Food for thoughts #3

Spinach cakes

This is a super easy recipe for a quick lunch or even for breakfast. You must know how to make a good spinach omelette or frittata by now. This is a healthier version as we cooked them in the oven instead of frying them and we added a bit of salted ricotta for a richer taste. 

You will need a few cupcake tins to bake the small cakes . We used silicone baking cups cause it is the easiest solution to take the small cakes out once they are cooked. If you use some metal ones I advise you coat them with butter and dust the inside with flour to avoid them sticking to the surface. 

For the props styling I decided to play with lines and patterns. It reminded me of the intricacy of the human brain or how I like to imagine it, as a thick weave of connections.

After a short journey to my local props house, Backgrounds prop hire I found what I was looking for!

We all started this new series with the idea of creating some recipes to boost your mental health. If you have been following us you must know that my blog partner Giulia is an professional nutritionist and she will tell us a bit more about why we choose to cook this recipe. Check below:

“On our last post we talked about the important connection between gut health and mental health. The intestine and the brain communicate with impulses via nerves and chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) such as serotonin and GABA. This last neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid has the function to inhibit/block certain signals in our brain and reduce activity in our nervous system. Therefore, GABA and GABA deficiency are linked to symptoms like stress, anxiety, insomnia, ADHD… but also Parkinson’s disease and seizures.
There are not many foods that contain GABA —the only ones are fermented foods, in fact we added apple cider vinegar to our side salad— however, some vitamins such as vitamin B6 are required co-factors for GABA synthesis. Foods rich in B6 are first of all spinach (together with cabbage, broccoli, garlic, peppers, bananas…), so we decided to cook one of the most famous Italian recipes with spinach — frittata (di spinaci).
Spinach is also high in folate and mineral magnesium which both have been seen to be essential for optimal mental health. “

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Spinach cakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

4 medium eggs (about 60g each)

100g spinach

70g leeks

60g salted sheep's ricotta

5ml olive oil

black pepper

SALAD

5 radish

300g Mixed salad leaves

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

a pinch of salt

a twist of black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Preheat oven to 170 ºC

2 In a small bowl beat the eggs

3 Grate the ricotta into the egg mixture

4 Sauté the leeks and spinach in a small pan with olive oil until tender (2-3 min)

5 Pour the content into the cupcake tins

6 Cook in the oven for about 30 minutes

7 For the salad: wash the radish, discard the leaves and slice thinly.

8 Mix all the ingredients together into a salad bowl

9 Once the cakes are ready you can plate them with a bit of salad on the side.

Immune boosting

#3 Homemade oat & wheatgerm granola with goat’s yogurt and berries

The world is divided into two, between people that love breakfast and people that skip it all together. 

I get very grumpy if for some reason I can’t have breakfast, it is my favourite meal of the day! My breakfasts vary from unhealthy options such as buttery croissants and ultra sweet jams every now and then, to healthier ones to redeem myself from my gluttony sins. 

It is not until I arrived in London that I discovered granola, and I really liked it, although now you can find it anywhere in the world even in Italy. The problem with granola brands you find in supermarkets is that they often contain high amounts of refined sugars. That’s why me and Giulia decided to make our own recipe.

We put a spin to this recipe using rolled oats and wheatgerm.  Wheatgerm is literally the germinating part of the seed that turns into a plant, it is often discarded during the milling process although it is a very nutritious ingredient, packed with minerals such as zinc —an essential nutrient for our immune system.

Nuts and seeds were also added to the mix for their beautiful texture and their vitamins, minerals and healthy fats content.

Yogurt is a great source of probiotics, those friendly microorganisms that help support our gut health and our immune system. If you are ok with dairy or you only have a mild sensitivity to it, you may want to try goat’s yogurt instead of a regular yogurt. According to research, goat’s milk contains less casein and lactose than cow’s milk, and it is high in nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, omega-3, vitamin B12, vitamin D. 

Note: In case of a proper dairy allergy or a strong sensitivity, please use a plant-based yogurt alternative.

Fresh fruit is a very important part of a healthy breakfast —and you could add potentially more fruit to this recipe. We chose a variety of berries since they are rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds and they are low in sugar.

Try out this version and let us know what you think! 

You can make a large batch of it if you wish. If placed into an airtight container, it can last as long as one month. 

Homemade oats & wheat germ granola with goat’s yogurt and berries

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 20 min

Servings: 2

INGREDIENTS

GRANOLA

30g wheat germ

30g oats

20g mixed seeds

20g almonds and walnuts 

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1tbs honey

10ml water

25ml coconut oil

240g goat’s milk natural yoghurt 

mixed berries

1 tsp honey 

INSTRUCTIONS

For the granola. First thing preheat the oven to 200ºC 

Roughly chop the walnuts and almonds. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, wheat germ, mix seeds, honey, almonds and walnuts, cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey and water. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, and mix until evenly blended. 

Spread the compost on a baking tray covered in parchment, to form an even layer. Cook for about 15minutes. 

Split the yoghurt  into two bowls and add in the berries.

Sprinkle some of the granola. Drizzle some honey on the top if you wish for extra sweetness.

Pronto!