With autumn setting in and the colder mornings, breakfast smoothies or juices may not be quite as appealing. Ideally, the best time to juice is during the spring and summer when the liver operates at a higher metabolic rate. Drinking juices in autumn and winter can overload the liver and hence exacerbate ‘damp’ symptoms such as asthma, eczema and yeast overgrowth. If you still want to enjoy your juice or smoothie you can mitigate this by gently warming the juice and /or adding spices like cayenne pepper or ginger.
5g fresh turmeric or 2 teaspoons dried powder
10 g fresh ginger
A few twist black pepper
1/3 fresh pineapple including core
Juice of 1 fresh lime
2 dessertspoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil
Chillies (optional – I tend not to use when making it for the kids)
2 tbsp. Patak’s korma curry paste (be generous)
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. ground coriander
Four handfuls red lentils
Four handfuls quinoa
1 stock cube (dissolved in about 500ml water)
1 tin coconut milk
Suggested vegetables but do play around with selection: 2 sweet potatoes, 4 carrots, 2 sticks of celery, half a butternut squash, 1 courgette… etc. Peel and chop all the vegetables into small pieces.
Sweat onions on a low heat taking care not to brown in coconut or olive oil for around 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and chillies (if using)and sweat for a further 5 mins. Add curry paste, ground spices and vegetables. Add lentils and quinoa. Stir well, ensuring everything is coated well with paste and spices. Add some stock and simmer slowly, adding stock as the lentils and quinoa mop it up. After about 15 mins – add tin of coconut milk. Add more stock – it’s trial and error to get the consistency to suit you. Simmer for about 20 – 30 mins. Serve in bowls – sooo delicious!
1 teaspoon chia seeds or I sometimes use the ground flax seeds.
1 tablespoon maple syrup
400ml almond milk
300g spelt flour (I play around with this – If I have almond flour I do 60 : 40 – spelt: almond flour)
50g porridge oats (optional)
2 Eggs
2 – 3 Bananas (optional)
Olive oil or butter for frying
Pinch sea salt flakes
Place all the pancake ingredients together in a blender and mix to form a smooth batter (I blend oats first to form a flour and then add other ingredients). Fry in a little oil. I like them done American pancake style – mini and thick. Stack and serve with a dollop of coconut yogurt (or full fat Greek) and a sprinkle of chopped pecans or some fried banana slices and drizzle of maple syrup. Leftovers work well in lunch boxes or as an after-school snack.
1 heaped teaspoon dried mint (or handful fresh mint leaves)
Mix the seeds and herbs together and infuse them in boiling water. Allow to steep for 5 – 10 minutes (depending on how strong a taste you want), then strain and sip.
I never buy a salad dressing; I think it’s so quick and easy to make your own and it tastes so much better. This dressing goes great with most salads.
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of mustard
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
A dash of maple syrup
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Place all ingredients in a clean jar and shake. Taste and tweak the ingredients to suit your palette.
