butternut squash

ROASTED ROOT SALAD WITH MUSTARD DRESSING

ROASTED ROOT SALAD WITH MUSTARD DRESSING



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What happens when three nutritional therapists and their families get together for dinner? No, we don’t snack on carrot and celery sticks and drink kale juice. We eat, and we eat a lot. But we do eat very nutritions and delicious foods. Usually we struggle to put all the various dishes on the table. The quantity reminds me of the French film Blow Out.

Last Saturday we had one of our foodie get togethers. Our table was overflowing with black bean chilli, patatas bravas, Mexican rice, guacamole, hummus, rocket and vegetable salad with cashew dressing and roasted vegetable salad with mustard dressing. Everything was delicious, full of nutrients and made with love :)

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One of my contributions was the roasted root salad with mustard dressing. Full of flavour, zingy, delicious and very colourful (if I may say so myself). It is so easy to make! I used carrots, butternut squash and beetroot. Of course other veggies would work here well too, sweet potato, parsnip, pumpkin, swede. The sweetness of root veggies can take a very punchy dressing flavoured with plenty of whole grain mustard.

This salad is fabulous when made ahead, great for take to work for lunch. Or as the weather gets better it is definitely one for a picnic basket. Bit of crusty sourdough would be amazing to soak up the dressing that has turned beautifully pink. I know I will be making this again and again.



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ROASTED ROOT SALAD WITH MUSTARD DRESSING

ingredients

1Tbs coconut oil
5 medium to large red beetroot
5 large carrots
1 small to medium butternut squash
3 medium red onions
Dressing
2 Tbs whole grain mustard
3 Tbs sherry vinegar
4 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp tamari or nama shoyu
1 Tbs maple syrup

5 tbs chopped parsley
1/2 cup walnuts

  • Cut the root vegetables into 1/2 inch (1.5cm) dice.
  • Melt the coconut oil.
  • Place the vegetables on a baking tray and roast, drizzle with coconut oil and roast for 15 minutes.
  • Slice the red onions and add to the vegetables, roast for another 30-35min or until the roots are cooked all the way through and starting to caramelise around the edges.
  • While the veggies are roasting prepare the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients.
  • Tip the roasted veggies into the dressing, mix to coat. Hot vegetables will soak up the dressing making this extra delicious.
  • When the dressed veggies are cooled down add the parsley and walnuts.
  • Serve with a crusty chunk of sourdough.


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CREAMY ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH SAGE




CREAMY ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH SAGE

Butternut squash is one of my favourite vegetables, I especially love to make it into a soup. It pairs up beautifully with different fruits, veggies and spices. I love roasting it to concentrate its rich sweetness. I could eat a whole bowl of roasted butternut squash, especially with some chilli, lime and coriander dressing poured over it.

Nutritionists always talk about nutrient density. This means we look how much nutrition (nutrients) you get in relation to calories. Butternut squash is a nutrient rich vegetable containing only 40 calories per 100g but it delivers 6.6g of fibre (the average person in the UK gets about 12g per day, our palaeolithic ancestors ate around 100g per day), over 200% of your daily vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids) and a 1/4 of your vitamin C requirement. It also contains whole host of other vitamins and minerals however in much smaller quantities.

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If I ask you to name omega 3 fatty acid sources you may say fish, flax seeds or walnuts. Did you know that vegetables also contain alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) better known as omega 3 fatty acid? Butternut squash will give you 24mg of ALA in 100g. Kale for example contains 180mg per 100g. OK these are not huge quantities but us plant based folk tend to eat lots of vegetables and can get quite important amount of omega 3 this way. I have added 1 Tbs of hemp seed to each portion of soup to add a further 1000mg of ALA . The required daily amount for ALA for an adult is about 1-2g.

CREAMY ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH SAGE
Serves 2-4. I am greedy and don’t eat bread with my soups so I like my portions rather big. This will serve 4 as a starter, 3 as a main meal or 2 greedy ones.
For oil free version roast the butternut squash in a roasting dish that has been lined with parchment paper.

ingredients
2 tsp coconut oil (divided)
1 medium size butternut squash
1 medium to large onion, thinly sliced
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
8 sage leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
1/2 tsp ground dried chilli powder (I used Kashmiri chilli, Cayenne is also great)
1 tsp dried ginger powder
3-4 cups of vegetable stock (depending on the size of your squash)
a handful (1/3 cup) of cashews
lemon juice to taste

method
  • Preheat oven to 200C (fan oven).
  • Peel and deseed the butternut squash. Cut into large dice.
  • Place 1 tsp coconut oil into a roasting dish that will hold the butternut squash pieces in one layer. Place the roasting dish briefly into the oven to melt (about 1 min)
  • Next add the squash and roast for 40 min or till soft and caramelised.
  • In a medium sauce pan heat the other tsp of coconut oil (or use 60ml, 1/4 cup water). Add the sliced onion and cook till softened. Next add the garlic and sage, cook for further minute before adding the spices, cook these about 30seconds while stirring constantly.
  • Add the roasted squash and enough vegetable broth to cover the vegetables by 2cm (just under 1 inch). Cook for 20 min.
  • Puree the soup in a blender with the cashew nuts till smooth. Add lemon juice to taste.
  • Serve garnished with some sage leaves and hemp seeds.

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WARM BUTTERNUT SQUASH, PEPPER AND KALE SALAD

WARM BUTTERNUT SQUASH, PEPPER AND KALE SALAD

With some of my favourite veggies in the house I could not resist making them into this tasty butternut squash, pepper, onion and kale salad. How could you not be tempted by the gorgeous colours? You know this must be good for you. In my book every vegetables is a “superfood” it doesn’t have to come back from the depth of the Amazon forest to do your body good.

The sign of a tasty dish is when you find yourself having an argument with your husband over who will get to eat the leftovers. I won’t call it an argument it was more a case of “false” generosity:
“No, you have it’”
“No, that’s fine you can have it.”
This went on for a while and I know we were both thinking, “I really want it myself”….
In the end we did split the salad and treated it as a side dish rather than a main.

Make this salad ahead, it sure is perfect for a picnic or a take to work lunch. I can’t wait to serve this to my friends in summer whether its at a picnic or a garden party. I am sure it will be a hit. I may add some courgettes and aubergines to this mix too. Yum.


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WARM BUTTERNUT SQUASH, PEPPER AND KALE SALAD with miso dressing

1Tbs coconut oil
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
2 red bel peppers, cut into bite size pieces
1 onion, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
200g kale, torn into bite size pieces
juice of 1 lime
3 tbs miso paste
1tbs coconut nectar syrup (or other sweetener)
water (about 1/4 cup - 60ml)
2 tbs black sesame seeds

  • Place a roasting dish with the coconut oil into the oven for a minute or until it has melted.
  • Add your butternut squash and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Next add the peppers and onion. Roast for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft and starting to caramelise.
  • Steam the kale for 2-3minutes.
  • In a large bowl mix together the miso, lime juice, coconut nectar syrup and water (add more water if the dressing seems to thick). Add all the vegetables to the dressing, mix well to coat.
  • Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve. It is great warm or cold next day.


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BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND ORANGE SOUP

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND ORANGE SOUP

The house move is getting closer and closer, 7 days to go! Yesterday our lovely friends came to help us with the disaster zone that was our attic. Thank you!!! The day before (after watching The Croods with kids in the cinema) I sorted boxes of old cooking magazines. With all my books in boxes I resorted to couple of old Good Food magazines to read in my bath. There I came across a Valentines ( February 2008 issue) menu from the celebrity chef James Martin. The geek in me had to add up the calories, fat and protein of the romantic menu. Rather than romance you may expect a coronary...

Here are the results, per serving:
kcal - 2500
fat - 194g, sat fat - 70g
protein - 90g

Based on the British Nutrition Foundation RNI’s this meal contains over 500kcal, 124g of fat (50g sat) and about 50g more protein than an average women needs in a day (of course needs vary according to body shape, but trust me nobody needs 194g of fat!!!).

People tend to idolise TV chefs, they nearly posses superstar status. This gives them a lot of influence and they should be using it in a positive way. You may say the above meal is a celebration meal, only for special occasions. I agree, we do not make a three course meal every day. Still I think this is irresponsible. UK like the USA is experiencing obesity crisis, the health service is finding it hard to cope. We now have thirteen year old children having bariatric surgeries and their health suffers as a result of such intervention. This generation of children may die before their parents unless things change.

I would like to challenge TV chefs to create some healthy tasty meals, but from what you can read below, this may be near to impossible. When challenged, John Burton Race had a bit of a tantrum. By the way what does he call moderation???:

"It's a very good idea to watch your saturated fats," said John Burton Race, a Michelin-starred British chef whose recipes were evaluated by The Fat Panel. "But I would rather eat one spoon of full-fat cream ice cream than sit there with a gallon of unsweetened yogurt. I would rather eat these foods which are naughty but nice in moderation than try to look around for substitutes. It's just a pointless exercise."

And on he goes:

"It's ridiculous," said Race, pointing out that the panel harped on 100 grams of butter in his baked apple recipe, which also included dried fruits, nuts and the whole fresh apple."If you want something really indulgent, one of the lovely, rich things in life, have it in balance and moderation," Race said. "I'm sure that it won't kill you."

I will repeat Dr Esselstyn’s words again: “Moderation kills!” Chefs only get the message when faced with their own mortality. Maybe its time to start making changes sooner.

Read more at:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=7071103&page=1#.UZDnjo6TQ0s


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BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND ORANGE SOUP
Yummy, spicy soup. No added oils just good fat from the walnuts.

Serves 4

1 onion, chopped
3 sticks of celery, chopped
1 red chilli pepper, finely chopped (deseeded for milder soup)
120ml (1/2 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch dice
750ml light vegetable stock
For the topping:
large handful of parsley
handful of walnuts

  1. In a medium sauce pan heat about 60ml (1/4cup water) and saute the onions, celery and chilli till soft. Add more water if the vegetables start to stick.
  2. Add the orange juice, butternut squash and vegetable stock.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for half an hour.
  4. While the soup is cooking chop together the parsley and walnuts.
  5. Serve the soup garnished with the parsley and walnut mix.

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SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP

SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP

Suddenly I realized that it was getting dark much earlier than just a few weeks ago. There is a chill in the air when I let the dogs out in the evenings. I am not quite ready to let the summer go, especially since we had a very poor one here in the UK. I long for a few more evening meals in the garden but the nature of things cannot be changed.

Instead I am getting excited about the autumnal bounty of fruits, veggies and nuts. I am looking forward to warming and comforting meals, movie nights whilst cuddled up on the sofa and cups of tea warming my hands after a dog walk.

A delicious soup is the ultimate comfort food, and the abundant autumnal produce is full of gorgeous deep flavors to warm up person’s belly and soul. This week I found myself with a butternut squash, some overripe pears and punchy chilli peppers. Perfect for a hug in bowl, err I mean soup.

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SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP

Serves 4

ingredients
1 large onion
2 ribs of celery
2 stalks of lemon grass
1/2 inch piece of ginger
1 chilli pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 butternut squash
4 small pears (2 large ones)
1litre (4 cups) of vegetable stock


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method
  1. First chop the onion and celery. Make sure you peel the celery to remove the tough strings.
  2. In a large soup pot heat 1/4 cup of water, add the onion and celery and cook till softened.
  3. Next finely chop the lemon grass, chilli pepper (deseeded if you wish) and garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes or till softened.
  4. Peel your butternut squash and chop into bite size chunks. Core and peal the pears and cut into quarters.
  5. Add pears and butternut squash to the soup pot.
  6. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Turn down the hear and simmer for 30min or till the squash is tender.
  7. Blend in a food processor till smooth.

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AUBERGINE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH CURRY

AUBERGINE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH CURRY

Thanks to the brilliant Vegan Dad (look up his blog) I found this article about... actually I am not sure what it is about. The title promises to enlighten the reader about vegetarian health, exploring 7 unhealthy foods vegetarians eat. Turns out the article is a bit vegetarian bashing... apparently it is a myth (a big one) that vegetarians eat vegetables. Generalising are we? Or am I an exception? I know for fact that I am not.

Quote from Shannon Kadlovski, a nutritionist:
"Vegetarian simply means someone who does not consume animal protein, but does not indicate that this person is otherwise consuming a healthy, balanced diet." I am sorry but as somebody who does not consume animal protein I would never make a sweeping statement about meat eaters, because I do believe that there can be healthy meat eaters just as unhealthy vegans or vegetarians.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09/20/7-unhealthy-foods-vegetarians-eat_n_1897146.html#slide=1543414

So lets have a look at the seven deadly sins, I mean unhealthy foods vegetarians eat:

1.
Tofu - Kadlovski says tofu is high in oestrogen causing hormonal imbalances if eaten in excess. First we should say that phytoestrogens not oestrogens are present in soya products. The science is divided on effects of phytoeostrogens but for example according to Cornell University phytoestrogens may actually help to lower oestrogens. My view on tofu? It has been eaten for centuries in Japan and China and their breast cancer rates have always been marginal in comparison with the west. Nor have I ever heard of problems with male fertility due to tofu in these countries. As for oestrogen: animal products, fat in the diet and body (obesity) all increase levels of oestrogen. So yes I am a vegetarian that eats tofu, maybe once or twice a week and no I don’t think it is unhealthy.

2.
Processed cheese I do agree a lot of lacto/ovo vegetarians do heavily rely on cheese as their protein source but why the emphasis on processed cheese? Even when I ate cheese it was never the processed kind... it was organic.

3.
Vegetarian hot dogs. Again I agree, not healthy, but the same goes for meat (pink slime) hot dogs. Products like veggie hot dogs are great for the transition to a veggie diet but I doubt that many vegetarians/vegans rely on these. I can’t remember last time I had a veggie hotdog myself.

Protein powders. I have never used these. Actually the only person I personally know that uses whey powder is my meat eating friend who I am convinced gets way too much protein from his diet already.

5.-7.
White pasta, white rice, white bread. I can only speak for myself here but 90% of pasta, rice and bread me and my family eat is certainly not white. Surely we don’t believe that the non vegetarians all eat whole versions of these?

Can we all agree that even though some vegetarians choose to eat all or some of the above, most meat eaters include most the above items in their diets too. Vegetarians and vegans are still a minority (unless you live in India) and considering the health crisis (heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancers...) criticising vegetarians makes for bad politics. Everybody despite their dietary choices should be making healthier decisions , mainly including more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds and cutting out the junk.

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AUBERGINE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH CURRY

This dish freezes very well. Make it as hot and mild as you wish by adding or omitting the chililes. This is a huge portion but great when you have friends over. Tastes even better the next day. I like to eat leftovers wrapped in a large tortilla wrap with some mango chutney.

You can use cashew nut cream instead of coconut milk.

enough to serve 8

ingredients

First blend to paste:
3 large onion
1-2 chillies
2 inch ginger
6 cloves garlic

Curry:
1 Tbs oil
3 aubergines cut into 2 inch (5cm) pieces
1 Tbs oil
2 tsp nigella seeds
10 curry leaves
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp jaggery (optional)
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces
1 tin coconut milk (can be light)
250ml water
1 cup of peas
fresh coriander (cilantro)

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method
  1. In a large nonstick saucepan heat the oil and add the aubergine. Gently fry just till starting to brown, sprinkle with salt and cover with a lid and cook till soft. Stir often make sure they don't stick. Remove the aubergine pieces and set aside.
  2. Add 1 cup of the onion paste into the pan and cook slowly until it starts to change colour and all moisture has evaporated, no rushing here or the curry will be bitter. (Traditionally quite a bit of oil is used and mixture is cooked till the oil separates from the paste)
  3. When the onion mixture is cooked out add  2 tsp nigella seeds, 10 curry leaves. The seeds should start to pop.
  4. Add rest of the spices: (cumin, coriander and turmeric) cook these for about 30 seconds.
  5. Next add 1 tin of tomatoes and 1 tsp of jaggery (palm sugar) or brown sugar (you can omit this).
  6. Let it cook for 5 min till tomatoes soften.
  7. Put in the butternut squash together with the coconut milk and water and simmer till butternut is soft. Season with salt.
  8. Add in the aubergine and peas, cook for just a couple of minutes or till the aubergine is heated up and peas cooked or defrosted.
  9. Last stir in some fresh coriander.
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BAKED MAC AND (NO) CHEESE

BAKED MAC AND (NO) CHEESE

The Huffington Post recently asked readers to vote for the best health book out of 50 chosen titles. I was jumping with joy when I found The China Study by T.Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell occupying the number one spot.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/09/best-health-books-huff-po_n_1862250.html

http://www.thechinastudy.com/


Reading The China Study was indeed a turning point for me. Go back 2 years: I am watching a Man V Food episode with my kids. (They both find it rather entertaining with my daughter shouting GO ADAM GO whenever Adam Richman is battling just another heap of meat, cheese, grease and white flour. ) My son casually says that he would like to eat meat. Shock horror!!! My kids have been vegetarians from birth. To be honest I always expected this question to pop up but I hoped it would not. Especially since I always maintain that should my kids decide to eat meat I would allowed them to do it. Not without a bit of education first.

That evening I stormed the internet and searched for “the healthiest diet”. I am not sure what I was expecting to find. As if by magic the first thing that popped up was The China Study. Not long after reading the article two copies of the book were in my Amazon basket (my friend’s birthday was coming up). I read it immediately and never looked back. Indeed my vegetarianism was confirmed and more. The dairy had to go too.

Professor Campbell is, along with other plant based diet promoters, often accused of “vegan agenda” by his critics. The diet he promotes is however a result of decades of sound research. His (and other researches') findings lead him to the conclusion that diet without animal proteins is the best way to prevent chronic disease.

My son is old enough to understand charts from this book and together with few You Tube videos this was convincing enough for him to vow never to eat meat and reduce dairy (not 100% but he is doing great). My daughter still likes cooking shows but anytime she sees meat being cooked she utters “poor chicken, cow, fish....” They may still change their minds one day but we are safe for now.

My recipe stems from one that used to be my kids favourite, baked mac and cheese. I have posted a recipe “mac and whizz” before , these two recipes are similar, with mac and whizz being the speedier version. Baked mac and (no) cheese has tofu added to the sauce which makes it more suitable for baking. It souffles and browns nicely. I also added some crunchy topping to make it extra special.

BAKED MAC AND (NO) CHEESE
This recipe serves a crowd, so please feel free to halve everything (but the butternut squash). I am always happy to serve it twice, just with different veggies on the side. Makes a great potluck dish too.

bakedmacandcheese

Serves 8

ingredients
500g (1lb 6oz) whole wheat macaroni
sauce
1 cup of cashew nuts
3 water
250 g tofu (preferably silken)
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and steamed till soft (or roasted)
2 tsp onion powder
3/4tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbs white or yellow miso
1 tsp paprika
2 heaped Tbs nutritional yeast
squeeze of lemon to taste
crumb topping
60ml (1/4cup) pine nuts
2 tbs nutritional yeast
3 Tbs bread crumbs

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method
  1. Cook the pasta according to instructions.
  2. In a food processor combine all the sauce ingredients and process till you get a smooth thick sauce. Taste for seasoning.
  3. Mix the pasta and sauce and pour into a large baking dish.
  4. Next place the pine nuts into a food processor and pulse until you get bread crumb texture.
  5. Mix with the nutritional yeast and bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top.
  6. Bake in a 180C oven for about 30-40min or until the top is golden brown.

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BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKPEA SALAD

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKPEA SALAD

A whole week of revision. On Saturday I have my final Biomedicine exam therefore I have been buried in books and lectures, making notes and tables, drawing pictures. By now I can draw a mean neuron!

When I am this busy it would be easy to eat rubbish, but I can’t and don’t want to do that. When it comes to grabbing a sandwich I get bored very quickly. Even I love hummus there are only so many hummus wraps I can eat. Taking a break to make a quick, nutritions and delicious lunch will only enhance one’s study performance. Another break to take dogs out will clear head and refresh the brain for further info intake.

Enough talking here is the recipe before I get back to infectious diseases and other delights...


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BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKPEA SALAD
This can be served hot straight from the oven or at room temperature. Whatever you do wait till you are ready to eat before you add the spinach. T

serves 2 as a main dish salad, 4 as a starter

700g (about 1 and 1/2lb) butternut squash (it was a half of a large one)
2 medium red onions
1 Tbs of olive oil
1 tin of chickpeas (no salt added)
2 tsp sambal oelek
1 Tbs rice vine vinegar
2 tsp brown rice miso
200 g baby spinach leaves

method
  1. First preheat the oven to 200C.
  2. Peel and deseed the butternut squash, cut into larger bite sized pieces.
  3. Peel the onion and cut into chunks (each onion in about 8 pieces)
  4. Put onions, butternut squash and olive oil into a medium size roasting dish, toss together and place in the oven
  5. Roast for 25 min than add the drained chickpeas and roast for 10 more minutes.
  6. In the meantime combine the sambal oelek, vinegar and miso together.
  7. Remove the vegetables and chickpeas from the oven and toss with the dressing. Place on top of spinach leaves and serve.


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MORE FRUIT AND VEG Part 4: Mains - BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BARLEY BARLOTTO

MORE FRUIT AND VEG
Part 4: Mains
BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BARLEY BARLOTTO

Main meal of the day, whether you have it at midday or evening, is a great opportunity to load up on some veggies and fruit too. I aim is to get around 10 (preferably more) portions every day. My evening meal is the last opportunity to meat my quota. There are so many ways to get plenty of veg into your meals. Soups and stews can easily add up to several portions without even trying. Experiment with curries, veggie burgers or loafs, roasted veggies mixed with grains and pastas, chips (fries) made out of roots, and of coarse don’t forget the greens they are great in just about any dish. A big salad on the side and something fruity for dessert; it is hard not to get all the fruit and veg you need on a plant based diet.

It wasn’t always this plant strong. I grew up eating the normal Czech diet, which is rich in meat and potatoes with veggies taking on a rather insignificant role. However we had quite a few vegetable based dishes too. There is a great array of vegetable dishes in the Czech culinary tradition. Unfortunately these are usually considered too simple to be served to guests. Simple very often means very delicious.

There was a time when I wanted to get away from the usual and explore the food my grandmother grew up with. I loved the discovery and she loved the memories these dishes brought to her. She grew up on largely meatless diet, her family could only afford to have meat once a week. She gave me a superb grounding in vegetarian cooking without even realising it. She showed me how easy it is to use veggies or grains as a base of a dish. She always made a simple salad, or just cut up raw veggies on the side. Her food was fantastic every time even if it consisted of only few ingredients that many would find uninspiring. I am sure she would enjoy my butternut squash barlotto.


BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND BARLEY BARLOTTO

This is creamy like an Italian risotto without the cheese and butter. You can just serve a whole bowl of it or as I did top some large roasted portobello mushrooms with it. Looks impressive enough to serve at a dinner party.

I considered adding some nutritional yeast flakes to the cashew sauce but decided against it because I didn’t want anything to overpower the gorgeous butternut squash flavour. You can add 2 Tbs if you wish.

Green salad on the side is a must, rocket works great with the sweet squash.

Serves 4-6 (or 8 if used as a stuffed mushroom starter )


barlotto2

ingredients
200g (1 cup) barley
1 medium butternut squash
1 Tbs olive oil separated (2 x 1/2 Tbs)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
8 sage leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 (70g) cup cashews
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup roasted butternut squash
salt + pepper

method
  1. If you can soak the barley overnight or at least for several hours. Drain.
  2. Cook the barley in plenty of vegetable stock or seasoned water for 15-20 min. If not soaked the barley will take roughly twice as long. Test it, it should be swell up, be soft with bit of a resistance. It kind of pops between your teeth, but shouldn’t be hard. Drain and set aside. This can be done while ahead.
  3. Peel your butternut squash, cut into bite size pieces. Place onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and coat with 1/2 tbs of olive oil. Roast till cooked through and starting to caramelise around the edges. Set aside.
  4. In a large saute pan with high edges heat the other 1/2 of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and gently saute till soft. Add the sage and cook for about 1 minute.
  5. While your onions are sauteing, place 1 cup (250ml) of the butternut squash, 1/2 cup of cashews and 1 and 1/2 cup of water in a blender. Process till smooth.
  6. When onions are soft, add the barley and rest of the butternut squash to the saute pan. Stir together and heat through, you can add some water if the barley starts sticking.
  7. Add the cashew nut sauce to the barley mixture, stir through and heat up together. You are aiming for creamy but not too soupy texture. Season and serve.
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MAC AND WHIZZ

MAC AND WHIZZ

Classic macaroni and cheese used to be one of my family’s favourite dishes, we would have it at least every other week. I would make the cheese sauce out of butter, white flour, dairy milk and at least half a pound of cheese, mix in the white pasta and there you have it. This classic mac and cheese can have around 18 - 25g of fat per 1 cup. That is bad enough but I have yet to meet a person who would eat just that one cup of mac and cheese.

Times change, and even though I am on a mission to avoid pretty much everything in the classic recipe, my love for mac and cheese remains. Finding a suitable alternative became my goal. First I tried few vegan mac and cheese recipes that I found on the web. Later I tweaked and experimented until I came up with my version. There are few reasons why I love this dish. I can still get that mac and cheese fix minus that heavy dairy induced feeling afterwards. I have sneaked in somewhere around a pound of butternut squash, a vegetable very much hated by both of my children (victory dance!!!). They always scoff the lot even though they now know what lurks inside. My son still says he prefers the dairy heavy version but that did not stop him to make his way to the pot for seconds... Slow but steady steps and he may even change his mind one day.

There is a reason why I am calling this Mac and Whizz, all you need is a good blender to whizz up the sauce. Pretty quick and easy. You could also use a food processor.

macandwhizz

MAC AND WHIZZ
This recipe makes loads, but reheats well. To reheat just add a touch of water and bring to a gentle simmer, stir often till heated through..

Serves 6

ingredients
1 lb butternut squash (about half of a larger one, peeled weight), cut into 2 inch cubes
500g (1lb 2oz) whole wheat macaroni
1 cup of cashews soaked
2 cups of water
1tsp Dijon mustard
1tsp paprika
1 tsp dried onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs miso (the lighter colour the better)
60ml (1/4 cup) Nutritional yeast
salt and pepper

method
  1. First steam the squash till soft, this will take about 10-15 min depending on the size of your pieces. Set aside.
  2. In a large pot cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
  3. While the pasta is cooking, place all the remaining ingredients and the cooked butternut squash into your blender. Process till smooth. Depending on your blender this will take a few minutes.
  4. Drain the pasta, return into the cooking pot or a large sauce pan together with the sauce. Bring to a simmer for couple of minutes, the sauce will thicken nicely.
  5. Serve with some steamed veggies and a big green salad.
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BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND EDAMAME PEANUT STEW

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND EDAMAME PEANUT STEW

Every day I look at the latest health news and what particularly caught my eye in the last few days were several articles on the causes of obesity. It is a rather mixed bunch of possible causes. Here is the list:

  1. The less you sleep the more weight you gain
  2. The environment in mothers womb (due to lifestyle) might be linked to obesity
  3. CO2 concentrations in the air increases weight gain
  4. Gene mutation so called “greedy gene” causes weight gain
  5. Obesity is fuelled by gender-bending chemicals
  6. Obesity is contagious (microbe imbalance)

Wouldn’t it be nice if things were so simple? On the other hand if these studies are right we are all destined to become the chubby mobility scooter bound people from Wall-E. Of course things are not so simple, none of these studies seem to be conclusive. NHS behind the headlines had debunked the womb environment argument, the study only found a link to height not weight (but weight makes a better headline). The greedy gene mutation was studied in mice, but is extremely rare in humans. CO2 and gender-bending chemicals? Hm I am going to wait what NHS behind headlines comes back with but it seems extremely far fetched.

There has been an explosion of TV programs about obese people trying to loose weight and changing there lives. I particularly like
Obese a year to save my life (preferring the UK version) especially because the program explores the reasons behind the overeating habits of the person. Another great one is Supersized v Superskinny, how fantastic to be shown both sides of an eating problem. What is the common denominator of these programs? The people who are obese are eating 2-3 times their daily recommended calorie intake and lead sedentary lifestyles. They don’t seem to be particularly overdosing on CO2, or toxins from cans or having a gene mutation.Their sleep problems are stemming from their weight not vice versa. Most of them, under the right guidance and support ,strong will and determination, loose weight and regain health and energy.

It is human nature to blame something else, gene, toxin, our mothers, but in most cases it is us who are responsible for our health. Even if scientists come up with a pill that allows us to eat tons of doughnuts without putting weight on this would not equal health. Education is one of the most important ways to bring on a healthier future.


BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND EDAMAME PEANUT STEW
This stew is rich creamy and spicy. I have not used any added oil in cooking it, especially because I am adding peanut butter in the end which is high in fat. This dish serves 4 very satisfyingly therefore the amount of fat from the peanut butter is just about 10g per person (about what one average pork sausage would have).

Serves 4

peanutstew

ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped (use a peeler to remove the stringy parts)
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 small to medium, bell peppers (2 different colours), cut into 1cm (about 1/3 inch dice)
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper, slit in the side
3 sprigs of thyme
450g (1lb) butternut squash (cleaned weight), cut into bite size pieces
1 orange sweet potato, peeled cut into bite size pieces
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
375 ml (1 and 1/2cup) of vegetable stock
130g (1 cup) shelled edamame beans (I used frozen)
80g (1/3 cup) smooth organic no sugar added peanut butter
fresh coriander for garnish

method
  1. In a large casserole pan heat 60ml (1/4 cup) water. Add the onion, celery, garlic, peppers, Scotch Bonnet and thyme. Saute till vegetables soften about 10min, add more water if they start to stick.
  2. Add the tin of tomatoes, the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
  3. Next add the butternut squash and the sweet potato. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 min.
  4. Add the edamame beans and simmer for further 20min.
  5. To finish the dish add the peanut butter, let it heat through and melt thus creating sumptuous creamy sauce. Don’t forget to fish out and discard the Scotch Bonnet!
  6. Serve with quinoa or rice, garnish with fresh chopped coriander. Some steamed green veggies on the side will finish this dish perfectly.


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SPINACH, BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND OVEN DRIED TOMATO SALAD

SPINACH, BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND OVEN DRIED TOMATO SALAD

The beautiful fresh baby spinach in my organic vegetable box just called out to be eaten in a salad. Tender crispy sweet leaves came straight from the field.

Like other leafy greens spinach is a nutritional giant. It is full of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, but over all tastes fabulous.The baby leaves are so sweet that even kids like it. I love adding spinach to my kids smoothies, they can’t even tell it is in their glass, especially when you add some dark berries that hide the green colour. This salad however hides nothing. It looks like a rainbow.

Unfortunately I am not a fan of fresh tomatoes (I can’t stand the seeds surrounded with that jelly like juice) , however I do love them cooked, sun dried or oven dried, the concentrated flavour is irresistible. Lucky for me, the almighty antioxidant lycopene is more available from cooked tomatoes so it is a win-win situation. The concentrated tomato flavour goes incredibly well with the sweet roasted butternut squash, add red onions for bit of a bite and seeds for some crunch. Perfect lunch I say!

butternutspinach2

SPINACH, BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND OVEN DRIED TOMATO SALAD
To make the balsamic vinegar glaze (syrup) just place about 125ml (1/2cup) vinegar in a small sauce pan, bring to a boil and cook till reduced and syrupy. You can also buy already prepared balsamic vinegar glaze, just beware of added sugar.

Serves 2 as a main dish salad (4 as a started or side dish)

ingredients
450 (1lb) butternuts squash, prepared weight (peeled, seeds removed)
1 tsp olive oil
oven dried tomatoes (see below)
1 small red onion (I used about 1/4 of a medium large one)
2 Tbs pumpkin or sunflower seeds (or mixture of both)
100 g (3 1/2 oz) baby spinach leaves
oven dried tomatoes (see below)
Balsamic vinegar glaze to drizzle (about 1 Tbs of balsamic ) or use just balsamic vinegar.

Oven dried tomatoes
4 medium vine ripened tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil

First make the oven dried tomatoes.
Preheat the oven to 120C.
Use the 1 tsp olive oil to grease the bottom of the baking dish big enough to fit the tomatoes in one layer.
Place the tomatoes in your baking dish and season.
Bake for about 2 hours (or longer if needed), you are looking for texture of sunblushed tomatoes, they should loose most of their moisture but still be soft unlike sundried tomatoes.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

The salad
method
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Cut up the butternut squash into bite sized pieces, place on a non stick baking tray, add the oil, using your hands coat the butternut squash pieces with the oil. Surprisingly 1 tsp will do the job. Season with salt and pepper if you wish.
Roast for about 20 min or until the pieces start to caramelize and are cooked through (pierce with a knife). Remove from the oven and let cool.
Slice the red onion as thinly as you can.
Preheat a frying pan, add the seeds and toast them, take care not to burn them. Let them cool down.
In 2 large bowls place the spinach leaves, top with the rest of the ingredients and toss lightly. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar glaze.


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MOROCCAN INSPIRED TAGINE OF WINTER VEGETABLES AND DRIED FRUITS



After extremely warm December the winter has finally arrived, temperatures dropped, grass has a lovely frosty hue shimmering in the wintery sunshine. It is absolutely gorgeous ! Weather like this is perfect for something warming, comforting, something that will fill your house up with irresistible aroma. What can be better than winter veggies, warming spices, rich sauce slowly simmering on the stove...I am using up some of my dried fruit stash, chickpeas (again), the other half of squash leftover from making the hummus and lots of different spices from my spice cupboard. It may not be North African weather here, but the gorgeous smells sure do evoke a Moroccan souk.

tagine

MOROCCAN INSPIRED TAGINE OF WINTER VEGETABLES AND DRIED FRUITS

The quantities of individual vegetables depend on what is in your veg drawer, my butternut squash made about half of the mix, purely because I wanted the use it all up. This dish will freeze and reheat well. You can use mild or hot paprika whatever you prefer, I went for the mild version making the dish more kid friendly. Preferably do not use smoked paprika for this dish.

Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice mix, each mix is slightly different as traditionally this is a special mix from each individual spice shop. I love mine to contain rose buds to lend the dish lovely but not overpowering fragrance.If you cant find ras el hanout, use any Moroccan spice mix or omit all together.

When preparing parsnips it is a good idea to cut out the middle core.

Serves 4 hungry people

ingredients
900g mix of carrot, parsnip and butternut squash, cut into large chunks, about 11/2 inches (4cm)
1 large red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika (sweet or hot)
2 tsp ras el hanout or moroccan spice mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 heaped Tbs tomato paste
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of chickpeas
100g dried apricots
100g dried prunes
2 Tbs honey or dark agave syrup
2 1/2 c (725ml) vegetable stock
1 cup of barley couscous

method
  1. In a large pan on medium heat saute the onions in the olive oil till soft about 10min. Add the garlic and cook for further 1 min.
  2. Add all your spices, stir into the onions. Tumble in all your vegetables and quickly stir in to coat with the spices.
  3. Next add the tomato paste, let the cook about 30sec before adding the tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, dried fruits, agave (or honey) and the vegetable stock.
  4. Bring to boil, turn down the heat and let simmer for about 1 hour, or till all the vegetables are tender and sauce is thick and rich. Season with salt if needed.
  5. Cook the couscous according to package instructions.
  6. Serve the tagine with couscous.

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SMOKEY BUTTERNUT SQUASH HUMMUS


Last week many newspapers printed a very similar article about hummus being a high calorie snack. World Cancer Research Fund was concerned about us being misinformed and lacking knowledge of what is a high calorie food. Of course high calorie foods contribute to obesity and thus cancer and other diseases. Hummus was branded one of the bad boys at some 332cal per 100g (half a supermarket pot). For comparison a jam doughnut has about 252 calories per 100g. I am not sure which hummus WCRF is talking about but I found calorie count from 177 to up to 317 for plain hummus.

Now hummus is a very ancient fellow. First recipe dates all the way to 13th century and I doubt it was a cause of obesity in 13th century Egypt. It is a very nutritious snack, containing iron, Vitamin C, B6, folate, fibre, calcium and protein (unlike the jam doughnut). I know which I would choose, I swear I will always love hummus no matter what bad press it (unjustly) gets.

You should read nutritional labels if you are concerned about the calorie content of your food, or you can just make your own hummus. It is easy chickpeasy.

SMOKEY BUTTERNUT SQUASH HUMMUS

I make all of my hummus without the olive oil. Omitting mere 2 Tbs of olive oil saves you 238 calories and 17g of fat per recipe. But by all means add couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to this recipe if you want to. This explains why my photograph is not all shiny as most pictures of hummus are as they get drizzled with olive oil. Looks good in a photo but I prefer to eat mine without the oil.

You can use this hummus as a spread or dip, but warmed up it replaces mashed potatoes beautifully.

ingredients
1/2 (about 400g) butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbs (heaped) Tahini
1 tin of hummus, drained liquid reserved
1 tsp smoked paprika (hot or sweet)
juice of 1 lemon
more smoked paprika to sprinkle on top

method
  1. Preheat oven to 200C. Place butternut squash chunks in a roasting pan add the half tablespoon of olive oil and with your hands mix thoroughly. Season with salt. Roast for about 30min until edges of butternut squash start to caramelise and are soft when pierced with a skewer. Let the squash cool down.
  2. In a food processor combine the squash, chickpeas, garlic, paprika, lemon juice and salt. Add some of the reserved liquid.
  3. Process till smooth adding more liquid if needed.
  4. Transfer to a serving, bowl sprinkle with more paprika and enjoy.

Humus 1
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