Avocado mousse
Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados, the hass variety
2 egg yolks
5 table spoons of cacao or cocoa
6-8 table spoons of maple syrup
1/8 tea spoon of unrefined salt
optional toppings: pomegranate seeds, fresh berries, cacao nibs, toasted nuts, salted peanut butter cream (2 table spoons of peanut butter, 4 table spoons of freshly boiled water, pinch of salt - blend until smooth. Keeps well in the fridge)
Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth.
Makes 4 small portions but you can make it visually bigger by adding toppings. I don’t recommend more because after all, it’s fat mixed with sugar. 1/2 avocado per serving is sufficient.
Indian style lentil soup
Ingredients:
1- 1,5 litres of meat or vegetable stock
200 ml of coconut milk
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 potatoes, diced
1/2 cups of green lentils, preferably soaked overnight or from a jar, rinsed
1 small bag of baby spinach or a couple of cubes of frozen spinach cubes
3 table spoons of tomato puree
1 tea spoon of each: turmeric, cumin powder, garam masala, fenugreek
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 table spoons of ghee or coconut oil
Salt, to taste
Optional: 1 red chilli, finely sliced
Method:
Melt ghee or coconut oil and saute onion until brown
Add all spices and garlic, saute for 3 minutes
Stir in carrots, saute for 1 minute
Add stock, potatoes, lentils and tomato puree; cook for 20 minutes
Add coconut milk and spinach (cook until wilted or defrosted); season to taste
Turkey meatballs / sausages
Ingredients:
500g of ground turkey
1 large apple, finely grated, excess juice squeezed out
1 large onion, finely chopped or grated
1 celery stick, finely chopped or grated
1/2 tea spoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
To cook, use refined (odourless) coconut oil, ghee, lard or refined olive oil
Optional: 1 tea spoon of thyme, dry or fresh
Method:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and shape little balls or sausages.
Saute in a fat of choice on medium heat, cover with a lid so that they cook through.
These are equally great for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or as a snack.
They freeze well, too. Great for any meal of the day.
Almond soup
Ingredients:
200g of whole skinless almonds, soaked overnight plus an optional bunch of almond flakes for garnish
200g of leeks, white part only
1 stalk of celery
1 clove of garlic
70g of butter or ghee
1 litre of chicken stock (vegetable stock is also be fine)
200 ml of almond cream (e.g. Ecomil)
A pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
In a soup pot, melt the butter and sauté leeks, celery and garlic until soft.
Add stock and almonds, bring to boil.
Take off the heat, add the remaining ingredients and blend well. Season to taste.
Tastes amazing with a garnish of toasted almond flakes.
Omelette with spinach, mushrooms and goat´s cheese
Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 table spoons of almond milk
2 cubes of frozen spinach or 2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach
A handful of button mushrooms
50g of soft and crumbly goat´s cheese
4 tea spoons of butter or ghee
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Beat the eggs with almond milk and a good pinch of salt.
Cut the mushrooms into little wedges or slice them. Sauté in 2 tea spoons of butter for 10 minutes.
Place frozen spinach in a pot with a little bit of water and cook until hot. If using fresh spinach, place it in a pan with a little water and cook until wilted.
Heat a frying pan, melt 2 tea spoons of butter or ghee and pour in the eggs. It should not be too thick so use a pan that is large enough. When the eggs are starting to set at the bottom, you can gently lift the edges and pour in the wet batter underneath. This way it won´t be overdone at the bottom and undercooked on top.
Once almost set (omelettes should not be overdone and dry), place the cooked spinach, mushrooms and crumbled cheese.
Fold in half, slide on a plate and enjoy on its own or with a side salad.
Porridge many ways
Porridge is the ultimate breakfast comfort food which can be made in many ways to suit everyone, even those on a grain free diet (e.g. my keto porridge). Recipes below.
The different grains:
Oats: liquid to oats ration is 2:1 or 3:1, depending on the consistency you like. Cook for 10 minutes
Quinoa, buckwheat and millet groats: liquid to grain ratio is 3:1, cook for 20 minutes and blend as these grains don create a creamy texture like oats
Grain alternatives include dessicated coconut mixed with ground nuts and chia seeds
Best liquids:
water
coconut milk (my favourite as it´s the most nutritious and creamy)
almond / hazelnut / cashew milk
Porridge do´s and dont´s:
to keep blood glucose balanced, always add a source of fat and protein to your porridge. Cinnamon helps too.
Fat sources: a heaped table spoon of butter, ghee, coconut oil or full fat coconut milk, nuts, seeds and their butters.
Protein sources: protein powder, 0% fat Greek yoghurt, skyr (otherwise, it’s are a source of fat more than protein). In order to use protein powder in your porridge, mix it with a little liquid first so that there are no powdery lumps, and add the mix to the porridge.
All grains should ALWAYS be cooked in liquid and not eaten raw. Bircher muesli / overnight oats, traditional granola and regular muesli are a big no for the gut.
Fresh fruit causes grains to ferment in the gut, especially if you suffer from digestive issues like gas, diarrhoea or constipation. Ripe fresh banana is ok but generally try and use dried or cooked fruit instead.
The keto or butternut squash porridge will be the best choice if you suffer from poor energy and gut issues or have are on a weight loss plan.
Skip oats if you have tendency to build mucus, phlegm, feel congested in general and feel sleepy after eating porridge.
RECIPES
Porridge for constipation
1/2 cup of oats
1 - 1.5 cup of water (chia seeds further thicken the porridge so you may need more liquid)
1 table spoon of coconut oil
3 dried apricots or 2 table spoons of unsweetened apple sauce from a jar
2 tea spoons of chia seeds
Pinch of salt
1/4 tea spoon of cinnamon
Optional: coconut yoghurt and maple syrup to serve
Place oats in water, add chopped apricots or apple sauce. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add chia seeds, coconut oil and salt.
Top up with coconut yoghurt and maple syrup.
Coconut porridge with raspberry compote and flaked almonds
1/2 cup of oats
1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water
Pinch of salt
1 table spoon of coconut oil
frozen raspberries
a handful of flaked almonds, you can toast them beforehand
Cook oats in coconut milk for 10 minutes, add salt and coconut oil.
To make raspberry compote, cook frozen raspberries until they resemble a chunky jam. If desired, sweeten with honey or xylitol. Leftovers will keeps well in the fridge.
Put cooked oats in a bowl, top with hot or cold raspberry compote and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
Banana and salted peanut cream millet porridge
1/3 cup of millet groats
1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water
Salt
1/3 tea spoon of cinnamon
1 ripe banana
Peanut butter
Cook miller groats in water and coconut milk for 20 minutes.
Mash 1/2 banana and add it to the porridge along with a pinch of salt and cinnamon.
To make salted peanut cream: blend or whisk well 2 table spoons of peanut butter with 4 table spoons of hot water and a pinch of salt. Keeps well in the fridge for ages.
Place porridge in a bowl, top with 1/2 chopped banana and drizzle with salted peanut cream.
Chocolate quinoa porridge with pears
1/3 cup of quinoa groats
1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water
1 table spoon of cacao or cocoa powder
pinch of salt
a dash of honey or maple syrup
1 table spoon of butter or ghee
2 cooked pears: peel, chop and place in a pot with a little bit of liquid, cook until soft
Cook quinoa in water and coconut milk for 20 minutes and stir in the remaining ingredients except for pears. Blend if you prefer a creamier consistency.
Place in a bowl and top with cooked pears.
Keto porridge - grain free
¼ cup of dessicated, unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup of assorted nuts
1-2 tea spoons of chia seeds
½ cup of plant based milk or water, use coconut milk if on keto
toppings of choice
1. Finely grind the nuts, chia seeds and coconut using a high speed blender or food processor. You can grind a larger amount and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Serving size is 2 table spoons.
2. Bring water or almond milk to boil.
3. Combine the nut and seed mix with the milk.
5. Enjoy with toppings of choice.
Butternut squash paleo porridge - grain free
500g cooked squash (roasted or steamed)
100ml plant based milk or water
2 table spoons of any nut butter
a pinch of salt
1/2 tea spoon of cinnamon
vanilla extract
Place the squash and water in a saucepan, heat up and mash with a fork.
Add nut butter, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and stir until smooth.
Top with coconut yoghurt and berries or anything else that you like.
Tomato soup with extra protein
Ingredients:
2 carrots
2 celery sticks
2 onions
1-2 cloves of garlic
2-3 slices of quality bacon or pancetta, sliced
5 table spoons of olive oil
700ml of meat stock
1 bottle of of passata (around 700g) or 2 tins of chopped plum tomatoes, with juice (400g each)
handful of fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
Finely chop all vegetables and dice the pancetta. Place in a soup pot and sauté in in olive oil on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add stock and tomatoes, and cook everything for 15 minutes.
Take off the heat, add basil leaves and blend until smooth.
Serving suggestions:
with with extra bacon bits, 2 slices of buffalo mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil
with 2 quartered leftover meatballs, a handful of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil
Warming masala chai
Perfect for those who feel cold all the time
I know that you can buy tea bags of masala chai but fresh spices are more warming. You will feel a big difference!
Ingredients:
750 ml of water
1 tea bag of black tea or 2 tea bags of rooibos tea
4-5 (or all) of of the below spices, as per liking:
1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 tea spoon of ground cinnamon
3 cardamom pods or 1/4 tea spoon of ground cardamom
2-3 cloves
1-2 star anise
1/2 tea spoon of fennel seeds (bonus: digestive support)
3 black peppercorns
a large pinch of nutmeg
3 slices of fresh ginger
optional: plant based milk of choice, natural sweetener
Instructions:
Place spices in water and boil for 15 minutes. The heat will release the aroma and warming properties of the spices.
Take off the heat and add tea of choice, steep for 3 minutes.
Strain and pour into a large thermal flask so that you can keep drinking the hot tea all day long. You can also reheat any leftovers.
Pour into a cup and you can add milk of choice and sweeten with honey, maple syrup, molasses or coconut sugar.
Basic Indian curry
Ingredients:
Protein of choice (e.g. chicken thighs, stewing lamb, prawns, chickpeas)
4 table spoons of ghee or odourless (refined) coconut oil
400ml of meat stock / vegetable stock / water
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
5mm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes with skins removed, chopped
1 tea spoon of paprika powder
1/2 tea spoon of each: coriander powder, ground cumin, garam masala, ground fenugreek
Pinch of turmeric powder
Salt
Optional: fresh chillies or chilli powder, bell pepper, extra onion, coriander leaves.
If making a vegetarian version, add a couple of frozen spinach cubes
Directions:
Heat the ghee or oil on medium heat and brown the onion (around 20 minutes) - very important step in Indian curry making
Add ginger and garlic, saute for 1 minute
Add dry spices and saute for 30 seconds
Add tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes
Add 200ml of stock or water and cook for 10 minutes
Season with salt
Add meat or seafood, add another 200ml of stock or water
Cook until done and the sauce has reduced
Optionally, you can add fresh chillies or chilli powder together with garlic and ginger. You can also add larger pieces of onion and bell pepper 10 minutes before the curry is done and sprinkle with coriander after plating the curry.
Serving suggestion: with cauliflower ‚rice’.
Tomato salsa
Ingredients:
5 large chopped tomatoes or passata (depending on the texture you want to achieve)
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 -2 green chillies, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 clove or garlic, minced
Bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped (skip if you don’t like it)
3 table spoons of olive oil
Salt
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and set aside for 30 minutes before serving.
Courgette ´noodles´
Ingredients:
1 courgette
Olive oil (for ´pasta´ dishes) or coconut oil (for stir fries)
Directions:
Using a spiraliser or julienne peeler, cut the courgette to resemble noodles. Discard the middle part with seeds as it´s too wet
Either use raw or sauté for 1 minute before it gets soggy
Cauliflower mash
Ingredients:
Head of cauliflower, remove stems if you have digestive symptoms like bloating
5 table spoons of fat of choice: coconut oil / olive oil / ghee or butter
Salt and pepper
Optional: garlic powder and / or grated hard cheese
Directions:
Steam the cauliflower until soft, drain well
Add butter, salt, pepper and optionally garlic powder and / or cheese
Puree using a hand blender or food processor until smooth
It works well not only as a as a substitute for mashed potato on the side but also as a topping on pies, like cottage pie.
Cauliflower 'rice'
Ingredients:
Head of cauliflower
5 table spoons of fat of choice: coconut oil / olive oil / ghee or butter
Salt
Optionally:
Powdered garlic
Spices or herbs of choice, depending on what flavour you want to achieve
for Mediterranean style, add basil or oregano
for Indian style, add curry powder and garnish with fresh coriander
for Moroccan style, add cinnamon and cumin, and garnish with fresh coriander
Directions:
Heat up fat in a frying pan on medium heat
Grate cauliflower florets without the stems or pulse them in a food processor
Place the prepared cauliflower in the pan, along with herbs or spices
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Serve immediately or save for later, it will keep in the fridge for 3 days
Uncooked cauliflower ´rice´ keeps well in the fridge for 5 days so it´s worth making a batch.
Peanut butter and jam smoothie
A smoothie that is supposed to replace a meal, such as breakfast, should always contain ample amounts of complete protein, quality fats and fibre. A well composed smoothie will support blood glucose balance throughout the day which will positively impact your stress response, weight loss hormones, metabolic performance and energy.
Ingredients:
A handful of fresh or frozen strawberries
1 heaped table spoon of unsweetened peanut butter
1/2 ripe hass avocado
1 date to sweeten, skip if on a weight loss plan
1 serving of protein powder like whey isolate or vegan, ideally together with 1 serving of collagen
Almond milk or water, to achieve a desired consistency
Instructions:
If using frozen strawberries, take them out of the freezer the night before. Remove excess liquid.
Blend all ingredients and enjoy.
To feel fuller for longer, use crunchy toppings like almond flakes, toasted coconut chips and cacao nibs (or just one of them). This will stimulate chewing, which plays a big role in satiety signalling.
Lasagne without pasta
Ingredients:
1 kg mince (beef or beef with pork)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 medium carrots, grated
4 celery sticks, grated
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large bay leaf or 2 small ones
1 tea spoon of dried oregano
700ml bottle of passata or two 400g tins of tomatoes
4 large courgettes
Splash of olive oil, for cooking and greasing the dish
Grated cheese of choice (use sheep’s if avoiding cow’s dairy)
Salt and pepper
Optionally: sour cream / creme fraiche 30% fat (don’t use any if on cow’s dairy free diet), nutmeg, fresh tomato, basil
Directions:
Heat oil in a pan, add meat, vegetables, bay leaf and oregano. Cook until most water has evaporated
Add passata, salt and pepper, and cook until the sauce has reduced by half
Cut courgettes lengthwise, into 2 mm slices. If using sour cream, spread a layer on each slice and sprinkle with a tiny bit of nutmeg (it’s strong!)
Place courgette slices in a greased ovenproof dish, top with 1/2 meat, place another layer of courgettes and the remaining meat
Top with grated cheese and sliced tomatoes, if using them. Cook in 180 Celsius degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and optionally garnish with torn basil leaves
Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 ripe hass avocados
1 clove of garlic, minced (skip if you can´t tolerate garlic)
Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
Salt
Optionally: chilli
Directions:
Mash all ingredients with a fork.
Trick: if you put the avocado stone into the guacamole, it will last longer without getting brown.
Hummus
Ingredients:
500g jar of chickpeas in water, don’t drain
2 heaped table spoons of tahini
5 table spoons of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic (use more if you like) - skip if raw garlic causes digestive issues or sleep problems
1 tea spoon of salt
Optional: 1 tea spoon of ground cumin
Directions:
Using a food processor or blender (can be manual), combine all ingredients until smooth. To serve, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil.
Meat stock
You can make stock with just chicken or mixed meats so pick pieces of meat from the list of ingredients below accordingly. Chicken stock is very soothing, especially if you have a sensitive stomach.
Meat stock is also the place to start if you suffer from bloating. Although bone broth is often advocated, it is actually high in fermentable sugars which can contribute to abdominal distention and discomfort.
Ingredients:
4 litres of water
1 chicken carcass
1 large chicken leg or 2-3 drum sticks or a couple of wings and a drum stick - whatever is at hand
3 chicken feet if available (you can buy more and freeze them)
1 medium piece of beef short ribs or a small beef brisket
Turkey wing or a turkey bone (e.g. from a drum stick)
1 onion, halved
1 leek, white part only
3 medium carrots, quartered
3 celery sticks, halved
2 table spoons of salt
10-20 peppercorns
You can also use leftover bones from roast chicken, grilled drum sticks, wings, etc.
Directions:
Place meat in water, add salt and bring to boil. Reduce temperature to low
With a spoon or small sieve, remove impurities that will raise to the top (white foam and darker bits)
Add vegetables and cook on low heat for 2 hours. Every now and then, add a bit of water, to end up with the initial amount of liquid. You can also use a slow or pressure cooker l but I find that pressure cooking does not produce good enough umami ;)
Ways to use stock:
eat the stock right away, with the vegetables and meat
strain into jars and keep in the fridge to use as a base of your meals (great in soups, curries, ramen style dishes)
enjoy as a comforting drink, alone or with meals - it greatly improves digestion. I love a cup of meat stock with seaweed flakes or miso paste
Chia pudding
Chia seeds are low in protein but high in fibre and fats. Adding a protein powder will make it a nice breakfast. A small portion without the protein powder will be a good snack.
Ingredients for 2 portions:
250 ml of full fat coconut milk
4 table spoons of chia seeds, mill in case of digestive symptoms
pinch of salt
optional: vanilla extract, 3 drops of liquid stevia to sweeten, protein powder
Method:
If the milk is solid, warm it up in a saucepan until it melts.
Place the milk and seeds (and optionally vanilla) in a jar and shake well.
In 10 minutes, give it another stir, preferably with a fork, to break the clumps.
Set aside for 2 hours or overnight, preferably on the countertop.
If using protein powder: In the morning, dissolve protein powder in a bit of liquid and stir it into the pudding. Adding protein directly makes it clumpy.
Divide between 2 serving dishes and add toppings of choice.
It keeps well in the fridge for about 5 days. If you like it, make a double portion and you will have 4 breakfasts sorted.
Topping suggestions:
Unsweetened jam or fruit of choice and skyr
Sauted blueberries and a drizzle of almond butter
A table spoon of Greek yoghurt, a drizzle of honey, almond flakes and cinnamon
Apple puree and cinnamon
A few slices of ripe banana, cacao nibs and peanut butter; you can dilute it in a little freshly boiled water
No grain-ola (paleo / keto granola)
Ingredients
2 cups of roughly chopped assorted nuts (you can use food processor); if having digestive issues, soak nuts overnight and dry with a paper towel
1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes or desiccated coconut
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup of sesame seeds
1-2 tea spoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 tea spoon of salt
7 table spoons of melted coconut oil
Optional: vanilla essence, freeze dried strawberries or raspberries, maple syrup
Method
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Line large baking tray with parchment paper
Mix nuts, seeds and cinnamon, salt and coconut oil in a big bowl. You can add maple syrup if your granola is not meat to be low carb
Place granola on the baking tray and spread out evenly
Bake for 20 minutes and add coconut (if you add it at the beginning, it will burn)
Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until it’s golden brown.
Let it cool completely before adding optional freeze dried berries. Store it in an airtight container. It lasts for ages so it’s worth making more in one go.
Enjoy with full fat yoghurt (e.g. probiotic coconut yoghurt) and berries.
