healthy recipes Archives

Alkalising Cucumber & Lemon Water

So you’ve convinced yourself that you hate drinking water… But you secretly know you ‘should’. The problem is that most of our national tap water is too acidifying and upsets the alkalised balance in your body and – for many of us – it tastes of nothing but chemicals.

Personally I don’t enjoy tap water. I’d rather have a glass of sparkling mineral water instead, but that comes with its own acidifying problems – and that’s before we get onto the financial and environmental cost.

Then, one day a few months ago, I went to a friend’s party where they served ‘cucumber water’ – it was amazingly refreshing. But still missing a little something. So I fiddled and experimented and here is the outcome:

Totally delicious, refreshing, energising, alkalising and – above all – hydrating!

Sip little and often during your day. And you’ll love the health benefits.

How To Make Alkalising Cucumber & Lemon Water

Ingredients – Makes 1 litre

About 10 fresh mint leaves (optional) – I grab them out of the garden

Two shavings of lemon peel – use a potato peeler – choose an organic unwaxed lemon

3-4 shavings of cucumber (again organic) – use a potato peeler

1/2 inch / 1cm fresh ginger

1 litre of filtered water

Use the potato peeler to peel strips of cucumber – like ribbons. You can chop it if you prefer, but the strips have a larger surface area, so use less cucumber for more cucumbery water.
Use the potato peeler to peel 2 strips (about 3-4 cm / 1 1/2 inches) off the outer peel of the lemon
Finely slice the fresh ginger
Chuck the lemon peel, cucumber strips, ginger and mint in a litre (2 pint-ish) jar or bottle.
Top up with filtered water. Seal and give it a shake.

The flavour builds up over the day and when you have drunk your litre, you can refill it and use it again the same day.

At the end of the day, either eat or compost the veggie bits.

Variations:

All of the ingredients are optional, though the lemon and cucumber really help to make this drink alkalising.

Experiment with your favourite herbs.

How about fruit? You could thinly slice fresh strawberries or melon for an incredible fruity drink – though it will be less alkalising.

Enjoyed the cucumber & lemon alkalising water? I’d love to hear from you!

Let me know how you got on with this recipe. When did you serve it? What with? Any tweaks or changes?

And here’s where you can even share your own photos of it, over at my Authentically Awesome Facebook page.

I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’re generally into healthy living, feeling happier and making a difference in the world, please make sure you’re getting my FREE newsletter. It would be great to stay in touch.

With love, Namaste,

Chilli & Coriander Salsa – A Deliciously Healthy Salad Recipe That Takes Under 5 Minutes

I don’t know about you, but I love recipes that I can make when I have a spare moment and then forget about, so that lunch or dinner feels like someone else made it for me.

This delicious Chill & Coriander Salsa is just that kind of thing.

I do the chopping & mixing while I’m waiting for the kettle to boil at breakfast, then leave the flavours to marinade during the day. (Covered and kept safely of course – just in case the Environmental Health Pedants are reading this today 😉 ).

Then it’s a fabulous side dish for lunch – a great salad or even a snack.

And it takes under five minutes to make.

How To Make Chilli & Coriander Salsa

Ingredients – Serves 2 as a side salad

A small bunch of fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

1 small fresh chilli (test how hot it is – adjust more or less according to taste)

3-4 small tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

A little salt

Tablespoon of pine nuts

Chop the tomatoes
De-seed and finely chop the chilli
De-seed and roughly chop the pepper
Chop the coriander leaf
Mix together in a bowl and sprinkle with a little salt. Stir in well. The salt draws out the moisture from the tomatoes, creating a sauce for this salsa.
Cover & keep safe for 3-4 hours to allow the flavours to mix. If you don’t have time to leave it, then add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or flax oil, to create the sauce. You don’t need this if you can leave it to stand.
Just before serving, lightly toast the pine nuts – e.g. in a dry frying pan or under a grill. This takes less than a minute usually and keep an eye on them, to make sure they don’t burn.
Top with the pine nuts and enjoy!

Variations:

For a Neapolitan feel, swap the coriander leaf for fresh basil leaves.

If you’re not into pine nuts, swap for a tablespoon of white sesame seeds.

Try experimenting with green, yellow, orange or even purple peppers, for a rainbow-coloured feast.

Enjoyed the chilli & coriander salsa? I’d love to hear from you!

Let me know how you got on with this recipe. When did you serve it? What with? Any tweaks or changes?

And here’s where you can even share your own photos of it, over at our Facebook page.

I’d love to hear from you.

And if you’re generally into healthy living, feeling happier and making a difference in the world, please make sure you’re getting my FREE newsletter. It would be great to stay in touch.

With love, Namaste,