Red Cabbage Slaw

Eating a variety of colours in your diet doesn't just make your plate look appealing, it is healthy too. That's why I love Red Cabbage! It isn't red so I don't know why this name has stuck but the vibrant purple colour only means one thing. It's packed with nutrients! Particularly flavonoids which are cancer fighting, Vitamin C and K and it also has lots of fibre and minerals. 

You can check out another of my Red Cabbage Recipes HERE

Ingredients:

1/2 head of Red Cabbage (a full one if it's a small size)

1 large carrot

1 apple

4 tablespoons of yoghurt

2 teaspoons of honey mustard

Method:

Using a sharp knife slice the red cabbage into strips, having removed the outer layers and de stalked it.

Grate the carrot and apple.

Mix all the veg together.

Add the yoghurt and mustard.

Mix well. 

Serve!

Dietary Information:

Paleo(ish) - minus the yoghurt. So Moo-Paleo if you will!

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Sugar Free

Vegetarian

2 of your 5 a day

Red Cabbage is packed with flavonoids which are cancer fighting, Vitamin C and K and has lots of fibre and minerals.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! 

Mustard is high in magnesium and selenium which help fight asthma and chest congestion, slows ageing, are anti-inflammatory (can even be rubbed onto joints!), stimulates hair growth and relieves constipation.

Serving Suggestions:

This will keep for at least a week in the fridge. I make up a batch and put it in a sealed container to add to any meal as a great healthy side.

This would be delicious as a side for a BBQ or Burger. Check out my recipes HERE and HERE for Paleo BBQ and Paleo Burger recipes.

Paleo, Italian, Summer Salad

The kids might be back to school and the Sunday evening, sandwich making ritual may have begun but I for one REFUSE to believe summer is over! To make myself feel more summery I decided to experiment with some summer flavours recently and invented my Paleo, Italian Summer Salad.

This is light, tasty, fills you up and takes just minutes to prepare. Even my 'Salads don't fill me up, can I have Chips too?' husband approved of it and said he really enjoyed it. (Spot his chips in the pictures below!)  Here's how you can make it too.

Ingredients:

Chicken/Turkey/Beef (meat optional as always!)

Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Squeeze of lemon juice

Rock Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly chopped Basil, Rosemary, Thyme (I grow these 3 easily and cheaply on my windowsill) 

Sliced fresh mozzarella (comes in a bag of fluid)

Organic vegetables of choice. Here I used:

Rocket

Cherry tomatoes

Yellow and Orange Peppers

Cucumber 

Mustard and Balsamic optional.

Method:

Time allowing, chop your meat and leave it marinade in a few dashes of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, basil, rosemary, thyme. Thoroughly coat all the meat and allow to rest for as long as you have! If you don't have time to marinade just quickly toss the meat in the ingredients and move onto the next step.

Chop all your veggies and arrange as you feel fit on your plate.

On a low, gentle heat in a cermanic pan, cook the meat including oil, herbs and seasoning until fully cooked. 

Slice mozzarella into strips or chunks.

Arrange chicken and mozarella to the side of veggies or on top.

Using any excess juice left in the pan add some balsamic vinegar and a spoon of honey mustard to make a lovely dressing served on the side or drizzled over the top.

Enjoy as is or serve with crinkled oven chips for your husband!

The best thing about this recipe is it's quick and easy to make double portions. I usually make enough for 3 and keep some of everything to the side so I can take it for my lunch the next day. This massively cuts down on waste, time and effort and ensures you have a healthy meal ready to go for the next day.

Prep Time:

5 minutes, more if you marinade

Cook time:

15 minutes or as long as the meat is safely cooked

Dietary Information:
Gluten Free

Wheat free

Sugar Free 

Paleo 

High in protein

Vegetarian - leaving out the meat. Add nuts or more cheese instead.

Olive Oil is full of good fats, Omega 3s and excellent for hair, skin and nails.

Rosemary boosts immunity, increases circulation, aids digestion, is an excellent anti-inflammatory - great for asthmatics - and increases concentration. 

Basil helps clear skin, alleviates stress and worry and boost your mood.

Thyme is a natural disinfectant helping to fight bugs and bad bacteria in the body, lowers blood pressure and helps with coughing.

Enjoy this light, refreshing and satisfying salad anytime of day. And stay strong Jeanies! Summer is NOT over!

Paleo Spicy Beef Fajitas

I try and stick to a general Paleo template when eating. Supplementing with Oats and White Rice when needing an extra boost. But, like most people, you can't force those you live with to do the same. I'm constantly trying to come up with ways to feed myself and my husband and keep us both happy! 

Fajita night is a great way to accomplish this. Check out my recipe here for Paleo Guacamole and Salsa. Freshly made Salsa and Guacamole only takes a few minutes, uses most of the same ingredients and is worth the extra effort. It really adds taste and freshness to the dish. Not to mention they are both packed with healthy ingredients.

To make the Fajitas I mix some lean, beef mince (or can substituted with chicken breast chunks) in the following spice mix:

• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

Once the meat is thoroughly cooked in a pan I add some sliced peppers, onion or any other vegetable of choice. Serve in a warm bowl with the following sides:

Paleo sides:

 - Paleo Guacamole and Salsa

 - Lettuce Cups/Wraps

 - Sliced Lettuce

Non-Paleo Side

 - Flour Tortilla Wraps

 - Sour Cream

 - Grated Cheese

 - Fried spiced Rice
 - Refried beans

This way you can all enjoy the same dinner with you selecting which sides suit your current goals and lifestyle at this time. Everyone wins!

Lunch Time!: I typically make extra of everything and ensure I have enough for a tasty Fajita salad in work the next day. Just add some shredded lettuce to a jar, top with beef mix, cheese, salsa, guacamole and you've a quick and easy meal for the next day! Delish!

Any questions, just ask and I'd love to see some of your photos of recipes you've tried.

Red Cabbage and Apple Salad

Red Cabbage and Apple Salad

This salad is so tasty and cheap to make. It looks wonderful and is full of goodness. It can be made in minutes, no cooking involved and is even nicer on the 2^nd or 3^rd day after making. Check out the Dietary Information section below for all the amazing health benefits.

In the ingredients I've listed ½ a head of red cabbage. The other half will keep for weeks in the fridge in a sealed container so don’t throw it out! Alternatively you can just make double!

Ingredients:

Makes 4-6 servings

½ head of Organic Red Cabbage

1 Organic apple

1 heaped tablespoon of Wholegrain Mustard

1 heaped tablespoon of English mustard

4 tablespoons of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.

Salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil if desired

Additions: Chopped Walnuts are delicious in this salad. As are Raisins.

Method

After removing the stem and first outer leaves of the head of cabbage half, slice thinly with a well sharpened knife. Break up the pieces into a large salad bowl cutting in half if desired.

Chop the apple into quarters, remove the core and seeds and chop each quarter into chunks or slices. Adding these to the bowl.

Add both the types or mustard (if you only have one type double the quantities), Apple Cider Vinegar and drizzle of Olive Oil and mix all together.

Serve.

Prep Time

5 minutes

Equipment needed

Sharp knife, large bowl

Dietary Information

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Paleo

Vegetarian and Vegan

Sugar Free

Contains good fats

Two of your 5 a day

Apple Cider Vinegar is antimicrobial, lowers blood sugar (take note diabetics!), aids fat loss and is good for the heart.

Red Cabbage is packed with flavonoids which are cancer fighting, Vitamin C and K and has lots of fibre and minerals.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! 

Mustard is high in magnesium and selenium which help fight asthma and chest congestion, slows ageing, are anti-inflammatory (can even be rubbed onto joints!), stimulates hair growth and relieves constipation.  

Storage Instructions:

Keeps for over a week in a sealed container in the fridge. If you want to make it in advance you can leave out the apples (they can go brown) and add them in just before serving. I find the cabbage softens out after at least 12 hours and allows the vinegar to soak in. This makes it even nicer served on the second day.

Serving suggestions

I love to eat this salad with some freshly baked, honey glazed Ham. The mustard and honey go so well together.

It goes with lots of other meats too. It’s great for BBQs (roll on the summer!) and is a fantastic side dish to bring to a party.

Can be used to replace coleslaw as a lower fat, healthier option

Cathy's Broccoli Salad

So I hate Broccoli!

But I love Cathy!

Cathy designed my blog, logo and got me up to speed on how best to run this show! You can find her Social Media Consultant business here and her amazing blog and Vintage Shop here. So just for her I said I would do this salad!

If, like me, you hate broccoli but know you should eat more of it (you really should, it's so good for you, it can be grown locally and it's cheap!) then this salad is a tasty way to get it into you without sitting and eating a big bowl of steamed green!

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli (I got mine for 39c in Dunnes as it was on a weekly deal. It wasn't Organic but it was Irish grown)
1 tub of sundried tomatoes
1 packet of small mozzarella balls (Mozzarella is one of the lowest fat cheeses)
2 handfuls of chopped walnuts (walnuts have the best Omega 3/6 ratio and are one of the healthiest nuts full of good fats and protein)
2 teaspoons of Olive Oil

Method:

Steam or boil the Broccoli florets until just tender.
Leave to cool.
Add cheese and tomatoes.
Chop walnuts and sprinkle on top
Drizzle with olive oil.

Mix well and serve!

Alternative Ingredients:

Add chicken or sausage or alternative meat to make it a whole meal as opposed to side salad
Feta cheese works well instead of Mozzarella
Pine nuts can replace walnuts
Add Sweet potato wedges for some extra carbohydrates to make it a more substantial meal.
Replace sundried tomatoes with quartered cherry tomatoes for a lower fat option.


Happy green eating!