I don’t know about you but lately I’ve been feeling a little…bleurgh. There’s no other way to put it. I’ve been suffering from intense back pain for the majority of this year. I’ve also been experiencing what can only be described as a groggy sloth-like state. I get plenty of sleep and then battle to wake up in the morning and feel lethargic and exhausted all day.
One of the things I notice has a direct correlation to my grogginess is unsurprisingly the amount of sugar I eat. When I’m baking my little heart out and enjoying the creations that come out of my oven a bit too much I tend to get really sluggish.
So, for one I restocked our pantry with some pretty awesome looking dried beans and whole grains and jammed packed our fridge with fresh vegetables.
I’ve also seen some recipes bouncing round the intertubes have been inspiring me to clean up my act a little and I thought I’d share them with you in case you’re looking for some delicious and healthy inspiration too. Happy healthier eating!
~ Potato, Leek & Celeriac Soup from Nicole Franzen
~ Curried Bean Salad from 101 Cookbooks
~ Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup w/ bacon & gorgonzola from the little red house
~ Quinoa skillet bread 101 Cookbooks
~ Rustic Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup from My New Roots
~ Buttermilk squash soup from 101 Cookbooks
There might not be a better seasonally transitional dish than this. Crispy, sweet apples and warming curry combined with cool couscous, fresh mint and bright lemon juice. Perfect for days when it’s still pushing 80F outside but your mind is engulfed with wooly sweaters, cosy boots, and warming soups and stews.
Minneapolis is stunning me at the moment with its weather. Cool mornings, crazy-dazzling sunshine, warm and woozy afternoons. The leaves are turning and falling and yet summer temperatures are clinging on. It’s really a dream.
This curried couscous has precisely hit the spot with what I’m craving. It’s the perfect sunny autumn packed lunch. I’ve been eating it all week, sitting outside marveling at the fiery, golden leaves and warm, hazy temperatures.
The crispy apples, sweet currants, and crunchy almonds are such a great contrast to the fragrant couscous – every bite is interesting and bright. It also only takes 15 minutes to make so…you know what to do.
Curried Couscous and Apple Salad
adapted from martha stewart
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw whole almonds
- 1 cup wholewheat couscous
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dried currants
- 1 small apple, cut into 1/8-inch-thick wedges
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Let cool.
- Mix the couscous with the currants in a bowl and pour over 1 1/4 cups boiling water.
- Cover with a lid and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Whisk together honey, shallot, curry powder, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season with pepper. Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream; whisk until dressing is emulsified. Add couscous and currants, apple, mint, and nuts; toss well. Garnish with mint.
I’ve been meaning to share these fritters with you for quite some time but somehow it’s been escaping me. My adventures in Pakistani food last week jolted me into remembering my mad love for cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and the like.
Crunchy on the outside; warm, soft and spicy on the inside; these fritters make a perfect lunch or brunch. The lime yoghurt sauce is such a treat to serve with them, offering a cool reprieve from the spice. Balance, balance, balance.
By the way, yes I know that frying/deep frying can be a pain in the bum (I have the oil-spattered walls to prove it) but it’s worth it here – the fritters only need a few minutes per side to turn into perfect little discs. Serve them alongside a green salad or inside warm pita bread.
Cauliflower and Cumin Fritters with Lime Yoghurt Sauce
From Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
(serves 4)
Ingredients
For the fritters
- 1 small cauliflower (about 320g)
- 120g plain flour (1 cup all purpose flour)
- 3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley plus a few extra leaves to garnish
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 500ml (2 cups) sunflower or other neutral vegetable oil for frying
For the lime yoghurt
- 300g (1 1/4 cups) Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro with a couple of leaves reserved to garnish
- grated zest of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Make the yoghurt sauce first by whisking the ingredients (reserving a little oil and sprig of coriander) all together in a bowl. Put aside in the fridge, pour over a little oil and sprinkle with a couple of leaves of coriander to serve.
- Prepare the cauliflower by removing the leaves and dividing into small florets. Cooking in a large pan of simmering salted water for around 15 minutes until soft. Drain.
- Meanwhile, whisk together in a bowl the eggs, flour, parsley, garlic, shallots, spices, salt and pepper. When mixed well, add the soft warm cauliflower and stir breaking down the cauliflower into the batter.
- Heat the sunflower oil (at a depth of 1.5cm) in a wide pan and heat. When very hot, spoon 3 tbsp worth blobs of batter carefully into the oil to cook. Avoid overcrowding them, cook maybe 3 at a time spacing them apart with a fish slice. Fry for 3-4 minutes each side then remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve immediately with the yoghurt sauce.
