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.

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´

Nicoise salad

Ingredients:

• Lettuce leaves of choice

• A handful of green beans (leftover or cooked from frozen are fine)

• 4 halved cherry tomatoes or one regular cut into wedges

• 1-2 hard boiled eggs

• 6-8 olives

• 100-140g of tuna in olive oil or brine, or a piece of fish from last night´s dinner; vegetarians can use feta or grilled halloumi instead

• Dressing: 3 table spoons of olive oil, 2 table spoons of vinegar or lemon juice, 1 tea spoon of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper - shake together in a small jar to create a velvety texture

• Optional: 2 baby potatoes from last night´s dinner cut into wedges (fun fact: cooked and cooled potatoes are low in carbs!);

• Optional: a couple anchovies

Instructions:

Arrange the leaves, beans, tomatoes and optionally onions on a plate, then add potatoes, pieces of fish, quartered egg(s), anchovies and olives. Dress and enjoy.

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.

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.

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.

Easy way to cook fish 2

Ingredients:

• Whole fish

• Splash of refined olive oil

Tools:

• Roasting tray with grilling rack (I use this one)

• Knife

• Baking paper - to protect the tray

Method:

1. Set the oven to grill

2. Make 2-milimetre deep incisions on both sides of the fish

3. Coat the fish in a thin layer of oil

4. Place the fish on the grilling rack inside the roasting tray lined with baking paper

5. Put in the oven. Grill for 10 minutes, turn the fish carefully and repeat on the other side

Serving suggestion: with a touch of salt and lemon juice

Easy way to cook fish 1

If you find cooking fish intimidating, then this recipe is for you. The skin is beautifully crisp while the steam that’s created under the lid keeps the fish moist. Although pan fried, the precious omega 3 fatty acids don’t get excessively damaged because the skin protects the flesh from burning.

Ingredients:

• Fish with the skin on (e.g. salmon darne but any fish fillet with the skin will do)

• Ghee, coconut oil (refined if you prefer neutral taste) or refined olive oil

• Salt

• Lemon juice

Tools:

• Frying pan (small is you only make 1-2 pieces)

• Lid

Method:

1. Heat up the frying pan over medium heat

2. Add enough fat of choice to cover the bottom of the pan

3. Once hot, place the fish skin down and cover with the lid

4. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until the fish looks firm; do not turn

5. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with some sea salt and drizzle with lemon juice