Green Eggs

This is another simple little recipe, but this time it is breakfast! I tend to save this for the weekends as it takes a little longer than my usual granola.
I know not everyone is a fan of rye bread so feel free to use an alternative if you so wish. I don't use butter on the bread as I find the avacadoes are creamy enough themselves and a far healthier source of fat. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2

• two slices rye bread (I did one wholemeal bread and one rye)
• one avacado
• two large free range organic eggs 
• one large handful spinach

Method

• I like to start by preparing my ingredients to avoid getting overwhelmed in the toasting/poaching stage. So chop your avacado in half, remove the stone and slice each half into five. Wash your spinach. Prepare your bread. Boil the kettle.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Get your boiling water in your saucepan on the stove and pop your bread in the toaster.
• Now to poach your eggs. Lots of people have very fancy techniques, usually stirring the water before they put their egg in. I just keep the water boiling and crack the egg into the water. Leave the heat on medium and it do it's work for 3-4 minutes. 
• Your toast should be done. Layer on your spinach and avacado.
  
• Use a slotted spoon to drain your poached egg, place it on top of your avacado and season. 
  
  
  
  

Satisfying Summer Salad

This salad is so easy to make. So much so that I wasn't sure it deserved a post, but I decided that this combo of ingredients is just too tasty not to share. This is great for those summer days where it is too hot for a heavy lunch but you want something to satisfy your hunger.  

It is somewhat based on a Waldorf salad, so if you like that, hopefully you will love this. I never used to be a fan of fruits in salads or nuts in general but somehow this one has managed to win me over.

Now I know those of us who are student cooks have to cope with a teeny tiny section of the kitchen and are very conscious of how much washing up things will involve. All you will use for this is

• Chopping board
• Knife
• Fork
• Baking tray
• Dressing container

The Recipe 

Ingredients (for one portion) 

• Enough mixed salad to fill your bowl
• Four cherry tomatoes (plum are tastier but cherry or large are cheaper)
• 1 celery stick, washed
• 1/2 pear (conference pears are my favourite but any will do)
• 1 small handful of walnuts 
• 1 pack of goats cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 a tablespoon mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon agave syrup
• 1/3 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius 
• Place your whole chunk of goats cheese on a baking tray and put in the oven for 7-15 minutes depending on the shape of your cheese
  
• Fill the bowl you will be serving in with salad
  
• Now all you have to do is chop your ingredients: halve your tomatoes, slice your celery, roughly chop your pear into bite-size pieces. Break up your walnuts a bit too. Scatter these toppings over your lettuce leaves.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• To make this simple dressing combine your oil, vinegar, mustard and agave syrup with a fork until the ingredients are fairly well mixed.
  
• Pour the dressing over your salad-I tend to use half of what I have made and save the rest for another time.
• Your goats cheese should be nice and melted now, it may start to ooze out which is absolutely fine-in fact the more ooze the better. Pop it on top of your salad and voila-a satisfying summer salad. 
  

Variations

This also works great with blue cheese instead, and the pear can be swapped for half an apple. Beetroot and spring onions also compliment the flavours of this salad. 

Next?

Just to let anyone who is dying to know, know, this is what is coming up on the blog.

A pea risotto. This is one of my favs, and so thought I would start off with that one. It is made with pearl barley rather than rice, which I think is even tastier and is much lower GL.

A goats cheese salad. Not particularly trying, but a super handy recipe to have in the back of your mind when shopping or wondering what to do with leftover lettuce.

Sesame salmon salad. 

Green poached eggs. Tastier than it sounds.
 Here are some pictures to wet your whistle...Speak soon.

Rinsing your Mum and Dad

I think a lot of people struggle with what food to take when they are moving to Uni. I was advised by friends and family to bring enough for the day and tomorrows breakfast so I could fit my actual belongings in my car! Whilst I would advise the same to most people, if you are able to take a lot of stuff/have specific dietary requirements/eat organic/low GL/want to rinse the pockets of your parents whilst you still can, it might be an idea to bring a load of cupboard fillers with you! I’ve compiled a list of what I will be taking to uni this year. Whilst the rest of my recipes and shopping lists will be as cheap as possible, this list is less focused on that and more on preparing yourself for the year with some quality basics.

So let us start with the cans, carbs and condiments.

Tins

·        Tinned lentils

·        Tinned chickpeas

·        Tinned sweetcorn

·        Tinned tuna

·        Tinned sardines- whilst I am not a fan of them, they are a great source of protein and are absolutely full of vitamins, such as B12, selenium, omega 3s, vitamin D and calcium. So if you like em, eat em.

·        Olives

·        Tofu-tofu that comes in cardboard packaging can keep for a long time in pantry type storage.

·        Passata or tinned tomatoes

Condiments

When it comes to condiments, this is of course up to everyone’s personal taste. Just try and stick to the least processed things you can.

·        Coconut oil-as I am sure many of you will know, this is one of the best things to cook with. Other oils change their makeup when heated, meaning they are no longer good for you. Cocounut oil allows you to cook anything as it is flavourless! Here is a really useful post by another blogger on what oils are best for clean eating. http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-oils

·        Olive oil-this can be used uncooked for endless types of salad dressings.

·        Soy sauce-slightly processed, but there are healthy, less manufactured varieties-look for organic and unpasteurised

·        Packaged homemade sweet chill sauce-if you can be bothered to make your own it’s much better to know exactly what it is in it. Recipe for this coming soon.

·        Coconut sugar

·        Agave syrup-a really great low, slower releasing sugar alternative.

Nuts and Seeds

When it comes to nuts and seeds it is all down to what you like. Just avoid any additions such as salt or flavourings, and try to buy them as close to their original form as possible, not flaked or roasted. This simply increases the time and space between their harvesting and you using them, and allows for more preservatives and other unnecessary additives. These are the nuts, seeds and other bits I find myself using frequently.

·        Pinenuts

·        Cashew nuts

·        Almonds

·        Sesame seeds

·        Chia seeds-you can get lots of different combinations of seeds like this which are great to add to smoothies, breakfasts, anything! It is best to get them unground, but don’t worry too much! http://www.maximumsports-nutrition.com/the-chia-co-chia-seeds.html?gclid=CjwKEAjw9eyeBRCqxc_b-LD8kTESJADsBMxSpWPWA67AyNytG7svPWrT2vos1sCuOmQoNylJEbal2RoCunrw_wcB-the process of grinding these ensures they retain as much of their nutrients as possible. The pack is expensive but will last you a loooong time.

Carbohydrates

·        Quinoa (surprise surprise)

·        Quinoa flour-great for healthier baking

·        Brown rice

·        Brown pasta

·        Pear barley-I LOVE this, and will be featuring recipes using it. You can have much more of this than something like rice to stick to a low GL lifestyle, so if you love your carbs, try this as a replacement.

·        Noodles- you can try wholemeal noodles (Soba are a great brand -

http://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Clearspring-Wheat-Free-Organic-100-Buckwheat-Noodles/71235011?prevPageIndex=1&from=shop&tags=%7C20000%7C20424%7C20493%7C20512&parentContainer=%7C20424%7C20493%7C20512_SHELFVIEW, low carb Chinese noodles (I find these in my local thai shop), or vermicelli noodles are also low GL.

·        Rye bread-I used to hate it but recently discovered it is not that awful. Try it! It keeps for ages.

Baked and Baking

This is where it gets easier to fall of the low gl/organic/unprocessed food wagon. Sometimes you need a good crisp, cereal bar for on the go or chocolate! These are the closest to good things I have found so far.

·        I go for popped crisps like popchips (http://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Popchips-Original-Popped-Potato-Chips/67309011?from=shop&tags=%7C20424%7C20782%7C39749&parentContainer=%7C20424%7C20782%7C39749_SHELFVIEW) . They don’t have much sugar in and all the ingredients are natural.

·        Golden valley bars –are they healthy?

·        Vanilla pods-great for giving anything flavour

·        Dark chocolate-for those of you that love chocolate, any high percentage chocolate like green and blacks is best.

·        Cacao nibs-can be added to anything to satisfy sugar cravings

·        Liz’s granola-I have this for breakfast pretty much every day. It is the cleanest granola you can find and it is well tasty.

Drinks

·        Tea

·        Green tea

·        Almond milk-cow’s milk is not digested well by the human body, and other replacements such as rice milk have super high sugar contents. You can easily make your own almond milk (post to come), or buy it in most supermarkets.

So. That is my back to university start up, cupboard shopping list. Once I am there I will also stock up on frozen products and pick up a few fresh ingredients. That post is on its way!