Liz Nolan works as a Nutritional Therapist in Health and Herbs, Sea Rd, Galway City and also runs classes in wholefood vegetarian cookery from her home in Moycullen, 8 miles west of Galway City. Here are some of her favourite summer recipes:
Summer fruit crumble with walnuts
This is a delicious way to use the wonderful varieties of berries we are blessed with in the summer months. If you make this at other times of the year, just use frozen mixed berries. Use all organic ingredients if possible.
I have made this with coconut oil for a dairy free version but it is equally delicious made with butter. Coconut oil is a saturated vegetable fat but does not raise cholesterol and has anti viral properties. The body uses it efficiently for energy.
If you want to you can use sweet eating apples instead of cooking apples, which need sugar. However, I often find that the flavour of Bramley cooking apples is infinitely better than eating apples when cooked.
Ingredients:
4 eating or cooking apples – add 1 dessertspoon of unrefined brown sugar per cooking apple
1 punnet of mixed summer berries – strawberries, blackcurrants and red currants work well
1 medium banana
75g (3oz) softened coconut oil or butter
100g (4oz) walnuts
100g (4oz) spelt wholemeal flour
100g (4oz) porridge oats
75g (3oz) soft brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
A pinch of salt if using coconut oil
Directions:
First, oil a round flan dish approx 12 inches in diameter. Peel and slice the apples and stew in a saucepan in a few tablespoons of water with the sugar (if using) until soft but still holding their shape. Pour into the dish and mix in the berries. Slice the banana over the fruit.
If you have a food processor, process all the crumble ingredients together until they all clump together. Otherwise rub the softened oil or butter into the flour, oats and cinnamon with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Chop the nuts finely and add. Stir in the sugar and mix well to form clumpy lumps.
Sprinkle the lumps of crumble topping over the fruit breaking up big clumps as you go.
Bake in a medium oven – gas mark 6 or 200 electric for about 25 minutes until the fruit bubbles up through the crumble and browns nicely.
Serve hot or cold with cashew cream, dairy cream or ice cream or custard.
Cashew nut cream
This is a great alternative to cream if you are on a dairy free diet. Cashew nuts provide a great source of protein. They need to be rinsed as they very occasionally have a mould on them, which can cause an allergic reaction.
Ingredients:
100g (4oz) raw cashew nuts soaked for at least 2 hours and then rinsed and dried on kitchen paper
Approximately 4floz apple juice or water or rice or soya milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple syrup
Directions:
In a processor or blender, process the nuts with a little liquid until they form a smooth paste. Leaving the processor on, gradually add the apple juice or whichever liquid you have chosen until you get the desired consistency and then add the maple syrup and vanilla.
Serve with summer fruit crumble.
For savoury uses – leave out the apple juice, vanilla and maple syrup and just use filtered water to blend with the nuts. It can then be stirred into soups or curries to add a creamy texture.
From September, Liz will be running Zest4life programmes (Patrick Holford’s weight loss programme) in the Galway area.
For more information, ring 0868099604 or visit www.wholefoodmatters.com
If you would like more of Liz’s recipes – ‘Almond, Apple and Celery Nut Roast’ and ‘Rainbow Coleslaw’ please go to www.positivelife.ie
