The Kitchen Guru

Let them Eat Healthy Cake, When I was a child I rarely ate cake as my family considered it too, however I remember that family gatherings were an excuse for the best baking to be on show. I have in my time had an off on relationship with baking. At one stage in my life I use to make cakes to sell, every Tuesday morning In Sutton Market, I would arrive on foot at 6.30 am  with two supermarket trolleys loaded with baked goods , and by 10.30 am I was always sold out. I mainly made Apple pies, Quiches, Barmbrack, Bake well tarts , Victoria sponges, scones and flapjacks.( UK NOT USA British Flapjacks photo above are an oat basted cookie opposed to a pancake.) I am more a cook than a baker, not being mathematical all the precise measurements needed for good baking skills   are not my forte, but recently I have converted some unhealthy   recipes into healthier gluten free or low gluten varieties invested in some silicone cake pans, and with my trusty measuring cup producing some deli

   Mulligatawny Soup 4 servings As a child growing up in the UK brown Windsor and Mulligatawny soup were very much part of my culinary experiences. This morning I woke up craving Mulligatawny soup . I am not sure why, as I haven’t had any for at least 25 years ! But this spice scented soup is simple to make and you adapt it to be vegetarian or vegan. I made mine with a chicken stock today because I had some in the freezer.  The smell when cooking gently wafted me back the earliest memories of my  culinary adventures  in my  childhood . You need. 1/2 table spoon coconut oil 2 onions finely chopped 3 cloves garlic finely chopped 1/2 inch ginger peeled and finely chopped 1 teaspoon each of Good quality dried  curry powder, cumin, and coriander 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and  fresh ground black pepper 2 potatoes peeled and chopped 1 sweet potato peeled and chopped 2 carrots peeled and chopped 1 zucchini peeled and chopped 1 lite

Cucumbers are quintessentially a summer food; When I think of cucumbers I am reminded of an era gone by, cricket teas with wafer thin cucumber sandwiches;   Ladies in pastel lace trimmed dresses sitting under artfully placed parasol sipping  i ced Pimms, to the sounds of howzat! Health & Beauty benefits of cucumbers. Cucumbers are really low in calories, only 15 per 100 grams, but they are high in potassium 100 g of cucumber provides 147 mg of potassium but only 2 mg of sodium. Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte helps bring a reduction in total blood pressure and heart rates by countering effects of sodium, they are also mildly diuretic. They also contain vitamin K which is attributed to fighting Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.Vitamin-K has been found to have a potential role in bone strength by promoting osteotrophic (bone mass building) activity. First Aid Give teething babies and toddlers a slice of cucumber to cool

Pesach comes once a year. I love Pesach food since  I took on an almost  Chabad Pesach (I use garlic , salt, pepper , seasonings  and tea !) minhag of a week of pure food. In the past this was possibly my most healthy week of the year, nowadays it suits my lifestyle  and regular food regime. Pesach is expensive  and for many people fattening ,therefore sticking to meat,  fish , eggs soups , vegetables, and fruit is easier. Everyone can manage a week without jams, preservatives, cakes and sweets. Children can have healthy snacks. Hints Remember  when shopping its only one week, Be realistic about how much food you need, Root vegetables last are filling  and are cheap so buy them in bulk. Think about how much time you want to spend in the kitchen and how much time and space you have to prepare in advance. Teenagers ( especially boys) get very hungry over Pesach, especially if there normal diet is bread based think of healthy alternatives to fill them up. A big pot of so

Having spent some time in hospital this week and being faced with the blah boring and certainly not nutritious hospital food, I came home  so over tired and my stomach  totally on empty. So please excuse me for getting on my soap box  BUT in a place that is meant to make  people well, are they full of germs and viruses, noisy to prevent sleep, and serve meals that are packed full of  carbohydrates , fats  and sugar.  Having explained that I do not eat dairy or gluten  and would like to avoid sugar  nightshades ,and fats the first morning the breakfast left for me consisted of  6 slices of white bread,  slices of hard cheese one pot of soft or cottage cheese, one yogurt, one chocolate desert, and a cup of milky cocoa.... seriously ?   Lunch got left on the side as the smell  bowl of the lukewarm MSG incrusted pretend soup was  enough to put me on a huger strike.  Dinner served at 6pm was more bread, a whole  tomato, cucumber and withered apple dumped on a plate, with a pot of stor

Red Cabbage I love red cabbage. It could be something to do with the rich purple colour. I think of it as a royal food as purple is historically the colour of royalty  It is versatile, you can use it in all the ways you use cabbage. Red cabbage is an all season food, warm and comforting in the winter as a side dish. Great as a salad, or use in Cole Slaw. You can steam or stir fry it or pickle red cabbage. This always reminds me of hazy British  summer days. Below are three red cabbage recipes. Nutritional Value  Red Cabbage is extremely low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Calcium, Iron and Magnesium, and an exceptionally good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese. However A large portion of the calories in this food come from  natural sugars. Red cabbage is high in fiber and can cause "wind" There are many ways to make red cabbage. As ordinary cabbage,