42 Delicious diet foods Whether you struggle with auto-immune problems, are


trying the paleo diet, eat vegetarian, have gone low-carb or are gluten-free, it seems everyone has specialized food needs nowadays. With that in mind, it makes it a challenge to know what to


offer friends and family when they come to visit. There are, however, some recipes that fit well into some of those specialized diet regimes that are also pretty tasty. These recipes are gluten-free and meat-free, which covers a lot of bases for those avoiding certain foods, yet both are simply delicious.


Jude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVES


I must admit I’ve tried to eliminate some of the starchy foods


from my diet, more to avoid gaining weight than because of any health concerns. I found I tended to have a bowl of cereal, then later a piece of toast with peanut butter and if sandwiches were on the menu for lunch, most of my energy was coming from cereals and breads and that doesn’t seem diverse enough. So, I cut out the cereal and substituted fruit and plain yogurt;


I found a small handful of almonds substituted for the additional grains in the form of toast later; and instead of a sandwich or crackers and cheese at lunch, I’ll have a salad. For dinner, I try to keep it to a lean meat, fish or other protein and vegetables such as spinach, beans, carrots or kale. With a good exercise habit involving weekly hikes of four hours or so, and regular walks, I lost some of the weight I wanted to and feel much better as well. I’m no doctor, but it seems to me if we take advantage of the


diverse selection of meats, fish and fruit, vegetables and dairy available to us from this province’s fields, waters, orchards and farms, we would be far healthier than opting for exotic ingredients sourced in far away countries or compiled from a lengthy list of chemicals mixed up in a factory somewhere. By eating whole, local foods, unadulterated with additional chemicals, might reduce the incidence of cancers and perhaps other diseases as well. Maybe that’s being overly simplistic, but I can’t imagine it


would hurt and if such a diet, coupled with regular exercise, helped make you healthier while it tasted good, why wouldn’t you choose to take that route? Too bad we don’t have the required climate to grow the cocoa beans used to make chocolate here in BC, eh?


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • NOVEMBER 2017


A delicious way to use winter squash. JUDIE STEEVES PHOTO CURRIED DAL with SQUASH


I used red dal or lentils, which were actually yellow, and simmered them for about 30 minutes. Do not overcook. I serve this with a cucumber raita (a yogurt dish) and brown and wild rice, but a basmati pilaf would be more conventional fare. Poppadoms are nice on the side and are made with chickpea flour, or besan or gram flour, not wheat flour.


2 c. (500 ml) cooked dal 2 garlic cloves


2 c. (500 ml) diced winter squash 1 tbsp. (15 ml) butter 1 tsp. (5 ml) coriander 1 tsp. (5 ml) turmeric


1/4 tsp. (2 ml) ground cloves 1 onion


1 tbsp. (15 ml) minced ginger 1 tbsp. (15 ml) olive oil 1 tsp. (5 ml) salt


1 tsp. (5 ml) cumin


1/2 tsp. (3 ml) ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. (2 ml) cayenne


• Cook lentils and drain, reserving liquid if any. • Chop onion; mince garlic and ginger and cut peeled squash such as butternut into half-inch dice.


• Melt butter in olive oil over medium-high heat in a deep frypan and add onion and ginger. • Cook and stir until softened and add garlic and spices, stirring in and adding a smidge of cooking liquid from the lentils, if needed. • Stir in the squash and the dal, adding enough of the cooking liquid from the dal to just about cover the vegetables. Use water if there wasn’t any left from cooking the lentils. Bring to bubbling, cover and reduce to the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. • Garnish and serve with poppadoms, naan or pitas. Serves 4.


MARGARET’S FRUIT & NUT SQUARES


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There is no flour in these. They’re eaten raw and not baked, and they’re full of healthy fruit and nuts but with a delicious layer of chocolate over top. Margaret has made these using coconut instead of nuts, and dried cranberries instead of raisins.


2 c. (500 ml) pitted dates


2 c. (500 ml) whole unpeeled almonds 1 tsp. (5 ml) vanilla


4 oz. (113 g) good-quality chocolate


• Pour hot or boiling water over dates and dried fruit and let sit for 5-10 minutes to soften. Meantime, crumble almonds and walnuts in a food processor using an "S" blade. Add vanilla and process briefly.


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• Drain the dates and raisins or dried cranberries and sprinkle with a little salt. • Add dates and currants to processed nuts and process again until the mixture comes together. • It shouldn’t take long. • Turn into an 8X8-inch glass baking dish and, using the back of a spoon, press and smooth until compacted. • Refrigerate for a few hours. • Melt chocolate (you may increase the quantity if you wish) in a double boiler over simmering water until it has just melted. • Spread on the cold, firm squares and refrigerate just until the chocolate is firm, but not hard. (If you leave the chocolate until it becomes too hard, then it will crack rather than slice). • Remove from fridge and slice into squares.


MISPLACED ONE OF JUDIE’S RECIPES? You might find it online at www.countrylifeinbc.com/archives.html where we’ve been uploading back issues of Country Life in BC.


1 c. (250 ml) raisins or dried cranberries 1 c. (250 ml) walnuts 1/4 tsp. (5 ml) salt


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