Here in Ireland we have a wonderful selection of artisan food producers with inspiring new products and delicious new ideas. Pick up something new and Irish this week, whether it be at your local farmer’s market or your local greengrocers. Support the Irish economy and enjoy amazing quality food.

For this St. Patrick’s Day we thought we give you one of our favourite pure Irish recipes:

 

Smoked Trout Salad

Slices of Goatsbridge smoked trout

Thinly sliced apple 

Local salad leaves

 

dressing

1 tbsp Llewellyn’s Balsamic Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tbsp Newgrange gold rapeseed oil

1/2 tsp Lakeshore mustard

Add a dot of local floral honey and a pinch of Achill Island Sea Salt

drizzle over the salad and enjoy!

 

 

Mmmm peanut-y satay sauce.. A popular favourite from either a Chinese or a Thai take away. This recipe couldn’t be easier and you can’t beat that homemade taste. Combining this with stir-fry vegetables also means you can easily get to that 5-a-day whilst still feeling like a treat! Add extra fresh chilli to your veg if you want additional kick but the sauce itself is mild and tangy which should be a winner for all the family.

In the photo above (and for my diner last night!) I used fresh red chilli, ribbons of carrot and courgette, sugar snap peas, mixed peppers and spring onions and combined it with a mixture of brown basmati rice and some leftover red quinoa for a little extra protein. That’s just what happened to be in stock! But when it comes to stir fry vegetables the more the merrier. Try tenderstem broccoli, cauliflower florets, baby corn, green beans, mange tout, red or white cabbage, red or brown onions, mushrooms and even pre-steamed cubes of butternut squash or sweet potato and omit the rice altogether.

Mix it all up together with the delicious sauce and enjoy!

 

Preparation time: 12 minutes, serves 4

Ingredients:

250ml coconut milk

125g crunchy peanut butter (made from 100% nuts e.g. Meridian)

1/2 tbsp. lime juice

1/2 tbsp. tamari soy sauce

1 tbsp. pomegranate molasses

Pinch of powdered vegetable bouillon (e.g. Marigold)

 

Directions: 

• Mix ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil stirring continuously. Add extra lime juice to taste if desired.
• Simmer for approximately 10 minutes to thicken. Ensure that the sauce does not burn or stick to the base.
• Mix through stir-fried vegetables of choice, sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves and enjoy!

 

Don’t forget to let us know what you think of our take on the take out! 

This week we have a number of free talks around Dublin and Kildare.

Based on the principles of Dr. Marilyn Glenville’s best selling book ‘Fat Around the Middle’, our nutritionists will share our TOP TEN TIPS for weight loss, well being and health. Come along to hear why you gain weight around the middle, the impact it can have on your health and, most importantly, how you can lose it!

There’s no need to register, just come along to a talk near you. For more information or to book our highly successful 12 week weight loss course ‘Lose Fat Around the Middle’ click here.

Get your body composition measured on the day and find out if you are within your healthy range!

Dublin

Mon 9th March         7pm         Dundrum:  Dundrum Methodist Church, Ballinteer Road

Tue 10th March        10am       Sutton: Sutton Marine Hotel, Sutton Cross

Wed 11th March       6pm         City Centre:  Functional Training Ireland, 29 Fitzwilliam St Upper

Thurs 12th March    9.30am     Rathmines: Swan Leisure, Rathmines Road

Thurs 12th March    7pm          Rathmines:  Leinster Cricket Club

Thurs 12th March    7pm          Sutton: Sutton Marine Hotel, Sutton Cross

 

Kildare

Wed 11th March        7pm      Newbridge: Abbins House Holistic Centre, Newbridge

Thurs 12th March    7pm          Naas:  Naas Community Centre

Pizza might be the most popular take-out food in Ireland but the quantities of fat, sugar and salt in take-out pizza can be extremely high. Not to mention the €20+ price tag to feed the family. Here we bring you the easiest pizza recipe ever… AND it’s gluten free! You can get the ingredients in any major supermarket and add whatever toppings you like. Get the whole family involved in topping selection and design. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook. Now that sounds like an easy peasy Saturday evening to me.

 

This really is a super easy pizza to make but I’ll give you some suggestions also.

– Make sure to roll the pizza very thin, less than ½ cm. You will need plenty of extra flour to stop the base from sticking to your surface and make them 12 inch or less to avoid tearing while you’re lifting them.

– You can make the dough ahead of time and just wrap it in clingfilm until you are ready to use later that day or even overnight in the fridge.

– Less is more when it comes to toppings on a thin base pizza. A very thin spread of tomato sauce (we love Bunalun Organic Tomato and Veg sauce or you can make your own of course!) and a sprinkle of mozzarella goes a long way.

– Top with a mountain of rocket with some parmesan shavings, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and some cracked black pepper.

– For a really decadent pizza treat: omit the tomato sauce and use some good quality pesto thinned out with extra olive oil. Add a thin spread of this pesto to the base. Top with slices of pear and crumbled blue cheese (we love Cashel Blue) amongst a scattering of mozzarella. Remember these are strong flavours and oily toppings so less is most definitely more here. But oh my, the flavour… is your mouth watering yet??

So with no further ado, the recipe… Enjoy and let us know what you think!

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes, serves 2

Ingredients:

125g Doves Farm Gluten Free Self Raising Flour Mix

1 tsp xantham gum

½ tsp gluten free baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

½ – 1 cup of warm water

 

Directions: 

• Mix dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl
• Add warm water slowly whilst bringing the dough together. Briefly knead the dough until it comes together. Add more water if too dry, more flour if too wet. The dough can be very sticky, so coat hands in plenty of flour
• Cover a clean dry surface with plenty of flour and coat rolling pin in flour. Roll out dough to desired thickness.
• Pre-bake the base on a baking tray for less than 5 mins just so that it begins to crisp on the outside, before adding your toppings. Return to the oven for a further 5 mins or until toppings have heated through.
• Serve with a crisp green salad and enjoy!

 

Don’t forget to let us know what you think of our take on the take out! What are your favourite toppings??

Dairy is an excellent source of calcium, but what if you don’t eat dairy, or need to avoid it due to an intolerance? There are plenty of other sources of calcium, but you might need to make a little extra effort to ensure you are getting sufficient amounts.

Tinned fish containing bones: Probably the highest source of calcium, not surprisingly, comes from bones themselves! Try some tinned sardines or tinned salmon with bones for your lunch a couple of times per week.

Almonds: almonds are a good source, include a small handful with a piece of fruit for a snack or get a good quality almond butter. Ground almonds are excellent for baking with too.

Sesame seeds: Sprinkle sesame seeds into your muesli or porridge and over salads. Coat a fillet of tuna or salmon in sesame seeds, or strips of lean beef for a stir fry. Dip slices of apple into tahini, a sesame seed paste, which is also found in hummus or baba ghanoush.

Green leafy vegetables: kale, spinach, pak choi and also broccoli are good sources of calcium. Include these in green smoothies, lightly steam or add to curries, casseroles, stir-frys, soups or pasta dishes.

Fortified foods: Tofu is usually fortified with calcium and soy beans contain some calcium naturally. Alternative milks such as almond, coconut, rice, oat or hazelnut milks are also fortified with calcium and make a great substitute.

Supplements: If you wish to take a calcium supplement, ensure that you take calcium in the form of citrate. Calcium citrate is more easily absorbed by the body than calcium carbonate, especially if you have any digestive difficulties.

More to bones than calcium…

Calcium is essential for bone health of course. It has been the poster child for bone health, but we also need plenty of magnesium, vitamin D, boron and zinc amongst others to ensure that our bone density is maintained. If you are thinking about your bone health, consider getting your vitamin D tested and supplement accordingly. Magnesium and zinc deficiency are also very prevalent. You can get levels of all of these essential nutrients tested at our clinic. Book a consultation with us today on 01-4020777 to review this with our nutritionists.

If you are worried about or have been diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, join us for our day long workshop this Saturday 28^th February. We will be joining with PhysioFusion for a day of nutrition and specialist exercises for osteoporosis. For more information or to book online, click here, or call us on 01-4020777.