Get the Glow (16 page)

serves 3

2 courgettes

1 carrot

1 yellow pepper, cut into thin strips

1 red pepper, cut into thin strips

2 spring onions, finely sliced

100g sugarsnap peas, finely chopped

bunch coriander, finely chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

100ml coconut milk

2 tbsp tahini

juice of 2 limes

large pinch salt

1 tbsp gluten-free tamari, soy sauce or Liquid Aminos

pinch salt

2 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp sesame seeds, to serve

To make courgette noodles, spiralise or julienne the courgettes, or use a peeler to cut them into noodle or ribbon shapes. Do the same with the carrot. Put all the ‘noodles’ in a large serving bowl.

Add the strips of yellow and red pepper, the spring onion slices, the chopped sugarsnap peas, the coriander and the chillies.

Put the coconut milk, tahini, lime juice, tamari or soy sauce or Liquid Aminos, salt and sesame oil in a jam jar. Shake it (with the lid on!), then pour this dressing over the vegetables.

Stir the salad, then sprinkle the sesame seeds on top to serve.

steak with parsnip chips

This is an absolute favourite of mine – it’s a spin on a dish that everyone loves. My word of advice is to talk to your butcher, and always ask if the animal the meat is from has been grass fed. There are so many more nutritional benefits if this is the case. And you get to make this dish really fun with parsnip fries. Sweet, nutritious, delicious.

serves 2

2 sirloin steaks, 150–200g each

250g parsnips, peeled

4 tbsp coconut oil or butter

mustard and salad greens, to serve

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7.

Grind pepper and salt over the steaks and leave them to marinate at room temperature.

Meanwhile, cut the parsnips into thin frîtes. Melt 3 tablespoons coconut oil or butter in a roasting tin, and toss the parsnips in this with a good grind of salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven until golden brown, flipping them over halfway through the cooking time. They will cook in 15–20 minutes, depending on your chip size.

Just before the chips are ready, heat a frying pan over a high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or butter, wait for the pan to get hot again, then cook the steaks for 2 minutes on each side. (This is for rare steak; cook another few minutes for well done.)

Serve with mustard and some salad greens.

ginger beef kebabs with yoghurt and salad

On the move or in a hurry? This is the perfect answer to such situations. You have wonderful immunity boosters in the garlic and ginger, and the coconut oil doesn’t denature the goodness of the other ingredients due to its high smoking point.

serves 2

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 tbsp gluten-free tamari, soy sauce or Liquid Aminos

1 tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

250g beef (sirloin or rump steak), cut into 2.5cm cubes

100g natural yoghurt

3 tbsp olive oil

25g watercress

25g rocket

salt and pepper

In a bowl combine the ginger, tamari, Liquid Aminos or soy sauce, honey, 1 garlic clove and melted coconut oil, then throw the beef in. Leave this for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours in the fridge if you can; however it will still taste great if you don’t have that long.

Thread the beef on to 4 skewers. (If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water first.) Heat a griddle pan to a medium to high heat and cook the kebabs for 5 minutes, rotating every minute so they cook evenly.

Mix the yoghurt with the remaining crushed garlic, the olive oil and a grind of salt and pepper. Serve the dressing on the side, or drizzled over the watercress, rocket and kebabs.

seared prawns with a ginger sugarsnap pea salad

This is easy to make, packs a crunch and is so speedy to whip up. What more could you want? Seafood, sugarsnaps and the calcium-loaded sesame seeds make this dish a personal favourite of mine.

serves 2

300g raw king prawns

200g sugarsnap peas, ends cut off and snapped in half

100g radishes, finely sliced

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 tbsp coconut oil or butter

2 tbsp olive oil or sesame oil

2 tbsp sesame seeds

salt and pepper

Pat the prawns dry with a kitchen towel and grind salt and pepper over them.

Put the sugarsnaps in a bowl with the sliced radish. Mix the vinegar, ginger and olive or sesame oil with a pinch of salt.

Heat the coconut oil or butter in a frying pan over a high heat for 1 minute. Turn the heat down a little, and fry the prawns for 1 minute on each side until cooked through.

Plate the prawns with the salad, pour over the dressing and top with sesame seeds.

orange duck with charred chicory

Duck and orange is the ultimate combo. It sits perfectly next to the chicory, which acts as a great digestive. The figs offer some extra sweetness and look rather fancy, making this dish the ultimate date-night meal.

serves 2

1 orange

2 duck breasts

2 figs, quartered (optional; use if in season)

1 tsp coconut oil

1 head chicory, broken into individual leaves

3 tbsp chopped walnuts

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Zest the orange and rub this into the duck breasts with a pinch of salt and good grind of pepper. Leave the duck breasts to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours, if you have time.

Heat a frying pan over a high heat and place the duck breast in, skin-side down first. Sear both sides for 2 minutes, then turn the heat down to medium and cook for another 10 minutes, flipping the breasts over every few minutes.

Slice the orange into 1cm slices and the figs into quarters.

Heat a griddle pan with the coconut oil. Char the chicory leaves on both sides. Serve the duck with the sliced orange, charred chicory, figs and walnuts, and drizzle over the olive oil.

pan-fried ocean trout with a beetroot and pear salad

Here succulent trout is married with the earthy depth of beetroot and light undertones of pear. Acidity and balance are the keys to this crowd-pleaser. Walnuts give the omega-3-packed texture one longs for in such a dish.

serves 2

1 tsp mustard

2 tbsp olive oil

1 beetroot

1 fennel bulb

1 pear

10g fresh mint leaves

3 tbsp chopped walnuts

2 ocean trout fillets

1 tbsp coconut oil

salt and pepper

Whisk the mustard and olive oil together and season with salt and pepper.

Grate the beetroot, thinly slice the fennel and pear. Layer the fruit and veg with the chopped mint, walnuts and the olive oil dressing.

Heat a frying pan over a medium to high heat with the coconut oil. When the oil starts to bubble, place the trout fillets in skin-side down. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 1 minute.

Serve all the components together.