A few weeks ago I came home from catering for the Body Mind Life retreat with 4 bunches of silverbeet we didn’t use and all I craved to eat that week was with silverbeet so I was a very happy camper. I am sharing two of the recipes I made that week with you now.
Silverbeet is also known as chard and you can get Rainbow Chard too. As a child it was the only form of leafy greens that I ate as it was the only type that grew up in the Northern Territory. We called it spinach and thrived on it. It was a big treat when mum came home with a bunch of silverbeet. We ate the white stalks and all!
Silverbeet contains a rich source of magnesium, calcium, vitamin k, iron, potassium, vitamin A and folic acid, zinc, copper, vitamin E and C as well as dietary fibre. So it is an all round goodie to eat. No wonder my body craves it so often.
To take things further and look at a different perspective Anthony Williams who has written <em>Life Changing Foods</em> suggests cruciferous veggies like Silverbeet/ Swiss chard is great for when the mind feels confused. So I think I will eat it even more often knowing this.
Hope you enjoy these silverbeet recipes. If you are on a low fod map diet I have a variation for you at the end of each recipe.
Silverbeet and Tofu Paneer Curry (Palak Tofu)
Ingredients
2 bunches silverbeet roughly chopped (stalks removed)
1 onion chopped roughly
3 tomatoes roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped roughly
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
chilli if you like
2 tsp garam masala
salt
pepper
1 cup cashews or sunflower seeds (optional and soaked for 6 hours))
1 block of tofu cut into cubes
up to ½ cup nutritional yeast
salt
avocado oil or unrefined sunflower oil for frying
Method
Place the silverbeet, onions, tomatoes, garlic, turmeric, cumin, salt, chilli if using and coriander in a saucepan with 1 to 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer until everything is cooked through.
Use a hand held blender to blend everything until it is sort of smooth. You don’t need to have it completely smooth. Add the garam masala and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add more water and salt if you find it too thick.
If using the cashews or sunflower seeds place them in a blender with 1 cup of water and blitz until smooth. Add these to the pan with the silverbeet.
For the tofu paneer heat up a small amount of oil and fry the tofu until it browns. Then add the nutritional yeast to the pan and mix into the tofu and fry for a further few minutes.
Serve the palak (silverbeet curry) into bowl and add the tofu on top of each bowl.
* for a low FOD map version use garlic infused olive oil instead of garlic and the green parts of spring onions instead of the onion. You can omit the chilli if it aggravates you. Use the sunflower seeds and not the cashew.
Silverbeet with Tahini and Chickpeas
Ingredients
1 bunch silverbeet washed well and shredded finely – you can use the stalks too
200g cooked chickpeas
1 onion diced
splash of avocado oil
2 tbsp pine nuts
¼ cup tahini
¼ to ½ cup water
lemon to taste
salt to taste
Method
Make the tahini dressing by mixing the tahini, water, some salt and lemon juice to your required taste in a bowl. When it is well combined and resembles a dressing rather than a paste it is ready.
Place the pine nuts in a frying pan and brown. This will only take a couple of minutes. Shake them from time to time and don’t leave them as they tend to burn easily.
Heat up the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion until quite soft.
Add the silverbeet and cook until it is soft. Add the chickpeas to warm them up and mix through the tahini dressing.
Serve with the toasted pine nuts.
* For a low FOD map meal omit the onion (its lovely without) and you can add garlic infused oil if you wish. Omit the chickpeas and double up the pine nuts.
New Dates for the Vegan Foundation Course and Announcing All Dates For 2019
Yes life needs to be planned in advance. As the Vegan Chef and Lifestyle Training has now commenced I am getting enquiries for next year so all dates have been set in place for those that need to plan ahead. You too can plan ahead and come and join the fastest growing movement in the world of food and come and do your bit in helping save this wonderful planet of ours, care for the welfare of animals and look after your own and families health.
3 Day Vegan Foundation Cooking Courses 2018
9th to 11th August (4 places left)
4th to 6th October (6 places left)
8th to 10th November (6 places left)
29th November to 1st December (6 places left)
<a href="http://www.veets.com.au/file/904/download?token=Tq1KkwLX">APPLY NOW - DOWNLOAD FORM</a>
3 Day Vegan Foundation Cooking Courses 2019
17th to 19th January
7th to 0th February
21st to 23rd March
26th to 28th April
5th to 7th July
August 2nd to 4th
<a href="http://www.veets.com.au/file/904/download?token=Tq1KkwLX">APPLY NOW - DOWNLOAD FORM</a>
Full 32 Vegan Chef and lifestyle Training 2019
Module 2 Raw Cuisine 8th to 10th August
Module 3 Ayurveda 15th to 16th August
Module 4 Macrobiotics, Wholefoods and Italian Wholefoods 22nd to 24th August
Module 5 Fermentation 29th to 30th August
Module 6 Dietary requirements and Establishing Your Business Part One 2nd to 6th September
Module 7 Menu Planning and Establishing Your Business Part Two 9th to 13th September
Module 8 Advanced Skills and Establishing Your Business Part Three 16th to 20th September
Module 9 Work Experience and Graduation 24th to 29th September
<a href="http://www.veets.com.au/file/904/download?token=Tq1KkwLX">APPLY NOW - DOWNLOAD FORM</a>
Have a great week everyone and enjoy cooking in this lovely autumnal weather.
With Love
Veet