Just What the Doctor Ordered!

Not feeling at all well this week. I had a serious bronchial, chesty cough and felt really under the weather. All of my great new year resolutions about healthy eating have gone out the window. I need energy fast and that means chocolate. I am a strong believer that we crave what we need, so I simply must be deficient in chocolate. I even found this article on Net Doctor, although it may be a bit far fetched.

“A study published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal has shown that eating chocolate could have a positive effect in reducing cough symptoms. The study showed that an ingredient in chocolate, called theobromine, was more effective at stopping persistent coughs than common cough treatments. There’s one study that’s shown some links. But the benefit may well only be due to the sweetness of the chocolate rather than anything else,’ says Professor Eccles. This stimulates salivation and mucus secretion that helps relieve cough symptoms.'”

Rather than eat large mouthfuls of the cooking chocolate straight out of the fridge, I decided to make a chocolate brownie, and so as not to give up on all my good resolutions quite yet, I decided to add some healthy beetroot from my veg box.



There is absolutely no doubt, beetroot is super good for you –

1. Lower Your Blood Pressure
Drinking beet juice may help to lower blood pressure in a matter of hours. One study found that drinking one glass of beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 4-5 points. The benefit likely comes from the naturally occurring nitrates in beets, which are converted into nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide, in turn, helps to relax and dilate your blood vessels, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure.
2. Boost Your Stamina
If you need a boost to make it through your next workout, beet juice may again prove valuable. Those who drank beet juice prior to exercise were able to exercise for up to 16 percent longer. The benefit is thought to also be related to nitrates turning into nitric oxide, which may reduce the oxygen cost of low-intensity exercise as well as enhance tolerance to high-intensity exercise.
3. Fight Inflammation
Beets are a unique source of betaine, a nutrient that helps protects cells, proteins, and enzymes from environmental stress. It’s also known to help fight inflammation, protect internal organs, improve vascular risk factors, enhance performance, and likely help prevent numerous chronic diseases.
4. Anti-Cancer Properties
The powerful phytonutrients that give beets their deep crimson colour may help to ward off cancer. Research has shown that beetroot extract reduced multi-organ tumour formations in various animal models when administered in drinking water, for instance, while beetroot extract is also being studied for use in treating human pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancers.
5. Rich in Valuable Nutrients and Fibre
Beets are high in immune-boosting vitamin C, fibre, and essential minerals like potassium (essential for healthy nerve and muscle function) and manganese (which is good for your bones, liver, kidneys, and pancreas). Beets also contain the B vitamin folate, which helps reduce the risk of birth defects.
6. Detoxification Support
The betalin pigments in beets support your body’s Phase 2 detoxification process, which is when broken down toxins are bound to other molecules so they can be excreted from your body. Traditionally, beets are valued for their support in detoxification and helping to purify your blood and your liver.

So as you see, it is just what the doctor ordered!



Chocolate and Beetroot Brownie This is particularly delicious with a dollop of clotted cream. Riverford do a very good one.
 
250g dark chocolate, chopped
200g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
350g beetroot, about 2 medium sized
3 eggs
vanilla extract
200g golden caster sugar
50g cocoa powder,
50g rice flour (ground rice)
1 teaspoon baking powder
100g ground almonds

Preheat the oven to 180C. Wrap the beetroot in tin foil and put in the oven for about 45 minutes. They are cooked when a skewer inserts and removes very easily. Remove the tin foil and allow to cool for 10 minutes or so. Slip the skins off, whilst still warm. (Wear surgical gloves if you have some.) Meanwhile put the chocolate and butter in a large bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Leave to melt. Alternatively, heat in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Purée the cooked beetroot in a food processor. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and sugar, and mix until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, rice flour, baking powder and ground almonds. Whiz up and then mix in the melted chocolate and butter.
Turn the oven down to 170C. Butter and then line with baking parchment a preferably rectangular tin, roughly 28 x 18cm. (I used a round one.) Pour in the mixture and place in the and bake for 30–35 minutes, until just firm to the touch. It’s important not to overcook brownies; a skewer inserted in the centre should come out only just clean. Leave to cool in the tin and then cut into squares.

Bubble and Squeak!

Christmas is well and truly over. They have even collected the trees. The kids are back at school and there is absolutely no excuse at all for not having written a blog last week - apart from the fact that I just haven't managed to find the time.  

I seemed to be endlessly cooking over the Christmas break but funnily enough, of all the meals, I think it was Bubble and Squeak on Boxing Day which I enjoyed the best.  A classic use-up dish of all the left over vegetables from Sunday Lunch, my Boxing Day creation was a luxurious version of half my Riverford Christmas Vegetable Box including Brussel Sprouts, roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots and celeriac with added bacon, sautéed onions and a fried egg on top.  

The name originates from the sound of the vegetables cooking which are supposedly meant to make a bubbling and squeaking sound as they fry, although I have to confess mine have always let me down but even so, it is undoubtedly a perfect Brunch.  

This got me thinking about other variations of vegetables that I could use up this way.  Obviously you can add all sorts of flavourings, spices and herbs but there are endless vegetables which could also be substituted as well.  I have a glut of beetroot in my fridge this week, so I started thinking how I could incorporate them. I also had left-over cabbage from Sunday Lunch so in that went as well and I decided to served it all up with some Smoked Salmon, a big dollop of Horseradish and a poached egg. Maybe my Beetroot Bubble and Squeak was more a Beetroot Rosti or perhaps even it was more of a hash but whatever it was, it was damn good. 

So many other left-over vegetables can be given a new lease of life this way. The variations are endless, so get inventing!

Classic Bubble and Squeak
If you are worried about flipping your bubble and squeak over, you could just make hamburger shaped cakes from the mix and fry them off individually. Also makes a great vegetarian meal if you just leave out the bacon.

1 tbsp Olive oil,  ducks fat or goose fat
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped into lardons
1 onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
15-20 cooked Brussels sprouts or leftover cooked shredded cabbage
400 g cold leftover roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, celeriac, swede  turnips or any other vegetables that you have.
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Heat the oil or fat in a heavy bottomed all metal frying pan, allow it to get nice and hot, then add the bacon. Fry until brown and crispy.Turn down the heat and add the onion and sauté until soft and golden brown. And the garlic and briefly fry. Put all the cold potatoes and vegetables together with the cooked onion into a food processor and pulse briefly. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Add back to the frying pan and push down and fry over a medium heat for a few minutes, ensuring an even heat all over the bottom of the pan. Put the whole frying pan in the oven and cook through for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place a large plate over the frying pan.  Flip over so that the bubble and squeak is on the plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Beetroot Bubble and Squeak
The ratio of beetroot to potato should be roughly equal.  If you add too much beetroot it will be too wet as beetroot has a much higher water content.
1 tablespoon of 
1 large onion
1 clove of garlic
4 roasted beetroot, skins removed
6 or 7 cooked roast potatoes
A large handful of steamed cabbage
A teaspoon of caraway seeds (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Heat the oil or fat in a heavy bottomed all metal frying pan and add the onion and sauté until soft and golden brown. And the garlic and briefly fry. Put the onion, potatoes, cabbage and caraway in a food processor and pulse until well mixed.  Remove the processor blade and put on a grater attachment  Grate the beetroot.  Mix everything briefly together and season well with salt and black pepper. Add back to the frying pan and push down and fry over a medium heat for a few minutes, ensuring an even heat all over the bottom of the pan. Put the whole frying pan in the oven and cook through for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place a large plate over the frying pan.  Flip over so that the bubble and squeak is on the plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Beta Than Cider

I recently realised that I was not doing nearly enough exercise. Since the kids have finally both started school, I don't even seem to walk as much I as used to.  No more endless trips to the park pushing buggies.  This lack of exercise is taking its toll - mainly on my hips and although there is absolutely no sign of any warm weather ahead at all, I just know that it is going to catch me out suddenly.  Winter will come to an end one day, the sun will come out and I will be very white, over-weight and un-shaven.  So I decided to take up Bikram Yoga.  Although frowned upon by purist yogis, this variation of yoga is done in a heated room which not only causes you to sweat profusely but you also have to work twice as hard, just to cope with the heat. The idea is it makes you more agile and less likely to suffer injury and the heat makes it more cardiovascular so you burn more calories. In reality, it is really almost unbearable but you feel fantastic when you manage to survive yet another class.

Unfortunately this new exercise regime also coincided with another new discovery. I developed an unhealthy obsession with cider.  Not just any cider by Henney's Frome Valley Cider which is so delicious that I just couldn't get enough of it.  It just seemed the perfect way to re-hydrate and re-tox in the evening after a hard couple of hours detoxing. Unfortunately, it turns out that cider is incredibly fattening and so it was having a very detrimental effect on my attempts to loose weight.  I now appeared to be developing a beer-belly as well, or a cider-belly to be more precise. So, very sadly, the cider had to go. But what could I possibly replace it with?

The only joyful experience about going to Bikram Yoga is that they have a lovely juice bar with deliciously, tempting sounding concoctions.  However, having finished my relatively cheap 30 day introduction offer, the price rose rapidly, especially as they appear to expect you to go every day. However, at around £11.00 a class I really cannot afford to go more that twice a week and it has also forced me to economise on my new juice fix.  So I have turned to making my own.  After a few weeks of experimenting this is my favourite combination. 

First of all it must have beetroot, the ultimate super-food.  So long is it's list of benefits, that it is hard to believe that there is anything that beetroot can't do.  To counteract the sweetness I balance the flavour with celery and fennel and finally add a few carrots and a little apple. The overall list of health benefits of these vegetables on The World's Healthiest Foods website is so long that it would take you a week to read it but what is so amazing is that it tastes so good that you don't really even care.  The kids also love making juice so you can get them to do most of the work however there can be a bit of a battle as to who gets to drink most of the end results  but what better way to encourage your kids towards a healthy diet.

Beta than Cider

I really do recommend organic vegetables for juicing.  Since they are raw and I don't even bother peeling them I just don't want a whole lot of pesticides in my juice.  It is a really good way of using up an Organic Vegetable box which can work out cheaper than buying organic at the supermarket.  If you really want to go for it, add a handful of something green as well.  Spinach, beet-tops or Watercress are all especially good.
2 sticks Celery, washed
2 Carrot, washed and topped
2 Beetroot, topped tailed and well scrubbed
2 Apples
1 head of Fennel

Wash all the vegetables and cut the Beetroot, Apple and Fennel into wedges which will fit into the juicer. Carrots and Celery are usually the perfect juicing size already to fit perfectly into the 
juicer shoot. Mix all the juices together well and drink as soon as possible. I like to keep the vegetables in the fridge to make your drink nice and cold.

If you would like some more juice recipes I highly recommend Thirst by Nigel Slater.

For Goodness Sake

Beetroot are at their best right now and repeatedly turning up in my veg boxes. They are a vegetable that we often neglect. That is until you discover how good they are for you. A rich source of potent antioxidants and nutrients, including magnesium, sodium, potassium, vitamin C and betaine, which is important for cardiovascular health and helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.  What is more betaine may protect against liver disease, particularly the build up of fatty deposits in the liver caused by alcohol abuse, protein deficiency, or diabetes.  Beetroot juice has been shown to lower blood pressure. Research published in the American Heart Association journal "Hypertension", showed drinking 500ml of beetroot juice led to a reduction in blood pressure within one hour.  

The best way to cook beetroot, to maximise their goodness and their flavour, is to roast them.  Scrub lightly and wrap individually in tinfoil or if you are roasting a good many, pack them in a roasting tray with a  tiny amount of water and cover the whole tray with tinfoil.  Roast for about an hour in a medium/high oven.  When a skewer goes in and out easily they are done.  Allow to cool slightly before peeling but do not allow to go completely cold.  To save my hands from the potent, staining purple dye, I wear a pair of disposable surgical gloves, available from all good chemist shops. Once clad in this strange attire, the task of sliding the slippery skins off the warm beetroot is strangely pleasing.

So what to cook with them.  This salad is one that I recently concocted for a Riverford Supper Club  and I have to say I was particularly pleased with it.  It is delicious on its own, but also really good with a nice piece of smoked mackerel or a couple of slices of Pastrami.  

There are some other great beetroot recipes in my friend Jane Baxter's wonderful "Riverford Farm Cook Book" including the fabulous Beetroot Haters' Soup, a delicious Beetroot Gratin and a surprisingly good Beetroot and Chocolate Brownie.  Something for everyone, and once your liver is fully cleansed, you'll have a good excuse to relax with a glass of wine or two.

Roast Beetroot and Carrot Salad with Caraway and Dill

A couple of beetroot, scrubbed
A few carrots, peeled and cut into quarters lengthwise or baby carrots

Caraway Seeds (lightly toasted)

Small bunch of Dill, chopped

Bag of salad leaves
Some very good Sherry vinegar and some very good Extra Virgin olive oil

Sea Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C. Drizzle carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper roast for 20-25 minutes, until beginning to caramelise. At the same time, put the beetroot into a dish with a little water and cover with tin foil and roast in the same oven, until cooked. About 1 hour depending on size. Skewer or knife should pull out easily. Remove from oven. Peel beetroot whist still warm and cut into bite size chunks. Add to the carrots. Add the caraway seeds (be generous) and most of the dill and lots of salt and pepper. Check seasoning.

Mix together the vinegar and mustard. Add salt and pepper and whisk until thick. Slowly add the olive oil to make vinaigrette. Check seasoning and add a little water if two thick. Use to dress the salad and top with the carrots and beetroot. Finally sprinkle the last of the dill on top.