Tag: tomatoes

Vegan

A CleanCuisine breakfast

Belinda

Let me explain the thought process behind my “CleanCuisine” series.

I am in my 50’s and start to notice physical changes. (very few I’m happy to see!)
It’s also the time of life when you start “wearing” anything you eat and health issues can start to arise.
I loathe diets as I don’t like to be so “nitpicky” about food so I started researching all the different diets and health benefits like low cholesterol, low sodium, low sugar, low fat, gluten free……..

My husband and I both need to start losing some weight, get our cholesterol and blood pressure down, generally try and do better maintenance and enjoy the next 20 to 30 years to the full. The children are grown and living independently and it’s OUR time.

CleanCuisine is to do with eating food that tastes and feels “clean” ie doesn’t give you that oily or buttery “slick” in your mouth, doesn’t make you wake up feeling lethargic and generally makes you feel good as you eat it. It’s not necessarily vegan or vegetarian, however it may lean that way at times. It must, however feel clean as you eat it.

This picture is one of the delicious breakfasts I have some mornings;

1 nectarine, sliced
1 toasted piece of Rudy’s Ancient Spelt Grain bread (Wholefoods have it and it’s non wheat)
1/2 small avocado, spread on to the toast instead of butter, then seasoned with salt and pepper
fresh basil  leaves put on top of the avocado
slices of vine ripened tomatoes on top of the basil leaves, seasoned again with salt and pepper

I forgo the red onion and garlic at breakfast!

Fish · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Jamie’s traybaked salmon with olives, green beans, anchovies and tomatoes

Belinda

This is so light and tangy as the anchovy melts over the vegetables, the cherry tomatoes provide sweetness and juice and the olives a little hit of pure joy

Serves 4

7 oz green beans
20 small cherry tomatoes
1 handful pitted black olives
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
freshly grund black pepper
4 x 8oz thick fillets of wild salmon, with or without skin but definitely pin-boned
2 lemons
1 good handful fresh basil
12 anchovy fillets (the ones in oil)

Top and tail the green beans, blanch them until tender in salted boiling water and drain. Shock in a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process then drain.
Put the beans in a bowl with the cherry tomatoes and the stones olives
Toss in the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper
Give the salmon fillets a quick wash under the tap and pat dry using kitchen paper towels.
Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the fillets, on both sides, then season both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
Preheat the oven and a roasting tray at the highest temperature your oven goes to.
Put your 4 fillets at one end of the roasting tray.
Toss the basil into the green beans, olives and tomatoes and place this mixture at the other end of the tray.
Lay the anchovy fillets over the green beans
Roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and serve with lemon quarters.
This is very tasty especially with some homemade mayonnaise or aioli.
A good cheat’s aioli is done by  adding crushed garlic to a good brand of store bought mayonnaise, say the Helmanns or Kraft brand.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Roasted red peppers with basil, garlic, tomatoes, anchovies and olives

Belinda

Make sure you have lots of crusty bread for these, as the juices are gorgeous!!  This is a recipe I use a lot in the summer months and it’s from the wonderful Delia Smith.
This recipe is quite simply stunning and is better when served at room temperature. It’s important to use a solid, shallow roasting tray 16 x 12 inches, approx. If the sides are too deep, the roasted vegetables won’t get those lovely nutty, toasty edges.

Screen Shot 2017-07-16 at 2.04.24 PM

Serves 4 as a starter

4 large red peppers (green are NOT suitable)
4 – 6 medium, sweet tomatoes
8 – 10 tinned anchovy fillets, drained
6 large cloves garlic
10 dessertspoons Italian extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
A really good handful of fresh basil leaves
2 to 3 Kalamata olives per pepper half, halved or quartered (optional)
Lots of really good focaccia bread (preferably with olives in it!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Begin by cutting the peppers in half lengthways, removing the seeds but leaving the stalks intact. (They’re not edible but they do look attractive and they help the pepper halves to keep their shape)
Lay the pepper halves in a lightly oiled roasting tray. Line the base of each pepper with fresh basil leaves, then cut the tomatoes into quarters and place two quarters in each pepper half. Keep some basil for shredding and garnishing the dish at the end.
After that, snip 1 or 2 anchovy fillets per pepper half into rough pieces and add to the tomatoes. Don’t be put off by the anchovy, you don’t taste it in the final dish, as it melts and just enhances all the flavors.
Peel the garlic cloves, slice them thinly and divide the slices equally among the tomatoes and anchovies. Add the Kalamata olives if using.
I sometimes put more garlic, basil and anchovy than it says to, as I love the flavors, so you can play with this a bit!
Now spoon a good dessertspoon at least, of olive oil into each pepper half and season well with ground pepper, but no salt because of the anchovies.
Place the tray of peppers in the oven and roast for at least 50 minutes and up to 1 hour. Transfer the cooked peppers to an attractive serving platter with ALL the precious juices poured over, and garnish with more fresh slivered basil.
These do need good bread to go with them as the juices are sublime!
Focaccia with olives would be perfect!

Gluten Free · Salad · Vegetable-related

Oliver’s favorite salad of mine

Belinda

This is my younger son Oliver’s favorite salad of mine and he is now recreating it in his own apartment having visited his local Sunday farmers market for the fresh ingredients. Not bad for 21 years old!
I have no measurements for this salad, only ingredients and recommendations…

Put into an attractive dish,
Cherry or heirloom tomatoes, depending on what are the sweetest tomatoes, cut in half or into large chunks
Sliced red onion
Fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks, (the one that comes in water)
Lots of good fresh basil, ripped, not cut, as it will bruise
Avocado, peeled and cut into chunks, (put this in at the end, as it can  brown)
Lots of good crusty Ciabatta or country french bread for all those amazing juices

Make a dressing of good quality balsamic vinegar, good extra virgin olive oil, a good amount of crushed fresh garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix well, then tip over the salad and toss very gently, so as not to break up the avocado.

Serve and dunk that bread into those juices!!

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Braised coconut spinach with chick peas and lemon

Belinda

Poured over a roasted sweet potato, this is powerhouse vegan comfort food, with loads of flavor and solid sustenance from the chick peas and sweet potato.

Serves 4 s a main dish or 6 as a side

2 tsp oil or ghee
1 small yellow onion
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped. (If they’re in oil, drain them first.
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tbsp juice)
1 dried hot red pepper or a dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1lb baby spinach
15 oz can coconut milk
1 tsp salt, or more, to taste
1 tsp ground ginger

To serve

Whole roasted sweet potatoes
cilantro leaves, to garnish
toasted unsweetened coconut, to garnish

Directions

Heat the oil or ghee in a large deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium high heat.
Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to brown.
Add the garlic, ginger, sun dried tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper, if using.
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chick peas and cook ver high heat for  a few minutes or until they are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion/garlic mixture.
Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time, this will take about 5 minutes. Stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next lot.
When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut milk and stir in the salt, ground ginger and lemon juice.
Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chick peas are warm through.
Taste and add more salt and lemon  juice if necessary.
Serve hot over roasted sweet potatoes with cilantro leaves and toasted coconut to garnish.

Note

This is thick enough on it’s own to eat with a fork, it’s not terribly soupy, but it’s saucy enough to eat over pasta, rice, brown rice, quinoa or any other grain.

 

Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based · Gluten Free · Meat

Bacon, potato and egg breakfast casserole

Belinda

Serves 6 as a main course

4 thick slices of bacon, cut into strips about 1/2 inch wide
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 yellow bell pepper, cleaned out and diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp salt, divided
8 extra large eggs
1 large cup milk, preferably whole
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 cus frozen diced potatoes, unthawed

Heat the oven to 350F

Lightly grease a 13 by 9 inch baking with oil.

Put the bacon slices in a large skillet and turn the heat on to medium. Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally until crisp. Add the onion, yellow bell pepper, sun dried tomatoes and 1 tsp of salt and cook over medium heat  until all the vegetables are fragrant and soft- about 5 more minutes.
Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.

In a separate bowl beat the eggs thoroughly and whisk in the milk. Whisk in the remaining tsp of salt and the black pepper.
Stir in the cheese, frozen potatoes, bacon and vegetables from the skillet. (Don’t worry, the frozen potatoes cook just fine)

Pour the whole mixture into the prepared baking dish. At this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated for 24 hours, this saving you oodles of time when entertaining for brunch!

When you are ready to bake the dish, bake for 40 minutes or until the eggs are firm and the top is sightly golden. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.

Serve immediately with fruit, rolls or toast.

Note,

This recipe calls for frozen potatoes for convenience and it really works. It’s not worth the bother of pre- cooking potatoes.

Do-ahead · Egg based · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Cheese-baked egg-stuffed tomatoes

Belinda
This Iraqi-inspired recipe is the stuff of Sunday evening suppers – nourishing, full of the taste of years gone by, but with a hint of the exotic propelling you into the week ahead.

Serves 4

The eggs are settled onto bread for two reasons: it stops them falling over, and it also serves to absorb some of the tomato-y goodness. Dishes served this way are known as tashreeb (which kind of means “drinking bread”), and it is a great way to cook – the bread somehow feels quite sinful, oozing with vegetable “dripping”, and what may be a simple vegetable concoction is rendered something more substantial and filling. It’s also a good way to use up not-quite-freshly-baked bread.
8 big tomatoes
olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
1 teaspoon marjoram
½ teaspoon turmeric
salt and pepper
1 sheet khobez (or 3 pitta)
8 eggs
100g / 3½oz grated cheese
1 teaspoon za’atar
Cut the tops from the tomatoes, and scoop out the flesh inside using a pointy teaspoon (or a melon-baller, if anyone has such a thing any more). Put the tomato shells to one side, and chop the inside bits, retaining as much of the juice as possible. Heat a little oil in a pan and cook off the onion; when it becomes translucent add the garlic, marjoram and turmeric. After a few minutes, add the chopped tomato.
Toast the bread and lay it in the bottom of a greased oven dish. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas mark 4.
Spoon a little of the oniony mix into each of the tomato shells, and smear the rest across the bread. Nestle the tomatoes into the dish, and then crack an egg inside each one. Top with cheese and a sprinkling of za’atar.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the eggs have set. Serve with additional warm bread.
Curry · Fish · Gluten Free

Salmon with coconut sauce on a bed of curried onions and peas

Belinda1 Comment

This may not be the most beautiful picture, but the actual dish was tremendously flavorful and interesting with the different spices.
Although the onions I put underneath the salmon aren’t in this picture, it’s well worth doing instead of rice.

Serves 2

Ingredients
4 -6 tbsp genuine coconut oil, divided  (The healthiest oil there is, available from Wholefoods))
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cardamon seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tbsp ground coriander, plus 1/2 tsp to season the salmon
1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes. (a good quality tinned one is okay)
1 cup coconut milk
salt and ground pepper to season
2 (6 ounce) fillets of wild salmon, skinned

For the onion dish
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
4 large onions
1 cup frozen petit pois, boiled till cooked
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp medium curry powder
1/2 tsp cardamon seeds
salt and pepper

For the sauce
Put 2 tbsp coconut oil into a large skillet over low-med heat then add the ginger.
Saute for 30 seconds and then add the fennel seeds, cardamon seeds, brown mustard seeds and ground coriander and cook for 10 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, stirring well. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce is thickened.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if necessary.

For the onions
Slice the onions fairly thickly. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet to low-med and add the onions, stir frequently and add the turmeric, curry powder, cardamon seeds, and salt and pepper.
Slowly caramelize the onions, stirring for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the peas or petit pois and add them to the onions mixture in the last 5 minutes of the onions’ cooking. The dish will have a nice deep yellow color and be very flavorful with the cardamon seeds.

For the salmon
Sprinkle the 1/2 tsp ground coriander, salt and pepper on both sides of the salmon fillets. Heat the remaining coconut oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When it is hot, sear the salmon fillets on each side for 7 – 8 minutes total or until they are just cooked through.

Plating
Put a large spoonful of the onion mixture on a plate, lay a piece of salmon across them and ladle the sauce over the salmon.

Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Scalloped tomatoes with garlic, basil and toasted croutons

Belinda1 Comment

Again, there’s something comforting but light about this recipe.

This is another Ina Garten recipe from  “How easy is that?”

5 tbsp good olive oil, divided
2 cups (1/2 inch dice) diced bread from a round, rustic loaf, crusts removed
3 lbs plum tomatoes, 1/2 inch diced (14 to 16 tomatoes)
1 tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
1 heaped cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir well to coat with the oil.
Cook over medium to medium high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often until the cubes are evenly browned.
Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic,sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add the tomato mixture to the bread cubes and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
Off the heat, stir in the basil.
Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the parmesan cheese and drizzle with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubble.
Serve hot or warm.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegetable-related

Middle Eastern Chopped Salad (CleanCuisine)

Belinda1 Comment

My step daughter  Candice, made this last night and everyone fell upon it. After the heavy Holiday  eating it was so refreshing. I would give it 6 out 5! The only thing you could add, maybe, is pitted Kalamata olives, but it was perfect as it was. It’s an Ina Garten recipe.

Serves 4 – 6
10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1lb ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored and  1/2 inch diced.
1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthways, seeded and  1/2 inch diced
1 16 oz (or as near as possible) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1 tbsp minced garlic, (3 cloves)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
8 oz good Greek feta cheese, 1/2 inch diced
Toasted pita bread, for serving
Some optional additions are; halved pitted Kalamata olives or chopped avocado

Place the scallions, tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, parsley, mint and basil in a large salad bowl and toss to combine.
Ina  small bowl or measuring cup whisk together lemon juice, garlic, salt and 1 tsp of pepper.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad tossing gently to coat all the vegetables. ( You might not even want to put all the dressing on, depending on how much you like. I held some back)
Add the feta, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss gently.
Serve the salad with the toasted pita bread.