Kick-start a healthy diet with these alkaline recipes

Natasha Corrett, co-author of the Honestly Healthy For Life cookbook, discovered the benefits of an alkaline diet after years of yo-yo dieting. And she’s the perfect person to introduce you to these delicious alkaline recipes. A passionate foodie (thanks to her father’s French restaurants), but intolerance aware (thanks to her highly allergic mother) Natasha combines her interesting background with food with her godmother, Vicki Edgson’s nutritional know-how in this fantastic alkaline cookbook. Keen to give an alkaline diet a go? Check out these yummy recipes to get started.

This is one of the most beautiful salads but is curious too – it’s so light but filling at the same time. The spiralised noodles are such a great touch, especially if you are trying to stay away from carbs. Why not use them instead of pasta if you’re trying to steer clear of wheat? You may never look back.

Serves 4–5

For the sauce:
12g (1/3  oz) dried or fresh curry leaves
150g (5½oz/1 cup) raw cashew nuts, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
120ml (4fl oz/1/2 cup) water
Juice of ½ lime
10g (1/4 oz) coriander (cilantro)
200ml (7fl oz/generous ¾ cup) coconut milk
1tsp each of ground cumin, ground ginger, dried lemongrass, fresh chilli (chopped), garlic (chopped), root ginger (grated), ground coriander

For the courgette ‘noodles’:

5 courgettes
100g (3 1/2oz/1 cup) beansprouts
120g (4oz) mange tout (snow peas)
2 red peppers, sliced
70g (2 1/2oz) sugar snap peas, finely sliced
200g (7oz) baby corn, sliced
Raw cashew nuts, to garnish

Put all the sauce ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Set aside.

Using a spiraliser, spiralise the courgettes and then mix all the sauce over these ‘noodles’ and add in the chopped vegetables.

Pack into containers and refrigerate until ready to serve or eat. (If you prefer you can make the sauce a day or so ahead and mix with spiralised noodles just before serving.)

Garnish with a sprinkle of cashews just before eating.

NUTRITIONAL NUGGET
Beansprouts are a ‘living’ food – that ensures all the protein therein is at its highest available level. Adding these to any dish completes the protein requirement for a meal, as well as having the satisfying crunchiness of such fresh foods.

Try this delicious Peach and Butternut Squash salad and tasty Crunchy Toffee Popcorn, too.

Honestly Healthy for Life

Honestly Healthy For Life: Healthy Alternatives for Everyday Eating by Natasha Corrett and Vicki Edgson. Photography by Lisa Lindner. Published by Jacqui Small, £25.