Super suppers
My new book isn’t just a journey of travel and cuisine, it’s a journey of my own health. Having struggled with digestion and related health problems for over 20 years, I have learnt that digestive health is at the core of our wellbeing. I am not a doctor, but I am a patient. There are dozens of digestive ailments and diseases that can be significantly improved with the right diet. My diet is high in the foods of this book and also mostly dairy-, sugar-, and glutenfree. With help from doctors, taking influence from Eastern medicine and common sense, I taught myself how to eat focusing on mind, body and balance.
I believe we should eat foods that come from the earth. Foods that are natural and ironically ‘ancient’. Quinoa was my first passion. Then came amaranth, millet and rice. The flours from these grains captured my interest and I became an expert on gluten-free flours.
Wholegrains and seeds are no longer a trend – they are here to stay. The staple of many ancient cultures, cafes in all major cities now serve wholegrain salads and seeded bread. Some of these grains and seeds are even called ‘superfoods’ because they are very high in nutrients, protein and fibre.
Even better is that they have the nutrition and taste to stand alone as a meal. I feel part of this health-food revolution and the recipes in this book are a true refl ection of the meals I eat. It’s part of who I am, it’s the journey that was handed to me. If even one recipe has inspired you or given you the knowledge to make a change for your own health or of someone that you love, then this book is already a success.
Super Grains & Seeds, by Amy Ruth Finegold, with photography by Clare Winfield, is published by Ryland Peters & Small, priced £16.99. Readers of The Lady can buy a copy at the special offer price of £11.99 (inc p&p). Call Macmillan Direct on 01256-302699 and quote ref GLR9MO.
Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan or pot over a high heat. Fry the onion in the saucepan for 10 mins or until translucent.
Add the garlic then reduce the temperature and add the courgettes, water and stock to the pan.
Slowly bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 10 mins. At the end, add the spinach, season, and cook for a further 5 mins. Set aside to cool slightly.
Once cooled, purée the soup with the mint and hemp seeds in a food processor. Return to the heat and warm through.
Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche and a few small mint leaves.
Serves 4
For the dressing
Soak the spelt berries in water overnight. Drain and put in a saucepan or pot. Pour in the water (making sure it’s enough to cover the spelt berries). Bring to the boil over a high heat then reduce the temperature, cover and simmer for 45 mins. Remove the lid and drain if there is any excess water. Put in a separate bowl and leave to cool.
While the spelt berries are cooling, make the dressing by whisking 2 tbsp of the balsamic vinegar together with the olive oil. Dress the spelt berries with the balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkle in the fresh thyme leaves. Mix in the spinach. Season with salt and pepper.
To build the salad, scatter the spelt, spinach and thyme mixture on a serving plate. Layer the sliced pears and prosciutto on top.
Drizzle the extra 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar over the pears and prosciutto and serve immediately.
Serves 2
First, mix the olive oil, cumin, coriander, cardamom, salt and pepper in a bowl. Then scoop the spice mixture under the chicken skin breast, as evenly as possible, coating the two breasts. Reserve any excess mixture.
In a large stove-top tagine, heat the vegetable oil on medium to high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down to brown the skin, and cook for 5 mins. Remove the chicken from the tagine and set aside. Remove any excess chicken fat but leave a little to coat the base of the tagine.
In the same tagine, add the chopped onion with half of the chicken stock and fry for 8 mins, or until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken, skin side up, the soaked apricots, orange wedges, crushed garlic, the cinnamon and green olives, and the rest of the spice mixture. Turn the heat to low and cook for 40 mins.
Rinse the dried lentils. Put them in a separate medium saucepan or pot over a high heat with the water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30-40 mins, adding water if required so the lentils are always just covered.
Remove the chicken from the tagine and cover in foil to keep warm. Then add the cooked lentils, the remaining 60ml of chicken stock and mix together, making sure everything is mixed well and hot.
Using a slotted spoon, plate a generous scoop of the lentil mixture and put the chicken on top. Drizzle with a little extra sauce from the pan and garnish with fresh flat-leaf parsley.
I believe we should eat foods that come from the earth. Foods that are natural and ironically ‘ancient’. Quinoa was my first passion. Then came amaranth, millet and rice. The flours from these grains captured my interest and I became an expert on gluten-free flours.
Wholegrains and seeds are no longer a trend – they are here to stay. The staple of many ancient cultures, cafes in all major cities now serve wholegrain salads and seeded bread. Some of these grains and seeds are even called ‘superfoods’ because they are very high in nutrients, protein and fibre.
Even better is that they have the nutrition and taste to stand alone as a meal. I feel part of this health-food revolution and the recipes in this book are a true refl ection of the meals I eat. It’s part of who I am, it’s the journey that was handed to me. If even one recipe has inspired you or given you the knowledge to make a change for your own health or of someone that you love, then this book is already a success.
Super Grains & Seeds, by Amy Ruth Finegold, with photography by Clare Winfield, is published by Ryland Peters & Small, priced £16.99. Readers of The Lady can buy a copy at the special offer price of £11.99 (inc p&p). Call Macmillan Direct on 01256-302699 and quote ref GLR9MO.
GORGEOUS GREEN DETOX SOUP (pictured top)
Serves 4-6- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 500g (about 4 medium) courgettes
- 240ml water
- 480ml vegetable stock
- 100g fresh spinach
- sea salt, to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- a handful of chopped mint, plus extra to garnish
- 2 tbsp milled hemp seeds
- 4 tbsp crème fraîche, to garnish
Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan or pot over a high heat. Fry the onion in the saucepan for 10 mins or until translucent.
Add the garlic then reduce the temperature and add the courgettes, water and stock to the pan.
Slowly bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 10 mins. At the end, add the spinach, season, and cook for a further 5 mins. Set aside to cool slightly.
Once cooled, purée the soup with the mint and hemp seeds in a food processor. Return to the heat and warm through.
Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche and a few small mint leaves.
SPELT & SPINACH SALAD WITH PEAR & PROSCIUTTO
Serves 4 - 200 g spelt berries
- 460ml water
- a handful of fresh thyme
- 100g baby spinach, chopped
- 2 pears, sliced
- 12 slices prosciutto or Parma ham
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the dressing
- 3½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 6 tbsp olive oil
Soak the spelt berries in water overnight. Drain and put in a saucepan or pot. Pour in the water (making sure it’s enough to cover the spelt berries). Bring to the boil over a high heat then reduce the temperature, cover and simmer for 45 mins. Remove the lid and drain if there is any excess water. Put in a separate bowl and leave to cool.
While the spelt berries are cooling, make the dressing by whisking 2 tbsp of the balsamic vinegar together with the olive oil. Dress the spelt berries with the balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkle in the fresh thyme leaves. Mix in the spinach. Season with salt and pepper.
To build the salad, scatter the spelt, spinach and thyme mixture on a serving plate. Layer the sliced pears and prosciutto on top.
Drizzle the extra 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar over the pears and prosciutto and serve immediately.
MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE WITH BROWN LENTILS
Serves 2 - 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- a pinch of sea salt
- a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 chicken breasts, bone and skin kept on
- a drizzle of vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 250ml chicken stock
- 6-8 dried whole Turkish apricots, soaked in water for 10 minutes
- 1 orange, peeled and cut in wedges
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 8 pitted green olives
- 190g dried green or brown lentils
- 480ml water
- a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
First, mix the olive oil, cumin, coriander, cardamom, salt and pepper in a bowl. Then scoop the spice mixture under the chicken skin breast, as evenly as possible, coating the two breasts. Reserve any excess mixture.
In a large stove-top tagine, heat the vegetable oil on medium to high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down to brown the skin, and cook for 5 mins. Remove the chicken from the tagine and set aside. Remove any excess chicken fat but leave a little to coat the base of the tagine.
In the same tagine, add the chopped onion with half of the chicken stock and fry for 8 mins, or until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken, skin side up, the soaked apricots, orange wedges, crushed garlic, the cinnamon and green olives, and the rest of the spice mixture. Turn the heat to low and cook for 40 mins.
Rinse the dried lentils. Put them in a separate medium saucepan or pot over a high heat with the water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30-40 mins, adding water if required so the lentils are always just covered.
Remove the chicken from the tagine and cover in foil to keep warm. Then add the cooked lentils, the remaining 60ml of chicken stock and mix together, making sure everything is mixed well and hot.
Using a slotted spoon, plate a generous scoop of the lentil mixture and put the chicken on top. Drizzle with a little extra sauce from the pan and garnish with fresh flat-leaf parsley.