Lemon salmon with sugar snap peas

Leave a comment April 21, 2020 Dr Kashef

I love the simplicity of this dish.

It’s a quick one-pot, weekday dinner without compromising on flavour. It goes very well with my miso aubergine recipe which can be found here.

This is continuing my theme of including polyphenols in my daily diet. This recipe contain fish which does not contain any polyphenols but can certainly be used in dishes that contain polyphenols.

The ginger, soy sauce, garlic, chillies, mustard seeds, lime are all high in polyphenols making this is a wholesome and healthy meal.

Polyphenols

Lemon– 60mg/100g

Ginger (fresh)– 200mg/100g

Garlic (fresh)– 87mg/100g

Chillies (red)– 326mg/100g

Sesame oil– 2.27mg/100g

Lemon Salmon and sugar snap peas

Preparation time: 15 Min

Cooking time : 10 Min

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless salmon fillets cut into cubes
2 tablespoons ginger julienned
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 chillies roughly chopped (more or less depending on your preference)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon soy sauce
Zest one lemon
Juice of a half a lemon
½ lemon cut into small wedges without the peel
2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 ½ tablespoon rapeseed or any mild oil suitable for frying
One pack of sugar snap peas ( 200g), chopped in half
1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Method

In a frying pan( or ideally a wok) add 1 tablespoon of the rapeseed oil, once hot, add the salmon. Fry without turning for 2 minutes. This will allow the fish to become a golden brown. Turn and cook the other side for a further 2 minutes.

Remove salmon and place on a plate.

Keep the pan very hot, add the ginger, garlic and chillies and allow to sizzle. once the smell and ginger and garlic rises (usually about 30-60seconds), add the lemon wedges, zest, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Once the sugar melts, the mix will get a caramel consistency. Add the salmon, once mixed with the liquid place in a back in a bowl.

In the same pan, add the last of the rapeseed oil ( ½ tablespoon), add the mustard seeds. When the seeds start popping, add the sugar snap peas. Sautee for about 1 minute until they start to blister, add the salmon and sauce. Cook for another 30 seconds or so.

Ready to serve.

Best served with boiled rice or miso aubergine.

Happy Eating Polyphooders!

Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

Leave a comment April 21, 2020 Dr Kashef

Not the healthiest of dressing but I cannot resist a Blue cheese wedge salad.

Not for those who don’t enjoy the strong flavour of blue cheese 😉
This is an easy quick dinner but the rich blue cheese dressing adds loads of flavour. Originally inspired by Ina Garten, I made a few minor changes but this is mainly a recipe from the queen of cooking, the barefoot contessa herself !
This tangy dressing goes very well with tomatoes and iceberg lettuce but you can add it to any type of leaf. As the dressing is quite peppery with a strong blue cheese taste, its best avoided with peppery leaves.

Otherwise, happy eating!

Ingredients

100g blue cheese (I use @castellouk danish blue, crumbled
2/3 cup good mayonnaise such as @hellmannsuk
1/3cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoon of water
1 small clove of garlic minced

Method

Place cheese in microwave for 15 sec to slightly melt it. Place all ingredients into food processor and serve as needed !
That’s it! Simple!

Feel free to leave comments and feedback on any recipe on this site

Miso Aubergine/ Miso Eggplant

Leave a comment April 21, 2020 Dr Kashef

Japanese food is amongst the healthiest in the world. All you have to do is google “health benefits of Japanese food” and you can see the endless pages highlighting the lower risk of heart disease, longer life , reduced risk of diabetes etc. There are also suggestions of lower incidence of some cancers. The common denominator in all of these is…yup, you’ve guessed it, polyphenols!

Polyphenols activate certain receptors in our bodies, resulting in the effects mentioned above. Japanese and Mediterranean foods are amongst the highest containing polyphenol groups ( which is why they are amongst the healthiest populations in the world).

The proof of prolonged life has so far been proven academically in mice only , however the long lifespan of the Japanese population is a reflection of their diet!

I personally love the umami flavour and never tired of Japanese food. This dish, Miso Aubergine, is quick and easy to make.

Theses aubergines are best when oven-cooked however I have made this dish with fried aubergine and it is equally good.

You can even marinade the aubergine first in a bowl and then place it them into the oven. It is a very forgiving recipe!

The polyphenol dose of this dish comes from the miso paste (which is soya based) , the soya sauce and the aubergine. I serve this with white rice, however brown rice is equally good.

I have also made this as a side dish to Ken Wong’s Lemon& ginger salmon dish (original recipe here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/stirfriedsalmonwithl_86955) or my version here.

Here is my recipe for Miso Aubergine /Eggplant. Happy eating!

Miso Aubergine

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 16-20 minutes

Ingredients:

Brown or white Miso paste 4 Tablespoons
Honey 3 tablespoons
Soy Sauce 2 tablespoons
Mirin 3 tablespoons
Sesame oil 2 tablespoons
Sesame seeds and spring onion for decoration if desired.

Method:

If cooking half aubergines:

You can either :

Cut the aubergines in halves in the longitudinal direction and score the aubergine flesh.

OR
If cutting into wedges then choose the size and shape you desire and cook as below.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan and place the aubergines, flesh side down, into the pan. I don’t put any oil in the pan at this stage as it delays the browning and aubergine is notorious for being fat thirsty. After 2-3 min on medium heat you can add a table spoon of oil or oil spray. Cook flesh side on moderate heat for 5 min and then turn onto skin side. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

At this stage you have two options again: For half cut aubergine I recommend oven cooking but for wedges /cut aubergine , you can just cook in the pan.

Put the oven on grill setting.

Take the aubergine off the heat, place on a foil covered oven tray ( If you don’t use foil you will regret it as the sugar caramelises and turns hard when cool, ruining your lovely over-tray!).

In a bowl, mix all the wet ingredients ingredients and mix. You can taste the mixture at this point. Depending on the type of miso you are using the salt content may vary. If too sweet you can add some soy sauce, if too salty, add some more honey.

The proportions are not hard parameters. It isn’t like baking, you can vary the ingredients and still get a great result!

Pour the mixture over the aubergine, ensuring all the flesh is covered. If cooking aubergines in wedges, its worth moving the aubergine pieces around to ensure all sides covered.

Place under the hot grill for 5-6 minutes. DO NOT LEAVE the oven! The sugar can turn very quickly.

When golden brown, remove from the grill.

IF cooking in pan, cook the aubergines for about 15 minutes ( instead of 10 ), leave the aubergine in the pan and simply pour the mixture over the aubergine and cook under low heat for further 5-6 minutes ensuring you turn the aubergines regularly.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions if desired.

Happy eating everyone!
please feel free to leave comments and feedback.

Polyphoods Pesto

Leave a comment April 19, 2020 Dr Kashef

Recipes

I absolutely love pesto !

Since I started making my own pesto I stopped buying the ready made stuff. Another reason i started to make pesto was to reduce the oil and calorific content. This recipe can easily be vegan but eliminating the cheese.

The contents of pesto are generally are all high in polyphenol content .

Polyphenols are found ubiquitously in plants, vegetables and many fruits.

Their main function as part of this diet is to increase the body’s baseline metabolism. Some studies also suggest that polyphenols can also help with control of diabetes and blood pressure.

All the ingredients bar the parmesan are good at giving the polyphenol dose needed.

Ingredients:

Herbs and Greens:

Basil- I love basil in almost everything . This is a classic ingredient in pesto and I have kept it in this recipe but have lessened the content to make room for the other greens and to reduce the cost.

Spinach– A rich source of iron, vitamin K, vitamin A and B2, it is a versatile green that can be eaten in any way. This adds a nice rich depth to the pesto without overpowering it.

Parsley– From the celery family, this is another polyphenol rich ingredient . Its polyphenol content go up by significantly when dried but I much prefer the flavour of fresh herbs

Nuts:

Pine nuts are the classic ingredient for pesto, but they are quite low in polyphenols and can be pricey.

I also prefer the taste of walnuts and pecans , both of which can be used for this pesto. I prefer pecans as I find they have a creamier finish than walnuts.

Cheese:

parmesan is the key ingredient in pesto but i have reduced its content down to 1 tablespoon. this will give the tang and flavour with less calorific load.

unfortunately dairy products do not have polyphenol content as not plant based but the great thing about this diet is that it is a diet of inclusion not exclusion ( more on that later!)

Alternates include gran padano or pecorino romano cheese.

For a vegan alternative , you can skip the cheese all together.

Polyphoods Pesto :

Preparation time: 10 minutes

cooking time: N/A

Ingredients :

Parsley, small bunch ( about 50g)
Spinach, small handful ( 50 g)
Pecans, handful ( about 40g)
Basil, small handful ( about 30g)
Parmesan cheese ONE table spoon, grated,
One table spoon of olive oil ,
Zest of a lemon
Fresh chillies . as much as desired, I use ¼ teaspoon of flakes
1 table spoons of water (May need more if too thick a mixture)

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a food processor until all chopped and mixed.

Serve with your favourite pasta. I used wholewheat spaghetti, however any pasta will do well with this yummy pesto.

I also make a salad dressing with this pesto. Simply add the juice of 1 lemon and a teaspoon of pomegranate molasses and voila!

Polyphenol contents:

Basil- 231mg/100 g
Spinach- 248mg/100g
Parsley- 90mg/100g
Pecan- 1284mg/100g
Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 55mg/100ml
Total Polyphenol content for this dish: 1909mg/500g

Happy eating my friends.

Please be sure to leave comments if you try this recipe.

Follow me on Instagram @polyphoods

Plantain Tortillas

1 Comment November 22, 2018 Dr Kashef

I absolutely love Mexican food, in particular soft tacos which I could eat until I enter a food coma!

I have never been carb free in my life(apart once in the 00’s when I tried Atkin’s diet for one week!), however I do try and minimise gluten intake as much as I can.

My recipe for Buckwheat tortillas is actually quite good ( recipe coming up soon) but it can be quite brittle and not as ‘bendy’ as I like my soft-shell Tacos to be.

I had heard a lot of positive things about the flavour and texture of plantain so I really wanted to try it and low and behold it was fabulous!

The taste is close to a potato bread but with more body to it. Unlike corn tortillas these are quite filling which means you consume fewer tacos which is always good for weight control!

I did a lot of reading and the common denominator in all blogs/websites/recipes is to use very green plantains.

They need to cook in water for anything between 25-45 minutes. I found extra cooking time doesn’t take away from the flavour or the texture but when undercooked it can result in a grainy and not a very pleasant tortilla.

So here it is! My recipe for plantain tortillas.

Plantain Tortilla

Preparation time: 20 minutes

cooking time: 25- 45minutes ( depending on the plantain)

Ingredients:

2 -3 Green Plantains (yields about 8 tortillas)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 tea spoon of rapeseed oil

Method:

Cut the plantains with skin on and place in a pan filled with water and cook for 25-45 minutes. You can test the plantains with a fork which should feel soft.

Once cooked , drain the water ( they almost smell like cooked artichokes when cooked!).

When cooled , remove the skin and place the plantains into the food processor , add the salt and the oil. Blend/blitz until a paste forms.

Take a large spoonful of the paste and place it into a small freezer/Ziplock bag ( trust me they are to sticky to be rolled out any other way!

They roll out super easy . Once rolled out to 1/4 of an inch remove from bag.

Heat a frying pan or skillet and have it on low heat. Place the tortilla in pan. Cook for 3 min on one side and 2 min on the other side.

Voila ! they are ready to serve! you can cover them with cling film and refrigerate . but make sure you heat them up before serving as they are quite brittle when cold.

Enjoy!

Feel free to leave feedback and let me know what you think.

Polyphoods

Polyphoods Greek Salad

Leave a comment October 7, 2018 Dr Kashef

Recipes

Polyphoods Greek Salad

They collated the data and research that demonstrated the healthiest diet from the Mediterranean and far-east contained ingredients that lowered the incidence of cancer , diabetes and obesity ( despite the higher fat content of foods such as olives and olive oil).

So what was the secret? Simple, polyphenols!

A high polyphenol diet is so simple to follow and so tasty. If you look at my Instagram blog (@polyphenols) you won’t even realise what I post is ‘diet’ food. It certainly looks healthy but the one thing I never do is compromise on taste…or starve myself.

I am a massive foodie and as my aunt always says : “Unlike everything else, food is there from the minute you are born until the day you die, in many ways it is your one true great love ‘. She is right!

Through my posts, I will share my recipes with you and hope you will find not only does it help you lose weight, but you will also have a fulfilled palate and a colourful culinary life.

The Polyphenol Greek Salad is nothing fancy. It is delicious on its own or as a side dish to fish or chicken. I do not feel it goes as well with red meat but feel free to have a go and let me know !

The salad uses everyday ingredients and is quick to make.

THE POLYPHENOLS

Olives- I like using pitted queen green olives for vegetarian option or anchovy stuffed green olives for meat eaters. Kalamata olives work just as well. Basically use your favourite olives!

Cucumber- Any type will do but the small persian cucumbers, which are now found in supermarkets, are bursting with flavor and have softer skin.I always keep the skin on and don’t deseed it.

Tomatoes– I like Vittoria tomatoes as I find smaller tomatoes pack more flavour than the bigger ones but any vine-ripened tomato will do.

Avocado– Not a traditional ingredients but I love avocado in any salad. It adds a depth of flavor and a richness that means this salad can be eaten as a meal.

Red Onions– Red onions are full of polyphenols and a great addition to the salad, one problem…I hate raw onions! If you use them in your salad they will increase the polyphenol load

Herbs– I use chopped parsley and sometimes also add Basil. Any herb will add flavour : coriander , tarragon , mint. I avoid dill as it overpowers the dish. I also used dried oregano which has a 100 times more polyphenol content than fresh herb.

Lime juice– freshly squeezed lime is used for the dressing

Olive oil– I use extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil is knowns for its high polyphenol content. Remember the less refined the oil, the higher the polyphenol content.

The NON POLYPHENOLS

Cheese- I use Sainsbury’s Be Good To Yourself Feta which has the lowest fat content of the supermarket feta’s while being quite mild. I don’t like strong feta cheese or if too hard a cheese.

Cottage cheese can easily be used as a substitute .

Croutons- These are optional and can make the salad a complete meal. I have come to use wontons to make low fat crisps. The recipe will be posted soon 😉

Right, now for the Recipe.

Enjoy!

Polyphoods Greek Salad

The amounts you use will vary depending on your preference , but below has some rough portions

Ingredients:

Tomatoes – A pack of cherry/ Vittoria/ baby plum tomatoes (about 250g)- Chopped into halves (keep whole if you are preparing the salad ahead)
Cucumber- 4 small cucumbers or half a large cucumber- cut into small cubes
Avocado- 1/2 a large avocado or 1 medium/small avocado
Queen green Olives- pitted or anchovy stuffed- 1/2 jar ( use the ones in brine not oil)
Parsley- 1 handful roughly chopped
Oregano- 2 large pinches
Low fat Feta – 90g crumbled
Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 2 table spoons
Lime- Juice of one lime

Method:

Mix tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, olives and parsley together. Crumble the cheese on top of the salad and sprinkle with oregano.

Finish with pouring the lime and olive oil on top.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Bon Appetite

Polyphoods

Follow me on Instagram @polyphoods

Polyphoods Green Smoothie

Leave a comment September 30, 2018 Dr Kashef

I have been drinking smoothies and/or juicing instead of lunch for nearly 7 years now. I have tried many variations and different proportions of fruit and vegetables before coming up with this recipe.

The factors that were key in modifying and refining this recipe were:

Polyphenol Content
Fibre load
Refreshing taste to improve breath and body odour
Filling
Palatable

The advantages of this smoothie recipe (over the classic SIRTFood Juice recipe) is that it is more filling , has a much higher fibre load and you don’t waste any part of the vegetables and fruit.

It can be made a day in advance without losing its flavour or nutritional content.

In theory you can freeze the smoothie and thaw it the night before , however I am still working out the polyphenol load in each portion to ensure none of it is lost through the freezing process.

Right! Lets get blending!

I use a Nutri-Ninja but any strong blender will do.

Polyphoods Green Juice Smoothie

2x Kiwi – peeled and chopped into 8 pieces

2 finger breadths cucumber chopped with skin on

5 pieces of frozen pineapple chunks

small handful of parsley

4-5 mint leaves

Juice of one Lemon

50-100 ml of water ( depending on the size of your blender and the juice of the vegetables)

Optional – Half a stalk of celery ( not all blenders can puree celery well enough).

Put the softer vegetables (leaves, cucumber, lemon juice) in the mixer furthest from the blades and add the ingredients based on firmness, finishing with Kiwi then the pineapple chunks.

Blend until smooth. If the smoothie is lumpy, blend twice.

Use a straw to drink as the combination of sugar from the pineapple and the acid from the lemon juice and kiwi can erode your teeth long term ( This is what most blog sites do not tell you!).

Happy Drinking!!

Please feel free to comment or send me queries on this or any of the recipes I post.

Follow me on Instagram @polyphoods

Welcome To Polyphoods

Leave a comment August 31, 2018 Dr Kashef

Welcome to Polyphoods!