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Recipes
This page contains some wholefood recipe ideas. None of the recipes contains
wheat or sugar as an ingredient. Most of the recipes have come from people
who work or have worked at the Haelan Centre, and some from friends and
family. They are generally simple and relatively quick to make. The ingredients
shown in bold are available at the Haelan Centre. If you have a favourite
wholefood recipe, why not e-mail us at recipes@haelan.co.uk
and share it with our visitors?
Emma's Extra Scrummy Porridge Oats
Oats make the perfect breakfast food. Unfortunately they have a bit of
a reputation for being bland and boring. Help us to dispel this unhealthy
myth! Try some of the ideas below - all created for extra yumminess. Here
are some of the healing properties of the humble porridge oat…
- Warming and soothing
- Helps to prevent infection and contagious disease, especially in
children
- Contains phosphorus, required for brain and nerve formation during
youth
- Rich in silicon, which helps to renew bones and connective tissue
- Restores nervous and reproductive systems
- Strengthens cardiac muscles
- Removes cholesterol from the digestive tract and arteries
- Soothes and protects the stomach and intestines
- Rich in protein, vitamin B, calcium, potassium and magnesium
- Can help diabetics in lowering blood sugar levels
Basic Porridge Recipe (1 big portion)
Put 5 dessertspoons of porridge oats in a saucepan. Pour over
2-3 times as much filtered water, a smidgen of sea salt and any of the
ingredients below. Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat lower
and simmer until you have your desired consistency - about 5-15 minutes.
More water can be added if required.
- 1 small banana (chopped) and a third of a tin of coconut
cream
- 2 dessertspoons of ground almonds and 4 dried apricots
(un-sulphured ones are nicer) finely chopped (really yummy with creme
fraiche).
- half a teaspoon of cinnamon and some raisins
- chocolate raisins (add at the end of cooking) - this one was
invented by Nino at the shop one
morning
- cook with a tablespoon of mixed chopped nuts and serve drizzled
with date syrup
- apple and cinnamon puree: simmer apples and cinnamon
first in some water, add oats and more water when the apples are fairly
soft and squishy. Bring to the boil again and then simmer until the
oats are cooked) This is super yummy served with organic crème
fraiche, and maple syrup as a winter pudding.
For extra super health pour on 3 teaspoons of linseed oil; hemp
oil or Udo's oil just before eating. If you have a sweet tooth,
add maple syrup into the oil. Yummy!
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Isa's Spirulina Smoothie
Isa (fantastic, tall Italian woman) invented this delicious way of
taking spirulina powder. Suitable for everyone in the family (half a
small beaker is ok for children over three) this is a great way of boosting
your intake of brain boosting, skin soothing, joint healing omega 3 essential
fats. Once you start to feel the benefits there is no looking back!
(Makes two generous servings)
1 or 2 fairly ripe organic bananas
2 heaped teasppons of spirulina powder
2 tablespoons of linseed oil (use the Biona
or Omega Nutrition brands)
250ml approx rice dream or oatly
200ml approx of filtered water
The following ingredients are optional, depending on your mood. The seeds
add protein to the shake, the berries add more antioxidant power:
1 - 4 tablespoons of organic frozen mixed berries (extra
yummy anti-oxidants)
1 tablespoon of ground linseeds (thickens the shake
if you only want to use 1 banana, it also helps constipation and rehydration,
don't use unground seeds)
1 tablespoon of ground pumpkinseeds (provides zinc)
Some ice cubes - if you are not using the frozen berries
You will need a hand blender. Put all the ingredients in the plastic beaker,
dry ingredients first. Whizz until smooth and enjoy!
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Linny's Nori Wrap Snack
Even the most time pressed of people have no excuse! This delicious and
nutritious nutrient dense snack will alleviate cravings for false energy
boosting snacks like chocolate and coffee. If you have two or three wraps
with a cup of sencha green tea, it makes a great lunch.
Clearspring Nori Sheets
Choose one of the following:
Mashed fresh avocado
Dark (Whole) Tahini
Beetroot Dip
Other spread or dip of your choice - there's a wide selection of healthy
ones available at the Haelan Centre.
Take any of your favourite sprouts e.g.
mung bean, alfalfa, mixed, or broccoli
sprouts
You could also add organic pinenuts or pumpkin
seeds for more protein power
An then prepare any of the following ingredients by slicing them into
thin sticks:
Carrot
Fresh beetroot
Mangetout
Cucumber
Red bell pepper
Tofu - Try Taifun Smoked Tofu with Almond and Sesame or
Viana Organic Hazelnut tofu
Take one sheet of nori and run quickly over a gas flame or electric hob
until the dark green colour changes to a brighter green bright green,
this only takes a few seconds. It makes the nori sheet a little softer
and easier to eat.
Spread a good layer of one of the spreads over the nori, place the sprouts
in the centre of the sheet and lay the tofu on top, adding thin strips
of any of your chosen vegetables.
Wrap the nori sheet around all the ingredients and munch away!
Rebecca's lemon polenta cake
Polenta is basically ground maize. It is an ideal alternative flour for
those who are gluten intolerant or wheat sensitive. Corn has the following
healing properties:
- tonic to the kidney's
- promotes healthy teeth and gums
- nourishing to the heart
- helps to regulate the digestion
250g butter or ghee
200g rapadura
250g ground almonds
250g polenta (course, fine or mixed)
4 eggs or 1 heaped tablespoon of arrowroot powder with half
a cup of soya milk
2 large lemons (zest and juice)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 and a half teaspoons of vanilla essence (optional)
Beat the butter or ghee with the rapadura until light and fluffy. Add
the eggs or arrowroot and milk and continue to beat the mixture. Arrowroot
powder and soya milk act like a binding agent. Fold in the almond, polenta,
baking powder, lemon juice and zest.
Place in a cake tin and bake in a preheated oven for about 1 and a half
hours at gas mark 4 or 160 degrees Celsius.
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Rebecca's savoury polenta cake
250g polenta (course, fine or mixed)
250ml soya dream (soya cream)
4 eggs
2 teaspoon of olive oil or ghee
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 onion finely chopped
some fresh garlic and ginger (finely chopped or crushed)
2 cups of chopped vegetables (carrots, courgette, red pepper, parsnip,
sweet potato, pumpkin, leek etc)
spices (cumin, coriander, black pepper, mustard
seeds, garam masala)
fresh herbs (parsley, coriander leaves, rosemary)
feta cheese (optional)
Put oil or ghee in a saucepan and saute the onion, ginger and garlic together
with any spices of your choice (cumin and coriander are particularly good
for aiding the digestion). Add the vegetables and saute until they start
to become soft, but are not fully cooked . Remove from the heat.
Beat the eggs and mix with the cream, polenta and baking powder. Add some
feta cheese and fold in the vegetables and chopped herbs. If the mixture
is too thick to stir, add some more soya cream or milk. Place in a cake
tin and bake in a preheated oven for 1 and a half an hours at gas mark
4 or 160 degrees Celsius. Serve with soup or any sauce.
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Julia's split red lentil dahl
You can't make a big enough pot of this, especially if your feeding lots
of people! Makes a good accompaniment to vegetable curry or simply serve
with brown basmati rice or nan and mango chutney.
Lentils are beneficial to the heart and circulation, they stimulate the
adrenal glands and support kidney health. They have the shortest cooking
time of all the pulses.
250g spilt red lentils soaked and washed
1 large onion chopped
2 or 3 carrots chopped
2 or 3 potatoes chopped (optional)
3 teaspoons of Marigold vegan boullion
2 teaspoons of turmeric
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
2 teaspoons of coriander powder
2 teaspoons of dried coriander leaves (or use fresh coriander liberally)
finely chopped fresh garlic and fresh ginger
4 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, chilli linseed oil or ghee
Soaking and washing the lentils helps to improve their digestibility.
Wash until the water runs clear and soak for at least 30mins before cooking.
Discard the soaking water.
Use half of the olive oil or ghee to fry the spices on a medium heat.
After about 1 minute add the chopped onion and fry until soft, but not
brown. Add the chopped vegetables, the lentils and about twice as much
water in volume as the lentils and vegetables. You may add more water
later as the lentils absorb it.
While the water is heating up, add 3 teaspoons of Marigold vegan boullion
and 2 teaspoon of dried coriander leaves. Bring this to a boil and then
turn down the heat to a simmer. It will take about 40 minutes to cook,
but keep an eye on the pot in case you need to add more water. The lentils
should be soft and mushy.
A few minutes before serving, fry the rest of the olive oil or ghee in
a little pot on a medium heat adding 2 or 3 cloves of chopped garlic and
ginger if liked. Fry until just about to turn golden brown. Stir this
into the dahl just before serving. A quicker (more expensive but very
healthy) alternative is to serve with chilli-garlic linseed oil. Sprinkle
with fresh chopped coriander leaves if desired.
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Easy Quinoa Lunch Bowl
A really easy way to eat quinoa (pronounced Keen - Wa). This dish makes
an ideal alternative to sandwiches, just pop in a bowl with a lid for
a vitamin and protein-rich, wheat-free packed lunch.
(Makes 2 generous servings)
250g organic quinoa grain
325ml filtered water
half a teaspoon of Marigold vegan boullion
Choose a combination of any of the following:
6 tablespoons of organic mixed sprouts chick peas, lentils
etc. (buy ready sprouted or make your own)
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh organic parsley (any
kind)
A handful of soaked and chopped dulse sea vegetable
Five slices of organic smoked tofu with almonds and sesame seeds
cut into squares
1 tablespoon of organic pumpkin seeds
1 organic tomato chopped into cubes
1 organic avocado chopped into cubes
6cm length of organic cucumber cut into cubes
A few dashes of Sunita organic lemon juice or
organic tamari
A few dashes of Palastinian Olive oil or linseed
oil
Put the quinoa and boullion in a pan with a well fitting lid. Add the
water and bring to simmering point. Once the steam is rising put on the
lid and turn down the heat a little, leave to simmer gently for 20 minutes.
When the 20 minutes is up, stir in some or all the remaining ingredients,
allowing the heat from the quinoa to gently warm them. You can also drizzle
on homemade or shop bought tahini dressing.
Who said wheat free was boring?!
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Julia's Get Better Brown Rice Congee
Traditionally eaten in China as a breakfast food, this is
a very healing soup which can be taken when convalescing, whilst suffering
from digestive upset or when you feel weak and have low energy. You can
play around with the ingredients and measurements, this is just a guide.
1 large handful of brown rice
Approximately 8 small mugs of water (filtered is better)
Sea salt or 2 level teaspoons of Marigold vegan boullion
1 large carrot
1 inch of fresh ginger
3 cloves of fresh garlic more if liked!
3 spring onions
5 dried shitake mushrooms
1 dessertspoon of dried hijiki seaweed
nori flakes
chilli-garlic linseed oil or tamari (or try sugar-rich but
tasty thai sweet chilli sauce)
Put the brown rice and hijiki in a large pot with a lid.
Bring to the boil and then cover and turn down to a low simmer, you can
add some sea salt or marigold vegan boullion if you like. Let the rice
cook for as long as possible. In China it is commonly cooked for 4-6 hours,
aim for at least 2 and a half hours. The more you cook the rice the more
strengthening properties the congee will have. While the rice is cooking
soak the mushrroms in a little cold water.
In the last half hour of cooking add the chopped carrot,
finely chopped giner and garlic, sliced soaked mushrooms (and the soaking
water). In the last five minutes add the finely sliced spring onion. The
soup should be slightly gelatinous. Serve into soup bowls, sprinkle with
nori and add a liberal dash of chilli garlic oil, sweet chilli or tamari.
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Gyan's steamed vegetables with brown rice and tahini
dressing
This is an ideal meal which is delicious and easily digested and doesn't
take too much preparation.
short grain brown rice
some sea salt
2 or 3 different types of fresh vegetables e.g. carrots, broccoli,
asparagus, leek, cauliflower, green beans
short grain brown rice
pre-prepared tahini dressing OR
dark tahini paste
juice of half a lime
a little olive oil
a teaspoon of honey
a dash of tamari sauce
1 clove of garlic crushed
some filtered water
nori flakes (optional)
First of all wash the rice and put it on to boil with a little sea salt,
it generally takes about 40 mins. Go and do something else for a while.
About 10-15 minutes before the rice is ready, chop the vegetables and
put them in the steamer. Steam until they are lightly cooked.
While the steaming is going on, prepare the sauce. Take about 2 tablespoons
of tahini paste, add about 3 or 4 teapoons of olive oil, the lime juice,
honey, crushed garlic and a little tamari sauce. Mix together. Then slowly
add the filtered water, add a bit then stir, repeating this until you
have the desired thickness. I like it slightly more runny than cheese
sauce. Add more tamari or sea salt to taste.
Strain the rice and serve in a bowl. Add a generous portion of steamed
vegetables and top with the delicious tahini dressing. Sprinkle with nori
flakes if desired.
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Samantha's Amaranth Lemon Winter
Casserole
Serves 2
2 medium carrots
1 medium parsnip
1 medium sweet potato
1 large leek
1 can of kidney beans
6 cloves of garlic
Handful of pumpkin seeds
Handful of sunflower seeds
Turmeric
Fresh (or dried) Parsley
Lemon juice
Vegetarian bouillon (such as Marigold Swiss Bouillon powder)
200g Amaranth grain
Bring 400ml water to boil in a medium sized pan. Add the
amaranth. Sprinkle a pinch of turmeric into the mixture. Cover the pan
with a lid. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the
grain is cooked. Be careful to make sure the grain doesn't overcook or
it can become mushy. Make sure the grain has absorbed all the water. Once
the grain is cooked, remove it from the heat and leave it to stand for
15 minutes with the lid on.
While the amaranth is cooking, wash and prepare the vegetables.
Pour a little water (about ¾ inch deep) into another medium sized pan
and bring to a boil. Chop the carrots, parsnips and sweet potatoes into
bite sized chunks and add to the water. Sautee in the water over a moderate
heat for 5 minutes, or until chunks begin to soften. Chop the garlic into
slices and add them to the softening vegetables. Cook the vegetable mixture
for another 2-3 minutes. Cut the leeks and add them to the vegetable mixture.
Add water, when necessary, to prevent burning.
Put the pumpkin and sunflower seeds into a tray and roast
them underneath a grill. Take care not to burn the seeds. They should
be lightly toasted. Once done, put them to one side. When the vegetables
are almost cooked, add ¼ mug of water, 2 teaspoons of vegetable bouillon
(or ½ stock cube), a sprinkle of turmeric, and lemon juice to taste. Allow
to cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Drain the kidney beans and add them
to the stew. Pour the amaranth into the cooked vegetable mixture allowing
it to soak up the flavour of the lemon sauce.
Chop the washed Parsley and add a good handful to the stew
(or add 2 teaspoons of dried parsley). Mix in the toasted seeds. (You
may like to allow the stew to sit for a while before serving. This enables
the grain mixture to soak up the full flavour of the sauce.) Serve with
a garnish of fresh parsley sprigs.
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Samantha's Sun-Dried Tomato
and Buckwheat Stew
Serves 2
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
100g French beans/runner beans
1 bag of fresh spinach
½ mug of peas
80g sun-dried tomatoes
Tamari (wheat-free) sauce
Vegetable bouillon (like Marigold Swiss bouillon)
Oregano (fresh or dried)
Basil (fresh or dried)
1 mug Unroasted buckwheat grains
Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
Prepare the sun-dried tomatoes at least 1 hour before making the meal.
Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into strips and place in a bowl. Add enough
boiling water to cover the tomatoes and put them to one side. Leave them
to soak for at least 1 hour. They can be soaked overnight for maximum
flavour.
Put the buckwheat into a saucepan and roast over a hob for
3-5 minutes. Keep the heat high and stir constantly until the grains are
roasted evenly. Add two mugs of water to the buckwheat. Bring to the boil
then cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the grains are cooked. Make
sure that all the water has been absorbed. Take care that the grains are
not overcooked or they will become mushy.
Whilst the buckwheat is cooking, add ¾ inch of water to
a pan and bring to a high heat. Chop the onion into strips and place in
the pan of hot water. Sautee for 2 minutes. Top and tail the beans and
add to the pan. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Slice the 4 garlic cloves
into slivers and add to the pan along with the peas. Cook for another
2 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes including the liquid they were soaking
in. Add a ¼ teaspoon of oregano and ¼ teaspoon of basil (or a few chopped
sprigs of fresh oregano and basil). Add 2 teaspoons of bouillon (or half
a stock cube) and a dash of tamari. Add the spinach and cook for a further
minute. Finally, add the tin of tomatoes to the mixture and heat through.
Chop 2 garlic cloves into small pieces. Mix them into the
cooked buckwheat along with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place buckwheat
mixture into two bowls. Dish the tomato sauce over the buckwheat, garnish
with pepper and serve.
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Amy's Energy Balls
These incredibly moorish balls are now a pretty much permanent
feature the fridge at home. They are incredibly rich and chocolatey and
taste suspiciously like they are more naughty that they actually are.
They are also a doddle to make!
1 cup of tahini paste
Half a cup of raisins
Half a cup of dessicated coconut
Half a cup of fresh dates (you can used dried but you need to soak them
for about eight hours)
4 tablespoons of carob flour
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
1 teaspoon of linseed oil (optional)
A handful of shredded coconut and/or ground almonds to coat
Put all of the ingredients in a food blender and mix on the maximum speed.
The mixture should turn into a firm, playdough type consistency. Roll
the mixture into bite sized balls then roll the balls on a board covered
with shredded coconut or ground almonds. Chill in the fridge before serving.
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Friendly Fruity Jelly
Making jelly with agar agar (vegetarian alternative to normal jelly)
means you get loads of minerals, no artificial colourings, sweeteners
or flavourings. The texture is just as wibbly, wobbly yet firm as more
scary kinds of jelly! Careful not to pig out though, this jelly has mild
laxative properties.
3 rounded tablespoons of Clearspring Agar Agar Flakes
200ml of ready diluted Crazy Jacks Cordial - blackcurrant
and apple, or strawberry and apple are ideal.
Some organic frozen mixed berries.
Put the made up cordial into an aluminium free pan. Sprinkle the agar
agar flakes over the liquid before heating. Bring to a simmer over a medium
heat, without stirring. Simmer for 3-5 mintues, stirring occasionally,
until the flakes dissolve.
Leave the contents of the pan to cool down to warm and then transfer the
liquid to small plastic beakers or other suitable container. Children
love to drop the frozen berries into the liquid as it sets. The frozen
berries will melt in the liquid and help to hasten it to set as it cools.
Store in the fridge until ready to eat.
Experiment with pure furit juices, or other organic cordials. Be warned,
the following fruits may affect the setting properties of agar agar: kiwi
fruit (too acidic), pineapple, fresh figs, papaya, mango and peaches.
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Ayurvedic Recipes
Thank-you to Rebecca and Sascha for these recipes
To make ghee, use unsalted and good quality butter. Place the butter in
a pan and let it melt and simmer on the lowest possible heat. In the beginning
it will make a lot of noise, the butter will look thick and cloudy, and
a foam will appear on the top. In the first five minutes occasionally
give the liquid a stir to allow all the water content to evaporate, and
then leave the liquid to continue simmering for a further 15 minutes.
Slowly particles will sink to the bottom, the foam will settle on the
top and in between the pure butter oil will become clear.
The moment the sediment on the bottom starts to turn brown, remove the
pan from the heat, skim off and discard the foam, and strain the liquid
through a very fine sieve or muslin into a jar.
Don't store ghee in the fridge: it doesn't go rancid and will keep for
months. Use it for cooking (ghee doesn't burn as quickly as butter does)
and you can always add a teaspoon to your food. ENJOY!
Mung beans are less gas producing than other beans, remove toxins from
the body and when cooked with the suggested spices, stimulate the digestive
fire.
Soak the mung beans either over night or for at least one hour
before cooking. Heat olive oil or ghee in a pan and add a teaspoon
of turmeric powder, 2 pinches asafoetida (to take the gas
quality out of the beans) and two bay leaves.
Discard the water from the soaked beans and add the beans into the pan
with fresh water. To one part mung you need at least three to four parts
water. Leave to bubble away for one hour adding water as necessary (if
you have a pressure cooker, cook for 20mins under pressure). Slowly the
beans begin to soften and break up. Continue to cook until all the beans
are soft.
Whilst the beans are cooking heat some oil or ghee into another pan and
add one heaped teaspoon of cumin and coriander seeds plus
any other herbs or spices (except chilies) such as garam masala,
black pepper. Sauté briefly and then add a finely chopped onion,
some fresh root ginger and 2-3 cloves of garlic. Sauté until
the onions turn golden brown and then remove from the heat.
Once the beans are soft add the onions and some salt into the pan and
continue to simmer for a further few minutes. Don't add salt until the
end as this makes the beans tougher and they would therefore take longer
to cook.
Serve with brown basmati rice, fresh coriander leaves and ghee.
Khichadi is a simple stew of rice and split mung beans which is easy to
digest and stimulating to the digestive fire. It is a good meal to take
when returning to eating after a fast or an illness. Khichadi, is highly
nutritious and is ideal for gradually preparing the body to digest normal
food again, for replenishing the tissues and for increasing the speed
of the healing process. Three different types of khichadi are mand, peya
and vilepi. They are the same recipe except different amounts of water
are used. For more information see Ayurvedic
Cleansing Fast.
Soak the mung beans for at least one hour before cooking.
Heat ghee or olive oil in a pan and add cumin or coriander
seeds. Then add some finely chopped onion, root ginger
and garlic and sauté until golden brown. Stir in 1 teaspoon turmeric
powder, half a teaspoon asafoetida, some black pepper
and a few bay leaves.
Take a cup and fill half with mung and the remaining half with
brown basmati rice. (One can also add any chopped vegetables that
you have such as carrots, pumpkin, green beans, courgettes,
asparagus etc.)
Add the beans into the pan with your chosen amount of water.
- For mand use 14 parts water to 1 part rice, beans and vegetables
- For peya use 6 parts water to 1 part rice, beans and vegetables
- For vilepi use 4 parts water to 1 part rice, beans and vegetables
In a normal pan you will need to cook it for about an hour, adding more
water (top up to original height). In a pressure cooker it will cook within
about 20 minutes after coming to pressure.
When it's ready, ie. the beans have become completely soft, add a little
salt and serve the dish with ghee and freshly chopped herbs. Experiment
with different vegetables and spices to create different flavours.
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Recipes