Walnut ‘Porridge’

This recipe requires nuts to be soaked overnight

Ingredients

  • 65g raw walnuts (unsalted)
  • 65g raw almonds (unsalted)
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 2 cups of additive-free coconut milk
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • Pinch of sea salt for soaking water

Method

  1. Place the nuts in a large bowl and sprinkle the sea salt over them. Fill the bowl with filtered water so the nuts are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Cover and soak overnight.
  2. In the morning, drain the nuts and rinse several times.
  3. Add the drained nuts to a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend the nuts with the banana, coconut milk, and cinnamon until smooth.
  4. Pour the ‘porridge’ into a pan and heat over low heat for 5 minutes.
  5. Serve with blueberries and chopped or grated apple.

 

Chilli Chicken Stew

Introduction

This particular dish takes its inspiration from North African cuisine and uses preserved lemon in its production. You can, of course, substitute the preserved lemon for fresh though the taste is quite different. The preserved varieties are now readily available in larger supermarkets and delicatessens, and really are worth seeking out. They’re a great store cupboard standby that can be used to lift all manner of dishes. The preserved chillies take the form of harissa paste which is very easy to make at home, or can also be bought now quite widely.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 whole organic chicken
  • 2 medium onions, finely diced
  • 2 preserved lemons, finely chopped
  • 6 spring onions, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. harissa paste
  • 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil (or coconut oil)
  • 300 ml chicken stock
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh coriander – to garnish

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 170°C.
  2. Remove the breasts from the chicken and cut each one in half (through its width), keeping the skin on the flesh.
  3. Remove the two legs and pull off the skin. Discard. Cut each leg in two at the joint between the thigh and drumstick. You should now have 8 pieces of chicken.
  4. Heat the oil in a large but shallow pan, or ideally a tagine dish. Add the chicken pieces and gently fry until coloured all over. Reduce the heat, add the onion and sweat until translucent – approx. 4-5 minutes.
  5. Stir in the harissa paste to coat the onion and chicken. Gently fry for 2 minutes. Add the spring onions, preserved lemon, and tomatoes. Season well, pour over the stock, and cover with a lid. Transfer to the oven and cook for approx. 35 minutes.
  6. Remove the lid from the pan/dish and leave in the oven for another 10 minutes.
  7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaf and a squeeze of lemon juice, and serve.