Seasonal recipes for winter

As you know I love to cook and being a naturopath and nutritional therapist I consciously connect my work with the seasons.  As we are now in the party season  and actively trying to avoid “Christmas hormones” today I offer a selection of  easy to prepare recipes to support your hormones and liver.  If you enjoy my recipes more can be found within my blogs including Supporting your sugar cravings, 3 day cleanse, mindful eating , post Christmas cleanse.

Seasonal recipe 1:

Choose a hearty breakfast full of fibre to give you energy whilst the liver support helps with detoxification  and maintains happy hormones.

2 dessertspoons jumbo porridge oats (or gluten free)

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

Half a tablespoon lecithin granules

1 tablespoon frozen or fresh berries

Cover with apple juice or  some form of milk and place in fridge overnight.  Next morning eat with coconut yoghurt (brands include Coconut Collaborative and CoYo)

Lecithin  is a source of choline, which helps dissolve fat and cholesterol and  really supports the liver and gallbladder  It can also help regulate kidney function. These organs are working hard over the festive period!  Your body uses choline to produce acetylcholine, a substance involved in learning, memory, muscle function, sleep, arousal, hormone secretion and circulation.  It allows nerve cells to send impulses properly. Good quality lecithin can be purchased here.  Use my promo code of MAPLE for 10% discount

 

Seasonal Recipe 2

Sophia’s nut  noodles with Tofu  (serves 4).

2 cloves garlic  crushed

4 tablespoons almond  or cashew butter

3 tablespoon tamari sauce (similar to soy)

3 tablespoon Bragg’s apple cyder vinegar

½teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted)

1 green chilli de-seeded and chopped finely  (optional)

4oz Tofu (drained, part dry and cut into small cubes)

4oz soba noodles

2-3 large carrots shredded and ribboned

3 spring onions

Prepare noodles as the pack instructions.  Mix nut butter, tamari sauce, oil, apple cyder vinegar, garlic, chilli and sesame seeds in a bowl.  Over a medium hot wok now cook the tofu and saute until slightly browned.  Drain the noodles into a serving dish, add to the nut sauce and toss gently to coat.  Add the carrots and top with tofu.  Sprinkle spring onions on top and serve.

This delicious but simple meal can be eaten hot or cold so can be taken to work if necessary! The  garlic provides great antibacterial and digestive health support, the nuts offer protein, and tofu phyto-estrogens. Apple cyder vinegar has a plethora of positive health giving properties including helping your body break down cholesterol , supports weight loss and reduces mucus.   Soy tofu is a controversial subject right now. The rapidly growing body of literature in this area indicates that these plant-derived oestrogens exert both positive oestrogenic and anti-oestrogenic effects depending on several factors, including the quality of the source and your hormone or menopausal status. However, phytoestrogen benefits include cellular enzyme influence, protein synthesis, cell proliferation, cardio support, muscle cells, lipid oxidation, and cell differentiation – See more at: http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jcem.83.7.4752#sthash.hAz4LhLT.dpuf.  I suggest that if  tofu  is not for you change the ingredient to grass fed meat, responsibly sourced fish or free range chicken!

Apple Cyder Vinegar can be purchased at the Natural Dispensary.  Don’t forget to use my promo code of Maple for 10% discount 

 

Seasonal Recipe 3

Crispy  Coley with Sweet Potato Stew

2 garlic cloves – peeled and finely chopped

1 onion – peeled and finely sliced

20 grams fresh parsley – finely chopped

10 grams fresh oregano  – finely chopped

2 celery sticks  –  chopped

1 sweet potato – peeled and diced

1 tablespoon chicken stock

70 grams tomato paste

4 coley fillets with skin on

1 tin cannellini beans  – drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons  rice bran oil or coconut oil

salt and pepper

Creation: First prepare the ingredients.  When you have done this heat the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat.  Add onions, garlic, parley and celery.  Cook for 3-4 minutes..  Add the chicken stock with 500 ml boiled water, tomato paste and sweet potato to the saucepan. Stir to combine, cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes until the sweet potato is cooked.  In the mean time place the fish skin side up (wash the fish first) on a baking tray ad grill for about 5-10 minutes each side.  The fish skin should be golden and slightly crispy.  The cooking time will depend on the size of the fillet so be warned!  Whilst the fish is cooking add the drained and rinsed cannelloni beans and oregano to the sweet potato mixture and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add pepper and Himalayan rock salt if you wish.  Now serve the sweet potato and cannelloni stew in a bowl.  Pace the fish on top and voila, dinner is served!

Rock Salt can be purchased at the Natural Dispensary.  Don’t forget to use my promo code of Maple for 10% discount

Seasonal Recipe 4

Pumpkin and banana muffins

A gluten free and egg free muffin.  Delicious!

You will need a muffin tray and muffin cases, large mixing bowl, blender, spoons etc and an oven tray for the pumpkin

2 bananas mashed

mug of pumpkin puree

half teaspoon vanilla essence

Half a dessertspoon of yacon syrup

1 dessertspoon honey

Half a teaspoon of each of these: all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg powder, salt (extra cinnamon for the top)

quarter a teaspoon each of clove and ginger powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

quarter a cup of milk / 57 ml approx (can be any form you like providing unsweetened)

1.5 cups plain flour/ 210 grams  (I used gluten free but you can choose  any form that suits you)

Half a tablespoon coconut oil

Please note: I have estimated the measurements because I cook with my eye sight and  know mug sizes/teaspoons etc rather than measure ingredients so please accept that the mixture may require additional dry or wet ingredients dependent on the texture pre-cooking.  I hope that helps!

Pre heat oven.  Line  Bake in oven 350F/180c. or gas mark 4   for about 18-20 minutes dependent on size of muffin tray.  To check if cooked insert a toothpick in middle.  If clear then they are cooked! You know your oven, some need to be higher!

Creation:  First of all prepare the pumpkin puree. To do this I cut a small pumpkin up. Using the flesh only I then baked the pumpkin flesh for 20 minutes ina moderate oven (180). Once it was cooked (softly firm)  I cooled it and then blended in my nutri-bullet to make a puree).

In a large bowl mix the mashed banana, pumpkin, honey, yacon, milk, oil, pumpkin puree.  Now add the spices. Finally add the flour and with a spoon mix until combined well. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cases, add a dusting of cinnamon on the top  and place in oven.  When cooked cool and eat! This recipe also makes a brilliant Christmas prezzie!

Coconut oil can be purchased at The Natural Dispensary.  Don’t forget to use my promo code of Maple for 10% discount 

Seasonal Recipe 5

Parsnip crisps

600 grams (1.25lb) parsnips

2 tablespoons rice bran oil or coconut spray

half a teaspoon  each cumin and ground coriander

generous pinch of paprika

Creation: Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. First peel the skin from the parsnips.  Then using a swivel blade peeler, mandolin or sharp knife  peel long strips from the parsnips (this makes the crisps long and twirly rather than slicing them into very thin rounds which is more traditional). Pat dry with kitchen paper, tip into a bow, and drizzle over the oil. Toss with the spices and season well. Arrange the parsnips in an even layer on two baking sheets. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning frequently, until golden at the edges. Carefully transfer the crisps from the baking sheets to some kitchen paper to drain any excess oil – they will crisp up as they cool. Serve warm or cold.  You could also use other veggies – such as sweet potato, & beetroot

Justine Evans ND is a Hormone Alchemist and Fertility Expert.  She is a nutritional therapist, registered naturopath and Energy healer.  Justine considers women’s health not only from a functional medicine perspective but also bio-dynamically considering the impact our health has with lunar and seasonal energy.   These recipes are offered to support your well being but if you have any allergies or specific health issues then it would be advisable to see Justine for a Nutritional therapy before cooking her recipes.  Justine is the founder of Creation Fertility and can be contacted on 07747 133170