Thai style buck wheat noodles with Shitake mushrooms

 

Ingredients for 2 people

 

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

100g (4oz) shiitake mushrooms (if you can’t get fresh, use dried and soak them)

2 organic carrots, washed and thinly sliced lengthwise into 5cm lengths

100g (4oz) broccoli, washed and broken into florets

100g (4oz) marinated tofu pieces

1 teaspoon thai spices plus 2 tablespoons coconut milk OR 1 tablespoon soy sauce

200g (7oz) buckwheat noodles

 

Method

 

Heat the olive oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Sauté the garlic for 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms and toss briefly before adding the rest of the vegetables, tofu, spices and coconut milk and enough water for the ingredients to ‘steam-fry’. Cover and turn down the heat until the vegetables are cooked but crunchy. Serve over a nest of cooked buckwheat noodles

 

Nutritional information

Shiitake mushrooms contain a polysaccharide called Lentinan. This compound is understood to boost the body’s immune system and trials have been carried out to look at whether they are beneficial for cancer patients. The results however are mixed.

Take care to cook the mushrooms thouroughly as they can cause a form of Dermatitis in some people, if under cooked.

 

 

 

Daylight during November is limited for us in the northern hemisphere and so we should all be mindful of our vitamin D intake during the next few months. There is significant research showing it to have an important role in keeping our immune system healthy and preventing certain cancers.

 

Oily fish, in particular wild rather than farmed sources, and free-range eggs are excellent sources of vitamin D, so I hope you enjoy this kedgeree recipe, which uses both these foods.

 

Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree

Ingredients

1 tbsp. sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
1 dessert spoon curry powder
200g long grain rice
1 cinnamon stick
4 eggs
2 tomatoes, chopped
300g hot smoked mackerel fillet, skin removed and flaked
3 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Heat the oil over a moderate heat in a large saucepan and add the onion. Cook for 5 – 10minutes until it is softened but not brown. Then add the curry powder and cinnamon stick and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the rice, stir and then add enough cold water to cover 2.5cm above the surface of the rice. Bring to the boil, season, cover and reduce to a simmer. Leave for 12 – 15 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a pan of water for the eggs. Add them when the water is boiling and cook for 7 minutes. Then take them out and plunge into cold water to cool. Peel and cut into quarters.

Chop the tomatoes and parsley and flake the mackerel.

When the rice is cooked discard the cinnamon stick and stir in the eggs, tomatoes, mackerel and parsley. Heat this through and then squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over before serving.

This recipe is adapted from one from Waitrose.

Nicky Seabrook BSc.Dip.IONmBANT CNHC

To find out more about Nicky and nutrition at the Centre visit her page here.

 

 

Recipe of the Month – Hummus

This recipe is in celebration of a study published recently, showing healthy fats do not cause weight gain. Researchers of the Predimed trial found that those on the Mediterranean diet, whose food intake was rich in olive oil and nuts, lost more weight than those on a low-fat regime.

I’ve chosen a hummus recipe after reading about the Predimed study, as it has lots of olive oil in it. I know lots of people will have hummus recipes but various members of my family have commented favorably about this one!

Classic Hummus

Adapted from a recipe in ‘Deliciously Ella’ by Ella Woodward

Ingredients

1 x 400g tin of chick peas, drained

4 tablespoons of olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 heaped tablespoon of tahini

1 clove of garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper

Method

Simply place all of the ingredients into a food processor with 1 tablespoon of water and blend until smooth. The more powerful your food processor is, the smoother and creamier your hummus will be!

Serve with warm pitta bread and salad vegetables

If you’d like to know more about Nicky Seabrook and nutrition at the Centre then call 01394 388234 or visit Nicky’s page here.