Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Pistachio Salad.
Forget what you think cauliflower tastes like – in this recipe the flavour of the cauliflower is transformed by the roasting process, and it’s complemented by a whole bunch of unexpected flavours.
Fill and boil the kettle. Fill one coffee mug with oats and add them to a pan with a pinch of salt (they won’t taste at all salty. Instead they will taste more of oats.) Half fill the mug with milk, then fill it to the top with boiled water. Add this to the oats, plus another mug of water. (Please yourself how much or little milk to use but do add two volumes of liquid to one volume of oats.)
Bring the oats up to simmering point (3-4 minutes). Simmer them very gently for about 5 minutes with no lid, stirring occasionally. About once a fortnight mine boil over and I have to clean the hob. I chuck a bit more liquid in and carry on cooking – they taste slightly less nice but I still enjoy them. I don’t enjoy cleaning the hob though.
Meanwhile chop or crush a handful of walnuts per person and grate one or two ripe pears. When the oats are cooked mix it all together. I like to pour a little milk on top and sometimes I add a little demerara sugar, although really it’s sweet enough without when pears are in season. Grated apple makes a nice alternative, or just the walnuts, or just the porridge by itself.
I recently heard that through most of history the diet of people in the north of the British Isles was healthier than that of southerners because we subsisted on oats and they ate wheat. Even our sweet treats (parkin, flapjacks) were oat based. I say ‘we’ because my ancestors are from Yorkshire, Northumberland and Scotland. I expect they were considerably less excited about their oat consumption than I am about mine because they had no choice in the matter. I’ve researched my family tree and my ancestors were, without exception, poor. But it pleases me to know that the primary food they were stuck with happened to be healthy and I also like knowing that when I’m eating oats I’m eating as they did.
There are those who believe that eating the same foods as one’s ancestors has health benefits because we have evolved to digest them well. Certainly I feel good for eating oats and over the years have tried them many ways. I now favour jumbo oats because they feel more substantial, the texture is less like baby food. They are healthier not only because they are higher in fibre but also because they have a lower glycaemic index rating than rolled oats (53 rather than 75 .) This is good news for diabetics and it means they fill you up for longer – the only downside is they take longer to cook.
Make it even healthier..
..by breakfasting later. This scientist is gathering data which suggests that the timing of your calorie consumption matters more than how many calories you eat. He recommends you go at least 12 hours overnight without eating anything. I usually manage 14 or 15 hours without really even noticing, my body got used to it quickly and now the idea of eating as soon as I wake has become unappetising.
Forget what you think cauliflower tastes like – in this recipe the flavour of the cauliflower is transformed by the roasting process, and it’s complemented by a whole bunch of unexpected flavours.
I have tricked you with that title because, the thing is, all sauerkraut is easy. It’s just cabbage and salt left in a jar to ferment. How it ends up being one of the healthiest foods on the planet is an interesting story, one I will explain here alongside instructions on how to make your own.
My kids like this salad, but it’s probably not thanks to the vegetables. More likely they are enjoying the rare chance to dip fresh white bread into all the lovely dressing, but I do get some veggies down them at the same time. If you’re looking for a filling salad which is big enough for a family dinner, read on.
My kids love the silky texture of the lentils in this dish, and the coconut gives it an appealing sweetness. To find out how to cook this South Indian classic, read on.