First we heard from Dr Michael Mosley on how to keep your innards in top shape, and now we bring you six delicious recipes from the companion recipe book by his wife, Dr Clare Bailey, and nutritionist Joy Skipper. Not only do the recipes look mouth-wateringly good, but they all play a role in keeping your gut healthy. So, whether you're an IBS sufferer, have a food intolerance, or are simply looking to undo the damage done by processed foods and antibiotics, these recipes should help you on your way.
From healing broths and fermented food to enzyme-stimulating salads and meals rich in pre- and probiotics, this book shows you how to reboot your microbiome with Dr Mosley's revolutionary two-phase gut repair programme. And, even better, we have a copy to give away to one lucky winner.
Beef and orange stew | Toasted slaw with halloumi | Spinach dahl | Pink celeriac and beetroot soup | Veira's coriander chicken | Warm red rice salad with courgettes
The best of comfort food. Slow-cooked and gentle on the gut. Lots of lovely mushrooms too!
700 calories
Serves 2
Dairy-free
Gluten-free
Good for phase 1
Ingredients
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas mark 3. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole and sauté the onion for 5 minutes before adding the meat. Brown it all over, then add the ginger, bay leaves, star anise, passata, vinegar, mustard, orange zest and juice and mix well.
2. Tip in the celery and carrots, then crumble in the stock cube with just enough water to cover everything. Stir gently, bring it to a simmer and then cover the casserole and place it in the oven for 2-2 ½ hours, adding the mushrooms after 1 hour.
3. Check from time to time and add more water if needed. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve with greens, such as steamed cavolo nero, kale or broccoli (add 20 cals), and 3-4 small new potatoes (add 40 cals).
The purple broccoli and red cabbage in this dish boost your phytonutrient intake and the buttermilk dressing tops up your probiotics. By heating and slightly toasting the crisper vegetables you make them easier to digest.
530 cals with dressing
Serves 2
Gluten-free
Ingredients
Method
1. Scorch the cabbage and broccoli slices on a very hot griddle, turning them once. This should take about 2 minutes on each side. Then tip them into a wide salad bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms and halloumi slices until they are golden, then stir them into the cabbage mixture.
3. Add the salad leaves and toss everything in the Lemony Buttermilk Dressing. Sprinkle the toasted almonds on top before serving.
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This wonderful filling dahl can be eaten on its own or as a side dish. Full of creamy, rich coconut flavours, it reheats well so you can keep it for a second hit later in the week. Lentils are generally great for your microbiome, being highly nutritious and containing a fair amount of protein.
570 calories
Serves 4 as a main dish or 6-8 as a side dish
Dairy-free option
Gluten-free
Ingredients
Method
1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan or casserole with a lid, and sauté the onion for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute before adding the chilli, spices and ginger.
2. After 2 more minutes, stir in the lemon juice, coconut milk and lentils. Bring the pan to the boil, then put the lid on and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed.
3. Add the spinach (or kale) and cook for 3-5 minutes, then stir in the chopped coriander and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the paneer on top. You might serve this dahl with 1 tbsp Greek-style yoghurt (add 75 cals) and Onion and Courgette Bhajis (page 162).
Tips: instead of lentils, you can use yellow split peas (chana dahl), which take longer (35-40 minutes) to cook, or the smaller red lentils, which only take about 15 minutes, but give less texture. This dish freezes well and reheating it will increase the quantity of gut-friendly resistant starch too.
Note: if you have IBS, reduce your portion size as the lentils can exacerbate symptoms.
Knobbly and a bit awkward to handle, celeriac needs only the minimum of peeling, as most of the nutrients are concentrated just beneath the skin. Like beetroot, it is full of the kind of complex carbohydrates loved by your gut biome. The delicate flavours of the two root vegetables combine beautifully here to make a creamy and filling soup.
210 calories
Dairy-free
Gluten-free
Good for phase 1
Serves 4
Ingredients
Method
1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan and sauté the onion for around 5 minutes or until it has softened.
2. Add the beetroot, celeriac, ginger, lemon juice and chilli flakes, then pour in the stock. Bring it to the boil and simmer, covered, for around 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Purée it with a hand blender, adding more stock if you like a looser consistency. Season to taste and serve topped with a matchbox-sized piece of cheese, grated (add 160 cals), or a few toasted nuts (add 60 cals).
A light, tangy dish adapted from a recipe my mother learnt while living in Malaysia.
650 calories
Dairy-free option
Gluten-free
Good for phase 1
Serves 4
Ingredients
Method
1. In a non-metallic bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger and the juice of 1 lime and the zest of both with some seasoning. Marinate the chicken in the mixture in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken and onion on a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are lightly golden. Add the cardamom seeds for the last 2 minutes of cooking, then spoon the contents into a large baking dish. Tuck the fennel and celery between the chicken pieces.
3. Pour the rest of the lime juice and any remaining marinade into the frying pan to deglaze it. Stir in the cornflour and most of the coriander, followed by the yoghurt. Mix everything together thoroughly, scraping the pan to incorporate all the chicken juices, then pour it over the chicken in the baking dish.
4. Cover the dish with a lid or foil and transfer it to the oven. After 15 minutes, remove the cover and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is slightly browned. Before serving, scatter some green chilli and the remaining coriander on top.
5. This goes well with Cauliflower Rice with Coriander (page 174) and stir-fried greens (add 40 cals). For an extra yoghurt kick, mix 100g Greek-style yoghurt with 1 tbsp coriander and 1 tbsp lime juice and dollop it on top.
370 calories
Serves 2
Dairy-free
Gluten-free
Good for phase 1
Ingredients
Method
1. Reheat the rice by adding 1 tbsp water and placing it in a microwave or steaming it in a pan. Then spoon it into a salad bowl.
2. Place the courgette slices and cabbage on a very hot griddle for a couple of minutes, turning them as they char. Stir them into the rice, along with the rest of the ingredients.
Tip: if you don't have preserved lemons, you can use the grated zest of one lemon.
Dr Clare Bailey, wife of Michael Mosley, is a GP who has pioneered the Blood Sugar Diet approach at her own surgery in Kent, and is the author of the hugely successful 8-week Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book. She has four children and a kitchen full of fermented food.
Joy Skipper is a qualified nutritionist who has worked in the food industry for over 20 years, writing cookery books and features as well as advising clients on healthy diet and lifestyle.
The Clever Guts Diet Recipe Book is published by Short Books and is available now from Amazon.
Images: Shutterstock
