Authors: Madeleine Shaw
Serve with the sauce and the cos lettuce leaves used as ‘buns’.
roast lamb shoulder with miso and aubergine, and cauliflower rice
Slow roast lamb is my speciality; whether you have a slow cooker or not, you can whip this out – no problem! The sweetness of the honey makes the lamb good enough for dessert . . . you won’t see any empty plates with this one.
serves 6–8
4 tbsp miso paste
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp butter or coconut oil
2 aubergines, sliced lengthways into 1cm strips
2kg lamb shoulder, on the bone
pinch salt
50g sesame seeds (optional)
Put the miso, honey and butter or coconut oil in a saucepan and warm them through for a few minutes.
Set your slow cooker to low, or preheat the oven to 130°C/250°F/Gas mark ½.
Rub the aubergines in some of the miso mixture, then put them on the bottom of the slow cooker or on the bottom of a large cast-iron pot. Rub the lamb in the rest of the sauce, then put it on top of the aubergines. Throw over a pinch of salt, pop the lid on and cook (whether in the slow cooker or the oven) for 7 hours.
Once done, garnish with sesame seeds, if using, and enjoy this melt-in-the-mouth miso meat. Serve with Classic Plain Cauliflower Rice, below.
classic plain cauliflower rice
classic plain cauliflower rice
serves 8
2 cauliflowers, stalks removed and roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Put the roughly chopped cauliflower into a food processor and process for a few minutes until you get a rice-like consistency.
Boil 100ml water in a large saucepan. Throw in the cauliflower rice with a pinch of salt, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every minute. Drain any excess water and stir in the olive oil and some freshly ground pepper.
chicken schnitzel with sweet potato fries
You won’t see any deep-fried breadcrumbs here . . . no, this chicken dish is made with home-ground buckwheat and spiced with garlic and parsley. It goes so well with the sweet potato fries, which are egg-washed to make them nice and crispy without the need for a fryer.
serves 2
1 large sweet potato or 2 small ones, peeled
1 egg, separated
1 tsp smoked paprika
4 tbsp coconut oil
50g buckwheat flour, rice flour or ground almonds
70g buckwheat groats
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 chicken breasts, skinned
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Slice the sweet potato into chips about 1cm wide. Whisk the egg white for a few seconds. Add salt, pepper and the smoked paprika. Dip the sweet potato chips into the egg white mix, then lay them out on a baking tray. Melt 2 tablespoons coconut oil and pour it over the top of them; toss well so they are covered.
Roast the chips in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Give them a stir halfway through so they cook evenly.
Put the flour or ground almonds in a bowl. Whisk the egg yolk with the remainder of the egg white mix in another bowl. Put the buckwheat groats, lemon zest, garlic and parsley in the food processor with a big pinch of salt and some pepper. Blitz for 3–4 minutes, or until broken down into breadcrumb size. Pour this mixture into a bowl and set aside.
Cut the chicken breasts down their length and open them out, and bash with a rolling pin until they are just under 1cm thick. Season the chicken, coat in the flour, then dip them into the egg mix, and finally dip them into the buckwheat crumbs.
Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, and cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side until golden-brown and cooked through. Repeat with the other chicken breast and serve with the sweet potato fries.
| sweet treats |
raw lemon cheesecake
This recipe calls for coconut butter, sometimes known as coconut manna – it’s creamy and oh-so-tasty. This cake is totally raw, and you will find it hard to stop munching your way through it in one sitting.
serves 12
400g cashew nuts
200g Medjool dates, stoned
200g almond flakes or blanched almonds
150g desiccated coconut
2 tbsp coconut oil
zest of 3 lemons
300ml almond milk
200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
160g coconut butter
1 tsp vanilla powder
260g honey
coconut flakes, lightly toasted, and rose petals, for topping
salt
Soak the cashew nuts in enough water to cover for 4 hours, then drain and set aside.
In a blender, blend the dates, almonds and desiccated coconut with 1 tablespoon coconut oil, a pinch of salt and the zest of 2 lemons. Keep blending until everything is mixed together. Flatten the base into a 25cm cake tin with a removable bottom.
Put the soaked cashew nuts, the almond milk, the lemon juice, the zest of 1 lemon, the coconut butter, a pinch of salt, the vanilla powder, the honey and 1 tablespoon coconut oil into the food processor and whizz until smooth. Pour the mixture on top of the base and put it in the freezer for at least 2 hours, then transfer to the fridge.
Serve with lightly toasted coconut flakes and rose petals.
Note:
All raw desserts in this section will keep for 1–2 weeks in the fridge. All cooked cakes will keep for 2–3 days in the fridge
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sticky toffee pudding with vanilla custard
It’s the staple pudding of many a pub or restaurant. But how to make it healthy? This was a challenge I was extremely keen to take on. The result is pure decadence, with dairy-free custard, gooey dates and soft sponge. I think you’re going to enjoy making this.
serves 4–6
100ml just-boiled water
250g dates, stoned
3 eggs
100g coconut oil or butter, plus extra for greasing
275g ground almonds (or other gluten-free flour)
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp pecan nuts, crushed
cinnamon, for dusting
vanilla custard
500ml almond, rice or coconut milk
2 tbsp honey or coconut sugar
3 tsp vanilla bean paste
6 egg yolks
Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.
Put the just-boiled water and dates in a saucepan over a medium heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Whizz the dates and liquid in the food processor for 2 minutes, then add the eggs and coconut oil or butter and blitz again. Gently fold in the ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices until fully combined.