Eating to Live with a Badly Behaved Brain.

Mental Lentil

Mental Lentil

Eating to Live with a Badly Behaved Brain.

Recent Posts

Easy Turkey Lasagne

Easy Turkey Lasagne

Now the kids are back at school I am glad to be back blogging after an extended summer break. My youngest child has started secondary school today and my eldest is starting Sixth Form tomorrow so I want us all to have a relaxed family […]

Turkey and Sun-Dried Tomato Burgers

Turkey and Sun-Dried Tomato Burgers

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in both turkey and tomatoes. It is one of the essential elements which the body needs to make serotonin. Serotonin plays a role in mood, sleep, learning and appetite control. A lack of serotonin is thought to be one […]

Refined Sugar-Free Honey and Cinnamon Popcorn

Refined Sugar-Free Honey and Cinnamon Popcorn

I saw popcorn kernels in town this morning and decided to buy some for making an after school snack for the boys. I knew I wanted to make a refined-sugar free version, so did my own take on this recipe from Naturally Ella

I actually made half this quantity of honey coating first of all but it didn’t really coat the popcorn enough – I had underestimated the fact that half a cup of popcorn kernels would make nearly a mixing bowl full of popcorn so I had to make a second batch of the syrup! The kids have given this their seal of approval, so now I can share it with you! This makes a great snack or is perfect for munching on at a movie night!

Refined Sugar-Free Honey and Cinnamon Popcorn (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

For the popcorn:

1 half a cup popcorn kernels

1 tbsp coconut oil

For the syrup:

3 tbsp coconut oil

4 tbsp honey

half a teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of sea salt if wished, but I didn’t add it.

 

Method

Firstly make the syrup by putting all the syrup ingredients (except the salt if using) into a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until melted. Do not let it boil. When all the ingredients are melted and mixed well put the saucepan to one side.

Next put the 1 tbsp of coconut oil into a large saucepan with a glass lid. Heat the oil over a medium heat and throw in a few kernels of the popping corn to test the heat. Put the lid on and keep a hand on the lid handle. When those kernels burst it is time to quickly add the rest of the popcorn to the saucepan. Quickly replace the lid and keeping one hand on the lid to keep it on and one hand on the saucepan handle keep shaking the pan every so often so the popcorn doesn’t stick or burn. I was amazed that the popped corn totally filled my pan!

When about two-thirds of the popcorn has popped and the popping has slowed down take the popcorn off the heat. Keep shaking the saucepan. When the popping has stopped tip all the popcorn into a big mixing bowl. Add the honey mixture to the bowl and stir it all together well so that all the popcorn is coated with the honey syrup. Sprinkle with the sea salt if using. Transfer to a serving bowl or bowls. Enjoy!

Image by Mc Jefferson Agloro via Unsplash.

 

 

 

 

 

Kale and Feta Quiche with an Almond Crust

Kale and Feta Quiche with an Almond Crust

I have always been a bit of a bread fiend. Age sixteen I worked in a local bakery and it has always been a joke of my husbands that if you give me a plate with bread and something else I will find a way […]

Caramelised Onion Hummus

Caramelised Onion Hummus

This was my lunch today. We’ve often bought the Caramelised Onion Hummus from Aldi in the past, but it does contain refined sugar so I no longer eat it. I was out at a school function last night and my husband made hot dogs with […]

Out of the Brain Fog

Out of the Brain Fog

I was delighted to be asked to be asked by Rachel Kelly, the bestselling author of Black Rainbow and The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food to write a guest post for her blog. I wrote about how I came to make a connection between what I ate and how confused and groggy I felt and how I use food to give me, what I believe, is the best chance at living well with severe mental illness.

You can read my article here

Thai Pork Meatballs

Thai Pork Meatballs

This is a tasty weekend dinner that all the family will enjoy. Pork is a good source of vitamins B12 and B6 which can help calm and maintain a healthy nervous system. Thai Pork Meatballs (Serves Four) Ingredients 500 g lean pork mince 1 tablespoon […]

Bounty-Inspired Overnight Oats

Bounty-Inspired Overnight Oats

I apologise for not blogging for a week. I have been writing but not for here. I promise I will tell you what I have been doing when I can but for now my mouth is firmly zipped. Though the time away has given me […]

Poppy Seed Flatbreads

Poppy Seed Flatbreads

A quick and easy flatbread recipe. Great for scooping up dips likeĀ Zingy Lemon and Coriander Hummus or as an accompaniment to soup.

Poppy Seed Flatbreads – Makes 8 Flatbreads

Ingredients

3 cups white self-raising flour

1 cup wholemeal strong bread flour plus a bit extra for flouring your board

1 eighth of a cup rapeseed oil

2 cups water

half a cup poppy seeds

A pinch of table salt

Method

Mix everything except the extra wholemeal flour and poppy seeds together in a large bowl until it comes together to form a smooth dough. Split into 8 balls of dough. Sprinkle a clean surface with the remaining wholemeal flour and some of the poppyseeds. Using a rolling pin roll the first dough ball into a circle on the poppy seeds until it is about 3 mm thick. Fry in a dry large frying pan until the underside is blistered and golden brown. Flip the flatbread over with a spatula and continue cooking until the other side is also brown. Then remove from the pan. Wrap in a clean teatowel whilst you roll and fry the remaining flatbreads, refreshing the poppy seeds on the surface as required. Stack the flatbreads in the teatowel until you have finished frying them all and then serve.

Smug, Green, Fishcakes

Smug, Green, Fishcakes

If you are looking for fishcakes with hidden vegetables that you can feed to an unsuspecting small person this is recipe is not for you. If however you want to feel totally smug about eating something that is so packed with nutrients it possibly couldn’t […]