I Quit Sugar for Life (52 page)

1. LEFTOVER HERBS
Chop finely and sprinkle into an ice-cube tray, filling halfway. Top with leftover stock or white wine. Once frozen, store in a zip-lock bag and use in soups, sauces and stir-fries after sweating the onion (when you would normally add herbs and a deglazing liquid).

2. CELERY LEAVES
I add these to soups and salads and use as I would parsley. I also often add them to my Lemony Gremolata recipe (see
here
).

3. PARMESAN CHEESE RIND
Add to soup or stock, or when you’re cooking risotto or rice by the absorption method to impart a hearty flavour. Make sure you pull it out before serving or blending.

4. BEETROOT LEAVES
I use these as I would Swiss chard: steam or sweat in a little stock and serve with olive oil and pepper and salt. I do the same with the leaves from cauliflower and broccoli. (Just don’t do this with rhubarb – the leaves are poisonous.)

5. CHARD STALKS
I love these things . . . almost more than the leaves, as they’re super-sweet. Sweat chopped stalks in butter or olive oil or leftover stock, then drain and dress with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and some salt. Or make a gratin by mixing steamed stalks with some cream and nutmeg, topping with parmesan cheese and baking in a 180°C (gas 4) oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese turns golden..

6. LEFTOVER WINE AND STOCK
Pour into ice-cube trays and store in the freezer in zip-lock bags to use for deglazing. I use these ‘stock cubes’ to braise/sweat my vegetables.

All the things you need to add bursts of flavour to your cooking repertoire with the added bonus of being good for your guts.

Prepare a bunch of these – and their sister variations – and have them at the ready in your fridge.

I’ve designed them so they’ll keep a while.

Countless cultures around the world have traditionally fermented their foods, in part as a preservation technique, but also as a way to
enhance the nutritional profile of the ingredients.

Fermenting converts sugars – glucose, fructose and sucrose – into cellular energy and a metabolic by-product, lactic acid, which in turn produces fantastic
digestive enzymes and healthy gut flora and cuts the sugar content of a food . . . all in one!

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Use whey if you can – it works better. Whey is easy to make (see
here
) and can keep in the fridge for several
weeks, in the freezer for months.

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Use super-fresh vegetables. Lactobacilli need plenty of nutrients to do their thing.

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Make sure you get a good centimetre of juices sitting above the veggies . . . otherwise mould grows, ruining the whole lot. That said,
don’t fret if your ferment gets bubbles or if little spots of white foam appear at the top of the liquid. This is totally normal and the spots can be lifted off with a spoon.

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If I don’t extract enough liquid, I add a small amount of water with a pinch of salt dissolved in it.

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Don’t open the jars while they’re fermenting. The oxygen will spoil things.

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There’s no need to sterilise jars and equipment. The ‘local’ bacteria are said to help the process.

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If you buy sauerkraut and kimchi in the shops, be aware many contain sugar and vinegar, and some are often pasteurised. All of which kills
the lactic-acid-producing bacteria, which defeats the whole damn purpose.

MAKES
CUPS (750 ML)
3 large apples, cored but not peeled

4 large beetroots, peeled

2 star anise

1 tablespoon cloves

¾ tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (see
here
), optional or an extra 1 teaspoon salt

Shred the apples and beetroot using a grater or a food processor. Toss together until well combined. Add the star anise and cloves, and continue to toss until the spices are
evenly distributed. Spoon into a Mason jar a little at a time, periodically sprinkling salt and whey over each layer and mashing with a wooden spoon or mallet so the juices are released. Leave to
ferment at room temperature for 3–4 days.

Pick out the star anise and cloves and discard them. Blend the relish in a food processor or using a stick blender until smooth.

MAKES
CUPS (500–750 ML)
These are like pickled cucumbers, which are made using sugar and/or vinegar. Look for pickling or ridge cucumbers. Regular cucumbers will
do almost as well, but you’ll need to ensure they’re as fresh as possible, with a tight, firm skin.