Simple recipes for good gut health

Spinach and Potato Cakes Dr Joan Ransley said: "Potato cakes topped with a runny poached egg make a delicious, substantial breakfast. You can add as many ‘trimmings’ as you like – tomatoes, mushrooms, or even some smoked salmon. "There are lots of gut friendly, nutritious ingredients in this meal. Leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, are excellent sources of dietary fibre, as well as polyphenols. "Polyphenols and fibre are known to increase the diversity of the gut microbiota which in turn stimulates the production of different bacterial metabolites. These metabolites include short chain fatty acids such as butyrate that help to protect the intestinal wall." Preparation - 10 min Cooking time – 20 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients For the spinach and potato cakes 600g potatoes, e.g. Maris Piper or King Edwards peeled, chopped into small chunks about 2cm square 3 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 200g spinach ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated ground black pepper To serve 12 (100g) cherry tomatoes 8 (100g) small mushrooms, sliced 100g kale, ready prepared 4 large free-range eggs 1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped Method Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with boiling water from a kettle, then simmer for 10 minutes until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a medium frying pan and sauté the onion until soft and translucent. When the potatoes are cooked, drain well and reserve a little of the cooking water. Leave to cool slightly and then return the potatoes to the pan. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add a little of the reserved cooking water to the mash if you need to loosen it a bit. Put the spinach in a large colander, resting over a bowl. Pour over boiling water from a kettle to wilt it. Press the spinach into the colander with the back of a spoon, squeezing out as much water as possible. In a large mixing bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, onion and spinach with the ground nutmeg and a generous pinch of pepper. Form the mixture into 8 even sized cakes approximately 8cm across. Use a pastry cutter to help shape the potato cakes if you have one to hand. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the cakes, 4 at a time, for 3-4 minutes on each side until they have a bit of a crust, then carefully lift onto a baking tray in a single layer. You may need to add more oil to the pan. When all are fried, place the potato cakes in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile cook the kale by plunging into boiling water for between 5-7 minutes, until tender to the bite. Place the mushrooms and tomatoes in a non-stick pan and drizzle with olive oil. Cook gently for about 5 minutes. For the poached eggs, fill a large saucepan or large deep frying pan with water and bring it to a very gentle simmer – the water should barely be moving. Crack the eggs into the water and poach without touching for 3-4 minutes. Cook the eggs two at a time. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper. Serve 2 potato cakes per person topped with an egg, tomatoes, mushrooms and kale alongside. Sprinkle with a little parsley to serve. Cod and Mediterranean Vegetable Tray Bake Dr Joan Ransley said: "This colourful dish epitomises all that is healthy about the Mediterranean diet. Colourful vegetables, fish, olive oil and pulses. "It is important to include a diverse range of colourful vegetables in the diet not only because they contain vitamins and minerals but also phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are compounds that give plants their rich colours as well as their distinctive tastes and aromas and many of them can increase the diversity of the microbes in our gut and benefit many aspects of our health. "Chickpeas are a type of pulse and an important source of fibre and a group of carbohydrates called galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). These carbohydrates promote the growth of a range of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract[8]. A healthy population of gut bacteria helps to reduce the risk of colorectal disease." Preparation - 15 min Cooking time – 30 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 2 red onions, peeled 800g mixed peppers (yellow, red, orange), cut in half and deseeded 16 (200g) cherry tomatoes 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 400g tinned chickpeas 4 cod fillets, skinless, around 125g each For the basil oil 1 25g pack of fresh basil (25g) 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp pine nuts (25g) 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 3 tbsp olive oil Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7 Method Cut each red onion into 8 wedges. Slice the peppers into 10cm strips approximately 1cm wide and place in a roasting tray. Add the cherry tomatoes and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and with your hands mix together so the vegetables are coated with a thin film of oil. Place the vegetables in the oven to roast for 20 minutes. They should be soft and just beginning to caramelise. Remove from the oven and stir through the chickpeas. Place the four pieces of cod onto of the vegetables and return to the oven. Cook for a further 10–15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the basil oil. Place all the ingredients for the basil oil in a food processor and process for approx. 20 seconds, until smooth. Season to taste. Remove the baking tray from the oven and drizzle with the basil oil before serving. Serve with chunks of crusty bread. Simple Red Lentil Dal Dr Joan Ransley said: "Dal is a staple food of the Indian sub-continent. It is made from lentils that do not need pre-soaking. It is one of the fastest, most delicious and economic meals you can prepare. The beauty of this dish is it can be eaten simply or dressed up with a variety of accompaniments, for a special occasion. "Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is widely used as a spice and an ingredient in traditional herbal medicine. The rhizome of ginger has been shown in clinical studies to help relieve gastrointestinal discomforts, nausea and vomiting. "Turmeric contains curcumin which has been shown to change the balance in favours the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut over that of pathogenic bacteria." Preparation - 15 min Cooking time – 30 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 1 large onion, finely chopped 500g peeled and de-seeded butternut squash (approximately half), cut into 2cm cubes 2 tbsp sunflower oil 5 regular tomatoes (150g) fresh tomatoes, chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 30g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated 2 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground turmeric 1 fresh, long, mild red chilli, deseeded 225g dried red lentils 100g baby spinach leaves 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves to serve Method Sweat the onion and butternut squash with a little oil for 10 minutes in a covered saucepan or large lidded frying pan. They should begin to caramelise. Add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, cumin and turmeric. Cut the chilli in half lengthways and finely chop half. Add this to the saucepan. Cut the other half of the chilli into thin strips and reserve to finish the dish. Add the red lentils and 1 litre of water to the saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for 20 minutes. Add the spinach, which just needs to wilt for 2 minutes. The dal should be thick and the butternut squash tender. Add a little oil to a frying pan and quickly sauté the strips of chilli. Serve the dal in bowls scattered with coriander and strips of chilli. Serve with brown rice or flatbread and chutney on the side. Chocolate Mousse Dr Joan Ransley said: "This recipe combines just four key ingredients – ripe bananas, avocados, almond butter and cocoa powder. When these ingredients are whisked together their natural textures and flavours form a delicious light and velvety chocolate mousse. "Bananas contain dietary fibre that helps nutrients move through the gut. They also contain complex carbohydrates known as fructo-oligosaccharides, that help healthy gut bacteria to thrive. Almonds are rich in prebiotics including dietary fibre which is metabolised by bacteria in the gut and play an important part in keeping us healthy. Cocoa powder is rich in polyphenols, which the gut bacteria can metabolise into bioactive compounds which have a number of positive effects in the body including helping the immune system function well." Preparation - 15 min Cooking time – none Serves 4 Ingredients 3 medium ripe bananas 2 small ripe avocados 80g almond butter (rough or smooth) 30g cocoa powder 1 tsp vanilla essence 100g of fresh berries i.e. raspberries, blueberries, strawberries Method Peel and roughly chop the bananas. Cut the avocados in half, remove the stones and scrape the flesh from the skin. Place the bananas and avocado in the bowl of a food processor. Add the almond butter, cocoa powder and vanilla essence. Process these ingredients for 30 seconds or until you have a smooth puree. Divide the chocolate mousse into serving bowls or glasses and top with berries. Cook tips Good quality peanut butter can be used instead of almond butter Bananas and avocados need to be ripe to add natural sweetness and velvety smoothness to this dish To check an avocado is ripe peel back the small stem at the top of the avocado. If it comes away easily and it is green underneath the avocado is ripe and ready to eat. Recipes courtesy of Love Your Gut Week, www.loveyourgut.com