Tuesday's Change Week 27 - Spice it up!

People often complain that healthy food is boring and tasteless. Cardboard or grass are often terms used!

But it doesn't have to be that way. Not only are herbs and spices full of flavour they are so good for you too. Spices don't have to make things taste hot and uncomfortable they just add flavour and interest while making you healthy at the same time.

My favourite herbs and spices are listed here along with some recipes I include them in. I've also listed their amazing benefits with some tips on how to add them seamlessly into your diet.

Ginger
Benefits - Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, it is a natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 
Recipes: - Healing Soup, Carrot Cake Muffins, Burgers
Tips: Fresh ginger root is best but if you can't get this dried ginger is better than none. Grated fresh ginger in some sparking water is delicious on a hot day with a slice of lemon. Or add it to sauces, curries, stir-frys etc.


Garlic 
Benefits - Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral. It is good for colds/flus and infections.
Recipes - Guacamole, Chicken Kiev, Healing Soup, Spicy Sausage Stew, Burgers, Pesto
Tips - Garlic is smelly but can really spice up a meal. The benefits far out weigh having smelly breath for a few hours!


Cinnamon
Benefits - Cinnamon helps to lower your blood sugar and burn fat more effectively.
Recipes - French Toast, Carrot Cake Muffins, Granola, Pancakes
Tips - Cinnamon is a great replacement for sugar in foods as it almost tastes sweet. People add it to their coffee or in baking.

Turmeric
Benefits - See my blog post here on the amazing benefits of Turmeric
Recipes - See the post above and Spicy Sausage Stew, Healing Soup
Tips - This spice is best used fresh, it looks similar to a small root of garlic. It has an intense yellow colour so be careful of getting it on your skin or counter tops!


Paprika
Benefits - Paprika is high in Vitamin A, E and Iron. It also has anti ageing properties, prevents hair loss and promotes sound sleep.
Recipes - Sweet Potato Wedges, Chicken Kiev, Spicy Sausage Stew, Burgers
Tips - Paprika doesn't have too strong a flavour and so can be added easily to most savoury foods.

Cumin
Benefits - Cumin aids digestion, lowers blood sugar and prevents hypoglycaemia (excellent for people with diabetes), fights viral infections, is rich in Iron and has many other benefits 
Recipes - Burgers, Spicy Sausage Stew, Healing Soup
Tips - Cumin is best paired with red meat or tomato based dishes. A small amount is enough to enhance any dish.

Rosemary
Benefits - Rosemary boosts immunity, increases circulation, aids digestion, is an excellent anti-inflammatory - great for asthmatics, and increases concentration. 
Recipes - Sweet Potato Wedges
Tips - Rosemary tastes delicious with meats and vegetables. Fresh is best, I have a small herb plat that I take sprigs from while cooking.

So this week's Tuesday's Change is to add some spices or herbs to at least one meal a day, if not all of them. Get experimenting and trying out different combinations. You don't have to limit yourself to the ones listed above. Every spice or herb has a benefit.

Any questions about this change or any of the other previous ones just ask!

Spicy Sausage and Sweet Potato Stew

If there is one thing Germany is know for it's Sausages! And I must admit their range and quality of ingredients is great. So I've come up with this new recipe to showcase just how you too can experience the flavour and enjoy this delicious combination.


If you are in Ireland then O'Flynn Sausage (check them out here) do an amazing range of high quality sausages. They are 95% meat with some spices and herbs. Nothing else, no nasty ingredients. Please avoid using highly processed, low meat content sausages for this recipe. In Germany the general Bratwurst you get in the supermarket are typically 97% pork with spices and salt and so these are also perfect.

For the spicy sausage in Ireland SuperValu do a great Chrizo that is just pork, paprika, garlic and salt. No other nasty ingredients or fillers. In Germany you can get lots of gluten free, sugar free cured and smoked sausages to add some spicy flavour. Rewe do a great range and they aren't too pricey.

Ingredients:

4-5 large high quality pork sausages
1 stick of chrizo or 4 small sticks of cured sausages
3 large organic sweet potatoes, washed and chopped. You can leave the skins on.
1 large chopped organic red onion
1 chopped organic sweet pepper
2-3 handfuls of organic spinach (frozen spinach chunks shown here)
3-4 cloves of chopped garlic
1 large jar or organic tomato sauce, just tomato and salt no other ingredients
2 table spoons of Turmeric
1 table spoon of Paprika
1 table spoon of Cumin

Method:

Chop all ingredients. 

Sear the sausages (fresh and smoked/cured) in a large pan for 5-10 minutes. 

Add in the vegetables and stir well.

Cover all the ingredients in the tomato sauce and simmer on a low heat (or in a slow cooker) for 25-30 minutes until the meat is cooked and sweet potato is soft to the touch.

Serve piping hot in a large bowl with a generous spoon! 

Prep Time:

5-10 minutes

Cooking time:

30 minutes

Dietary Information:

Paleo

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Sugar Free

High in Protein

Low in carbohydrate. High in good carbohydrates - sweet potatoes

Full of healthy vegetables

Cumin aids digestion, lowers blood sugar and prevents hypoglycaemia (excellent for people with diabetes), fights viral infections, rich in Iron.

Paprika is high in Vitamin A, E and Iron. It also has anti ageing properties, prevents hair loss and promotes sound sleep.

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory with amazing healing and cancer fighting benefits.

Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral so excellent for fighting colds and flu.

Storage Instructions:

I typically make a big batch of this. It keeps in the fridge for a couple of days and is nice cold or heated up the next day for lunch.

It can also be frozen in batches.

Enjoy this healthy, hearty, tasty and easy to make meal.

Paleo Chicken Kiev

I made these last Friday night as a nice treat dinner. They are so easy to make and taste delicious.

I served them with some oven chips and fresh broccoli and it made for such a nice Friday night dinner with a movie.

You can use chicken, turkey or pork for these. 

Ingredients:

Meat of choice - turkey, chicken or pork.

5 heaped teaspoons of ground almonds/almond flour

1 egg beaten

Pinch of salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon of Paprika

1-2 cloves of freshly grated garlic (per 2 portions of meat)

1 teaspoon of butter (per portion of meat)

Chives or parsley to taste

Method:

Place the almonds, salt, pepper and paprika in a bowl. 

Place the beaten egg in a separate bowl.

Take your meat fillet and either flatten it or slice into the meat in order to stuff it with filling. If it's a flat thin piece of meat you can roll the meat around the filling.

Grate/press the fresh garlic and mix with butter and some chives or parsley.

Place the garlic butter in the centre of the meat.

Dip the meat in the beaten egg, ensuing it is full coated. Then dip in the ground almond and spice mix until all the meat is fully coated.

Place the now coated meat in some loosely wrapped tinfoil and bake in the oven at 170 degrees for 15-20 minutes (depending on the meat) until the meat is fully cooked and coating is crispy.

Enjoy!

Preparation Time:

5-10 minutes

Cooking Time:

15-25 minutes

Dietary Information:

Paleo

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Sugar Free

Low Carbohydrate

High in lean protein

Good fats - butter and almonds

Omega 3 from the almonds (brain food)

Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral so excellent for fighting colds and flu

Serving suggestions:

Excellent with sweet potatoes, rice, fresh salad or greens. 

Enjoy!

Carrot and Ginger Soup - Healing Super-food soup!

Carrot and Ginger Soup

This is a fantastic soup for those cold, winter days but it also lovely and refreshing in the summer. It’s cheap to make, can be kept in the fridge for over a week or frozen in portions.

It has lots of healing ingredients and so is perfect if you are feeling under the weather or run down.

All that and it tastes great too! What’s not to like?

Check out the Dietary Information section below to see all the healing properties of this wonder soup.

Ingredients:

Makes about 6 portions

4 large Organic Carrots

3 Organic Spring Onions

2 cloves of Organic Garlic

2 roots of peeled Organic Ginger (about 2 inches each)

1 teaspoon of Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon of Turmeric Powder

2 heaped tablespoons of Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

Veg Stock cube (Organic and Gluten Free preferable or make your own!)

Water/Yogurt/Coconut Milk or Cream as desired

Method

Melt the coconut oil in a large pot until liquid. Add in roughly chopped onions, garlic and ginger and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add in roughly chopped carrots and stock cube and cover with water.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are slightly soft.

Transfer the mixture (including water) to your blender and blitz thoroughly. You can also use a hand blender directly in the pot.

Add in cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper to taste.

This makes a robust, thick soup. If you don’t mind the added fat/calories and want to make it creamier then add in yogurt or coconut milk/cream as desired.

Prep + Cook Time

Prep time: 5-10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Equipment needed

Large Pot, Blender

Dietary Information

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Paleo

Vegetarian and Vegan

Sugar Free

Contains good fats

Two of your 5 a day

Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral – good for colds/flus and infections

Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 

Coconut Oil has many healing properties. It contains good fats and helps you burn fat better. It also helps your brain function more effectively.

Turmeric is a wonder spice it lowers cholesterol, it is cancer fighting and has anti-inflammatory properties among many others. It has recently been proven more effective than 14 Pharmaceutical drugs! More info here

Carrots are full of Vitamin A and beta-carotene (anti-oxidant that repairs cell damage), they improve your eyesight, cleanses the skin and slows down ageing! 

Cumin boosts your immunity, great for asthma or respiratory issues and is good for skin issues.

Storage Instructions:

Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for over a week. I usually make a large batch, portion it up and freeze. It can be defrosted, heated and ready to eat in less than 10 minutes!

Serving suggestions

Best served fresh with a few curls of freshly grated ginger on a dollop of organic yogurt or coconut cream.

Spinach Pesto

Spinach Pesto

I love Pesto and let’s be honest there aren't many dishes that don’t taste better with a little (or a lot) of Pesto. It is typically made with basil leaves and basil is a brilliant antibacterial agent but to help increase my intake of Spinach I substituted the basil for spinach instead. This recipe can be made with Spinach, Kale or Basil or a combination of all 3. It is made in 5 minutes and keeps in the fridge for 3-4 weeks (sometimes longer) so I usually make a batch and store it. It’s so handy to have it prepared and ready in the fridge for those days you are in a rush and want some instant falvour.

Ingredients:

2 – 3 cups of Organic Spinach (packed) – can use Kale or Basil or combination of all 3

1/2 cup of Cheese (parmesan works best but you can use what’s in the fridge!)

1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive oil (I used the one I brought back from Italy – Delicious!)

1/3 cup of Pine nuts

3 large Organic Garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

Using a blender/nutribullet/mixer blitz the spinach and pine nuts until they form a paste. Add the garlic and chunks of cheese and blend. As the mixer is on slowly add the olive oil ensuring it is evenly added. Using a spoon (or your finger!) taste the mixture and add Salt and Pepper until it is seasoned to your liking. Enjoy!

Prep Time

3-5 minutes

Equipment needed

Blender/Mixer/Nutribullet

Dietary Information

This recipe is:

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Paleo

Vegetarian (Can be made Vegan if you leave out the cheese)

Sugar Free

Contains good fats

One of your 5 a day

Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral – good for colds/flus and infections

Spinach is high in fibre, chlorophylls, Calcium and antioxidants

Pine Nuts are high in good fats and protein

Storage Instructions:

Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. Can keep longer depending on the quality of your oil.

Serving suggestions

I use this pesto with pretty much everything! Here I used it as a topping for some Salmon darns. Just baste it on top and bake in the oven!

It can be used on pasta, rice noodles, to coat or stuff in chicken, as a topping on soups, on garlic bread, as a dip for carrot or celery sticks, in salads and on canapés with sun-dried tomatoes (drool!) and anything else you typically use pesto for.

Send me in any suggestions or pics of how you used it. I’d love to hear from you!

No time to cook? What about this quick and easy Omelette?

So I am absolutely exhilarated and exhausted! This morning I organised a big event at my gym CrossFit Cork which was a total success. It was a Morning Rave as a fundraiser called Rave and Shine Cork. The aim of the event was to facilitate some craziness, allow people let lose, dance and have fun in a sober, safe environment full of joy and positive energy. Everyone who attended floated off to work and hopefully spread the love to everyone they met today. More on this in a future post! Click here to see lots of info and pictures from the day.

So this evening I wanted something quick and easy to prepare that would be tasty and nutritious. This is an ideal meal when you are really pushed for time and want food NOW! 

I always keep eggs in the house. You just can't go wrong with them. They are by far the cheapest, most nutritious and versatile source of protein you can get. I go through about 24 eggs a week! I always buy free range, organic eggs (€1.99 for 6 in Dunnes Stores or source from your local farmer)

Chop garlic, courgette and spring onions and saute in a pan.

Preparation time:
2-3 minutes
Cooking time:
3-5 minutes

Ingredients:
(serves 2)
1     clove of garlic (great for cold and flu season, it has antibacterial and antiviral properties)
1/2  organic courgette
2     organic spring onions
2     handfuls of organic spinach
6     Free range and organic eggs
1     tsp paprika
1     tsp Turmeric
1     chunk of Pecorino Sheep's cheese
Ground black pepper, chilli flakes and pink Himalayan crystal salt to taste.

(These ingredients can be modified to include whatever is left over in your fridge. I often add sweet potato chunks, left over meat, tomatoes, mozzarella etc.)

Add handfulls of spinach, tearing the leaves if they are large. Allow this to wilt slightly.

Method:
Chop garlic, courgette and spring onions and saute in a pan.
Add handfulls of spinach, tearing the leaves if they are large. Allow this to wilt slightly.
Beat eggs with spices and seasoning in a bowl and add to the pan at a low heat.
Cook until the egg is cooked at least 1/2 the way from the bottom.
Add small slices of the hard cheese to the top and finish cooking by placing the pan under the grill.


This recipe makes 2 servings. I usually eat one for dinner and keep one for breakfast the next morning. Simples! That's 2 meals made in under 10 minutes!


So let's check in on how this recipe holds up to my simple 3 item nutritional rule discussed here?

Mainly clean carbohydrates, ideally from vegetables? Check! (courgette, spring onion, spinach)
Palm size of ethically sourced protein? Check! (organic, free range eggs)
Thumb size of good fats? Small check! (cheese) Depending on your goals and allergies you could replace the cheese with coconut oil.

Add small slices of the hard cheese to the top 

Yes I did overcook half of it under the grill. I was checking Facebook (facepalm)

Simple, nutritious, versatile (eggs taste good with EVERYTHING so use up what's in the fridge), affordable and tasty meal. Chow down boys and girls! I'm off to bed. Zzzzz