It's been nearly a month since you made those resolutions to eat healthy and stay fit. If you're struggling for ideas, take a look at these healthy twists on modern staples.
Green Burgers with Green Sauce
Ingredients:
For the green sauce:
- ¾ cup coconut yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salted capers
- 1 salted anchovy
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- A small bunch of fresh chives
- A small bunch of fresh parsley
- A small bunch of fresh mint
For the burgers:
- ¾ cup frozen baby peas
- ¾ cups frozen baby fava beans
- 3 ounces fresh spinach
- A small batch of fresh basil
- A small batch of fresh parsley
- ½ pound small cooked shrimp
- 1 heaping tablespoon arrowroot powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg preferably free-range or organic, beaten coconut oil
Instructions:
- To make the green sauce, blend all the ingredients roughly in a food processor. For the burgers, blanch the baby peas and baby fava beans in salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, then scoop out and put into iced water. Once cold, drain and set aside.
- Blanch the spinach, basil and parsley together for 1 minute, then scoop out and put into iced water. Squeeze the cooked spinach and herbs with your hands to get rid of as much water as possible.
- Put all the ingredients, except the egg and the coconut oil, into a food processor. Add the egg gradually while pulsing the mixture into a rough paste (not too smooth). Using your hands, form the mixture into 12 small rounds and flatten each one slightly to form burgers.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in small, deep, non-stick frying pan – the oil should be approximately 1/8 inch deep. Working in batches, lay the green patties in the pan and lower the heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
- Serve the green burgers with a little green sauce.
Boy George’s Steamed Asparagus with Pumpkin-Seed Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
- 1 bulb fennel, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons capers or olives
- 2 handfuls pumpkin seeds
- 1 handful fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large bunch asparagus, trimmed
- Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
- First make the salsa verde. Put the fennel, capers (or olives), pumpkin seeds, mint and yeast flakes into a small food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Add the olive oil and pulse again until well incorporated – you might need to add extra oil to bring the salsa verde together.
- Steam the asparagus for 3 minutes, then serve with the salsa verde drizzled over, or as a dip on the side. Season to taste.
Winter Oxtail Stew with Pumpkin & Kale
Ingredients:
- 2 small onions, finely chopped
- 2 small carrots, thickly sliced
- 1 ½ Cups pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into ¾ inch cubes
- A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 2 red chilies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 pounds oxtail pieces, trimmed of any excess fat
- 2 x 13.5 ounce cans chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 piece kombu seaweed
- 1 large handful kale, stems removed, washed & roughly chopped
Instructions:
- Mix together the onions, carrots, pumpkin, ginger, chilies and garlic and put them into a slow cooker. Push the oxtail pieces down into the vegetable mixture.
- Mix the chopped tomatoes, water and fish sauce together and pour over the oxtail and vegetables, ensuring everything is covered, adding a little extra water if needed.
- Add the kombu to the liquid and stew for 5 to 6 hours on a high setting, or 8 to 12 hours on a low setting. Add the kale for the last 5 minutes of cooking time and remove the kombu before serving.
Mini Carrot Cakes
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of vanilla powder or ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 6 medium carrots, washed and finely grated
- 2 medium eggs, preferably free range or organic, whisked
- 1 x 10 ounce can of coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon coconut syrup
For the icing:
- 1 cup no-aroma coconut butter (not oil) – remove from fridge 10 minutes before using
- Juice of 1 orange, zest of 2 oranges, w some kept aside to garnish
- Pinch of vanilla powder or teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a tray with 20 cupcake liners.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl. Mix the carrots, eggs and coconut milk together in another. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and spoon into the liners – you can fill them up to the top, as these cakes don’t rise very much.
- Cook for 30 minutes, until they are golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Then leave to cool on a wire rack.
- To make the icing, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth, reserving a little of the zest to sprinkle over the top. Spread the icing on top of each cooled cake with a knife.
- Put the cakes into the fridge for 10 minutes for the icing to firm up, then serve decorated with the reserved zest.