Family Favourite - Lamb Tagine

This is so tasty and perfect for these cold winter days. I cooked this for the Strong Like Mum team and families and it was a great hit. Shakira who had been off meat since becoming pregnant was then craving it the following week!

This week I’ve seen a variety of clients and one of the conversations which regularly comes up is keeping food interesting so that we stick to good quality home cooked food over easy options like ready meals. If we are making bland food this is very hard to do and this is why I put this together as inspired by my professional cooking course at Leiths.

The spices in this are not only great for our overall health and reducing inflammation but give it this flavour with some sweetness coming from the dates and apricots. They are soaked which reduces the fructose content slightly but they are with a balanced meal so the impact on blood sugar is minimal.

I always make the full recipe and then can freeze in portions sizes if cooking for a smaller group. As a working mum batch cooking is the only way I can keep myself healthy as regularly I need a quick dinner after work and putting my son to bed. Once you’ve been doing it for a while you will have a freezer stocked with delicious meals. 

Lamb Tagine

Serves 6

Ingredients

1.5kg lamb neck fillet

2 onions

3 garlic cloves, crushed

¼ smoked paprika

1 tbsp ground cumin

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp Himalayan salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

225g ripe tomatoes

100g dates

100g apricots

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp gluten free flour

1 litre chicken stock or alternative stock.

Method

1.     Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a large pan and brown the lamb. Do this in batches as you want it to brown over sweat. In between deglaze the pan with hot water and set aside meat

2.     Wipe out pan and add remaining ghee and sweat the onions over a low heat for 10-15 minutes

3.     While this is cooking blanche tomatoes in hot water for 10 seconds and then cold. This will make them easy to peel.

4.     Chop the apricots and dates, cover with boiling water in a small bowl.

5.     Once onions look translucent then add the garlic and all the spices for 1 minutes. Then add the flour for a further minute

6.     Add the meat to this mixture and stir well. Add enough stock to cover and then the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, once boiling reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes

7.     Drain apricots and dates then add to casserole and simmer for 15-20minutes. If sauce looks very thick add water.

8.     I have served on a kale salad or you could have with rice and green vegetables.

9.     Enjoy! 

Spicy Butter Bean burgers

These are a firm favourite in our house and great now we are going into BBQ season as a meat free alternative. They are vegan and so delicious.

Butter beans, aka lima beans, are a great source of cholesterol lowering fibre. The fibre is also great for managing blood sugar fluctuations, as they prevent blood sugars spiking too quickly (download my e-book for more information on this).

These are fully vegan and do contain protein but for a full protein serve with some whole grains, such as rice and plenty of salad.

These beans are rich in molybdenum which assists in the detoxification of substances like sulfites, copper and alcohol, and it also helps the body to excrete protein breakdown products such as uric acid and petrochemicals.

Ingredients

660g Large butter beans (I use Navarrico)

2 red onions finely sliced

1 carrot – grated

2 cloves of garlic – crushed

2 tbsp tomato puree

2 tsp tamari sauce

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp coconut oil

Method

1.     Sweat the onions for 2/3 minutes

2.     Add the garlic, paprika, cumin and a splash of water to the pan, mix. Add in the grated carrot and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes

3.     Mash beans in a separate pan.

4.     Add to the beans the tomato puree, mustard, tamari and mix well.

5.     Add the vegetables to the pan and mix well.

6.     Season to taste with Himalayan salt and pepper

7.     Make burger patties from the mixture and heat a spate frying pan with coconut oil

8.     Fry the burgers, they will take roughly 5 minutes each side.

9.     Serve with a large salad. 

Carrot Waffles

These are so quick to make and a good way to increase your vegetables in your breakfast if you don’t have any. Carrots are one of the sweeter vegetables so it gives it a great flavour. These are packed with protein so can be a good post workout breakfast or lunch.

These are perfect for packed lunches and can be prepped in the morning and carry well. As you can see from below, this is a regular in my son’s lunchbox and a great way to sneak some carrots in as he is insistent that he doesn’t like them!

I’ve talked a lot about the health benefits of eggs before and carrots are a great source of nutrient too. They are fibre rich (12%) and high in vitamin A, that is great for eyesight (the myth that you could see in the dark with these came from some sound background) but also repair in the body.

Carrot Waffles

1 carrot grated

2 eggs

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use pea protein from Nuzest)

splash almond milk (rough 20 ml)

Method

1-    Preheat oven to 180

2-    Add all of the ingredients to a nutri bullet or similar blender and blitz

3-    Cook in oven for roughly 10 minutes or until the top has crisped over. Alternatively, you could use waffle maker but I personally like these silicon waffle baking moulds. 

Improve your Sleep? Try my Walnut Super Green Paste

This super greens walnut paste is sooo good and perfect to offset those easter eggs. Full of detoxifying herbs and spinach, with some lovely in season wild garlic leaves. I made this to use up some spinach but it’s a great one to have in the freezer and can be added to pasta, so even when in a rush you can offer something nourishing. It is also a great way to add herbs and vegetables to your breakfast. I had on some Organic paleo bread this morning with eggs, full of protein and phytonutrients.

Walnuts give this an even better nutritional composition as they provide protein, healthy fats, including omega 3’s, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

They are rich in the protein l-arginine and therefore great for the cardiovascular system so anyone with family history of this would do well to add in to their diet.

They are rich in vitamin E, folate, omega 3 fats making them great food for brain health. Interestingly a study in 2005 showed that in rat models they increased melatonin levels three-fold, so anyone struggling with insomnia or sleep would benefit in having these in their diet. Melatonin is the hormone responsible for regulating and inducing sleep and is produced in the darkness. Interestingly having white or blue based lights in the bedroom inhibit melatonin, so should be avoided especially in children’s bedrooms.

Walnut Super Green Paste

100g walnuts

½ cup parsley

1 cup Basel

½ cup wild garlic

2 cups spinach

Juice of 1 lemon

6 tablespoons of olive oil

Method

1-    Mill the walnuts in the nutri bullet/blender

2-    Add all of the greens to the blender with the lemon juice and mix for 20 seconds

3-    Mix the walnuts and olive oil to the paste and blender for further 20 seconds, until pesto like consistency

4-    Ready to serve

5-    I then put the leftovers between some folder baking parchment paper and stuck in the freezer for later use. Just break off  what you need. 

Hot and Sour Salmon

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So I recently completed a mini cooking course at Leith’s to really get some good technique behind my cooking. We learnt a variety of things including some good knive skills, boning a chicken and filleting a fish… quite tricky actually! There was a real focus on eating well but being economical about this. For example, buying a whole organic chicken and freezing in portion sizes is much, as much cheaper than buying the chicken breasts separately. It’s all in the preparation and it makes cooking from scratch so much easier. Below are some of the creations we made on the fish week, if you haven't already seen on my instagram profile (@beccanutrition) ..

So I have been much more creative in the kitchen since and this is one of my new favourites that I created…

Hot and Sour Salmon

salmon and sesame seeds

Serves 4

Ingrediants

4 pieces of wild salmon

2 limes

4 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp mustard seeds

4 tablespoons sesame seeds

Pinch crushed chilli’s

Method

1. Heat the over to 190

2. Finely zest the limes and mix the lime zest with the juice of the limes., Dijon mustard and mustard seeds. Add the chilli if desired.

3. Place the salmon skin side down on a lightly oiled baking tray and add the mixture on the top. Once this is completed, top with sesame seeds.

4. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the salmon is opaque and cooked.

5. Delicious served with a salad as above

Health benefits of Salmon: Salmon is rich in omega 3, which is an essential fatty acid. Essential fats aren’t made by the body and we need them in our diet to meet our bodies needs. Omega 3’s are important for brain health and anti-inflammatory. Make sure to buy wild over farmed salmon, due to less toxins.

Bone Broth – New Year, New You

bones

I provided some weight loss tips in my last post, and mentioned that we should all be making some delicious bone broth. Given Christmas is the season of the turkey, the carcass of this festive bird is perfect for making a really nutritional broth, but any other meat bones can be used.

The run up to Christmas usually involves lots of socialising, drinking and generally trying to fit all your work in so you can enjoy a nice Christmas break. Our bodies end up running on adrenaline and then when we finally stop it can all catch up with us.

Bones hold a lot of nourishing minerals, and by boiling them we get to have that in a lovely broth. There is a reason why traditional chicken soup was given when you are ill, as traditionally it would be made by boiling those bones and this stock would provide the base. The nutrients in broth support the immune system so that you make a speedy recovery.

It is also packed with collagen, which helps the body burn fat and build muscle. And it is great at anti-aging, much better than Botox and actually provides long lasting results! As we age, we lose collagen and that causes the skin to lose its elasticity and becomes thinner, causing wrinkles. Using the expensive anti-aging creams do not help to the same degree as it is difficult for your skin to absorb. The collagen in bone broth has already been broken down in the cooking process and is easy to digest, giving you that youthful boost!

Now, if we look at the packaged Chicken soups on the market then you are definitely not getting those nutrients. I checked out the Heinz version for this post and it actually only contains 3% chicken and a whole range of other undesirable ingredients including cornflour, vegetable oil, wheat flour and skimmed milk.

You can simply warm up the broth and drink from a mug (as I do!), or use it as a stock and add it to fresh vegetables and chicken/turkey for a fresh soup, or to stews and casseroles to add a rich and delicious base to the sauce. I sneak it into my son’s food to give him an immune boost over the winter months.

Turkey Bone Broth

Turkey carcuss and bones

1-2 turkey thighs or drumsticks (if leftover)

¼–½ cup apple cider vinegar, depending on the size of the pot

Purified water to just cover the bones and meat in the pot

2–4 carrots, scrubbed and roughly chopped

3 or 4 ribs organic celery, including leafy part, roughly chopped

1 onion, cut into large chunks

1–2 whole cloves garlic

2 teaspoons peppercorns

Directions:

1. Place all the bones and meat in a slow cooker or large stockpot. Add the vinegar and enough purified water to cover everything by 1 inch. Cover the pot and bring to simmer over medium heat.

1. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and peppercorns and reduce the heat down. You want the broth to barely simmer. Cook for at least 6 hours and up to 8, adding water as needed to ensure the bones are always covered with water. (You may have to add water during the cooking process.)

1. When the broth is done, turn off the cooker or remove the pot from the heat. Using tongs and/or a large slotted spoon, remove all the bones and meat. Pour the broth through a fine mesh sieve.

1. Let cool on the counter and refrigerate within 1 hour. You can skim off the fat easily after the broth is chilled, if desired. When chilled, the broth should be very thick, almost jelly like. The broth will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator and 3 or more months in your freezer.

Broccoli and Spinach Omlette

So eggs are a great source of protein, in addition to being a low-cost meal option, full of goodness. My son isn’t a fan of eggs but adding in the banana really disguises that but he is still getting all the health benefits. This is quick to make and if we are in a rush is a great one, instead of opting for sandwiches. For those without kids this could be a great morning kick start or a quick lunch/dinner if short on time with a nice rocket salad.

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Broccoli and Spinach Omlette

2 Eggs

1 small Banana

4 thin spliced broccoli florets

Handful spinach finely chopped

1 teaspoon ghee

Ingredients

1. Melt coconut butter or ghee over a low heat in a frying pan

2. Beat the eggs in a bowl and mash the banana with a fork and add to the eggs

3. Mix in the spinach and broccoli, both finely chopped

4. Add the egg mixture to the pan and turn up to a medium heat. Leave to cook for a few minutes until the bottom looks to have firmed

5. Transfer to the grill on a medium heat to finish cooking the top side, this should take roughly a couple of minutes.

Health benefits of Eggs: Eggs are a great source (plus cheap source) of high-quality protein, which is vital for us all. Eggs also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which help prevent macular degeneration (a leading cause of blindness). In addition, they’re a good source of vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, iron, zinc, folate, phosphorus, and vitamins B6 and B12. So to summarise, nobody can go wrong with eggs.

Eggs did get some bad press in terms of raising cholesterol levels but studies have shown this not to be the case. One recent study found that eating eggs leads to a higher level of HDL (which is the “good” cholesterol) and beneficial changes in LDL (the “bad” cholesterol).

I LOVE Chips (Part 2)

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So after a busy week away, here is the second instalment of chips. As you can see from the 3 recipes provided, you really can use any vegetable in place of normal potatoes, making it a healthier snack for all.

Courgette Fries

3 courgettes

1 egg

75g ground almonds

20g Parmesan

Dried rosemary

Pinch turmeric

Method

1- Preheat over to 200C

2- Slice the ends of the courgettes and cut them into “chip” size

3- Mix the ground almonds, parmesan, rosemary and turmeric together on a large plate.

4- Beat the egg into a separate bowl and dip the courgette into this and then role onto the parmesan mix, coating evenly.

5- Place them on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes or until crispy.

Health benefits of Courgettes: Courgettes are rich in nutrients magnesium and potassium, which help to normalize blood pressure. It has a high vitamin C content and this in addition to the carotenoids it contains, stops the oxidation of bad cholesterol in the blood. Overall this plays a role in promoting a well-rounded healthy cardiovascular system.

I LOVE Chips! (Part 1)

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One of my greatest loves in life (after my husband and son of course) is chips!! A true northern girl! So I’m always looking at ways to make my favourite food healthier. So for all my fellow chip lovers out there, this one is for you.

Kohlrabi Fries

1 Kohlrabi

1 tablespoon butter or ghee

Dried chili Flakes

Salt and pepper to season

Method

1- To prepare, cut off any remaining roots and trim the base. If it is very small you will not need to peel but if it is larger in size then peel off the tough outer skin. You can save the leaves and cook them as a green.

2- Peel some kohlrabi and cut it into sticks and cook on a low heat in some butter or ghee

3- Add a tablespoon of dried chilli flakes (more or less to taste) and cook until softened and a slight crispy outside

4- Season with salt and pepper to taste

Health benefits of Kohlrabi: Part of the brassica family and contain health-promoting phytochemical that studies have shown protect against some cancers. It is rich in many vitamin, minerals and dietary fiber, which is important for weight-loss.

Sweet Potato Fries (A well known classic)

2 sweet potatoes

1 red onion

1 tablespoon butter

Dried chili Flakes

Salt and pepper to season

Method

1- Preheat oven to 180C/350F

2- Cut sweet potato into sticks and place on a baking tray and coat with 1 tablespoon melted better.

3- Cut a red onion into small chunks and spread evenly across the same tray. Season with salt and pepper. If you want additional flavour you could add dried chili flakes.

4- Cook for 30 minutes

Health benefits of Sweet Potato: Sweet potatoes contain twice as much fibre as other types of potatoes. They are high in many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A and beta-carotene, that acts as an important antioxidant in the body, especially in the summer as it helps protect your skin from sun damage by both deflecting and repairing cell damage caused by excessive UV exposure.