I have chosen to write these recipes for you as they are all quick, easy and above all totally delicious and so good for you. The 1st idea is a lovely roasted cous-cous salad, which is an ideal lunch time salad that you can take with you anywhere and makes a great lunch box or all the family. It can be made well in advance and once you have got use to the recipe method-you'll begin to see that any of your favourite combinations can be added. The other two recipes are two lovely and warming soups. There is something so special about making you own soup and I have never come across a commercially made soup that is anywhere as tasty and nourishing as a home made Varity.

Good luck with your cooking and remember to always cook with harmony, respect for your ingredients and above all have fun!

Health & happiness

Pete Vaughan

    Roasted Cous-Cous Pilaff with Spices 

Cous-cous is made from very hard Durum wheat, mixed with semolina. Many people have problems making good cous-cous because it easily becomes starchy and heavy. You will not have problems with this recipe, because the cous-cous is slightly roasted before you add the liquid. This imparts more flavour and texture and also prevents the cous-cous granules from sticking together.

I strongly suggest making the effort to source your cous-cous from a good health food store, as they will usually stock organic whole meal cous-cous. The average supermarket cous-cous has been striped of much of it's goodness as a result of intense refining and bleaching. Experiment with other spice mixes, they are so good for you and so many people I meet just don't use enough of them in their cookery.

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients
For the cous-cous
200g organic whole meal cous-cous granules
400ml natural vegetable bouillon (hot) I recommend Marigold which is widely available.
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and pinch of cayenne pepper

Method
1. In a large frying pan add the cous-cous and spices, heat until the granules have turned a deep golden colour this should take approx 5 minutes. Now add the hot vegetable stock and remove the pan from the heat, cover with a tight fitting lid and leave for ten minutes.
2. Once the cous-cous has absorbed all of the stock and is nice and fluffy, simply add all the salad ingredients and mix well before serving.

For the salad
1 carrot peeled and grated
A handful of baby spinach leaves
2 tomatoes cut into a small dice
25g of sultanas soaked in a little kettle hot water
One red and green pepper finely chopped
Small tin of drained sweetcorn
2 tbls of organic cold pressed olive oil or use flax, pumpkin or hemp essential oils 
 Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 x 410g tin of drained cooked chickpeas (cooked in water, not brine),or you can prepare them yourself from dried peas. Always remember to drain off the water that you have soaked your drained chickpeas in, as it will contain the phytic acid, which causes flatulence!!

This can also work well on its own as a salad and is also excellent as a lunch box idea for the kids to take to school or for you to take to work. You can make just the cous-cous part of the recipe at the beginning of the week and add different ingredients each day. The cous-cous without added ingredients will last 3 three days in the fridge. It also freezes well.

Health notes
Combining cereals and pulses in the same meal provides the body with 'complete protein', all that you need to maintain the continuous growth and repair of the human body. Cous-cous is also a slow energy release food similar to bulgar wheat which means that it raises your blood sugar level gradually so energy levels are maintained at a more constant rate throughout the day.

    Miso and Ginger Broth 

For those of you who are new to the wonders of this odd looking ingredient called miso. I have written an easy and delicious recipe to for you to try. It is so clean and refreshing and I think once you get the hang of using miso, you can substitute it for your stock and use it in recipes such as my roasted cous-cous pilaff or the South American Puloe found on the previous cancer support update. Miso can be found in many healthfood shops. It is basically a fermented soya bean paste and highly praised in Japan for its health promoting qualities. On a culinary note miso makes a wonderful base flavour and therefore can be used to make a simple broth or added to casseroles to give them a unique flavour.

Please remember that once you open the pack of miso, it must be kept in the fridge and used within 7-10 days otherwise it loses much of it's goodness.

Serves 4-6 portions

Ingredients
100g of miso paste (there are many varieties, I recommend using a black mugi miso paste)
1 l of kettle hot water
1 inch of fresh ginger
25g of sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped coriander
3 spring onions finely sliced.

Method
Simply place the miso in a medium saucepan and pour in the kettle hot water. Turn the heat on low. It is important not to boil miso as you may destroy many of it's living enzymes.
Whisk until he paste has dissolves and then peel and crush the ginger through a garlic crusher. Add the ginger, chopped coriander, spring onions and sesame seeds.
Leave to infuse for 5 minutes over a very low heat and then serve in bowls.

Serving suggestions
Serve this broth at the beginning of meals or as a refreshing savoury snack. Miso has a very settling action on the stomach and therefore is excellent for any one feeling a little poorly.

Health notes
Studies have shown the miso has an ability to help absorb radiation and remove it from the body, although this is still not fully understood scientifically yet. It is known that many Japanese people who ate a diet rich in soya and miso had a better chance of survival from radiation sickness that came after the nuclear bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasarki at the end of the Second World war.

    Lebanese Lentil and Walnut Soup

Walnuts are so underrated. Full of essential fats, both omega 3 & 6 and trace minerals, they are exactly what we should be eating in cold damp dark weather. Ironic that natures provides us with just the right food at the right time of season. People often find walnuts too strong in taste, so try the addition of mint & tomato to make this wonderful Lebanese soup. This is a meal in itself.

Serves 6 portions

Ingredients
200g of puy lentils
200g tin of chopped tomatoes
85g of walnuts
1.5 l of vegetable stock (use powder or cube)
1 onion peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil 
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
1 tablespoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of dried mint
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped mint 
Sea salt and cayenne pepper

Method
In a large saucepan heat the oil and add the onions, cumin seeds and coriander for 5-6 minutes. Then add the lentils, garlic and tomato puree, continue to cook for a further 2 minutes stirring well.
Now add the tomatoes, stock, dried mint and half of the walnuts. Bring the soup to the boil and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, leave to cook for 45 minutes.
The soup is ready once the lentils are soft, blend in a food processor and season with plenty of salt and cayenne.
Meanwhile finely crush the remaining walnuts in a paper bag and run a rolling pin over them or alternatively crush them in a pestle and mortar.
Serve the soup in suitable bowls and sprinkle a little crushed walnut and fresh mint over the top of each soup.

Serving suggestions
This soup is delicious served with a swirl of soya cream or soya yoghurt. You can make it as mild or hot as you like by adding more or less cayenne pepper.