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Choco-Banana Shake ~

August 30, 2010

Frozen banana + fresh mint + avocado + cocoa powder = happiness.

This is one of those shakes which really is a meal replacement. It takes a while to get through, if you chew each mouthful, too. It’s comforting in sunshine and rain. You really can’t do any wrong. Play with the volumes until you find what works for you. For me, it’s 1.5 frozen bananas, half an avocado, about ten to fifteen mint leaves and a tablespoon of organic cocoa powder, with a cup of chilled filtered water, just blended in the Vitamix.

A lighter shake, which I sometimes make when I get home from work and am having an “I don’t know what to do with myself I’m so peckish” type moment, then I just blend a frozen banana with a cup of water and a tsp of ground mesquite and one packet of powdered stevia. If you want to bulk it up a bit, then a tbsp of ground sprouted flax seed works like a charm. Mesquite is great because it tastes sort of like malted cinnamon, and adds a real earthy and homely taste that is super comforting. I’m not a grazer nor a snacker usually, but if I know my dinner will be a late one, then something like this really tides me over, and there’s nothing untoward being thrown into my body in a fit of desperation or because I don’t have a back up plan in my head.

Marlena also does a great banana mint smoothie, especially if you want to get some added greens in!

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Courgette Salad

August 29, 2010

Over summer we kept things simple. Kept meals to just a few ingredients, hassle free to put together and light on time. More space to sit down and enjoy both the food and the company.  On week days there can be so many demands on your time that making dinner shouldn’t be an additional to your to-do list, but rather something that just comes together.

We made many meals with a mix of cooked and raw veggies. Easy to digest, fresh and hydrating and a lot of taste.  We’d listen to a radio station streaming over the internet (a year later, we still have no stereo) or to some tango or chill out music downloaded from iTunes, and enjoy the night.

To make this courgette salad, all you gotta do is spiralize (or finely julienne) a couple of courgettes (zucchini), toss with some olive oil and red chilli flakes, slow roasted cherry tomatoes*, organic Italian pine nuts and some ripped fresh basil leaves.  All the quantities are to taste, so just follow your impulse.

* I find slow roasting tomatoes on parchment paper works far better than on foil. I leave them in for 90 mins at 120 degs Celcius.

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Barrio Soup ~

April 20, 2010

You know those afternoons when you’re trying so hard to keep your mind on the task at hand, but it’s just  been dragging on for that little bit too long? Those afternoons are when I start randomly getting ingredients popping up in my mind in little thought bubbles. I wind up with my work notes on one side of my notebook and scribbles of various flavor combinations and inspirations on the other.

On the afternoon that this soup was born in my mind, it was sunny outside the office windows and in my mind I was back on vacation in Tucson. If you read my personal blog you’ll know I fell in love with the place last summer.  I was entranced by improbable flavors the chefs combined and this kind of playing around has flitted into my own creations ever since.

One of my favorite things to eat is chilled soup. I love how easy it goes down and how easily my body can digest and assimilate it. It’s simple food at its best. This soup is the culmination of my imagination of late night downtown Tucson dinners, the pink skies after sunset and the 90F heat after a day hiking among the saguaros ~

Barrio Soup

para dos

1/2 a medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed*

The fresh juice of 4 oranges (or a mix of water and their zest, if you want to properly food combine)

Half a vanilla pod

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 tbsp mesquite powder

1 small avocado

Ground chipotle chili powder to taste

Raw pumpkin seeds (again, omit if you want to properly combine, but they do add a nice bit of texture)

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Fresh ground sea salt

Zest of one lime

Method ~

In a high speed blender (such as a Vitamix) blend together until smooth the butternut, orange juice, avocado, cumin, vanilla and mesquite with a little sea salt.  Pour into two bowls.

Top each bowl with a line of chipotle powder to taste. I like it pretty spicy so I go with a thick line of it. Top the line of chili with pumpkin seeds, drizzle the maple syrup over them, and then grind some sea salt on top, so it gets all involved with the maple syrup.  Sprinkle the lime zest over the top.

*You may wish to put the butternut in the refrigerator for an hour or so before making the soup, so it’s nice and cold.

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So it’s been a while…

March 31, 2010

avo cauli ensalada

I got waylaid and needed a little time and space to just be.  I’ve been eating pretty good though, nothing fancy. I’m finding clean and simple food to be oh-so-satisfying these days.  I’ve been reading constantly, and spending more and more time away from machines, with all their glaring lights.  It’s pretty blissful to just close your eyes and listen to Jack Johnson live.  He’s so much better live, don’t you think?

Back to the food.

Most weeks we just head on over to the grocers and pick up whatever is organic and looks good and tasty. Tonight I had no idea what to make, but I did know I ought to do something with the cauliflower. I also knew it was cold and wet outside, and that Andy has been home sick.  So, a little comfort wouldn’t go astray, and maybe a little sweetness…. Behold the birth of the Cauli Avo Ensalada!:

{{pour deux}}

1 head of cauliflower

2 tsp ground mesquite

6 sundried tomatoes, soaked to reconstitute, then diced

8 mushrooms, washed and sliced

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped to almost a powder

1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 red onion, finely diced

2 large handfuls wild rocket/arugula

2 large handfuls watercress

2 avocados

Method

Preheat the oven to 350/180. Wash and dry the cauliflower, then slice into 1/2″ slices. Melt coconut oil on a baking tray, then lay the cauliflower slices in it, then turn them over, so they’re all lightly coated on both sides. Sprinkle with ground sea salt if you like, then pop them in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes on one side, then flip them and bake til they look bronzed and caramelized.

Meanwhile, mix together the rocket/arugula and watercress. Sprinkle in the onion, sun dried tomatoes and fresh herbs. Divide between two plates and then place the mushrooms on top. Open, peel and halve the avocados and split those between the two plates. When the cauliflower is done, divide between the two plates, atop the green salad, and sprinkle the warm cauliflower with the ground mesquite.

Eat whilst listening to a little Jack.

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Parsnip Polenta for an Autumn Night.

October 27, 2009

parsnip polenta

It seemed like a good idea at the time to buy that big bag of parsnips but I soon I began to wonder just how many ways I could cook these bold flavored roots up.  Baked or in soup seemed the obvious ways to go, but I felt like something a little different today.  Something that reflected the dreary morning that we had awoken to and the actually quite pleasant evening the day had become. Something brightly flavored, but comforting nonetheless.

For the past few months I really fell out of the routine of creating proper meals.  Lunch has been various veggies dunked in an assortment of dips.  Dinner has been vegetarian Indian delivered to our door. Slowly though, I am coming back on track.  The more we settle in to our new home, the more inspired I find myself.  I knew I was on to a winner tonight too, for I had envisaged this dinner before I’d even left the office, let alone alighted the tube.  It is always a sure sign it’s going to be good when you’ve been contemplating and dreaming it up for the four hours prior, yes?

So no need to stand at the fridge and scratch my head in thought tonight.  This came together inside of an hour, in front of Gossip Girl, and with a glass of vino in hand.  The creamy parsnips had a piquancy about them having been blended with a goats cheese reminiscent of Parmesan and a hint of spicy nutmeg.  The caramelized onions lay in slumber over the top, and the roasted brussel sprouts to the side had been loosely tossed in maple syrup and sea salt crystals before plating.  Even Andy with his mouth full, unable to speak, indicated his enjoyment with a thumbs up! A success of the season, for sure.

Parsnip Polenta with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Brussels.

Serves 2

4 medium parsnips

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

1/8 cup (or thereabouts) crumbled hard goats cheese

1 and 1/2 red onions, cut into half and then sliced into half moons, separated.

2 cups of brussel sprouts

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Sea salt

Coconut oil or olive oil or butter – about 3 tbsp total

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 180/350.

Put your onions in a non stick saucepan in a dab of oil of your choice (I used coconut oil) and place them on the stove on a low heat.  Put the lid on and stir occasionally.

Chop your brussels in half, and lightly cover in oil before placing in the oven for around 30 minutes, turning at half time.

Peel and chop your parsnips so that the pieces are around the same size. Boil until soft. I cut my parsnips in to thirds and kept them on the stove for a good ten minutes.

When the parsnips are soft, but not mushy, transfer to your blender with a few tbsps of the cooking water. Crumble the goats cheese in, grate some nutmeg over the top and add a little fat (around half a teaspoon). You could use butter or coconut oil depending on your preference. Blend until perfectly smooth.

Plate the parsnip puree as though it were polenta, in a big dollop in your bowl.  Top with the onions. Put the brussels in a bowl and toss gently with the maple syrup and salt before serving alongside.

Eat on the couch for the perfect end to an Autumn day.

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I ♥ Spicy Prawns.

August 26, 2009

prawn cajun ensalada

With one more week of lodging with some kind and generous people and finding our way in their kitchen, we are coming to an end of the creative use-what-you’ve-got era of 2009.  Soon to move in to our own apartment in London after a long journey, which started in June of this year in New Zealand,  our happy feet are finding their way in a city we are falling in love with all over again.

Tonight though, I remained tasked with creating a meal to share with people who aren’t quite as salad crazy as I am.  I considered what they might find fulfilling in a meal they say usually leaves them hungry.  I’ve come to appreciate that most people like a little heaviness to their salads.  Whether they add scoops of chickpeas, wedges of cheese or some meat to do this, ultimately what they’re hoping to do is create a meal that “touches the sides”.  I usually seek a light salad, especially on an August night, so to make sure we could all happily enjoy the same platter, I made prawns the focal point and ensured much flavor and textural variety was present in the whole dish.

Served on a base of mixed greens and fragrant herbs, the prawns are sweetened with honey and coconut, brightened with lime zest and spiced with a little Cajun seasoning. To add crunch and a flavor to match the prawns intensity, I tossed in some celery, scallions and diced red bell pepper and topped the plate with some fresh Italian basil.  The half a tomato you see nestling to the side was part of the first crop (of two!) tomatoes for the season.

The flavors throughout the meal were bright and pronounced and this will definitely be a meal that becomes part of our regular weeknight rotation in that routine we’re coming to crave and long for.   As it was my body felt satisfied, but I do have a thing for spicy prawns and could easily have eaten double the amount, rather than stretching one packet between the four of us. In fact, seasoned as described here, I could eat a bowl of those prawns, curled up and getting sucked in to a television show any night of the week.

Cajun Prawn Salad

Serves 4… just about.

Ingredients

24 Prawns (or 48!)

1 tbsp dessicated coconut

4 tbsp runny honey

Zest of 1 lime

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

1 stick of celery

2 Scallions (Spring Onions)

1 Red Bell Pepper

2 Avocados

Mix of greens including arugula (rocket), cilantro (fresh coriander) and chives

Fresh basil leaves

Sea salt and black pepper

And if it so fits, 2 cherry tomatoes from the garden

Method

Mix together the coconut, Cajun seasoning, honey and lime zest in a bowl that will be big enough to hold the prawns once done. Put to the side.

Thinly slice the celery and scallions and dice the red bell pepper.

Divide all the greens, aside from the basil, between the plates. Top with the celery, scallions and bell pepper. Lightly sprinkle sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper over them.

Cube the avocado and place on top of the plated salad mix then drizzle the lime juice over.

Quickly sauté the prawns until they just turn pink, then remove with a slotted spoon to leave any juices behind, and toss in the reserved coconut mixture until covered.

Top the salad with the prawns.  If there is any of the coconut mixture left behind, drizzle in a little olive oil, mix it up and put that on the salad too.

Top with the basil leaves and serve.

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We Went Picking Wild Blackberries.

August 20, 2009

wildblackberries

Not far from where my parents live in South East England, you will currently find lanes lined with thick, scratchy blackberry bushes. They are sporadically protected by stinging nettles and the odd arm height thistle plant. Undeterred, we took a basin (with some bags for the overflow) and amid the afternoon haze plucked ripe berries from their vines.  As we picked, the air became enriched with their sugar sweet scent.  It’s just the start of the season in this locale with many tight and pale green berries still to grow into maturity.

Like candy when eaten in their fresh raw state they became intense and syrupy when we turned some into a homemade jam.  The recipe we used is from one of my mum’s oldest and most used cookbooks ~ the Good Housekeeping Cookery Book published in 1978.

blackberryjamjarred

Wild Blackberry Jam

Adapted from the Good Housekeeping Cookbook

Ingredients

2kg (4.4lbs) Wild blackberries

Juice of 2 lemons

100ml (1/5 pint) water

2kg (4.4lbs) sugar

Method

Wash the blackberries thoroughly.  A good way to do this is to soak them overnight in lightly salted water. This ensures the little bugs that might be inside all float to the surface for you to skim off.

Rinse them well and add to a large heavy bottomed saucepan with the lemon juice and water.  Simmer very gently until the blackberries are condensed into a thick sauce.

Add the sugar, and as you bring to a boil stir rapidly (and carefully) into the fruit sauce. Keep stirring for the next 8-10 minutes until it sets. A good way to check this is to put some on a spoon and let it chill slightly on a small plate. Then hold the plate up and see how it runs. It should move slowly and stickily.

Pour out into prepared jars. I do this the way I learned from Tessa Kiros:  Fill your sterile jars, put their lids on and turn upside down. Leave them there overnight with a tea towel covering them.  By morning they are ready for breakfast. We used an assortment of jars and filled eight to the brim and left the last one half full.

blackberrypicking

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Avocado Soup with Mango Salsa.

August 13, 2009

avocado mango soup

So I’m a little obsessed with cold soups. The reason I especially like them right now (for I love them at any time, really) is I feel they create balance as I try to find a natural and pleasing equilibrium whilst I’m without a home of my own. Being that I’m one of those people who finds much comfort and relaxation chop-chop-chopping away, I also find them really easy. Chop, blend and voilà.

Having just returned from a walk on an afternoon so hot that a haze sat low over the fields, this dish was the first thing on my mind. The soup itself is quite earthy with the hints of cilantro, ground coriander and cumin. The salsa invigorated the dish’s range of flavors and contrasted the creaminess with a slight acidic hit.

I made this soup with what I could see in the kitchen. The mango was admittedly a little over ripe and I used a clementine rather than the called for blood orange. Regardless of the lack of perfection, this was still the most satiating supper I could have dreamed of that evening and I relished every mouthful.

Avocado Soup with Mango Salsa

Adapted from Living Raw food by Sarma Melngailis

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

For the soup:

3 small hass avocados or equivalent, peeled and chopped

1 stick of peeled and chopped celery

1 handful of fresh cilantro/coriander leaves

1/2 a telegraph cucumber, roughly chopped

2 cups water

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lemon

Finely grated zest of one clementine

Few pinches of ground sea salt

Pinch of ground cumin

Pinch of ground coriander

For the salsa:

1 Mango, diced

1 Clementine, each segment peeled and chopped

1 Red bell pepper, diced

Leaves from a few sprigs fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped

Method:

Blend all soup ingredients.

Mix salsa ingredients together.

Put the salsa in the center of the bowls, then pour soup around.

avo mango soup prep

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Posted in Everyday, Recipes | 13 Comments »

Cucumber, Mint & Jalapeño Gazpacho.

August 8, 2009

cucumber-mint-gazpacho-11

There comes a time when after a vacation, day to day eating habits need to revert back to the place they were before the break.  There also comes a time when, after an evening out with an old friend and a little bit more wine than I’m used to these days, a hydrating meal becomes of utmost importance.

Enter Living Raw Food. I picked this book up when I was in the US this past July.  Wait. That makes it sound too casual. Truth is, I put this book on my Amazon wishlist months ago, then realized it wouldn’t reach New Zealand before we left for the USA.  Hastily upon arrival in San Diego I cantered on down to the Barnes and Noble to retrieve my copy.  I then read it poolside at a friends house in Tucson and inserted little pieces of ripped paper in between the pages which held the recipes I’d be able to make with little to no equipment (my current predicament). With sections for the every day and family-style (as well as the more complicated ones from the restaurant’s menu), I have plenty of material to get started with.*

living-raw-food

As you know from previous posts, I am a lover of blended raw soups. They’re quick, easy and super satisfying. They’re also a good place to start if creating a raw meal for people who are not entirely convinced they want to eat Raw Food.

This soup was incredibly easy to put together (15 – 20 minutes).  Because I like it spicy I then let it sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to really let the jalapeños start to sing. The result was a soup that was fresh up front but had a soft burn as you neared the last spoonful.

cucumber-mint-gazpacho-2

Cucumber, Mint & Jalapeño Gazpacho

Serves 4.  Adapted from Living Raw Food by Sarma Melngailis.

Ingredients:

4 English Telegraph cucumbers cut into chunks small enough for your food processor to liquidize (leave the skins and seeds intact)

2 Red jalapeños, finely diced

1 Red bell pepper, diced

8 Sprigs of fresh mint, chopped into very thin strips (chiffonade)

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Method

Liquidize the cucumbers and place into a large glass bowl.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for between 1 – 2 hours prior to serving.

* I’ll do a full review of the book once I’ve tried a few more recipes

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Smoked Salmon & Pea Salad.

August 6, 2009

salmonpeasaladIn the midst of so much chaos in our lives right now, such as living out of suitcases and perched in someone else’s home, simple food seems the only way to go.  In a kitchen not my own, and ensuring the food suits and satisfies all, I decided upon a salmon salad. Keeping meals simple also helps keep the food budget in tact as well as awakening the pallet to the pure enjoyment of each and every ingredient. It also helps with time. This salad won’t take you more than ten minutes to compile, then all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the balmy summer evening, preferably with a glass of rosé to your side.  It would also be really nice eaten al fresco. As it was I ate mine after my glass of rosé and I also ate it inside as we’d just returned from a four mile walk around the tree lined country lanes of Kent and were looking for a little cooling off time.  It was delicious regardless.

Mix it up: If you want to reduce the fat in this salad, you could make it in a bowl and turn it until the leaves are lightly coated with some avocado and then zest and squeeze the lime juice on afterward. It would also work well with grilled prawns in lieu of the salmon.

Smoked Salmon & Pea Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 package of smoked salmon – enough for a thick fillet each (or double them up, as shown in the picture above)

200g (or a cup and a half) of mixed fresh peas including mange tout and sugar snaps

2 medium hass avocados

1 bunch of fresh dill

2 large handfuls of each of the following: baby red chard, baby spinach, wild rocket

1 stick of celery, peeled and finely chopped (optional, but adds a nice fresh crunch)

Zest and juice of one lime

1 tsp Fresh cracked pepper

Pinch freshly crushed sea salt

1/4 cup peppery tasting cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

Method

To make the dressing: Zest the lime in a measuring cup and squeeze in the juice. Add the pepper and salt, then using scissors, finely chop half the fresh dill in. Stir it up, then slowly stream the olive oil in, whisking until it’s fully combined.

To compile the salad:  Share the leaves evenly between the plates. Chop the peas on the diagonal in to thirds and place on top. If using celery, add that now too. Chop the remaining fresh dill over the plates evenly. Cut your avocados into quaters and peel them. Place one quater on one side of the salad and unfold some smoked salmon across it. Slice another quarter of the avocado and place on the other side of the plate, slices fanned out. Drizzle the salad with the dressing and serve with more cracked pepper to the side for people to help themselves to.

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