Vi bad vår underbare, och mycket kunniga kock, Jack, att ge oss en inblick i vad som händer där bak i köket. Hur går tankegångarna, vilka riktlinjer lagar de vår Happy food med? Och vilken mat är de speciellt förtjusta i? Så här kommer en liten inblick “Behind the scenes”.

We are really passionate about healthy food, and a great deal of thought goes into every element of the dishes that we serve, but it is actually this difference in approach that leads us to create food that can truly nurture, food that fills us with joy and vitality, food that can tantalize and excite our senses while remaining kind and considerate to our bodies and the environment.

The humble goal of our work is to give you vibrant food packed with all of the nutrients you need in the form of easily digestible whole foods. The cooking processes, and the specific ingredients that we choose are done so to promote a healthy, light digestion and to maximise your ability to absorb nutrients from the food you eat. The result of this is that you can feel satisfied without feeling heavy, and this can reduce the need for snacking and over-eating. In addition to this, you don’t get anything you don’t need so there’s no energy being spent by your body trying to get rid of the stuff you ate which it has no use for, or which is actually doing you harm!

Vegetables! Vegetables! Vegetables! Vegetables!!!!

Vegetables comes in all the colours of the rainbow and they give us an even broader range of nu-trients. We select and prepare our vegetables with the love and care to get the most out of them. Whether it’s a slow-roasted pumpkin or cold-pressed kale juice, we are always looking for the best ways to allow ourselves access to the wealth of flavour and goodness that our vegetables provide. They are our greatest tool, our constant source of inspiration and nourishment. We don’t just love vegetables at Happy M Kitchen, we live vegetables at Happy M Kitchen!!

Naturally fermented foods

We use these plant-based foods to promote healthy gut bacteria, something which is recognised as a hugely important factor in our overall health. As well as our home made brine pickles like kim-chi, we use naturally fermented products like Tamari soy sauce, Miso, and Tempeh. We use a traditionally made Miso paste and Tamari soy sauce because unlike commercial miso and soy sauces which use additives, flavourings, and sugar to speed up the production process, the miso and tamari we use is brewed for between 18 months and two years, resulting in a very unique, high quality living food. This stuff really is a superfood, and it will make your soul sing!

Organic, gluten-free whole grains, beans, and pulses

These traditional staples have been the foundation of human diets for many thousands of years. Eaten regularly they promote healthy weight-loss, blood-sugar stability, a clean and happy digestive system, and a reliable source of slow-burning energy. They are comfort, they are nourishment.

Sea vegetables

An incredibly rich source of easily absorbable minerals and nutrients, seaweeds can be used to create the highly sought after umami flavour; as a calcium rich side dish; as an alternative to gelatin; and we also use them whenever we cook beans or pulses to eliminate the purine toxin which is a mild toxin that can cause a bit of gas. So as well as bringing a new flavours to the plate they also make our beans more sociable.

Creamy, milky alternatives

We only use non-dairy alternatives, and these are made from rice, oats, almonds, and soya. These allow us to create the wonderful creamy-richness without the fat or the risk to dairy allergy sufferers.

Natural sweeteners

We are a sugar-free kitchen and while we all need that sweetness in our lives, it’s oh so much better when it doesn’t make our energy crash by sending our blood sugar all over the place! This is why when we want to give our dishes that sweet touch, we use the natural sweetness of whole vegetables and fruits, or more gentle, lower G.I. sweeteners like brown rice, maple, or agave syrup.

So there we go, we’ve had a little look behind the scenes, or inside the mindset, of Happy M Kitchen, I hope you have enjoyed your tour and we’ve really only scratched the surface you know..

..maybe next time we can go a bit deeper.

Jack Lambeth Chef at Happy M Kitchen x