‘Algae’ doesn’t sound like the most appetising thing to add to your cooking, but chlorella, a type of fresh water algae, is appearing as an ingredient on the menus of some of the country’s leading healthy restaurants, such as Camilla Fayed’s Farmacy Kitchen. It’s also being recommended by leading nutritional chefs, who claim it not only adds a splash of vibrant colour to dishes, but a host of health benefits too, which could include everything from helping with muscle fatigue to reducing period pain.
Award winning functional nutritionist, chef and author Christine Bailey, who has over 14 health and recipe books to her name (including Go Lean Vegan, The Gut Health Diet, My Kids Can’t Eat That! And The Brain Boost Diet) shared some exciting ways to include chlorella in your cooking!
Super Berry Chia pudding
Packed with antioxidants and omega 3 fats this is a great anti-inflammatory recipe. Prepare the night before to allow the chia seeds to swell and thicken the pudding then blend in the morning for a speedy healthy breakfast.
Preparation time 5 minutes
Soaking time : overnight
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
100g blueberries
250g raspberries
250ml coconut milk
6 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
1tsp Sun Chlorella powder
To serve:
60g raspberries
Fresh berries to top
1. Add all of the ingredients to a blender and process briefly to combine. Pour the pudding into a jug or bowl and chill in the fridge overnight ready to serve in the morning.
2. Place the remaining raspberries in a blender and blitz to form a thick sauce – add a little water if needed to blend. For a smooth sauce you can pass it through a sieve
3. Spoon the chia pudding into glasses. Drizzle over a little sauce and top with a handful of fresh berries.
Broccoli, Fennel and Pear Soup
This is beautiful, light yet creamy tasting soup. Perfect for detox days. The addition of pear provides a natural sweetness to
this soup and is rich in pectin a soluble fibre to support bowel health.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 28 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
150g broccoli, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
600ml vegetable stock
1 pear, cored and chopped
1tsp Sun Chlorella powder
Olive oil for drizzling
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the broccoli and fennel and stir to coat in the oil. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Place the soup in a blender with the pear and chlorella powder and process until smooth and creamy.
3. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil
Superfood Truffles
These little chocolate nuggets are supercharged with chlorella to energise the body.
Makes: 16 truffles
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 4 hours
Ingredients
115g cashew nut butter or tahini
60g maple syrup
2tbsp cacao powder
60g melted dark chocolate
60g dried cranberries or cherries
Pinch of sea salt
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp Sun Chlorella powder
30g shelled hemp seeds
1. Place the cashew nut butter, maple syrup, cacao powder and melted chocolate in a food processor and combine. Add the remaining ingredients and process to form a dough. Chill in the fridge for several hours until firm enough to roll into balls.
2. When the mixture is firm use a spoon to scoop out walnut size balls. Roll into balls and place on a sheet of baking parchment. Roll the truffles in a little shredded coconut or dust with cacao powder.
