Purrsian cuisine

Eats shoots & leaves

Skin looking pooped? Antioxidants will help. They’re important little buggers for recovery. Antioxidants work by disarming those thieving free-radicals lolloping through our bloodstream. Without disarmament, free-radicals can plunder our peachy skin like a game of Space Invaders gone horribly wrong (this is a process called oxidation).

Don’t worry, this oxidation lark is not exactly an overnight operation. Ideally, we’re aiming to slow down oxidation and keep ageing at arm’s length. I like to imagine every mouthful of food can either help speed this process up, or slow it down.

Plant-based foods like onions, garlic, parsley, peppers and lentils are rich in antioxidants. Think of them as our very own personal ninja squad. Given that oxidative stress has a starring role in the theatre of ageing, I think it’s probably worth giving this week’s recipe a go!

Serves 6-8 (can be frozen)

You will need:

Olive oil, for sauteing 2 large onions, peeled 2 green peppers, de-seeded 6 cloves garlic, peeled Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons sweet paprika 80g fresh parsley, finely chopped 80g fresh coriander, finely chopped 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon plain or gluten-free flour 2L chicken stock or veg stock 100g brown basmati rice 100g uncooked lentils Big squirt of tomato ketchup Boiled egg, grated (to garnish) Spring onions, chopped (optional) Creme fraiche (optional)