Unconditional Cooking

Today's chicory recipe!

Unconditional Cooking is a term I’ve come up with to describe a way of nourishing that is as life changing as it is freeing - Feeling Food cooking if you like? The term unconditional love is my inspiration – this wonderful and all embracing energy is a feeling that starts deep within, and through accepting ourselves we free it so that we can share it with everyone we meet!

In flow, unconditional love is a life force stronger than any other. If you’re thinking “Sinead, you’ve been walking through the poppy fields today” remember - how we treat our bodies is the clearest insight into how we see others and ourselves. Through Unconditional cooking we set ourselves free, we nourish and nurture ourselves daily, not in a gluttonous obsessive way, instead like a gentle guiding hand our appetites when respected take us on an awe inspiring daily journey.

When we take time to LISTEN and RESPECT our appetites we are in a good place.

The ever-changing seasons mirror our own ever-changing emotions – in season right now is chicory. Both cleansing and purifying - our blood and livers will swoon amorously and happily our skin and skeletal tissue get a loving lift too.

Lush leaves loving you!

I love braised chicory – the sourness is softened, however it is also delicious raw in salads with a honey and mustard dressing.

Whatever way you choose to eat it will be the best one for you, your instincts will make sure of that. This makes a lovely accompaniment to a golden pork chop or for a vegetarian option pan-fried Halloumi is a real winner too.

Braised Chicory

SERVES 4-6 

Chicory, 4 heads tailed

Little gem lettuce, two tailed

Olive oil, 1 tbsp

Onion 1 thinly sliced

Stock - veg or chicken 1/2 pint

Flageolet beans, 1 tin 400g

Thyme, 5 sprigs

Nutmeg, freshly grated

Half-fat Crème fraiche 2 tbsp

Honey 1 tsp

Butter 3 small knobs

PRE-HEAT oven to 190’ gas 5.

RINSE chicory and little gem leaves making sure they are separated.

HEAT a frying pan with oil and fry onions for a few minutes.

ADD thyme flageolet beans, stock, crème fraiche and honey.

SIMMER for a five minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally.

ARRANGE leaves artistically in a suitable sized ovenproof dish.

POUR over onion stock mix and finish with a happy grating of nutmeg - season generously.

DOT a few knobs of butter and thyme sprigs - cover with foil.

BAKE in the oven for 40 minutes.

SWOON swoon swoon!