Sunday, December 27, 2020

Citrus Drizzle Cake


This is a fun little cake, love the drizzle icing with citrus juice it keeps the cake so moist. 

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Thai Inspired Chicken and Noodle Soup


Thai inspired Chicken noodle soup, this was inspired after chatting with Maggie Perkins a dietitian on Instagram, after months of the pandemic most of us are starting to feel a tad tired from cooking and finding inspiration when I see someone sharing something tasty I ask for the recipe. 

Monday, December 7, 2020

Sugarloaf Trail, Carolina Beach State Park


We visited the Coast recently we are fortunate to be able to drive just 4 hours to the coast and with the pandemic renting a house and getting takeout makes it a safe option. 

The fall and cooler months are wonderful as its less crowded, less mosquitoes and humidity and its a great time to Hike. Often we just visit the beaches but this area has some wonderful trails and unique landscapes and eco- systems.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Roast Brussels Sprouts and Carrots with Dukkah


I am really into roasting vegetables this time of year, and I have found boiling them until nearly cooked and then roasting them speeds up the process. Recently I found Dukkah in Lidl (I think they have some fun international spice blends) and used in this dish. Dukkah is an Egyptian and Middle Eastern condiment consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts, and spices.

Monday, November 16, 2020

Red Kuri Squash and Sweet Potato soup


This is a flavorful and colorful soup for fall, and got me thinking about carotenoids, here's a clip -



Ingredients:

  • one red kuri squash 
  • 3 small sweet potatoes diced
  • 3 carrots diced 
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic 
  • spice blend - parsley, chili flakes, salt, pepper, smoked chipotle, adobo, paprika, cumin about a pinch of each. 
  • one carton of vegetable broth 
  • pumpkin seeds to garnish 
Method:

  1. heat the oven to 400 degrees, half the squash and scoop out the seeds, roast in an oven proof dish with salt and pepper and olive oil with a little water for 20-30 minutes until soft. 
  2. then sauté the onion and garlic add the spices, carrot and sweet potato pieces the stock and boil for 10-15 minutes until soft. 
  3. Add the roasted squash and boil about 5-10 min, then blend to desired consistency. 
  4. enjoy with crusty bread. 

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Hummus


Hummus is something we have in the fridge at all times, it makes a great snack it is nutritious and satisfying. It is also very easy to make and you can add extras like red peppers and so on. My daughter really enjoys making this. 

Monday, October 26, 2020

Roast Beetroot and Acorn Squash Salad


This is a fun in season Autumn/ Fall salad, with lots of flavors and a fun dressing. This is the time of year where squash shines. 

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Tuna Poke Bowl



This is something we have enjoyed from restaurants but after hubby and the kids did a sushi class with a chef in Japan on sushi making, we made this with the extra sushi grade tuna we had. By the way air b and b has some great cooking lessons under experiences my son also did one with a lady in Nice making French apple crepes I have included a clip below to make you smile. 

 This would make a fun packed lunch also. 

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

New River Valley






We just came back from a weekend in the New River Valley this beautiful area of South West Virginia is actually very close to us, but we had not yet explored it. It is well worth the visit, it has lovely farmlands, rolling hills and lots of access points to explore the New River Trail State Park this is a fantastic trail that runs from this area all the way to Galax along an old railway line that is used for biking and hiking. It has some great views.

Monday, September 21, 2020

Garden mindfulness





Something I love teaching and sharing with clients at Anchored Nutrition Therapy is mindfulness I recorded a little garden practice today, let me know what you think. 

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Chicken, Chickpea and Spinach Curry



Sorry not the best picture, I made this curry the other day but it really is good. 

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Cooked Apple Parfait




This is a simple recipe, great for fall / autumn as apples are in season. It makes a great snack or breakfast. 

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Sourdough Bread (with a wild yeast starter)





I adore bread and always seek out local bakeries and bakers, recently I listened to a great podcast about wild yeast and it fascinated me. So I grew some wild yeast sourdough starter, I used this recipe from King Arthur flour   it seems to be a standard approach, you start with wholewheat flour as its more likely to contain yeast and you feed it water and then all purpose flour daily then, as it grows twice a day. Day 3 was amazing for us and we thought we had it and then it slowed down a lot just very lightly bubbling. I chatted to Ali Trairatana, RD @intuitively_ali on instagram and she kindly encouraged us to be patient and give it time, so for the next week I fed the starter and waited I would say it took a good 10 days to get going. The first loaf of bread I made was fair but didn't rise all that well, I used a recipe from the clever carrot, and baked in a dutch oven but maybe the starter needed a little longer. The next day I tried again and based the recipe on one from the BBC food, I let the first rise go overnight and gave a longer second rise. 

Ingredients; 
  • 500g/1lb 2oz unbleached white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 300g/10½oz, one cup sourdough starter
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 teaspoon of olive oil to coat the bread so that it doesn't stick 
Method:

  1. Mix together the flour, sourdough starter and about a cup of water together with the sugar and the salt and knead for about 10 minutes until it is very soft and stretchy.  
  2. place the dough in a bowl and cover with wrap and let it rise over night, it will double in size.
  3. Remove the dough and make two some round loaves with it and put onto a baking sheet with a little cornmeal underneath to stop it sticking and cover with a tea cloth and leave to rise for another 2-3 hours. 
  4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and put a few ice cubes or cold water into a baking tin and place in the bottom of the oven to create steam. Now score two or three times on the top of the loaf and put into the oven.  Bake for 35–40 minutes until brown and a crust has formed and the loaves sound hollow when tapped.
  5. put on a cooling wire to cool. 
  6. enjoy and be proud of yourself!

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Sunday, September 6, 2020

Vegetable and Millet Pilaf



I have recently been cooking with gluten free grains, as I work with folks following the low FODMAP diet for IBS I want to find recipes also as a family I think we need to eat more wholegrain's. I really like the millet easy to cook, nutty and very satisfying. 


Ingredients:

  • 1/2 red onion chopped
  • 2 small carrots chopped (low FODMAP)
  • one cup of frozen mixed vegetables, 
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger, garlic paste 
  • one cup of millet. 
  • 4 cups of water 
  • a pinch of cumin seeds
  • spice blend - 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon parsley, 1/4 of teaspoon chipotle pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cumin and coriander powder, salt and pepper to taste.


Method:

  1. mix the spice blend with a little oil
  2. then add a little canola or olive oil to a pan and sauté the onions (if making low fodmap, spring onion tops can be used) and cumin seeds for about 5 minutes, add the ginger/garlic paste and the spice blend
  3. then add the frozen vegetables and carrots and cook another few minutes, 
  4. add the millet, with the water, turn down to simmer for about 20-25 minutes, with a lid.
  5. check periodically to see how the millet is cooking and add a little water as needed. 
  6. This would make a great packed lunch, a good low FODMAP meal (watch not to add too many peas) and its gluten free. 




Hope your all doing well, our son turned 9 today and had fun breaking a Coronavirus piñata :-) 


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Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Zucchini Soup


I had lots of zucchini and remembered making a zucchini soup a few years ago, so thought it would be fun to make and added some mushrooms. This is simple to make and flavorful. 

Sunday, August 16, 2020

Peach and Mango Lassi



This is a fun summer drink, simply blend mango and peach with Greek yogurt and enjoy. Also if your in North Carolina, I wanted to mention Miss Angels Farm in Mount airy its an amazing farm that grows peaches, plums and apples very friendly owners, pick your own and stunning scenery.

Sunday, August 9, 2020

Sausage and Chickpea Stew

I have been making versions of this stew for a few years now, its easy to make and any sausages work, each one adds its own twist to it, this was a garlic sausage. I have also used cannelloni beans and any in season vegetables. 

Ingredients:

  • one pack of sausages sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic chopped 
  • 2 carrots diced
  • one small red onion chopped 
  • one stick of celery diced
  • one zucchini chopped
  • one squash chopped
  • one can of chickpeas
  • one can of tomatoes or 4 fresh tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato puree 
  • a handful of spinach chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste 
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs
Method:
  1. heat a little olive oil and add one small red onion and garlic, sauté for about 5 minutes 
  2. then add the zucchini, spinach, carrots and squash and cook for about 10 minutes until soft, add the herbs, salt and pepper, add the can of tomatoes and a little extra water to get enough sauce, mix in tomato pureed and turn down to a simmer for about 15 minutes 
  3. serve with polenta, pasta, quinoa or cous cous 



This is such a great dish to add into your rotation, let me know what you think. 


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Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Watermelon and Beetroot Salad


This simple salad is perfect on a hot summers day, I made a simple dressing with a date vinegar I found in an Iraqi store, it is fun picking up new spices and condiments at international stores. 

Ingredients:

  • one small lemon cucumber these are fun and I can get from local farmers
  • a few pieces of mozzarella cheese
  • 2 small beetroots sliced (I have recently found this cooked in grocery stores making them an easy attention to salad) 
  • mixed lettuce a handful
  • a few cherry tomatoes 
  • 1/4 of a cup of chopped watermelon 
Method:

  1. simply arrange the salad ingredients on a plate and drizzle the dressing over the top.
for the dressing 

a dash of olive oil, 1 tablespoon date vinegar, salt and pepper and a little sugar. 




I thought I would share this picture of the kids getting their Tae Kwon Do black belts, (hubby already has his) despite the pandemic they studied daily and tested. Never give up!




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Thursday, July 30, 2020

Watermelon Slushie



This is quite simply summer in a glass, just blend watermelon with ice and you have a delicious and refreshing summer drink.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 of a watermelon chopped 
  • 1/2 a cup of ice
Method:

Simple chop melon and blend, enjoy.
garnish with an edible flower and a little melon.





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Saturday, July 25, 2020

Quinoa, Chickpea and Zucchini salad



This is a fun summer salad, easy to make, gluten free and nutritious. It is inspired by this Italian spelt and chickpea salad. This would be great to have on hand as a snack or as a packed lunch. 

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of cooked quinoa, I found a boil in the bag quinoa which I love as cooks faster in about 15 minutes
  • one zucchini chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic this can be omitted if on a low FODMAP meal plan.
  • a handful of chopped green beans 
  • one cup of chopped cherry tomatoes 
  • 1/2 a teaspoon of Italian herbs, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. 
  • one small carrot chopped
  • a can of chickpeas
  • 4 green onion tops 
Method:

  1. cook the quinoa and keep to one side 
  2. heat a little olive oil and add the green onion tips, I used this to be low FODMAP
  3. add the zucchini, green beans, carrot and sauté for about 7-10 minutes until soft
  4. add the herbs, chickpeas and salt and pepper to taste 
  5. remove from the heat and allow it to cool and mix in the quinoa.
  6. enjoy.



This meal is low FODMAP and gluten free, to learn more about the Dietary Management of IBS and the low FODMAP approach, click the link to see a recent blog post I wrote for my business blog, and if I can help you in any way drop me a line. 


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Sunday, July 19, 2020

Tropical Summer Salad



This summer salad is flavorful and simple and lets the bounty of summer shine. 
Simply combine watermelon, blueberries and blackberries with fresh coconut (I get mine from the Indian grocery store in the freezer section) add fresh mint and top with an edible flower like Nasturtium. 

Easy and delicious. 





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Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Photo Series Swansboro NC




A few weeks ago we visited the Emerald Isle in North Carolina and we stopped in this tiny coastal village. It is just over the bridge from Emerald Island and close to a great place to rent kayaks and explore the barrier islands, namely Barrier Island Kayaks. 

It was peaceful and full of history it reminded me of cape cod. This brick building was impressive built with bricks from England in 1838 by the mid 1800s nearly 80% of naval stores (a distilled product from pine sap used for ship building) was supplied from this area, this was an impressive house in those days and today. 

Now the town has some gift shops, restaurants and a lovely little marina with chairs. It is also home to lots of ducks that act like they own the place! 




love the cape cod style siding. 




we thought this little shop was like a Western movie.


The ducks, maybe should have been swans!






If you even along the North Carolina coast I highly recommend a stroll around Swansboro its lovely,

Safe stay and well wonderful people. 

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