whisk together until smooth.3 Once the mix is smooth, gently stir in half of the finely chopped apples4 Top the cake with the other half of the apples and sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts on the top (Sprinkle optional cinnamon sugar on the top (made by grinding 1 tbsp of xylitol and 1 tsp cinnamon together)5 Cook in the microwave on 850W for 1½ mins (microwave temps vary and so you may need more or less time so watch out!)6 In the microwave, the cake will puff up, then deflate and then rise again 7 Either turn the cake out of the cup or eat it once it’s slightly cooled straight from the cup Cook’s tip: Don’t overcook or it will get too stodgy. If it’s undercooked you can pop it back in the microwave for another 10 seconds or so. This cake is designed to be eaten straight away whilst still warm (but not so hot to burn!). Recipe: @staceydeeskitchen
Apple, Pumpkin Seed & Peanut Butter Muffins
INGREDIENTS 150g self raising flour 100g wholemeal plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 ½ tsp cinnamon 1 ½ tsp nutmeg 100g caster sugar 85g butter 2 medium eggs 80-125ml milk 3 tbsp chunky peanut butter 3 small eating apples, grated 30g dried apple pieces 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds METHOD 1 Add the self-raising flour and the wholemeal plain flour into a bowl. 2 Add 1 tsp of baking powder, 1½ tsp of cinnamon powder, 1½ tsp of nutmeg and 100g of caster sugar into the bowl and mix together. 3 Turn up the heat, melt the butter and allow to cool slightly. This perfect blend of spices, apple, pumpkin seeds and peanut butter will not only go down a treat with the family, they will spread a lovely cinnamon and Autumnal aroma in your home. 4 Crack the eggs, scoop in the crunchy peanut butter and beat together in a separate bowl. Combine the two mixtures together. Add the grated fresh apples with dried apple pieces. 5 Pour in the milk and stir until it’s at the perfect consistency and falls from the spoon. Add the mixture to 12 muffin cases and decorate with 6 7 pumpkin seeds. Pour water into the base of the oven. Select SteamBake on your oven to blast moisture into your food, followed by a shot of dry heat. Cook at 185°C for 25 minutes for fluffy middles & a lovely, crispy outertexture. Allow to cool, serve and enjoy.
Recipe: www.ao.com
A life-changing career
Studying Nutritional Therapy with CNM led Edinburgh graduate Annie Breen to set up the Healthy Tum, Happy Mum programme, which is helping worn-out mums transform their lives.
Iwanted to find more purpose in my life and embark on a career that got me excited! I was attracted to the depth and detail that the CNM course went into and the fact I could fit it around my full-time job. For 10 years I worked as a Support Worker in many different remits, roles and locations throughout the UK including family support, domestic abuse, complex needs, substance misuse, mental health, homelessness and anti-social behaviour. Helping people in some incredibly challenging situations took me to a point where I wanted to know more. I’d played a role in and witnessed people change their external environment – housing, relationships and jobs, but this only got them so far. How could I help break the cycle of suffering and support them take back agency of themselves, their health and their life? This is what led me towards Nutritional Therapy: I wanted to help people change from inside out so that they could feel empowered and thrive, not merely survive I found the CNM course to be thorough, scientific and empowering. I loved the course content – how cutting edge it is in terms of research as well as being rooted in ancient wisdom; the lecturers; the group and my fellow classmates; the excitement of learning something that could not just change my life but that of others; embarking on a new career.
I don’t really describe what I do as a career, it is part of my identity. Nutritional therapy IS now my life, it has enabled me to get clear on my values and what’s important. It has allowed me to meet some truly awesome people in an ever-evolving network. It has equipped me with some of the most up-to-date, cutting-edge science and enabled me to not just help myself, but my loved ones. My daughter already has a pretty good understanding about the microbiome! And now and again I catch my husband parroting nutrition advice! I think the big one for me is how it’s played a huge role in me becoming the person and mum I am today. I feel happy, healthy and empowered and that’s a beautiful thing to be able to model to my daughter. My direction became really clear after I had my little girl in 2016, motherhood led me on a whole new personal and professional growth adventure, I now help exhausted, depleted mums reclaim their energy so they can feel healthy and whole and step into their power. The combination of my coaching experience, my CNM Nutritional Therapy qualification and my motherhood journey to date has really enabled me to walk in the shoes of mothers and help them get to the root cause of their symptoms (exhaustion, anxiety, overwhelm, brain fog, digestive issues). My ‘Healthy Tum, Happy Mum’ programme is focused on helping mums rebalance and transform from inside out. What I love about practising is the connection with my clients, the excitement of sharing this life-changing information, being part of their journey, the coaching element and witnessing the lasting transformation. Do something life-changing IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH CHANGE CAREER | HELP OTHERS Come to a CNM Online Open Event. Call 01342 777 747 to reserve your spot Study online or in class. 80% of our graduates are practising.
CNM has a 22-year track record training successful professionals in natural therapies, including Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Health Coach & Natural Chef/ Vegan Natural Chef, online and in class. Colleges across the UK and Ireland. CNM Natural Chef Diploma Course is accredited by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA). Visit www.cnmcourses.com or call 01342 777 747
CNM
COLLEGE OF NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE
Training Successful Practitioners
CHANGE CAREER Train to become a…
Nutritionist Herbalist Acupuncturist Homeopath Health Coach Natural Chef
Attend a FREE Open Online Event
Postgraduate & Short Courses Part-time and full-time studies
Study Online or In Class
Colleges across the UK and Ireland
01342 777 747 cnmcourses.com
FOOD Good to go Guilt-free snacking that’s healthy too
Renowned for its delicious, 100% natural, no added sugar protein balls, The Protein Ball Co. has unveiled three new categories: High Protein, Plant Protein and Breakfast-to-go, which features two brand new flavours Coffee Oat Muffin and Blueberry Oat Muffin.
If you care about looking after your health, new Tobia Teff Meksess are the perfect snack! Packed with vitamins and minerals, they’re made from a simple recipe of teff flakes and coconut oil mixed with agave syrup or honey to make a wholesome, gluten free alternative to sugary flapjack bars.
www.tobiateff.co.uk
Treat Trunks are filled with a variety of tasty and healthy snacks for all the family. Snacks change monthly and they can be customised for adults, kids or both and there’s even a New Mum box. Just snuggle up on the sofa and pick out a healthy treat or two!
nooro is the UK’s first CBD snack bar which contains 25mg of CBD alongside plantbased nootropics, gingko and maca, which are thought to benefit cognitive function. Other ingredients include peanut butter, cacao nibs and oats for slow release energy. The result? A raw, vegan bar which is high in fibre and a great source of key minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and zinc.
www.planetorganic.com www.theproteinballco.com www.treattrunk.co.uk
Popcorn Shed has launched two new exciting popcorn flavours, plus a range of advent calendars! Not only are they super tasty, but healthy too. In fact, popcorn may even be healthier than fruit and veg since it’s loaded with polyphenols – aka plant compounds that act as antioxidants and reduce inflammation. (But don’t forget to also eat your 5-a-day). www.popcornshed.com
Know your moles
Skincare expert Dr Jinah Yoo tells us what’s normal and what’s not
Q: What causes moles?
A: Moles are caused by skin cells that form in clusters called ‘melanocytes’, which produce the colour or pigment in your skin. Most moles develop in early childhood and up until the age of about 30, but some people develop moles later in life. Most moles are completely harmless, but the development of new moles can be linked to sun exposure. New moles or changes in existing moles can, in some cases, be a sign of skin cancer.
Q: How can we protect our moles?
A: Exposing your moles to the sun leaves serious risk of melanoma developing. Firstly, make sure you always apply an adequate amount of sunscreen. I’d recommend you use at least an SPF30 sunscreen with a UVB and UVA protection star rating of 4 or 5. Sunscreen should be applied 15 to 30 minutes before going outside and should be reapplied every two hours when you are staying outdoors. It’s also a good idea to avoid direct sun exposure between 11am and 3pm on sunny days.
Q: How often should we check our moles?
A: It’s useful to take photos on your phone or camera, note down the measurement of your moles and compare every three to four months, especially if you have a large or dark moles. You should check against that to see if there are any new moles or if any of them have changed. If you have several moles over your body and find it hard to keep track of their size and shape, Mole mapping, which is offered in some clinics, is a useful way of ensuring you don’t miss any potentially harmful developments. It involves having several digital full body photographs taken, which can later be compared to spot any signs of malignant melanoma, a common form of skin cancer.
Q: How do you check if your moles have changed?
A: Looking for any changes in colour, shape or size is recommended. Warning signs for cancerous changes from existing or new moles or freckles can be easily remembered using the ABCDE rule: • Asymmetry – look for irregular asymmetrical shapes • Border – any irregular or blurred edges to your moles • Colour – colour changes: uneven colour with different shades of black, brown or pink • Diameter – any rapid changes in size.
Most melanomas are at least 6mm • Evolving – when a mole changes in size, shape or colour, or begins to bleed or scab
Q: Are moles dangerous?
you notice any of the symptoms from the ABCDE rule, then it’s important you go to a doctor or dermatologist immediately to get them checked.
Q: What mole removal treatments are available?
A: There are three main type of treatments available depending on the type of mole you have: LASER REMOVAL If your mole is small, you can have it removed with a specialised laser. Laser mole removal treatment uses targeted light energy to break down pigment in the mole.
A: Most moles are harmless. But, if SHAVE REMOVAL Moles that protrude from the skin can be shaved away under local anaesthetic. This is usually done using a scalpel and is relatively straightforward and painless. You may see a pink mark on your skin where the mole was, but this will fade over time. EXCISION REMOVAL Some moles may need to be cut away via an excision. This procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and requires some stitches in the skin. A linear scar will be left, which tends to fade over time.
Dr Jinah Yoo is a consultant dermatologist at skincare clinic sk:n which offers mole mapping and mole removal treatments. Sk:n has clinics throughout the UK, including in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. www.sknclinics.co.uk
