Autumn salad

This combination of garlic roasted butternut squash, blanched broccoli, avocado & kale is the kind of salad that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with salad leaves.
It is filling, tasty and brimming with the right kind of nutrients, including vitamins K, A, C, E, potassium, magnesium, folate and niacin.
The miso used for the kale is one of the only reliable vegan sources of B vitamins. It comes in paste form in a small jar and can be purchased from most supermarkets.
Miso is made from fermented soya beans and rice, giving it a tangy, salty flavour. It is a pleasant condiment that also complements soups rather well.

Ingredients for 1:
Torn leaves from a stem of kale (a large handful of kale)
Juice of a 1/3 of a lemon
1 teaspoon of miso paste (I used Clearspring Brown Rice Miso)
1/2 small butternut squash
2 small cloves of garlic
5 sprouting broccoli florets
1/2 avocado, peeled
A tablespoon of toasted seeds (optional - I used Munchy Seeds sesame sprinkles)
Sea salt and black pepper to season
Rapeseed or coconut oil for cooking

Method:
To roast the butternut squash, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Peel the halved butternut squash, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and chop the flesh into bite-sized chunks. Put them on a roasting tray, season well with sea salt and black pepper and drizzle with a small amount of rapeseed oil.
Press down on the unpeeled garlic cloves with the back of a knife until they crack slightly. Nestle them under the butternut squash pieces and put the roasting tray in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the squash is fully cooked. Remove the garlic and set the butternut squash aside to cool.
To make the blanched broccoli, bring a small pan of water to the boil. Add the broccoli, simmer gently for a minute, drain and run under a cold tap. Allow the broccoli to drain off for a minute.
To make the kale, put the torn kale leaves in a bowl, season with some black pepper, squeeze over a small amount of lemon juice and give it a massage to break down the kale. You should end up with half of the volume of kale that you originally started with. Add in a teaspoon of miso and mix well with your hands.
To assemble, put the butternut squash, kale and broccoli on a plate. Top with half an avocado and sprinkle with toasted seeds.

Kale, crispy bacon and borlotti bean salad

September is such a fantastic month for fresh produce.
Salad crops are slowly going out of season, making way for hardy greens, beans and squashes. 
As with any fruit and vegetables, they are the most nutritious when eaten in season and at their peak freshness. Farmers markets and local farms shops are bursting with fresh, seasonal goods this time of the year so make sure you pay one a visit.
The beans and kale for this recipe came from a Derbyshire based farmer and were both picked just a day ago.
Such fresh ingredients are best prepared simply, emphasising their natural flavour and wholesomeness.  

Ingredients (Serves 1)
100g borlotti beans
1 bay leaf
5 black peppercorns
2 rashers of smoked bacon
a large handful of torn kale leaves, approximately 40g
1/2 lemon
extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Pop the beans in a small pan with the bay leaf and black peppercorns. Cover with just enough water to cover and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat, put a lid on the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.
To cook the bacon, heat a frying pan on a medium heat, add a teaspoon of coconut oil or butter and fry the bacon until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside to cool completely.
Put the torn kale leaves into a large bowl, squeeze over some lemon juice and rub the leaves until they break down to roughly half the original volume. This makes the kale more palatable and digestible.
To plate, put the beans and kale in the same bowl, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and stir well. Crumble the bacon over the top. Enjoy!

Beef and noodle salad bowl

Umami is a recent flavour discovery that I've been experimenting with.
Translated from Japanese, it means "pleasant savoury taste" and pleasant it is.
For this recipe, I used umami paste to flavour soba noodles. Crunchy vegetables add vitamins and minerals and complement the meaty flavour of beef.
In case you are vegetarian, the beef is easily left out.

Ingredients (Serves 2)
100g soba noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
1 beef steak
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
100g sugar snap peas, sliced in half lengthways
leaves from a small handful of parsley
sea salt and black pepper to season
2 tsp of sesame seeds to garnish (optional)

For the umami dressing:
1 tbsp Clearspring umami paste with ginger
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey or maple syrup

Method:
Heat a griddle pan over a high heat.
Season the steak with black pepper and sea salt on both sides.
Cook the steak on each side for 3 minutes and set aside to rest.
To make the umami dressing, whisk together all of the ingredients until well combined.
In a large bowl, mix the noodles, parsley leaves and sliced spring onion with the dressing.
Divide the noodles between two bowls, top with the sugar snap peas, carrot and sliced steak and sprinkle over some sesame seeds (if using).

Flattened chicken, slaw, beans & kale

When it comes to good nutrition, variety is an important aspect.
A diverse range of vegetables and fruits, especially those with different colours, deliver a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
This latest recipe includes 4 kinds of vegetables, alongside chicken breast for protein and tons of flavour. After all, variety is the spice of life.

If you are in the Derbyshire area on the 2nd and 3rd of September then drop by the Chatsworth Country Fair.  I will be in the cookery demo theatre, showing you just how easy it is to make this dish.

Ingredients (Serves 2)
2x chicken breasts
1x tin of black beans
3x spring onions, sliced
1x chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp of desiccated coconut
juice of 1/2 lime
2x large handfuls of kale leaves
juice of 1/2 lemon

For the slaw:
1/4 of a red cabbage, finely sliced
1 carrot, grated
1 tbsp of peanut butter
1 tbsp of water
1 tsp each of honey & tamari (or soy sauce) juice of 1/2 lime

Method:
Put the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of cling film and bash with a rolling pin until flattened to 1" thick.
Heat a griddle pan on a high heat and cook the chicken on each side for 3­-4 minutes.
To make the beans, toast the coconut in small pan on a medium heat for 3 minutes. Put the beans, chopped chilli, spring onions and coconut in a bowl. Season well with sea salt and black pepper, squeeze over the juice of half a lime and stir to combine.
Put the kale in a separate bowl, squeeze over the juice of half a lemon and "massage" to break down the kale leaves.
For the slaw, whisk the peanut butter, water, honey, lime juice and tamari until well combined. Pour over the cabbage and carrot and stir well to combine.
To serve, divide the beans, slaw and kale between two plates and top with a chicken breast.

Turmeric & ginger prawns

Turmeric has been in the headlines for some time thanks to its wide-ranging therapeutic applications.
According to the latest research, curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, modulates the immune system (1), has potential as an anti-cancer agent (1), benefits arthritis sufferers (2), type-2 diabetics (3) and can reduce symptoms of depression (4).
In a nutshell, turmeric is a super little spice that should feature in a healthy diet. 
For the most potent form, use fresh turmeric which is available in large supermarkets, greengrocers, middle eastern stores and online. 
This recipe combines fresh turmeric with ginger and garlic to deliver an antioxidant boost. Prawns add much-needed omega 3 fatty acids and colourful veggies enhance the dish by contributing plenty of vitamins and minerals. 
Did I mention it takes less than 15 minutes to make this dish?

Ingredients (Serves 2):
For the spice paste:
2 small or 1 large onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
30g (thumb size piece) ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
25g fresh turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped
juice of a lemon

200g cooked king prawns
200ml coconut milk
200-300g of vegetables: I used a mix of asparagus, baby corn and sugar snap peas
Rice or noodles to serve
Fresh coriander to garnish (optional)

Method:
To make the spice paste add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. 
Heat a teaspoon of butter or coconut oil in a frying pan on a medium-low heat. Add the spice paste and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in a splash of water to stop it from sticking if required.
Turn the heat up to medium, add the vegetables and prawns and stir well. Pour in the coconut milk, stir well and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes. 
Serve with rice or noodles and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
 

Scientific references:

(1) Baraya YU, Wong KK, Yaacob NS (2016) The Immunomodulatory Potential of Selected Bioactive Plant-Based Compounds in Breast Cancer: A Review. Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry,  [Epub ahead of print].
(2) Daily JW, Yang M, Park S (2016) Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Journal of Medicinal Food, 19: 717-729.
(3) Lekshmi PC, Arimboor R, Raghu KG, Menon AN (2012) Turmerin, the antioxidant protein from turmeric (Curcuma longa) exhibits antihyperglycaemic effects. Natural Product Research, 26: 1654-1658. 
(4) Al-Karawi D, Al Mamoori DA, Tayyar Y (2016) The Role of Curcumin Administration in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: Mini Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. Phytotherapy Research, 30: 175-183.