This weeks BEAUTIFUL organic fruit & veggies

                 BEAR RECIPES... we LoVe em

If you would like to share one of your scrummy         veggie recipes with us and have them displayed on our blog Email them to: bearwholefoods@yahoo.co.uk... we look forward to hearing from you...... 

                 Simply Scrummy tatty cakes

500g potatoes, peeled and cubed4  1 tbsp butter, plus more for serving
1-2 mugs of plain white flourA good pinch of sea salt..


Boil the potatoes in salted water till mashable. Drain. Mash with a good chunk of butter and a pinch of salt.

Roll out on a floured surface until ½-1cm thick. Use extra flour for dusting as you roll and cut. Tidy up the edges and cut into squares.
Place a large frying pan over high heat - no need for oil or butter. Turn the heat down after a few mins. Cook on each side till golden. Dab a bit of butter on the bread once cooked.

Add sweet or savoury toppings....


 

                      Spicy Roasted Roots

Ingredients:

6 large root veggies, peeled

A glug of olive or sunflower oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

2cm piece of fresh ginger

A splash of soy sauce

A drizzle of honey

1 lime

A handful of toasted seeds or nuts

Fresh basil, mint or corriander

Method
Preheat the oven (200°C/Gas 6).

Chunky chop the veggies cover in oil and seasoning

pop into the oven and Cook the veggies until crispy and brown 

checking every 15 mins. about 40 mins

Grate over some fresh ginger,soy sauce honey and seeds stir in and roast for another 5 mins

mmmmmm scrummy... how easy...was that ?

   JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

Jerusalem artichokes have a distinctive sweet, earthy flavour. They can be added to soups, stews, stir frys or roasted by themselves. There`s no need to peel  them just scrub them clean and chop, slice or grate.

Health benefits

Jerusalem artichokes have historically been used as a dietary supplement for people suffering from diabetes and other pancreatic complaints to reduce blood sugar levels and minimize the need for insulin.

Unlike the potato where its starch breaks down to glucose affecting blood sugar, the Jerusalem Artichoke is high in inulin which only breaks down to fructose in the colon. As a result, they have a very low glycemic index and barely affect blood sugar levels. They are also high in the prebiotic FOS (Fructo Oligo Saccharide) which helps to build good gut flora and to balance yeast in the body and gut. Inulin, the carbohydrate found in Jerusalem artichokes, is counted as a prebiotic because it is not readily digestible. Inulin is different frominsulin but perhaps mimics it. Historically, the effects of inulin on humans include the relief of constipation, lowering of blood glucose levels, improvement of calcium absorption, reduction of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol and the inhibition of the growth of various kinds of cancer. 

Jerusalem artichoke Gratin

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs jerusalem artichokes

½ oz butter

½ oz flour

½ pint of milk

4 oz grated cheddar

½ teaspoon dijon or english mustard

salt to taste

water

lemon juice

breadcrumbs for the topping

Scrub the artichokes. Drop into a pan of salted water to which has been    added a little lemon juice.

Boil gently until just tender. Drain well and turn into a ovenproof dish.

Make the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a pan and adding the flour.  Blend well and let the roux cook for a minute of two over a low flame.

Add the the milk, 3 oz of the grated cheese and mustard along with salt and pepper and stir constantly until the sauce thickens.

Pour the cheese sauce over the artichokes, sprinkle the top with breadcumbs and the other 1 oz of grated cheese.

Brown under a hot grill or the the top part of an hot oven for about 20 minutes Serve piping hot.mmmmMMmmmm Scrummy

              Wild rice & mushroom  soup

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 celery rib, finely chopped

1 medium potato, in small cubes

227g button mushrooms, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

150g button mushrooms, sliced50g oyster mushrooms, sliced

1 medium Portobello mushroom, sliced

1 cup water

1 cups 1% milk

1 cup soya milk (or use 2 cups 1% milk or 2 cups of soya!  )

2 tbsp corn starch

4 tbsp water

½ cup cooked wild rice (cook ahead of time, wild rice takes a long time to cook!)

INSTRUCTIONS In a medium saucepan, cook the onion and celery over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add salt, pepper potato and chopped mushrooms. Stir and cook for an extra 5 minutes. Add water, cover partially and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, coat a skillet with cooking spray and cook the sliced mushrooms over medium high heat. You want your mushrooms to take a nice golden colour, so make sure they do not touch, else, they will start boiling instead of browning. You might have to cook them in several batches. Set aside.When the potatoes are cooked (the water will have almost evaporated), reserve about ½ a cup of the mixture and puree the rest in a food processor or with a hand blender. Return to the pot, add reserved potato mixture, sliced mushrooms, cooked rice and milk.Mix the corn starch and water together to make a slurry. Add this to the soup then simmer for about 5 minutes to cook the corn starch. Then enjoy with warm crusty bread.. mmmmm...

Quick and simple and very garlicky houmous:)


1 tin of Sumas best Chickpeas... 85p

We love chickpeas they are super high in protein...
and you can add them to anything .. 

However many cloves of garlic you would like....

 Organic garlic 75p each
A splash of olive oil a dash of sunita organic lemon juice £1.69 a bottle or fresh if you have any..
sprinkle of cumin powder.. 85p 30g...
pinch of sea salt if required
Blend all the ingredients together.... and yum.. its that simple....

                          Garlicky Greens:

             Lots of Garlic... 5-6 cloves is a good amount
about a bag (3-4 handfuls) of cavolonero or kale £1.50 a bag
100gms roughly chopped almonds
drizzle of olive oil
season to taste


Stir fry the garlic until it starts to brown,
stir in the chopped almonds gently toasting.
add the greens and a pinch of sea salt, stir until soft .
add a splash of water and replace the lid allow to steam for a few mins x

        Squash Coconut and Wild Rice Curry

ingredients(serves 5-6)


1 small turnip, peeled and diced
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 acorn squash, cut in half and seeded
1 tbsp liquid honey
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup wild rice
2 cups water
½ tsp salt
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 can coconut milk
2 cups water
75g roasted hazelnuts, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Put wild rice, salt and water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil,

 lower heat, cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, mix liquid honey through black pepper until well combined.

 Brush the inside of the acorn squash with this mixture and put the halves flesh side down in a baking dish with about ¼ cup of water at the bottom.

Add butternut squash and turnip to the rest of the spice mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil. Add turnip and butternut squash and spread to form a single layer 

drizzle a little bit more olive oil over the veggies and cook in the oven until nice and golden, about 30-40 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.

When squash is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the onion in a large saucepan over medium high heat, until slightly coloured. Add garlic and season with a dash of salt and pepper. To this, add the flesh of the acorn squash and 2 cups water. Bring to boil then simmer for 5 minutes.Purée this mixture in the food processor and return to saucepan (or use a hand blender); add coconut milk, cooked turnip and butternut squash, roasted hazelnuts and cooked wild rice.

Stir to combine and ladle into serving bowls.
Serve piping hot with whole wheat pita bread and enjoy....

All ingredients available from The lovely Bear...