Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork
Preparation: 10 minutes plus 3 hours sitting Cooking: 5–6 hours Servings: 6–8 This slow-cooked pork makes a tender, comforting, and satisfying meal. Enjoy it served simply with the fresh crispness of a green salad, or the crunch of a simple coleslaw, the sweet spiciness marrying beautifully with the fresh vegetablles. This is one of my favourite recipes; it’s a simple to prepare and then leave it to create its magic kind of meal. You can pop the meat into the slow cooker first thing in the morning before work and you have dinner sorted. Arrive home to a delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen when you open the front door. Brain Food Note Pork is packed full of B vitamins, iron, zinc, protein, and many other nutrients that help increase concentration, alertness, and memory, aiding in a happier and more stable mood. Bone broth and apple cider vinegar help calm and relax the mind and help you handle stress more easily. Add nutrient-rich cabbage, carrots, or salad greens to help fight inflammation in the gut and brain.
1.5 kilo pork shoulder with bone
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup bone broth
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 red cabbage, finely sliced
2 small carrots, finely sliced
1 small Lebanese cucumber, peeled into thin strips
Mix all the spices together. Wash the pork and pat it dry with paper towels, then rub the spice mix all over the pork. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge or for at least 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (or 400 degrees F). Put the spiced pork in an oven dish and place it in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the meat from the oven and place it in the slow cooker with the bone broth, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, onion, and maple syrup. Cook for 8 hours on low or 5–6 hours on high, or until the meat can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
Remove the pork from the slow cooker. Place on a chopping board and, using two forks, pull the meat from the bone. Place the pulled meat back into the sauce for about 10 minutes, or until you are ready to serve.
Place the sliced cabbage, carrot and cucumber strips onto a board or platter and pile on the pulled pork, drizzle a little more sauce over the meat.
Alternatively, place the chopped cabbage and carrot into cos lettuce cups and lay the pork on top, then add cucumber strips, sliced spring onion, thinly sliced chilli, and coriander, if desired.
Rich Tomato Chicken Drumsticks and Parsnip Noodles
Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 1 hour 15 minutes Servings: 3–4 This tender chicken is gently roasted in the oven in a rich, fragrant sauce, then served upon a tangle of lightly cooked parsnip noodles. The slow cooking heightens the sweetness of the tomatoes and pepper and deepens the flavour. Paprika adds a slight smoky note to the thick aromatic sauce. Brain Food Note Chicken delivers protein, B vitamins, iron, and omega-3s for an even, happy mood and a clear mind. Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants and aid in reducing stress and brain fatigue.I’ve includedbone broth for a soothing and healing effect for the gut and the brain.
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 onion, chopped finely
1 red pepper, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
6 skinless chicken drumsticks
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken bone broth
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped finely
2 tablespoons sage, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 large parsnips
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (or 320 degrees F).
Heat the coconut oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped red pepper and onion to the pan and cook until soft and fragrant (about 7 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, until tender.
Remove the onion, pepper, and garlic from the pan. Place the chicken drumsticks in the pan and cook briefly until golden brown (about 5 minutes).
Pour the tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/2 cup of bone broth into the pan. Sprinkle the rosemary, sage, and paprika over the top and then add bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
Place the frying pan in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, turn the chicken, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of bone broth. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 30 minutes, allowing time for the liquid to reduce a little.
When the chicken is almost done, prepare the noodles. Using a spiraliser, a sharp knife, or a mandolin, spiralise or cut the parsnips into noodles or long, thin strips.
Boil 4 cups of water in a saucepan and add the noodles briefly for about 30–40 seconds. Remove from the heat and drain quickly. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove the chicken from the oven. Portion out the noodles onto 3 plates and top with the chicken drumsticks. Spoon the sauce over the top.
Roast Chicken with Quinoa, Lemon, and Cherry Stuffing
Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking: 1 1/2 hours plus 15 minutes resting Servings: 5–6 This crispy, tender, and golden roast chicken is simple to make and delicious to eat, with a fabulously sweet, fragrant, and spicy stuffing. The lemon and sage mingle with the pan juices and intensify the flavours. I like to serve the roast on a platter drizzled with the lemony pan juices and with a side of red cabbage and roasted root vegetables. Brain Food Note Chicken is rich in protein, fats, iron, and B vitamins for enhancing brain function, calming the body, and clearing the mind. The delicious stuffing made from nutrient-rich quinoa helps fight fatigue and anxiety as well as boost mood. Add cherries, which are rich in antioxidants, to aid sleep and relax the mind, and gut soothing bone broth to calm the brain and to support strong mental health. 1.6 kg whole organic chicken zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons coconut oil For the stuffing 2 cups chicken bone broth 1 cup uncooked quinoa 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 small red onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 organic egg, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts 1/2 cup dried tart cherries, chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 1/2 teaspoon sea salt zest and juice of 1 lemon cooking twine Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (or 360 degrees F). To prepare the stuffing, strain the quinoa through a fine mesh sieve, rinsing with clean cool water for 2 minutes, and then place the quinoa in a saucepan with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Place a frying pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the coconut oil, then fry the onion and garlic for 5–7 minutes, or until fragrant. Put aside until the quinoa is ready. Once the quinoa is done, add the onion and garlic to the quinoa along with the rest of the stuffing ingredients. Mix well. Wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Fit as much stuffing as you can into the chicken cavity and freeze any leftovers. Using cooking twine, tie the legs and parson’s nose together. Place the chicken in the baking dish. Squeeze lemon juice over the top and sprinkle with lemon zest. Add the squeezed lemon halves to the baking dish. Season the chicken well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 45 minutes and then turn the chicken and baste with the pan juices. Roast for a further 45 minutes, then remove the chicken from the oven and transfer it to a large plate. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes. Carve the meat into portions and serve with roasted vegetables.
Coconut and Turmeric Fish Curry
Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 30 minutes Servings: 4 This aromatic and flavourful dish of softly poached seafood in a coconut curry is a firm favourite at our house. The fish, scallops, and vegetables are gently simmered in coconut milk with chilli, ginger, and lemongrass, a flick of turmeric, and a dash of lemon juice. Brain Food Note This dish is packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients. The fish and scallops are abundant in vitamin B12 to boost brain health and help delay memory decline, plus iron to lift fatigue and brain fog. The chemical properties in mushrooms and the healthy fats in coconut milk help to even out mood, while the chia seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids for brain memory and performance. I’ve added turmeric and ginger to improve digestion and to soothe a busy mind, plus lovely golden pumpkin and crisp green kale for vitamins C and E, magnesium, and folate to encourage a bright outlook. You Will Need 12 scallops 4 medium fillets gurnard, sliced in half (about 600 grams), or you can use any other firm white fish such as cod 2 tablespoons coconut oil 2 cloves garlic juice of 1 lemon 1 cup pumpkin, cut in 2 cm cubes 1 carrot, sliced 1/2 cup sliced leeks 4 shitake mushrooms 2 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced 600 ml coconut milk 1 teaspoon turmeric 2 chillies, sliced thinly 4 stalks of kale, stems removed 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 tablespoon chia seeds 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper What You Do Heat the coconut oil in a deep frying pan over high heat. Season the scallops and fish with salt and pepper and place the scallops in the hot pan. Sear the scallops on both sides quickly, approximately 1 1/2 minutes each side, and then remove them from the pan. Add the fish fillets and also sear on both sides quickly, about 2 minutes for each side, then remove and set aside. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until soft and fragrant (about 1 minute). Squeeze the lemon juice over the tope to deglaze the pan and then add pumpkin and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the leeks, lemongrass, and mushrooms, and cook until they start to soften. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer until the vegetables are soft (about 10 minutes). Once the vegetables are cooked, add turmeric, chillies, kale, ginger, and chia seeds, then add the fish and scallops back in. Cook gently for a further 2–3 minutes. Spoon quickly onto warmed plates and add a squeeze of lemon juice over the top.