Treasured as a culinary ingredient and valued for its therapeutic qualities, garlic is part of the Allium or Lily family and related to onions, leeks and spring onions. Allium vegetables are rich in sulphur-containing compounds, which create the strong smell and the health benefits.
People have written volumes about the health attributes of garlic. The most impressive benefits come from garlic’s unusual set of sulphur-containing compounds, which provide protection against both inflammation and oxidative stress. This means blood cell and vessel protection, making garlic very good for your heart, circulation, blood pressure, joints and immune system. Garlic is also antibacterial, antiviral and anti-cancer.
• Purée with cooked beans, extra virgin olive oil and spices for different dips.
• Make aioli, a garlic mayonnaise.
• Mix crushed garlic into Greek yogurt and add finely chopped or grated cucumber for tzatziki.
• Crush raw into salads or dressing.
• Rub garlic on wholegrain toast as a base for bruschetta.
• Make garlic bread by spreading oil or butter on wholegrain bread, adding chopped or crushed garlic and salt, then baking until crisp.
• Steam cut potatoes or sweet potatoes and garlic cloves until soft, then mash with the steam water or stock, healthy oil, salt or miso for garlicky mash.
• Use a head or three of garlic instead of a few cloves, especially when roasting garlic.
• Add garlic slices to your pizza toppings.
• Create marinades for meats, fish and tofu with crushed garlic, healthy oils, ginger and lemon.
• Roast garlic alongside vegetables, meats and fish.
• Sauté slices of garlic alongside any vegetables.
To harness the power of garlic, it is best eaten raw. Remove any green sprouts running up the centre of the clove because these are difficult to digest. Ideally, you crush or press garlic, which stimulates the conversion of alliin to allicin, which is the key ingredient providing the health benefits of garlic.
If you don’t want raw garlic, then add towards the end of cooking.
There are two different effects from garlic: if you chop it, the flavour stays contained in the individual pieces, so that you occasionally get a taste of garlic when you bite it. If you crush it, you break all of the cells and the garlic flavour permeates the entire dish.
In a small jar, mix 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or other oil, like walnut), 1 tablespoon vinegar of choice and 1 crushed garlic clove. Shake. Increase in the same proportions for large green, mixed or pasta salads.
If you’re trying to find a way to eat more cauliflower – or get your kids to eat more – this is it. With only four ingredients, this recipe is incredibly easy. You can use it as a simple side dish or add different herbs and other vegetables to turn it into something more complex.
Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25–30 minutes
1 large cauliflower (about 750g/1lb 10oz)
2 heads of garlic
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fine sea salt
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and roughly chop the nice ones. Cut the cauliflower in half from top to bottom, then lay on the flat side and slice into 1cm/½ inch slices. Break the slices up and put in a large bowl.
Separate the garlic cloves and peel. Slice any large cloves in half horizontally. Add the garlic, oil and salt to the bowl and toss well. Tip everything out into a large baking dish and bake for 25–30 minutes until al dente but beginning to brown.
Sumac is a tangy, lemony spice that comes from the berries of flowering plants that grow in temperate and subtropical regions from North America to East Asia. The spice is often used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, valued for its sourness and astringency. Native Americans used sumac in their tobacco and made a drink with it like lemonade.
Sumac has a healing reputation that stretches round the globe. It is known as antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-ageing and full of antioxidants. The National Institutes of Health & Ageing rank it the number one food for neutralising free radicals through antioxidant levels.
• Add to smoothies to liven them up.
• Mix into hummus and bean dips.
• Include in eggs and egg salad.
• Make your own za’atar and coat hard-boiled eggs or have on toasted wholegrain bread drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
• Add ¼–½ teaspoon to dressings to add zing to your salads.
• Shake onto sandwiches.
• Add to stews and soups.
• Mix into healthy mash.
• Sprinkle onto steamed, stir-fried or roasted veggies.
• Use in meat marinades and rubs.
• Marinate pork ribs in orange juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, sumac and fine sea salt.
• Sprinkle on seafood and fish.
• Toss with popcorn.
• Add to pizza dough or put on pizza.
Use as a ground spice.
This is a sumac version of my family’s meatloaf, which we used to love with mashed potatoes. Turn it out onto a serving plate and serve slices of meatloaf with Sweet Potato Super Mash and a green side.
Makes: a 23 x 12.5cm/9 x 5 inch loaf
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 50–60 minutes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or other healthy oil, plus extra for greasing
2 onions, chopped
900g/2lb beef mince (ground beef)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green (bell) pepper, chopped
35g/1¼oz/generous ⅓ cup fresh wholegrain or gluten-free breadcrumbs, or cooked quinoa
125ml/4fl oz/½ cup water or stock
4 tbsp chopped parsley
1 egg, beaten with a fork
1 tbsp ground sumac
1 tsp chopped thyme
2 tsp fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and grease a 23 x 12.5cm/9 x 5 inch loaf tin.
Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the cooked onions and mix well, using your hands if necessary. Form the mixture into a loaf, put in the prepared loaf tin and bake for 50–60 minutes until cooked through and brown on top. Serve with Sweet Potato Super Mash.
Chilli peppers are part of the Capsicum family, of which there are hundreds of varieties, ranging from your everyday green pepper to habaneros. In Europe and South America, chilli peppers have been cultivated for over 7,000 years. Apparently, Christopher Columbus, while sailing the oceans blue, found them in the Caribbean Islands and brought them back to replace black pepper, which was an expensive Asian import. Ground chilli peppers make chilli powder, used to season a whole range of foods, and are respected for their medicinal qualities.
Chillies give natural pain relief because of the active component capsaicin, which has positive effects on arthritis, nerve damage and psoriasis. Chilli can also help clear mucus congestion in the nose and lungs. Because red chilli peppers help the body to dissolve fibrin, which helps the body form blood clots, cultures where hot peppers are used freely have lower incidences of heart attack and stroke. Chillies can also help prevent ulcers because they can kill bacteria, and they also help reduce high levels of insulin in the blood, a problem with type 2 diabetes.
• Put a pinch in your smoothies and smoothie bowls.
• Purée chilli peppers or powder in bean and other dips.
• Stir into soups and stews.
• Add to green, pasta, rice, bean, grain and mixed salads.
• Include in egg, chicken, sweet potato salads.
• Make chilli con carne (or non carne) and curries.
• Add to coatings for fish and chicken.
• Mix with vegetables that you are sautéing, grilling or roasting.
• Put a tiny bowl of chilli powder on the table so your family can choose to add it to their food.
• Steam or sauté collard greens, spinach, kale or mustard greens and add chilli and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Mix a little chopped or ground chilli to Greek yogurt and serve with meats and vegetables.
• Use harissa, a spicy, aromatic chilli paste used in North Africa and the Middle East as a condiment.
While working with fresh chilli peppers, don’t put your fingers in your eyes and wash your hands afterwards with soap and water.
Add chilli powder incrementally to a recipe, as powders will vary in potency. Old chilli powder loses heat.
This dish has a depth of flavour that belies the brief time it takes to make it and is visually beautiful, as well. Serve with wholegrain rice for the gorgeous sauce. If you don’t want the chicken skin, remove it, and then add the chicken after you mix the other ingredients in the pan. Push the chicken into the sauce and then cook.
Serves: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
2 tsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 chicken breasts or thighs
200g/7oz spinach
2 tomatoes, chopped
1½ tsp ground chilli powder
1½ tsp fine sea salt
2 garlic cloves, chopped
cooked wholegrain rice, to serve
In a large frying pan, dry-fry the cumin seeds over a medium heat for 3–5 minutes until toasted, then transfer to a bowl while you cook the chicken.
Add 2 tablespoons of the oil to the hot pan and fry the chicken, skin-side down, for 3–5 minutes until the skin is brown, then remove from the pan and set aside.
Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the spinach, tomatoes, chilli powder, salt and toasted cumin seeds and mix well. Transfer the chicken back to the pan (push the pieces down into the sauce) and cook, covered, for 25 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chilli chicken with the cooked rice.
Probably the world’s favourite herb, parsley used to be an innocuous garnish that was generally left on the plate. Today it is celebrated as a nutrient-dense and flavourful addition worth noticing. Parsley is easy to grow in a pot inside or outside, and has such a fresh taste that it can be added to just about anything.
Parsley contains a huge amount of vitamin C and is a good source of vitamin K. It is also a good source of folate, which is one of the most important B vitamins. It contains powerful volatile oils and is rich in antioxidants. Packed with nutrients, parsley supports the immune system, joints, digestion, bones, blood pressure and diabetes.
• Include it in your green drinks, smoothies and smoothie bowls.
• Use instead of basil for pesto (see right).
• Blend into hummus.
• Sprinkle generously on soups before serving.
• Mix into salad dressings.
• Add to green, pasta, rice, bean, grain and mixed salads.
• Make tabbouleh.
• Try it in egg mayonnaise and potato salad.
• Add to sandwiches.
• Sauté mushrooms with garlic, salt and oil, then add parsley.
• Combine with crushed garlic, lemon zest, oil and breadcrumbs to top fish for grilling.
• Put in fishcake mixture.
• Keep persillade – a mix of chopped parsley and garlic – handy to put on roasted meats, fish and vegetables.
• Add lemon zest to your persillade to make gremolata.
Think of parsley as a vegetable, instead of a garnish.
Curly parsley can be a little bitter, but it is easy to chop and holds its shape nicely. Flat-leaf parsley is good for cooking as it has a stronger flavour and holds up better when heated.
Chop up the stems and use them with the leaves or chop and freeze them and to add to soups and stews.
It’s very easy to buy large bags of organic parsley and have pesto ready in minutes, so move over basil! This has a beautiful, appealing colour and that wonderful parsley freshness. You can use it on pasta, spread it on toast or dip crudités or wholegrain crackers into it.
Serves: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
50g/1¾oz/generous ⅓ cup pine nuts
80g/3oz/2 cups chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 garlic cloves
¼ tsp fine sea salt
125ml/4fl oz/½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Toast the pine nuts lightly under a hot grill or in a dry hot frying pan for 3 minutes until turning golden.
Put the parsley, garlic, toasted pine nuts, salt and extra virgin olive oil in a food processor or blender and blend for 30–45 seconds until combined and smooth.
Ginger, closely related to turmeric, cardamom and galangal, is a pretty flowering plant from China. It is the rhizome or underground part of the stem that is used as a food and for healing. In cooking, ginger adds a stimulating, lively edge. In baking, it’s divine.
Ginger has been called a medicinal marvel and is renowned for its ability to soothe the intestinal tract and remove wind from the digestive system. The powerful compound in ginger is called gingerol, which is a strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. People find relief from arthritic pain after eating even a relatively small amount cooked in their food. Ginger is also famous for relieving seasickness, morning sickness and menstrual cramping. It supports the heart and brain, too.
• Use in smoothies and smoothie bowls.
• Mix 1 teaspoon minced ginger to your pancakes.
• Serve pickled ginger with sushi.
• Add to soups for spice and warmth.
• Add zing to stir-fries.
• As soon as rice has cooked, stir in chopped ginger, garlic, coriander (cilantro) and extra virgin olive oil.
• Include in curries and exciting sauces.
• Marinate tofu, fish or chicken in a mix of chopped ginger, garlic and soy sauce or tamari.
• Bake gingerbread people and ginger cookies, flapjacks and cakes.
• Make apricot and ginger chia jam.
• Try ginger cheesecake.
• Make ginger tea (see right).
Fresh, young ginger doesn’t need to be peeled, but we rarely see this in the West. Peel the tough skin from the ginger, then grate, chop or slice and use.
If you feel a cold coming on or just want a stimulating and refreshing hot drink, make a ginger tea. Simply peel and slice 20–40g/¾–1½oz fresh ginger and place in a mug. Pour in boiling water, leave to steep for a few minutes, then enjoy. (You can eat the ginger after you’ve enjoyed the tea.)
This rice, veg and prawn dish has great combined flavours of ginger, soy and garlic with a kick from the Tabasco and a nice crunchiness from the beansprouts. It’s quick to prepare for you and your family, but interesting enough to serve to guests.
Serves: 4
Prep: 20 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Cook: 45 minutes
1½ tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
3 tsp Tabasco or hot sauce
450g/1lb raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined
3 eggs, beaten with a fork
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil, plus extra to serve
1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
180g/6¼oz/1 cup red rice, soaked and cooked
100g/3½oz/1 cup grated carrot
240g/9oz/2 cups frozen peas
200g/7oz/2 cups beansprouts
toasted sesame seeds, to serve
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce or tamari, garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon of the Tabasco or hot sauce. Stir in the prawns and set aside.
In another small bowl, beat the eggs with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon Tabasco.
Heat 1 tbsp of the sesame oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the eggs and sauté for 1 minute until just firm. Remove from the pan into a small bowl.
Add the remaining sesame oil, the toasted sesame oil and the remaining Tabasco or hot sauce to the pan and when hot, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Add the prawn mixture and cook for 3–5 minutes until just cooked. Add the rice, carrot, peas and remaining salt and sauté until warmed through. Add the beansprouts and egg and mix well.
Remove from the heat and serve hot with extra toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.
Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant of the ginger family and has a tough brown skin and a deep orange flesh. It has long been used as a powerful anti-inflammatory in both the Chinese and Indian systems of medicine and has been used throughout history as a condiment, healing remedy and textile dye. It has a peppery, warm and bitter flavour and a mild fragrance slightly reminiscent of orange and ginger.
There are many great things about turmeric. One is that you only need to eat a very small amount – even less than a daily tiny pinch – to enjoy some benefits after a matter of months. Two is that it is a source of curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. And another is that using turmeric in a marinade for grilled meats negates the health risk associated with heterocyclic amines (HCAs).
But, of course, that’s not all. New research on turmeric is studying the theory that it improves arthritis, blood sugar balance, cognitive function, kidney function and some digestive disorders. Old research studied its ability to detox the body, reduce the risk of cancer and its anti-inflammatory attributes.
• Use a couple of pinches in your green smoothies and smoothie bowls.
• Mix into savoury porridge (oatmeal) with cream or butter.
• Sprinkle onto avocado or mash into guacamole.
• If you add it to soups, you get the goodness, but not too much flavour.
• Use in salads, salad dressing, miso dressing and tahini dressing.
• Add to eggs and egg salad.
• Include in bean dishes where you season with cumin.
• Mix with steamed, sautéed or roasted cauliflower.
• Sauté or roast vegetables in healthy oil with garlic, turmeric and sea salt.
• Make colourful, healthier mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes with it.
• Use in lentil dishes.
• Stir into rice or pasta for a beautiful colour and flavour.
• Make curry with turmeric, black pepper and other warming spices.
Black pepper enhances the body’s absorption of curcumin in turmeric, so eat them in combination.
You can now find fresh turmeric rhizomes in more shops, which you can scrub and grate. You don’t have to peel it, but you can if you prefer.
1 tbsp fresh, grated turmeric = 1 tsp ground turmeric
Turmeric’s gorgeous colour will stain your clothes, so be careful when cooking and eating it! To reduce the risk of stain, quickly wash with soap and water, then wash properly as soon as possible.
When you feel a cold coming on, mix 1½ tablespoons Manuka honey with ½ tablespoon ground turmeric and take 1 teaspoonful every 2 hours.
Bring a cup of water to the boil in a small saucepan. Add ¼ teaspoon ground or ¾ teaspoon freshly grated turmeric and simmer for 10 minutes. Drink as is or add Manuka honey and/or lemon.
For a coffee alternative and for turmeric that is very bioavailable, warm a cupful of your favourite non-dairy milk in a small saucepan, add 1 tablespoon freshly grated or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of black pepper and simmer gently for 10 minutes. For variation, add 1 tablespoon freshly grated or ground ginger.
Scrambled eggs are great. Stir in some mustard or sprinkle on Tabasco, and they’re even better. And here is a fabulous twist on scrambled eggs that is quick, easy, nutritious and delectable. Kale adds lovely colour and nutrients, and if you include some Redbor and Red Russian kale you’ll have red as well as green.
Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp freshly grated turmeric or 1 tbsp ground turmeric
50g/1¾oz chopped kale
10 eggs, beaten with a fork
½ tsp fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3–4 tbsp thinly sliced spring onions (scallions)
6 tbsp chopped parsley
wholegrain pitta bread or flatbread, to serve (optional)
Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add the turmeric and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the kale and sauté for 3 minutes, then add the eggs and sprinkle the salt and pepper. Sauté for another 3–5 minutes until the eggs are just cooked, then turn off the heat and add the spring onions and parsley. Mix well.
Serve hot on a plate, stuff into a pitta pocket or spread a portion one-third of the way from the bottom of a flatbread and roll tightly.
The fourth most popular spice in the world, paprika is used for colour and flavour. It can be sweet, smoky or spicy depending on which Capsicum annuum peppers are used, and how they are dried and prepared. Look for hot and sweet paprika from Spain or Hungary, which is from toasted and blended peppers; this creates paprika that is rich and sweet, but can vary in heat and pungency.
Capsaicin, the ingredient that makes chilli peppers hot, relaxes blood vessels and relieves pain. Just 1 teaspoon of paprika contains 37 per cent of your daily recommended intake of beta-carotene. Paprika is also packed with essential vitamins and minerals that support the heart, eyes, skin, cuts, wound healing, hair growth and digestion; it also reduces inflammation, promotes sleep and prevents anaemia.
E. coli and Salmonella poisoning is from eating food contaminated with bacteria. Paprika contains a protein that inhibits the growth of bacteria, so cooking with paprika will reduce this risk.
• Sprinkle into scrambled eggs.
• Sprinkle very generously on hummus.
• Add to barbecue sauce, salsa and ketchup.
• Use in egg dishes like frittata and quiche.
• Toss with sautéed, grilled or roasted vegetables.
• Add to beef burgers, chicken burgers and fishcakes.
• Use in chilli con carne and chilli non carne.
• Rub into fish, chicken and meat before roasting or grilling.
• Make Hungarian stews, such as Goulash, which is based on paprika.
• Include in curries and dhal.
• Add to meatloaf or meatballs.
• Stir into risotto.
• Use in pork dishes.
Paprika burns easily, so heat it gently, adding it to food that is cooking, not into hot oil.
Some ground paprika doesn’t specify what kind it is. Look for paprika that says:
Sweet: this is less hot
Smoked: smoky and hot
Hot: you guessed it
This soup has wonderful, pungent flavours. Use Hungarian paprika, which is spicy, if you like hot food, or use sweet paprika, which adds flavour, but less heat. This is a quick recipe with a surprising depth of flavour. You can make it dairy-free if you omit the yogurt.
Serves: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
60g/2¼oz/4 tbsp butter or healthy oil
2 onions, chopped
350g/12oz button mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp dried dill
½ tsp–1 tbsp Hungarian or sweet paprika
3 tbsp wholegrain flour
720ml/26fl oz/3 cups water
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp fine sea salt
240ml/8fl oz/½ cup Greek yogurt (optional)
30g/1oz/½ cup parsley, chopped, to serve
1 tbsp lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes until soft and beginning to brown. Add the mushrooms, dill and paprika and sauté for 8 minutes until beginning to brown.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter in a large saucepan over a medium–high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until beginning to brown. Add 240ml/8fl oz/1 cup of the water and cook, stirring frequently over a low heat for 10 minutes until thick.
Stir in the mushroom mixture, remaining water, soy sauce and salt, and simmer gently, covered, for 10 minutes. Just before serving, add the yogurt, if using, parsley, lemon juice and black pepper.
Cinnamon is an old and valued spice and medicine that comes from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree. A time-honoured ingredient, cinnamon was considered rare and valuable in Ancient Egyptian times; it was a gift suitable for a king. There are two varieties of cinnamon – Chinese (or Cassia) and Ceylon. Look for Ceylon cinnamon, dubbed ‘true’ cinnamon – it is sweeter, more delicate and pricier, so it is not what is generally sold as ground cinnamon.
Cinnamon’s reputation for healing is attributed to three compounds in the tree bark’s oil. These components are used to stop unwanted clumping of blood platelets or clotting, and also make it an effective anti-inflammatory. Cinnamon is considered to be a useful anti-microbial food, combatting fungus and bacteria. It is also high in antioxidants, heart supportive, good for blood pressure, helps balance blood sugar levels and is beneficial for brain function.
• If you’re having Manuka honey on toast, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon.
• Use with yogurt, Bircher muesli, chia pots, smoothies, smoothie bowls, breakfast parfaits or porridge (oatmeal).
• Add to simmering beans.
• Include in rice or lamb dishes with raisins and other vegetables.
• Put in curries.
• Cook lamb shawarma.
• Steam apples, mash, add cinnamon and eat for a treat or serve with pork dishes.
• Sprinkle generously on apple slices tossed with lemon juice.
• Add to chocolate chip cookies for a wonderful flavour combination.
• Mix into muffins and carrot cake.
• Make pumpkin pie.
• Use for apple or blueberry pie.
• Make spice cookies.
• Seek out cinnamon ice cream.
• For a warming winter drink, heat your favourite nut milk and add ½–1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Although cinnamon bark lasts longer, ground cinnamon has a stronger flavour.
This cake is ridiculously quick to make, plus healthy and delicious. With wholegrain spelt flour, the cake is wheat-, egg- and dairy-free.
Makes: a 20cm/8 inch square/round tin or 12 regular cupcakes
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 35 minutes
360g/12¾oz/3 cups wholegrain spelt or other flour
180g/6¼oz/scant 1 cup organic sugar
4 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp fine sea salt
500ml/17fl oz/2 cups water
125ml/4fl oz/½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus oil for greasing
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm/8 inch baking tin with greaseproof paper.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt. In a measuring jug, mix the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk quickly and briefly with a wire whisk until just combined.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes until the cake comes away slightly from the sides. (If making cupcakes, pour into a 12-mould cupcake tin and bake for 20 minutes.) Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn out of the tin and cool right-side-up on a wire rack.
Like our ‘apple a day’ and the Japanese ‘an umeboshi a day’ sayings, there is apparently a Chinese proverb that goes, ‘Eating pungent radish and drinking hot tea, let the starved doctors beg on their knees’, showing their respect for this root veg. Another member of the Brassica family, radish have long been considered a healthy and sustaining food. They range from mild to very hot, like daikon to wasabi.
If you suffer from asthma or frequent colds and coughs, including radish is a great idea because it has anti-congestive properties that help fight allergies of the respiratory system, protect the respiratory linings from infections and clear the mucus in your throat. Radish also improves immunity to keep colds and coughs away.
Radish is a strong cleanser, supporting your liver and stomach and because it is a natural diuretic, it keeps your kidneys healthy by eliminating toxins. Radish is antibacterial, fighting bacteria in the mouth, and anti-inflammatory, helping with arthritis.
Horseradish
• Mix with eggs instead of hot sauce.
• Add a little to dips and spreads, from guacamole to hummus to fish patés.
• Include in egg salad and potato salad.
• Have with sushi instead of wasabi.
• Take toasted wholegrain bread, add a piece of pan-fried fish, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, ketchup and horseradish for the best fish sandwich.
• Enjoy with roast beef.
• Instead of tartare sauce for fish, mix horseradish and ketchup.
Daikon/Mouli/Mooli
• Think of them as crudités.
• Slice or grate and add to salads.
• Add to soups, stews, pasta dishes and salads.
• Use in any way you would use a carrot.
• Slice, toss with oil and salt, and bake until crunchy.
• Roast with other veggies.
Black Radish
• Grate into salads.
• Fry thick slices in healthy oil with a little salt.
• Peel, steam, mash and mix with healthy oil and salt or miso.
• Roast wedges with chicken.
Wasabi
• Make a salad dressing with toasted sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, wasabi, minced ginger and crushed garlic.
• Mix into mayo.
• Add to your barbecue sauce.
• Eat with sushi and sashimi.
• Mash avocado with a little soy sauce or tamari and wasabi.
• Mix a little into noodle dishes with soy sauce or tamari.
• Mix wasabi to taste with sesame oil and tamari, mix with vegetables or brush on fish or chicken and roast.
• Add a little to coleslaw, egg salad, chicken salads and other salads where a little mustardy heat will improve the flavour.
• Use with roast beef and steak.
Daikon – the half nearer the leaves is always sweeter, making it better for eating grated and raw, while the other half is better for cooking. Tender greens on tops of the radish can be enjoyed as leafy greens.
This simple dish is another great recipe for your fish and chicken repertoire. When you want something a little different, use this marinade to liven up your main course. Serve for dinner with a colourful grain or pasta dish and veggies or a salad.
Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 6–10 minutes
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1–2 tsp wasabi powder (for mild to medium heat)
4 salmon or chicken fillets
Put the soy sauce or tamari, vinegar, 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and the wasabi in a dish just large enough for the fillets and mix until the wasabi is dissolved and evenly distributed. Place the salmon or chicken in the dish for 5 minutes, then turn over to marinate for 5 minutes on the other side.
Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a medium–high heat. Put the salmon or chicken, skin-side up in the pan and fry for 3–5 minutes until browned. Turn the heat off until the sizzling stops, then turn the salmon or chicken over. Turn the heat up to medium–high again and cook for 3–5 minutes until browned on the other side and slightly raw in the middle for salmon or however you prefer it. (The salmon will continue to cook once you remove it from the pan.)
These hot peas are great as an afternoon snack or to take on picnics. Adjust the wasabi for a weaker or stronger taste depending on your personal preference. You can also vary the recipe by adding a tablespoon of nutritious, delicious tahini.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Put 500g/1lb 2oz fresh or defrosted frozen peas and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a medium bowl and mix well.
In a small cup or bowl, mix 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar or cider vinegar and 2–3 teaspoons wasabi powder, to taste. Mix with the peas, spread on a baking sheet and bake for 25–30 minutes until crunchy. Toss the peas with ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt and serve.
With a rotary grater, this gorgeously coloured, fresh, raw salad is ready in just a few minutes. It’s a great addition to any meal where you want that one extra side dish, and it is satisfyingly crunchy as well as very pretty.
Serves: 4
Prep: 10–15 minutes
2 carrots, grated
1 beetroot (beet), grated
1 daikon, grated
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Put all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
