What to do with Beansprouts

Today I ate beansprouts and I didn't get E-coli and I didn't die.

Not surprising, you'd think, but recently some beansprouts in Germany have been responsible for spreading the bacteria and caused several deaths and a lot of sickness. Basically, as far as I understand, it was due to poor farming methods, bad hygiene, etc. That sort of thing shouldn't happen if you grow your own, or buy from a reputable source. I'd run out at home, so I bought some from Aconbury Sprouts because I know they're good. I've bought them before.

I had quite a few for lunch, with a box of olives and that sustained me through a stressful kiln firing (which went on forever!)

Mr H had to go into work this evening, so I made this for his return:

Tricolore Bolognese

1 large courgette

1 large carrot

1 large beetroot

300g multicoloured baby tomatoes

1 generous handful beansprouts

½ red Romano pepper

about 9 olives

1 cm red chilli

1 tsp raw cacao powder

drop olive oil

slice lemon – flesh & juice.

Grate the courgette, carrot and beetroot over a bowl

Squeeze the juice out of the grated veg and place half on the plates. Spread it around the edge with a hole in the middle.

Chop everything else into small pieces (chop the chilli very fine,) and mix together.

Place a large dolop of “Bolognese” in the middle of your plates and add a bit of green salad.

Serves 2 greedy pigs or 3-4 sensible eaters.

Plus a glass of delicious vegetable juice to fight over!

Spicing It Up

I made two Smoothies today, one fruity, one veggy. Here they are:

Sweet Fruity

1 melon (peeled and seeds removed)

1 large handful strawberries.

Juice and drink – easy!

I call this one "Pink Champagne"

Savoury Vegetable

8 carrots

1 beetroot (small, peeled)

4 sticks celery

2 tomatoes

Juice all the above and transfer to blender.

Add 2 handfuls spinach

Blend until smooth.

Mr H enjoying his "Fake Guinness"

I was craving cooked food today. None of the snacks were satisfying me, so I knew I needed to prepare a “proper” meal. What I really fancied was curry... ooohhh....

Ok, so I haven't worked out how to make a raw curry yet (Brain Cogs turning..) but I did find a lovely Chilli recipe in Naked Chocolate. I've had this book for years and to my shame I've never made anything out of it.

Here's the recipe, slightly adjusted for the ingredients I had available (I've halved the quantities for 2 people!)

Chilli con Cacao

1 clove garlic

1 large sprig rosemary

1 ripe tomato

1 large sprig basil

3 sun-dried tomatoes

Squeeze of lemon

Half teaspoon cayenne pepper (I'll use fresh next time.)

2 Olives

1 tablespoon raw cacao powder

Half a red Romano pepper

3 mushrooms

Half a cup of hemp seed oil (or olive oil)

2 Courgettes.

Chop the garlic and herbs.

Dice the tomatoes, pepper and mushrooms.

Chop the olives into quarters.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and chop roughly (I used a hand-held blender and it worked fine.) Mix in the oil.

Leave to stand while you peel the courgettes (I used a potato peeler to get some nice thin strips of skin) and grate the flesh.

Place the sliced peel on the plates, pile some grated courgette on top and add a generous dolop of Chilli con Cacao onto the top.

It was so delicious. Mr H said he found it "energising" - result! =)

I don't Need a Dehydrator - I Just Want One!

For my lunch today I fancied making a Mushroom Dip, so here it is:

Mushroom Dip

6 mushrooms

2 tomatoes

2 handfuls spinach

I slice lemon – pith & flesh

1 red pepper

1 pear

1 small onion

olive oil and hemp seed oil to enable blending

Blend everything together until smooth.

Makes a good dip or spread. Looks a bit like guacamole but has no avocado in (although it could have!)

I craved something starchy to go with these and set myself the challenge of creating a “cracker”-type thing without a dehydrator (because I don't have one – yet!)

This is what I came up with:

Tomato Almond and Flax Crackers.

leftover pulp from almond goji mylk (dried out a bit in oven (fan only - no heat) or dehydrator)

2 dsp milled flax seed (linseed)

2 tomatoes

mixed seeds

herbs and spices to taste

Chop tomatoes then blend with hand-held blender

Add flax seed and almond pulp.

Mix thoroughly and spread onto a baking tray (or dehydrator sheet)

Press mixed seeds onto the top and dry out in oven on fan only for 4-5 hours (check regularly to see if they are dry, cut into squares before turning over half way through.) Times for dehydrator will vary.

Can make batches and keep in fridge, each time you make almond goji mylk.

As these took so long to “bake” they weren't ready for lunch, but I put them in the fridge ready for the future and had the Dip with crudites.

I usually like to get two smoothies in each day – a fruit one in the morning and a vegetable “green” smoothie in the afternoon. Today I have been really busy because I have an exhibition coming up and I have work to finish. When I get very focussed on something, my hunger button switches off. Unfortunately, so does my energy button, so to keep myself going, mid afternoon, I made this:

Polly's Perfect Power Punch

1 pear

1 nectarine

1carrot

½ cucumber

handful leaves (spinach, etc.)

Juice everything except the spinach.

Transfer juice to a blender, add spinach and whizz until smooth.

Makes a large tumbler full.

Getting My Oats!

Today I made Oat Mylch - Here's how:

I took a pyrex jug and put 1 litre of water inside (you could easily use a bowl instead)
I then laid a piece of muslin over the top.
I dropped 1 cup of oats into the muslin, so that they all fell under the water.

I also added 1 tsp honey, but this is optional
Then I placed a plate over the top and left them soaking for 1/2 hour.

After half an hour I removed the plate, gathered up the edges of the muslin and squeezed out the Oat Mylch. It comes out thick and creamy and is wonderful for the skin too!

After I'd squeezed out as much Mylch as I could, I put the oats aside (for later!) and poured some of the Oat Mylch out for our lunchtime smoothie!

Here's the Oat Mylch. I made just under 1 1/2 litres this way. It needs stirring before use, but it is quite a versatile milk - not brilliant in tea though!

Lunchtime was upon us, so I made a delicious smoothie with:

1/2 pint Oat Mylch

1 mango (just the flesh!)

a handful of strawberries.

Blended together, they made the most gorgeous, rich, creamy, sunshiney drink!

Shown here with Chocolate Love Buckets!

Chocolate Love Buckets

I chopped the remaining strawberries into quarters and layered them in sundae dishes with a couple of Chocolate Love Bombs, (from a batch that turned out a bit soft, due to too much liquid and I'd kept in the freezer. Even mistakes can be utilised!)

Here is a delicious Chocolate Love Bucket!

Our delicious lunch. Imagine - eating chocolate for lunch, the healthy way. This is heavenly!

Mr H enjoying his chocolate Love Bucket. Mmmmmm. =)

Later in the day I was a bit naughty when we visited Mr H's parents, because it is impossible to resist Mrs H's delicious Okra Curry! It did get me wondering whether okra can be eaten raw, and whether I could create a raw curry? Hmmm... best get my thinking cap on.

Anyway, those soaked oats (you thought I'd forgotten about them, didn't you?)

Baccus Gets His Oats

1 cup oats (soaked and Mylch squeezed out)

1 desertspoon (dsp) raw cacao powder

1 dsp carob powder

1 cup dried vine fruits (pre-soaked)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

2oz (50g) coconut cream (you could use coconut oil if you prefer. I use the cream because it is cheaper!)

Mix it up, press into silicone moulds and leave to dry under a tea towel overnight.

In the morning (hopefully!) there will be some oaty chocoaltey cakes!

Night night... =)

PS... next day... here's a pic:

... and they are yummy!