OUR resident foodie, JANE HUTTON, explores how we can optimise nutrients in our diet and make the every day special.
MAKING the ordinary extraordinary – that is the number one lesson in optimising nutrients in our daily diet. The other day, making the most of a sunny lunchtime, I decided on a humble egg and cheese sarnie, with a few tomatoes to enjoy out in the garden. It’s the kind of thing on millions of plates around the country every lunchtime. So, what’s so extraordinary about it? Let me break it down, and reveal my secret nutrient-bomb ingredient! When it comes to a sandwich, as with many everyday dishes, each ingredient choice can either make it ok, good or great. The classic components just need to be actively offering health benefits.
Mine were these:
• seeded granary bread for complex carbohydrates, boosted fibre, protein and essential fats;
• local free range eggs for quality protein, as well as offering specific nutrients, including concentration and focus-sharpening acetylcholine, hormone-supporting cholesterol, a little food source vitamin D, iron, lutein, iodine, selenium, folate and vitamin E;
• cheese for calcium, omega 3 and 6, zinc and phosphorus;
• home grown red and yellow tomatoes, for antioxidants, vitamin C, carotenes, lycopene, potassium, manganese, vitamin K, flavanols, carotenoids, and more!
• between them, all the B vitamins needed daily are covered plentifully. The secret ingredient that elevates all the already present nutrition to extraordinary levels? Seaweed. Just a sprinkle of dulse, as you would with salt and pepper. Does it taste seaweedy? Not as such, so don’t be put off. It adds a umami flavour, often be used to replace salt. I have no issue with salt, but occasionally using seaweed instead seasons while adding a whole spectrum of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. Mine was from a dulse shaker jar. It sits alongside my big collection of salts and peppers, and is perfect to sprinkle over any dish, including a sarnie! There are some amazing local companies who have put seaweed on our shop shelves, so by using it you’re supporting small local producers as well as your health.
Whatever meal or snack you’re making, the question should always be “how can I make this extraordinarily nutritious?” With the right cupboard kit, it’s easier than you think! Let’s take this issue’s recipe. Not a sarnie or seaweed, but equally humble – the early autumnal harvest of blackberries and apples. What the great English crumble was invented for, yet far more versatile by adapting the crumble element, plus less ‘naughty’ by using spices instead of sugar. Check out the recipe, perfect for dessert or breakfast, and look at where you can spice up your foodie life!
Baked blackberry and apple oats
You will need:
500ml semi-skimmed milk
2 small cinnamon sticks
6 cardamom pods, cracked
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1 cm cubes
200g jumbo porridge oats
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
100g nuts, roughly chopped
300g or so of blackberries
Heat the oven to 200 C, and put the milk, spices and apple in a small pan. Cover and gently bring to the boil, then simmer for around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and allow to the spices to infuse for at least 15 minutes. Discard the spices, then pour the apples and milk into a large bowl and roughly crush the apples with the back of a fork. Mix in the oats, egg, vanilla, baking powder, nuts and blackberries. Tip into an ovenproof dish and bake for about 30 minutes until piping hot with the juices bubbling up through the oats. If the berries are especially tart, add maple syrup to taste, and get stuck in with whatever topping takes your fancy, for breakfast or for dessert!
Naturally Nourishing is written by nutritionist and “confi rmed foodie” Jane Hutton. Visit her website, www.functionalfoodie. com, and sign up for programmes, recipes and advice. Contact jane@ functional-foodie.com or 07841 344934.