Basic side salad

A basic side salad works with any protein (esp. leftover from last night’s dinner) which makes a good option for a quick meal. ‘Basic’ means that you don’t need anything fancy. Just get a few favourites, arrange them on a plate in any order and dress. You can sprinkle some seeds or almond flakes on top, if you like. If you are having just a protein with the salad, make sure the salad is large - preferably a big bowl.

My favourite vegetables for a basic salad include:

• Lettuce leaves, assorted or one type e.g. lamb’s lettuce, rocket or romaine

• Avocado

• Cucumber

• Bell pepper

• Grated carrot

• Red onions

• Olives

A basic dressing:

• 2 table spoons of olive oil

• 1 table spoon of white wine vinegar

• 1 tea spoon of Dijon mustard, or 1 heaped tea spoon of green or red pesto

• Salt and pepper

  Shake in a small jar and dress the salad

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.