Recipes

Makes 4 souvlaki for 2 people

Ingredients

For the Pita breads (it makes 8 small pitas)

• 200g Greek yogurt

• 100ml water, tepid

• 100ml sunflower oil

• 4g dried yeast

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

• 350g flour and extra for dusting

• A pinch of oregano

• Virgin olive oil for frying

For the marinade

• 100g Greek yogurt

• 100ml ale

• ½ tsp cumin powder

• ½ shallot finely chopped

• ½ clove of garlic finely chopped

For the chicken souvlaki

• 2 chicken breasts

• 1 yellow bell pepper

• ½ red onion

• 12 cherry tomatoes

For the Ale Sauce

• 2 tbsp virgin olive oil

• 1 shallot finely chopped

• 1 medium sized tomato, peeled, deseeded and chopped in small dice

• ½ clove of garlic finely chopped

• A pinch of smoked paprika

• 1 pinch of dried thyme

• 1 pinch of dried basil

• 1 tsp of brown sugar

• 2 tbsp of cyder vinegar

• 150ml ale

For the Tzatziki

• 1 cucumber, weighing 350-400g

• 200g yogurt

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 50ml extra virgin olive oil

• 2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp dill, finely chopped

Instructions:

Start by making the dough for the pita breads.

In a clean bowl, place the tepid water, sugar and yeast and stir till the yeast is dissolved. Add the sunflower oil, yogurt, oregano and half the flour. Mix well. Start using your hands to form the dough adding flour till you get a soft and not sticky ball of dough. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour. Place the ball in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel and place somewhere warm to let it rise. I tend to pre-heat the oven to 100C and leave the dough in the oven for about 30 minutes. Take the dough out and split in equal size chunks. Roll out on a floured surface, sprinkling more flour as needed for the pitas not to stick.

To cook the pitas, place a small frying pan on medium heat and brush with olive oil. Cook each pita on both sides brushing with oil as you go along till all the pitas are cooked. I store them in the fridge or even freezer till needed with baking parchment in between, the whole thing wrapped in foil. If using from frozen, thaw fully before warming wrapped in foil in a preheated oven for 2-3 minutes. Alternatively ,if the pitas are cold and you want to revive them, just brush with a little olive oil and heat in a frying pan 1 minute each side.

To make the tzatziki, wash but do not peel the cucumber. Grate it on the cheese side of the grater and place in a colander with a sprinkling of salt. Leave it for 10-15 minutes so that the salt draws out the water off the cucumber. Squeeze tightly to get rid of as much liquid as possible and place in a bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper and adjust vinegar to your taste.

For the marinade, place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir.

Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Cut each breast in three long strips and each strip into 4 square pieces. Add the chicken pieces, chopped pepper and red onion to the marinade, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 1 -1.30 hours to marinate.

To make the ale sauce, bring a pan to a medium heat. Add the oil and shallot and sweat for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, sugar, herbs and tomato and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Finely add the beer and cook till reduced by half. Remove the pan from the heat and using a hand whisk, blitz the sauce till smooth. Return to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook some more to reduce so a thick spreadable sauce.

Recipe credit: Irini Tzortzoglou https://irinicooks.com/recipes/

Serves 4 with some green leaves for a light lunch

Ingredients

• 12 peeled and cleaned tiger prawns or 250g raw king prawns

• 50ml virgin olive oil

• 1 onion finely chopped

• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped

• 1 red chilli seeded and finely chopped

• 3 spring onions

• 2 green peppers

• 5 medium sized tomatoes (I prefer to buy on the vine)

• 50 ml of ouzo

• Salt & Pepper

• A tsp of sugar

• 250g of feta cheese

• A pinch of dried oregano

• 2 tbsp of chopped parsley

Method

Clean and wash the prawns, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Keep to the side.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the tomatoes which you have scored a cross on top and bottom and leave for 30 seconds to loosen their skin. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop them cooking. Cut the tomatoes open, remove the seeds and chop in small dice. Cut the green pepper open, remove the seeds and cut in small dice too.

Heat a couple of tbsp of the oil in a saute pan. Add the onion and cook for a minute or two over medium heat. Add the garlic, the spring onion, the green peppers and the chilli to taste and continue for a couple of minutes more. Add the tomatoes, season, add the sugar and oregano. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes.

In a separate frying pan, add a couple of tbsp of olive oil and when hot add the prawns cooking for a minute on each side. Pour the ouzo over them and continue cooking for a minute or so to lose the alcohol.

Transfer the prawns to the saute pan, sprinkle the feta over them, cover the pan and continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes. Do not overcook the prawns or their meat will toughen.

Sprinkle with the remaining olive oil and the chopped parsley and serve.

Recipe credit: Irini Tzortzoglou https://irinicooks.com/recipes/

Serves 4

400g turkey steaks, diced into roughly even pieces

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 orange pepper, diced

1 pack halloumi, diced

Homemade slaw:

1/3 celeriac, peeled and grated

2 apples, grated

3 tbsps mayonnaise

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Serve with salad

1. Dice the turkey, peppers and halloumi. Using BBQ skewers, make them up into kebabs. Either cook in the BBQ for approximately 10 minutes until the turkey is cooked through or, preheat the grill high and cook under the grill for 10 minutes. Make sure you turn regularly to ensure even cooking.

2. Prepare a salad and serve. To make the slaw, grate the celeriac and apple then mix with the mayonnaise and paprika.

This recipe is low carb and candida friendly as well as being dairy and gluten free.

Serves 3-4

500g stewing steak

1 red onion, peeled and diced

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 x 400g can coconut milk

1 bag kale

4 handfuls spinach

2 tbsps almond butter

2 tsps garlic granules/ 3-4 fresh cloves garlic

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp lime juice

Salt and pepper

Tenderstem broccoli to serve with

1. Preheat the oven to 160C. Fry the onion and garlic cloves (if using) in a large, oven proof dish then add the beef and brown. Turn the heat dinner and add the coconut milk, spices and kale, stir well.

2. Transfer to the oven and leave to cook for 1 1/2 hours. Check the seasoning and beef then return to the oven.

3. Heat a frying pan and add butter/coconut oil and 2-3 tbsps of water then pan fry the broccoli for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.

4. Remove the beef from the oven, stir in the spinach and serve with the broccoli.

Serves 2

2 chicken breasts seasoned with garlic and a sprinkling chilli powder

1 avocado

2 handfuls rocket

2 handfuls spinach

2 handfuls watercress

Handful cherry tomatoes

Cucumber, sliced finely

4 spring onions, finely diced

Drizzle olive oil

Drizzle balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

1. Mix the garlic and chilli powder with a little olive oil then brush over the chicken and bake in the oven at 200C for 20 minutes or until cooked.

2. Prepare the salad and mix the oil and vinegar together then drizzle over the salad and serve with chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2 adults

2 chicken breasts, flattened

400g can chopped tomatoes

1 tsp garlic granules

1 tsp mixed herbs

Your choice of toppings e.g.:

Cheese

Meat e.g. ham, bacon, chicken

Mushrooms

Rocket

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/ Gas Mark 6. Flatten the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of cling film using a tenderiser or rolling pin. Place the chicken on a pizza tray/baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, put the tomatoes and herbs in a pan and cook down to a thick sauce, stirring regularly. After 10 minutes, take the chicken out, cover the chicken with the tomato sauce and then add the toppings. Bake for a further 10 minutes. Serve with salad or low carb chip e.g. celeriac or swede.

Serves 2

2 skinless, boneless cod fillets

1 pack halloumi, sliced thinly

Knob of butter

120g frozen peas

Salt and pepper

1. Melt some butter in a frying pan and add the cod. Season with a little salt and pepper. Turn over after 3 minutes Add the halloumi to another frying pan and cook for 5 minutes, turning regularly until crisp.

2. Put the peas in a pan with a small amount of water and cook for 5 minutes then mash with a potato masher and mix with some more butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the cod and halloumi fries.

Serves 1

1 handful kale

1 kiwi, sliced

1/4 mango, sliced

100ml milk of your choice

1 tsp grated ginger

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth.

Serves 4

2 handfuls fresh coriander, chopped

1 pack pomegranate seeds

1 chicken/lamb stock pot

2 tbsps sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

200g quinoa

1. Cook the quinoa according to pack instructions adding the stock pot and only a little water at a time until it's been absorbed then adding a little more until the quinoa is cooked. Add the remaining ingredients and serve with a BBQ, chicken, fish, halloumi etc

Serves 2

2 beef steak tomatoes

2 mozzarella balls

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Fresh basil leaves

Pinch of sea salt

1. Slice the tomato and mozzella then serve with the balsamic, basil and salt. Simple, tasty and nutritious.

Serves 1

100g mixed berries (frozen are fine)

2 tbsps Greek yoghurt (or a plant based alternative)

1 tbsp protein powder

1 tbsp mixed seeds

50ml water (more if you like a thinner smoothie)

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth then enjoy.