HEALTHY-CHEF

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Archives for June 2015

Chocolate Dipped Cherri-berries

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Chocolate Dipped Cherriberries
 
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When you just want a little something sweet at the end of a heavy meal, or you're trying to be good this is the perfect dessert to serve. Feel free to experiment with different flavoured chocolate just try and keep the cocoa content high, 70% and above. Equally there are oodles of brilliant toppings why not experiment with organic high cocoa white chocolate and desiccated coconut or 80% dark chocolate and candied lemon peel.
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients
  • X1 punnet cherries, stoned (see notes)
  • x1 punnet strawberries, washed
  • x1 100g bar organic dark chocolate with ginger
  • x1 100g bar organic milk chocolate
  • 50g crushed pistachios
  • 50g crushed almonds
  • 50g sugar strands
Instructions
  1. Break the chocolate into two heat resistant bowls
  2. Place each over slightly smaller saucepans part filled with water and heat gently till the chocolate has melted. NB The water in the saucepans should not touch the bowls.
  3. Once melted remove the bowls from the saucepans and place in easy reach of your prepared fruit, chopped nuts and sprinkles.
  4. Now the fun bit! Starting with the cherries, take each by the stalk and individually dunk generously into the melted dark chocolate with ginger before placing on a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper.
  5. Then dip the strawberries this time once dipped in the milk chocolate, dip a third in the chopped hazelnut, a third in the chopped pistachios and the last third in the sprinkles. Again place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper.
  6. Allow to set, approximately 1 hour before carefully removing from the paper and displaying proudly on a large platter.
  7. Best served at room temperature.

 

 

 

 

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Damp Canadian Gingerbread

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Damp Canadian Ginger Bread
 
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My go to gingerbread recipe has always been Delia Smith's Damp Jamaican Gingerbread, here I've replaced the golden syrup and treacle with their healthier sisters maple syrup and good quality honey. I think it retains that wonderful damp dark gingerbread thing but really cuts back on the processed sugar content. I love this pure and unadulterated, my Mum enjoys this with a hunk of cheese and my daughters like it drizzled with a healthier lemon icing.
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 9 slices
Ingredients
  • 350g (3/4lb)wholewheat flour
  • 175g (6oz) good quality unsalted butter
  • 2 level tsps ground ginger
  • 2 level tsps ground cinammon
  • ⅛ of nutmeg, grated
  • 1 level teaspoon bicarb of soda
  • 4 tablespoons milk/almond milk
  • 175g (6oz) maple syrup
  • 175g (6oz) good quality honey
  • 50g (2oz) xylitol (optional)
  • 2 size 1 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Optional Lemon Icing
  • 110g (4oz) Natural Icing Sugar Alternative ie Sukrin/Natvia
  • juice and zest of 11/2 lemons
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325F (170C)
  2. Take a large heavy bottomed pan and measure directly into it the honey, maple syrup, butter xylitol, (if using) and 150ml (1/4 pint) water.
  3. Heat gently until the butter has melted, stirring regularly to combine the ingredients. ENSURE MIXTURE IS NOT ALLOWED TO BOIL .
  4. Now sieve all the dry ingredients in a large bowl
  5. Pour the milk over the bicarb of soda and set to one side
  6. Now make a well in the flour mixture and pour the syrup mixture into the well.
  7. Fold in very well using the figure of eight method to ensure you keep the air in your mixture.
  8. Once smooth gently add the beaten eggs and lastly the bicarb of soda and milk.
  9. Pour the cake mixture into a lined 24x24cm square baking tin
  10. Bake in the centre of your pre-heated oven for 1hr, or until the gingerbread is well risen, springy to the touch and a skewer inserted int the entire of the cake comes out clean
  11. Allow to cool in tin and then slice into squares or if using the icing combine the icing sugar with the juice of 11/2 lemons and drizzle all over the gingerbread sprinkle with the lemon zest.
  12. Allow to set before slicing into squares

 

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Apple & Sultana Loaf Cake

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Apple & Sultana Loaf Cake
 
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This is a lovely damp loaf literally bursting with sultanas and apple chunks. The recipe is based on a Delia Smith cake which stipulates soaking the sultanas in cold tea for 5 hours and whilst best practise would suggest trying to do this I have been known to dip the sultanas in relatively warm tea for 30 minutes and achieve very similar results.
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 8 slices
Ingredients
  • 4 oz (112g) wholewheat self raising flour
  • 4oz (112g) ground almond
  • 4oz xylitol
  • 6fl oz (170ml) cold tea
  • 8oz (225g) sultanas
  • 1 apple cored, skin on and diced in 2cm squares
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
  2. Line a 2lb (900g) loaf tin
  3. Place the sultanas in a bowl and pour over the cold tea
  4. Allow to soak for 5hrs/overnight (see notes)
  5. After soaking simply stir all ingredients together
  6. Spoon into prepared loaf tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 1hr, your cake is baked when a skewer interred into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  7. Allow to cool in tin
  8. Serve simply sliced with a cup of tea or maybe spread with some butter

 

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Balsamic Roasted Baby Tomatoes

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Balsamic Roasted Baby Tomatoes
 
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When you discover a box of tomatoes at the back of your vegetable drawer and they're not fresh enough to use raw this is an easy way to bring them back to life and pep up many a meal.
Recipe type: Accompaniment
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients
  • Punnet of cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tsps coconut oil
  • Drizzle balsamic glaze
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C
  2. Put coconut oil on a non stick baking tray and place in pre-heated oven for 30secs-1min to melt
  3. Place tomatoes, vines and all, on tray and return to oven, top tray
  4. After 15 mins carefully remove tray and drizzle tomatoes with the balsamic glaze and chilli flakes
  5. Return to oven for another 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and the balsamic glaze has formed a treacle coloured glaze.
  6. Serve straight from oven or at room temperature
Notes
Really any tomatoes will work in this recipe, though the bigger the tomatoes the longer they will need to roast so please adjust cooking time accordingly.

 

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Quinoa De Cenouras (Carrot Quinoa)

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Quinoa De Cenouras
 
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This recipe is based on a rice dish my friend Nuno gave me from his homeland of Portugal. I've adapted it using quinoa and a few extra seasonings. You can of course substitute the quinoa for basmati rice if you;d prefer. Enjoy!
Recipe type: Accompaniments
Cuisine: Portugese
Serves: 6 - 8 people
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp coconut oi
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 5 carrots, grated
  • 2 chopped white onions
  • 4 cups organic vegetable stock
  • 2 cups quinoa
  • 1 large handful choppped parsley
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan add the minced garlic, 1 min
  2. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 1-2 mins until opaque
  3. Add the grated carrot, continue to sauté for another 2-3 mins
  4. Add the quinoa and stock and bring to the boil
  5. Reduce to a very lower simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy
  6. Season with sea salt and ground/cracked peer.
  7. Stir to combine
  8. Sprinkle with the parsley
  9. Serve immediately or at room temperature

 

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Apple Strudel

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Apple Strudel
 
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This is a lighter version of traditional apple pie. Filo pastry is extremely thin and subsequently is far less stodgy than short/sweet or puff pastry not to mention how flaky it becomes when baked. The filling is simply fruit, nuts and spices so all in all a guilt free pudding...best enjoyed with slightly guilty good quality vanilla ice-cream!
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Germany/Austria
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients
  • 1 packet pre-rolled filo pastry sheets
  • 200g organic unsalted butter, melted
  • 150g ground almonds
  • 100g finely chopped walnuts
  • 100g finely chopped pecans
  • Filling:-
  • 425g russet apples, peeled,cored and finely sliced
  • 425g Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely sliced
  • 75g sultanas/raisins, soaked in 5 tbsps apple brandy (or standard brandy)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Good pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • Good pinch freshly ground cloves
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F/220C
  2. Place all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and combine
  3. Put a sheet of greaseproof paper slightly larger than the sheets of filo pastry on a tea towel
  4. Place 1 sheet of filo pastry on the paper and brush sparingly with melted butter, then sprinkle with 2 tsp of ground almond and 2 tsp's each of chopped walnuts and pecans.
  5. Place a second sheet of filo onto and continue with the above method until you have used all 6 sheets of filo.
  6. Brush the edges of the filo and sprinkle with any remaining ground almonds and chopped nuts.
  7. Heap the filing lengthways in just the first third of the filo stack leaving 1cm boundary at the bottom and either side.
  8. Then carefully lift the tea towel and firmly roll the pastry to create the strudel.
  9. Transfer carefully, with the fold underneath, to a lined baking sheet.
  10. At this stage you can cover the strudel and refrigerate for up to 8hrs.
  11. Place on the centre shelf of the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden and flaky and the apples are cooked.
  12. Slide onto a serving platter and sprinkle liberally with icing sugar.
  13. Serve immediately

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Thai Fish Curry

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Thai Fish Curry
 
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I tend to make a vat load of this paste and freeze batches so I can whip up this curry in 15 minutes. For a comforting soup add 500mls of organic vegetable stock and 2 portions of softened rice noodles.
Recipe type: Mains
Cuisine: Thai
Serves: 4-6 people
Ingredients
  • 2 knobs fresh root ginger, peeled
  • 1-2 red chillies, (remove seeds if you don't like too much heat, halve
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, outer layer removed and halved
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • Large handful of fresh coriander inc stems
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ can (200ml) low fat organic coconut milk
  • 500g raw king prawns, peeled
  • 500g salmon, skinned cut into 4cm cubes
Instructions
  1. Put the ginger, chilli, lemongrass, garlic and coriander into a blender and whizz up till you have a coarse paste
  2. Melt the coconut oil in a large frying pan or wok and gently toast the crushed coriander seeds, 1-2 mins
  3. Add the paste and the turmeric.
  4. Lower heat and simmer for 1 min
  5. Add the salmon and gently cook turning occasionally until the salmon has changed to a light pink colour.
  6. Throw in the prawns and once they have turned pink add the coconut milk
  7. Finish with a large splash (1 tbsp) of thai fish sauce
  8. Garnish with a few sprigs of coriander and cheeks of lime
  9. Serve with piping hot basmati rice an

500g raw king prawns, peeled

 

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Garlic Pizette

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Garlic Pizette
 
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Easy peasy, fast as you like, moorishly good and a perfect alternative to stodgy garlic bread that won't spoil your appetite. Also a big hit with kids, serve it alongside my lasagna or spaghetti bolognese.
Recipe type: Canape/Starter
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 6 slices
Ingredients
  • Corn wraps
  • Garlic Infused Olive Oil/Olive oil and 2 garlic cloves minced
  • Handful of Rocket
  • Sea Salt
  • Freshly ground/cracked pepper
  • Alternative toppings:-
  • 50-75g goats cheese diced into 2cm squares
  • Handful of Rocket
  • Sea Salt
  • Freshly ground/cracked pepper
  • 25g Toasted pine nuts
Instructions
  1. Place a corn wrap on a baking sheet
  2. Drizzle with the garlic infused olive oil (or use plain olive oil and sprinkle with the minced garlic)
  3. Bake in 425F/220C for 5-10 minutes, until the wrap in crispy
  4. Scatter with the rocket leaves
  5. Season generously
  6. Slice into 6 and serve immediately
  7. Alternative toppings
  8. Follow steps 1 and 2 from above
  9. Then add the diced goats cheese, scatter over the wrap
  10. Bake at 425F/220C for 5-10 minutes until the cheese in cooked and looks slightly gooey
  11. Scatter with the rocket leaves and toasted pine nuts
  12. Slice into 6 and serve immediately
  13. Season

 

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Carrot & Orange Cake

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Carrot & Orange Cake
 
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This is a moist cake that really does taste as good if not better than full fat, high sugar varieties. My entire family love this and on the rare occasion it's not eaten straight away it refrigerates well for at least a week.
Recipe type: Cake & Bakes
Serves: 8 slices
Ingredients
  • 100g (3.5oz) wholemeal spelt flour
  • 100g (3.5oz) ground almond
  • 3 level teaspoons mixed spice
  • 1 level teaspoon bicarb of soda
  • 50g maple syrup
  • 50g honey
  • 1 size 1 egg
  • 35g coconut oil, melted
  • 40g organic butter, room temperature
  • Pulp and zest/grated rind of 1 orange
  • 200g (7oz) grated carrot
  • 110g (4oz) raisins/sultanas
  • 50g (2oz) desiccated coconut
  • 50g (2oz) chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300F/150C/Gas Mark 2
  2. Line a 71/2 x 31/2inch (19x8.5cm) loaf tin, ensure the paper comes up a minimum of 1cm above tin lid
  3. Beat the oil, butter, maple syrup, honey and egg together until smooth, use an electric whisk for speed
  4. Gradually stir in the flour, ground almond, spice and bicarb
  5. Add the orange pulp (pulp using a food processor or dice into small pieces) and rind
  6. Followed by the grated carrot, sultanas, desiccated coconut and chopped walnuts
  7. Stir to ensure everything is well mixed and pour mixture into prepared tin
  8. Bake the cake for 11/2hrs, check after 1hr until a sewer inserted into the middle comes out clean

 

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Lemon Garlic Broccoli

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Lemon Garlic Broccoli
 
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Adding a source of vitamin C when eating greens, like the lemon juice in this recipe, helps increase absorption of iron from green vegetables.
Recipe type: Accompaniment
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch of broccoli/tenderstem broccoli , roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pinch chilli flakes
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Zest and juice 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. Steam the broccoli for 4-5 minutes until its bright green
  2. Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan oven a high heat
  3. Add the garlic and chilli flakes stirring to coat in the oil
  4. Add the broccoli and carefully cover in the fragrant oil
  5. Add ⅓ cup water (78ml) and a large pinch of sea salt
  6. Cook over a medium heat for 4-5 mins until the broccoli is cooked and the liquid has almost evaporated
  7. Add the lemon juice and zest, season to taste
  8. Serve hot or at room temperature

 

 

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