Recipes

RICE
Spicy Rice - This is my own recipe, I’ve been doing this rice since my young teens and is still a favourite amongst all my friends... Jorj loves it!

Serves 4:
½  Red Pepper
½ Onion
3 Garlic cloves
1 Bay leave
3 tbs of Olive Oil
1 cup of Brown rice
2 1/2 cups of boiled water
1 tsp of Sweet paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper#
2 Vegetable stock cubes

Finely chop the onion, garlic and pepper and fry in the olive oil with the bay leave, when it starts going soft and the onion transparent add the cayenne pepper and paprika.  Cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.  Dissolve the stock cubes in the boiled water. Add the dry rice to the onion, peppers and garlic, mix really well together and when the rice starts to stick add a little hot water.  Keep on stirring and adding the water little by little.   Cover and simmer until the rice is totally cooked. When the rice is nearly done, take off the heat, cover and leave for 5 minutes. Season to taste.

ROOT VEGETABLES

Butternut Squash Mash   - So easy to make!
I used to use loads of butter in all my mash, I decided to add olive oil instead... amazing!

One serving:
A quarter of a buternut squash pelead and diced.
1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil

Boil the butternut squash. Drain properly. Add the olive oil, mash up. Season to taste.

SALAD DRESSINGS & SAUCES

 Vinagrette Salad Dressing - Simple, healty and tasty!
In Portugal nobody buys salad dressings, you such toss in a bit of olive oil, vinegar and salt.

For one large salad bowl:
1 tbs of Extra Virgin olive oil
1 tbs of Vinegar - Cider Vinegar has got amazing health benefits as its packed with antioxidants, it also tastes really nice.
Pinch of salt to taste

Mix together and toss into the salad. It works well on cold or hot salads.

SNACKS

 Toasted Pumpkin Seeds - Really yummy for a salty snack, great to take to work and to sprinkle on anything.

Pumpkin Seeds
Liquid Aminos - A soy all purpose seasoning spray.

Place the pumpkin seeds in a large frying pan so that they form a thin layer. Lightly spray with Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce). Toast in medium head, stirring every now and then. When the seeds start changing colour you know they are done.

SWEET POTATO FALAFELS + YOGHURT DIP
Posted by Pamela Cochrane

2 x Large Sweet Potatoes(Orange)
2 x cloves of garlic
2 x teaspoons of cumin
2 x teaspoons ground coriander
1 x bunch of finely chopped coriander
juice of half a lemon
100g of Gram flour(chickpea flour)
sesame seeds
salt and pepper
red chilli- as little or as much as you like.
 
Bake sweet potatoes in oven until soft, let cool, peel off skins(they come off really easily) then combine the inside with rest of ingredients leaving out the sesame seeds. Form into small balls and place on baking tray, let set in fridge for 45mins then sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds. Finally bake in the oven for 15-20 mins at 220 degrees.
Serve with Yogurt dip. You can either have plain natural yoghurt but I like to add a few things like finely chopped garlic, grated cucumber, lemon juice, coriander and mint and of course season with salt and pepper.
SOUPS

Pea Soup - Fat free, cleansing and delicious!
This is a really super simple soup. I had it my friends Caty's and begged her for the recipe. I added the cayanne pepper, the garlic and the mint to add even more antioxidants to it.

serves 4:
1 Onion
480g Frozzen garden peas
2 Garlic Cloves
2 pints of water
Pinch of cayanne pepper

To garnish:
A few twigs of fresh mint
Salt & pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in a pan with a cover. Bring to boil, turn the head down and simmer until the peas and onion is cooked through. Blend all together and when serving garnish with a few mint leaves.