Category: irritable bowel syndrome

Vegan, Spicy Sweet Potato, Beetroot and Black Bean Patties

Ingredients

  • One Large Sweet Potato or two small ones
  • One Large Beetroot
  • 1/2 Can of Black Beans (200g)
  • 1 Teaspoon of Chipotle paste
  • 5 Spring Onions – finely chopped
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic – crushed
  • Handful of Mint Leaves – Chopped
  • Extra Virgin Olive oil for cooking

Method

  • Peel and chop the Sweet Potato and Beetroot into medium size cubes
  • Boil the Beetroot for 5 minutes before adding in the Sweet Potato. Boil both vegetables together for approximately 10-15 minutes until soft enough to mash.
  • Whilst the vegetables are cooking, chop the spring onion and saute in extra virgin olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the onion and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Drain the vegetables and coarsely mash them in the pan with a potato masher. Leave the mixture with small chunks of potato and beetroot.
  • Add the Black Beans and mash further until these have broken down. Keep the mixture quite coarse as much as possible.
  • Stir in a teaspoon of Chipotle paste.
  • Add the chopped mint leaves.
  • Mold the mixture in your hands to form a pattie the size of your palm and shallow fry the patties on each side for 4 minutes until crisp and brown. The mixture should make about 8 good size patties.
  • Serve with a green salad and enjoy!

Healthy Tip

If you are looking to boost your intake of plant-based food then do consider eating Black Beans which are full of vital nutrients. Rich in complete protein, fibre and prebiotics they are fabulous in keeping our microbiome happy and therefore support a healthy immune system. High in essential B vitamins and minerals, the black bean is great for supporting strong bones. The three vegetables complement each other really well in these patties and taste awesome together with the spicy chipotle paste.

Please do give these easy to make patties a go and let me know what you think!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Kiwi Fruit & Pomegranate Salad (Vegan)

Hello! I made this simple yet incredibly sumptuous salad to take to a New Year’s Eve party and it was so popular with the guests that I thought I would share my recipe with you today. Would love to know what you think?

Ingredients

  • 1 Medium sized Butternut Squash
  • 2 Large, ripe Kiwi Fruit (or three small ones)
  • 1 Pomegranate
  • Bag of  of Watercress & Rocket salad leaves
  • 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive oil for roasting

Salad Dressing

  • 3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Teaspoons of Wholegrain Mustard
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Maple Syrup
  • Mix all the ingredients together in a jar with a lid

Method

  • Preheat Oven at 200c; 180c Fan; gas mark 6 or 400f
  • Peel the butternut squash. I find it easier to use a potato peeler for this!
  • Cut the butternut squash into pieces roughly a few millimeters in depth and 2/3 inches long
  • Roast on a baking tray in the middle of the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes until slightly golden brown around the edges. Whilst the butternut squash is roasting:
  • Peel the kiwi fruit and slice thinly
  • Hold the pomegranate and bash around the outside with a wooden spoon to loosen the seeds before cutting the fruit in half
  • Scrape the seeds out into a bowl. Separate the juice from the seeds. The juice will make a lovely drink to accompany the salad!
  • Empty the salad leaves into your serving bowl.
  • Allow the squash to cool down once it has finished roasting
  • Scatter the butternut squash & kiwi fruit out on top of the leaves. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
  • Pour your preferred amount of dressing over the salad just before serving.
  • And Enjoy!

Healthy tip

Today, we live in an environment where we are exposed to millions of toxins; some of which are completely unavoidable. To combat the damage that these chemicals can cause on a cellular level in our bodies, and to maintain good health, we need to be eating a huge variety of colourful vegetables and fruit which are packed full of antioxidants, the compounds necessary to fight oxidation in our cells.

Not only is this salad super tasty. It is also super healthy. Just by looking at the colours will give you an idea that the ingredients are rich in a broad range of antioxidants.

The combination of  textures and flavours of the butternut squash, kiwi fruit and pomegranate in this salad work incredibly well together. I found that in conjunction with the peppery watercress and rocket, all the ingredients complement each other really well. In addition, the tangy dressing enhances the flavour of this salad beautifully and will wow your taste buds no end.

The butternut squash contains complex carbohydrates  and a wealth of micro-nutrients to support a healthy immune function. The yellow-orange colour reflects the beta carotene content which is converted to Vitamin A in the body. This is essential for healthy skin, good eye sight, supports mucous membranes in the body and overall immune system.

Pomegranate seeds are abundant in antioxidants and polyphenols which help fight off damage to our cells. They are a good source of fibre and rich in Vitamin A, C & E. Don’t forget that Vitamin C & E work in synergy helping to combat the damage caused by free radicals in the body. They are considered to be two of the most important antioxidants for cell repair.

Did you know that Kiwi fruit are also amazingly high in Vitamin C? They contain more of this vitamin than citrus fruits. The leafy greens are a wealth of essential fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients and so much more. I don’t consider a salad to be a salad without the greenery!

The dressing for this salad is also rich in polyphenols, healthy fats and gut friendly probiotics giving you the permission to be really liberal and use as much as you like!

So all in all, this colourful salad gets a huge thumbs up and scores very highly in my books as well as in the ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index). https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/eat-to-live-blog/128/andi-food-scores-rating-the-nutrient-density-of-foods

Using only 100% natural skincare is also a fantastic way of protecting our cells from free radical damage. Take a look at Tropic’s range of skincare which is loaded with some of the world’s most nutritious, botanical ingredients and antioxidants of the highest potency. Using Tropic will also detox and improve your skin no end! https://tropicskincare.com/pages/claireking

Vegan Seeded Oat Cakes

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups of Chia Seeds
  • 60ml Filtered Water
  • 3 Cups of Oats
  • 1 Tablespoon of Flax or Linseed
  • 2 Tablespoons of Sesame Seeds
  • 1/2 Cup of Coconut oil
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper (optional)
  • 1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Method

  • Preheat Oven at 180c Fan, 360 F (190c non-fan)
  • Place Chia seeds into a bowl and add 60 ml of filtered water. Leave to absorb.
  • Using a high-powered blender, blitz the oats, together with the Flax or Linseed until crumbly. Add the salt and cayenne pepper.
  • Spread the blitzed oat mixture out on a baking tray and pop in the oven for approx 7 minutes to toast a little.
  • Meanwhile, add the coconut oil to the chia seeds and pour 60mls of boiling water to melt the oil. Mix together until all is combined
  • Remove oat mixture from oven and combine with the chia seed mixture. Mix until a dough ball is formed.
  • Place on a sheet of baking paper. Roll out to 4mm thick. Cut out your cookies and place on a baking tray lined with paper.
  • Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes until slightly golden brown.
  • These are gorgeous served with homemade with hummus or guacamole.
  • They will keep for a week in an airtight container!

Healthy Tip

These lovely, light, crisp oatcakes are a perfect snack to have with any homemade dip.  Oats are extremely high in fibre and score low on the glycemic index. Eating oats will provide a slow release of energy which make them perfect for stabilising blood sugar and preventing any sudden cravings. The little power houses that are Chia and Flax seeds are loaded with the all essential Omega 3 fatty acids and are abundant in protein and minerals. Sesame seeds are incredibly high in calcium and add such a lovely flavour to these crackers.  To top this, all three of these seeds contain lignans which are powerful antioxidants and good for immune system support. What a bonus! Ultimately, these crackers are free from any of the usual gut-aggravates such as dairy, sugar and gluten and are perfect in supporting a healthy gut.  For those who have non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) please use oats that have not been cross contaminated with other gluten grains.

Hope you enjoy!

Fiery Korean Kimchi – A Natural Source of Probiotics

Ingredients
  • 1 Chinese cabbage
  • 2 Carrots
  • 4 Spring onions
  • 1 Medium size onion chopped
  • 7 Cloves of garlic peeled
  • 5 Flat Tbsp Korean chilli powder/flakes.
  • Filtered water or spring water (chlorinated water will inhibit fermentation)
  • 2 Tbsp of Sea salt (important to use salt free from iodine and anti-caking agents which can inhibit fermentation.
  • 3 Clean and sterilised large jam jars or 1 litre size mason jar
Method
  • Cut the bottom off the Chinese cabbage. Separate the leaves and rinse in clean, filtered water.
  • Place the leaves in a large bowl, sprinkle each one with sea salt and massage the leaves until it starts to soften a bit. Then add water to cover the cabbage. Place a plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy such as a jar of pickles or can of beans. Allow it to stand for 30 minutes-1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, blitz the medium onion, garlic and chilli powder together in a high powered blender to form a paste. Add a little warm water from the kettle to loosen the paste if necessary
  • Chop the spring onions and grate the carrots
  • After an hour. Rinse the cabbage under cold water and drain in a colander for 10 minutes.
  • Take each leaf and spread the paste liberally on each one. Fold each leaf into a parcel (the stalks are likely to break so don’t worry about this) if you are using small jars, split the leaves length ways down the middle, before pasting and make smaller parcels.
  • Pack the parcels tightly into the jar, adding a few spring onions and grated carrot as you go along, on top of each layer.
  • Press down the parcels so all the ingredients are tightly compact in the jar and then top up with a little filtered water so the top layer is immersed in brine. Allow approximately 1 inch of headspace. Place the lid firmly on.
  • Check the kimchi daily for the first week to ensure the cabbage is immersed, pushing the parcels down under the brine if need be. You may see it start to bubble inside the jar which is the release of gases as the cabbage ferments.
  • Store in a darkened cupboard for a minimum of four weeks. This gives the Kimchi enough time for the fermentation to take place. The longer the Kimchi is left the more mature it will become. Don’t be afraid if the Kimchi forms a film on top. This can be removed and the Kimchi will be perfectly ok underneath.
  • Keep refrigerated once opened.
  • Be prepared to be blown away by the smell and the taste!

Healthy tip

Lactic acid fermentation, which incidentally can be carried out on any food with a complex or simple sugar content, has been an efficient method of preserving food for hundreds of years dating back to our ancestors. Apart from producing the good bacteria necessary for supporting good health, the fermentation process can increase the activity of vitamin C and vitamin A in the case of kimchi or sauerkraut. It also increases the bio-availability of any micro and macro nutrients, particularly the amino acid, Lysine which has an antiviral effect in the body.

Based on many studies, it is understood that if you suffer with digestive problems it will be almost impossible to permanently eliminate them unless you improve the balance between the beneficial bacteria and the build up of bad bacteria that exist naturally in your gut (an imbalance is called Dysbiosis) There are ways of targeting and eliminating bad bacteria that cause flatulence, pain, bloatedness and erratic or irregular bowel movements (please get in touch if you would like to know how) as well as increasing the good guys.

Eating fermented foods which are naturally rich in probiotics, is one way to increase the good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Having a little kimchi or sauerkraut as a condiment on the side and eaten on a daily basis with any meal will go a long way in improving your gastrointestinal health and therefore supporting good health in general.

Go on, give it a go and let me know how you get on!

 

 

Raw Beetroot Wraps

file_000-17Ingredients

  • 87 mls (1/3 cup) Water
  • 87 mls (1/3 cup) Chickpea Flour (Gram)
  • 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Clove garlic
  • 2 Free Range Organic eggs
  • 3 Small Organic Beetroot – Peeled (For Green wraps add two handfuls of spinach)
  • Pinch Himalayan Rock salt or Sea Salt for taste

Method

Simply blend all the ingredients together, including the olive oil in a high powered blender (I use my Nutri-bullet) or food processor until all ingredients are combined and a lovely pinky/purple liquid is created.

Heat some extra virgin olive oil in your saute pan of choice and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, as you would a pancake!

Fabulous warm or cold and spread with a little houmous and filled with lots of fresh salad or sauteed mushrooms for extra bite and texture.

Healthy tip

These healthy and delicious wraps are a perfect way of adding in extra plant goodness to your diet. They are low on the Glycemic Index making them a fabulous meal that won’t spike your blood sugar and leave you feeling bloated. The quick flash cooking of these wraps also means that the plant goodness is not destroyed by overcooking and their nourishment is retained.

You don’t need to be feeling tired and lacking in energy! Removing the refined wheat flours and sugars from your day will help balance out your blood glucose and leave you feeling so much more energized. Try it for a few days and see.  Your digestion and tummy will also thank you as you feel less bloated and sluggish.

Enjoy!