Kale superfood salad. And Dolly.

Published on April 10, 2015 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, LF, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

Quick, packed with flavour, antioxidants, iron and filling energy, this is my year round Go-to recipe. When rubbed with olive oil, salt and lemon, raw kale breaks down into a super delicious (honestly) and meaty salad leaf; rocket now seems pretty insubstantial by comparison. Sesame & rosemary spice was made for this, the chilli meatiness sticks to the leaves and is seriously tasty. Use as a base for any of your favourite toppings for lunch, supper or take-away.

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

Base

1 good handful kale, chopped
1 dsp olive oil
Squeeze lemon juice
Pinch Himalayan pink or sea salt
2 dsp Sesame, rosemary spice – optional but worth the effort!

Optional toppings

1 tbsp cooked quinoa = complete protein, fibre + all essential amino acids.
1/2 avocado, chopped = potassium + heart healthy unsaturated fats.
1 dsp feta, crumbled = calcium flavour kick with reduced lactose (I’m addicted).
1 cooked chicken breast, chopped = filling lean protein.
1 dsp hummus = great sub for meat protein or Middle Eastern deliciousness with chicken.

And some more

Goji berries = sweet tanginess + antioxidant and skin loving beta-carotene.
Rocket leaves = peppery green crunch.
Sticky sweet potato wedges, chopped = low GI filling sweetness
Poached egg = #addictedtoeggs
Balsamic vinegar = adds a tangy sweet contrast to the nutty and creamy salad.

METHOD

Using a large bowl, rub the olive oil, salt and lemon into the kale. As you do so, the volume will reduce by half and the stalks pop to the surface – there’s no need to painstakingly remove beforehand.

It’s up to you if you want to include in the salad or discard; Dolly eats mine as I’m prepping. #wholesomeseductiondog

Top with the Sesame & rosemary spice, followed by any other ingredients from the list. The flavours all complement each other, so you can add as many or as few as you like. It goes without saying that you may want to reduce quantities if opting for all eight…

This recipe tastes even better on day two, so make a big batch for instant eating.

For something similar without lifting a finger, try The Good Life Eatery’s Good Life Bowl.

Aubergine, chilli & coriander salsa

Published on October 22, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, LF, S, V, WF

I dreamt up this salsa after 4 months of craving raw, crunchy salads in India. There’s nothing I like more than fish and spice but there comes a point when even the most dedicated curry fans need to macerate. So, said recipe materialised on a Middle East stopover at my bother’s, where aubergines are as integral to the local diet as tatties are to the Irish. Once charred or roasted, few ingredients compare to the flavour and ‘meatiness’ of this super berry . For me, this salad’s at it’s best with steak or at a BBQ. You can also pair with chicken, fish or even toasted sourdough for a light lunch or supper.

Feeds 6

Ingredients

3 aubergines
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 red onion
150g tomatoes
1 bch / tbsp coriander, chopped
1 lime, juice of

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Slice aubergine into 1 inch rounds, mix with oil, salt & pepper. Lay flat on baking tray and place in oven for 45 mins, or until browned. Turn each slice every 15 mins – you want a mix of soft, charred and crispy slices for flavour and texture.

Dice tomatoes and red onion and mix with chopped coriander and lime juice.

Chop cooled aubergine into approx. 2cm pieces, mix with salsa and serve.

To salt or not to salt? Originally done to remove bitterness, today’s auberignes rarely suffer from the affliction of their ancestors. Salting can help to reduce the amount of oil absorbed during cooking, however. Once cut, sprinkle with sea salt and place in a colander for ½ hr.

Basil pesto

Published on August 7, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: Featured, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

Is there an ingredient which tastes of summer more than basil? Thanks to Mum Garcia’s tireless efforts to appease her offspring, you can store up summer and dollop it on your salad, chicken, salmon or pasta whenever the sun shines. Or doesn’t. I’m pretty confident this is the best pesto recipe I’ve eaten. Ever.

Ingredients

60g basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
50g pine nuts
50g parmesan, grated
¼ tsp sea salt
150ml olive oil – increase this if you like a runner pesto or more of a dressing

Method

Blitz all ingredients except the olive oil into a Magimix or food processor for 10 secs.

Scrape down the sides and turn on the machine again, adding the olive oil in a steady stream. Decant to a jar and store in the fridge.

Note: if using a Vitamix or tall blender, add the oil at the beginning. Depending on your blender, you may need to stop to press the ingredients down several times throughout blending. In spite of the hype around new blenders available on the market (which I have), I still find the Magimix hard to beat. Such a shame it doesn’t clean itself.

I always seem to inhale before it goes off but mum has an almost constant supply, keeping in the fridge for a couple of weeks at a time. I make double quantities and store in the freezer. Because I’m lazy.

Top tip: Stir in some olive oil to make a dressing for a simple side salad of spinach, watercress, rocket, tomatoes (sun dried outside of summer) and toasted pine nuts. Great with roast chicken for a picnic.

Cheat’s chilli chicken & veg soup

Published on February 26, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, LF, S, SF, WF

Last week I promised some more ridiculously easy Toolkit recipes; I’m not sure supper gets much quicker than 10 minutes. The barbie sized 224 calories per portion may also sway you if like me, impending Easter beach escapes are to be prepared for… I’ve even thrown in a stir-fry version using the same toolkit.

Feeds: 2. Cooking time: 10 mins. Genuinely.

Ingredients

800ml veg stock – Bouillon
2 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped or paste – optional
1 cooked chicken breast, chopped into 1” pieces
400g stir-fry veggies or Kale – I use a mix of the two bags. Yup, bags.
Small bunch coriander
½ red chilli

Method

In a pan, add veg stock, curry paste and ginger and bring to the boil. Chop the Garam masala & tamarind chicken (you can also use simple, roast chicken) while waiting for the soup stock to heat.

Add chicken to stock and simmer for 2 – 4 mins., until the meat is heated through. Chop the herbs and chillies at this point, if using.

Add veggies and heat 2 mins until cooked but still crunchy. Serve with fresh, chopped chillies and coriander.

Tip:

You can swap the chicken for salmon, prawns or toasted cashews. I’m sure tofu would work just as well. You can also add some rice noodles a la Vietnamese Pho. The options are endless.

And for stir-fry:

Heat 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil in a wok or frying pan, toast 1 dsp cashews and set aside. To the pan, add 1 tsp each of chopped ginger and garlic and fry. Throw in the sliced meat to heat through (1 – 2 mins, depending on your choice). Top with the veggies, cashews and a dash of soy sauce and fry until veggies are cooked but still crunchy. Eat; full of self-congratulatory, skinny, smugness.

Nutritional data for chicken soup: PP: Kcal: 224 Pr: 33g, Carb: 5g, OWS 3.3g, Fat: 8.1g, Sat Fat: 0.9g.

comments 0

Garam masala & tamarind chicken

Published on February 21, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, S, Uncategorized, WF

Sweet and spicy garam masala and chilli with tangy tamarind do something magical with chicken. It takes a modicum of willpower not to devour the whole dish straight from the pan. Perfect in salads and soups, I almost always have a Tupperware of this in the fridge. Don’t be put off by the anchovies; other than bringing a greater depth of flavor and meatiness, you’d never know they’re there.

Feeds 2. Cooking time: less than 30 mins.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp crushed chillies
2 anchovies, chopped
3 tsp tamarind
3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 dsp tomato puree
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tin plum tomatoes, optional

Method

Coat the chicken in the ingredients, bar the olive oil and plum tomatoes, and set aside, ideally overnight. You can also cook straight away (I often do), but the flavour’s better if you’re able to leave to marinate.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the chicken breasts until browned. About 4 mins. on the first side and 2 on the reverse.

It’s at this point that you add, or not, the tinned tomatoes. I alternate between the two, depending if I want more sauce to have with some rice, or if I’m cooking chicken to go straight to the fridge for a Toolkit lunch.

Turn down to a relatively low heat, cover and cook for 15 mins, or until the chicken is still tender, yet cooked through. If you’ve gone for the plum tomato option, take the lid off 5 mins before the end so that some of the liquid evaporates and your sauce thickens.

Eat straight away with crusty bread, rice or mash. Or chopped into a salad.

With either dish, make sure you keep some chicken aside in the fridge for salads, wraps, stir-fries or soups.

Tip: Drop the tinned tomatoes and cook your Garam masala chicken on the BBQ in the summer. Tandoor chicken. Ish.

PP (150g): Kcal: 360, Pr: 50.5g, Carb: 9.3g, OWS: 1.6g, Fat: 13.6g, Sat Fat: 2.3g, Salt: 0.7g

P/1/2 breast: Kcal: 180, Pr: 25.3g, Carb: 4.6g, OWS: 0.8g, Fat: 6.8g, Sat Fat: 1.1g, Salt: 0.4g

comments 0

Roast butternut & fennel seed

Published on February 21, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

Another faithful Toolkit recipe that’s as impressive at a BBQ or dinner party (a hit at Yotel’s Christmas party!) as it is fridge staple for adding to packed lunch salads and wraps. I’ve even topped it with a poached egg, feta and coriander for brunch.

Feeds 6. Prep: 10 mins. Cook: 40 mins.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash – approx.
2kg 2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 head garlic, halved – no need to remove skin
1 tsp dried chilli flakes – optional
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper, good grind

Method

Preheat oven to 200C / 400F / Gas 6. Half butternut lengthways – skin stays on. Remove seeds and cut at into 1.5″ thick semi circles.

In a bowl, mix by hand with remaining ingredients. Transfer to a baking tray, placing skin side down where possible.

Bake for 30 – 40 mins, till flesh is soft and skin slightly blackened. Charring is key for smoky, salty skin and to avoid toughness.

Pile on a platter for dinner party awe, served warm or at room temperature, with roast lamb or chicken. Or store in the fridge to add to salads or wraps – so good with feta, hummus and rocket!

P/4 semi-circles: Kcal:128, Pr: 3.6g, Carb: 23g, OWS: 12.1g, Fat: 3.4g, Sat Fat: 0.4g, Salt: Trace

comments 0

Hummus

Published on February 21, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, Featured, S, SF, V, WF

As much a staple in my fridge as a pint of milk, hummus is a protein, sesame and pulse packed powerhouse of instant filling wonder. A perfect partner for chicken, sweet potato, feta or oatcakes.

Prep time: 10 mins.

Ingredients

1 tin chickpeas or 300g dried, soaked overnight
150ml water (take from chickpeas if cooking from dried)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lemon, juice of
1 tbsp tahini
150ml olive oil – you can sub with part water, I like the olive oil flavour
1 tsp sea or Himalayan pink salt

Method

If using soaked chickpeas, boil until soft but not mushy. Set aside a few to top on your hummus at the end.

In a food processor or Vitamix, blitz all ingredients until you get a rough puree. Scrape down the sides and blend again until smooth. If using a Vitamix, you can use the puree setting and leave it to do it’s work. If you double the quantities, though, you’ll probably need to use the plunger mid way.

Test for salt, lemon and tahini – adding more to your taste, if required and transfer to a jar. Top with a few whole chickpeas, some paprika and a drizzle of olive oil. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Tip: I never tire of hummus with my Sticky sweet potato wedges (so good!), with Quinoa, feta & rocket salad or slathered over chicken in a wrap (shawarma) or salad.

P/dsp: Kcal:104, Pr: 2.9g, Carb: 4.9g, OWS: 0.2g, Fat: 8.2g, Sat Fat: 1.1g, Salt: 0.3g

P/100g: Kcal: 248, Pr: 7.0g, Carb: 11.6g, OWS: 0.5g, Fat: 19.7g, Sat Fat: 2.7g, Salt: 0.9g

comments 0