Hi Everyone, I'm sorry I haven't posted recently. Those of you who know me from the Blood Type Diet boards will know I've been battling with two infections, one ovarian and one in the kidneys, and hopefully now thanks to lots of diamond foods, rest and the dreaded antibiotics, I'm on the mend. It's nice to be back.

Although the weather here in the UK hasn't been very sunny, it is courgette season, lovely fresh tasting veggies which always make me feel like summer has arrived. Here's a quick recipe for stuff courgette/zuchini and I like use the yellow courgettes, but you can use either. You could also garnish them with the flowers from the veggies, they add colour, interest and texture to a dish and use to amaze my son that we could eat them. :-)

Ingredients:
1 courgette, sliced in half, lengthways
1 tbsp olive oil, ghee or compliant oil for your BT/GT
½ onion, finely diced
4 cherry tomatoes, halved (or peppers finely chopped, or fennel would be nice)
salt and freshly ground black pepper (if you can eat it)
55g/2oz cottage cheese or parmesan (finely grated) or farmer cheese might do

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. With a clean teaspoon, scoop out the centre of one half of the courgette and chop the remaining half of courgette finely.
3. In a non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Sauté the onion until soft but not coloured.
4. Add the chopped courgette and cherry tomatoes (or peppers/fennel etc) to the frying pan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional).
5. Sauté the vegetables for 3-5 minutes until soft, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
6. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and mix in the cottage cheese (or alternative for your BT/GT, manchego might be nice too) until evenly combined. Fill the cavity of the courgette half with the cheese and vegetable mixture.
7. Place the courgette on a non-stick baking tray and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the courgette is tender.
8. Serve hot or cold.

This is adapted to BTD or GTD from an original recipe by an English chef Brian Turner, he's a lovely chap, very down to earth, straight talking man from Yorkshire and when you look at him you just know he loves his food. I made this with yellow courgette (zuchini) but it's nice with the green ones, or the round ones too and they are so easy to grow at home.

Here's a link to Brian's website for those who'd like to try some more of his recipes. He's quite a character.

http://www.brianturneronline.co.uk/Home.aspx

A couple of side dishes to brighten up your plates, both serve four as a side, or two as a starter. You could add tomatoes (Gatherers) if you wished or (Hunters) keep it 'as is'.

Courgette & Red Peppers

6 small zucchini/courgettes sliced
1/2 red pepper chopped
3 T butter or ghee
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
2 tsp lemon peel grated
1 T lemon juice
2 T parsley chopped (or coriander)
2 T stock (chicken, vegetable, beef etc)

Combine all igredients and cook (covered) in a frying pan for three to five minutes over a medium heat. Remove the lid, cook until veggies are tender but still keep their shape, stir occasionally. Most of the liquid should have absorbed, takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and garnish with the parsley. You could add garlic, chilli flakes, turmeric and cumin to spice it up a bit.

Asparagus with 'vinaigrette'

salt to taste
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
5 tsp apple cider vinegar OR 5 tsp lemon/lime juice
2 T walnut oil or olive oil
2 tsp grated lemon peel (or other citrus)
2 T chopped walnuts, pinenuts or other compliant nuts (toasted for flavour)

Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water until tender, approx 4 to 10 mins depending on the thickness. Drain and run under cold water to retain the colour. Lay in kitchen paper and pat dry. Move to a serving plate.

Whisk the other ingredients together and spoon over the top of asparagus and serve.

I've not been posting as often lately, it's been hectic at work, although that is hopefully slowing down a little now. Food has been a bit of a chore and I wanted to reinvigorate my tastebuds with something different.

I spent last night poring over recipe books, searching for something inspiring for breakfast. Today was taken care of, scrambled eggs at a meeting, which I now think had some milk in the mix . But what about the rest of the week? I love eggs, leftover meat with green veggies, occasionly I do feel like I could kill for a piece of crisp white toast, but hey it's so not on my food list and I want to be compliant.

Tomorrow I am going to make Quinoa, a bit dull? Well maybe.... maybe not.

2.5 cup water, or nut milk, rice milk or for the lucky amongst us... dairy
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well until the water runs clear
1/4 cup chopped dates (or figs, apricots, cranberries... up to you!)
2 Tbsp butter (I prefer ghee)
1/8 tsp gound cardamom
1/8 tsp ground fennel seeds
a few drops of veggie glycerine/agave or compliant sweetener
1/4 cup toasted, chopped nuts (I used walnuts, but pinenuts, almonds etc would be fab)

Combine all ingredients except the dates/butter/nuts in a saucepan and cook over a low heat until the liquid has evaporated and the grains are tender but still have a bit of bite (It took me approximately 15 mins).

Stir in the dates and butter (or ghee) then top with the chopped nuts. Can be eaten hot or cold, but I like it hot!

I'll experiment with other spices and I might try a savoury version with onions, turmeric, cumin, cilantro, fennel seed and maybe even some chilli. Yummy.

Hope you like it.

Loraine