Get creative in the kitchen with these five amazing aloe vera recipes

Every week there seems to be a new fruit, vegetable or nut that storms on the scene, praised for its beneficial properties and high nutrient values, but one rather understated botanical that deserves to be added to the menu of healthy eating is aloe.

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that lives in arid desert regions. Its plump leaves are bursting with goodness in the form of inner leaf gel and acemannan. Acemannan is found in the leaves mucilage, just above the gel and it is the part of aloe that helps support the immune system. Aloe also carries purifying properties which means it’s a great digestive aid that can also benefit your skin, hair and nails.

Aloe gel really is loaded with nutrients which is why we were excited to try these five delicious recipes that embrace aloe vera and taste amazing.

1. Nutty green salad with aloe and soy

Serves 4

Salad

1 tbsp Forever Bee Honey

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp vegetable oil

250g mangetout

4 chives, chopped

100g baby Asian leaves

110g salted peanuts

Dressing

55g salted peanuts

1 tbsp Forever Bee Honey

180ml vegetable stock

4 tsp toasted sesame seeds

3 tbsp thick dark soy

1 tbsp Forever Aloe Vera Gel

For the dressing, put the peanuts, honey, vegetable stock, sesame seeds, dark soy, and aloe gel in a food processor and blend. Set aside. For the salad, gently heat the honey, oil and soy sauce in a pan. Add the mangetout and lightly fry for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and toss in the chives. Toss the mangetout mixture with the Asian leaves and sprinkle the peanuts on top. Serve with the dressing on the side. This dish goes well with pork.

2. Forever Aloe Berry Nectar risotto

Serves 4

320g rice

½ onion

1 tbsp seed oil

60g butter

40g parmesan cheese

50g cranberries

150ml Forever Aloe Berry Nectar

50g Mascarpone cheese

1 litre meat both

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the meat broth. In a pan, brown the onion with the seed oil and butter. Add the rice and Forever Aloe Berry Nectar. Mix everything together. Slowly add the broth and cook for 20 minutes. Once cooked, stir with the mascarpone and parmesan cheese, cranberries and a small amount of Forever Aloe Berry Nectar.

3. Scaloppini with artichokes

Serves 4

8 veal slices

4 artichokes

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp seed oil

½ onion

30g flour

1 plain yoghurt

2 tbsp cream

150ml vegetable broth

100ml Forever Aloe Vera Gel

50ml white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

chopped parsley to taste

Wash and cut the artichokes into slices. Chop the garlic and onion and brown; add to the broth along with the Forever Aloe Vera Gel. Flour the veal slices and brown them with seed oil; season with salt and pepper. Remove the excess oil and spray with white wine. Add the yoghurt and cream and slow cook for 15 minutes. Spray with Forever Aloe Vera Gel and parsley before serving.

4. Three citrus quinoa salad

Serves 4

Salad

185g cooked quinoa

112g crumbled feta

2 oranges, segmented

1 grapefruit, segmented

100g wild rocket

Zest from 2 oranges

Salt

Dressing

105ml olive oil

4 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp Forever Bee Honey

Salt

Pepper

1 tsp Forever Aloe Peaches / Forever Aloe Bits N’ Peaches

Leave quinoa aside till cooled. In a salad bowl, toss together quinoa, feta, orange, grapefruit, wild rocket, orange zest and salt to taste. For the dressing, in a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, aloe and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside. Serve salad with dressing.

5. Chicken kebabs with aloe and avocado dip

Serves 4

4 boneless chicken breast, sliced

4 flatbreads

1 lemon cut into wedges

Marinade

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp chilli powder

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Ground black pepper

Aloe and avocado dip

2 avocados

2 tbsp Forever Aloe Vera Gel

1 tsp ground cumin

1 lemon, juiced

1 clove of grated garlic

Handful of chopped coriander

1 tbsp olive oil

Mix together all the marinade ingredients with some salt and pepper. Add the chunks of chicken and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Wash avocados and remove stones; add to a bowl along with the aloe and avocado dip ingredients. Mash together with a fork and set aside. Heat up a pan and once nice and hot, add your marinated chicken and cook until golden brown and crispy (turn them occasionally). In another dry pan, heat up your flatbreads (about 30 seconds per side). Cut open the flatbreads and fill with chicken and dip; serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Have you any aloe vera recipes? Let us know by commenting below.