Good basic healthy eating starch recipes. See below for other types of healthy recipe.

The starch foods are the ones that give us bulk in our diets. They provide easily digested nourishment and a feeling of fullness without being fattening and in their wholegrain form are a very healthy part of your diet.

Lets start with a few suggestions for oats. When it comes to healthy eating oatcakes, porridge etc. are good for you for a number of reasons, just one of them being that oats are a natural cholesterol reducer.

Basic Scottish porridge (makes about two servings). Put 10 dessertspoons of traditional porridge oats in a saucepan. Pour over 2-3 times as much water, add salt to taste. Bring to the boil and then lower the heat and simmer until ready ( about 8 to 12 mins). More water can be added if required. Cooking time much quicker if you use finer milled oats. Makes a good breakfast. Any whole grain cereal will make a good breakfast. As usual prefer honey or molasses to sugar if sweetening is required.
The above will be too bland for a lot of people but it makes a good simple, healthy basis for more tasty variations.
For example, replace water with milk and add honey or molasses to taste. Or add mixed fruits of your choice.
For an interesting oat based dessert simmer some apples and cinnamon in water and when mixture is soft add more water and oats and simmer till oats are cooked. Top with yoghurt, or for a treat cream.

Healthy oatcakes recipe. Ingredients; 1 cup oats or oatmeal, 1/2 cup wholemeal flour, 1 teaspoon bi- carbonate of soda, 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice. Combine the dry ingredients and

mix with enough hot water to make a stiff mixture and knead. Roll onto a floured board to about 1/2 centimetre thickness and cut into squares.
Place on a lightly oiled baking tray and bake in oven at 325F for about 15 minutes. When cooled store in an airtight container. Can be varied with the addition of raisins or mixed dried fruit. Good to keep handy for snacking times during the day, or taking to work for elevenses.

Home made oat burgers. Much better for you than the shop or takeaway varieties. Start with 1 pound minced beef, 1 cup raw oats, 1 egg, 2 cloves chopped garlic, season with pepper and salt and any dried herbs you fancy.
Mix together all ingredients and form into burgers of a size you prefer. Bake on an oiled tray for 15 to 20 minutes until no longer pink in the middle. These are great burgers. Make in quantity for freezing. They can be eaten with your oven chips (see below) to make a much healthier meal than your usual take out.

Now for potatoes. Buy the organic variety. Boiled, mashed, fried, chipped, baked - the possibilities are many. I'm not here going to insult you intelligence by suggesting ways of boiling, and mashing potatoes. That's pretty straight foreward. But I would just like to add a couple of hints on making healthy chips and a word or two on baking potatoes.

Basic oven chips Make and store your own healthy oven roast chips. Simple and good. Just part boil the amount of potatoes you require and cut into chips of your favourite size. Pour olive oil into your roasting tin and place in your

chips and turn them to get them thoroughly coated in oil and then place in preheated oven (435 F/ gas mark7). After about 12 minutes (depending on thickness of chips) turn the chips and allow to cook for about another 10 to 15 minutes. Test with a fork to see if cooked. Do in bulk for your freezer. Will go nicely with most savoury dishes.

Oven baked potatoes Make a good satisfying basis for a healthy meal. Mash and add olive oil, or butter, add grated cheese and put back in oven for a few moments till cheese melts and then add black pepper and serve with generous salad topped with your favourite dressing. To speed up the cooking time for baked potatoes push a skewer through the potato to conduct the heat of the oven to it's centre. This will reduce cooking time to about 2/3rds of the normal time.

Rice is a versatile starch food that has been eaten for centuries around the globe. Here are a few ideas on how to prepare basic rice diet recipes.

Basic boiled rice. Go for organic rice. Organic rice takes longer to cook than ordinary rice. Speed things up by soaking for about eight hours before you cook. Another tip is to cook a quantity of rice, enough for about three days, and keep it in the fridge. It can then be used as required without the need to start from scratch. Rice is a healthy accompaniment to all sorts of dishes - including fruit - or can be the basis for a main meal in itself. Rice should only be cooked until it's chewy (about 15 to 20 minutes for ordinary or soaked organic rice). Try not to overcook.
Goes well with fruit dishes, topped with - for example - cream.

Healthy fried rice. Serves about three. Ingredients - 2 cups cooked rice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 ounces sliced mushrooms, 1/2 cup finely cubed carrots, 2 medium onions chopped, 2 cloves garlic finely chopped, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ground black pepper and salt to taste. Heat oil in frying pan and stir fry all ingredients except rice and soy sauce for about 4 to 5 minutes sauce then add rice and cook for a further two minutes stirring continuously. Remove from heat, add soy sauce and serve. Goes nicely with any meats or fish.

Rice curry This time start with 1 cup uncooked rice, 1 chopped red pepper, 1 chopped onion, 2 cloves chopped

garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons curry powder (more or less to taste), 2 1/2 cups of stock. Add the stock to a large pot and bring to the boil. Add all the ingredients and simmer until the rice is cooked.
Use slightly less water for a firmer rice. Time will be about 20 minutes to 1hour depending on the type of rice. Again, nice and simple to do and makes a nice meal in itself. Like with most rice dishes it can be made in larger quantities and stored in fridge.

Flour recipes

Basic pastry. Ingredients; (Will make enough for about 3 pie shells). 3 cups wholemeal flour (organic is best), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2lb butter, 1 dessertspoon vinegar, 1 egg-beaten (not essential), cold water. Method, In a large basin mix together the flour and salt, cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives, combine vinegar and egg in a cup and fill rest of cup with cold water. Slowly stir the liquid into the flour (use knives or a pastry blender to do this) until the mixture clings together. Roll out onto a floured board as required. Allow to relax for a while before using. Good for delicious fruit (or any other) pies.

Bake your own healthy bread Learn how to instantly bake your own healthy whole wheat bread to gain back the precious nutrients and vitamins you lose eating manufactured bread. This book comes with free recipes on making your own healthy ice cream, Italian cooking and is well recommended as part of your healthy eating program.

Medicine you can find in your kitchen For more useful tips on healthy eating and healthy living. This book will provide a wealth of information on living in a way that's in harmony with your mind and body.

Basic pancake recipes. The following amount will do for about three people. First whisk 2 eggs and pour them into a basin containing 4 tablespoons wholemeal flour (use fine cake flour). Beat the mixture until it is smooth and lump free. Add two thirds of a pint of milk and a little salt to taste. Cook in a hot frying pan in a little olive oil, turning when the mixture begins to bubble and brown the other side. For a more fluffy pancake add two teaspoons bi-carbonate of soda. They can be serve as a base for any number of interesting ingredients, sweet or savoury. Just for one example try:
Chicken pancake. Ingredients; 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 chicken breasts, 1 medium chopped onion, 2 chopped tomatoes, soy sauce to taste, 4 ready cooked pancakes. Method, cut the chicken into thin strips and stir fry in pan until cooked - about 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir quickly together to mix. Serve onto your prepared pancakes and roll up. Can be served as an evening meal with salad or rice or makes a nice mid-day meal for those who stay home for lunch.

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