Recipe for a simple and rich tomato ragù

“Initially I had an idea to do a parenting cookbook and put that in my first proposal,” she explained.

“But then it changed to a self-care cookbook. There is a narrative, recipes and things that can help you with your mental health and looking after yourself.”

Key for Gemma when compiling the book was that the recipes were quick, easy but also that the ingredients were accessible.

“I have included things that can be bought from anywhere be it Aldi or a wholefood shop and won’t cost a fortune.”

The publishers got in touch with Gemma after they found the Instagram page for her Brighton based business Gem’s Wholesome Kitchen.

Through the business she offers ‘nourish’ packages of plant-based food that gets delivered.

She says: “I lived in Spain and used Instagram as a way of showing what I was cooking. Then when we came back to the UK and moved to Brighton it became a great visual, platform to showcase my food.”

Gemma cooks plant-based meals but uses eggs and honey in some of her recipes.

“I tend to go for wholefoods and non-processed foods as a lot of vegan items, like the cheese, can be really processed and contain loads of additives.

“I just want to educate people to choose the right food for their health and mind.”

Rich ragù

SERVES 3–4

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes

This simple, rich tomato ragù is delicious served with any type of pasta or veggie noodles, such as butternut squash or courgette. Adding spinach ups the vitamins and iron to help combat tiredness. The walnuts provide extra protein and energy, as well as the wonderful mood-boosting mineral selenium, which helps reduce anxiety and sets off those happy hormones.

Ingredients

olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

400g tin chopped tomatoes

a few sundried tomatoes, rehydrated (or from a jar in olive oil), chopped

sea salt and freshly ground

black pepper

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp oregano

a bunch of basil

300g pasta or veggie noodles

150g spinach, chopped

200g walnuts, chopped

freshly chopped parsley, to serve

Method

Heat some olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion and garlic on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add all the other ingredients apart from the pasta, spinach and walnuts and reserving a few basil leaves to serve, and simmer for 10 minutes.

If you are serving this with pasta, cook it in boiling water while the sauce is reducing, then drain.

When the sauce is cooked, blitz it with a hand-held blender until smooth (or you can just leave it chunky).

Stir through the chopped spinach and walnuts. If you are using veggie noodles, fold them into the sauce and warm through for a couple of minutes. If you’re serving it with pasta, add to the pan and coat in the sauce before serving, garnished with reserved basil leaves and the parsley.

For extra decadence, drizzle with pesto. This ragù can also be used as an excellent base for a pizza or spread on toast for a quick snack.

Extracted from The Self-Care Cookbook by Gemma Ogston (Vermilion, £14.99)

Photography by: Gemma Ogston

For more information about Gemma her book and workshops www.gemswholesomekitchen.com

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