Kale, Eggs & Beans

This one can make a healthy breakfast, but you don't have to. It takes 12-15 minutes to make. 

This dish has over 200%* vitamin C, and manganese, plus 100% of your magnesium and almost 70% B-6 making this dish great for helping co-ordination & dizziness, emotional issues and insomnia. The 21% vitamin D in the eggs & 12% vitamin E in dried chillies will go towards reducing fatigue, whilst the barlotti beans provide 25% B-1 and 90% folate that support your B-12 and nerve function in the brain, increasing effectiveness of B-12 in your diet. 

*Recommended Daily Allowance

Serves 2

Ingredients

100 g x kale, cut up without spines

1 x onion, diced

2 x garlic cloves, diced

2 x eggs

1/2 tin x barlotti beans, pre-cooked and drained

1 cup x vegetable stock

1 tsp x paprika
1/2 tsp x fennel seeds
1/2 tsp x dried chillies

Instructions

1. In deep frying pan over medium heat, cook onion & garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add SPICES and leave to cook for further 2 minutes. 

2. Add half the kale to the frying pan & let it wilt (approx. 2 mins). Add other half of kale & leave to wilt. 

3. Add barlotti beans and vegetable stock to pan, & leave to cook for 6 mins, stirring occasionally. 

4. Make little indents in the cooked kale & break eggs into these gaps. Leave to cook the eggs (approx. 2 mins). 

5. Serve and enjoy!

Oyster Pork Stir Fry

A quick, one pan wonder!  However, it is best to let the pork marinade for 15-20 minutes before cooking & then add 10 minutes for cooking time. 

This dish has over 300% of your RDA for vitamin C thanks to garlic, mange tout, peppers and broccoli, and even the mange tout are trying to claim some benefit of vitamin C! Vitamin C helps not only with your immune system but also depression & anxiety, and supports the co-ordination/dizziness symptoms. 

The baby sweet corn, soya sauce, ginger, broccoli and pork combine to over 35% of your RDA for magnesium to help with migraines, memory issues, insomnia and depression.  Broccoli added Q10 helps the migraine relief too. 

B6 can be found in the pork and garlic, making up 80% of your RDA with some extra coming from the broccoli, peppers and ginger. Insomnia, depression, confusion, exhaustion, light sensitivity & dizziness. 

There is a touch of B12 in the milk and pork to help dizziness, memory and insomnia & exhaustion. 

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 cup x broccoli, chopped into bite sized chunks
1/2 x bell pepper, chopped into strips
1/2 cup x mange tout
1/2 cup x baby sweet corn
1 cup x pork tenderloin, cubed
1 tbsp x milk
1 tbsp x soya sauce
3 tbsp x oyster sauce
1 tbsp x sesame oil
3 x garlic cloves, minced
1 inch x ginger, finely chopped

Instructions
1. In a bowl, place pork pieces with milk, soya sauce, garlic & ginger.  Cover the bowl with cling film & put in fridge to marinade for 15-20 minutes. 

2. When the pork has marinaded, heat a large rounded frying pan or wok on medium high heat. Add sesame oil until hot then add pork & sauce, cook until meat is no longer pink.

3. Add vegetables & oyster sauce, cook until vegetables are softened to your liking. 

4. Remove from heat & serve.

Chorizo, Pepper & White Beans

Another simple & tasty dish for when you just need some meat! 

Chorizo has 25%* vitamin B6 and 33% vitamin B12, and white beans give you 20% magnesium, 40% manganese & 16% B6. The dried herbs and spices add B6, manganese & vitamin E - so this dish helps if you have insomnia, exhaustion & dizziness or co-ordination issues. It will also help depression & anxiety a bit too. 
*Percentages are of your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). 

Remember to check out the beginner posts about symptom nutrients and which foods contain those nutrients to help you pick your recipes. 

It should take you 10-15 minutes to make, so it's good when you're hungry. 

Serves 2

Ingredients
100g x chorizo sausage, cut into mouth-sized chunks (spicy or not depends on your taste)
1 x red pepper, cubed
1 x red onion, diced
1 tin x white beans (pre-cooked cannellini is my preference)
1 tsp x cumin
1 tsp x oregano
1/2 tsp x chilli powder (or fresh diced)
1/2 tbsp x olive oil

Instructions
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in frying pan & add red onion for 2 minutes.

2. Add cumin, oregano & chill powder, stir in & cook for a further 2 minutes. 

3. Add the chorizo & pepper to the pan, stir it in & let it cook for 5 minutes. 

4. Add white beans to the pan & stir through for 2 minutes. 

Mackerel (or Ham) & Leek Tart

You can make this with mackerel or ham, depending on your preference. Just substitute the mackerel with ham below - you'll need about 1/2 cup of ham. 

This is a simple recipe but does require you to watch the oven. 

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 x sheet shortcrust pastry rolled out with flour (pre-made helps keep it simple)
3 x eggs, beaten
dash of milk (to go with eggs)
2 x medium leeks, chopped small
2 fillets x mackerel (pre-smoked or tinned), chopped into chunks **or 1/2 cup ham
1/2 tbsp x chives, chopped finely
Margarine to butter baking dish
Salt & pepper to season 


Instructions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c.  Butter baking dish on all sides where pastry will meet the edges.  

2. Lay pastry out in buttered dish so it is flat & comes up around the edges of the tray. Place an oven-proof dish over the pastry to stop it rising & cook in the oven for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, steam the leeks for 5 minutes (you can boil them but then they will probably be too wet for the dish). 

4. Beat the eggs & milk in a bowl, then add in the broken mackerel with chives into the eggs. 

5. When the pastry has cooked for 15 minutes, take it out of the oven & lay the leeks evenly over the base of the pastry.  Pour the egg-mackerel mix over the leeks & spread the mackerel pieces out.  Cook for a further 25 minutes in the oven.

6. Enjoy with a salad! 

Okra and Tomato Stir fry

My sister made this for me to accompany a roast chicken & I'd eaten most of it before I remembered to take a photo! 

Okra is high in vitamin C, magnesium and is 10% of your RDA for manganese (some B6 and lots of vitamin K), so combined with the garlic and tomatoes this makes the blog. 

Serves 2

Ingredients
300 g x okra
2 tbsp x olive oil
4 x garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, juice
200 g x cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tbsp x chopped coriander
2 tbsp x water
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Over a high heat DRY fry the okra until it begins to blister (almost popping seeds).

2. Reduce heat to medium and add olive oil & garlic for 2 minutes. 

3. Add tomatoes, lemon juice & coriander for a further 2-3 minutes, so tomatoes warm through. Season to taste. 

Sweet Potato Lentils & Mackerel

This is a staple dish for me as you can keep frozen spinach, lentils, tinned mackerel & a squash (supplements the sweet potato) in your kitchen for ages. Then one night when there's little in the cupboards, you can make this yummy dish! 

Everyone who has tasted this has been inspired to go home & cook it!

P.s. If you're a non fish eater, just don't add the mackerel. It still tastes yummy.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 x mackerel fillets (smoked or tinned can work fine)
1 x onion, chopped finely
1 inch x ginger, chopped finely
2 x cloves garlic, chopped finely
1-2 tsp x cumin, ground (or powder)
1-2 tsp x coriander powder
500ml x vegetable stock
1/2 cup x red or yellow lentils
2 x sweet potatoes, chopped into small cubes (can substitute with squash)
1 cup x spinach (frozen or fresh)
Pepper to taste
1 tbsp x olive oil

Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan, add the onion & garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. 

2. Add the sweet potato (or squash), coriander, cumin & ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes.

3. Stir in the stock, bring to the boil and add the lentils. 

4. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the stock has been absorbed. Add a little more stock if necessary throughout. Season with sea salt and black pepper and add the spinach, heat for 1 minute (allow 10 minutes if frozen spinach).

5. EITHER:
(a) FRESH Mackerel - Heat the 1 tsp of oil in a large frying pan, place the mackerel fillets skin-side down in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp.  Turn over, season with black pepper and cook for a further 4-5 minutes until just beginning to flake.

(b) TINNED or Smoked Mackerel - chop into chunks and add to lentil pan for 1 minute to heat through. 

Detox Soup

This is a simple soup that you can eat tonnes of & never seem full!  Sometimes I like to add in jerusalem artichokes if they're in season. 

You can forget the parsley & lime juice if you don't have them in stock. I'm posting 2 photos to show it with and without broccoli. 

Serves 4 
Ingredients
2 bunches x spring onions or 1 x large leek, finely chopped
1 x small cauliflower, chopped to bite sized chunks
1 x small broccoli, chopped to bite sized chunks
1-2 tsp x cumin powder
1-2 tsp x coriander powder
4-5 large ripe tomatoes or 400g tinned
2 x garlic cloves, crushed 
1/4 tsp x cayenne pepper
1 litre x vegetable stock
1 tbsp x olive oil
1 x lime, juice
Handful x Flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add cauliflower, spring onion/leek & garlic with coriander, cumin & cayenne pepper for 3 minutes. 

2. Add vegetable stock & bring to boil. Reduce to simmer & cover for 20 minutes. 

3. Add tomatoes & lime juice to saucepan & simmer for 10 minutes. 

Chickpeas with Spinach & Tomatoes

If you stock up your cupboards with tins and dried foods, and your freezer with frozen vegetables, you can save yourself the dreaded grocery shop on bad days when all those lights, items, people & decisions will turn you into the babbling wreck in the corner ('flooding'). 

This is basically a chuck it in a pan & let it cook for 15 minutes recipe. Simple & healthy, but simple to make on your bad days. 

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 x tin chickpeas (pre-boiled)
1 x tin of chopped tomatoes
50 g frozen spinach (fresh if you have it)
1 tspn x cumin powder
1 tspn x coriander powder
1/2 tspn x chilli powder (optional)
1 x garlic cloved, crushed
1 tbsp x olive oil

Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in saucepan & add crushed garlic until lightly browned. 

2. Pour in chickpeas, tomatoes, spices & spinach and stir. Heat it to boiling & then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Eat with wholemeal bread if you need something a bit more energy. 

Kale, Kipper & Rye bread for breakfast

A filling and rounded breakfast to start the week.  This can take a bit of time juggling so I'll set out the times in order. 

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 x kipper fillets, smoked
50 g kale, spines removed
2 x medium eggs
2 x slices rye bread
Salt & pepper 

Instructions
1. Cook kippers according to instructions - if in a bag then boil in the bag for 14 minutes. 

2. Steam kale for 7 minutes. 

3. Grill rye bread until lightly toasted.  Meanwhile, boil egg for 4-7 minutes depending on how hard you like it. 

4. Combine on plate & season with salt & pepper to taste. If you have chilli salt I think this adds something extra delicious!

Blueberry, Kale & Quinoa Salad

The last day of my course & I made this salad. It's a bit fruity!

Ingredients
1/2 cup x blueberries
1/2 cup x quinoa
1 cup x water
50 g x kale, shredded & spines removed
75 g x feta cheese, cubed
1/2 lemon juice
1 tbsp x olive oil
1/2 cup x sliced almonds (I only had whole ones but flaked is better)

Instructions
1. Boil 1 cup of water in saucepan & add quinoa.  Cook according to instructions on packet. 

2. Meanwhile, steam kale for 5 minutes.

3. Mix feta, kale, almonds, blueberries & quinoa in bowl. Drizzle lemon juice & olive oil over the salad & mix. 

Tofu, Tomato, Flower Sprout Rice Salad

Flower sprouts are not commonly found, but are a cross between broccoli and kale - so a dream super brain food! They taste a little nutty and look like flowered sprouts of mini kale bunches. If you can't get flower sprouts you can substitute with kale. 

Serves 2 

Ingredients

200g flower sprouts (200g kale as alternative)

50g silken tofu, cubed

2 tomatoes, chopped into cubes

1/3 cup basmati rice

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Piri piri lemon sauce: 

1/2 red onion

2 cloves x garlic

1 bird's eye chilli (remove stalks)

1 tbsp x sweet smoked paprika

1 lemon, juice

2 tbsp x white wine vinegar

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. In boiling water, boil the rice for 20 minutes or until soft depending on the packet. 

2. Meanwhile, steam flower sprouts/ kale for 5 minutes and drain. 

3. Mix all piri piri sauce ingredients into blender & whizz until smooth. If you don't have a blender you can cheat with a pre-made piri piri lemon sauce. 

4. Combine tomatoes, tofu, flower sprouts/ kale, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds & rice in a bowl. Mix in piri piri lemon sauce. 

Mussels in red Thai curry broth

Another lovely dish from my boyfriend to support me doing my course. Mussels are so simple to cook and really quite cheap bought fresh from the fish counter!

Serves 2 

Ingredients

1/8 cup butter

1 plum tomatoes, seeded & roughly chopped

1 tbsp x garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp x ginger, peeled & minced

1 can unsweetened coconut milk

1 can water

1/2 tbsp x Thai red curry paste (more if you like the heat)

1/2 tsp x salt

1.5 lbs mussels, scrubbed & debearded

3 tbsp coriander, chopped

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. 

2. Add the tomatoes, garlic & ginger, sauteeing for about 2 minutes (until the garlic is tender).

3. Pour in the coconut milk and can of water, then add the the curry paste, coriander & salt.  Stir together & simmer for 4 minutes.

4. Add mussels, cover & cook for about 5 minutes until the mussels are opened. 

5. Discard any unopened mussels as they are not good for you! Serve in bowls with crusty wholemeal bread if you require. 

Warm Broccoli & Mackerel Quinoa Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 x broccoli head, chopped into small florets
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
50 g feta, cubed
2 x tinned mackerel fillets, chopped into bite sized chunks
1 tbsp x pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp x walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup x sun blushed tomatoes
2 x spring onions, chopped
1 tbsp x French vinaigrette dressing

Instructions
1. Heat water until boiling & add quinoa for 10 minutes. Then turn off heat & leave to stand until all the water is absorbed.

2. Steam broccoli florets for 5 minutes. 

3. Lightly toast pine nuts in frying pan on dry heat until golden brown & slightly fragrant. 

4. In salad bowl, mix together spring onions, sun blushed tomatoes, walnuts & mackerel. Add quinoa and broccoli when cooked. 

5. Add vinaigrette to salad & mix in. 

Salmon & Kale Quinoa Salad

My next packed lunch this week was another salad. It's a bit more pricey because of the salmon, but I reckon it can survive tinned salmon as a cost saver.

Serves 4 (or 2 big lunches)

Ingredients
200 g kale, chopped & big spines removed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x can artichoke hearts
1 salmon fillet, cubed (tinned or sheets work fine)
1 cup dried quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup parmesan, large shreds
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Salt & pepper to season

Dressing:
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey

Instructions
1. Heat water in pan until boiling, then add quinoa to boil for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat & leave for 10 minutes to allow quinoa to absorb all the water. 

2. Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in deep frying pan on dry heat until golden colour & fragrant (4 mins). 

3. Leave pine nuts on plate and re-use the deep frying pan to heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat for 2 mins then add garlic & leave to warm until fragrant (2 mins). 

4. Add kale to garlic & stir in. Leave it to wilt in pan (2 mins). Keep turning the leaves to make sure that they all wilt. 

5. Turn off heat under frying pan & add artichokes, fish, pine nuts, parmesan & quinoa (when ready). Season with salt & pepper. 

6. Make dressing - add honey, vinegar & oil into a jar and shake/stir if no lid until combined. Pour over salad & mix together. 

Tofu, Kale & Avocado Salad

For the next 2 weeks I am doing a course, so I need some packed lunches to feed my brain! 

Serves 4 (or 2 big lunches)

Ingredients
2 x avocados, cubed without skin
325g silken tofu, drained & cubed
1 tsp x sesame oil
2 tsp x sesame seeds
1/2 lemon, juice
1 spring onion, chopped 
200g kale, rinsed

1 tsp x salt
Pepper to season
Optional: 
50 g brown rice

Instructions
1. Boil brown rice for 30 minutes until soft. Make sure that there is plenty of water in the pan so it does not dry out and burn (today's lesson for me)!

2. Meanwhile, break kale into smaller chunks and steam it for 15 minutes. 

3. Whilst the rice and kale are cooking, if you haven't chopped the other ingredients then chop them into large cubes and mix all together in a big salad bowl (avocados, tofu, spring onion, sesame seeds, sesame oil & lemon juice). 

4. When the kale is cooked drain it off & chop off the spines of the leaves and then cut the leaves into smaller slices. 

5. Add the rice when it is cooked and mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.