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The Body Retreat

The Body Retreat

Women Only Weight Loss & Wellbeing Retreats

Author: Jabernet

Apple Winter Warmer

This winter warmer is perfect for cold autumn afternoons and great in a flask after a long walk. We still have an abundance of apples here at Tracebridge which is what inspired this weeks post. I have juiced mine but you can use apple juice from the shops, just make sure it’s not from concentrate.

Serves 2
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed apple juice (or make sure to buy not from concentrate)
  • 1 cup green tea
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 cm piece of fresh ginger
  • 1cm piece of fresh tumeric
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 1/2 apple to garnish (optional)

This apple winter warmer is sweet from the apples, slightly savoury from the turmeric and has a warming kick from the ginger and cardamom spice.

Make sure to make the green tea first rather than leaving the tea bag with the spices to stew for too long, it will make the tea taste bitter. Replace the green tea with mint tea if you would prefer something decaffeinated.

If juicing you will need 4-6 apples depending on their size.

Method for Apple Winter Warmer:

  1. Break the cinnamon sticks in half and lightly crush the cardamom pods.
  2. Place all the ingredients in a pan bring to the boil then turn off the heat and allow the spices to steep for at least 5 minutes. If using fresh juice it may look like the apple juice has separated, this is normal and will be fine once stirred.
  3. Serve immediately with a slice of two of fresh apple or cool and put in the fridge for up to 3 days . The longer the juice is left with the spices the stronger the flavour will be. It will last longer if you’re using pasteurised juice. Make a larger batch, steep overnight in the fridge, strain the next day then reheat as necessary.

Leek and White Bean Soup

This leek and white bean soup should satisfy the need for warmer food as the days get shorter and colder (and wetter!). Comfort dishes don’t need to be heavy, this soup uses stock, fresh herbs and lemon creating a light dish with lots of fresh flavours that is still high in protein.

Serves 4
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra to drizzle
  • 3 medium leeks, chopped into 1cm pieces
  • 2 x 400g tins of haricot beans (or other white beans), drained
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 stick of celery
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 lemon
  • 1-1.5 litre of good quality stock (vegetable or chicken)
  • 2 leaves of cavolo nero (or kale), stripped from stalk
  • 2 sprigs of mint, chopped
  • 40g raw buckwheat, toasted
  • 1/2 tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning
  • ground pepper

A good quality stock will make the difference in flavour in this broth style soup but isn’t necessary. If your looking for a quick meal, this soup can be made in 20-30 mins and can use your store cupboard stock. If your using homemade chicken stock you could also replace some of the white beans for cooked chicken.

I love fresh herbs so you will notice they are in quite a few of my dishes! You can adjust the herbs in this dish depending on what you can get your hands on, basil, tarragon and parsley will also work well. If you don’t have fresh use dried but incorporate them into the soup whilst its cooking.

Method for Leek and White Bean Soup:

  1. Use a peeler to peel 3 strips of lemon rind.
  2. Heat pan over a medium heat, add oil. When hot fry onion, bay leaf, lemon rind, thyme and salt for 5-8 mins.
  3. Add celery and garlic and fry for a few minutes until fragrant before adding the leeks. Cook for 10 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally to make sure its not sticking.
  4. Add the stock and bring to the boil, turn down to simmer, add the beans. Let simmer for 5-10 mins. Top with hot water if the soup looks too thick
  5. Chop cavolo nero and add a 5 minutes before serving. Toast the raw buckwheat in a dry pan for a few minutes until it has some colour.
  6. To serve top each bowl with fresh mint, a drizzle of rapeseed oil and the toasted buckwheat.

Purple Winter Coleslaw

Purple winter coleslaw isn’t just for winter! We always associate coleslaw with summer BBQs whereas in reality a lot of the vegetables are harvested in autumn and winter. I am lucky to have a local organic veg grower who grows a variety of winter vegetables, one of the more unusual varieties being kohlrabi, also known as German turnips. Kohlrabi is from the cabbage family but raw has the taste of crunchy radish and turnip. If you can’t get hold of kohlrabi just replace it with radish.

Serves 4
  • 1/4 red cabbage
  • 1/2 kohlrabi (or 6 radish)
  • 1/2 medium apple (or 1 small apple)
  • 1/2 carrot
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 dsp natural yoghurt
  • 1 dsp mayonnaise
  • 1/4 tsp mustard
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1/2 lemon
  • Handful of fresh parsley and/or coriander
  • Salt & pepper

For the lovely purple colour in this winter coleslaw I have chosen red cabbage, red onion and a heritage variety of purple carrot. This recipe is just a base for you to work to, vary the vegetables, keeping a cabbage as the main bulk. I have given some different versions for you to try at the end of this post.

On retreat we like to make a light tasting coleslaw that doesn’t just taste of mayonnaise. Supermarket versions seem to be drowning in mayonnaise and you can’t taste any of the vegetables. Use shop bought or homemade mayonnaise and mix with yogurt for a lighter, fresher tasting dressing. You don’t need much, you are dressing the vegetables, not coating them in a thick sauce.

I have hand chopped my vegetables but you can use a mixer with a slicer or grater attachment or a mandolin slicer to get a finely chopped veg.

Chopped purple winter coleslaw vegtables

Method for Purple Winter Coleslaw:

  1. Slice cabbage and onion into thin strips. Cut the kohlrabi into match sticks. Grate the carrot and the apple, squeezing a little of the lemon juice over the apple to stop it browning.
  2. Mix the veg together, add the mayo, yogurt, mustard, sesame seeds and rest of the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and taste. Adjust the dressing ingredients to your taste (I prefer a strong mustard taste!)
  3. Mix in fresh herbs, leaving some to sprinkle on the top.
  4. Coleslaw will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days but is best eaten fresh. I find it better to keep the chopped vegetables in the fridge and dress them as you need it, this way the veg stays fresh up to 5 days.

Coleslaw Variations:

  • Savoy cabbage, reg cabbage, spring onion, carrot
  • Cabbage, beetroot, celery, onion, walnut
  • White Cabbage, fennel, onion, flaked almonds

You can always omit the mayo and yogurt for a lighter coleslaw. I like to make Asian slaw with 1 dsp brown rice vinegar, 1 tsp mirin rice wine, 2 dsp black sesame seeds, lots of fresh coriander.

Let me know what variations you have tried and I can add them to the list for others to see!

Sesame Mushrooms with Ginger Cabbage

Sesame mushrooms are one of my favourite quick to make dinners. They can accompany most dinners, swap noodles for rice, add to miso broth and great with poached or boiled eggs. For this dish I’m serving it with crispy ginger cabbage. I try not to make noodles the main part of the dish so mixing it with the crispy cabbage still makes it feel like a substantial meal.

Serves 4
  • 3/4 large portabello mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari sauce)
  • 3/4 savoy cabbage
  • 100g udon noodles (or your favourite noodles)
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 chilli (optional)
  • 1 tbsp of chopped fresh rerriander
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil

Any mushrooms can be used in this dish, I like the large portobello or field mushrooms so you get a big slice of mushroom but chestnut, shiitake or closed cup mushrooms will work just as well. Make sure the pan is nice and hot. When adding the sesame seeds at the end they may ‘pop’ and try to jump out the pan, don’t panic just turn off the heat and continue to add the soy sauce. You may loose a few sesame seeds on the hob but the soya caramelises better in a hot pan. I cook the mushrooms separately to make sure they get nice and crispy.

When using noodles in a dish I cook until slightly al dente then drain and pour over cold water to cool as quickly as possible. Then the noodle are ready to use in a stir fry or cold. If I want them warm I take the cooled noodles, pour over boiling water and use immediately.

Method for Sesame Mushrooms with Ginger Cabbage:

  1. Chop cabbage into thin strips, slice mushrooms into chunks and chop ginger, garlic and chilli if using.
  2. Boil some water to cook the noodles or cook to package guidelines. When cooked strain and pour over cold water until cool.
  3. Heat up a frying pan and wok on a high heat, add 1 tsp of oil to each. Cook the mushrooms in the frying pan.
  4. Add the ginger to the wok and fry for 20 seconds,add the garlic and chilli then the cabbage. You want the cabbage to start to go brown, this will take 5 mins. Turn off the heat and add the noodles, just warming them through.
  5. Once the mushrooms are brown and crisp and the 2 tbsp of sesame seeds, toast for 30 seconds before adding the soy sauce. (You may want to turn the heat off once the seeds go in if the pan is hot)
  6. To serve top the cabbage noodles with the mushrooms and sprinkle over chopped coriander.

To make a more substantial dish you can fry some onions and peppers to go with the dish. If using the wok you don’t need much oil, just 1 tsp.

Baba ghanoush

Baba ghanoush is one of my favourite quick dips to make for friends. I’m lucky to have a glut of aubergines from my local veg grower so have be using up any spare to make baba ghanoush. The smokey flavour comes from the toasting of the aubergine skin, this can be done over a gas flame, under a grill or on a BBQ. You can also simply pop them in a hot oven, the flavour wont be quite as smokey but it still makes tasty baba ghanoush.

Serves 6
  • 3 aubergines
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp light tahini
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 dsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Dukkah (optional)

Method for Baba ghanoush:

  1. Heat the oven to 220C.
  2. Turn on the gas hob and take it in turns to burn the outside of the aubergine. Use tongs to avoid burning your hands! It should take a couple minutes per aubergine, you want the skins to be dark.
  3. Once the skins have been burnt pop all the aubergines in the oven for 15-25 mins. This will continue to cook any of the inside of the aubergine. The aubergines are done when they are soft to the touch and deflate slightly. Leave to cool.
  4. Juice 1/2 the lemon and mince the garlic.
  5. Once cool peel of the aubergine skin, saving as much of the flesh as you can and put in a bowl.
  6. Using a fork mash the aubergine flesh, add the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Try the baba ghanoush for smokiness then add the smoked paprika to your taste.
  7. Adjust the lemon juice, garlic and salt pepper according to your taste.
  8. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with dukkah.

Alternatively you can blitz all the ingredients in a mixer for a smoother baba ghanoush.