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Jamie Oliver’s Super Food Challenge Day #3

by Elizabeth Young

published on 17 September 2015

Find out about more about The Happy Foodie Super Food Challenge here.

What I made:

What I thought:

I’m not a happy foodie today. I have an absolute passion for mushrooms, so Jamie’s Mighty Mushroom Curry was the dish I have been looking forward to most this week. Clearly, the mushroom gods (oh yes, they’re real) were not on my side last night, because my curry really didn’t turn out right. Somehow, I ended up with way too much liquid in the pan and had to reduce it and reduce it. By the end, my lovingly made curry was more mush than mushroom.

I am determined to give this dish another try, though. Despite the problems, there were loads of reasons to love it. The curry spices mingle beautifully with the fresh tang of lemon in the sauce, and the accompanying mix of lentils and brown rice is warm, comforting and filling. And I got to make curds and whey! Never done that before and it worked a treat. Thanks Jamie!

What I made:

What I thought:

I made Jamie’s Bircher Muesli the night before so it was just a case of dolloping on some yoghurt, and sprinkling some fruit, seeds and nuts in the morning. I often make bircher muesli for breakfast anyway but, with vanilla, dried apricots, almond milk and bay leaves, Jamie’s version was much more exciting than my usual recipe, and gave me lots of energy throughout the morning. A big thumbs up from me. I loved it so much I even made a gif!

Lunch consisted of the left over Super Squash Lasagne from the previous night which I had been looking forward to eating all morning. I also packed one of the Raw Vegan Flapjack Snacks to help me resist my chocolate cravings and give me a mid-afternoon energy boost.

For dinner I chose to make Jamie’s Mighty Mushroom Curry. I was intrigued by the recipe as it contains milk that you split into curds and whey and then stir in with the mushrooms and spices. The recipe also calls for a mixture of rice and lentils to soak up the sauce, which sounded interesting. Both my housemate and I loved the results, and remarked on what a good idea it is to supplement your rice with some red lentils for extra goodness. Cooking raw poppadoms in the microwave is also something I will continue to do (who knew it could be so easy!). I do, however, have to agree with Julia that the sauce was quite abundant and runny. I will try adding the salt to the mushrooms a bit later next time in the hope that they’ll release less water.

Porridge

What I made:

  • Protein Loaf with avocado and cottage cheese
  • Veg Squash it Sandwich
  • Indian Roasted Cauliflower

What I thought:

I’d been missing my usual peanut butter toast in the morning, so it was nice to have bread again. This is a really savoury loaf, and unbelievably quick to make. The batter was a lot looser than the recipe described and I was a little worried putting it in the oven, but it puffed up beautifully. I had it topped with avocado, cottage cheese, mixed seeds and sriracha chilli sauce. A delicious and filling breakfast.

My sandwich was a textural delight. Squashy bread, lovely smooth avocado and hummus (from Jamie’s recipe, but I upped the tahini and garlic rather a lot) and cooling cottage cheese, with loads of crunchy vegetables and balsamic vinegar inside. I’ve now discovered that I have nowhere near enough raw cauliflower in my life. It’s really good. The sandwich involves a fair bit of prep, so may be better for a picnic or a weekday lunch at home.

My new found cauliflower fandom continued into the evening with Indian roasted cauliflower with chickpeas and pineapple and a really wonderful spiced yoghurt sauce. It was thankfully light, lucky as my day was interrupted with a sudden flurry of canapés. So far, the inclusion of fruit in recipes has been an unqualified success.

Jamie Oliver Recipes

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