Ingredients
1 large onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
1 large (350g) sweet potato
1 large leek, white and light green parts
225 g spinach
350 g Kale or chard
3 tablespoons (30 g) chopped fresh ginger, plus more to taste
500 ml vegetable stock, like marigold bouillion
2-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

Method
Chop the onion and cook it slowly in a frying pan in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt, stirring now and then, over low heat until it is soft and golden, about half an hour.
Meanwhile, peel and dice the sweet potato and put it in a large soup pot with 1 liter water and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for 15 minutes on a medium heat. Thoroughly wash the leek, spinach, and chard, chop them coarsely, and add them to the pan, along with the chopped ginger. Simmer the soup for another 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender. Add the caramelized onions when they are ready. When the vegetables are soft, add the vegetable broth (you can add less if you like a thicker soup) and decide whether you want your soup chunky, like this, or smooth. If the latter, puree the soup in a blender, in batches, or with an jug blender until it is smooth.
Stir in 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste, and correct the seasoning with additional salt or lemon juice.

Serves 5-6.

This is an adapted version of a soup from Love Soup by Anna Thomas. posted by Rachel.

Ingredients
3 ounces dried soba noodles
2 – 4 tablespoons miso paste (to taste)
2 – 3 ounces firm tofu, chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
a handful of watercress or spinach, well washed and stems trimmed
2 spring onions, tops removed thinly sliced
big pinch of arame seaweed
a small bunch of corriander
a pinch of red pepper flakes

Method
Cook the soba noodles in salted water, drain, run cold water over the noodles to stop them from cooking, shake off any excess water and set aside. Soak the seaweed in some boiling water for 5 to ten minutes, directions usually in the packet.
In a medium sauce pan bring a liter of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and remove from heat. Pour a bit of the hot water into a small bowl and whisk in the miso paste. Add the greens, spring onions and seaweed to the remaining water and simmer for a few minutes. Add the cubes of tofu and take off the heat to warm through. Split the noodles between two (or three) bowls, and pour the miso broth and tofu over them, sprinkle corriander and chili flakes into each bowl.

Posted by Rachel.

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add broth, potato, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the potato is just tender, about 8 minutes.

2. Add beets and vinegar; return to a boil. Cover and continue cooking until the broth is deep red and the potato is very soft, 2 to 3 minutes more.

3. Combine sour cream and horseradish in a small bowl. Serve the soup with a dollop of the horseradish sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley.

How to Prep and Steam Beets
Trim greens (if any) and root end; peel the skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut beets into 1/2- to 1-inch-thick cubes, wedges or slices. To steam on the stovetop: Place in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water in a large pot. Cover and steam over high heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrient contents of beetroot

The scarlet colour of beetroot is thought to be a combination of the naturally occurring yellow (betacyanin) and purple (betaxanthin) pigments. These vibrant pigments are potent phytochemicals and antioxidants that work to protect damage to body cells from free radicals. It is known that the more vibrant the colours of our fruit and vegetables, the more they have to offer in terms of nutrients to help protect our bodies from damaging free radicals.

Beetroot contains the all important nutrient called betaine. This nutrient is known as a mehyl donor which in effect helps make chemical processes in the body work effectively such as proper liver function and cellular reproduction. Betaine also helps the body make carnitine. Carnitine is a nutrient that helps the body turn fat into energy.

Recipe Nutrition
Yields 4 1-cup servings. Per serving: 172 calories; 10 g fat (2 g saturated fat, 6g mono unsaturated fat); 6 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 395 mg sodium; 534 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (25% daily value), Potassium (15% dv). 1 Carbohydrate Servings. Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat

adapted from www.eatingwell.com

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pinch red chili flakes
1 cup chopped leeks or onions
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 tablespoons tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos
5 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
6 cups vegetable stock (look for yeast-free stock or make your own if you are on the candida diet)
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander (or more if you enjoy the taste)

Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the red chili flakes, leeks, ginger, and tamari/aminos. Saute for two or three minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and sauté until they are well coated and begin to brown slightly. Add the coriander and garam masala. Saute another two minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the vegetable stock to cover the sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender. Blend with a hand blender or food processor into a smooth consistency, adding more stock as necessary. Reheat before serving and garnish with the chopped corriander.

Enjoy – and let me know what you think! Posted by Rachel Dare

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots thinly sliced (replace with 1 onion if you can’t find them)
1 clove of garlic, minced
3/4 cup brown basmati, rinsed
6 cups vegetable stock, use a good one like marigold bouillon
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut diagonally
1/2 cup cavolo nero or curly kale, chopped
8 spears of asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup peas, frozen are fine
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over a medium heat, then add the shallots/onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes until onions are soft. Add the rice and cook together for another minute, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer until the rice is just tender, 35 to 45 minutes.

Add the sugar snap peas, asparagus, kale and green peas, and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Simmer for another 2 or 3 minutes and serve immediately, this way the vegetables stay crisp and bright.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think. Posted by Rachel Dare.

150g Quinoa

4 Beef Tomatoes

1 Onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic, clove

1/2 Jar Roasted Red Peppers (100g) we have a great brand that is organic, called

Handful of mint, parsley and coriander, chopped roughly

1 lemon juice

Seasoning

100g Feta Cheese, crumbled

Heat Oven to 200 degrees/gas 6

Wash quinoa in a sieve to get rid of the slightly bitter taste then put into a small pan cover in cold water and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, drain if necessary and leave to cool slightly.

Saute the onions on a low heat for 10 minutes, then add the clove of garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes. Cut each tomato a third of the way down and scoop out the inside with a teaspoon take care to keep the tomato intact. Do the same to the lid, chop up the inside discarding any of the hard in side bits. Add the tomato bits to the cooking onions and garlic stir for a minute and than take off the heat.

Put chopped herbs into a bowl adding lemon juice, olive oil, feta, roasted peppers and some fresh black pepper, mix well then add the cooked onions mixture and the quinoa stir until everything is combined, then taste adding a little salt if necessary.

Using a spoon, fill each tomato case with the quinoa mixture, top with the lids, place in an oven proof dish and drizzle with a little olive oil, then bake for 20 minutes or until soft.

Rachel cooks up a healthy breakfast for Esther of Yogatic.com

Ingedients:
Fresh Organic Eggs
Spelt Bread
Yeast Extract
Tahini
Alfalfa Sprouts
Avocado

10 Large tomatoes
3 Cloves Garlic
1 sprig Basil
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt, pepper and sugar

Heat Oven to 240/Gas 9… Very Hot!
Chop up tomatoes into chunks, cutting out core if tough. Put onto a deep baking tray with garlic, whole sprig of basil, oilve oil,and seasoning…. Roast for half an hour… or until soft.

While that is roasting, prepare:

I large onoin, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 pint of veggie stock (cube dissolved in hot water)
2 tbsp chopped basil

Fry onions very gently until soft, a good 10 minutes.
Add everything from the roasting tray removing the basil stalk.
Add stock and bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins, testing for seasoning.
Blend the soup until smooth, add the basil and enjoy!

Freezes really well…great to have as a standby for those lazy Sunday evenings!

Quinoa, if you are not already familiar with it, is a seed, though it cooks like a grain. It comes from central America and is used as a substitute for bulgur wheat, couscous or rice, though it is a lot more nutritious than any of them. It is has a very high vitamin and mineral content and is a complete protein which means it includes all 9 amino acids. It cooks in 15 minutes, is gluten-free and has a slightly nutty flavour and a very light texture. In Organico Café we use Quinoa in soups, chillies, and burgers as well as in salads.

So – on to the recipe! You can vary the amounts of herbs, or substitute different ones depending on what is available to you, and as for the veggies – later in the summer roast pumpkin or butternut squash works really well as do roasted peppers and tomatoes, so feel free to play around with the ingredients.

A nice salty crumbly cheese makes a good contrast to the Quinoa; I really like St Tola’s soft Goat’s Cheese or a good quality feta cheese. St Tola’s is an Irish cheese from Galway that has a distinct flavour so you can use less of it than you might a milder cheese. If you opt for feta I would avoid the ones packaged in plastic and instead try the Real Olive Stall on Fridays (or come up to Organico – we sell their feta all week round!). Your salad will taste much better.

Recipe

250g Quinoa
1 small head broccoli
150g green beans,
1 bunch radishes,
150g Feta or St Tola’s soft goat’s cheese
150g cherry tomatoes (look for organic or local ones with a good sweet flavour)
½ bunch basil,
½ bunch mint,
½ bunch parsley,
50g each of pumpkin and sunflower seeds,
Tablespoon soya sauce.

Dressing

1 Tbsp pesto,
4 Tbsp olive oil,
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (Aspall make a very tasty organic one)
Salt and Pepper

Start by placing the Quinoa in a fine sieve and rinsing under running water. Then into a sauce pan adding a cup of water to each cup of Quinoa. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes, then lower heat and cook for a further 5 to 7 minutes. Tip out into a bowl and leave to cool.

Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan on a medium heat for a few minutes. Watch them carefully as the oil in them can burn easily. When they have slightly browned, pour a tablespoon of soya sauce into a bowl and tip the hot seeds into it and mix, then leave to cool.

Cut Broccoli and beans up into bite sized pieces and blanch in boiling water for a few minutes until they have cooked but still have a bite. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop them cooking any further.

Cut up cherry tomatoes and radishes in to quarters.

Chop up basil, mint and parsley. Add 2/3 to the salad and the rest to the dressing jar.

Make dressing by first dissolving the salt in the vinegar in a jam jar, then add the honey and mix in, then add the pesto and olive oil, giving everything a final shake.

To assemble the salad, mix the cooled Quinoa, herbs and vegetables together then add the feta crumbling it in your fingers. Mix in the dressing and finally add toasted seeds on top.

I have chosen a soup to start with as I think it is essential to a healthy diet – a home made nutritious soup is a complete meal and is very easy to digest. Dried Split Peas are a very good source of cholesterol lowering-fiber, they are also very helpful in managing blood sugar levels as their high fiber content prevents blood sugar rising after meals. They also provide minerals including Iron and magnesium, as well as B vitamins and protein. The fresh herbs change it from a good soup into something special so please don’t skip them! (We will have lots of fresh herbs in the shop from now on – sometimes they can be hard to find). As with all our recipes we recommend the use of organic vegetables and split peas for their higher nutritional quality and taste. The type of stock powder you use is also important, as many use salt as the main flavour which isn’t the healthiest, so look our for Marigold Bouillon or Kallo stock cubes (they both also do a very nice low salt option). In the Café we have found this to be one of our most popular soups with people always asking for the recipe – and it goes down really well with children too!

Spring Sweetcorn Chowder

225g Yellow split peas 2 Cloves of Garlic

2 Tsp Vegetable Marigold bouillon powder 250g Spinach, Kale or Spring Cabbage

2 Tbsp of olive oil 1 Can Sweet corn

1 Bay leaf 2 Leeks, washed and sliced

3 carrots, scrubbed and diced Handful Parsley and Basil or Mint

1 Onion, peeled and diced Salt and pepper

Place the peas in a sieve and rinse well under running water for a few minutes. Place in a large sauce pan and cover with 1.5L cold water, Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, sometimes they will take longer so just check every 5 minutes until they feel soft. Remove any residue that rises up to the surface with a slotted spoon. Top up with more water if necessary. While the peas are cooking fry the chopped onions, leeks, carrots and bay leaf in olive oil on a medium heat for 10 min’s then add the sweet potato and garlic and cook for another 5 min’s., keeping you eye on it to make sure nothing is sticking. When the peas have cooked for 25 min’s blend with a hand blender, add the cooked veggies to the split peas, remembering to take out the bay leaf at this point, and cook for another 15 min’s. Chop up the greens and add along with the sweet corn to the split peas, cook for a further 5 minutes. Season to taste. Chop the herbs, stir into the soup and serve. If you would like to freeze some portions then just leave out the greens and the herbs and add them later.

Enjoy!