Using home-made stock in recipes is a fabulous way of getting minerals and vitamins… while making dishes taste delicious. It is low in sodium and high in nutrition. The kombu seaweed here ensures this most youthing stock helps your thyroid function and keeps your weight in control, too. MAKES 1.5–2 LITRES
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
½ head of celery, chopped
2 onions, peeled and halved
¼ turnip, peeled and chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and halved
1 leek, trimmed and halved
6 cabbage leaves
small bunch of parsley stalks
4 black peppercorns
1 star anise
1 slice of orange
4 strips of kombu seaweed
1 slice of red pepper
3 bay leaves
1 Place all the ingredients in a heavy-based pan with six litres of filtered water and bring to the boil.
2 Reduce the heat and leave to simmer, uncovered, for 50 minutes to one hour. It will reduce to about one-third of its original volume.
3 Strain, leave to cool and use as necessary, or store in the fridge for up to three days, or freeze it in portion-sized batches.
White fish bones make the most delicious, nourishing, mineral-rich stock. Drink this for breakfast if you need a boost, or use it in fish dishes. MAKES ABOUT 800ML
50g carrot, peeled and chopped
50g celery, chopped
50g root ginger, chopped
100ml cider vinegar
400g fish bones from white fish
3 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
bunch of thyme, to taste
bunch of parsley, to taste
1 Add the carrot, celery, ginger and vinegar to a heavy-based pan. Allow the mix to dry-fry and then add the fish bones. When the bones have fried a bit (but not too much), add one litre of filtered water.
2 Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and parsley, depending on the taste you want.
3 Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes for a light taste. If you want a stronger taste, cook for another 10 minutes, but no more. Remove the foam as it bubbles to the top.
4 When it is ready, pour into a bowl through a colander. This keeps in the fridge for a couple of days, or freeze it in portion-sized batches.
The guilt-free snack of the moment, as far as I am concerned. Deliciously indulgent and creamy-cheesy, this is full of omegas and alkalising benefits. SERVES 2
65g cashew nuts
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
juice of ½ lemon
2 tsp cider vinegar
agar flakes (amount depends on volume of liquid)
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves
1 tbsp chopped chives
½ tsp Himalayan or Celtic salt (optional)
1 Soak the cashew nuts in a bowl of plentiful filtered water for two to three hours. Drain.
2 Blend the cashews, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar with 60ml of filtered water, then measure the liquid and keep a note of the volume. Transfer to a small saucepan and sprinkle with the agar flakes, using 1 tbsp of flakes per 250ml of liquid. Heat through and simmer, stirring gently, for two to three minutes, then add the melted coconut oil. Stir in the parsley and chives now, if you like, and add the salt, if you think it needs it.
3 Pour into a small glass bowl and put into the fridge for two to three hours before serving, sprinkled with the herbs if you didn’t add them earlier. Serve with bagels, salads and crudités.
Another dairy-free ‘cheese’; sprinkle on salads, pasta and rice dishes as you would Parmesan, or it’s fabulous in stuffed baked tomatoes. MAKES 55G
55g walnuts
3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1½ pinches of Himalayan or Celtic salt
1 Put all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz to finely chop.
2 Scrape into a small bowl and chill for two to three hours before serving.
This creamy mayonnaise tastes better than anything you could buy in a shop and you know you’re getting nutritious, youthing ingredients. The raw egg protein is easily absorbed by the body, the good omega oils are anti-inflammatory, it’s high in healing vitamin E and good for joints, brain and heart. When it comes to the egg here, the fresher the better. MAKES 150G / SERVES 6
1 egg yolk
1 small garlic clove, crushed
pinch of Himalayan or Celtic salt
juice of ½ lemon
100ml light olive oil
50ml rapeseed oil
freshly ground black pepper
1 Drop the egg yolk, garlic, salt and a few drops of the lemon juice into a mixing bowl and whisk briefly to blend. Add 1 tsp of one of the oils and whisk until the mixture is well combined. Add another 1 tsp and whisk until the mixture is really thick. At this point, gradually pour in both the oils in a very thin stream while whisking. If the mixture begins to split, add a little lemon juice or a splash of filtered water.
2 Keep adding the oil and whisking until you have a thick, rich mayonnaise, then season to taste with lemon juice and pepper. If the consistency is too thick, stir in a little more filtered water.
Almonds are a nutritionally very well-balanced mix of protein, fibre, good omega fats and carbohydrate and they help hair, nails and skin look young and radiant. MAKES ABOUT 130G
145g leftover almond grounds (if you are making almond milk), or 145g ground almonds
2 tbsp gluten-free tahini, plus more if needed
2 dates, pitted
1 Put all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth; add more tahini if the mixture is too dry.
2 Serve on sprouted toast, eat with crudités or add to olive oil to make an almond vinaigrette.
Turmeric is one of my favourite spices, good for pretty much everything and a great anti-inflammatory (I even give it to my dog for her arthritis!). But how to get it down you in quantity, as it turns everything yellow and tastes rather strong? This marinade is a great way to do it and jazz up your fish at the same time. You can also use a bit of it in a stock for a stew or curry. SERVES 4
1 tbsp chopped root ginger
1 tbsp chopped celery
1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp finely chopped garlic or onion
3 basil leaves
1 Blend all the ingredients except the basil into a paste. Tear up the basil finely and stir through the paste.
2 Use as a marinade for white fish: cover pieces of fish with it in a non-reactive container, turning to coat, then cover and refrigerate it for up to 12 hours, turning occasionally.
If you are bored with tomato sauce, this is a funky way to add highly concentrated tomatoes to a soup or cooked dish (just drop a few jellies in). You can even spread a jelly on a Mixed seed cracker! I eat large quantities of tomatoes for the lycopene; it can help to prevent lines and wrinkles in the skin. MAKES ABOUT 1 ICE-CUBE TRAY FULL (500ML)
5 tomatoes
1 red pepper
2 pinches of nutritional yeast flakes
freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp agar flakes
finely sliced basil leaves (optional)
1 Quarter and deseed the tomatoes and pepper and put them in the blender. Blend until very smooth. Measure the liquid; it should be 500ml, if not, add filtered water until it is.
2 Put the liquid into a small pan and stir in the yeast flakes, pepper and lemon juice. Sprinkle the agar flakes on the top. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer for about three minutes, then allow to cool slightly. Stir in the basil (if using), then pour into an ice-cube tray.
3 Place in the fridge. It will take 20–30 minutes to set.
Use this delicious, versatile relish on veggie burgers, cheese on toast or with salads. It is alkalising and full of antioxidants. The garlic, chilli and shallot boost the immune system, too. This is a fresh relish, so cannot be potted and kept for weeks, but it shouldn’t be a problem to eat it up quickly. SERVES 4
1 garlic clove
1 banana shallot
1 tsp coconut oil
2 tomatoes, peeled (see here) and chopped
¼ tsp finely chopped mild red chilli
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
1 Finely chop the garlic and shallot and steam-fry in the oil until translucent. Add the tomatoes and chilli and stir to combine. Add the cider vinegar and tamarind with 3 tbsp of filtered water. Let the relish reduce over a gentle heat until the tomatoes have taken on a jam-like consistency.
2 Remove from the heat and cool. This can be eaten hot or cold.
