Clare Crouch

Slow roasted tomatoes

18 September 2020 by Clare Crouch Leave a Comment

Roasting the tomatoes dehydrates them so not only do they reduce in size but they intensify in flavour. A win-win combination.

It’s also a super simple solution when you’ve got a tomato glut and you don’t know what to do with them. Although the roasting time is admittedly quite long, there’s minimal preparation time.

What do I need?

Tomatoes, lots of them or just a few – basically whatever you can get your hands on

Dried mixed herbs

Olive oil

Glass jar(s) with screw top lid(s)

How do I do it?

Simply slice the tomatoes in half and arrange on baking trays cut side facing upwards, sprinkle with mixed dried herbs and place into the oven. You shouldn’t even need to use any oil.

Roast your tomatoes at 120 degrees for around one and a half to two hours, it may take a little longer, or a little less, depending on how juicy they were to start off with and how you’d like the roasted to tomatoes to end up.

I usually set a timer for 75 minutes then have a little check to see how they’re doing.

Jar of slow raosted tomatoes — Jar of slow roasted tomatoes

Then I check them again at 15 minute intervals after that until my tomatoes are just how I want them.

Once you’re happy with them allow them to cool and then transfer into clean glass jars and gently firm down so that you can get as many as possible into the jar(s).

Pour in good quality, extra virgin olive oil, just enough to cover the tomatoes.

You can store your tomatoes for a few days quite happily if you don’t need to use them immediately. Just seal up the jar and pop them in the fridge. You’ve then got them on hand whenever you need them.

What can I do with my roasted tomatoes?

Add your herby, roasted tomatoes to salads, soups, stews or blend into a delicious dip.

They’re amazing stirred though courgetti too, for a really quick supper.

Any residual extra virgin olive oil left in the jar makes a flavourful addition to salad dressings when the tomatoes are all used up.

Those are just a few ideas but I’m sure you’ll have fun experimenting

What are your favourite ways to use your home-grown tomatoes?

Why not leave a comment so we can all share the tomato love?

Tomato and roasted garlic soup

17 September 2020 by Clare Crouch Leave a Comment

Oh, so simple, oh so tasty. This soup is a great way to use up a glut of tomatoes.

Tomatoes are absolutely packed with nutrients and can be a wonderful sources of beneficial phytonutrient compounds called carotenoids.

The garlic can be roasted in advance so if you’re using the oven during the day or two before you plan to make this soup pop the garlic in to roast and you’ll be ahead when it comes to soup night.

In fact, I’ve been known to roast a dozen bulbs of garlic all at once and then keep them in the freezer so they’re always handy just when I need them.

Ingredients

500g tomatoes – roughly chopped

1 small red onion – roughly chopped

1 bulb garlic

1/4 teaspoon coconut oil

Pinch cayenne pepper

A good twist of freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of salt

Garnish

Sprig of basil

Method

This soup couldn’t be easier to make and it is easily scalable so you can make just enough for dinner or multiply up the quantity then freeze portions for speedy afterwork suppers.

Slice the pointy top off the garlic bulb and rub ta little coconut oil on the cut surface then place on a baking tray or in an oven proof dish.

Roast the garlic at 180 degrees for around 50 – 60 minutes or until the top of the garlic is golden brown and looks sticky.

Allow to cool slightly then squeeze the sticky, gooey garlic from the skin

Blitz the tomatoes, onion and roasted garlic in a blender or food processor until smooth. Do this in batches if necessary.

Transfer to a saucepan over a medium heat, add the cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt and bring up to a simmer.

Simmer for 25 – 30 minutes and it’s ready to eat.

Tomatoes contain a lot of water so you shouldn’t need any extra liquid but if it looks a little on the thick side, simply add some water during the last 5 minutes until you’re happy with the consistency.

Pour into bowls add a sprig of basil (optional) and enjoy!

Got leftovers?

If you have leftovers but not enough for a second meal, try using any leftover soup as the base for a hearty vegetable stew or chilli just by adding in the extra ingredients needed.

Or you could even simmer it down to thicken into a rich garlicky, tomato sauce. This is amazing used to make a healthy version of dirty fries!

What does a nutrition coach do?

4 September 2020 by Clare Crouch Leave a Comment

I often get asked what does a nutrition coach actually do?

The really short, and not very helpful, answer is ‘it depends’. This is true, but it doesn’t tell you anything does it? Let me explain…

My approach is very much focused on you and the unique individual that you are. This means I’ll never give you a predefined program and expect you to conform.

The way we work together will be different to the way I work with any of my other clients because they are not you. Sure, there will be some elements that overlap but your sessions will be shaped to fit YOU.

So, if I don’t set out a program for you to follow, what do I do?

Here are a few of the things you can expect me to do:

support you as I help you to understand what’s going on in your body
guide you as you discover how to transform your health by making a series of small changes that add up to huge lifelong benefits
encourage you to try new things and be proud of you when you do
be your cheerleader and remind you how far you’ve come and how well you’re doing
be friendly, non-judgemental and kind
listen to you, understand what you want to achieve and help you to make sense of how to achieve it in a world where you’re constantly bombarded with contradictory health information and mis-information

I will expect a few things from you in return too. You’ll need to:

be open minded and ready to learn a new way to think about food and eating
want to feel empowered to take control of your own health and wellbeing
feel ready to start making healthier choices and try new things
be willing to embrace positive lifestyle changes
commit to regular coaching calls over at least 4 months to maximise the results you create

Where does food come into it?

The focus of our calls will mainly be on helping you to understand the interaction between the food you eat and the body you create.

Together, we’ll explore how nourishing and nurturing your body and mind with the best foods for you can be life changing.

We’ll chat about food facts, recipe ideas, where to shop to find health boosting ingredients.

We’ll talk about what you like to eat, and what you don’t, and how you can adapt recipes to include more of the foods you love.

And sometimes, maybe I’ll give you a gentle nudge in the right direction if you feel like you’ve lost your way

I promise I won’t boss you around.

The idea of working with a nutrition coach might seem scary but I promise you it isn’t.

It’s not like a kind of nutrition bootcamp.

When you work with me it’s more like having a new, food and nutrition obsessed, best friend who knows just what you need to help you to feel Vibrantly Healthy.

If you’re ready to get your health back on track, drop me an email at clare@vibrantlyhealthy.co.uk to book a discovery call so we can have a chat about how we can work together.

BBQ Sauce

1 September 2020 by Clare Crouch Leave a Comment

As well as being an amazing dip or sauce to accompany your barbeque this sauce is fabulous stirred through pulled king oyster mushrooms to make a kind of plant-based BBQ pulled pork style dish.

With the addition of some chopped fresh pineapple and a little extra vinegar it can be transformed into a sweet and sour sauce.

Have fun getting creative!

Ingredients

1 small onion

1 or 2 fat cloves of garlic

150g cherry tomatoes

25g dates

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon tamari *

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of 5 spice powder

Pinch chilli powder (optional)

75mls water

Method

Chop up the dates into small pieces and put into a small bowl with 50mls of the water. Set aside whilst preparing the other ingredients.

Chop the onion into small dice and ‘fry’ in 1 tablespoon of water over a low to medium heat until softened and slightly sticky. Ideally if you have time cook the onions slowly and allow them to caramelise slightly. This will help to create a lovely dark, rich colour in your finished sauce. If you don’t have time to do this add a little extra water and turn up the heat slightly.

Chop the garlic into small pieces, slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add both of these to the pan with the onion.

Now add the dates and the soaking water to the pan.

Bring everything to a simmer, the juice from the tomatoes should be enough liquid at the stage.

When the tomatoes have broken down and everything is cooked and starting to meld together remove from the heat.

Add the apple cider vinegar, tamari, five spice powder, black pepper and the remaining water.

Using a stick or bullet blender blend into a smooth sauce. If it’s a little on the thick side add a tablespoon or two of water until it blends well.

Return to the heat, add chilli powder if using, and bring back to a simmer.

Your sauce is ready to enjoy!

*Tamari is a type of soy sauce which is gluten free. This can be substituted with regular soy sauce if you’re not following a gluten free diet.

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Life without nightshades doesn’t have to be all green

28 August 2020 by Clare Crouch Leave a Comment

I was chatting with a group of ladies at a networking event a while ago and a question came up that I thought might be useful to share as I’m sure there are loads of people with the same dilemma.

The question went something like this…

How do I add colour to a salad if someone in my family can’t eat nightshades? It always just looks very green and boring.

What’s the problem with nightshades?

Nightshades are from the Solanaceae family of plants and whilst some amazingly nutritious foods come from this this group of plants they are not suitable for everyone to eat. People who live with auto-immune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease may experience a worsening of their symptoms.

However, it’s not a given that if you live with one or more of these conditions that you’ll experience issues. Every body’s body is unique and their reactions to the foods they eat are unique too. But if you do think they may be affecting you it’s worth cutting them out for a few weeks to see if you feel any different.

So what do you need to avoid?

Potatoes

Tomatoes and tomatillos

Aubergines

Peppers

Chillis, chilli powder, paprika

As you can see some of the foods that are often used to add colour to your salad bowl like tomatoes and peppers are off limits, hence the reason for the original question

What’s the answer? Actually, it’s good news!

The number of foods that can be used to add colour to your salad is much bigger than those that need to be avoided so it’s really easy to create a beautiful colourful salad bowl without nightshades.

Starting with the obvious choices here are a few vegetables to think about:

Roasted butternut squash

Roasted or raw beetroot, for something a little extra special Chioggia beetroot have red and white stripes and look pretty cool

Red cabbage

Red onions

Corn on the cob or baby corn – look for organic and non-GMO

Grated carrots – you could even try yellow or purple carrots

Radish – red, white or purple

Yellow courgettes

Get fruity

Fruit can be added to salads too and can add a lovely freshness and a bit of zing. Here are a few you might like to try:

Orange segments

Mango

Strawberries

Watermelon

Pomegranate seeds

What about edible flowers?

Chive flowers

Calendula

Nasturtium

Violas/pansies

So as you can see there are a whole host of options to choose from. Salads don’t have to be a big bowl of green even if you can’t eat tomatoes. Have fun experimenting

If you need help figuring out what the heck to eat, and think nutrition coaching might be the answer, why not get in touch to find out how I can help?

Drop me an email at clare@vibrantlyhealthy.co.uk so we can book a discovery call.

10 Great Ways To Use Leftover Lemon Peels

27 August 2020 by Clare Crouch Leave a Comment

Everyone knows that lemons are packed full of vitamin C and if you saw my recent post about lemon water you’ll already know that sipping a mug of warm lemon water every morning will do more than stop you catch a cold. If you missed it you can read all about it by clicking here.

The problem is, though, once you’ve got lemon water into your routine, you soon realise you’re piling up a stack of juiced peels every week and, like me, you may feel a bit guilty about just throwing them in the bin.

Do you ever wonder if your left over lemon peel can be used for anything else?

The answer of course is a resounding YES. Here are ten great uses for those lemon peels.

Lemon ice cubes

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the vibrant yellow zest and pop these shavings into ice cube trays. Fill with water and freeze. You have pretty little lemon ice cubes that will add a hint of lemon flavour to your drinks as they thaw.

Fragrant Drawer Sachets

Dry your lemon peels, mix them with other spices of your choice such as cinnamon, cloves or cardamom, and then tie the mixture up in little fabric pockets. They’ll bring a freshness to your clothes that will make you smile every day.

Fridge Refresher

Lemon peel placed inside your fridge has a wonderful habit of soaking up unpleasant odours. And when it stops working, just replace it with another one. So simple yet effective.

All Purpose Cleaner

Lemon peels placed in a jar and covered with white vinegar produce an amazing cleaner after just two weeks. If you strain the solution and then mix it 50/50 with water, you’ll have a fabulous grease-cutting disinfectant for everyday use.

Ant Deterrent

Small slices of peel left at strategic places like windowsills, door entrances and ventilation bricks work to deter ants from tramping into your house. Try it!

Bin Deodoriser

None of us like emptying the kitchen bin, and the unpleasant smells that emanate sometimes make a horrid job even worse. Help yourself by dropping a couple of used peels at the bottom every day. They absorb those unpleasant aromas and keep it smelling fresh.

Air Freshener

Sometimes when you just need to freshen up your house, try this: Get some water simmering on the stove. Add lemon peels, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Not only will you freshen the house, but you’ll add a bit of humidity too.

Teapot Stain Remover

Rub the inside of a squeezed lemon over the inner surface of your teapot, leave it a few minutes, and then give it a good rinse. You’ll be astonished at how stain free the result is.

To Clean Your Chopping Board

The antibacterial property of lemons lends itself to being a really quick and easy solution to keeping your chopping board hygienic and fresh. Just rub the surface after you’ve wiped the board over, leave it for a few minutes, and then wash the board properly.

Firelighters

Apparently, and I confess I haven’t tested this myself, if you bake your lemon peels until they darken, they create a natural but fragrant firelighter. Great for barbies. Fab for winter!

If you’re into your lemon water and have discovered some other fabulous uses for those leftover lemon peels, why not share your ideas in the comments below.

I’d love to hear from you.

When Life Gives You Lemons…

23 August 2020 by Clare Crouch Leave a Comment

…make lemon water

Lemon water is often among the first recommendations I’ll make when working with a new client. It is such a simple element to incorporate into your morning routine but it really can have a HUGE impact on your health and wellbeing.

Here are just a few of the many reasons to start drinking lemon water today:

It’s hydrating

Drinking warm water is super hydrating so warm lemon water has that HUGE benefit before we even get into the benefits of the lemon juice.

It’s alkalising

Lemon is an acid fruit so it might surprise you to hear that when we metabolise it, it becomes alkalising. This is incredibly beneficial for helping balance our body’s pH and maintaining homeostasis.

It helps you look younger

Vitamin C and antioxidants found in lemon juice help to reduce free-radicals and, as a result, reduce the signs of aging in the body keeping us looking younger for longer. In addition, vitamin C is also needed for collagen production so there is a double benefit here.

It’s good for your liver

Lemon juice helps improve liver function by stimulating enzyme production, which means we are better able to filter out and eliminate unwanted toxins.

It improves digestion

Citric acid found in lemon juice enhances production of digestive juices improving digestion. Lemon water can also help relive heartburn, bloating and general digestive discomfort.

It boosts the immune system

Vitamin C is crucial for the immune system so drinking lemon water can help to reduce the length and severity of colds and infections.

Are you asking yourself ‘how do I get the benefits of lemon water’?

It is so quick and easy, all you need to do is squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a mug of hot water and it’s ready to go.

A final tip

Oh, and if you keep your lemon out of the fridge overnight and give it a firm but gentle roll on the kitchen worktop before cutting into it, you’ll find you can get a bit more juice out of it.

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Zingy Lemon, Garlic & Herb Dressing

20 August 2020 by Clare Crouch Leave a Comment

This zingy herby, dressing will perk up any salad.

But it doesn’t have to be confined to salads!

It can also be drizzled over BBQ vegetable skewers, served with falafal, used as a dipping sauce for vegetable crudites…

In all honesty, this is more of a guide, or jumping in point, than a recipe. Use what you have available and experiment with different ingredients depending on what you’re serving it with.

Maybe you don’t want garlic some days, just leave it out and add more herbs.

Serving with home made baked onion bhajis? Coriander would be a great herb choice.

Drizzling over vegetable skewers? Basil would be brilliant!

The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients guide

Juice from one or more lemons*

Apple cider vinegar*

Flax seed oil*

Avocado oil*

1 (or more) clove garlic

Herbs of your choice**

A twist of black pepper

Quantity notes

* no quantities have been given for the liquids. You’ll need equal quantities of each so start with the lemon juice and then when you know how much lemon juice you have use the same amount of the other liquids.

** parsley and/or coriander work really well but you can use any herbs, the quantity is not fixed, use whatever you have to hand.

Method

Squeeze the juice from the lemon(s) into a small measuring jug

Add apple cider vinegar, flaxseed oil and avocado oil to the lemon juice

Mince or finely chop the garlic

Finely chop the herbs

Mix everything together and it really is as simple as that!

Storage

A small glass jar with a screw top lid is ideal.

The dressing will tend to separate so if the lid is screwed tight you can safely give it a good shake to mix everything back together before you use your dressing.

Store any leftover dressing for up to 48 hours in the fridge.

Enjoy!