5 Revitalising Celery Recipes

Celery is being mentioned so much recently: how it’s such an amazing food and so good for you, etc…. But sometimes it’s not easy to implement something new into your diet that you’re not used to eating. Don’t worry, whether you’re a seasoned celery user or not, these recipes are lovely to add to your list of favourites.

Properties of celery

Celery is a nutritional powerhouse. Here are some of its attributes:

• It’s great post-workout, as a recovery drink.
• It has some great anti-cancer properties which prevent cancer and help stop the tumour cells from growing.
• It reduces your blood pressure, stress levels and bad cholesterol.
• It’s an anti-inflammatory, so it’s great for healing the body, the skin and preventing Alzheimer’s disease, among others.
• It makes an excellent sleep aid, but also increases the sex drive – so you might want to stay up!

Celery for weight loss

Celery can help you lose weight if used properly as part of a strong weight-loss program (a balanced, wholefood diet; regular, light exercise, etc.). It comes under the branch “negative calorie” food, meaning the body uses more calories when it digests celery than celery actually contains! At one calorie per stick, you can increase the amount of calories you’re burning while eating.

Celery tart

This quiche takes around 50 minutes to make, including the pre-baking bit.

Ingredients

Serves 6 hungry people

• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil to taste
• 2 bunches of good-sized scallions or 3 bunches of thin ones, trimmed, quartered lengthwise and sliced thinnly
• 1 cup of celery, finely diced
• 1-2 garlic cloves, to taste, minced.
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp minced flat-leaved parsley
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 (9-inch) wholewheat pie crust, fully baked and cooled (or your chosen pie crust recipe)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 ounces gruyere cheese, grated to make around 1/2 cup
• 1 ounce Parmesan, grated to make about 1/4 cup

Instructions

Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan over a medium heat and then add the scallions and the celery. Stir until the celery is tender, then add a generous pinch of salt, garlic and thyme and toss them for 30 seconds or so. Season them to taste, and remove from the hob.

Beat the egg yolks and eggs in a bowl, then but the tart pan on a baking sheet so it’s easy to move around. Use a pastry brush to add a little beaten egg onto the bottom of the crust. Put the crust into the oven for 5 mins.

Add 1/2 tsp. of salt, pepper and milk to the rest of the egg and whisk.

Spread the scallion and celery mix into the crust. Stir together the cheeses and sprinkle them on top. Then very slowly pour the egg mixture over the filling until it is full enough to allow it to rise a little and not overflow!

Put the quiche on the baking sheet in the oven for 35 mins, or until it is set and starting to brown. Then remove it from the oven and give it 10 minutes before serving. This quiche can actually be served hot, warm or at room temperature.

5 Celery Juice or Smoothie Recipes

Celery cocktail

This cool, green cocktail will knock your socks off, but bear in mind that it contains alcohol, which does contain calories. The herbal flavours in the gin go really nicely with celery.

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ounce of fresh lemon guice
• 2 ounces of gin
• Lemon twist (for serving)
• Ice

Mix the celery, sugar and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker for around 1 minute. Then add the gin, filling the shaker full of ice and shake for 30 seconds. Strain the liquid into a glass full of ice and decorate with the lemon twist! If you don’t want to drink alcohol – good for you! Just leave out the gin.

Mini celery delight

• 3 stalks celery
• 3 medium-sized carrots
• 1 small or medium head of broccoli
• 1 small piece of ginger, about half the size of your finger

Juice the ingredients in a juicer or blend them with a little water in a high-speed blender then strain. You can add more carrot if you want it a little sweeter.

Celery-red grape smoothie

• 1 cup red grapes
• 1 small banana, peeled
• 2 medium stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 head of baby bok choy
• 2 ounces of filtered water if needed.

Blend and enjoy!

Celery-pineapple smoothie

• 1 small banana, peeled
• 1 medium stalk of celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup pineapple, cubed
• 2 cups of fresh baby spinach

Blend the ingredients, pour and enjoy!