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Homemade Tomato Ketchup

March 27, 2017 by admin 38 Comments

Did you know that in 15ml of your standard Heinz Ketchup there is 1 teaspoon of sugar?!  That’s a lot of unrefined sugar and most of us wouldn’t dream of giving our child a teaspoon of sugar with a main meal!

I set about making my own homemade version for my daughter’s birthday party last year, we had a forest school birthday party in the woods in November, everyone thought I was crazy but it worked beautifully.  I decided whatever the weather they needed to have warm food and for a BBQ most 6/7 year olds demand ketchup so I had to create something that would pass the young person test! With this recipe I had not a single complaint, all was gobbled up and even the adults couldn’t quite believe it wasn’t Heinz!  The best bit, I didn’t have to use a ton of sugar or salt either.

My little secret!!…. Beetroot powder, not only does it give the ketchup the most authentic colour (goodness knows how Heinz achieves it but I’m guessing it doesn’t come from tomatoes) previously a paler orange in colour but it also adds a delicious natural sweetness to the ketchup.

I make my ketchup in an enormous batch (just over 1 litre size bottle) because, honestly I don’t have the time to keep knocking up ketchup but feel free to half or quater my quantities if you want to use less tomatoes.  The ketchup has kept fresh in my fridge for a good few weeks but I have been known to ferment it too by adding some kraut juice or goat milk kefir whey, leaving it out for a few hours and then transferring to the fridge.  I prefer the kraut juice to ferment with because I don’t like the slightly effervescent texture from whey in my ketchup, in my mind, credibly ketchup should taste silky in texture.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are full of health benefits, I buy on the vine organic tomatoes, I’m sure like myself you’ve realised the superiority in taste but this also allows the tomatoes to retain more nutrients and antioxidants, otherwise they are picked very early to ripen in stores.  Tomatoes are known for the nutrient Lycopene which is shown here and here to have cancer protective capabilities.  Lycopene has been shown to increase its bio-availability through cooking and it is also fat soluble so tomatoes need to be cooked with a fat like this recipe.  Tomatoes are also known for their anti-inflammatory benefits and high levels of vitamin C boosting natural immunity.

 

5.0 from 7 reviews
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Homemade Tomato Ketchup
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Cuisine: Side
Prep time:  10 mins
Cook time:  50 mins
Total time:  1 hour
 
Ingredients
  • 900g of large tomatoes chopped
  • 400g of cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • 2 cloves of garlic sliced
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon of garam masala
  • Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of beetroot powder
  • 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of runny raw honey (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the tomatoes, red onion and celery and cook gently until soft
  2. Add the spices, salt and pepper and continue to simmer until the vegetable juice releases and the liquid halves in quantity stirring occasionally, allow this to take about 20-30 minutes
  3. Allow to cool and then blend in a liquidiser, I used my vitamix
  4. Add back to the pan and continue to simmer until the ketchup has reached the desired consistency, I like to thicken mine further
  5. Allow to cool again and add the balsamic, beetroot powder and raw honey, I shake mine in the jar to ensure it is well combined.
  6. A delicious addition to your every day meals and a firm favourite with children without the junk!
3.2.2925

 

Filed Under: Children, Nutrition, Recipes, Sides, Uncategorized

Easy Creamy Guacamole

March 19, 2017 by admin 15 Comments

guacamole

I’m a big fan of avocado and I really love the buttery texture of guacamole but when you buy it in the shop it always seems to contain wheat, sugar, vegetable oil or if you’re really lucky.. all 3!

Guacamole takes me 5 minutes to make it and then I adore it as a side serving on salad, on scrambled eggs, topped on fish or just dipping crudites into it.

Avocado is full of healthy monounsaturated fat which has been demonised by the low-fat industry for far too long, read here.  It has been a key part of the heart healthy Mediterranean diet for decades and it is one of the most nutritionally dense fruit you can eat.  It is full of B Vitamins – great for sustaining energy levels, high in Vitamin C – boosting your immune system, keeps your skin looking glowing with Vitamin E and it is packed with minerals such as magnesium and potassium to name a few.  Avocados have even been shown to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) of cancer cells.

How do you like to eat guacamole?

5.0 from 5 reviews
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Easy Creamy Guacamole
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Recipe type: Sides
Prep time:  5 mins
Total time:  5 mins
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ avocados
  • 1 large tomato
  • ½ red onion
  • ½ big bunch of coriander leaves (not stalks)
  • 1 drop of doTERRA Cilantro essential oil (optional)
  • juice from half a lemon
  • ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until creamy with a little texture
  2. Transfer to fridge
3.2.2925

 

Filed Under: Recipes, Sides, Uncategorized

Green Breakfast Smoothie

March 12, 2017 by admin 26 Comments

green-smoothie

It’s no secret I’m a HUGE smoothie fan!  It may be just me.. but there is something very satisfying about sending your child to school knowing that they have at least had their 5 a day for breakfast, they will have no blood sugar crash mid-morning and enough protein and healthy fats to stop them being hungry till lunch.

The conversion to eating smoothies for breakfast didn’t happen overnight but changing my diet helped me realise very quickly what whole-food nutrition could do for me and then slowly I adapted my way of thinking about what I was eating. If you want to know more about what brought me to this place with food then read about it here.  Why am I telling you this?  Like most people, I started the day with cereal or 2 pieces of toast and marmite until I learnt differently.

Starting with a smoothie bowl now helps keep me on track, it enables me to start the day with the best of intentions to exercise and eat well for the rest of the day.  I am literally flooding my body with nutrients – vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and it’s also just as quick as pouring cereal and milk in a bowl, you just have to get prepared with the right ingredients but organic delivery companies can do that for you!

I started with a Nutri Ninja and it worked out great but after a few years of abuse, I finally invested in a Vitamix, these are expensive but as I do a lot of food preparation using this blender, it has been worth the investment.

There are some important tips to a smoothie that I’ve learnt along the way..

  1. I use half an avocado every day, it gives a smoothie an amazing creamy texture as well as providing a really delicious healthy monounsaturated fats and lots of healthy fibre
  2. You need to add a protein to help keep you satiated (study) and build your immune system (study) (most protein powders are full of junk), I mostly use pea or hemp protein or sometimes a big spoonful of almond butter!
  3. Linseeds (or flax seeds as they are called in America) are a powerhouse of nutrition but they need to be freshly ground.  They are a rich source of Omega3 EFA and high in soluble and insoluble fibre so they support colon detoxification.   They do however lose their nutritional value very quickly when exposed to air so buying milled is not the same and trying to eat them whole, well, they’ll travel straight through your body undisturbed so put them in your blender and the best bit is they’ll help to thicken your smoothie and make it even creamier.
  4. Focus on smoothies rather than juices as a daily regime, they provide a great tool to detox your body but with all the fibre to help stabilise your blood sugar too.
  5. Start with the basics of whole-food nutrition before you take it to the next level with green powders, they have added nutritional influence but if you make it too complicated it wont fit into a morning routine.
  6. Unless you’re giving the smoothie to a child and you’re trying to convert them, make sure your smoothie is abundant in vegetables with a little fruit to flavour, lots of fruit can be an added burden on the liver because of the high fructose levels.  I really like adding lots of berries which are generally low glycemic index (conversion to blood sugar rates) and apples because like berries they are very high antioxidants.

If I have time, I make it look fancy but most of the time I chuck some cacao nibs on top because a) I love cacao b) it’s an amazing prebiotic that feeds your gut microbiome of healthy bacteria c) it has caffeine so it helps me kick start my day with an energy lift.

 

5.0 from 10 reviews
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Green Breakfast Smoothie
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Cuisine: Breakfast
Prep time:  10 mins
Total time:  10 mins
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 Sticks of celery
  • 1 apple
  • ½ an avocado
  • ¼ of a cucumber
  • 1 cup of salad leaves
  • 1 inch of fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon of pea protein
  • 1 tablespoon of linseeds / flax seeds
  • 1 cup of water
Instructions
  1. Roughly chop the larger vegetables and add to your blender - nutri ninja or a bullet will do. Add more water if required and for a thicker smoothie add almond or coconut milk instead.
  2. Pour into 2 bowls and spoon in for a nutritious breakfast.
  3. Decorate to your fancy, if you have time! Here i have added goji berries, cacao nibs, bee pollen and pumpkin seeds..
3.2.2925

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes, Uncategorized

Vanessa Woozley

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