You Are What You Eat

I occasionally catch this show called, "You Are What You Eat" Starring Gillian McKeith. In this show she counsels people on a way to help themselves lose weight and be healthy. Well, yesterday I went searching and I found her website. I have always found her show inspiring and while I wouldn't necessarily eat everything she recommends, I do think she is really wise and knows a lot about how to improve our health. Here are some recipes I found on her site.

Green Goddess Soup

For Winter Detox
Serves 4

• One large onion peeled and sliced
• One clove of garlic peeled and crushed
• Two turnips peeled and chopped or
• One medium sweet potato peeled and chopped
• 600mls / 1pt of vegetable stock (from 2 vegetable stock cubes)
• 2 large courgettes trimmed and cut into 1cm pieces
• 200g bag of curly kale, rinsed and drained, along with a handful of spinach leaves.

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in a sauce pan with a little water for 4 minutes. Add the turnip or sweet potato and sauté for a further three minutes.
2. Add the rest of the stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the courgettes and Kale and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add the spinach in at the end and simmer for a further minute.
5. Pour the soup mixture into the blender or food processor and blend till smooth.
6. Return to the saucepan and add some freshly chopped curly parsley to garnish.

Squash Soup

• 3 cups of butternut squash
• ½ cup radish for garnish
• 1 cup of sweet potato (cut into pieces)
• 1 cup of carrot
• 6 - 8 onions
• 6 - 8 cups of water
• Vegetable bouillion or vegetable cube
• Big handful of fresh tarragon and parsley
• 1 clove of garlic

1. Add cut squash, sweet potato, carrots and onions to lightly boiling water for 5 - 8 minutes until tender but firm.
2. Turn off fire and add all other ingredients in the raw state.
3. Blend it all in a food processor.
4. Soup may be thicker or thinner depending on the amount of water used.
5. Garnish with chopped raddish.

Gillian's Hearty Lentil Stew

Superb way to strengthen kidneys and adrenals. Helping to cope with anxiety better.

• 1 cup Lentils
• 2 onions
• 4 Carrots
• 2 cups diced squash
• 1 sweet potatoe
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 veggie bouillon cube

1. Soak lentils for 20 minutes
2. Wash lentils thoroughly
3. Place the onions in a pot with a vegetable seasoning cube, cover with water and bring to the boil.
4. Simmer. Cover stew for 30- 35 minutes.
5. 15 minutes into the simmer, add squash and sweet potatoes
6. A further 10 minutes in, add carrots and celery.
7. Towards the end, add watercress or a dark green leafy vegetable such as kale.
8. Season with 2 bay leaves
9. Add 1 teaspoon wheat free tamari sauce.

Leek And Turnip Soup

• 1 leek
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 large turnip (more would be good)
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 Tbl fresh chopped rosemary
• 2 pints water
• Vegetable bouillon or stock cubes

1. Cut off dark green tops from leeks, rinse very thoroughly, and dice. Chop onion, and saute leeks and onion in the bottom of a large soup pot in a little water until soft.
2. Peel and dice turnips and potatoes, and add to soup pot.
3. Add a little stock and stew for 5 minutes, stirring gently.
4. Add the rest of the stock and the rosemary, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Puree about half of the soup in a food processor or blender, and return to the pot.
5. Season to taste, reheat, and serve.

Marinated Baked Salmon

• 2 salmon steaks (high in Omega - 3 fatty acids which help lower cholesterol)
• 2 cloves garlic - minced (high in the compound 'alicin' which enhances immune system and fights infections)
• 1 tbsp grated ginger (cleanses blood, liver and kidneys)
• ½ lemon (high in vitamin C)
• Fresh raw spinach (high in anti-oxidants which fight free radicals in the body cell tissues)
• 2 fresh raw leeks (detoxes the liver)
• Fresh coriander.

1. Cut the leeks into approximately 12 chunks.
2. Steam or boil leeks for about 5 minutes to gently soften.
3. Rinse and dry the salmon. Place a liberal amount of fresh raw spinach in a shallow oven pan.
4. Place the softened leeks on top of the spinach. Then place the salmon on top of the leeks.
5. Mix the olive oil, minced garlic and grated ginger together; then brush it over the fish.
6. Keep extra amounts of the olive oil mixture on hand to brush the fish throughout the cooking process. Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the fish and spinach.
7. Place into pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for approximately 25 minutes. While cooking, brush the olive oil mixture onto the salmon every 10 minutes. If desired, squeeze over more lemon juice too.
8. If you are feeling bold and adventurous, I recommend that you serve the salmon with Avocado Algae Cream Sauce. Decorate the plate with coriander leaves. If desired, squeeze lemon juice too.