Cauliflower steak, seeds and lemon kale

Like any good carnivore, I was sceptical about making cauliflower steaks.
Luckily, a lonely cauliflower inspired me to make something out of the ordinary. And it was... The cumin, garlic and thyme coated cauliflower is insanely delicious, balanced nicely with some lemon kale and brought together by mild chilli seeds.
Give this recipe a go. You may be pleasantly surprised about just how good it is.

Ingredients for 2:
1 pack of chilli Munchy Seeds
1 medium cauliflower
3 stems of curly kale or 4x handfuls of chopped kale
8 cherry tomatoes on the vine
1 small clove of garlic
1 sprig of thyme
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
juice of half a lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
Butter or rapeseed oil to cook

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
To make the cauliflower steaks, remove the leaves, sit the cauliflower on a chopping board (stem down) and cut off both sides until you are left with an 8cm wide, central piece. Cut this piece in half to form two 4cm steaks.
Heat the butter or oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
Squash the garlic by pressing down on it, there is no need to peel it. Put the garlic and thyme into the hot oil, stir, then add your cauliflower steaks. 
Season the steaks with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and cumin and cook for 2 minutes without moving.
Flip the steaks over carefully, add a little more oil or butter if required, season with salt, pepper and cumin again and cook for another 2 minutes.
Remove the steaks from the pan, put them on a roasting tray with the tomatoes and roast for 15 minutes.
Whilst the cauliflower steaks are roasting, make the lemon kale. Remove the leaves of kale from the stem and tear them into 2-3" pieces.
Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon, season well with sea salt and black pepper and massage the kale until the leaves are bruised and reduced in volume to about half the original amount.
To serve, divide the kale between two plates, top with a cauliflower steak, put the roasted tomatoes on the side and sprinkle liberally with chilli seeds.

Should you put protein into your smoothie?

There are a few smoothie camps in our modern times: the vegan/ vegetarian purists, the gym going protein lovers and the “not too sure about this but it looks like a good idea” group of inbetweeners.
Irrespective of your position, putting protein into your morning smoothie could be a beneficial way of starting your day.
Here is why:

Protein is an essential building block
Protein is used for so much more than just the obvious muscle building.
It is needed for repair, to construct essential parts of the immune system, detoxification (YES PROTEIN IS NEEDED FOR DETOXIFICATION), to make certain hormones, for carriers (these are used for transport in the body i.e. to carry oxygen in blood) and for enzymes that allow us to break down our food.
As you can see, almost every essential process in our body involves protein.

Protein will keep you fuller for longer
The average smoothie of fruits and vegetables is pretty easily broken down by the digestive system. In fact, carbohydrates are digested the quickest out of any food group, followed by protein then fats.
Here is the clever part: when you add protein to your smoothie, the whole thing is broken down at a slower rate. So instead of the smoothie powering you for a matter of half an hour, it may keep you full for several hours.

BUT - not all protein sources are created equal
Protein is broken down into smaller molecules before we can use them, known as amino acids. There are 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential (meaning they can only be obtained from food), the other 11 are conditionally non-essential or non-essential (meaning we can generally manufacture them in the body dependant on the state of your health).
Protein derived from plants rarely contain all of the essential amino acids. One exception to this is sprouted rice protein which contains all essential amino acids, albeit some in only small quantities.
To get the full amino acid range at the correct level, animal sources are the most optimum i.e. whey protein.

Word of warning
Whilst there is a benefit to adding protein to your morning smoothie, do pay attention to what else is in your protein product.
A good natural organic whey or rice protein may be great but if it is mixed with a bunch of chemicals you cannot pronounce then you may as well avoid it. Sugar is also commonly mixed into protein powders and we all know that's not such a healthy ingredient.
The moral of the story is: don't buy cheap protein, go with an organic source and check the list of ingredients.

My favourite proteins*:
I'm a longstanding fan of The Organic Protein Co's Organic Whey. It is affordable, pure and contains no added ingredients.
For a flavoured whey protein, Nutristrength's Vanilla Whey has been a recent discovery. This option is more costly but you are paying for quality. As an added bonus it turns your morning smoothie into what tastes like dessert and who wouldn't want to start their day with pudding.

*please note I am not affiliated with either of these companies. Having tried a few proteins in my time, I am listing these as genuine options and have not been bribed by these guys.

Check out the next post for a delicious raspberry protein smoothie recipe.

Could you have low stomach acid?

Low stomach acid is more common than you think. Tell tale signs include frequent colds and infections, fatigue and digestive problems such as bloating, constipation and gas.
How can you spot the signs and what can you do about it?

What is it?
As the name suggests, stomach acid is acid that resides in your stomach.
It is particularly corrosive stuff with two main functions: to break down food and to kill any bacteria that you may have ingested.

Signs of low stomach acid
The signs of low stomach acid are correlated with either the improper breakdown of food or the incomplete execution of ingested bacteria.
Digestive issues including bloating, gas, constipation and diarrhoea may occur.
Since food is not broken down completely, we are unable to absorbs many of the essential nutrients required for health. Nutrient deficiencies have a knock on effect on energy so fatigue may also be experienced. 
In addition, the extra bacteria, parasites and viruses that would've ordinarily been killed off by the acidic environment of the stomach survive and travel further down the gut where they can add to digestive discomfort. Not to mention the increased frequency of infections, colds and lower immunity that they also bring.
Low iron levels, allergies and reflux are also linked with low stomach acid.

What causes it? 
Stress: stress is one of the main offenders when it comes to improper digestion. Whilst stressed, digestion and stomach acid are suppressed
Age: stomach acid lowers naturally from the age of 40 onwards
Over-exercising: exercising too much is a major stressor. Whilst keeping fit is important, recovery is also essential
Mineral imbalance & lack of Vitamin C: minerals, especially sodium (salt) as well as vitamin C are required to make stomach acid
Allergies: those with allergies have a higher incidence of allergies, including asthma

Test your stomach acid:
The baking soda burp test is a simple at home method that may be used as an indicative of stomach acid levels.
Here is what to do:
Combine 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda with 100 - 150ml of water.
Drink this fluid before any food is consumed (ideally in the morning).
Time when you burp.
If you burp within the first 3 minutes your stomach acid levels may be sufficient. If you don't burp then your stomach acid levels are suboptimal.

What can you do about it?

Chew food thoroughly: if you stomach acid is suboptimal then this part is crucial. Chewing your food properly means there is less breaking down to be done further down the digestive tract.
Start your day with hot water and lemon: lemon is naturally acidic and since you need stomach acid to make stomach acid, drinking hot water and lemon is a great way to gently boost stomach acid levels
Don't eat on the go: see the note above re stress and digestion
Sip water with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with protein rich meals: similar to lemon, apple cider vinegar may help to boost stomach acid levels
Address your stress: stress and good digestion are polar opposites. Make time to destress, meditate, go for long walks or whatever it may take for you to chill