Chicken Caprese

Ingredients:

• 120-130g of chicken breast(s) per person, whole or sliced thinner

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 tea spoon of sea salt

• A big pinch of each, dried oregano and dried basil, or Italian seasoning (it should already have garlic powder so don’t add any extra)

• 1/3 tsp garlic powder

• Fresh mozzarella (preferably bufala), cut into 1 cm slices; 3 slices per 1 piece of chicken

• 2 small tomatoes

• 4 basil leaves but it’s ok without too as the chicken has already been marinated in dried basil

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 200 Celcius degrees

2. Heat an ovenproof skillet or griddle pan

3. Combine the oil, herbs, salt and garlic powder

4. Coat the chicken in the marinade

5. Place the chicken in the hot skillet or griddle pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side

6. Take the chicken off heat and place mozzarella and tomato slices on top. Transfer to the oven for the next 3 minutes

7. Plate up and garnish with a splash of balsamic vinegar, extra olive oil and fresh basil

Creamed spinach two ways

Ingredients:

• 500g frozen spinach

• 1/2 cup of dairy or oat cream or 2 table spoons of mascarpone or 100 ml of the thick part of coconut milk

• 1 clove of garlic, minced or chopped, or 1/4 tea spoon of garlic powder

• 1 table spoon of butter or ghee or a splash of olive oil

• Salt and pepper to season

• Optionally: 1/4 tea spoon of nutmeg powder (goes very well with spinach)

Instructions:

1. Heat the fat of choice and add garlic. Sauté for a minute.

1. Add frozen spinach and cover. Once defrosted, cook for 5 minutes. You can also take the spinach out of the freezer 2 hours earlier.

2. Add the cream of choice or mascarpone, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Indian style variation:

Add 2 cm of freshly grated ginger and 1 tea spoon of curry powder.

Creamed spinach serving suggestions:

• You can serve it with fish and 2-3 boiled baby potatoes.

• You can spread it evenly in a frying pan, crumble in some feta or paneer and place eggs on top. Cover the lid and cook until the eggs are done. It will be like a shakshuka style dish - a great any time meal.

• You can have it with fried or pached eggs on the side, optionally 2-3 baby potatoes and a glass of kefir / yoghurt.

• You can place grilled halloumi on top.

Broccoli and leftover chicken salad

Ingredients:

• Raw broccoli, green parts only, cut into little pieces (you can leave the stems for a cream of broccoli soup); if you have digestive issues you can cook the broccoli first and let it cool down

• Diced or shredded leftover chicken

• Diced or crumbled feta (skip if dairy free)

• A handful or almond flakes

• For the sauce: 1 heaped table spoon of mayonnaise, 1/2 tea spoon of Dijon mustard, 1 table spoon of water, 1/2 minced clove of garlic or garlic powder which is easier to digest

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients and enjoy. If you’re hungry, you can have 2 eggs on the side in any form of preference.

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.

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.

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.

Asian style soup

Ingredients for 1 portion:

• 1 mug of any meat stock or bone broth, home made or shop bought

• 100g of protein of choice (sliced chicken breast, thinly sliced steak, prawns, tofu), can be precooked - leftover roast or steak

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1-2 table spoons of soy sauce (tamari is my preference as it’s wheat free)

• 1 table spoon of tahini (optional but it lifts the flavour)

• A big handful of vegetables of choice: bok choi / green beans / menge tout / carrot / bell pepper / mushrooms (shiitake are a great fit) / spring onions / fresh chilli, you can also use a ready made stir fry veggie mix from a supermarket

• Optional spices: 2 cloves, 1 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 5 coriander seeds (throw in whichever of these you’ve got)

• Optional garnish: a wedge of lime, fresh coriander, sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Bring the meat stock to a slow boil. Add soy sauce, garlic and tahini. Stir and add the protein of choice and vegetables. Cook until the protein has set. Veggies should still be crunchy. If you are using protein that has already been cooked, add it last to just warm it up.

2. Garnish with a squeeze of lime and fresh coriander.

Serving suggestion: with rice noodles / 100% buckwheat soba noodles / courgette ‘noodles’

Tapas style meal (bits of everything)

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Bit of everything on a plate that works well for any meal - just make sure it contains protein, fibre and good fats. Good strategy to clear the fridge.

Good choices for a combination plate: traditionally cured meats, smoked salmon, tinned tuna, defrosted baby prawns, hummus, olives, vegetable crudites, avocado, nuts, fruit, Greek yoghurt for dipping, mozarella buffala, Feta, grilled halloumi or any quality hard cheese.

Arrange all on a plate and enjoy. It doesn´t need to look as pretty as in the photos :)

Stir-fry

A dish that you can eat every single day. By changing vegetables and proteins, this is a great way to provide the body with a high nutritional value in a convenient, fast and repeatable way.

Exposing vegetables to a higher temperature for a shorter period of time opens up fibre strands, making nutrient extraction easier. At the same time, it is still rich in fibre to feed your gut microbes, and is easier to digest than raw vegetables.

Digestibility of food is the most important concept in my approach to nutritional therapy.

Ingredients:

• Protein of choice: beef, chicken, clams, prawns, tofu, turkey, etc.

• Vegetable(s) of choice: broccoli, carrot, cabbage, red pepper, shiitake or button mushrooms; you can also use ready made stir fry veggie mixes from a supermarket

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced

• 1 table spoon of oil of choice

• Splash of water

• Soy sauce, tamari is my favourite as it´s wheat free but if you are sensitive to soy, you can use coconut aminos

• Optional ingredients: a thumb size piece of ginger - finely chopped or grated, peanuts, cashews, chilli, fresh coriander

• Optional sauce ingredients: 1 table spoon of unsweetened peanut butter, 1 tea spoon of Chinese 5 spice, honey or coconut sugar, lime juice

Method:

1. Start by coating your protein in a little soy sauce.

2. Heat up a wok or large frying pan well, add oil.

3. Cook your protein on high heat for 2 minutes while stirring and set aside.

4. Add a little bit more oil to the empty work or pan, add the vegetables and a splash of water to create steam.

5. Cook for 5 minutes while shaking the work or pan every now and then to let the collected water out and prevent vegetables from sogging.

6. Add sauce ingredients of choice, mix well and serve.

   Serving suggestions: with 100% buckwheat soba noodles, rice, rice noodles, cauliflower ´rice´ or courgette ´noodles´

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.

Stir-fried sides

A stir-fry brings Asian food to mind straight away but it can belong to any cuisine. Depending on the flavours you wish to achieve and your creativity, mix any vegetables that you have at home and add relevant spices or herbs. After all, stir-frying is just a cooking technique that doesn´t call for specific products. Stir frying is fantastic as you can maintain the crunch while opening the fibre strands, making veggies easier to digest. You can either add your protein to the mix or do it separately (like a steak, for example).

Ingredients:

• Assorted vegetables of choice - you can get packaged vegetable mixes in supermarkets

• 1 heaped table spoon of coconut or olive oil

• For an Asian style stir fry: tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos, freshly chopped ginger, chopped garlic, honey

• For Mediterranean style stir-fry: salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic and basil or green or red pesto (can be vegan)

• No style, just any veg: salt, pepper, optional herbs of choice

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan, add vegetables

2. Immediately, add a splash of water to create steam.

3. Every now and then, move the wok or pan to dispearse the heat evenly and prevent fthe veg from burning. Add more water if needed.

4. When almost ready, add flavourings, toss and cook for an additional minute.

Shakshuka

This is an anytime dish which you can have with a side of additional vegetables, like a salad for example.

Ingredients:

• Leftover ratatouille

• 1/4 tea spoon of dry cumin and dry or fresh chilli, if you like

• 2-4 eggs

• Optional: chorizo slices, pieces of feta cheese, fresh coriander or parsley, lime wedge to serve

Method:

1. Place ratatouille in a frying pan. Add spices and mix through. If too thick, you can add a little passata or water mixed with tomato puree. Add chorizo and / or feta cheese if using them.

2. With a spoon, make holes for the eggs and crack them in.

3. Cover with a lid and cook until egg whites are set.

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.

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:

1. Melt ghee or coconut oil and saute onion until brown

2. Add all spices and garlic, saute for 3 minutes

3. Stir in carrots, saute for 1 minute

4. Add stock, potatoes, lentils and tomato puree; cook for 20 minutes

5. Add coconut milk and spinach (cook until wilted or defrosted); season to taste

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.

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:

1. 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.

2. Add stock and tomatoes, and cook everything for 15 minutes.

3. 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

Thai style kaki salad

Ingredients for the salad:

• 1 kaki, cut into strips

• Juice of at least 1/2 lime; the tanginess of lime is fantastic here

• 1 tea spoon of fish sauce or tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos

• 1 tea spoon of unrefined sugar like coconut or panela but honey works too

• Roughly chopped or torn coriander or basil leaves, or a combination of both

• Handful of peanuts or cashews

Method:

1. Dressing: in small jar, combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar or honey and combine by shaking well. Pour over the kaki and coat well.

2. Arrange the dressed kaki on a plate. Sprinkle with leaves of choice and top with peanuts or cashews; best when they are chopped and slightly roasted but this is optional.

Works well with frilled meats and fish, especially pan seared tuna.