EFFORTLESSLY HEALTHY COOKING FOR FOODIES BY MINNA WOOD METAWELL
CONTENT MINNA WOOD – FOUNDER OF METAWELL TOP TIPS TO SPEED UP COOKING AT MEAL TIMES Roasting Vegetables Grilling Vegetables Marinating Vegetables Stock Up Your Freezer My Salad Template Easy Veggie Sauce RECIPES BREAKFAST Sautéed shiitake mushrooms with greens and egg yolks “Instant paleo granola” MAIN MEALS Grilled mackerel with a vegetable sauté Stuffed peppers SNACKS Raw flax, chia and apple crackers Beetroot hummus DESSERTS Beetroot and sweet potato paleo brownies Chocolate protein mousse AND FINALLY ...
MINNA WOOD FOUNDER OF METAWELL
Hello! Thank you for downloading my first eBook. I’m very excited to share my favourite recipes with you in one place for the first time. I’m a BANT-registered Nutritional Therapist with a masters degree in nutrition science and a clinical practice diploma in nutritional therapy. I’m also a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) coach and a creative nutritional chef. I’m a complete nutrition nut and foodie, passionate about real food and healthy home cooking, using colourful nutritious ingredients. My own health struggles gave me the impetus to become interested in nutrition and healthy eating. Over the years my passion for nutrition grew, and as doctors couldn’t offer any solutions to my persistent symptoms, I wanted to learn more about how I could help myself. This ultimately led me to follow my passion and give up my then job as a self-employed translator and embark on a degree course in nutrition science. Now I’m eager to spread the knowledge I’ve learned.
Apart from being a nutritional therapist and a keen home cook, I also run cooking demos/lessons, create recipes for ethical food companies and blog about my food. I’m dedicated to instilling the same love of healthy diet in you, so I really do hope that this eBook will inspire you to get creative in your own home kitchen. My cooking ethos is to use the best quality, unprocessed ingredients in their most natural state, organic, seasonal and home-grown as far as possible, i.e. real whole food. I always aim to put my meals together using as many colours as possible to increase the diversity and nutrient content of all meals, starting from breakfast. I love vegetables and fat – which is a marriage made in heaven by the way – and they are the start of all my meals. I don’t do diets, in the sense of starting and ending a certain regime (unless I’m trying an elimination of certain foods for any potential health concerns) – my way of eating is sustainable and enjoyable, without feeling deprived. My cooking is nothing fancy, it’s pretty simple but I’m not one to sacrifice flavour for health benefits, so apart from being healthy and full of nutrients, my meals always have to be deliciously tasty and satisfying. Therefore, I love to experiment with various flavour combinations (sometimes rather odd ones!), and use different herbs and spices to create new flavour sensations, as well as repurpose leftovers in a creative way to avoid boredom and save time and money. I take shortcuts that don’t compromise the quality of the ingredients or the flavour of the final dish but that allow me to free time from the actual process of cooking when I’m busy. Food prepping in advance, freezing meals and prepped ingredients, and using cooking methods, such as roasting vegetables or cooking cheaper cuts of meat in a slowcooker that, despite taking a little longer to cook, are all great ways that allow me to put speedy healthy meals on the table at lunch or dinner but don’t require much of my attention during cooking, so I can get on with other things while the food is coming along.
This eBook is a collection of some of my favourite tried-and-tested, nutrient-dense but simple meals that I use time and again, alongside tips and advice for effortless food prepping that require only a little effort in advance but will save you time at meal times. I hope you enjoy this book and the meals in it and also feel inspired to start experimenting with your own meals. Those spur-of-themoment creations may well be the tastiest meals you’ve ever had. Just get creative. ‘Enjoy your meal’! And the same in my native Finnish: ‘Hyvää ruokahalua’!
Minna Wood
www.metawell.co.uk
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It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?” – A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
TOP TIPS TO SPEED UP COOKING AT MEAL TIMES My cooking always starts with vegetables - I want to fill ž of my plate with veggies before I add my protein. This is because vegetables are so rich in many nutrients, particularly phytonutrients, as well as fibre that is so important for our gut health. The diversity of the microbial species residing in our gut is very important for a healthy microbiome, which in turn supports the health of the rest of the body. As well as providing a range of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients for our general health, a diet high in different vegetables provides food for all the bugs in the gut to feed on. Eating around 25 different vegetables per week is a great way to support the diversity of the microbiome, so each of my meals has to contain several vegetables (and berries and fruits). However, prepping a load of different vegetables at meal time can take too long, so here are some tips to help you include more vegetables and variety in your diet without spending hours at meal times to get your meals on the table.
"Tricolore" of roasted vegetables containing 6 different vegetables.
ROASTING VEGETABLES I love roasting veg, any veg! Roasting vegetables with fat brings out the flavours so brilliantly. And it's so easy! You can roast large batches of all sorts of vegetables and keep them in the fridge for a few days for later use. They will add gorgeous colours, different textures and yummy flavours to plain old salads, and I guarantee your salads will never be boring again! You can also quickly blitz your roasted veg in a blender for a soup or sauce, or serve them as a side dish, reheated with dinners, stir in cooked rice, quinoa or pasta, or use them in a wrap. The best and healthiest results are achieved by not cutting the veg too small, leaving them whole or in large chunks, and roasting them slow and low, which retains more nutrients. Adding a splash of water and covering the roasting tin with foil for part of the cooking prevents the veg from getting burned. A general guide for roasting vegetables: preheat your oven to 120180°C, depending on how much time you have and what you are roasting. I set my fan oven at 160°C or 180°C for quicker results but when I am prepping and don’t have to put a meal on the table within the next hour, I use lower temperatures, eg. 120-140°C to retain more nutrients. Add 1-2 tbsp coconut oil, ghee or olive oil in a large roasting tray (or two smaller trays), add salt and pepper and, if you wish, your preferred spices (choose your favourite flavours from turmeric, ginger, coriander, paprika, five spice, cinnamon…) and/or herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, tarragon….). If you are using solid fat like coconut oil or ghee, place the tray in the oven to melt the fat. When using liquid fat like olive oil, or after your solid fat has melted in the oven, shake the tray to mix the seasoning and spices well with the oil, add your chopped vegetables and toss to coat in the fat and spices/herbs. Bake until the vegetables are cooked through (or to your liking).
Here are some suggestions for roasting different vegetables: Asparagus spears, green beans and small halved tomatoes: These roast in very little time if your oven is preheated, approx. 15 minutes at 160°C. Just add fat, salt and pepper. Mediterranean vegetables, e.g tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, aubergines (sliced or cubed): Roast for approx. 40-50 minutes at 160°C. Cauliflower and broccoli: Roast florets and chopped stems at 150-160°C for 40-60 minutes but keep an eye on them so as not to burn (if they start to burn too quickly, add a splash of water into the tray and cover with foil). To add more variety and colour to the dish, add thinly sliced beetroot or other roots to the pan, so they cook at the same time with the broccoli/cauliflower. Brussels sprouts: Roast halved sprouts at 160°C with garlic (and pancetta if you wish) for 30-40 minutes, shaking once or twice while roasting. When done, take out from the oven and add a splash of balsamic vinegar and toss well. Sweet potatoes (if you can get hold of different colour sweet potatoes - orange, white and purple – you can roast a mixture and create a lovely colourful side dish), as well as butternut squash and pumpkin: Roast slices (or wedges) with your favourite spices/herbs for 20-30 minutes at 160°C. Root vegetables (beetroot, carrots, swede, parsnip): Cut beetroot and swede into cubes and carrot and parsnips into thickish diagonal slices. Roast in your favourite fat, spices and herbs at 160°C for 40-60 minutes.
Red onion: Cut the onions in half and take the skin off. Trim off the root hairs but leave the root ends intact. Cut bigger onions into quarters. Place into a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast at 160-180°C for 20-30 minutes. Optional: add whole garlic cloves (unpeeled) into the tray with the onion – when done, squeeze the soft garlicky pulp out of the skins to add extra flavour to your meal. Whole beetroot: Put small to medium beetroots in a small oven dish, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, add garlic if you wish, cover the dish with foil and roast at 150°C until soft (approx. 1.5 hours but depends on the oven and the size of beetroot). When cooled down, peel the beetroots by rubbing under a running tap. Then chop the beetroots (if using immediately) or store whole in the fridge until needed. Roasted beetroots are a lovely addition to salads and other dishes, e.g. cooked quinoa or Bolognese sauce.
Whole garlic: Remove the papery outer skin of the whole garlic bulb, then cut the very top of the bulb with a sharp knife in order to expose the top of each individual clove. Place onto a small tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and cover the tray with foil.
Roast at 160°C for about 30-45 minutes until the garlic feels soft when pressed. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out (or use a small knife or fork to pull out) the individual cloves. You can also store the whole roasted garlic bulb for later use in a jar, topped with olive oil. The oil will be infused with a mellow garlic flavour and is great for salad dressings or drizzling over cooked vegetables. Fennel: Trim the fennel bulbs, reserve the fennel fronds for sprinkling over the cooked veg. Cut the bulb into slim wedges or slices. Tip into an oven dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly, add a splash of white wine, grate some parmesan or pecorino cheese over the fennel and add a few knobs of butter on top. Bake at 180°C for about 40-50 minutes until the fennel is cooked through and slightly golden brown. Kale and vegetable crisps: For kale crisps, rip the kale leaves from the stem and tear into bite size pieces. For vegetable crisps, slice root vegetables (beetroot, carrot, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips...) as thinly as possible – a mandolin is a great tool for this. Tip the kale or the sliced roots into a large bowl with olive oil and salt, mix to coat and arrange in a single layer in a low-rimmed oven tray, lined with parchment paper. Bake at 150°C for about 30-50 minutes (or longer if needed) until the vegetables are cooked through and crispy, turning and rearranging the slices on the tray once or twice during baking in order to ensure even cooking.
Roast rhubarb: Rhubarb, particularly pink forced rhubarb, is lovely roasted with (blood) orange. Cut the rhubarb into batons, add the segments (without the thin membrane), zest and juice of 1-2 (blood) oranges. Add a couple of tablespoons of coconut sugar and a splash of maple syrup. Roast in a pyrex dish, covered with foil, until tender and caramelised, approx 20-30 mins at 180°C. Store in the fridge and use for breakfasts or desserts with a good dollop of coconut or dairy yogurt.
Oven dried tomatoes: Cut your tomatoes in half (I usually use small cherry or plum tomatoes), place them onto an oven tray cut side up. Slice a garlic clove thinly and sprinkle over the tomatoes, along with salt, pepper, thyme or oregano (fresh or dried), and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place in the oven at 120°C and cook until the tomatoes are dry and wrinkly (takes a few hours - you can shorten the cooking time by increasing the oven temperature but keep an eye on them, in case they start to burn). When done pack tightly into a jar and top with olive oil. These will keep for several days in the fridge. They are lovely in salads, in sandwiches, on crackers or added to sauces.
GRILLED VEGETABLES Courgette and aubergine: slice the vegetables and place the slices on a tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place under a hot grill, turn the slices over when starting to brown and finish off on the other side. Whole red peppers: char the skin of whole peppers under a hot grill, turning the pepper several times as it starts to blacken. When all of the skin is black, take out and cover the tray until cooled down enough to handle. Remove the seeds from inside and the blackened skin. Cut into strips and dress with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
MARINATING I love marinating onions and cucumber in lime/lemon juice. You can prepare them in advance and they will marinate over time, deepening the flavours and softening the veg. Just keep in the fridge for a day or two. Marinating red onions in lime juice is a great way to make the oniony flavour mellow, great for eating them raw in salads or on top of healthy crackers/bread. Just slice a red onion thinly, add to a glass jar, squeeze in juice of 1 lime, add a pinch of salt and a splash of good quality olive oil. Put on the lid and shake so all the onions are coated with the marinade. Leave for a couple of hours before eating
Marinated cucumber salad has lovely fresh flavours and can be teamed up with meat or fish, hot curries, served as a barbecue side dish or as a sandwich filling/cracker topping. Slice the cucumber very thinly with a mandolin or a cheese slicer, add a ½ tsp Himalayan/sea salt and let sit in a colander for 30 mins, then rinse with cold water to remove excess salt.
Squeeze most water from the cucumber and wrap the slices in a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Transfer to a bowl and add lime/lemon zest and juice, chopped red onion, chopped coriander, olive oil and pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper. Leave for at least 30 minutes before serving.
STOCK UP YOUR FREEZER Keeping your freezer stocked up with vegetables, berries, fruits, meat, fish and seafood that you can either cook quickly from frozen, or thaw overnight in the fridge, can speed up your actual cooking process dramatically. Buy frozen foods or freeze your own, particularly if you grow your own and have a glut of veg. Kale: de-stem the leaves, discarding the stems (or keep them for making vegetable stock), and tear them into large pieces. Put the leaves in a large, heat-resistant bowl, boil the kettle and pour boiling water into the bowl to cover the leaves. Stir the leaves in the water using tongs for just a few seconds, then take out into a colander and rinse with cold water. When cool enough to handle, squeeze as much water off as possible and put the leaves into freezer bags and freeze. You can take out any amount of kale and add it directly into a frying pan with butter/ghee/olive oil, garlic, onion, lemon juice and salt to sauté them or add them into sauces and stews. Broccoli and cauliflower: Cut the vegetables into florets, boil water in a large saucepan and, when simmering, add the florets. Blanch for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse with very cold water (or plunge into iced water bath) to stop the cooking. Drain and dry well, then freeze in bags. Fill one of your freezer drawers with berries and fruit. Either buy ready frozen ones or freeze your own by placing berries or chopped fruit onto a tray in a single layer and placing the tray into the freezer. When frozen, transfer the berries/fruits into freezer bags. This way you can always take out the required amount, without the berries/fruits sticking together and forming one large frozen clump. Use in smoothies, “nice” cream, breakfast bowls or just snacking straight from frozen. They are also very quick to defrost in a small saucepan if you want defrosted/warmed up berries/fruits.
Buy ready frozen fish, such as mackerel fillets, wild salmon or white fish, and keep it in the freezer for when you need a quick meal. You can take out individual fillets and add them straight from the freezer to stews, soups and other dishes, or you can cook frozen mackerel fillets under the grill (see recipe below). Frozen cooked prawns are a true fast food that can be thrown into sauces and soups, defrosted and warmed up in a couple of minutes. Chicken breasts/thighs can be prepared with your favourite marinade and then frozen in freezer bags. When you want to cook them, transfer the bag into the fridge the previous night or in the morning to defrost so ou can quickly cook them at dinner time.
MY SALAD TEMPLATE
I don’t use many recipes for salads as I tend to grab whatever I’ve got in my fridge/cupboards but I do follow the same “template” to build my salads. So this is my simple step-by-step template for quick-to-throwtogether salads. Be creative with ingredients ...
1. Find veg (and fruit/berries) of various types, textures, colours and flavours from the fridge. Anything goes, whatever you've got handy, but I always try to use a mixture of various leaves, some crunchy raw vegetables and some cooked vegetables (see above) or fruit. 2. Chop, grate, slice, julienne, spiralise, roast, steam... use more than one method to create various textures. 3. Massage harder leaves, raw florets and roots etc. with a pinch of salt, vinegar/lemon juice, olive oil or chopped avocado. 4. Take a handful of delicate salad leaves and arrange on a plate, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil. 5. Add your massaged/roasted/cooked/prepped‌ veg on the prepared bed of leaves. 6. Choose your favourite protein (fish, chicken, prawns, parma ham, eggs, beans, tempeh, quinoa) and either mix into the rest of the salad or add to the side or top of your salad. 7. Add toppings/embellishments – fresh herbs, seeds, nuts, grated/crumbled cheese, olives, roasted chickpeas, sauerkraut/kimchi, edible flowers, gluten-/grain-free crutons... 8. Sit down and enjoy!
HEALTHY EASY VEGGIE SAUCE Make a veggie sauce in advance at the weekend, to use during the week, mixed in with gluten-free pasta or courgette noodles (add any protein, e.g. prawns, fish, chorizo, beans‌ if you wish to boost the nutrient content of the meal), or serve as a sauce for grilled or roasted meat or chicken. Roughly chop 1 leek, 2 carrots, 1 red pepper, 1 chilli, 4 garlic cloves, 1 onion and 4 medium tomatoes, and sautÊ in a pan with oil until soft. Add a splash of water if the veg starts to dry out and stick to the pan. When softened, add all into a blender, add a couple of anchovies (leave out for vegetarian/vegan) and 1 tsp tomato paste and blend until soft. Add more water if too thick, and taste for seasoning. Add pepper and salt if needed. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for a couple of days, ready to be used when needed.
RECIPES Below you’ll find some of my favourite recipes, two for each of breakfast, main meals, snacks and dessert. They are recipes that I make time and again, and I do hope you will also like them. I’d love to hear what you think.
BREAKFASTS
Sautéed shiitake mushrooms with greens and egg yolks (serves 1) I love savoury breakfasts. I usually fast 12-14 hours between dinner and breakfast so when it’s time to eat I am ready for a hearty warm meal. Shiitake mushrooms are my favourite, and sautéed in ghee they are divine! I usually only include egg yolks and no whites, due to various reasons (you can read more about them on my blog on https://metawell.co.uk/why-eat-egg-yolks/) but if you want whole egg please go ahead.
Ingredients: 1 tbsp ghee (or olive oil) 6 large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed A large handful of greens (Swiss chard, spinach, kale, broccoli…) chopped 1 shallot, thinly sliced 2 egg yolks Pinch of salt 1 tsp kelp powder (optional) Pinch of celery salt Method: Heat a frying pan on a medium heat and add ghee. Add the shiitake mushrooms, gill side up on one side of the pan. Add the shallot and greens in the pan next to the mushrooms (not on top!) and sprinkle salt and pepper over everything. Sauté for a minute or two, then turn the mushrooms over. Stir the greens. Cook until the greens are softened/wilted and the gill side of the mushrooms has a slight golden colour. Make space in the pan for the yolks by moving the greens and mushrooms to one side. Separate the yolks (discard the whites) and carefully pop them into the pan. Sprinkle the yolks with kelp powder (if using) and celery salt and put a lid on the pan to steam-fry the yolks for a couple of minutes. You want the yolks still runny inside but cooked enough on the outside to be able to lift them onto a plate with a spatula without breaking them. Optional: Add any protein to this breakfast if you wish, e.g. a good quality/high-meat content, organic sausage; a couple of slices of smoked salmon; a couple of slices of grilled, crispy parma ham; cooked chicken livers; cooked or home-made baked beans, tempeh…
"Instant Paleo Granola" (serves 2)
When I'm not having a savoury breakfast, I usually make what I call my ‘instant granola'. It involves chucking different nuts with apple chunks into my mini processor, and processing it to moist crumbs. This is very quick and easy to make, and delicious served with coconut yogurt or nut/coconut milk, berries and/or fruits and topped with seeds. This is a really satisfying breakfast. The good fats and protein in the nuts and the added cinnamon help with blood sugar control and keep you full all morning. Even when you have this breakfast most mornings it can be kept varied by changing the nuts, seeds, fruits and berries you use. Instead of always using sweeter fruits, such as bananas or apples, try more bitter fruits and berries, e.g. cranberries or grapefruit. They lend a lovely bitter tanginess to the dish which is really good for our taste buds that can otherwise get used to sweet taste from eating too many sweet fruits and treats.
Bitter foods are also really good for the digestive function as they stimulate digestive juices, helping with efficient breakdown of foods, as well supporting liver detoxification. Ingredients: Granola base: A large handful of mixed nuts (e.g. almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, macadamia) ½ tsp cinnamon (optional) ½ chopped apple/pear 1 tbsp shredded coconut (optional) Toppings: 1 banana, sliced A good handful of blueberries (or other berries, either fresh or frozen and defrosted quickly in a saucepan on the hob) 4 tbsp of plain coconut yogurt 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds Method: Blitz the granola base ingredients in a food processor until you have moist crumbs. Tip the crumbs into two breakfast bowls (or store half in a jar/storage container for the following morning; you can double the quantity of the nut mixture and keep in the fridge for a few days for quick breakfasts or take to work). Add milk (nut/coconut milk) into the bowl, if you wish. Then top the nut mixture with the banana, berries and yogurt. Lastly add some toasted pumpkin and hemp seeds for extra crunch, flavour and nutrients. A variation on the yogurt topping: After blitzing the nuts in the food processor, use the processor (no need to clean) to make a fruity yogurt topping by whizzing coconut yogurt with some fresh fruit eg. mango, orange, stone fruit or grapefruit. You can also use berry or beetroot powder to make beautifully pink yogurt.
MAIN MEALS
Stuffed Peppers (serves 4) Ingredients: 4 red peppers, cut in half lengthways and seeds removed but stem left intact Olive oil Salt and pepper 100 ml / ¼ cup quinoa 200 ml vegetable stock (optional, can be substituted with water) ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp ginger powder ½ broccoli or cauliflower, florets separated and chopped into small pieces 2 shallots, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, chopped 5 button mushrooms, finely chopped A handful of roasted carrots (or other roasted root vegetables that you may have in the fridge), chopped into small pieces 1 tbsp Thai basil, chopped (can be swapped to any other herbs) A few leaves of wild garlic, chopped (optional) 4 tbps pecorino cheese, grated
Method: Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and add the peppers onto an oven tray, cut side up. Season and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes until slightly softened. Take out and leave the oven on. While the peppers roast, add the quinoa to a small saucepan, add 200 ml / 1/2 cup water or stock, adding turmeric powder and bring to a rolling boil uncovered. When the water is boiling, cover the pan with a lid. Turn heat down to the lowest setting. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and let stand for 5 more minutes, covered. After 5 minutes, uncover and fluff the quinoa gently with a fork. While the peppers and quinoa are cooking, heat a frying pan on a medium heat, add oil. SautÊ shallots, garlic, broccoli/cauliflower and mushrooms, add a pinch of salt and grinding of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened, use a lid and a splash of water to create steam and prevent sticking. When the vegetables are cooked, add the basil, wild garlic, roasted carrots and quinoa and mix well. Fill the pepper halves with the vegetable mixture, top with grated cheese and place in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Grilled mackerel with a vegetable sauté (serves 2) Ingredients: 2 frozen mackerel fillets 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp coconut oil/ghee 1 sliced onion 1 grated beetroot Florets of ½ broccoli, chopped to similar sizes 4 Swiss chard leaves, chopped Small piece of ginger root, grated (optional) Small piece of turmeric root grated (optional) Salt and pepper
Method: Preheat oven grill to high. Heat coconut oil or ghee (or a mixture of the two) in a frying pan, add onion and beetroot and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and sauté for a few minutes until slightly softened, adding a splash of water to prevent sticking. Add broccoli florets and splash of water, cover and let steam-fry until softened. Add chard and let it wilt. Season to taste. When the veg is almost cooked, put the frozen mackerel fillets onto an oven tray, drizzle both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper and (optionally) ginger and turmeric, then place on the tray, skin side up. Place under a hot grill for a few minutes until cooked through and the skin is blistering. Serve with the vegetable sauté.
SNACKS Raw flax, chia and apple crackers
These raw crackers are lovely and crunchy with warm cinnamony and rosemary flavours coming through with every bite. They go well with the beetroot hummus below. Ingredients: 2 tbsp whole flaxseeds 2 tbsp whole chia seeds 2 eating apples, grated 30g / ½ cup ground almonds 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds 1 tbsp black sesame seeds 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil
Method: Place the flax and chia seeds in a bowl and mix with 10 tbsp water, leave aside for an hour. Coarsely grate the apples in a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, including half of the flax and chia gel. Tip into a food processor and process to make a slightly smoother paste (it doesn't have to completely smooth). Add back to the bowl with the rest of the flax and chia gel and mix everything well together. Spread the mix onto a silicon baking mat (or lined dehydrator trays) and dehydrate in a fan oven at the lowest setting (approx. 50°C) for 30 mins (or in a dehydrator for about an hour). Take out from the oven/dehydrator and score lines for square or rectangular pieces with a knife (without cutting all the way through). Place back into oven/dehydrator and dehydrate until crisp (can take anything between 6-14 hours). Turn the tray around and flip the dough over once when sturdy enough to handle, to dehydrate evenly. When fully dehydrated, snap the crackers along the score lines and store in air-tight containers.
Beetroot hummus
This gorgeously red paste is really easy to make and so tasty. Use as a dip for crudités or spread onto bread or crackers (or for something different, on sautéed and cooled shiitake mushrooms). Ingredients: 2 small to medium beetroots, scrubbed ½ red onion, skin on 1 whole garlic, top part cut off to expose the tops of the individual cloves Olive oil for roasting Pinch of salt A handful of walnuts A good glug (or two) of extra virgin olive oil Lemon juice, enough to create smooth consistency and desired zinginess Salt
Method: Put the beetroots, onion and garlic into a small oven tray, drizzle with oil and add a pinch of salt, cover the tray with foil and roast at 150°C until soft (approx. 2 hours but depends on the oven and the size of veg). When cooled down, peel the beetroots, take the skin off onion and roughly chop the veg and transfer into a mini food processor (I use a Kenwood mini chopper). Scoop out the garlic cloves and add them to the food processor. Then add the remaining ingredients and process everything until you get your desired consistency (if too thick add a splash of water). Try the taste and add more oil, lemon juice or salt if needed.
DESSERTS I’m a huge fan of good quality dark chocolate and raw cacao, so I wanted to include a couple of my favourite chocolate treats here. You’ve probably also noticed that beetroot features heavily in my diet – I also add it to my brownies along with sweet potatoes. The brownies are so yummy and decadent but you can enjoy them without guilt as they are gluten-free, grain-free and refined sugar-free. The sweetness comes from the vegetables, dates, molasses and maple syrup. These unrefined sweeteners contain minerals and some vitamins, unlike refined sugar which is just empty calories and void of all healthy nutrients.
Beetroot and sweet potato paleo brownies Ingredients: 1 medium beetroot (approx. 150g), cut into chunks or slices 1/2 large sweet potato (approx. 150g), cut into chunks or slices 4 medjool dates, chopped 1.5 tbsp coconut oil 60 g dark chocolate (at least 70%; I used 90%) 1 tbsp coconut oil/olive oil 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses 2 egg yolks 2 tsp vanilla extract 100 g/1 cup ground almonds 30 g/ ¼ cup tapioca starch 25 g/ ¼ cup 100% cacao powder ¼ tsp salt Chocolate ganache: 30 g dark (90%) chocolate 1 tsp maple syrup 1 tbsp coconut milk
Method: Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 6" x 6" (15x15cm) cake tin/tray and set aside. Put the beetroot into a small saucepan with boiling water to cover and bring to boil. Let simmer until slightly softened, then add sweet potato and more boiling water if needed, and cook until both veg are soft and cooked through, then drain. While the vegetables are cooking, put the dates into a saucepan with a couple of splashes of water and simmer for a few minutes (if the dates are very soft you can skip this stage). Add the chocolate with 1.5 tbsp coconut oil into a heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over a small pot of simmering water and allow to melt, stirring occasionally. Let the melted mixture cool down. Add the cooked vegetables to a blender, along with 1 tbsp coconut or olive oil, dates and molasses. Blend well into a puree. Tip into a large bowl. Add the cooled chocolate mixture into the pureed vegetables and mix well. Add vanilla extract and egg yolks and mix well. Mix ground almonds, tapioca starch, cacao powder (sieved) and salt in a separate bowl and mix. Add the mixed flours to the veg-chocolate mixture and mix well. Pour the batter into a prepared cake tin and level the top with a spatula to smooth out the batter. Bake in a pre-heated oven for approximately 20-30 minutes until a toothpick/skewer inserted in the centre comes out dry. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Make the ganache: Melt chocolate in a small pan over a low heat, add maple syrup and coconut milk and mix well. Drizzle over the cake.
Chocolate protein mousse (Serves 4)
Ingredients: Cream from 1 can of coconut milk Approx. 100ml/1/4 cup nut milk for consistency Approx. 200 ml/1 cup of frozen raspberries 1 banana 2 tbsp cacao powder 4 Brazil nuts 2 tbsp of good quality chocolate protein powder (e.g. Form Nutrition) Pinch of salt Toppings: A few frozen raspberries Raw cacao nibs Almond flakes
Method: Put the coconut milk can into the fridge overnight. In the morning, take it out and open carefully without shaking and spoon out the solid cream that has separated from the water. You don’t need the water for this recipe, but keep it for other things later. Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and spoon into 4 dessert bowls. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a couple of hours. Add the toppings before serving.
AND FINALLY ... I hope you enjoyed reading this eBook and cooking meals from it. I'd love to hear what you think about the content and recipes. Do you have suggestions for any particular topics for me to include in future eBooks? Would you like to have a 1-to-1 cooking session in your own kitchen or here at MetaWell? Do you need diet and lifestyle advice to support managing a condition? For weight loss? Or to restore vitality and just feel healthier and happier? For further information about my services, or to book your free 15minute phone consultation to learn how nutritional therapy can help you achieve your health goals, please get in touch. I'd love to hear from you. You can contact me via email or via my website, Facebook or Instagram page: minna@metawell.co.uk www.metawell.co.uk www.facebook.com/metawell www.instagram.com/minna.wood
“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is right, medicine is of no need." - Ayurvedic proverb "Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants. And enjoy every bite, mindfully." - Adapted from Michael Pollan