I’m sure you are all filled with great intentions for this year and may I wish you every success in achieving your goals. when it comes to eating well, this year I’ll be continuing to give you plenty of tips, recipe ideas and assistance with eating great healthy and natural foods.
I’ll start with this great dish I created last night – the sweetness of the squash went so well with the smoked mackerel. The great thing about this dish is that it is packed full of anti-oxidant and nutrient rich foods and, boy, does it fill you up. One of the biggest secrets to eating well is simple: filling your plate full of fiber rich vegetables that are low in calories but high in taste and goodness – this dish is a perfect example of this.
Try it out and let me know how you go:
Butternut squash and smoked mackerel pot – Serves 2
1 medium butternut squash (washed, cored and peeled – you can always leave the skin on for extra fibre)
2 medium red onions (peeled and quartered)
4 tomatoes (halved)
1 packet of smoked mackerel (usually contains 2-3 small fillets)
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 /2 teaspoon smoked paprika (use normal paprika if you don’t have smoked – I bought mine in Marks and Spencers)
1/2 teaspoon chilli
3 cloves of garlic – finely chopped/crushed
Juice of 1 lime
1 dessertspoon of olive oil
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
Preheat oven to 180 oc
Place the squash, tomatoes and onions in a big bowl and add in the oil, lime juice, garlic, spices and salt and pepper. Give it a really good stir with your hands or spoon – the reason I do this is to minimise the amount of oil I actually use.
Place on a baking tray and cook for about 40 mins. De-skin the mackerel fillets and tear into bite size pieces over the mixture and return to oven for last 5 minutes. Delicious!
Wheat free, gluten free, sugar free, dairy free
Thursday 22nd December
Check out my article in today’s Cork Indo for some interesting facts on our favourite Brussels sprouts:
http://corkindependent.com/stories/item/6576/2011-51/Food-for-Living—The-muscles-of-Brussels
The Muscles of Brussels
This week I’ll be talking about one of the most powerfully beneficial greens for our health. The Brussels sprout is synonymous with Christmas dinners but given their positive impact on health, you should make them a vegetable for throughout the winter.
Brussels sprouts health benefits are far reaching. The fibre in these green leafy vegetables have been linked to lowering cholesterol, its compounds have been shown to protect DNA from damage, their variety of antioxidants have been linked to cancer prevention, and they are a great source of both Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
I found this recipe on Bordbia’s website, which is a great website for recipes. Once you have cooked your Brussels sprouts you can actually coat them in anything – I had a lovely dish where I coated them in orange zest and toasted hazelnuts the other day!
On a sadder note, I won’t be returning for my weekly column in 2012. I’ve had a great 2 years writing and I’m very thankful to all the staff at Cork Independent. I also really appreciate all of the feedback and interest I have had in my work around health eating. I’ll continue to write about food and health so keep an eye on my website for my regular articles and blog posts. In addition, from January, I’ll be selling tailor meal plans for people who really want to get back on track in the New Year. I’ll be starting with a 7 day weight loss plan and a 7 day cholesterol lowering plan.
Happy Christmas to you all and all the best for 2012.
Chilli and Garlic Brussels sprouts
kg Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
Trim the sprouts and place in a saucepan of boiling salted water. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes depending on the size of the sprouts. While they are cooking heat the oil in a pan and sauté the shallots, garlic and chilli for a couple of minutes over a medium heat. They should be soft and not coloured.
When the sprouts are cooked drain them well, then stir through the shallots, garlic and chilli mixture along with a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and black pepper to taste.
© 2010 2011 Food For Living Nutrition Cork Call Lucy 086 8179964 Email: lucy@foodforliving.ie
