Eat Write Love
NICKY AND SONJA of Creative Concoctions
Creative Concoctions is a social enterprise, boosting creative health. Welcome to our first Eat Write Love column – sharing beneficial ways to enhance your wellbeing.
We use food, nutrition, journaling and walking as potent tools for bringing about better mood and emotional regulation. We share recipes, nutritional facts and journaling exercises. Journaling is simply free flow writing, no rules here! Just a pen, a notebook and we’re away. Nicky uses the stages of write-reflect-act to make the most of what flies onto the page!
We love seasonal food, and September is the time to hit the hedgerows to pick those juicy freebies we all love – blackberries. Other than crumbles and smoothies, did you know they can be used in savoury dishes? Prepare to salivate as we share Blackberry Autumn Salad. Bring on Autumn!
If you’re reading this and have some blackberries to hand, that’ll make the journaling even more insightful!
Journaling #1: Mindful Eating to Conjure Blackberry Memories
Step One
Smell, touch, eat a blackberry more slowly than you usually would. Let the taste and its textures tickle your tongue. (Or stare at the picture if no blackberries to hand)
Step Two: 5 mins
What fond memory comes to mind? Picking on a windy autumn day? Stirring a simmering pot, watching them soften? A fond mealtime memory?
Write a few lines, without thinking or planning, just keep the words coming, bring it alive. What was delightful?
Reflect: 1 min
What one word captures this memory?
What does your blackberry memory awaken in you now?
What might you want to revive?
Recipe: Blackberry Autumn Salad
(adapted from The Natural Cook, Tom Hunt)
Serves 4 as a main dish
Ingredients:
- 3 kale leaves, stalks
removed and sliced
very finely - 400g tin green lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
- Handful of fresh parsley, stalks and leaves chopped
- 1 medium beetroot, peeled and grated (I wear gloves and an apron as this can be messy!)
- 200g blackberries, larger ones sliced
- Juice and zest of ½ a lemon
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Method:
- Put the finely sliced Kale into a bowl and drizzle some of the lemon juice over it to soften the leaves Leave to one side whilst you assemble the rest of the ingredients.
- Put your lentils, carrots and fresh herbs into a large bowl.
- Drizzle the rest of the lemon juice, the olive oil and add the salt and pepper over the lentils etc… and mix in thoroughly.
- Add the kale.
- Add the beetroot and blackberries as well as your seeds, or nuts if using, and mix in together. (save a few seeds/nuts to sprinkle over the top).
- Mix together and serve.
Substitutes
You can mix and match your ingredients too, depending on what you like and what you have in the fridge, for example, swap the Kale for chard, or spinach, or the traditional cabbage. Chop up walnuts or cashews instead of, or as well as, the seeds.
The dressing is simple, but if you don’t have a lemon, you can as easily use bottled lemon juice, or white wine vinegar.
Other fresh herbs are also good; throw in some coriander, mint or chives – there are loads of lovely herbs in season in September so have a play with the flavours you enjoy.
Journaling #2: Heart-to-heart
Imagine you’re inviting anyone you want – known/real/fictional – to a blackberry-inspired dinner or picnic.
What would you make and for who? What might they bring to the encounter? Where would it be? Go wild!
Reflect
How do you feel letting your imagination loose on the page?
What if there’s a tip hidden in this encounter for you on how to look after your heart, your wellbeing? What’s that tip?
Journaling #3: Action!
What are you eager to cook, to try?
What’s the first step?
For information on our Concoct Your Life workshops and our individual workshops:
Nicky: insta: @nickytorode, diamond-minds.co.uk;
Sonja: insta: @ryenutritionalhealth, ryenutritionalhealth.co.uk
Blackberries: Fun Facts
- Found on hedgerows now.
- Can be eaten raw.
- Complement many dishes or the main star!
Nutrition
- Low GI – supporting metabolic health
- Vitamin C – protects against cancer and supports immunity
- Manganese – supports bone and skin health
- High in Fibre – supporting digestion, gut and heart health
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