Caponata

Slightly modified recipe of a Sicilian classic. It makes a wonderful side dish for meat or fish, and a base for shakshuka style eggs. Also nice with grilled halloumi or crumbled feta on top.

Perfect for batch cooking. Put it in clean jars when it’s still hot and close the lid. Cool down and store in the fridge. You can also freeze it in zip lock bags.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 aubergines

• 1-2 courgettes (optional)

• 1 red bell pepper and if you want, you can add a yellow one too (optional)

• 1 onion (red / white / yellow - whatever you’ve got)

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 2 tablespoons of capers

• 1 handful of green or black olives, whole or halved

• 150ml of tomato passata

• 3 table spoons of olive oil

• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar or 1 table spoon of balsamic glaze

• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a pot. Add aubergines and a a some salt. Cook until golden, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the peppers, courgettes, onion and garlic. Saute for additional 5 minutes.

3. Add the passata, vinegar, capers and olives. Cook until all veg are soft and the sauce has reduced and feels sticky. Season with salt and pepper.

Tuna salad with pineapple

Igredients:

• Salad leaves of choice

• 140g of tinned tuna, drained of brine or oil

• Red bell pepper

• 1/2 avocado

• 3 slices of pineapple, fresh or tinned without added sugar

• Optional: fresh coriander

  For the dressing:

• 1 table spoon of mayonnaise

• 1 table spoon of water

• Squeeze of lime or lemon juice

• 1/2 clove of garlic, minced

Instructions:

Arrange ingredients on a plate in a preferred order, dress and enjoy.

Jazzing up tinned tuna

In my opinion, tinned tuna and mayonnaise are a match made in heaven. Mayonnaise beautifully moistens the fish and helps to hold it together. Its acidity and the presence of lecithin from egg yolks help to digest the fats in tuna better as some people find it nauseating or burpy.

Here are my favourite ways how to quickly transform a boring can of tuna into a tasty meal. Tuna in brine (water and salt) will work better than tuna in oil because mayonnaise is already oily.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tins of tuna, drained of the liquid

• 1 heaped tea spoon of mayonnaise, can be vegan (use less if you like)

• One of the following in any amount that you like: green pesto / Frank’s Hot Sauce / Tabasco / harissa (paste or dry)

Instructions:

Mash up with a fork, that’s it!

Serving suggestions: on sourdough bread incl. sourdough crisp bread, on lettuce leaves instead of bread like in the photo, over a salad, in a poke bowl, on cucumber slices or used as a dip for celery sticks.

You can further mix it or top it up with the likes of fresh herbs, grated cheese, chopped bell pepper, finely chopped onion, chives, tomato or chilli flakes. For example, rocket and tomato pair well with the pesto version. Fresh coriander is great with harissa. Bell pepper and onion are good with Frank’s Hot Sauce and Tabasco.

Cottage pie

Ingredients:

• Basic mince sauce or follow the same steps but use 2 finely diced carrots and 2 celery sticks

• 1 small cup of broth

• If using the ready made basic mince sauce, use additional carrot, celery stick and a large onion, all finely diced

• A handful of frozen green peas

• 2 table spoons of Worcestershire sauce

• Leftover mashed potato (to create a thin layer, max 2 cm) or cauliflower mash

• A handful of grated cheddar or Parmesan

• 1 table spoon of olive oil

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Saute the vegetables in olive oil.

2. Add the basic mince sauce, broth, bay leaf and Worcestershire sauce, cook until it has reduced.

3. Grease an oven proof dish and add the mince mix.

4. Top with mashed potato or cauliflower mash, mixed with cheese.

5. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.

   Serving suggestion: with assorted cooked vegetables rather than additional potato or starch of any sort.

Pizza omelette

Ingredients per 1 omelette:

• 2 eggs,

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tea spoon of olive oil

• A little passata or 2 tea spoons of tomato puree thinned down with a little water

• Dry oregano

• Grated cheese of choice (e.g. mozarella / cheddar / Edam / Gouda / Manchego)

• Toppings of choice: cooked ham / salami / pepperoni / buffalo mozarella / mushrooms / rocket

Instructions:

1. Beat the eggs, season to taste.

2. Heat up a non-stick frying pan and add olive oil. You can brush it around for an even coat.

3. Pour in the eggs and cook on one side. When the eggs are solid enough to flip but still a little runny on top, turn it over and spread the passata and sprinkle with cheese and a little oregano. Cover with a lid until the cheese has melted.

4. Take off the heat, arrange the toppings of choice and enjoy.

First photo: buffalo mozarella, rocket, garlic oil

Second photo: ham, sliced cooked mushrooms, parmesan, rocket, garlic oil

Basic mince sauce with variations

This simple sauce can be enjoyed in the basic form or used as a base for chili con carne, Bolognese (recipes below), my pasta-free lasagne, cottage pie or moussaka. Great to cook large batches as it keeps well in the fridge and freezes well too. You can just pour the sauce over any cooked veggies for a quick, comforting meal.

Ingredients:

• 500g of mince of choice (beef, turkey, chicken or lamb)

• 500-800 ml of tomato passata (depending on your preferred consistency)

• 1 carrot, finely grated

• 1 stalk of celery, very finely chopped

• 1 large onion, finely diced

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 2 table spoons of olive oil

• Salt and pepper to season

Instructions:

1. In a large pan, heat the oil on medium heat and add vegetables except for garlic. Saute until soft.

2. Add garilc and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add mince, cook for 10 minutes

4. Add passata, season to taste and cook for 30 minutes on slow heat.

Variations:

To make Bolognese sauce (this is almost it but you can further jazz it up), add 150ml of red wine, 1 bay leaf and a tea spoon of oregano. Cook until alcohol has evaporated.

You can serve it with regular pasta or ‘courgetti’, pictured below, or just over any cooked vegetables. This way you still get to enjoy the ultimate comfort food with less carbs.

To make simple chili con carne, add 1 tea spoon of ground cumin, 1 tea spoon of sweet paprika, 1/2 tea spoon of chili or / and smoked paprika and 1/4 tea spoon of cinnamon. 1 tea spoon of cacao or cocoa really lifts the flavour. You can also add a small tin of red kidney beans.

You can serve it with regular rice but cauliflower ‘rice’ is a nice low carb alternative. You can also have it in baby gem lettuce leaves used as taco shells. Top with fresh veggies like sliced bell pepper and avocado or a dollop of guacamole. Cheese, sour cream or yoghurt, a squeeze of lime juice and fresh coriander are also a nice bonus. PIck what you like the most and keep it simple.

Peach and mango sorbet pops

Ingredients:

• 500ml peach juice without added sugar (it is naturally very sweet)

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and roughly chopped (frozen is also fine, most supermarkets have it)

• Optionally, juice of 1/2 lime - it will help to balance the flavour

Instructions:

1. Process the juice and mango using a high speed blender.

2. Place in ice cream moulds (i.e. Ikea or Amazon) and freeze for 3 hours before serving.

Frozen yoghurt two ways

Ingredients for forest fruit frozen yoghurt:

• 350g frozen forest fruit mix (most supermarkets)

• 2500g full fat Greek yoghurt (you can use plant based if you like)

• xylitol / erythritol / stevia / monkfruit sweetener (honey or maple syrup will change the flavour)

• optional: 2 servings of collagen protein powder

Instructions:

1. Put the berries in a pot, defrost and cook on low heat until most water has evaporated. You can also skip this step but your ice cream will contain more ice crystals.

2. Place the fruit puree with the remaining ingredients in a high speed blender and process until smooth.

3. Pour into ice cream moulds (e.g. Ikea, Amazon) or a container like a Pyrex dish or an old ice cream box.

4. Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours before serving.

   If you used a container, wait for a couple of minutes until the ice cream softens before serving.

Ingredients for raspberry-rose frozen yoghurt:

• 300g of frozen raspberries

• 300g of Greek yoghurt

• xylitol / erythritol / stevia / monkfruit sweetener (honey or maple syrup will change the flavour)

• 5 drops of rose water (selected food shops and online, e.g. Amazon)

• optional: 2 servings of collagen protein powder - for more satiety and nutritional value

Instructions:

1. Put the raspberries in a pot, defrost and cook on low heat until most water has evaporated. You can also skip this step but your ice cream will contain more ice crystals.

2. Place the raspberry puree with the remaining ingredients in a high speed blender and process until smooth.

3. Pour into ice cream moulds (e.g. Ikea, Amazon) or a container like a Pyrex dish or an old ice cream box.

4. Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours before serving.

   If you used a container, wait for a couple of minutes until the ice cream softens before serving.

Peanut butter ice cream two ways

Ingredients:

• 3 small or 2 big bananas, very ripe (brown skin)

• 2 heaped table spoons of peanut butter

• 2 egg yolks (egg yolks, next to cream, is the key ingredient in classic ice cream. They make it creamy due to the presence of lecithin which is a fat emulsifier) but you can skip them if you´re not convinced

• Splash of full fat coconut milk - enough to make the ingredients combine well without getting stuck, using a high speed blender

• pinch of salt

• maple syrup, to your liking (ice cream taste less sweet after freezing it so keep that in mind) but it is optional, especially if you are watching your waist line

• optional: 2 servings of collagen protein powder - for more satiety and nutritional value

• for the chocolate variety, add 2 table spoons of cacao or cocoa powder. Once blended, you can stir in cacao nibs for for some crunch

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients using a high speed blender.

2. Pour into ice cream moulds (e.g. Ikea, Amazon) or a container like a Pyrex dish or an old ice cream box.

3. Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours.

   If you used a container, wait for a couple of minutes until the ice cream softens before serving. Scoop out and sprinkle with chopped toasted peanuts.

Basic Thai curry

Ingredients:

• 1 tin of thick coconut milk, min. 90% coconut (e.g. Lidl’s)

• 2 table spoons of green or red curry paste

• Fish sauce or soy sauce, amount to your preference (try 2 tea spoons)

• 1 flat table spoon of coconut or peanut oil

• 1 tea spoon of sugar, preferably coconut or palm but any unrefined will do. If you are on a low carb diet, you can try xylitol or erythritol

• Protein of choice, e.g. chicken, prawns or tofu

• Vegetables of choice, e.g. diced courgette, mushrooms, pan fried aubergine, green beans, red bell pepper (only one veg of choice is also fine - pick what works for you)

• Optional: chopped peanuts, fresh chilli, 5 basil leaves, wedge of lime, coriander

Method:

1. Heat up the oil and add curry paste. Heating it up will liberate the aroma.

2. Add coconut milk, fish or soy sauce and sugar.

3. Add protein, vegetables of choice and optionally basil leaves and cook just until the protein has set (chicken will turn white and prawns will be pink)

4. Plate the curry and optionally squeeze a wedge of lime and garnish with chopped peanuts, fresh chilli and basil leaves.

5. Serve with jasmine rice or ‘caulliflower rice’ or have it on its own.

Masala scramble

Ingredients for 1 portion:

• 2-3 eggs

• 1 large tomato or two small ones, skin off

• Spinach (If fresh, use a large handful. If frozen, use a small handful)

• 1/4 onion, finely chopped

• 1/2 clove of garlic, minced

• 1 flat table spoon of clarified butter / ghee or coconut oil

• 1/4 teaspoon of each, cumin and turmeric

• Salt

• Soft goat´s cheese or protein dense yoghurt (like Fage) to serve

• Optional: chilli powder, fresh coriander, wedge of lime

Instructions:

1. In a pot or pan, melt the butter and add the onion. Saute until soft but not brown.

2. Add tomatoes, garlic, spinach, spices and stir. Cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add the eggs, season with salt and cook to your liking (runny or more set).

4. Optionally, sprinkle with chilli powder, fresh coriander and a little lime juice.

Pan-seared protein of choice

This is an easy and quick way to cook most proteins. Serve with a large side salad or stir fried vegetables or baked sweet potato or root vegetable fries - anything goes!

Ingredients:

• Protein of choice, e.g. entrecote steak, burger, chicken breast cut into half, fish fillet, sardines, prawns, squid, lamb, pork or turkey chops, Halloumi cheese)

• Olive oil, preferably refined

• Salt and pepper

• Optionally, garlic powder, paprika and a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine vinegar

Equipment necessary:

Griddle pan - if you haven´t got one yet, get it asap as it is one of the fastest ways to cook protein that tastes delicious

Method:

• Heat up the pan on medium to high heat. When you see it smoke, it´s the time to start cooking. Best if your protein is at room temperature.

• Rub a little olive oil all around the protein which will create a protective film. Do not put oil on the pan. If using garlic powder, paprika and lemon juice or vinegar, mix them together with the oil and coat the protein in the basic marinade

• Place the protein on the pan and sear for 2-4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.

• Take off the heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. You can use herbs of choice too, or make salsa verde.

Serving suggestion: with sauteed greens of choice / stir fried veggies / ratatouille / frozen boiled veggies / simple salad

Always dress your veggies, even after they have been cooked. A dressing made of olive oil, melted butter, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little salt is always a good fit. You can add powdered garlic and herbs of choice, too.

Caesar style salad

Although the classic recipe calls for chicken, it can be replaced with other options to suit vegetarians and pescatarians. Skip cheese altogether if on a dairy free plan.

Ingredients:

• Baby gem or romaine lettuce

• Protein of choice: chicken, turkey or prawns (you can use leftover meat, e.g. from a roast or ready made rotisserie chicken); vegetarians can use chickpeas

• Hard boiled egg

• Parmesan or Grana Padano or hard sheep´s chees like Manchego or similar

• Optional: crispy bacon, a few anchovies

  Salad dressing, lazy version:

• 2 table spoons of quality mayonnaise, preferably made with olive oil

• 1 tea spoon of Dijon mustard

• 2 table spoons of freshly boiled water

• 1/2 small clove of garlic, skip if sensitive

Instructions:

1. Combine dressing ingredients with a fork.

2. Roughly tear the leaves and place on a plate. Add dressing and coat the leaves with your hand.

3. Arrange toppings: spread the protein, bacon, eggs and anchovies and sprinkle with shaved cheese.

Ratatouille

Fantastic side that goes well with any source or protein (meat, fish, eggs, cheese - e.g. grilled Halloumi) and is so versatile that you can use leftovers to make soup or shakshuka for breakfast or lunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper

• 2 small to medium courgettes

• 2 small aubergines or 1 large

• 2 red onions and 1 white

• 5 tomatoes (take skin off by dipping in boiled water for a minute) or 400ml tin of chopped tomatoes

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 3 table spoons of olive oil

• Optional: 1 bulb of fresh fennel, 1 clove of garlic, favourite herb(s): dry oregano, thyme, rosemary or basil

Method:

1. Dice all vegetables, finely slice or mince the optional garlic.

2. Heat up oil over medium heat, add vegetables except tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. This will release sugar from the veg and slightly carmelise them.

3. Add tomatoes and optional herbs, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.

4. Season to taste.

Peanut butter treats and snacks

After dinner:

If you´ve just had a meal and feel like something sweet, wait for 15 minutes and see how you feel then. By this time, glucose from food should reach your cells and the craving often goes away. If still craving a dessert (perhaps because of insulin resistance), try the options below. The fat in peanut butter will make you want less sugar. Do not have these as a replacement for a snack or meal. This can be used as dessert replacement only.

• Max. 2 dates stuffed with a flat tea spoon of peanut butter, can be topped with an additional nut. Alternatively, you can stuff the date with ghee and top with a nut.

• Max. 2 pieces of dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa) topped with a flat tea spoon of peanut butter.

Between meals:

The options below make wonderful snacks if you get peckish between meals. It´s better to eat rather than letting glucose drop too low as this stimulates inflammation.

• Apple quarters with 1/2 tea spoon of peanut butter on each.

• Celery stick cut into three and filled with peanut butter. You can also top it up with hard cheese like cheddar.

Frittata and egg muffins

Frittata is a perfect anytime dish. You can make a large portion to last you a few days as it keeps well in the fridge. Use any ingredients that you like - the options are endless. Below you will find a coupe of suggestions.

Egg muffins are basically the same thing, just in a different form - single muffins. They are fun and appeal to kids.

Both are great for lunchboxes.

Ingredients:

For the base, you need eggs (between 2 - 10, with 2 being one portion) and salt. Beat the eggs and season to taste. Now you can add the ‘toppings’:

• Mediterranean version: bell pepper, red onion, tomato, courgette, feta or goat’s cheese, finely chopped herbs of choice, e.g. basil, mint

• Spinach version: defrosted spinach cubes (leaves are better than fine), diced cold potatoes, feta, minced clove or garlic, a pinch of nutmeg is a nice bonus

• Bacon version: diced back or streaky bacon, diced onion, grated cheddar

• Tuna version: tinned tuna drained of liquid or oil, finely chopped onion, diced tomato, grated cheddar

• Mushroom version: sliced mushrooms (e.g. button or portbello), finely chopped onion, ham, grated cheddar

Feel free to skip or replace ingredients. These can get very creative!

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. Grease an ovenproof dish (frying pan, ceramic or Pyrex style) or use a greased muffin tray. Pour in the egg base and add the selected toppings.

3. Place in the oven until the top is solid and golden. You can pierce it with a knife and if runny egg comes out, it needs more time in the oven.

4. Cool down and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Serving suggestion: with a salad.

Home made liver pills

photo: www.truorganicbeef.com

Improve blood quality, liver health and detox without the taste of liver!

No supplement will help to build iron, ferritin and provide active B vitamins like these magic ´pills´.

Ingredients:

• Fresh liver, preferably pasture raised. Lamb´s liver is always a safe bet.

Instructions:

1. Rinse the liver well and pat dry.

2. Cut into pill-size bites that will be comfortable to swallow.

3. Spread the liver pieces on a piece baking / parchment paper. This will prevent them from sticking together..

4. The next day (after they freeze), place the liver pieces from the paper into a tupperware box. Keep them in the freezer for 14 days before you start taking them. This period of time ensures that the raw liver will be perfectly safe for consumption.

5. Take your frozen liver supplement with water before or with each meal.

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.

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:

1. Beat the eggs with almond milk and a good pinch of salt.

2. Cut the mushrooms into little wedges or slice them. Sauté in 2 tea spoons of butter for 10 minutes.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Once almost set (omelettes should not be overdone and dry), place the cooked spinach, mushrooms and crumbled cheese.

6. Fold in half, slide on a plate and enjoy on its own or with a side salad.

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:

1. Place spices in water and boil for 15 minutes. The heat will release the aroma and warming properties of the spices.

2. Take off the heat and add tea of choice, steep for 3 minutes.

3. 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.

4. Pour into a cup and you can add milk of choice and sweeten with honey, maple syrup, molasses or coconut sugar.