Curried Chicken with Coconut Rice

This recipe is very easy and quite versatile. If you don't like dealing with whole chickens, just buy a tray of thighs, thigh strips, or any bird part you want. And don't worry about serving with cilantro if you don't like it, you can always tame the heat with some lime.

• 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces (or any chicken parts you may have, like a tray of thighs / solomillos)
• 4 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (from a 3-inch piece)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 can (13.5 ounces) unsweetened light coconut milk
• fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lower third. Toss chicken with curry powder, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat 2 teaspoons oil over high. In batches, cook chicken until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate

Reduce heat to medium and add 1 teaspoon each salt and oil, garlic, ginger, and onion. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until onion is translucent, 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add rice, coconut milk, and 2 cups water; stir to combine and bring to a boil. Arrange chicken in pot, skin side up, cover, and transfer to oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Summer berry ice cream

This Jamie Oliver recipe calls for the half hour ice cream to be served over fresh blueberries in cold glasses. I include the complete version here, but if you stick to the bare essentials, I think the ice cream can be enjoyed without the frills, and it's really easy and healthy. For the lactose intolerant, I'm sure goat's milk yoghurt must work like a charm.

• 1 x 500g pack of mixed frozen berries


• 150g (5½oz) fresh blueberries


• 3-4tbsp runny honey


• 1 x 500g tub of natural yoghurt


• A few sprigs of fresh mint

With a little foresight, put some glasses in the freezer for a short while. When you are ready to make this, which will cool in half an hour:

"Get the glasses and the frozen berries out of the freezer. Divide the fresh blueberries between the glasses. Put the honey and yoghurt and leaves from the sprigs of mint into the food processor and whiz, then add the frozen berries and whiz again until combined. Spoon the frozen yoghurt over the fresh berries and serve. "

Oatmeal Cookies

A nice, full of spice, oatmeal cookie that is easy, quick, yummy, and dairy free. Don't skip the walnuts, I think they are key to the yummyness.

1 cup unbleached or whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar or other sweetener

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup molasses

1 tsp. vanilla extract

11/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup fortified soy or rice milk

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional


Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.
In separate bowl, mix sugar, oil, molasses, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour mixture, rolled oats, milk, raisins, and walnuts. Mix well.

Drop rounded tablespoonsful of cookie dough onto an oil-sprayed cookie sheet (DO OIL OR BUTTER COOKIE SHEETS!), about 2 inches apart. Bake until light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Store in airtight container.

Makes 30 cookies

Fainá de calabacines

If you want to know what a fainá is, buy a plane ticket to Uruguay, or to Italy, or just look it up in Wikipedia.
Here's a veggie twist on the recipe, it's super easy, quick, and yummy.

Mix or blend:
3 eggs
3 tablespoons oil
1 1/3 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
salt, pepper

Add and mix in:
1/2 kilo raw grated courgettes
1 cup grated cheese.

Pour into a buttered large pan. Bake at 350ºF/175ºC for 20 minutes.

Raw Choconana Pudding

1 avocado
1/2 ripe banana
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine in food processor until pudding-like. May add water

Galletitas de aceite

Horno: 400º F (205ºC) 10 min
Cantidad: 3 docenas

Batir apenas con un tenedor
2 huevos

Agregar y continuar batiendo
2/3 tazas aceite (no de oliva)
2 Cdas. de vainilla
1 cta. de cáscara de limón rallada

Añadir gradualmente
3/4 taza azúcar (I play with that, and use mostly brown sugar and a little white)

Cernir juntos y agregar
2 1/4 tazas harina (I also play and use part whole wheat flour, part regular white flour)
2 ctas. polvo de hornear
1/2 cta. de sal

Verter sobre chapa enmantecada por cucharaditas. Hornear. Sacar de la chapa inmediatamente.

Spinach-Sweet potato soup (vegan and good for all ayurvedic constitutions)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onions, sliced

1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 cups water and some bouillon powder or 2 cups vegetable stock (or chicken, or whatever you have if not vegan)

1 cup sweet potatoes, cubed

1/2 cup carrots, sliced

5-6 cups spinach, chopped (1 bunch)

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In large pot on medium-high, heat oil. Add onions and ginger and sauté until onions start to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Stir in cumin and sauté for another minute. Add water, bouillon, and all vegetables. Cook until sweet potatoes are softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, then serve with some bread. (I don't measure that much, just put in a bag of spinach and 2 sweet potatoes)

Favourite dark leafy greens (from the Ayurvedic Cookbook)

Prep time: 10 to 20 minutes

1 bunch dark leafy greens: kale, collards, mustard, turnip or dandelion greens

½- ¾  cup water

1 teaspoon sunflower oil (or ghee for digestible but non vegan version)

½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander powder

Wash greens and chop them, taking out stem in the process. Bring water to a boil in heavy bottomed skillet. Put in chopped greens, cover, lower heat to simmer. Cook from 7 to 15 minutes or until greens are tender. Drain, serving water, if not too bitter, for use as soup broth.

Heat oil in small pan over low heat. Add cumin seeds. When they begin to brown, stir in coriander. Brown, do not burn. Pour this mixture over the drained greens, mixing well,  serve immediately.

The spices take the edge off the usually bitter greens.

Couscous with lentils

I know this is ridiculously basic, but given Aleix's reactions to my cooking and the fact he ate this last week, I had to share! And you'll see why I need more recipes ;-)


Ingredients, whatever quantity you like!
Broccoli, wholeweat couscous, bouillon powder (optional), cooked lentils* , carrot

Boil broccoli for 5 minutes so it's still crunchy,
add a pinch of low sodium stock powder, and turn off the heat.
pour in the couscous to roughly the ratio of 1 couscuous: 2 water, and leave it to soak in all the lovely green broccoli water.
Stir in the cooked lentils et voila!!

*Lentils: Zoe's hint to boil the lentils, then get rid of that water to replace with clean boiling water and keep simmering for 15' or so makes them easier to digest, as does Soli's suggestion of adding a stick of kombu. Don't add salt though! I've been adding a teaspoon each of curry , cumin and coriander powder at the clean water stage, then using them as finger food for Aleix or to add to salads or any other grain.