Heard about the amazing health benefits of coconut oil but don’t want to spend hours cooking up a feast? These delicious coconut oil recipes from Lucy Bee’s Coconut Oil: Recipes for Real Life
are perfect for the busy Healthista because they’re all ready in less than 30 minutes
SEAFOOD STEW
This dish is great to have with your favourite friend and glass of wine. Lucy Bee reccommends visiting your local fishmonger, or asking at the fish counter in your supermarket, and seeing what fish they have in. It’s easy to substitute these fish suggestions with others.
Serves 4
1 tsp coconut oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red pepper (bell pepper), deseeded and chopped (or for sweetness use red peppers from a jar)
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 tbsp virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 x 400g/14 oz tin tomatoes
400g/14 oz white fish, such as haddock or cod, cut into small chunks
140g/5 oz raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined
200g/7 oz mussels in shells, scrubbed and de-bearded
Himalayan salt and ground black pepper
Handful of parsley, chopped, to serve
To make
Melt the coconut oil in a deep pan over a medium heat, add the onion and garlic and saut. until golden, then set aside.
Put the (bell) pepper, celery, olive oil, lemon juice, paprika and cayenne pepper into a food processor and blitz together to form a chunky paste. Add the paste to the pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring continuously.
Add the tomatoes, stir, then add the white fish, prawns (shrimp) and mussels. Season to taste, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot, with a wedge of your favourite homemade bread.
PRAWN BURGERS
These healthy burgers are served with a yummy marie rose sauce to perfectly set off their flavour.
Serves 2
180g/6 ¼ oz raw jumbo or king prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined
80g/1 ½ cups gluten-free breadcrumbs
20g/ ¾ oz fresh parsley
1 egg
Gluten-free flour, for dusting
1 tbsp coconut oil
Himalayan salt and ground black pepper
For the Marie Rose sauce
1 tsp tomato puree (paste)
1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Finely grated zest and juice of
¼ lemon
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
To serve
Rocket (arugula)
Sliced tomato
Lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Divide the prawns (shrimp) into 2 equal portions.
Add one portion to a food processor with the breadcrumbs, parsley and some salt and pepper, blitz together then place in a mixing bowl.
Chop the remaining prawns into about 4, depending on their size, and add to the mixing bowl, along with the egg. Using your hands, combine well then divide the mixture into 2 even-sized burgers. Dust with gluten-free flour on each side.
Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once hot, place both burgers in the pan and fry for 2 minutes on each side to seal. Transfer the pan to the oven for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, stir together all the ingredients in a bowl.
Place each burger on a bed of rocket (arugula) and top with a slice of tomato. Serve with the marie rose sauce and a lemon wedge.
Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza)
These meaty Turkish pizzas are packed with flavour and will make you wave goodbye to that takeaway meat feast pizza forever. Using gluten free pitta breads pulled in half, this recipe is delicious AND easy.
Makes 12
3 red and 2 green peppers (bell
peppers), quartered and deseeded
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 garlic clove, peeled
50g/13/4 oz flat-leaf parsley, plus an
extra handful, chopped, to serve
500g/1lb 1oz lean minced beef
1 x 400g tin/1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp paprika (mild or hot)
Pinch of chilli flakes
Pinch each of Lucy Bee Himalayan
salt and ground black pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice, to serve
1 quantity cooked Socca pancakes or 6 gluten-free pitta breads, halved
To make
Preheat the oven to 200ÅãC/400ÅãF/gas mark 6. Line
2 large baking sheets with baking parchment.
In a food processor, blend together the (bell) peppers, onion, garlic and parsley. Line a colander or sieve with a clean tea towel, spoon the mixture into the tea towel and squeeze to drain out most of the moisture (don’t waste it – add some ice and drink it or save/freeze to use in soups, as a stock).
Put the mince and the remaining ingredients, including the blended peppers, into a large bowl and mix to a paste-like mixture. Traditionally, you would do this using your hands, but you can use a large wooden spoon if you prefer.
Spread a very thin layer of topping onto each socca or pitta base, making sure it’s not too thick.
Transfer the lahmacuns to the lined baking sheets and bake in the oven for 5–10 minutes or until cooked.
To serve, squeeze over some lemon juice and
sprinkle with chopped parsley.
SHAKSHUKA
This delicious Arabic aubergine shakshuka recipe is a real people pleaser as it’s gluten free, wheat free and completely vegan whilst also being packed with flavour from the various herbs and spices packed into it. Make sure you set your salt-sprinkled aubergines aside for 30 minutes before cooking.
Serves 6
2 medium aubergines (eggplants), sliced into rounds 2cm (3/4 in) thick
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 2cm (3/4 in) cubes
2 x 400g tins/4 cups chopped tomatoes
120ml/1/2 cup water
1 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
1 tsp fresh or dried oregano
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of chilli flakes
Himalayan salt and ground black pepper
Line a large baking sheet with kitchen paper, place the aubergine slices on top and sprinkle salt lightly and evenly all over the cut surfaces. Set aside for 30 minutes. Then, using kitchen paper, wipe away the salt, and the water which has been released.
Place a heavy-based frying pan (that has a lid) over a medium heat, add the coconut oil and, when hot add the onion and cook until translucent, then add the garlic and fry for a further minute or so.
Cut the aubergine slices into quarters and add to the pan with the potato. Fry for another couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, water, tomato puree (paste), oregano, turmeric, cumin, chilli flakes and a pinch of black pepper. Cover and simmer for around 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked and the aubergines soft. Taste and add salt if needed.
Serve the shakshuka with plain yoghurt and some crusty bread.
MACKEREL MUFFINS
A wonderful way to boost your omega-3 intake, these muffins work well as a snack on the go. These are great served with asparagus. In her book Lucy Bee explains that she was interested to learn that asparagus is one of the reasons food lovers discovered a fifth taste, umami, as it’s neither sweet, sour, salty or bitter.
Serves 4
For the muffins
2 tsp coconut oil
2 eggs
100g/ ¾ cup gluten-free self-raising flour
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
3 tbsp milk
5g/1/8 oz fresh parsley, finely chopped
5g/1/8 oz fresh chives, finely chopped
Himalayan salt and ground black pepper
1 smoked mackerel fillet, shredded
For the tartar sauce
30g/1oz cashew nuts, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes to soften, then drained
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
½ tbsp capers
1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Add ½ tsp coconut oil to each of 4 muffin holes in a muffin tray, then place into the oven for 5 minutes to heat while you make the mixture.
Put the eggs, flour, baking powder, milk, parsley, chives and some salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl and, using an electric whisk, mix together until thick and smooth. Add the shredded mackerel and stir to combine, using a spoon.
Remove the muffin tray from the oven and spoon the mixture evenly into the 4 oiled cases of the tray, taking care as the oil will be very hot.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until cooked through and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack. These can be served hot or cold and are good with horseradish sauce or our homemade Tartar Sauce (see page 43)*.
Meanwhile, to make the tartar sauce, blitz the ingredients together in a food processor until the sauce has the required consistency, adding a splash of water to loosen if needed.
CHICKEN KATSU CURRY
Originally a Japanese meal, chicken katsu curries are now a hugely popular dish around the world. Lucy Bee clues us in on her gluten-free twist to the classic katsu.
Serves 2
For the chicken
1 tsp plus 1 tbsp curry powder (see page 177 for homemade)*
50g/1/3 cup chickpea (gram) flour
Pinch each of Himalayan salt and ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
60g/1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
30g/1oz coconut oil
For the sauce
30g/1oz coconut oil
150g/5 ¼ oz onions, chopped
50g/1 ¾ oz fresh ginger, peeled and grated or blitzed
2 medium carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp chickpea (gram) flour
375ml/generous 11/2 cups chicken stock (see page 177 for homemade)**
2 tsp honey
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp tamari sauce
To serve
150g/generous 1 cup brown rice
Chopped coriander (cilantro)
To make
For the chicken, mix 1tsp of curry powder and chickpea (gram) flour together in a bowl and add the salt and pepper. Put the beaten egg into a separate bowl and the breadcrumbs into a third bowl.
Dust each chicken breast first in the seasoned flour, then the egg, followed by the breadcrumbs to coat. Set aside while you make the sauce.
Melt the coconut oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat, add the onions, ginger and carrots and cook for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften, stirring to make sure they don’t burn. Add the garlic and saut. For 1 minute, adding a little more coconut oil if necessary.
Stir in 1 tbsp curry powder and chickpea flour and mix everything together thoroughly. Add the stock gradually, stirring continuously. Add the honey, bay leaf and tamari, bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft (which may take a little longer). Use a hand-held blender or food processor to blend into a smooth sauce.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the rice according to the packet instructions and preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
To cook the chicken, heat the coconut oil in an ovenproof frying pan. When hot, place the chicken breasts in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, then transfer the pan to the oven for about 10 minutes until cooked through (I use a Thermapen to check; it should read 75°C/165°F in the centre).
Remove the chicken from the pan, cut the breasts into slices, place the slices on a plate with the rice and pour over the sauce. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander (cilantro) to serve.
Curry powder
It’s so easy to pick up a pre-made curry powder of some sort in the supermarket but if you have a look at the spices you’ve already got and have a play around with them, you’ll be amazed at what you can come up with yourself.
MAKES 2–3 TBSP
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cardamom seeds (from the pods)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ –1 tsp chilli powder, depending on how much heat you want
Put the cumin, coriander, mustard, fenugreek and cardamom seeds into a heavy-based dry frying pan and warm over a low heat for 1 minute. You should start to notice a wonderful, fragrant smell.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool, then transfer the seeds to a spice grinder and blitz to a powder. Add the ground ginger, turmeric and chilli powder to taste and blitz once more until combined. Store in a jar.
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COURGETTI CARBONARA
Spiralized food is one of the hottest food trends for the modern foodie right now. Try your hand at a courgetti dish with Lucy Bee’s healthy take on this popular Italian classic. She also suggests using brown rice pasta if you fancy a more filling dish.
Serves 2
80g/23/4 oz pancetta
1–2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
40g/11/2 oz Greek yoghurt
2 eggs
30g/1oz Parmesan, grated
1 tsp finely chopped parsley
2–3 courgettes (zucchini), either spiralized or cut lengthways into very fine shreds
Himalayan salt and ground
black pepper
To make
Add the pancetta to a deep frying pan and lightly saute. over a medium heat until cooked, then add the garlic and cook until golden. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Put the yoghurt, eggs, 20g/ ¾ oz of the Parmesan and the parsley in a bowl and, using a hand-held whisk, mix together.
Place the pan with pancetta back over a low heat, add the courgettes, mix and cook for 1 minute before stirring in the egg mixture. Combine well and serve with the remaining grated Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.
GINGER PORK BALLS IN BROTH WITH RICE NOODLES
Before you pick up the phone to order a takeaway, try this instead – you won’t be disappointed. It works well as a broth without meat balls too, for any vegetarians.
Serves 4
80–100g/2 ¾ –3 ½ oz fresh ginger
6 star anise
1 lemongrass stalk (optional)
2 litres/8 ½ cups weak hot chicken or vegetable stock
500g/1lb 1 oz pork mince
50g/1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
10g/ 1/3 oz coconut oil
200g/7 oz rice noodles
1 tbsp tamari sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 red pepper (bell pepper), about 140g/
5 oz, deseeded and thinly sliced
200g/7 oz carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
200g/7 oz fennel, thinly sliced
225g/8 oz pak choi (bok choy) or cabbage, sliced
Handful of coriander (cilantro), chopped
Himalayan salt and ground black pepper
To serve
Spring onions (scallions), chopped
Red chilli, chopped
Sesame oil
To make
Peel the ginger and grate the flesh (reserve for the pork balls) then add the ginger skin, star anise and lemongrass stalk, if using, to the hot stock. Leave to stand for 30 minutes or longer so it absorbs all the flavours of the spices.
Mix the pork mince, grated ginger and breadcrumbs together with some salt and pepper then, using your hands, form the mixture into about 40 balls. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan, add the pork balls and cook for 8–10 minutes, turning so they brown evenly all over. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, strain the stock to remove the spices, then pour it back into the saucepan and bring to the boil. In a separate pan, cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, then drain. Add the tamari, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and all the vegetables to the boiling stock and, when it starts to gently bubble again, add the pork balls and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the coriander (cilantro).
If you have space in the pan, add the drained noodles and stir, otherwise place the noodles in serving bowls and ladle over the pork balls, vegetables and stock. Serve with chopped spring onions (scallions), chilli and sesame oil sprinkled over the top.
Vegetable stock
Making your own stock is surprisingly easy and is really worth the effort, plus you’re in control of the amount of salt you add. Whenever I make stock, I always feel so proud of myself!
Makes about 2 litres/4 cups
1 tsp coconut oil
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)
6 chestnut mushrooms, washed and chopped (optional)
10 whole black peppercorns
3 bay leaves, torn
Few fresh thyme sprigs
Few parsley stalks
1.5 litres/6 1/3 cups water
To make
Melt the coconut oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the celery,
carrots, onions, leek, garlic and mushrooms, if using, and saute for 2–3 minutes.
Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, parsley stalks and water and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Allow to cool a little then strain into a bowl or jug. Discard the vegetables and pour the stock into storage or freezer containers (I tend to store this in batches of 500ml/2 cups so it’s ready to use in a recipe). Store in the fridge for 2 days or freeze.
NOTE FROM LUCY:
Don’t worry if you don’t have all these ingredients, as you can mix and match with what you have. Leave out the mushrooms if you’d prefer a clearer stock, and fennel is good to add if you have any in the fridge.
You can also add spices to your stock such as star anise, ginger or lemongrass. Be adventurous and add your favourite spice.
Lucy Bee was diagnosed as a coeliac when she was just a baby and so her parents instigated wholesome, healthy lifestyle changes that eventually lead to the launch of the brand, Lucy Bee. Coconut Oil: Recipes for Real Life is the second cookbook from Lucy Bee. Lucy Bee is one of the leading brands of coconut oil in the UK, being raw, organic, extra virgin, cold pressed and with an emphasis on fair trade. This book describes itself as a cookbook for the every day and busy living, containing realistic, tasty ingredients.
Coconut Oil: Recipes for Real Life (Quadrille), £12.99
Coconut oil: recipes for real life suggests using Lucy Bee products in the above recipes however any brand will suffice.
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