New Year eating

The more I learn about food and it's affect on the body, the more I realise just how much we take ourselves and our health for granted. Our bodies are finely tuned machines, wonderful at adapting to different situations and assaults, developing incredible coping strategies and processes so complex it's too mind boggling to comprehend. The appropriate fuel is needed to ensure this continues - the right vitamins, minerals, micro nutrients as well as a good dollop of carbohydrates, and moderate amount of protein and fat. It shouldn't be too complicated.
To many, a car is an essential item. It needs to be looked after though, so it gets checks at the garage, cleaned, the oil and water gets topped up the right levels and of course we put in the right fuel - diesel in a petrol engine spells disaster and the engine just conks out. Looking at it this way, we care for our cars better than our own bodies. Why is that? Maybe we don't make a direct financial investment in our bodies or we just take our bodies for granted, then when it goes wrong find ways to patch it up until eventually it conks out. Or maybe we just don't really know what we should eat, or have been fed the wrong information. Or maybe, we just care for our cars more than we care for ourselves.
Traditionally at this time of year, thoughts turn to the new year and our aspirations for the future. New year, new you. Losing weight or being more healthy usually heads up the top 10 new year resolutions along with quitting smoking and doing more exercise. But as nearly 80% of new years resolutions fail to be achieved, are they really worth making? Personally, I think they are, but maybe not to start on 1st January. That has to be the worse day to start anything positive, as most people are feeling pretty rubbish from the night before, be it from lack of sleep or too much alcohol - or both!!
To make a positive change, there needs to be a specific aim or reason, a real desire to achieve something. For me, my aim is to get rid of my food sensitivities and to feel well again - a short term and (so it seems) very long term project! People ask me how can I live without cheese, or wine. I'm no health food saint, but I honestly feel so much better without dairy or yeast, it's not really a hardship any more. Making changes depends on your perspective - I gain, not lose (although I would really love to eat bread and drink wine again!!). Making a positive change in your life can be hard but also so good.
Eating a plant-based wholefood diet is one the best treats you can give your body and your health - a real new year spring clean. If you want to give it a go, try the PCRM's vegan kickstart programme http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/kickstart/kickstart-programs. They have food plans for Western and Indian tastes, and it's pretty easy to follow. If you are a big meat and dairy lover, I would suggest you break yourself in gently - spend January reducing your meat and processed food intake and trying some of the menu ideas. Then try the kickstart in February when you're ready for it and see what happens! Be prepared for lots of energy and feeling pretty good!
So don't make a New Years resolution to go on a diet. Make a promise to be kind to yourself and make a positive change, to be in charge of what fuel you put in yourself not be a slave to an addiction to sugar, or fat. Have a tangible goal and above all respect yourself and your environment. And have a wonderful foodie New Year!

Just love those sprouts!

Some foods are just synonymous with traditional Christmas dinner - roast turkey, bread sauce and of course the little green powerhouse that is the brussels sprout! Love them or hate them, the meal is not complete without at least one small green ball decorating the plate.
Whilst for some, Christmas Day is the only time of the year that a sprout with pass their lips, I personally love them, and quite happily eat them any time of the year. Thought to originate from Belgium (hence the name), seasonally brussels sprouts are a winter veg in the West, best between October to March. Whilst growing, they prefer colder temperatures - I did manage to find some sprouts in the shops in Bangalore,as there can be cooler temperatures in this area of India during winter. Small, hard bullets with yellowy leaves on the outside, they just weren't right, so apart from the one Christmas dinner I cooked (never again - too hot!!), the sprouts were generally avoided. So it was with great joy that I tucked in to beautifully crisp green sprouts on Christmas Day this year, and started remembering all the dishes I could create with them.
When your mum told you to eat your greens because they were good for you, she was not wrong. Brussels sprouts are classified as crusiferous vegetables (so called as the leaves open up into a cross shape - crucifer is cross-bearer in Latin don't you know!), a group packed full of powerful nutrients and antioxidants that can boost your immune system and have anti-cancer properties. The high fibre content is not only good for your digestion but helps to lower cholesterol as well. They also have a variety of vitamins including folate which promotes healthy heart, vitamin A and vitamin K which helps to reduce inflammation and is good for bone health too. Mind you, too much of any one thing is never good for you, as this salutary tale about a man who messed up his blood clotting by eating too many sprouts!  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-20805966.
Cruciferous vegetables like sprouts contain special compounds called isothiocyanates (ITC) that boost immunity - these are released when the cell walls are opened. So cutting or blending before cooking releases these extra goodies and whilst some of the vitamins and potassium will be lost in the cooking process, the ITC will still be there. So, whilst a spout smoothie really doesn't appeal, sliced brussels stir fried or chopped and used as soup certainly does.
Brussels sprouts fried with bacon is a beautifully tasty dish, but as I'm only eating plant based food these days, that's off the menu. But sprout soup is definitely on. If you've never tried it, do - it's really simple and has a delicious deep, rich flavour. Unfortunately, my sprout soup recipe is still boxed up in storage ( I can't wait to get my hands on my recipe books!). Lots of recipes ask for cream, but being dairy free, I leave the potato to do the creamy bit which of course makes it much healthier. It needs seasoning well, but it's very simple, so here it is from memory....hope it works!!
Green and healthy brussels sprout soup
1 tbspoon olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 medium potato, diced
500g or so of brussels sprouts
600mls of vegetable stock
1 tspoon thyme
salt and pepper
Remove the top of the sprouts and chop. Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion until it starts to soften, then add the potato, turn down the heat and cover the pan with a lid, letting the veg cook until it's soft. Add the chopped sprouts and thyme and saute for a minute or so. Pour in the stock, season and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat, pop on the lid and leave to simmer away merrily for 10 to 15 minutes until the potato and sprouts are cooked. Turn off the heat, leave to cool a bit then blitz in the blender until smooth. Put back in the pan and reheat. Sprinkle some toasted chopped walnuts on the top if you want some texture.

Planning Christmas dinner

Since my last post at the beginning of the month, I've moved continents!. The weather outside the window has changed from blue skies and 28 degrees to grey, cold and raining. Oh yes, I'm back in England! But to make up for the weather, it is Christmas time, and for the first time in 3 years it actually feels festive, with decorations in every home, the shops bulging with gifts and seasonal food and Christmas songs constantly played on the radio.
Now the jet lag has worn off, the present shopping is complete and we have an idea of where we are going to live, my attention is turning to food, particularly Christmas Day. Being dairy and yeast intolerant is hard at this time of year - all the mince pies are made with butter pastry, Christmas cake includes dairy and the brandy butter that melts so enticingly on top of the steaming Christmas pud is a non-starter! Then there's bread sauce and stuffing which I love, but certainly don't love me! This year I've made it even more complicated by eradicating meat from my diet too, so no traditional turkey either.

All is not lost, however. There's still the roasted parsnips, potatoes and other veg. And being back in the UK, alternatives are more easily available in the shops. This though, is a bit of dilemma. Meat alternatives can be a bit gross to be honest, and tend to be full of a long list of fake ingredients and chemicals that don't sit well in a wholefood diet. So it's a nut roast for me, filled with brazil nuts and hazelnuts for a festive flavour which won't over power all the delicious veg on offer.
By the way, brazil nuts are packed with nutrition. Unfortunately for some, they are also the second most common for nut allergies after peanuts. But if you're safe to eat them, they are fabulous for health, eaten in moderation of course. Whilst fairly high in fat, they are monounsaturated, so help deal with 'bad' cholesterol. They also have good levels of vitamin E, vitamin B's and selenium, a mineral that acts as a powerful anti oxidant. There's also a mix of other minerals such as manganese, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc, all wonderful for your health and your skin.

This nut roast recipe is easy and tasty. It does use bread crumbs - in the past I have either used Orgran rice crumbs or whizzed up a tortilla wrap which works but gives a different texture. This year I am going to experiment with using quinoa instead. Using this and chickpea flour instead of wheat flour, this can become a gluten free recipe too. Now what sauce to put with it.........
Normal nut roast
1 onion finely chopped
1 tbspoon vegetable oil
2 tomatoes skinned and chopped
30g flour (wheat, corn or chickpea)
140mls water
1 tbspoon soy sauce/tamari
230g nuts (brazil and hazelnut in mine) finely chopped or ground
85g breadcrumbs or bread alternative
1 tsp mixed herbs
Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion until it's tender. Add the chopped tomatoes, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes or so until pulpy. Stir in the flour, add the water slowly whilst stirring constantly to prevent lumps forming. Once it's all mixed in, turn off the heat. Add all the other ingredients, mixing together thoroughly and place in a lightly greased bread tin. Bake at 180o C for 45 minutes or so until it's firm and crusty on top. Leaving to cool slightly in the tin, then turn out on to a plate and enjoy with all the Christmas trimmings and a glass of something bubbly!

Dairy free sour cream

Sometimes I wish I could freeze frame moments so that I can capture the look of incredulity on peoples faces when I tell them that I don't eat dairy or meat. It's really quite funny to see and they always ask the same question - so what do you eat? Then when I explain about eating a whole food, plant based diet, a shadow of concern clouds their faces - surely you can't survive on that??
There's so many different foods to eat other than meat or dairy, it's just our way of thinking that makes it seem impossible to not only survive, but to heal, become really healthy and energetic and generally feel much better than before. I guess I am lucky that I have a food intolerance to yeast and not wheat as it makes it much easier - at least I can eat cake! And eating a whole food plant based diet means that when I do have the occasional fried or greasy option, I not only enjoy it but don't feel any guilt about eating it, as I don't seem to put on weight any more either!
There are so many different plant foods to try, and a whole array of recipes on the internet, it's really a new adventure in cooking, which I find quite exciting (sad as it may be!). Plus on top of that, eating this way means I never feel really full and bloated, my chronic itching has stopped and my skin is looking great - in fact a friend said the other day it looked like I'd had botox! Cutting out processed foods and getting all the vitamins and minerals in wholefoods really does make a difference.
But finding dairy free alternatives is still a challenge. This week I experimented with dairy free sour cream, using it as a dressing on a beetroot salad I made for a party we had on Saturday night. It tastes pretty good, and lots of it was eaten, so I guess others thought so too. Obviously sour cream can be used with many dishes - I especially look forward to trying it with a veggie chilli which I'm planning on making later in the week. It is cashew nut based again, as that gives the creamy texture, so apologies to those with nut allergies.
I know there's lots of people who don't eat beetroot - either the taste is too earthy, or the after effects are too windy! But beetroot is incredibly good for you and worth a try. I was put off it by memories of horrible soft, vinegary deep red lumps that made your wee go a funny colour, but once I tried it freshly cooked and natural, it's a different experience all together. Being quite sweet, it goes well with something fresh and citrusy. And it is incredibly good for you, packed with vitamin A, B1, B2 B6 and folic acid as well as good amounts of magnesium, potassium, iron and those helpful little antioxidants. In fact, research has shown that beetroot can help reduce high blood pressure, lower cholesterol (all that soluble fibre), aid tissue growth, reduce the risk of osteoporosis (the silica it contains aids absorption of calcium) and even helps slow the progression of dementia. Now that's not bad going for one root vegetable.
Here is the recipe for the sour cream and the beetroot salad as it was really yummy!
Dairy free sour cream
1 cup cashew nuts
juice of 1 lemon or lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 - 1 tbspoon olive oil (optional)
Soaks the cashew nuts in water for at least two hours. Drain off this water and grind in a processor into a thick paste, adding a little water. I find I have to grind for 30 seconds or so, then stop, give it a scrape off the edges then grind again. Repeat and grind for a third time, adding water if you need to to get a thick creamy consistency. Add in the lemon juice and salt and blend again until it's combined. Taste and adjust to how you want it. To make it richer, add the olive oil (but remember this is a refined oil and not a whole food and the fat content will increase). If it's too thick, add a little more water. Then it's ready to go!

Beetroot salad
3 or 4 beetroots cleaned (organic if possible)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
salt and pepper
dairy free sour cream
chopped chives to garnish
Cook the beetroot until soft, but not too soft - I use the pressure cooker to save time, but boiling, roasting or steaming works just as well. Leave to cool. Dry fry the fennel seeds in a hot pan until they start to colour and emit a lovely smell. Turn off the heat and leave to cool. Chop the beetroot into small dice and place in a serving bowl along with the cooled fennel seeds, add seasoning and stir. Place a few good dollops of dairy free sour cream on the top and sprinkle with chives. That's it - eat and enjoy!