Arugula Red Cabbage Salad

Serves two 

Ingredients: 

80g (about 4 cups) arugula 

40g (about 2 cups) shredded red cabbage; avoiding the white core, and long strips cut shorter

1 ripe but firm avocado; seeded and chopped 

4 prunes; seeded and chopped 

Juice of half a ripe orange 

Juice of half a lemon 

1 drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil 

1 pinch of sea salt 

3 green grapes to garnish 

Preparation: 

Excluding the grapes, put all ingredients in a large bowl, adding the pinch of salt and olive oil targeting the avocado. Toss together, garnish with the grapes, and enjoy! 

Pesto Penne with Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes

Serves two 

Ingredients: 
250g penne pasta; cooked al dente in salty water
1 handful fresh basil leaves; finely chopped
5 garlic cloves; minced
80g arugula
200g (about 12) cherry tomatoes; halved
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation: 

In a pan over medium heat, fry garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil for not more than 2 minutes (be careful not to burn the garlic; it should only be softly cooked). Turn heat off and then add pasta, cheese and black pepper. Mix together whilst still in pan and then transfer to a large bowl. First mix in basil, cherry tomatoes and salt, making sure the pasta is well-coated. Then add arugula on top and before mixing it in, squeeze in lemon juice and add the remaining olive oil. Finally, mix everything together. Enjoy! 

Bok Choy Mushroom Soba Noodles

Serves two 

Ingredients: 

150g soba noodles

3 heads of bok choy; washed and roughly torn by hand 

6 medium-sized Champignon mushrooms; sliced 

1 tomato; chopped 

1 tablespoon of minced ginger 

4 spring onions; green parts included and cut vertically into circles 

¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper 

½ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper 

2 tablespoons of organic soy sauce 

1 tablespoon of coconut oil 

1 tablespoon of sesame oil 

Sea salt to taste 

Preparation: 

In a pan over medium heat, fry spring onions in coconut oil for about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, ginger, black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt, and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms become browned and soft. Add tomato and soy sauce, and cook with pot covered for another 5 minutes, or until the tomato completely dissolves. Reduce heat to a minimum, mix in bok choy, and cook with pot covered for 3 to 5 minutes. Attend to the sauce at this stage to prevent complete wilting of the bok choy; it should be just slightly soft. Whilst the sauce is cooking, make the soba noodles. Add soba noodles to boiling water and let it cook for 4 minutes, or until it becomes al dente. Drain the water through a colander, rinse the noodles with cold water to remove white scum, and coat with sesame oil thoroughly. Pour sauce over noodles and enjoy! 

Sushi-inspired Part III (slight modifications to Part II)

Serves two 

Ingredients: 

1 cup white Valencian rice (or any rice equivalent to Japanese rice)

100g smoked salmon; cut into small rectangulars 

¾ cup dried Wakame seaweed
1 big-sized ripe but firm avocado; seeded and cut into cubes

1 tablespoon of lightly toasted white and black sesame seeds 

1 tablespoon of sesame oil 

Organic soy sauce to taste (to serve) 

Preparation: 

In a pot over high heat, add the rice and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot with a kitchen cloth, and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes or until all the water is completely gone. The rice should have a soft and sticky texture. Whilst the rice is cooking, prepare the seaweed. Boil about 5 cups of water in a boiler or a pot. If using pot, remove from stove, add seaweed to the hot water and let it sit for 5 minutes covered with a lid. Let both the cooked rice and seaweed cool down and then transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix together. Enjoy with soy sauce to your taste! 

Spicy Thai Eggplant

Serves two 

Ingredients: 

3 Thai eggplants (the elongated dark purple variety); chopped crosswise into circles  

4 spring onions; green parts included and chopped vertically into circles 

4 garlic cloves; minced

3 Thai dried chili pepper; finely chopped

3 tomatoes; chopped  

2 tablespoons of coconut oil 

6-8 coriander seeds; crushed 

½ cup chopped cilantro 

1 cup Basmati rice 

1 bay leaf 

Sea salt to taste 

Preparation: 

Put rice in a pot, add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a minimum, add bay leaf, and then cover the pot, first with a kitchen cloth and then a lid. Cook until the water is completely absorbed and the texture of the rice becomes fluffy. Whilst the rice is cooking, make the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add eggplants and fry for 7 to 10 minutes, or until they are browned and become slightly mushy. Add spring onions, garlic, dried chili pepper and the remaining coconut oil, and cook stirring regularly for up to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, coriander seeds and salt; increase heat to maximum; and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes completely dissolve. Turn heat off and mix in cilantro. Pour the sauce on the fluffy rice and enjoy!