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Nourish Naturally Seasonal Recipes
Our health and vitality is largely dependent on the nutritional content of food. Eating seasonally – eating foods that are available and grown locally – means getting the best flavour and nutritional value from fresh food. It’s cheaper and cleaner as fewer chemicals are required for storage and shipping. Eating crops you've grown yourself can't be beaten for ultimate satisfaction.
Each month, you will find three favourite seasonal recipes, based on key foods in season, noting their health benefits.
December
Christmas this month means time to relax a little bit. Many a treat may tempt us and I urge you to enjoy yourself. But beware the hidden calories and in an effort to avoid the January purge try to limit the damage by making sure you eat your green vegetables and focus on high fibre foods as opposed to ones saturated with fat. And water, water, water! Drink a glass between alcoholic beverages to reduce the burden on your liver and sore head the following morning. Try to maintain balanced blood sugar levels by eating little and often so that you are less likely to crave the sugary snacks in the afternoon after a big meal or party night.
Brussel sprouts, clementines, hazelnuts, walnuts, red cabbage, pomegranates, satsumas and tangerines are abundant now. Enjoy these foods high in bioflavanoids and healing properties.
Brussel Sprout Minestrone
The humble Brussel sprout, hated by so many children and yet when seen growing on the stalk they inspire creativity. Think of them as mini-cabbages full of goodness. It is one of the best foods to help your liver work out. No wonder we see it as a vegetable trimming to the Christmas turkey lunch!
When steamed, the high fibre content binds to bile acids thereby lowering cholesterol. Thanks to the phytonutrients 'glucosinolates' in this cruciferous vegetable, Brussels offer cancer-preventative properties.
It's important not to overcook these vegetable in order to reduce the sulphur stench throwback to school days and to retain the nutritional benefits.
the ruby-coloured root vegetable, has enjoyed a bit of a comeback since the days of pickled cubes in the 1970's. It can be used in sweet and savoury dishes thanks to it's earthy, rich and sweet tones. Store beetroots in a cool, dry, dark place to preserve the nutrients over a few weeks.
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2 tablespoosn olive oil or butter
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1 onion, finely chopped
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2 celery stalks, finely sliced
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2 garlic cloves, crushed
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½ teaspoon dried oregano
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1.5l hot water or chicken stock
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1 carrot, finely diced
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1 potato, diced
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400g tinned chopped tomatoes
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2 tablespoons tomato purée
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2 bay leaves
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1 teaspoon sea salt
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½ teaspoon ground pepper
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500g Brussels sprouts
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400g tinned white beans, rinsed
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1 tablespoon flat parsley leaves
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2 tablespoon grated parmesan
1. Melt the oil or butter, add the chopped onion and celery and cook gently
for 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and dried oregano, stirring well. Pour on the boiling hot
water or stock, and bring back to the boil. Skim if necessary.
3. Add carrot, potato, tomatoes, tomato purée, bay leaves, salt and pepper,
and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are
tender.
4. Trim the sprouts and shred finely. Add to the pot with the beans, mashing
a few of the beans first if you like a thicker soup, and cook for 15 minutes
more until the sprouts are tender.
5. Add the parsley leaves and serve in big soup bowls with grated
parmesan.
Serves 4 Prep 15 mins Cook 60 mins Low fat
Chicken, Walnut and Pomegranate Salad
Pomegranates are a fantastic addition to a salad. I first tasted this addition to a salad (with duck) that my best friend put in front of me at her appartment in Singapore. Truly delicious. Cut them in half, turn upside down over a plate and bash to skin side with a spoon so the pips drop out. Use the juice too.
Pomegranates have a very high content of punicalagins, a potent anti-oxidant component found to be responsible for its superior health benefits. 2-3 times more than red wine or green tea, in fact! They are also a good source of polyphenols, vitamin C, B1, B2, B3, calcium and phosphorous.
Pomegranates provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection, support healthy cholesterol levels and a healthy heart, and help you maintain healthy blood pressure levels. They also act as a natural remedy for the discomfort often associated with menopause or other hormonal shifts.
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1 roasted organic chicken, 1.5kg
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150g fine green beans
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1 red radicchio
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1 pomegranate
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2 celery stalks, finely sliced
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100g baby rocket leaves
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Sea salt and pepper
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2 tablespoon walnut halves, toasted
Dressing:
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
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1 tablespoon tahini paste
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3 tablespoon plain yoghurt
1. Shred the chicken meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones, and
season well.
2. Cook the green beans in simmering salted water for 5 minutes. Drain.
3. Shred the radicchio into bite-sized pieces. Cut the pomegranate into
quarters and turn each inside out over a bowl, pushing out the flesh with
your fingers.
4. Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, vinegar, tahini,
yoghurt, sea salt and pepper, adding a little water until you have a single-
cream consistency.
5. Add the chicken, green beans, celery, rocket and radicchio, toss lightly
and scatter with the walnut halves and pomegranate.
Serves 4 Prep 20 mins Cook 5 mins Low fat
Banana Bread with Walnuts and Chocolate Chips
Cracking walnuts is a sound that registers from my childhood infront of an open fire at my parents on the dark, cold nights around Christmas.
Walnuts are rich in protein, B vitamins, vitamin E and magnesium, calcium, potassium and manganese which is essential for growth and peak brain functioning. The benefits of eating walnuts, or using walnut oil, come from the fact that walnuts are one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Eating walnuts can lower cholesterol and tryglyceride levels, lower the risk of heart disease, combat depression and help with weight loss. Other health benefits include healthy bones and lower blood sugar levels.
Walnuts may also help with weight loss as it has been shown that eating a few walnuts before a meal can decrease appetite and may cause people to eat less. Walnuts are nutritionally dense so they also provide a good dose of daily nutrients.
This bread is a fantastic way to use up overripe bananas. Banana breads generally become more moist over time so make them a day or two before serving them. Serve them plain or toasted with a little butter. Freeze up to a month.
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Butter and line a 2 litre loaf
tin. Mix all the dry ingredients, except for the walnuts and chocolate chip,
together in a bowl.
2. In another bowl, combine the vegetable oil, eggs, yoghurt and vanilla.
Peel and mash the bananas with a fork, then mix into the egg mixture.
3. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry mixture then quickly fold in the
walnuts and chocolate chips. Try not to overmix the batter to ensure a
moist loaf. Scoop the batter into the prepared tin.
4. Bake for about an hour until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into
the centre of the loaf. If the bread is not ready, return it to the oven for
another 10 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning
out on to a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Serves 2 Prep 25 mins Cook 60 - 70 mins Fibrous
All recipes supplied from www.timesonline.co.uk
Happy cooking and tell us if you made any useful alterations:
info@nourishnaturally.co.uk
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Seasonal Recipes
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
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