Before I started working at Whole Foods Market I had no idea how many different types of squashes there are. Most of us know the classic orange pumpkin, and if you live in the UK, Ireland or US there is often Butternut squash available in most supermarkets. Last weekend I went to the Temple Bar farmers' market and found this beautiful pale green little pumpkin squash. 

Comparing with the picture below, it's clearly a Blue Hubbard Squash (no 8). I love the color of the skin and on the inside there is a sweet-tasting orange flesh.

First I had the idea of roasting the squash in coconut oil and toss it with some rocket salad, walnuts and a citrusy dressing. The stormy Dublin weather made me change my mind and the squash instead turned into the most warming soup, I call it "Sunshine soup", and it's so simple to make.

I simply roasted the squash in two halves in the oven, and then mixed the soup creamy in my blender. Served with smashed avocado on sourdough bread, this really is a super filling lunch or dinner. It's also completely vegan and so nutritious! 

You get your healthy fats from:
Coconut milk
Sesame Seeds
Avocado

For some added protein:
Red lentils

While using deliciously nutritious spices such as:
Nutmeg
Ginger
Chilli

Sunshine soup with toasted sesame and avocado sandwiches
For a soup serving 4 people (large servings) you will need:

1 squash
1/2 cup (120 g) red split lentils
1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 knob fresh ginger
1 tsp chilli
freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 black pepper
1 half juiced lemon

Preheat your oven to 180°C/360°F. Cut the squash in two halves and remove the seeds. Pour some oil over the two halves and rub the oil into the pumpkin flesh with your hand. 

Place the two halves on a tray with baking paper, cut sides facing down. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until soft (might vary depending on the size of your squash). 

In the meantime, rinse the red lentils and bring water to boil in a pan. Add lentils and let simmer for 6-7 minutes. Drain the lentils off water, cover with the lid and leave off to the side.

Take the squash out of the oven, pierce it with a fork to make sure it's softened. Let it cool. Open a can of coconut milk, grate the ginger and nutmeg and juice the lemon. 

Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the pumpkin and place it in a blender. Add the lentils, coconut milk, ginger, nutmeg, chili, salt, pepper and lemon. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes. 

* Toasting sesame seeds
Add a dry pan over high heat and add the sesame seeds. Toast for about 2 minutes until fragrant and the oil is released from the seeds. Shake the seeds in the pan once in a while so that they don't burn. 

** Preparing avocado sandwiches
Slice thick slices of a good bread such as sourdough. Cut open a ripe avocado and use a knife to cut out squares in both halves. For example, slice from top to bottom and then make squares by cutting from side to side. Then take a fork and smash the avocado flesh before spreading onto the bread. Slice up a tomato, discarding the seeds. Use chilli, salt, pepper and olive oil for seasoning.  

Preparing for baking!

Bon Appétit! 

What once used to be a relatively unknown little seed, causing my already quite health trend savvy customers at Whole Foods Market to go, Chia - what?... has today become so popular it's even carried by big supermarkets such as Tesco.

I first learnt about chia when reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. In his book, he tells the story of the Tarahumara Indians who he companions in the depth of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyon valley in order to learn the secrets of the world's best distance runners. He finds out that the Chia seed is one of the staple foods in the diet of these incredible endurant runners, who also live with an uncanny health and serenity.

So what's so special about these little seeds? Well, they have an impressive nutritional proflle. They are high in essential fatty acids, are loaded with antioxidants (more than blueberries), they contain many vitamins and minerals (including more calcium than milk), and they also have lots of fibre and protein. And according to this Huffington post article, chia seeds have the perfect balance of fatty acids, with 30% of their fat coming from omega-3 and 10% from omega-6. Bam!

And what do I do with them? 
I like to sprinkle them on salads or smoothies, but whenever I can - I try to soak them. This makes them even more filling and it helps your body to benefit from this powerhouse of a seed. 

You've got two options here, you can either soak them in water making a drink known as "Chia Fresca", or you can make the renown "Chia Pudding".

Chia Fresca
For one person

1 big glass of cold water, still or sparkling
1 large lemon or lime, sliced
1 teaspoon chia seeds

To taste, a natural sweetener of choice - stevia, honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar + refreshing herbs like mint or basil.

Stir together all the ingredients. Leave in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to allow the chia seeds to soak up water. Stir occasionally so the seeds don't settle. Enjoy!

Chia Pudding
Serves one person

2 tbsp chia seed
1/2 cup (120 ml) plant milk (I often use almond, hazelnut or coconut milk)
a pinch of vanilla powder
a few fresh berries
1/2 tsp cinnamon

I usually prepare my chia pudding the night before I want to eat it, or in the morning before leaving for work. That way, it has time to soak well in the fridge. If you prepare it first thing in the morning, place it in the fridge while you get ready for work or school, and then pop it in your bag. 

To make the pudding, place two tablespoons of chia seeds in a bowl or container. Pour half a cup of the milk on top, and add vanilla. Use a chopstick or fork to stir the chia so that it dissolves evenly in the milk. If you use a container, you can also place a lid on top and shake it. 

Let set in the fridge for 20 minutes and leave up to 48 hours. Add berries and sprinkle wth cinnamon before serving. Enjoy!

Yesterday we decided to discover some new parts of Dublin. We ended up in Ranelagh, a cute neighbourhood on the other side of the canal, where we found some nice health food stores and book shops. I was really impressed by Urban Health, a newly opened store with all the essential superfoods. Must come back to try out their menu, the juices looked really fresh. We also found a really cool bookshop with so many must-buy books. I got the book from Ireland's healthy eating revolutionaries at the Happy Pear. Back home, I went through the whole book which now has so many post-its in it, that I think I have enough new recipes for another month, at least.

After reading over a hundred recipes, I was definitely in the mood for some baking and decided to make a batch of granola for the week. I went for a recipe that I have experimented with for a while now and once I took the granola out of the oven, I knew it. This is it. The ULTIMATE CHEWY GRANOLA RECIPE.

I've never managed to make the granola chewy enough with oil. Sunflower or coconut oil never do the trick for me. The oil makes it nice and crunchy but I prefer it chewy too, almost like pieces of crumbled cookie. One day when I was making my granola my eyes caught sight of a few ripe avocados and bananas in my kitchen. And that was it, my oil-free avocado granola was born. Here's the recipe:

Chewy avocado granola (oil-free)

1/2 avocado
1 ripe banana
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
2 cups (200 g) organic oats
1/2 cup (60 g) desiccated coconut
1/2 cup (100 g sunflower) and/or pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup (45 g) sesame seeds
1 tbsp raspberry jam (I use St Dalfour) 
 
Preheat the oven to 180 C degrees and line a tray with a baking sheet.

Mash the banana and avocado in a bowl until completely smooth. Add cinnamon and maple syrup and stir everything together. Mix oats, coconut, sunflower and your choice of seeds in another bowl. Then add the oat and seed mixture to the wet ingredients and mix everything well together. Finally add a tablespoon of raspberry jam and make sure it mixes well with the other ingredients. 

Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread out evenly until it covers the whole sheet. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove it from the oven, crack it a little with a wooden spoon and put any dark golden pieces from the edge into the middle of the tray so that they don't burn. 

After another five minutes, remove from the oven and let stand to cool. You might need to break down the granola into smaller pieces with the spoon.

Once cooled, pop the granola into a mason jar and enjoy for a week or so.