Nourish Naturally Seasonal Recipes

Our health and vitality is largely dependent on the nutritional content of food. Eating seasonally – eating foods that are available and grown locally – means getting the best flavour and nutritional value from fresh food. It’s cheaper and cleaner as fewer chemicals are required for storage and shipping. Eating crops you've grown yourself can't be beaten for ultimate satisfaction.

Each month, you will find three favourite seasonal recipes, based on key foods in season, noting their health benefits.

February

February's colurful seasonal food includes the last month for succulent game, such as guinea fowl, partridge and pheasant. Winter vegetables still about, great in comforting stews - enjoy kale, carrots and cauliflower and leeks. And while rhubarb is, gratefully, on the seasonal menu, so are oranges but their season is only weeks short so make the most of them. Oysters, clams and muscles are the current tastes of the seas or river banks that can add some rustic glamour to the kitchen table.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Chicken and Noodle Salad

After a fairly sparse couple of months on the leafy veg front, now is the time to make the most of the goodness from purple sprouting broccoli. This darker, purple coloured cousin of the green variety is more vibrant, quirky and nutritious. Its shoots are more tender and last longer. It can be eaten raw or steamed for a few minutes, making it a quick, healthy snack when drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Purple sprouting broccoli contains the phytochecmical 'sulphoraphane', thought to help prevent cancer and may provide resistance against heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Packed with vitamin C, it is also a good source of caretenoids, iron, folic acid, calcium, fibre and vitamin A. With high amounts of antioxidants, this vegetable can reduce risks of stroke, cataracts, a cancer of the retina, and colon cancer.

150g purple sprouting broccoli, chopping off hard ends

50g ramen noodles

150g purple sprouting broccoli, chopping off hard ends
100g edamame (soy beans), fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoon mirin
2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon gratedginger
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 small cooked chicken breasts, skinless and shredded

1. Steam the broccoli stems until tender in about 3-6 minutes, then drain in

     very cold water. If the stems are large, cut them in half lengthways.

2. Cook the noodles following packet instructions, adding the edamame for

     the last minute and a half of cooking. Rinse well in cold water and drain

     thoroughly.

3. Make a dressing by mixing the tamari, mirin, sesame oil, ginger and

     spring onion.

4. Put the broccoli, noodles, edamame and chicken in a bowl. Pour over the

     dressing and toss together, adding some extra seasoning if you like.

Serves 2              Prep 10 mins              Cook 10 mins              High protein

Moules Marinieres

With high levels of iron, zinc, selenium, vitamin B12, folate amd Omega 3 oils plus low in calories, mussels are being hailed as the next delicious wonder food. More than two million British households now buy mussels. It could be because of new evidence that mussels improve heart health, or because they are a vital ingredient in a healthy sex life. "The poor man's oysters" are a natural sustainable crop, they don’t deplete resources in the environment, but instead consume plankton, contributing positively towards the food chain.

Mussels are plump, relatively cheap and packed full of flavour this month.Try not to choose mussels that have chipped, broken or damaged shells. Fresh mussels tend to be tightly closed. To clean mussels, scrub in plenty of cold water to remove barnacles or sand. Discard any that float to the top. Give any open mussels a sharp tap with a knife and discard any that fail to close (they are dead). Remove the 'beard' - a fibrous clump of hairs on the shell - by giving it a sharp tug towards the hinge end of the mussel. Place cleaned mussels in a fresh bowl of cold water until ready to use. Change this water two or three times to remove any salt or sand that the mussels may expel.

Moules Marinieres may contain some alcohol but unless you've given up the booze for the shortest month of the year, the alcohol get's burnt off with cooking but adds a delcious falvour. It reminds me of childhood trip to Mon St Michel. With plates of frites of course! But this easy dish is a great Winter warmer, served with crusty brown bread.

1 onion, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs of thyme

1 handful fresh parsley stalks, leaves chopped for garnish

200ml dry white wine

1kg fresh mussels, cleaned as above

1. Place the onion, shallot, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, parsley stalks and wine in

     a large pan with a lid. Bring to the boil.

2. Once the liquid is boiling, add the mussels and cover.

3. Shake the pan occasionally and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the shells

     have opened.

5. Sprinkle on the parsley leaves and serve immediately with salt and

     pepper.

Serves 4 Prep 20-50 mins Cook 10-15 mins Easy/Low fat

Blood Orange Tart

The distincitive feature of the crimson, dark coloured flesh is due to the anthocyanins, normally uncommon in citrus fruits. This anti-oxidant diminishes the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer (stomach), and LDL cholesterol accumulation. Additionally, this and other anti-oxidants found in blood oranges may reduce risk of cataracts and kidney stones, aid in the body's absorption of iton and healing process. Like other citrus fruits, the orange is a great source of vitamin C, as well as folate, calcium, vitamin B1 and fibre. To maximise your fibre intake, be sure to eat some of the spongey white pith right under the skin.

A refreshing and crisp fennel and blood orange Winter salad makes for a raw and healthy option to fight off infections. Combining blood orange segments, the juice of the another blood orange with shredded fennel, olive oil and seasoning makes for a great starter or accompaniment to grilled fish or chicken.

But it's cold outside and while days are getting longer we still deserve some comfort food. This dessert is not one to eat every day but it could be served as a treat when cooking for your valentine.

200g/7oz sugar, plus extra for dusting

3 blood oranges, juice and zest

1 teaspoon orange blossom water

2 whole eggs

6 egg yolks

200g/7oz butter, cubed

25cm/10in sweetened shortcrust pastry tart shell, blind baked (or use ready-made)

3 blood oranges, peeled, sliced into rounds

1 tablespoon demerara sugar

Dairy-free ice cream to accompany

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. Whisk the sugar, orange juice and zest, orange blossom water, eggs and

     egg yolks together in a bowl until well combined.

3. Add the butter and set over a pan over simmering water, like a bain-

     marie. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.)

4. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly, until the butter has melted

    and the mixture thickens.

5. Pour the mixture into the cooked pastry case, cover with clingfilm (to

     prevent a skin forming) and set aside to cool.

6. Arrange the orange slices on the cooled tart and sprinkle over the

     demerara sugar.

7. Using a cook's blowtorch, heat the sugar until caramelised.

8. To serve, slice the tart and serve with dairy-free ice cream.

Serves 8                    Prep 30 mins            Cook 2 hrs           Treat

All recipes supplied from www.bbcgoodfood.com, www.bbc.co.uk/food and www.timesonline.co.uk

Happy cooking and tell us if you made any useful alterations:

info@nourishnaturally.co.uk

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Seasonal Recipes

February