Browsing Tag

gut-health

Lunch + Dinner Recipes

Spiced pumpkin & chickpea stew vegan stew

25th July 2021

This spiced vegetable and chickpea stew reminds me of a cosy winter afternoon in a bowl.

As always, this is a very simple one pot meal to make. The chickpeas,  along with a helping of brown basmati rice makes this a plant protein powerhouse.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 2 cups of cubed pumpkin
  • 1 cup of shredded kale, tightly packed
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
  • 1 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil

Spices etc:

  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon of turmeric
  • 1 heaped tablespoon of tomato paste
  • ½ cup of water
  • 1 heaped teaspoon of brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon of allspice (optional)
  • Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Serve with well-cooked brown basmati rice

Instructions:

Start by getting your basmati rice cooking. Setting it aside with the lid on when done to keep steaming and fluff properly.

In a deep saucepan or medium sized pot fry the diced onion until soft & translucent. Then add the pumpkin cubes, season with salt and continue sautéing the pumpkin & onion mixture for a further 5 minutes.

Next add the chickpeas, kale, all the spices and tomato puree, sugar and water – seasoning once again with salt now – then give it a good stir through before turning down the heat, placing the lid on the pot, and then leave it to simmer slowly for 45 minutes.

Then serve with a little salad on the side and a helping of brown basmati rice.

Wishing you radiant health and kitchen contentment ahead,

Marlien

Breakfast, sweets, Wellness + Nutrition

Sunday Morning Oat Crumble

12th July 2021

Sunday morning oat-crumble ~ Serves 2

Although this oat crumble may feel like having pudding for breakfast, it still packs a powerful nutritional punch. I use gluten free whole rolled oats which is wonderfully gut-healthy, as is cooked apples.

Fruit:

  • 1 teaspoon of butter, for coating the baking dish
  • 2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • ½ cup of raspberries  fresh or frozen (but blueberries will work too)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon corn-starch

Crumble:

  • 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats, divided
  • 2 heaped tablespoons of unbleached wheat flour (for a gluten-free option you can consider using buckwheat flour, but any GF flour will do)
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (muscovado works well)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 4-5 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions:

Butter a small oven proof dish and set aside. Then switch on the oven – setting the temperature at 160 degrees Celsius.

Sauté the apple on low heat in a little butter for about 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

Crumble: Add all the crumble ingredients to a bowl, and using your fingers work the butter through the dry mixture.

Now add the berries to the cooked apple, as well as ½ teaspoon of sugar and the cornstarch, and then sir through well.

Transfer the fruit mixture to the buttered oven proof dish and then top with the crumble mixture – transfer to the pre-heated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Serve with thick coconut yoghurt or a drizzle of cream.

 

 

Salad, Wellness + Nutrition

Roasted Cabbage & Quinoa Salad

1st July 2021

Roasted red cabbage & quinoa salad

Serves 4

Cabbage instructions:

3 small baby cabbages, cored and cut into quarters, then place on a baking tray and drizzle with macadamia nut oil, season with salt and then roasted at 160 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes

Serve with:

1 cup of dry quinoa (cooked in 2 cups of salted water for 25-30 minutes)

Dress with:

  • ¾ cup of Greek yoghurt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

Garnish with:

  • 2 tablespoons of earthshine sunflower seeds
  • Parsley to garnish

 

Salad, Wellness + Nutrition

The bee’s knees buckwheat salad Buckwheat-salad-recipe

1st July 2021

The bee’s knees buckwheat salad

Buckwheat is a pseudo grain, and although it has the word wheat in it, it is in fact gluten free. In addition, it is also a rich source of plant-based protein. This salad is the bee’s knees and everyone who has a helping of it wants a second.

 For the Buckwheat:

  • 1 cup of uncooked buckwheat
  • 1 ½ cup of water
  • 1 teaspoon of salt for cooking brine

For the rest: 

  • 2 carrots, peeled, quartered, and then dice thinly
  • 2 spring onions, sliced finely
  • 10 Medjool dates, de-pipped and chopped into small pieces
  • 1 small clove of garlic, grated finely
  • ¼ cup of finely chopped coriander
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar
  • Sea salt to taste

Combine the water, 1 teaspoon of salt and buckwheat in a pot and bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and allow a further 12 minutes of cooking. Take it off the heat and let it sit with the lid on for 2 more minutes, then drain any excess water.

Prep the carrots and spring onions and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the cooked, drained and slightly cooled buckwheat with the carrots, spring onions, coriander, grated garlic, cumin, olive oil, dates, vinegar, and salt to taste. Stir though well and allow to cool at room temperature and then serve.

Happy cooking,

Marlien

 

Salad

Winter Squash Salad with a Ginger & Citrus Dressing Winter-Salad

1st July 2021

Citrus & ginger roasted squash salad

 Makes 4 servings

  • 1/4 pumpkin (I used Queensland Blue Variety also known Boer Pampoen)
  • ¼ cup of chopped mint
  •  a handful of kale, chopped (optional)
  • ¼ cup of sundried onions
  • ¼ cup of pomegranate seeds
  • 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • Salt to taste

Dressing:

  • 1 thumb size piece of ginger, grated finely
  • 3 tablespoons of macadamia nut butter
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Slice pumpkin into fairly large chunks/ wedges – keeping the skin on. Season with salt and then pack them out in a roasting tray drizzling over some melted coconut oil or macadamia nut oil.

Roast for 60 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius. Then set aside to cool.

While the pumpkin is roasting, add all the dressing ingredients to a jar and shake well.

Chop the kale & mint finely and then dress the salad with the greens, sun-dried onions, pomegranate seeds and dressing – serve and enjoy at room temperature, or slightly warm.