I Quit Sugar for Life (19 page)
Read I Quit Sugar for Life Online
Authors: Sarah Wilson
2–3 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger
⅔
cup (125 g) yellow split peas (mung dal), rinsed, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup (200 g) white basmati rice, rinsed well and drained
5 cups (1.2 litres) water
1 teaspoon rock salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspooon ground turmeric
½ lime
In a saucepan, warm the ghee and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and ginger, and saute for 1–2 minutes until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add split
peas and rice and saute for a few minutes, stirring.
Add the water, salt and ground spices to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, then cover and cook until the peas and rice are tender (30–45 minutes). Serve
with a squeeze of lime.
SOLO COOKERS:
Freeze the remaining portions for up to 2 months. Or do a mini gut-resting ‘fast’ by eating it for
breakfast and lunch for a couple of days in a row.
Serving Suggestions
Choose your garnish or extras according to your needs:
▶
Fresh coriander. Perfect for cooling Pitta.
▶
Coconut. Perfect for cooling Pitta and balancing Vata.
▶
Sweet potato. Add 1 cup (150 g), diced, 15 minutes after adding the water with an additional cup (250 ml) of
water. Perfect for grounding Vata.
▶
Or top with a poached egg, a quartered boiled egg, smoked trout or haddock, or yoghurt.
THE FARTY THING
The Indians add asafoetida, a spice that tastes like garlic, to counteract the less desirable effect of the split peas. You can also cook the dish with a strip of the Japanese
seaweed kombu. Either can be added to any kind of rice-or legume-based dish to reduce the chance of tummy upsets.
MAKES
½ cup (15 g) baby spinach leaves
1–2 sardines, fresh and grilled (see
here
) or tinned and drained
2 eggs
4 tablespoons grated tasty cheese
Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas 4). Press the spinach leaves into a small (1-cup/250 ml capacity) ovenproof ramekin or bowl and place the sardines on top. Break the eggs
over the top and sprinkle with cheese. Place onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
SUSTAINABILITY TIP:
It does seem a waste to turn on the oven for one little pot. Do a batch of Pumpkin or Sweet Potato
Purée or Par-Cooked ’n’ Frozen Beetroot (see
here
) – or any other dish that uses the oven at 180ºC (gas 4) – while you’re at it.
SERVES
Great for breakfast, brunch or lunch with a fried or poached egg on top.
2 cups (340 g) dried borlotti or kidney beans, soaked overnight
400 g piece of pork belly, rind removed
4 cups (1 litre) Leftovers Chicken Stock (see
here
)
2 tablespoons smoked sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Rinse the soaked beans under cold running water, removing any discoloured ones, and toss into an electric slow cooker. Slice the pork belly into bite-sized pieces and add to the
beans. Cover with the stock and add the paprika, oregano and pepper. Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. The dish is ready to serve when beans are soft.
NOTE:
If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can use a heavy-based casserole pot instead, but add an extra cup (250 ml) of
stock or water and reduce the cooking time to 1 hour, or until the beans are tender.
SERVES
A muffin in a mug. Ergo, a muggin. Microwaves ain’t great things, but my approach is this: if it’s the difference between eating a decent
breakfast and not, well, go for it. Sometimes it’s the lesser of two evils.
¼ cup (25 g) almond meal or gluten-free self-raising flour
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
½ tablespoon rice malt syrup or ½ teaspoon granulated stevia
¼ cup (60 ml) coconut milk or any other type of milk
Greek-style full-fat organic plain yoghurt, to serve
Add all ingredients to a microwave-safe porcelain mug and mix with a spoon. Microwave on high for 1½–2 minutes. Serve with yoghurt.
NOTE:
If you’re carrying this to work, you can par-cook it first (so it doesn’t spill).