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.

Energising smoothie

Maca root is one of my favourite medicinal plants. It is known for its ability to increase energy, improve cognitive function, support the adrenal glands, boost athletic performance and libido. It pairs well with cacao or cocoa for an enhanced function but this is not a must.

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.

Smoothies are also a convenient way to include many functional foods in one meal, from good fats and collagen to raw egg yolks.

Ingredients:

• 1 small ripe banana or 1/2 large

• 1 heaped table spoon of almond butter, alternatively you can use peanut butter

• Optional: 2 tea spoons of cocoa or cacao powder

• 1 tea spoon of maca root powder (supermarkets, health food stores)

• 1 serving of protein powder like whey isolate or vegan, ideally together with 1 serving of collagen

• 2 tea spoons of chia seeds

• 1 egg yolk (read here why I recommend raw egg yolks)

• Almond or full fat coconut milk, to achieve a desired consistency

• A pinch of unrefined salt (anything but table salt)

Instructions:

Blend 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 and smooth digestion.

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.

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.

Kitchari

Kitchari, a porridge-like ayurvedic dish, is comforting and detoxifying. Works well for either breakfast, lunch or dinner. It keeps well in the fridge so you can consume it every day for a few days. This recipe makes 2-3 portions.

Ingredients:

• 50g red lentils (originally, the recipe calls for mung beans but lentils are much faster to cook)

• 100g basmati rice

• Clarified butter / ghee or coconut oil

• 2 cm of fresh ginger, finely chopped

• 1 tea spoon of cumin seeds or 1/2 tea spoon of ground cumin

• 1 tea spoon of black mustard seeds, skip if you haven´t got any

• 1/4 tea spoon of coriander powder

• 1/4 tea spoon of turmeric powder

• 750 ml - 1 litre of water or stock

• Vegetables of choice (carrot, green peas, spinach and shiitake mushrooms work well)

• Optional: yoghurt (can be goat, sheep or plant based), sesame seeds, fresh coriander

Method:

1. Wash the lentils and rice. If you want to save time, you can keep them in water overnight. They will cook very fast the next day.

2. Heat a table spoon of ghee or oil in pot and add all spices for a minute to release the aromas.

3. Add liquid and the rest of ingredients, and cook for 20 minutes (10 minutes if pre-soaked)

   The lentils and rice should be mushy and have porridge-like consistency.

   Serve with extra ghee or oil stirred in and optionally top with a heaped table spoon of yoghurt for extra protein, sesame seeds and fresh coriander.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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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

1. Place oats in water, add chopped apricots or apple sauce. Cook for 10 minutes.

2. Add chia seeds, coconut oil and salt.

3. 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

1. Cook oats in coconut milk for 10 minutes, add salt and coconut oil.

2. 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.

3. 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

1. Cook miller groats in water and coconut milk for 20 minutes.

2. Mash 1/2 banana and add it to the porridge along with a pinch of salt and cinnamon.

3. 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.

4. 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

1. 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.

2. 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

1. Place the squash and water in a saucepan, heat up and mash with a fork.

2. Add nut butter, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and stir until smooth.

3. Top with coconut yoghurt and berries or anything else that you like.

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.

No grain-ola (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

• 7 table spoons of melted coconut oil

• Optional: vanilla essence, freeze dried strawberries or raspberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Line large baking tray with parchment paper

2. Mix nuts, seeds and cinnamon and coconut oil in a big bowl

3. Place granola on the baking tray and spread out evenly

4. Bake for 20 minutes and add coconut (if you add it at the beginning, it will burn)

5. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until it’s golden brown.

6. 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.

Mango lassi style 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.

Smoothies are also a convenient way to include many functional foods in one meal, from probiotic foods and collagen to raw egg yolks.

Ingredients:

• 1 small ripe mango or 1/2 large

• 5 table spoons of full fat Greek or coconut yoghurt

• 1 serving of protein powder like whey isolate or vegan, ideally together with 1 serving of collagen

• 2 egg yolks (read here why I recommend raw egg yolks)

• Optional: pinch of ground cardamom and / or a few drops of rose water

Instructions:

Blend and enjoy.

To feel fuller for longer, use crunchy toppings like almond flakes or toasted coconut chips. This will stimulate chewing, which plays a big role in satiety signalling and smooth digestion.

Probiotic coconut yoghurt

In the era of questionable quality of dairy, coconut yoghurt comes to the rescue. Making your own is easy, cheaper than shop-bought and yealds more probiotic strength than probiotics on their own.

Ingredients:

• 400ml of full fat coconut milk

• 2 capsules of quality multi-strain probiotic or a double serving of probiotic powder, or 2 BioGaia Gastrus tablets

• Optional: 2 tea spoons of gelatin powder - if you prefer a thicker consistency

Method:

1. Pour the cream or milk into a saucepan and heat it up (not boil).

2. Take off the heat, add gelatin and stir well. Wait until it cools down to room temparature.

3. Add probiotics (crush Gastrus tablets first if you are using these) and stir again.

4. Transfer into a jar, close the lid and keep in room temperature for 48 hours - do not refrigerate during this time

5. Transfer to the fridge and enjoy

About the yoghurt:

Coconuts are rich in fibre which acts as a PREbiotic. What it means is that the fibre feeds the PRObiotic bacteria, making them multiply. In other words, making yoghurt using a probiotic makes more probiotic. It may also colonise the digestive tract better than just probiotics. If you add extra inulin (which is also a prebiotic), it may produce even more probiotic bacteria.

The stomach, although acidic, requires microbial protection just as much as the rest of the digestive tract. Since most probiotics are designed to work in the intestines, yoghurt supports the entire digestive tract, including the mouth.

There are various brands of coconut yoghurt on the market but the quality isn’t always good. They may be free of common allergens but contain unnecessary additives, synthetic vitamins and sometimes soy milk. If you decide to go for a shop-bought coconut yoghurt, make sure it only contains coconut milk, live bacteria and a thickener like tapioca.

Why Gastrus from BioGaia

According to the cardiologist and bestselling author dr William Davis, the two probiotic strains used in the product (Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 and Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938) not only naturally colonise the human gut but have been researched in terms of:

• suppressing appetite and supporting weight loss

• increasing collagen, skin thickness and accelerating skin healing

• improving hormonal balance in both males and females which has a multitude of benefits

The full article and dr Davis’ his recipe can be found here.

Liver lover smoothie

A source of fat (coconut coconut oil) and piperine from cayenne pepper help with the absorption of the key active ingredient in turmeric called curcumin, which supports the first phase of detoxification by the liver. Collagen contains amino acid glycine which is key for the second phase of detoxification. Coconut oil and beetroot will help with bile flow.

Ingredients:

• Handful of fresh or frozen raspberries

• 1/2 cooked beetroot, e.g. vacuum packed (raw is very high in oxalates)

• 1 table spoon of coconut oil

• 1 serving of collagen

• 1 egg yolk (read here why I recommend raw egg yolks)

• Small piece of fresh turmeric or 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

• Water, to achieve a desired consistency

• Optional: 3 drops of rose water

Instructions:

Blend and enjoy.

Almond bread

Ingredients

• 250 g of ground almonds

• 50 g of odourless coconut oil / ghee / butter / lard / goose fat / duck fat (you can also mix different fats and see what flavour you like the most)

• 3 eggs

• 1/4 flat tea spoon of salt

• Optionally: 75 g of assorted seeds (my favourite mix is pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and poppy seeds)

• Optionally: 1 flat table spoon of maple syrup or honey (I like sweetening mine a bit as it results in a more balanced flavour)

Method

1. Mix all ingredients well, it should have a thick, porridge-like consistency. You may add more or less almonds.

2. Place in a greased tin and bake in 150 Celcius degrees for about 1 hour (you want to keep the temperature relatively low, not to damage the precious fats).

• This bread doesn’t raise much and is rather dense; best to make it in a smaller tin. Otherwise, it can be flat

• A little goes a long way which compensates for the price of almonds - no need to cut it thick as it’s very filling

• Keeps very well in the fridge. I always toast it

Note: If seeds make you gassy, give you cramps or you have colon inflammation, mill the seeds or leave them out until the digestive tract gets better. The same goes to sweeteners - some people get digestive symptoms from honey or maple syrup so it is best to substitute with a sweetener that you can tolerate or not use any until digestion improves.

Simple pumpkin pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butternut squash or pumpkin puree; can be tinned

• 1/2 cup unsweetened nut butter

• 4 eggs

• Pinch of salt

• 1 flat teaspoon of cinnamon

• Fat of choice for cooking (ghee, coconut oil, lard, goose fat, duck fat)

Method:

1. Warm a pan on low heat. Once hot, melt a generous amount of fat and make sure that the pan gets hot again. Note: too much heat can burn these pancakes

2. Blend all ingredients except for fat until smooth

3. When the pan and fat are warm, place 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake onto the pan

4. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side

5. Serve with toppings of choice; I recommend adding extra fat on top which will keep you fuller for longer