Recipes
Liver Cleansing Dandelion, Chicory and Coriander Salad
This recipe makes 4 small appetizer or side salads.
Ingredients:
3 medium sized chicory (also known as Belgian endive)
About 25 young dandelion leaves
A bunch of fresh coriander
½ large juicy lemon, or 1 smaller lemon
2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ - ½ teaspoon sea salt
What to do: 
Thinly slice the chicory crosswise and separate the half-rings as you put them into a salad bowl.
Rinse the dandelion leaves and dry in a salad spinner.
Using kitchen scissors chop the leaves into small pieces until you have about 3 handfuls. Add to the bowl. You can use some of the stalks, but the taste becomes increasingly bitter as the stalk gets bigger, so add to your taste.
Rinse the coriander and dry in a salad spinner.
Again, using kitchen scissors chop the leaves off the stalks until you have about 2 handfuls, add to the bowl.
Add the salt according to taste (start sparingly and add more when the salad is dressed).
Squeeze the lemon over the bowl, using your other hand to catch and discard the pips.
Using both hands, lightly mix the greens, making sure the salt and lemon are well dispersed.
Add the olive oil and mix with serving utensils. Taste a little and see if the salt is right.
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Sorrel Spring Vegetable Soup with Lamb’s Lettuce and Sage
Ingredients:
1 medium sized yellow onion (about 250g)
2 medium sized carrots (about 150g)
A handful of green beans (90-100g)
½ a large juicy lemon, or 1 small lemon
90g lamb’s lettuce rosettes or baby leaves, rinsed (also called mache)
250g new potatoes
1 medium sized bunch of watercress, rinsed
2 ½ pints chicken stock
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
6 or 7 large velvety sage leaves
A few fresh sorrel leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 dollops of crème fraiche
What to do: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over low to medium heat.
Peel and chop the onions and carrots and add to the pot.
Tear the sage and sorrel leaves in half and add them to the pot, then cover and let the onions sweat.
Chop the new potatoes into quarters and add them to the pot.
Add a few glugs or ladles of the chicken stock and replace the lid – making sure the heat is on medium.
Chop the beans and add them after about 5 minutes.
Add about half the stock and some salt and pepper – be careful if you are using store-bought chicken stock or bouillon cubes as the salt levels will be very different.
Simmer for about 10 minutes covered and then add the rest of the chicken stock and most of the lamb’s lettuce – keeping some to garnish the finished soup.
Squeeze the lemon over the pot, using your other hand to catch the pips and then simmer for another 10 minutes, covered.
Turn off the heat and then add the watercress, stirring it in so it wilts.
Let the soup cool for a few minutes with the lid off and then puree in 3 or 4 batches on high speed until it transforms into a smooth, creamy texture.
Return to a low heat and stir in a large knob of butter (about 2 tablespoons) and taste to see if any more salt and pepper is needed.
Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche and 3 or 4 lamb’s lettuce rosettes as a garnish on each bowl.
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COOLING CUCUMBER AND RADISH TZATZIKI ~
for Hot Types
2 cups / 460g plain yogurt
1 cucumber
6 red radishes
1 garlic clove
A tablespoon fresh mint, chopped or a teaspoon of dried mint
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped or a teaspoon of dried dill
1 teaspoon sea salt
Makes about 6 servings
Cut cucumber in half lengthwise, remove seeds, peel, and shred with a mandolin or grater – discarding the ends.
Chop radishes, fresh mint leaves, and fresh dill finely.
Peel and crush garlic clove.
Combine all the ingredients in a serving bowl and stir together well – it will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 days.
Serve chilled with sautéed spinach and meat or fish
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TOMATO AND CHILLI JAM ~
a warming chutney for Cold types
recipe by Skye Gyngells from the book ‘A year in my kitchen’
For the Slow Roasted Tomatoes:
6 plum tomatoes
10 g caster sugar
10 g sea salt
10 g freshly ground black pepper
(Makes 1.5 kg)
Turn your oven on to its lowest possible setting. Halve the tomatoes lengthways and lay them, cut side up, in a single layer on a large baking tray.
In a small bowl, mix together the salt, sugar and pepper, then sprinkle all over the cut surface of the tomatoes. Roast, undisturbed, in the oven for 3 - 4 hours until they shrivel up - their pointy ends turning up like Turkish slippers.
Remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use.
For the Jam:
1.5 kg Slow Roasted Tomatoes
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
150ml red wine vinegar
75g peeled fresh root ginger
7 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
5 red chillies
140g caster sugar (or 125g palm sugar)
4 tbsp fish sauce
Put the roasted tomatoes in a large saucepan.
Toast the mustard seeds in a frying pan over a low heat until they begin to pop. Remove and pound to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar.
Add to the tomatoes, along with all the other ingredients.
Place over a low heat and cook gently for 2 hours, stirring regularly so that the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom.
You will at the end have a delicious ink stained chutney.
Store in the fridge in a covered bowl for a week or so, or in sterilised jars, in a cool place for up to 3 months
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Black Bean and Kelp Salad with Black Sesame ~
a nourishing salad for Blood Deficient types
1cup / 225g black beans
1 oz / 30g dried kelp
A piece of fresh ginger - just over an inch / 3 cms in length
4 tablespoons black sesame
1 small bunch of spring onions
4 tablespoons walnut oil
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lemon
Lemon zest
Pinch turmeric
Pinch cayenne
Pinch paprika
Pinch red pepper flakes
Sea salt
Makes about 6 servings
Soak black beans overnight in water. Drain and simmer in water for an hour.
(If you want to make the same day boil the beans for 2 minutes and then turn off the heat and let them sit for an hour. Drain and replace the cooking liquid with water, bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour to an hour and a half). Add a strip of kelp to the cooking water.
Using kitchen scissors cut the kelp into small thin strips. Soak in a bowl of water for an hour or two.
Peel the ginger and finely grate it over a small bowl, scraping the grater.
Chop the spring onions using as much of the green stem that looks appetizing into tiny slivers and add to the bowl.
Add the lime juice, lemon juice and spices (not the salt), stir it together and let it sit, allowing the flavours to meld together.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F, 177 degrees C.
When the beans are ready strain them and let them cool.
Strain the kelp and spread evenly over a flat baking sheet or large baking dish and cook in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes.
Heat a frying pan over a medium to high heat and toast the sesame seeds until they begin to pop.
Combine all the ingredients in a serving bowl, add the walnut oil and season with sea salt to taste; wait until the last moment to add the salt as the seaweed can be salty and you might not need any.
Serve at room temperature over dark leafy salad greens that have been lightly dressed with lemon and walnut oil.
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ADUKI BEAN SALSA ~
a damp clearing salsa for Damp types
225g (1 cup) aduki beans
2 large firm tomatoes
1 small green or red chili
1 medium sized red onion
2 large firm tomatoes
1 small bunch of coriander
Virgin olive oil to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Juice of 2 - 4 limes, depending on juiciness
Salt and pepper to taste
Makes about 4 servings.
Soak aduki beans overnight in water. Drain and simmer in water for an hour.
(If you want to make the same day boil the beans for 2 minutes and then turn off the heat and let them sit for an hour. Drain and replace the cooking liquid with water, bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour to an hour and a half ).
To peel the tomatoes score the skin with a sharp knife from the stem all the way around - as if cutting into quarters, but not cutting into the flesh. Submerge in boiling water for a couple of minutes until the edges of the skins curl up and you are able to easily peel them off. Remove the core and the seeds and dice the flesh into 1cm pieces.
Remove the chilli stalk and seeds and finely dice.
Chop red onion as thinly as possible and then dice.
Finely chop coriander leaves and stalks.
In a serving bowl combine all the ingredients adding olive oil andsalt and pepper to taste.
Serve at room temperature with cold meats and potatoes.
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BAKED AUBERGINE TAPENADE ~
an invigorating mixture for
Blood Stagnation types
1 large aubergine
2 smallish bell peppers – red, yellow, green or orange
1 small onion
3 large garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Thyme, rosemary and basil – fresh or dried, ½ teaspoon of each if dried, a few sprigs of each if fresh
Red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (optional)
1 lemon (zest and juice)
Makes about 4 servings
Heat oven to 425 degrees F, 218 degrees C.
Rinse the aubergine and peppers and cut the aubergine into 2 inch slices.
Core and seed the peppers and cut them into quarters.
Peel and slice the onion into quarters and then into 2 inch pieces.
Peel the garlic cloves.
On a large baking tray arrange all the vegetables, coating each side with olive oil and sea salt and adding the herbs if dried – if fresh, just add the thyme and rosemary.
Loosen the onion slices, add the red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to taste and add a little of the zest of the lemon.
Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes. Start checking after about 13 minutes, the aubergine slices should be soft in the middle when done and all the peppers, onions and garlic slightly browned, but not charred.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
When cooled, chop all the bigger pieces into bite sized cubes into a serving bowl.
Tear the fresh basil leaves, if using and add to the tapenade.
Mix together,taste and season. If you are serving straight away squeeze a lemon over the mixture and serve at room temperature.
Note: this tastes great if you make it a day ahead; let it sit in the fridge overnight and then set it out to bring it to room temperature – in this case, taste it again as you may not need to add the lemon juice.
Serve with grilled fish, cold meats or warm crusty bread.
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SOOTHING FENNEL AND CHESTNUT SOUP ~
a creamy and filling soup to nourish all types
1 lb chestnuts
1 medium sized onion
1 fennel bulb with fronds
3 large garlic cloves
2 or 3 celery stalks with leaves
1 litre (4 cups) water or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Olive oil
30g (2 tablespoons) butter
Sea salt and pepper to taste
(Makes 4 large, or 8 small bowls)
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F or 218 degrees C.
Rinse the chestnuts and carefully score the sides of them with a sharp paring knife, making an X or a V shape.
Roast on a baking tray cut side up, for 20 minutes (see if they’re done by inserting the knife into the middle – it should be tender).
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C.
Chop the onion into quarters and the celery into big pieces, using as much of the leaves as looks appetizing, and peel the garlic.
Chop the fennel into big pieces, again using as much of the green stems that look appealing and reserve some of the best fronds to use as a garnish.
Put a couple of glugs of olive in a glass or ceramic baking dish and cover with the onion, garlic, celery, fennel and bay leaf.
Season with sea salt and add ¼ of the water or stock.
Cook in the oven for about 30 minutes; until the vegetables are translucent and soft but not charred.
While they’re cooking, peel the chestnuts, removing as much of the inner skin as possible and chop into quarters or smaller.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and put in a large saucepan with a couple more glugs of olive oil, the remainder of the stock or water, butter and chestnuts (removing the bay leaf).
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.
Allow to cool, then using a food processor or high powered blender, puree to a smooth, creamy consistency in small batches.
Chop the fennel fronds and add as a garnish when serving.
Serve with crusty bread and butter and a salad for lunch, or in little bowls as an starter.
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