Veg box challenge

I love getting my Riverford veg box every Wednesday! Unless we're over run with potatoes or artichokes, I never look at the box contents on line, but wait to be surprised when the box arrives. It might help planning if I checked, but I love a bit of creativity and spontaneity, particularly if there is a vegetable that I'm not particularly familiar with, or that's not a bit hit with the family. And cooking dairy free, gluten free and plant based just makes the challenge a little more interesting!

I've been getting a Riverford organic veg box for a long time now, apart from when we were in India - bit too far for them to deliver! I did, however, find a local one whilst I was there, which presented an even bigger challenge at times.

In my opinion, organic vegetables not only taste better, but being grown more naturally in cared for soil means they contain more nutrients, less chemicals and are better for the environment. And I know that everything grown is as local to the UK as possible, not flown half way across the world, and is therefore fresher and more vibrant.

So when I get asked "what do you eat in a normal week, then?', my answer is that it depends on what's in my veg box! And as I've been a bit lax with the blogging recently, I've decided to do a blog a day for a week, all about what I've made with the veg from my box.

This weeks gorgeous delivery was waiting on my doorstep earlier. We've got potatoes, carrots, onions, fat leeks, parsnips, chard, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, a huge sweet mama squash and a couple of vibrant green batavia lettuces. Nothing surprising or unconventional this week, so not too difficult to think up some yummy dishes. I'm thinking parsnips for tonight's dinner - tomorrows post will tell you all about it!

Home grown parsnips and soup

We built a small vegetable patch in the garden this spring, but hadn't expected to gain much produce in the first year. It rained so much, we started later than planned, so seed sowing was somewhat delayed. Plus we didn't know what would be a success, and what would not.
Gardening organically is always a challenge but pests haven't been too difficult to manage, apart from the slugs and snails. They munched their way through all my courgette, pumpkin and broccoli like there's no tomorrow and so we didn't actually get any success with these. Others, though, have been great - my french beans in the summer were outstanding, the leeks full flavoured and the chard fabulously rich, despite an initial slug onslaught.

But one crop is proving to be a real success - parsnips. Supposedly quite difficult to cultivate at times, the seeds were planted when the ground was warming up, and have grown beyond expectations. Traditionally, you're supposed to harvest parsnips after the first frost, as the cold changes the carbohydrate content, making them sweeter and more flavoursome. Having been up at stupid-o'clock on Thursday morning and experienced freezing temperatures, I decided it was time to harvest a few parsnips to sample the fruits (or veg!) of my labour.
There is something truly wonderful about eating food that you have grown yourself; not only do you know exactly where they've been grown and what chemicals may or may not be on them, but the effort you put in to them seems to increase the eating experience - they have an enhanced value when they're your own. And the flavour is always great, as fresh as you can get.
And these parsnips did not disappoint - deeply flavoured, sweet and full of goodness. As soon as my daughter saw the bunch, she delightedly asked if I was making parsnip soup, which of course I was. Funny what gets my kids excited!
Nutritionally, some may view parsnips as being to high in carbohydrate, especially sugars. The sugar content is higher than other veg, that's true, but it's complex sugars combined with lots of fibre so that's actually the good stuff. Plus they're packed full of phytonutrients and antioxidants that actually help protect your body against nasty free radicals. They also have great amounts of potassium, calcium, manganese as well as B vitamins and vitamin E. So not only do they taste good, they good for your body too.
Parsnip soup has to be one the the quickest and easiest soups to make, great if you want a speedy lunch.     Why not give it a go - delightfully creamy, deeply flavoured and deliciously dairy free!
Spicy parsnip soup

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium sized leek, chopped
550g (or so) parsnips
1 tablespoon curry powder
up to 1 litre vegetable stock
salt and pepper
Wash the parsnips and peel if you have to (sometimes its difficult to get all the mud off, plus if they're not organic you want to try and get rid of some of the chemical residue). Gently heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the leek and parsnip until they start to soften. Add the curry powder and coat well, then pour in the vegetable stock until the veg are just covered - don't use it all for now, you can always add more later, that way you get to control thickness and consistency. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat, pop on the lid and simmer for about 10 minutes until the parsnips are soft. Season and taste, then blitz, adding more stock if you need to thin the soup a bit. Serve with coriander or a swirl of dairy free yoghurt and enjoy - it's makes wet autumn days worth having!

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!

Sweet treat - raw and dairy free!

Last month, I disappear off with a friend for a few days to visit Auroville, an alternative community nestled in the countryside near to Pondicherry on the Tamil Nadu coast. Auroville is a fascinating experiment in human unity and focuses on sustainable living as well as the environmental, social and spiritual needs of mankind. We spent a lovely few days relaxing under immense banyan trees, participating in yoga, pottery and a lot of chatting! The food was amazing, much of it organic and locally grown, and of course they had a wide choice which included dairy-free and vegan options, so I, and my stomach, were happy!
One evening, we found ourselves at a farm house within the settlement, in a group gathered around a big bonfire singing 'mindful' songs - it was a truly hippy experience! We arrived a little late, and the vegan spread provided must have been delicious, as the only thing left were a few small dark balls scattered on a plate, covered in white flecks. Someone said they were pudding; unconvinced, I tried one as I was so hungry and discovered much to my surprise and delight that they were little balls of sweet heaven! Looks were very deceiving! The host told me they were raw date and nut balls - that was it!  How can that taste of chocolate though???
I know that many people believe that we should be eating mostly or all of our food raw. There is a great film called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead about a guy juicing his way to health, which is really worth watching, if only for the people watching experience. Check out http://www.jointhereboot.com to find out more.
But I digress! So I do include lots of raw veggies in my diet, but I'm not a complete raw foodie, so hadn't come across these raw date balls before.  Doing some research on the internet, I found a guideline recipe on Yummly.com, but then changed it a little to suit what we have available here in Bangalore. If you're a committed calorie counter, then all these nuts and dried fruits might freak you out a little, but do note there is no added sugar. A handful of nuts is the same amount of fat as a teaspoon of refined oil, plus you get all the extra nutritious goodies such as vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibre, but that's a whole posting in itself. My husband and son love these balls and they're difficult to binge on; they are really filling!
Vegan choco-nutty-fruity balls
1 cup/120g of nuts, raw and unsalted - I used almonds, walnuts and cashews

1/2 cup/120g organic pitted dates, chopped
1/2 cup/ 120g dried cranberries or apricots
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbspns cocoa powder
1 tbspoon fresh orange juice
few drops almond essence
for coating:
1/2 tspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup/30g fresh or dessicated coconut

Place nuts, dates and rest of dried fruit in a food processor along with cocoa powder and almond essence. Blitz until everything is ground together - add orange juice a few drops at a time until the mixture binds together - you probably won't need all of it. On a plate, combine the cinnamon and coconut. Roll small portions of the mix into balls, then roll them in the coconut mix until covered. Once all done, place in a container and refrigerate. Then enjoy over a relaxing cup of tea, after a workout or at any time you fancy a sweet nibble!

Dal or lentil - it's a name thing

Before I came to India, I thought lentils were either red, puy and occasionally green, and that dal was a soupy kind of spicy dish. Then I went shopping in the local supermarket and discovered a whole array of "dal" with different names, some of those being the same product but hailing from a different part of India and called by the local name.

Just to make it even more confusing, whole lentils tend to be called "gram", a generic name for pulses, so includes chickpeas and other dried peas I hadn't come across before - cow pea and horse gram, both of which are really tasty (I have a great little easy cow pea dish I'll share with you soon). Once the pulse is split, and it's outer coating shed, the gram becomes a dal, or a lentil, in the right form for cooking dal. Confused? Me too!
I've worked out there are four main 'dals':
yellow dal, or yellow split peas as I knew them in the UK, or toor/tuvar dal in Hindi. This is split pigeon pea and used most commonly for your standard dal
mung dal which comes from the mung bean, a pale green lentil that has a real earthy look to it. Mung beans are a deep green when whole but paler and flecked with white when split
masoor dal, or red split lentils, the one I am most familiar with
urad dal, which comes from black gram, but is white when split. This is most common in South India and usually soaked and ground to make dosas and idlis, iconic breakfast items.
Whatever the name or colour, dals are really healthy, a tiny powerhouse of nutritious goodies, packed with protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and a whole array of B vitamins. Dal is made up of 20-30% protein, better than most meat products but without the saturated fat and cholesterol. It is not, however, a complete protein in the same way as meat. Pulses are low in the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) methionine and cysteine. So they should be eaten with another food which is high in these missing amino acids. Traditionally, dal is eaten with rice or some form of bread - chapati, roti etc. Whole rice and whole wheat are high in both methionine and cysteine, but low in lysine, another essential amino acid. Pulses just happen to be teaming with lysine and so dal and rice or chapati is the perfect dish!
Due to their high dietary fibre content, dal/lentils are very good for your bowels, but do have a reputation for creating rather a lot of wind - urad dal is the worst offender apparently, and mung the least and is often given to convalescents as it's easy on the digestion.  I always buy organic dals which are really widely available here, and only a few rupees more than the non-organic version.
The key to a good tasty dal is the tempering - the seeds and spices that are fried separately and then added at the end. If you want a low fat dish, go easy on the oil otherwise it will become loaded with fat. Ghee is often used for the tempering, which gives it a distinctive flavour but is pretty high in fat. Theoretically, ghee is non-dairy, but I'm not convinced so avoid using it at home. I've tried various different recipes since I've been in India, some more successful than others (dal and the pressure cooker just don't seem to work for me!). This is my favourite - big fat juicy tomatoes are the key to this dish!

Dal fry/Tarka Dal
1 cup of red split lentils, rinsed well and drained
1 finely chopped onion
2 x juicy tomatoes
1 -2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp tumeric
salt
oil
salt
(lemon juice)
For the tempering:
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 dried red chilli or 1 fresh green chilli
2 inch piece ginger, julienned
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
handful curry leaves
fresh coriander for garnishing
First, heat the oil and fry the onion and salt for a few minutes then add the garlic and keep stirring until it's lightly brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lentils and turmeric, heat through and add 3 cups (ish) of water - if you want a thicker dal, add less than 3. Cook on a low heat for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are soft and mushy. In a separate pan, heat a little more oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Once they start to pop, add all the other ingredients except the coriander and cook for a few minutes. Tip the tempering into the cooked lentils, mix together and simmer for a couple of minutes, adding a squeeze of lemon juice to help make the proteins more available, garnish with the coriander and serve with cooked brown rice or some whole wheat chapatis.

Yummy chocolate brownies - dairy free!!

There's not many people who don't love a chocolate brownie every now and then, but most of the ones you can buy in the shops have some sort of dairy content, either butter or milk. Most traditional recipes for homemade brownies have the same issue. Of course, if you have some 100% dairy free spread to hand, you can easily substitute this for butter, use a non dairy milk and voila! But when there's no spread available, there's a brownie gap in my cake tin!

The other challenge over in India is finding cocoa powder. There is a local brand, but it doesn't taste very good and tends to be grainy. Cadbury's cocoa is my favourite, and should be a staple in any dairy free cupboard! Unfortunately, it's been a good 4 months since I've last seen it in the shops, so I was really excited the other day to find a tin and smiled all the way to the checkout, getting a few odd looks from the locals on the way!
This recipe uses oil rather than spread, and still produces delicious, gooey brownies although they can be a little greasy. I've tried different oils for baking - coconut oil is supposed to be excellent and does give a great texture but changes the flavour of the brownie. I bought some lovely delicious organic coconut oil recently, made a batch of brownies only to realise the oil had gone rancid really quickly (the downside of coconut oil) and they really tasted revolting. It was very sad to see the brownies in the bottom of the bin! So I now use organic canola oil, but rapeseed or any non-aromatic vegetable oil will do. The raisins enhance the texture, and increase the gooiness inside.
For those of you with egg allergies, try using an egg substitute, and reduce the cooking time as the brownies are drier.

Dairy free yummy chocolate brownies

2 medium eggs

1 cup caster sugar

5-6 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/3 cup oil

3/4 cup self raising flour

pinch salt

3 oz raisins
handful of chopped walnuts (optional)

Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and mix together well. Add the cocoa powder and oil, and stir well. Add remaining ingredients - use a little non-dairy milk if it's too dry.

Place in a greased square 8 inch baking tin and bake at 180oC for 20 minutes or so until firm on top but soft to the touch. Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin, then cut into squares, remove carefully with spatula and enjoy!

Humdinging hummus

Thank goodness for hummus! Not the usual thing to say, but for me it's a lunch time saviour. Finding healthy, easy dairy free snacks can be a bit challenging at times, especially when all you want to eat is cheese, but hummus is just perfect. Back in the UK, it was easy to pick up a pot from the supermarket, but over here in India, it's not available, so I had to learn how to make it myself. Finding tinned chickpeas is not so easy either and cooking them from scratch takes a long time. Then I discovered the joys of a pressure cooker!
There are many noises that I will always associate with India - horns, mopeds, random men shouting "hoy" and the ubiquitous pressure cooker. Early in the morning, and at odd times throughout the day, a symphony of pressure cooker whistles can be heard all around the compound I live in as various breakfast and lunch dishes are prepared. I soon realised that pressure cookers are used so much to save time - Indian cooking involves a lot of preparing from the basics. Boiling items not only takes time, but also energy, and when your gas supply comes from canisters which are rationed, you want to use as little as possible. Two hours of boiling beans until they are tender is out.
Soaking chickpeas overnight for pressure cooking the next morning has become a way of life. For hummus, not only is this so much cheaper, even for organic goods, but healthier as the tinned version soaks in fluid containing added sugar and salt. The carbohydrates in chickpeas are complex, and so take longer to digest by the body, releasing a smooth flow of energy that lasts some time. Added sugar is refined and is rapidly released, giving your body extra work to do and adding stress.  I use the cooking water in the hummus as it contains extra flavour and any vitamins and minerals that may have leeched out from the pulses during cooking, whereas the tinned version I throw it away and so that extra flavour.
If you've never used a pressure cooker before, it's really easy but a bit scary!! Simply place your bean or pulse in the bottom of the pan, add water until their covered plus a little more. You don't want too much excess fluid in the pan, but equally you need enough so it doesn't burn dry. Attach the lid until it's secure, and turn on the heat to a medium level. Once the pressure has built up, it it suddenly whistle and releases a load of steam - don't stand too close when this happens. Apart from anything else, it's really loud, but you could get burnt. I usually cook my chickpeas for 10 minutes after the first whistle, then turn off the heat and leave until it's cooled down. It's really important not to remove the lid until all the built up steam has dissipated otherwise you will get a nasty burn.
Once the chickpeas are ready, it's time to whip up your hummus.  Packed with goodies, it combines the excellent protein source of chickpeas and the nutritional powerhouse of sesame seeds, the main ingredient of tahini. There's so much to say about both of these and not room here but be sure to know that both will have their own feature on the blog soon!!!
The best thing about home made hummus is being able to customise it to how you like it. Shop bought versions can be quite high in fat and tend to contain preservatives and additives. The fat content can be controlled by using less olive oil and more cooking water, or home made tahini that has less added oil into it. The lemon not only added a beautiful sharp flavour but helps release the protein and B vitamins locked up in the pulse. There's also variety, as mine seems to come out different every time I make it!! So have a play around - don't be tied to measurements too much and experiment.

Homemade hummus
250 grams of dried chickpeas soaked over night or one tin, rinsed and drained
approx 1/4 cup cooking liquid or water
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves of garlic crushed (or more if you like it strong)
salt to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil - less or more depending on how much fat you want added
ground cumin to garnish
Put all the ingredients except the cumin and the liquid or water into a food processor. Add a little of the liquid and blitz until you get a smoothish paste. Add a little more liquid if the mix is too dry and blitz again. Stop and check, taste and add more of any of the ingredients (except chickpeas) to customise your flavour and texture. Once you're happy, place in a serving dish and sprinkle ground cumin on the top. Enjoy with raw veggies, pita or in a wrap. Or just on the end of your finger if you can't wait!

Green gunge - but it's good for you!!!

One of my dear friends recently lost loads of weight by following a juicing diet. I was sceptical at first -  how couldjust drinking juice be good for you. It may be full of vitamins and minerals, but what about the fibre and surely you get too hungry (I like my food fairly solid!) and end up bingeing? But she practically glowed with good health as she dropped 2 dress sizes, so there must be something to it.

Hak growing by the roadside

Health, whether good or bad, comes from the food we put in to our bodies. Juicing provides extra shots of vital goodies to help our bodies deal with the constant stresses and toxins we are exposed to, both external and internal, although I believe in the long run it's best to eat the whole food rather than just the juicy parts.
Our bodies know what we need if we learn to listen to it. Since living in India, I have craved green leaves which must mean I'm low in B vitamins, iron or calcium (not sure which) and have even been known to stir fry cauliflower leaves that are usually discarded just because green leaves are hard to come by. On my recent trip to Kashmir, I came across hak which is grown locally in Srinigar. It's similar to kale and I couldn't get enough of it and begged the hotel to serve it to me at every meal, it was so gorgeous. It was sautéed in water along with mustard oil, Kashmiri red chilli, salt and a little local masala, or seasoning. Occasionally a little spicy, it's deep rich green flavours were just divine!
After attending a healthy eating cooking seminar a few months ago, I discovered green smoothies. Made up of 60% fruit and 40% green leaves, they really are quite delicious and leave you feeling revitalised and full of energy - that's after you've managed to get your head around the fact that the green gunge in the glass is actually something you want to ingest! Spinach is pretty easy to come by here; the little organic grocers stocks some beautifully green bunches, leaves not too big. It tastes pretty strong, much more so than the lovely baby leaves you can by in the supermarkets in the UK, so it's green hard core from the off. Called palak, it's not traditionally eaten raw here - my maid was horrified to find out I ate uncooked leaves, and surprised to find out I lived to tell the tale!
Green smoothies can be made with any green leaf as it's base - spinach, celery or beetroot tops even mint. The key is to vary your intake and not have them every day - raw green leaves contain oxalic acid. Consuming large amounts of oxalic acid can be toxic (you would need a lot of greens every day for this to happen). It binds to metals, such as iron, making it unavailable for absorption in to the body. This therefore means that spinach isn't a great source of iron in the diet, despite what Popeye might say. However, vitamin C enhances iron absorption, so matching spinach with lemon for example counteracts the negative effects of oxalic acid. And green leaves are an amazing source of vitamin B, calcium and magnesium to name a few.
I've featured my favourite green smoothie combination, but you can make up whatever you like. Grind the green leaves in the blender first before adding the other ingredients as the cellulose in the cell walls takes some time to break down.
Spinach, watermelon and banana smoothie

Handful of spinach leaves, thoroughly washed
Big chunk of watermelon
2 small ripe bananas or 1 medium
juice of sweet lime
flaxseed powder (if you want an omega 3 shot).
Place the spinach in the blender and blast on full power until the leaves are broken and mushy. Add in the fruit and juice and blast again until everything is incorporated and fluid - this may take up to 2 minutes depending on the speed of your blender. Sprinkle in flaxseed powder if you are using it and whizz again for a moment. Poor into a glass, close your eyes and deceive your brain as you knock it back. I managed to get my son to try it despite his dubious face - he actually admitted it tasted good but preferred his fresh pineapple juice as it looked more normal!

Vegetable coconut stew and why brown rice really is best

Living in South India is a food adventure; there are so many types of dishes, snacks, fruits and vegetables that I've never seen or heard about before. In particular, there's a whole array of breakfast dishes that I love and eat any time of the day, which may be frowned upon by my Indian friends, but I still struggle with the concept of curry for breakfast! It's very different to coco pops or toast.

Appam

One of my favourites is a vegetable stew, a fantastic vegan dish, which hails from Kerala, so of course it contains my number one ingredient - coconut. It's not spicy but has a wonderful subtle flavour that still warms the tummy and tempts the tongue. It's also unusual to have such a white stew with the colours of the vegetable just coming through. I think it looks lovely although I have a friend who it just upsets - he thinks it looks all wrong!! Traditionally it's served with appams, a type of pancake made from rice and coconut. Preparing the appam mixture is a long process that involves lots of soaking, grinding and fermenting - even the ready made mixture requires 10 hours of soaking so I've only ever eaten them in a restaurant, not made them at home. It's a shame they're so complicated though, as they are really delicious to taste. Cooked in a small pan, it's shaped like a bowl which then holds the stew.
Instead of appams, I serve the stew with rice, which still tastes great but has a different texture/taste combination.  I used to cook white rice, just because it seemed quicker and there's always more choice on the supermarket shelves. Brown rice has a bad image; historically only eaten by the poor and more recently by bowel obsessed hippies. But the thing is, the poor and hippies were definitely getting the better deal. Nutritionally, white rice has the same carbohydrate and calorie content, but that's as far as the similarities go. Brown rice retains the bran and germ layers - these contain the minerals and vitamins which would be used by the starchy endosperm beneath if left to grow. White rice has both these layers removed and is then polished, which removes the bran oil. This is good at reducing LDL fats. Plus these layers contain most of the nutritious goodies such as vitamin B1, B3,B6,  iron, selenium and magnesium. White rice stores better than brown, but that really is it's main advantage other than cooking quickly. Eating it actually uses up the body's stores of vitamins and minerals rather than replenishing them.
I now buy organic brown basmati rice and soak it before I want to cook it. It takes a little more planning but cooking is then fairly easy.You need a minimum of 30 minutes soaking. This can leach out the nutritious goodies though, so the best thing to do is quickly rinse the rice under a running tap, then place in a bowl and add the water - one cup of rice, 2 cups of water. Once you're ready to cook, pour the rice and water altogether into the saucepan, put on the lid and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer. Most of the nutrients in the water will then be absorbed back in to the rice as it cooks. With the lid on, the water goes in to the rice rather than be evaporated and once it's all absorbed, it should be ready to eat - slightly firm and nutty.
Vegetable coconut stew recipe - serves 4 (or 3 if there's 2 hungry boys nearby!)

1 tsp oil

2 - 4 green cardamom pods, depending on how much you like the flavour
cinnamon stick
1 sliced onion
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
Green chillies, sliced - this will determine your heat (see below)
2 potatoes
1 -  2 carrots
big handful green beans
peas or sweetcorn (optional)
1 sprig curry leaves
approx 200 mls coconut milk
ground pepper - white if you have it
salt
water
To be super duper healthy, scrub the potato and carrot and boil them until nearly cooked. Steam the green beans. Retain the cooking water from both. Chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
Heat the oil and fry the cardamom pods and cinnamon until the aromas are released then add the onion, ginger and chilli and cook until softened. Add in the cooked vegetables and fry for a few more minutes so they absorb the flavours in the pan (you can put in raw veg at this point and fry, then cook, but I find the coconut milk splits and spoils, hence why I cook them first). Add peas and/or sweetcorn if you're using them and pour in some of the retained vegetable water, curry leaves and stir in most of the coconut milk so you have a fairly fluid stew. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes or so, but watch it so the milk doesn't split. Add in the pepper, a pinch of salt and finish with the last of the coconut milk so it's lovely and white.
Interesting facts about green chillis:
I like a mild chilli flavour, but am not at all a fan of a strong, burn-the-lining-of-your-mouth sensation that you can get with some. The problem is you never know quite how strong a chilli is going to be. Obviously there are different types of chillis, and ones like the birds eye chilli is known to be a head blower. So it's really down to taste and pot luck how much chilli you put in a dish. For this one, I used two as my son was eating and does not like a spicy flavour - just sliced down the middle and the seeds removed, leaving 4 halves to permeate their flavour through the stew.
Chillis are actually remarkably good for you, being high in beta carotene, vitamins B, C (six times more than an orange) and E as well as iron and potassium.  The active chemical, capsaicin, that gives chillis their heat has many health benefits including dissolving blood clots, treating wrinkles and facial twitching and can burn calories by increasing your metabolism. It also releases endorphins that can relieve pain and put you in a good mood - it's an active ingredient of some arthritis treatments and creams.
So next time your mouth is on fire, your nose running and steam is coming out of your ears, remember it's good for you and enjoy!!!

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Green goodies

There's a lovely little organic grocery store close to home. Buying fresh organic produce is quite a challenge here in Bangalore, partly because demand hasn't been particularly high and I think because a lot of the farms have been replaced by concrete as the city rapidly expands at the edges. The weather also plays a massive role in the quality and quantity of goods available; the summer months were too hot and the produce suffered greatly.
Delivery day is Friday afternoon and I have finally sussed the time to go; yesterday the baskets were stacked high with glorious green leaves, herbs, fresh brightly blushing tomatoes, massive fresh carrots and even bunches of perky celery. So often, celery, if available at all, lies on the shelf sad and stringy, wilted from lack of water and impossible to eat. I packed my basket high with fresh goodies, and returned home, mouth watering and mind overflowing with ideas for tea.
Out of all the food items that are difficult to come by here, the one thing I crave more than anything else  (including chocolate!) is greens. It must be my body telling me it needs more B vitamins! So last night, the green veg won and I knocked up a incredibly easy couscous salad heaped with greens and herbs.
On the scale of healthy wholefoods, couscous doesn't rate too well. Actually a form of semolina derived from wheat, it's steamed and then dried, forming little granules. No good for those who are gluten-free. It only takes 5 minutes to prepare, so it must be pretty well processed; this removes much of the beneficial vitamins and minerals available in the wheat germ, but it is still a good source of selenium (43mcg) and potassium and pretty low in fat, so not bad really. Quinoa or brown rice would be healthier options.

So what went in to the salad? First, I prepared the couscous according to the packet instructions - added boiling water, a pinch of salt, covered the bowl and left it alone for 5 minutes. Once cooled, it needed fluffing up with a fork then combined with lightly steamed broccoli and green beans, mint, coriander, beetroot leaves, cucumber and spring onions for the greens. For a little sweetness, I added some dried apricots and finished it off with some sliced almonds for an extra crunch and a dash of extra virgin olive oil. Seriously yummy! Oh, by the way, beetroot leaves are one of the best sources of beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A and so excellent for eye health.

Sacks of dried fruit and nuts - Kashmir

Dried fruit can be a problem for some people with a food allergy or intolerance, due to the sulphites added as a preservative - it's not used in organic products which is why they tend to be a darker brown/orange colour, and not so appealing. Dried apricots tend to have the highest levels of sulphites and can give rise to asthma or other respiratory problems.
The apricots and almonds I used come from Kashmir; I bought them from a market stall on a trip to Srinigar back in June and they are incredible. The fruit in Kashmir is amazing - deeply flavour apricots, peaches, cherries; tree fruits you just can't buy down in Southern India. The intensity and sweetness just burst onto the tongue and I was like a little kid in a sweet shop so excited to find these natural goodies. The dried apricots are equally intense in flavour and sweetness, and are dried naturally out in the sun, no additive required. Eating them in the salad brought back great memories of an amazing trip, so feeding my soul as well as my body!

The best carrot cake ever!

When I was a teenager, I had a job during the summer holidays at a small local whole foods cafe. It was simple but all freshly made; baked potatoes, salads, soups and cakes. I'm not sure if this was the start of my interest in healthy food but it certainly was the beginning of one of the loves of my life - carrot cake! Now, carrot cake is one of those 'pretend it's healthy' sweet treats. Even if you make it with wholemeal flour or all organic ingredients, it's packed full of sugar still, but hey, it's got carrots in it so it's got to be good for you! The carrot cake at the cafe was amazing - but it was a secret recipe and I just couldn't get the women who owned the cafe to share it with me.
After I left home and moved to London, my love of carrot cake reached a new level when I discovered the Cranks restaurant that used to be upstairs in Covent Garden, a dark and mysterious place that enticed you in with mouth watering aromas and served fabulous vegetarian food on beige hippy style natural pottery plates. They too had amazing carrot cake - and a cookery book. I still have that book, and its crumpled torn pages and broken spine mark it's over use. It even came out to India!

I have made this cake so many times over the years, and it never goes wrong. And what's even better, it's dairy free, so I can make my cake and still eat it! Butter cream or cream cheese frostings are out these days; just haven't found a reasonable replacement to date. I think it tastes better plain anyway.
I have made this with egg replacer instead of eggs to make it vegan and it still works well. I've not tried to make this gluten free so I can't say whether it would work - sorry! Try and grate your carrots a bit finer than mine - my food processor only seems to work on rustic size!

Carrot cake (Cranks recipe)
175g carrots
100g sugar - castor or unrefined
2 eggs (or equivalent in egg replacer)
75mls oil - I prefer canola but any type will do except olive oil
100g self raising (wholemeal) flour - or plain flour with baking powder if your in India and can't find any!!!
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
50g of raisins
50g of dessicated coconut (if you have it - not essential)

Heat the oven to 180oC and grease a smallish loaf tin. Grate your carrots.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together until it's thick and creamy then whisk in the oil gradually until it's all combined. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until its all well mixed - it should be quick thick but still moist. Turn into the greased tin and bake for 25 minutes or until the top is slightly brown and firm to the touch and a tooth pick comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out on to a rack until completely cold. Keeps well for a few days - if it lasts that long!! Enjoy.

Cranks don't have any restaurants in London anymore but the brand is still out there. Have a look at their website - they have a few of their recipes on line, including old favourites of ours lentil and tomato soup (or holiday soup as my kids call it, as I always made it when we went off in the car for a camping holiday) and homity pies. http://www.cranks.co.uk

The organic food debate - real evidence?

Who would have thought that a humble carrot or potato could cause so much debate and hype in the media? A recent study produced by Stanford University has hit the headlines for claiming there is no evidence to show that organic food is safer or healthier than conventionally grown food. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19465692. Using this report as new research, there have been many articles and commentaries vilifying those who believe in the organic 'myth'.
I always find it interesting to see how 'facts' are translated into 'proof'. With anything that is connected to big business and money, research is rarely independent and unbiased. The Stanford study claims to have no primary funding source. Really? The University does happen to have major funding from one of the large GMO companies, but that must be coincidence, surely?
Putting all that to one side though, if you look at the study conclusion it does come to some positive conclusions about organic food, despite the way it's worded. http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1355685. Oh, by the way, this is not a new study but a review of previously published research.
* organic food has significantly lower levels of pesticides - and 30% is significant!
* exposure to anti-biotic resistant bacteria was significantly lower in organic meat produce - up to 33%.

It may not prove that one carrot has more beta-carotene than another, but these two points are positive evidence that organic food is healthier. Pesticides are a big issue. Controls are in place to ensure that chemical residues don't go above a level deemed 'safe' for health. As far as I'm aware of, each chemical is tested independently, whereas in reality our bodies are exposed to a cocktail which may, or may not, work together, building up in our cells, then have to work even harder to detox. And what do our cells need to clear away these chemical toxins - vitamins, minerals and energy that comes from our fruits and vegetables. So it seems logical to me that if you don't eat the contaminated products in the first place, and stick to organic, then you're ahead already in the healthier department!

The conclusion regarding anti-biotic resistant bacteria is also highly significant. Routine administration of antibiotics to animals reared for food is a major contributing factor to the creation of superbugs. And we really don't need any more antibiotics in our food, whether it's meat or dairy products.
The study also concludes that all the studies are so different that it is difficult to come to any over all conclusion - so there is no evidence that conventional food is better or worse than organic food either.
Personally, I would rather have my food organically grown and locally produced, the closer the better. I like my food without genetic modification, antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones and chemical fertilisers. I think organic food tastes better, are more vibrant and I do believe they are better for my health. Bought in supermarkets, they can carry a higher price tag, but direct from the farmer, or even from my own garden, that's not so much of an issue.
But one of the most important, and fortunate, things is that I have a choice, and when it's possible I choose organic because I prefer it and believe that it's healthier for me. Maybe the evidence tells me I'm wrong, but when that's supported by large conglomerates willing to gamble our health and environment to make big bucks I'm just not ready to listen.