Winter is approaching but crossing over from summer to winter doesn’t have to be as hard on the body if you spend time preparing it in autumn. The following three recipes have been chosen with helping you make the seasonal transition in mind, as well as being tasty and extremely nutritious. All three meals are warming and may offer comfort as the temperatures start to cool.
On top of adjusting your menu to be more autumnal, what could further help you adjust is making a conscious choice to slow the pace down in your day to day life also. This is what nature is busy doing externally, and since we are connected to nature, it makes sense we apply that to ourselves also.
Recipe 1 – Ketogenic Lamb Bone Broth Recipe
*Serves 4
Benefits: Broths are a staple among those following ketogenic diets and are very healthy being loaded with essential nutrients that the body cannot make but can actually be enjoyed by everyone. To extract the most nutrients from the lamb bones, it is best to cook between 8 and 24 hours.
Ingredients:
- 450g x lamb bones
- 1 x tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 x small onion (peeled and finely chopped)
- 3 x medium carrots (washed and chopped into cubes)
- 3 x sticks of celery (roughly chopped)
- 3 x cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped)
- 3 x sprigs of rosemary
- 4 x sprigs of thyme
- 3-9 litres of water
- Pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 200C, and then immediately add the lamb bones into a roasting pan. These need to cook for approximately 30 minutes, until well browned.
- Take a large stockpot and add the oil and put on a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme and rosemary – sautéing for 4-5 minutes.
- Now add the lamb bones to the stockpot and also add any fat and juices from the roasting pan directly to the stockpot also.
- Start by adding 3 litres of water and let the stockpot come to a simmer, then lower the heat to a low temperature.
- Simmer like this for 8-24 hours without the lid, but do add more water when the water level drops. How much water you need depends on the total cooking time you decide on.
- Once the broth is ready, strain the broth using a fine-mesh strainer and enjoy. This broth can also be stored in the fridge and/or freezer once cooled.
Recipe 2 – Creamy Coconut Beef and Pumpkin Curry Recipe (Slow Cooker Recipe)
*Serves 4
Benefits: Beef is rich in easy to absorb haem iron, and this entire meal when eaten with a wholegrain is gentle on blood sugar meaning it should not cause any blood sugar spikes out of the healthy range, so can be enjoyed by most people.
Ingredients:
-
1 x tablespoon peanut oil
-
1 x tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
-
80g (1/3 cup) Rogan Josh curry paste
-
1.5kg x beef steak (cut into 4cm pieces)
-
400g x finely chopped tomatoes
-
250ml x vegetable liquid stock
-
1 x sprig fresh curry leaves (plus extra to serve)
-
600g x pumpkin (peeled, deseeded pumpkin and cut small)
-
1 x tablespoon cornflour
-
1 x can of coconut cream
-
steamed rice or quinoa (to serve)
Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Then add the ginger and cook for 1 minute until softened (stirring continuously).
- Next, add the curry paste and cook for 1 minute until all the flavours have released from the paste. To this then add the beef and cook. Keep stirring for 5 minutes or until well coated.
- Transfer the beef mixture to the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the tomato and stock. Stir well and combine.
- Add the curry leaf next and cover and cook on high for 5 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Add the pumpkin after 5 hours, and cover and cook for a further hour until the pumpkin has softened.
- Mix the cornflour and 80ml coconut cream in a bowl and stir to combine. Take this mix and add it to the slow cooker and cook, with the lid removed, for 10 minutes until thickened.
- Now it is time to enjoy your delicious curry and serve alongside some steamed rice or quinoa and drizzle with any leftover coconut cream, adding more curry leaves if desired.
Recipe 3 – Totally Vegetable Stew
*Serves 4
Benefits: A well cooked vegetable stew can be really beneficial to those who have digestive issues, and can provide everyone with a great food-first boost of important nutrients often lacking in the modern day diet such as fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients:
- 1 x 400g cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 x large butternut pumpkin (peeled, seeds discarded and cut into 3cm chunks)
- 3 x fennel bulbs (trimmed and cut into 6 wedges)
- 4 x tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus extra to serve)
- 750g x large ripe tomatoes
- 2 x onions (thinly sliced)
- 4 x garlic cloves (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 2 x teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1 x teaspoon coriander seeds (crushed)
- 4 x celery stalks (sliced 2cm thick)
- pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
- 4 x bay leaves
- 4 x thyme sprigs
- 1 x lemon (juiced and pared zest)
- 1 cup (250ml) x vegetable stock
- 1 1/4 cups (310ml) x sulphite free red wine
- 1/4 x bunch flat-leaf parsley (trimmed and chopped finely)
- 1/4 x bunch dill (trimmed and chopped finely)
Instructions:
- If you’re using dried beans, soak them in a bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight first. Then, drain them and transfer the beans to a pan. Cover with water and bring to the simmer. Cook for 35-40 minutes until they are almost tender. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the oven to 200C.
- Place the pumpkin and fennel in a roasting pan. Drizzle over half the olive oil and season to taste. Place everything together, cover loosely with baking paper or foil and roast for 50-60 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking, until the vegetables are tender.
- Next, prick the tomatoes with a knife, then place them in large heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water to cover and leave them to stand for 3-4 minutes to loosen the skins. Using a slotted spoon, remove the tomatoes from the water and when the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel away as much skin as you can. Roughly chop the tomatoes and set aside.
- When the fennel and pumpkin are ready, heat a large cast-iron casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and, when it’s hot, add the onion, garlic, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, celery, chilli flakes, bay leaves, thyme, pared strips of lemon zest, and some salt and pepper. Stir the vegetables as they soften, for about 12-15 minutes, taking care that they don’t burn. When they are sweet and tender, add the chopped tomato and stir well.
- Add the cannellini beans, the roasted fennel and squash, the stock and the red wine. Bring to the simmer and cook for 45-50 minutes, stirring gently every so often, until you have a thick, rich sauce and the vegetables and beans are deliciously tender. Then, add the lemon juice and plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Once happy with the flavour, remove the casserole from the stove and stir in the parsley and dill. Drizzle over some olive oil to serve and enjoy.