Basil Pesto

Ingredients

• 15g Fresh Basil (more if you like)
• 100mls of extra virgin olive oil
• 50g parmesan cheese
• handful of pine nuts
• 3 cloves of garlic
• salt & pepper

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 180oC. Put the pine nuts onto a flat roasting tray and roast (without oil) for 10mins.
2. Wash and dry the basil, take the leaves off the stalks and place in a measuring jug or blending jug.
3. Grate the cheese. Cool the pine nuts. Peel the garlic cloves
4. Add the oil, cheese, garlic and nuts into the jug with the basil, blend together into a smooth pesto.

If kept in an airtight container in the fridge this will keep well for up to 3 weeks as the garlic acts as a natural preservative. However it discolors and spoils every time it is exposed to the air; therefore store it in small airtight containers and only open one at a time.

Fish Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 onion & 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1 red pepper
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 150g Risotto rice (can be called aborio rice)
• 100mls white wine (optional)
• 2 dozen large raw prawns & 1/2 med squid cut into rings (can use any fish but others may flake up so if using others cut into large chunks)
• handful of baby spinach
• Fish/veg/chicken stock cube
• 60g Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Half teaspoon of chili powder (optional)
• Half teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon basil pesto (best made yourself, see next post)
• Olive oil, salt & pepper

Method

1. Peel and cut the onion into small dice and crush the garlic.
2. Heat 50mls olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion, garlic, rice and plenty of salt & pepper, lower the heat and saute until the onions are soft. Stir well and add more oil if it's too dry.
3. Wash and peel the carrot, cut into small dice and add to the saucepan, stir well.
4. Deseed the pepper, cut into dice and add. Add the chili and paprika. stir well.
5. If using the wine add now and bring to the boil, leave on a high heat without a lid until reduced by half the amount.
6. Add the tin of tomatoes to the saucepan. Stir well until absorbed.
7. Add 100mls of water and crumble the stock cube into the saucepan. Stir well and again the water will absorb into the rice. You may need to higher and lower the heat as need be.
8. Add the fish and another 200/300mls of water and stir well as before.
9. Taste the rice and if it's soft enough and the mixture is nice and moist then it's done. If the rice is done but it's very dry then add a little water (50mls) and heat. If the rice is not done and the mixture is dry then add 200mls of water and stir until the rice is cooked.
10. Add the pesto and chopped spinach, stir well.
11. Grate the Parmesan cheese and add to the mixture (you can leave out the cheese if you like), stir well and Serve, you can garnish with more grated Parmesan, chopped parsley and lemon.

Green Lentil & Turmeric soup

The other day I was privileged to receive an insightful view of living beyond cancer. My friend, who survived cancer surgery and treatment explained that, while the treatment eliminated final traces of cancer it ravaged many other healthy cells. She communicated a sense of being afloat, with little support and practical information on how to assist her body to recover from the damage of chemotherapy; and then made the perceptive association between nutrition and her body attaining improved well-being and strength.

After investigating ‘healing foods’ I am left pondering my old hobby-horse; what good is it to know the names of food that assist health if we are not able to put them into dishes that we eat?

With this in mind let’s take look at Turmeric – it is from the ginger family and nicknamed ‘ Indian saffron’ because of its lovely yellow colour.

The substance called curcumin in turmeric has been the subject of investigations in relation to cancer. Cancer Research UK indicates that, while inconclusive, early trials show promising results. One such trial found that curcumin altered the expression of 62 genes, 2 of which were inflammatory; it was this information that indicates curcumin may hinder metastasis (Bachmeier et al. 2008).

Here’s a recipe that’s easy to make, and a pot of it can be kept in the fridge for up to four days if it’s only reheated in the portions being used. I have read suggestions that black pepper and oils increase the absorption of turmeric - off to read more......

GREEN LENTIL & TURMERIC SOUP

INGREDIENTS

·         1 Onion

·         2 Sticks of celery

·         1 Leek

·         1 carrot

·         2 cloves of garlic

·         2 tablespoons of green lentils

·         1 tablespoon of turmeric

·         1 tablespoon of paprika

·         1 tablespoon of tomato puree

·         1 stock cube (veg/chicken)

·         Salt, Black Pepper & tablespoon olive oil

METHOD

1.      Peel and cut the onion and garlic.

2.      Wash and cut the celery, leek and carrots.

3.      Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onions, garlic, salt & pepper, stir till soft.

4.      Add the lentils, leek, carrot and celery put on a low heat with a lid for 10mins, add the turmeric & 

      paprika,

5.      Add enough water to cover the veg well, add puree and stock cube, bring to the boil, then lower to a  

      simmer for 20mins.

6.      Puree with a hand blender.

POTATO AND HERB SOUP

Ingredient / shopping list

• 3  large OR five medium sized potatoes
• 1 onion
•  stock cube
• ½ pint of hot water
•  2 teaspoonfuls of dried mixed herbs
•  a little butter and oil

METHOD

1)      CUT THE ONION INTO SMALL PIECES

2)      PUT A LITTLE  OIL INTO YOUR SAUCEPAN AND HEAT IT

                  3)   ADD THE ONIONS, SALT & PEPPER AND HERBS AND COOK   

                         ON A LOW HEAT UNTIL ONIONS ARE SOFT.

                  4)   PEEL AND CUT THE POTATOES INTO SMALL PIECES

                        COOK ON A LOW HEAT FOR 5 MINS

                  5)   CRUMBLE THE STOCK CUBE INTO HOT WATER TO

                           DISOLVE.

                  6)    ADD TO THE SAUCEPAN, ADD MORE WATER TO

                         COVER THE VEGETABLES IF NECESSARY. BRING BOIL,

                         THEN LOWER THE HEAT, PUT ON A LID AND COOK

                         UNTIL THE POTATOES ARE SOFT

                   7)   LIQUIDISE THE SOUP UNTILL IT IS SMOOTH WITH A HAND

                          BLENDER

Soup Making

1 : 2 : 3 For Soups

Use this ratio and you can make any soup you want

The numbers refer to your container size. It can be any container e.g. a mug / cup. But you keep using the same one to measure each different ingredient.

1 = The amount of onions – this is your base flavor.

2 = The amount of potatoes – this is your thickener.

3 = The main flavor – e.g. courgettes – for courgette soup.

Also need enough stock to cover all veg, cook until soft, then you may liquidize.

Examples of soups you can make using this ratio method

Mixed veg soup – onion (1 cup) + potatoes (2 cups) + carrot, parsnip, leek, celery, broccoli (3 cups altogether)

Cauliflower and cheese soup – onion (1 cup) + potatoes (2 cups) + cauliflower (3 cups) + cheese (a handful grated)

Courgette and mint soup – onion (1 cup) + potatoes (2 cups) + courgettes (3 cups) + fresh mint to your taste

But really you can make any at all perhaps using up veg that would otherwise go off – leftover soup is easily frozen in little bags when cold.

Roux method of thickening soups

Mushroom and chicken soups do not have enough bulk to use potatoes as a thickener so a roux is better. A roux is made using equal parts marg/butter with flour. For example melt 25g of marg and then add 25g of flour (you may need more than 25g but if you increase it always keep it equal quantities) and cook on a low heat for a minute. This can then be whisked into a hot liquid – stock in the case of soup.

Carrot and Tomato soups have enough bulk and do not need thickeners. Just use 1 : 3 above for them.

GINGER CAKE

• 8oz white flour
• ½ tspn salt
• ½ tspn baking powder
• 2 tspns ground ginger
• 3oz butter/marg
• 1 egg
• 3oz dark muscovada sugar
• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon of treacle
• a little milk OR tablespoon of rum
• teaspoon vanilla

METHOD

1. Put the flour, salt, ginger and baking soda into a bowl.
2. Melt the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup over a low heat. Do not allow become hot.
3. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients.
4. Add the beaten egg, vanilla and enough milk to make a dropping consistency.
5. Grease a loaf tin. Put the mixture into the tin.
6. Cook in a pre-heated oven for 20-30mins. At 180o.

Beef & Guinness Stew

Ingredients

• 10 Shallots
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 carrots
• 4 sticks of celery
• 300g lean diced beef
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1/2 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard
• 50ml of white wine vinegar
• 1 can Guinness
• 1/2 tablespoon of dark brown sugar
• tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
• Salt, pepper and mixed herbs
• tablespn corn flour

Method

1. You can marinade the beef in the Guinness overnight.
2. Wash, peel and cut the shallots  into quarters
3. Peel and crush the garlic
4. Wash, peel and cut the carrots into thin slices
5. Wash and cut the celery into thin slices.
6. Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the onions, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs, saute until soft.
7. Add the carrots & celery saute until soft.
8. Take the beef out of the Guinness (keeping the liquid for later). Add the beef to the veg in the saucepan, stir until it's browned.
9. Add the guinness and stock cube, bring to the boil without a lid, then lower to a simmer for 20mins.
10. Add mustard, vinegar and sugar and puree, simmer with a lid until the meat is soft
11. If not thick enough add a little corn flour
12. Serve with mashed potato and green veg
13. Say it's soooo difficult to make & ENJOY!!!!!!