Very simply made and even easier to eat, this would be great for adults or first weaners.
Check out the recipe for Parsnip Mash by clicking on the link!
Kamis, 11 Desember 2014
Parsnip Mash
I came up with this recipe for Parsnip Mash on my new blog but thought I'd would share it here as well because it would be absolutely fantastic for babies too.
Very simply made and even easier to eat, this would be great for adults or first weaners.
Check out the recipe for Parsnip Mash by clicking on the link!
Very simply made and even easier to eat, this would be great for adults or first weaners.
Check out the recipe for Parsnip Mash by clicking on the link!
Jumat, 20 Juni 2014
Calling it a day
Hi All,
I am bringing down the curtain on Mamacook. It's been going for over three years now and during that time I've had some amazing feedback. I'm at the point now though where I'm going to have to make a big investment in camera equipment to be able to even stand still (as I no longer have access to an SLR as you will have seen from recent photos). I've got to the point where I'm questioning whether it's the right decision for me and my son.
My son was under 1 year old when I started this blog and now he's 4. Through my blog I've helped him discover a love for great food and it's helped me challenge myself and stretch my imagination on what kids will and won't eat.
I had intended to continue my blog moving into lunch box food as he starts school but with the changes being made across the UK, this now makes it a moot point.
So I very much hope you have enjoyed reading. I will keep my blog up and visible for anyone who wants to read it; it is effectively my online recipe book anyway and I keep going back to posts I love. I just want to spend less time promoting, researching and testing recipes and more time with my son. All bloggers like to claim they don't look at stats but we're all naturally competitive and I don't want to be ruled by that anymore. I do have a couple of posts left to write and a couple banked but, I can honestly say my heart isn't in it as much as it was and I think it's starting to show. I'd rather finish on a high than feel like I'd let things slide and there are so many fantastic blogs out there now with really exciting recipes and much better photography than mine!
I really hope you've enjoyed reading and will continue to read. That is the nature of the internet, my work is published, out there and hopefully helping other parents feed their kids interesting food.
I might, some day, take my experience and start working on another blog but for now, this has been some of the hardest but most enjoyable 3 and a half years of my life. Thank you for reading.
Heidi (Mamacook)
Update: I have now launched my new blog, Eat Like You Love Yourself. Please take a look. The blog is all about food for busy people who often eat alone but don't want to eat rubbish! Here are a few photos to wet your appetite!
I am bringing down the curtain on Mamacook. It's been going for over three years now and during that time I've had some amazing feedback. I'm at the point now though where I'm going to have to make a big investment in camera equipment to be able to even stand still (as I no longer have access to an SLR as you will have seen from recent photos). I've got to the point where I'm questioning whether it's the right decision for me and my son.
My son was under 1 year old when I started this blog and now he's 4. Through my blog I've helped him discover a love for great food and it's helped me challenge myself and stretch my imagination on what kids will and won't eat.
I had intended to continue my blog moving into lunch box food as he starts school but with the changes being made across the UK, this now makes it a moot point.
So I very much hope you have enjoyed reading. I will keep my blog up and visible for anyone who wants to read it; it is effectively my online recipe book anyway and I keep going back to posts I love. I just want to spend less time promoting, researching and testing recipes and more time with my son. All bloggers like to claim they don't look at stats but we're all naturally competitive and I don't want to be ruled by that anymore. I do have a couple of posts left to write and a couple banked but, I can honestly say my heart isn't in it as much as it was and I think it's starting to show. I'd rather finish on a high than feel like I'd let things slide and there are so many fantastic blogs out there now with really exciting recipes and much better photography than mine!
I really hope you've enjoyed reading and will continue to read. That is the nature of the internet, my work is published, out there and hopefully helping other parents feed their kids interesting food.
I might, some day, take my experience and start working on another blog but for now, this has been some of the hardest but most enjoyable 3 and a half years of my life. Thank you for reading.
Heidi (Mamacook)
Update: I have now launched my new blog, Eat Like You Love Yourself. Please take a look. The blog is all about food for busy people who often eat alone but don't want to eat rubbish! Here are a few photos to wet your appetite!
Banana and Honey Ice Lollies
I've never bought an ice lolly for my son which has led to full on, lying back, kicking, screaming because he wanted more. Apart from my son's behaviour (and not wanting to reward it), it's not going to make you feel too bad giving him two.
It's also a great way to use up and store bananas which are past their best as you do want them slightly over-ripe.
Banana and Honey Ice Lollies - makes 4-6 depending on mould size
Ingredients
1 ripe banana
2 tsp runny honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
100g, 3.5oz Yogurt (low fat is fine)
Method
Peel and chop the banana. Blend the ingredients together. Pour into an ice lolly mould and freeze until solid. Run some warm water over the outside of the mould to release them.
It's also a great way to use up and store bananas which are past their best as you do want them slightly over-ripe.
Banana and Honey Ice Lollies - makes 4-6 depending on mould size
Ingredients
1 ripe banana
2 tsp runny honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
100g, 3.5oz Yogurt (low fat is fine)
Method
Peel and chop the banana. Blend the ingredients together. Pour into an ice lolly mould and freeze until solid. Run some warm water over the outside of the mould to release them.
Don't give to under 1's due to the honey (you could always miss it out if your bananas are super ripe and sweet.)
Senin, 16 Juni 2014
Minestrone Soup for all ages
Soup might not seem like the most summery recipe but with a drizzle of olive oil, this really hit the spot, especially when the weather is less than you'd hope for.
Minestrone Soup - Makes enough for one adult and one child with leftovers, freezes well.
Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 courgette (zucchini) finely chopped
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
1-2 carrots, finely chopped
180g, 6.5oz Smoked bacon
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tin borlotti beans (120g, 4oz drained weight)
45g, 1.5oz small pasta shapes - I used alphabet shapes because I thought they were cute
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1 tsp pesto
Olive oil and grated cheese to serve (optional)
Method
Gently fry the onion in the oil for a couple of minutes. Add the courgette and carrots and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the garlic, celery and chopped bacon and fry until the bacon is looking cooked and the onion is translucent.
Add 650ml, just over a pint, of boiling water and the borlotti beans. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the carrot is almost cooked. Add in the pasta and tomato and boil until the pasta is cooked, this will depend on the pasta type so be guided by the pack. Mine took 4-5 minutes.
Add the pesto, stirring in and serve with chopped parsley and cheese sprinkled on top if liked. A lovely summery soup!
If you like this, you might like my lovely Moroccan soup too!
Minestrone Soup - Makes enough for one adult and one child with leftovers, freezes well.
Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 courgette (zucchini) finely chopped
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
1-2 carrots, finely chopped
180g, 6.5oz Smoked bacon
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tin borlotti beans (120g, 4oz drained weight)
45g, 1.5oz small pasta shapes - I used alphabet shapes because I thought they were cute
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1 tsp pesto
Olive oil and grated cheese to serve (optional)
Method
Gently fry the onion in the oil for a couple of minutes. Add the courgette and carrots and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the garlic, celery and chopped bacon and fry until the bacon is looking cooked and the onion is translucent.
Add 650ml, just over a pint, of boiling water and the borlotti beans. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the carrot is almost cooked. Add in the pasta and tomato and boil until the pasta is cooked, this will depend on the pasta type so be guided by the pack. Mine took 4-5 minutes.
Add the pesto, stirring in and serve with chopped parsley and cheese sprinkled on top if liked. A lovely summery soup!
If you like this, you might like my lovely Moroccan soup too!
Or why not try this lovely chowder?
Senin, 09 Juni 2014
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are one of those foods people think are difficult to make. "Life is too short to stuff a mushroom" a phrase apparently coined by Shirley Conran. Stuffing a mushroom does sound difficult, or fiddly but I promise it's not.
This super simple stuffing also makes it easy (and delicious). I just had this as an adult meal for one but my son, a fan of both mushrooms and cheese would love these. Do include the herbs, after all, without them they'd be a two ingredient recipe and that feels a little bit lame!
Stuffed Mushrooms - Serves 1 Adult or 1-2 Children
Ingredients
5 White Mushrooms (I didn't use large open capped ones, just ones around 2-4 cm across. The bigger they are, the fewer you'll need.)
A few sprigs of fresh herbs, I used parsley, thyme and chives
60g, 2oz Feta cheese, crumbled
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, gas mark 7.
Take the stalks out of the mushrooms just leaving the caps. If you like the stalks can be chopped up and used in another dish, like Bolognese or vegetarian lasagne.
Chop up the herbs and mix with the feta.
Put the mushrooms in a baking dish and fill the caps with spoonfuls of feta.
Bake for 20 minutes or until browned on top and the mushrooms are cooked through. Great served with a simply dressed tomato salad.
Make it thrifty
It is possible to buy "Greek Style Salad Cheese" which is often less than half the price of feta which I sometimes do when short of money. The quality of it is very variable though. Certainly if having in a salad I would always buy authentic feta but in this recipe the alternative is fine for stuffed mushrooms.
This super simple stuffing also makes it easy (and delicious). I just had this as an adult meal for one but my son, a fan of both mushrooms and cheese would love these. Do include the herbs, after all, without them they'd be a two ingredient recipe and that feels a little bit lame!
Stuffed Mushrooms - Serves 1 Adult or 1-2 Children
Ingredients
5 White Mushrooms (I didn't use large open capped ones, just ones around 2-4 cm across. The bigger they are, the fewer you'll need.)
A few sprigs of fresh herbs, I used parsley, thyme and chives
60g, 2oz Feta cheese, crumbled
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, gas mark 7.
Take the stalks out of the mushrooms just leaving the caps. If you like the stalks can be chopped up and used in another dish, like Bolognese or vegetarian lasagne.
Chop up the herbs and mix with the feta.
Put the mushrooms in a baking dish and fill the caps with spoonfuls of feta.
Bake for 20 minutes or until browned on top and the mushrooms are cooked through. Great served with a simply dressed tomato salad.
Make it thrifty
It is possible to buy "Greek Style Salad Cheese" which is often less than half the price of feta which I sometimes do when short of money. The quality of it is very variable though. Certainly if having in a salad I would always buy authentic feta but in this recipe the alternative is fine for stuffed mushrooms.
Kamis, 05 Juni 2014
Is food thrift relevant?
Something someone said recently made me think about one of the themes I blog about. I often write thrifty recipes or give tips on how to make the recipe cheaper to make, cook or ways to use up or prevent waste. My food is rarely expensive to make. This is because it's the way I cook. I care about food, I value it.
When I was little, my parents used to grow nearly all of our own fruit and vegetables. None of it went to waste. Gluts were frozen, picked, bottled, made into jam or wine.
I don't want my childhood to sound like a rural idyll because I didn't grow up in a posh place but it was a place which was very much in touch with food and where it came from. We used to get eggs from a farm in the village and my best friend lived on a pig farm.
I think the distance we have now from food production is part of the reason we don't respect it enough.
So does my approach matter? My approach isn't because 'thrift', for a while became a food trend; rather, food trends happened to coincide with what I'm about. But the more I thought about it, as we've been going through this awful, extended recession, the more it did make sense.
When you are in straightened times, necessity can be the mother of invention. Finding new and delicious ways with lentils might not sound exciting but when that leads to the best vegetarian lasagne you've ever tasted, can that be bad? In the last few years, I've found cheap ways to eat 7 a day proving healthy food doesn't have to be expensive.
So what is the point eh? House prices are increasing, confidence is going up, we're all great right? Well maybe. But if you think about it, increasing house prices is vanity, it's not real wealth. If you have a house, unless your mortgage is fixed you're likely to be seeing interest rate rises soon, squeezing already tight incomes. House prices going up put more and more families out of reach of buying a home. Reliant on landlords with no real security in their rental outgoings. As Ken Clarke said this week, British people aren't feeling the recovery yet.
Why does everyone think there is this anti European rebellious feeling in politics at the moment? People are fed up. Fed up with feeling the squeeze. It's astonishing to think this has been going on for 6 years. For much more than my son's entire life.
Food is one of your largest monthly expenses after a roof over your head. When incomes decline, some families reach for highly processed foods which seem cheap but offer little nutrition so devising and sharing inexpensive, tasty food high in nutrition I hope will never go out of fashion.
So what have I learned? Despite my upbringing, some habits had started to slip until we were really starting to feel the bite in 2008 / 2009. Just like successfully dieting and keeping off the weight, I changed habits bit by bit. I eat far less meat than I used to and the meat I do eat tends to be things like chicken thighs, small amounts of chorizo or bacon to flavour a dish, fish (if bought frozen is really thrifty) and slow cook joints like brisket. I shop less often and am more likely to use what's in my fridge or freezer than get something specific in for a meal. I know that with lentils and curry paste in my cupboard, I'm half an hour away from something decent, tasty and filling. I freeze ingredients going out of date and often freeze items straight after opening if I think I won't eat the contents in time. I label everything well in my freezer. I can't remember the last time I threw something substantial away.
Forget about the money for a minute if you like. I would argue that thrift is, perhaps the wrong word. It is food respect. If you eat meat, eating all of it including using the bones for stock is a way to respect it. If you have vegetables nearing the end of their usefulness, making soup or sauces is a great way to preserve them because they freeze brilliantly.
Throwing food away means that was a waste, not just in the literal sense. The food will decompose in a land fill producing methane which is a far more dangerous greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Energy was used in making that food and it was wasted.
So if I've not convinced you that food thrift is worth being a 'trend', I hope I've convinced you it's worth learning how to cook good, thrifty food for the health of your family or if you like. do it for the planet instead or just because it's right. Because, let's face it, I've never been trendy.
When I was little, my parents used to grow nearly all of our own fruit and vegetables. None of it went to waste. Gluts were frozen, picked, bottled, made into jam or wine.
I don't want my childhood to sound like a rural idyll because I didn't grow up in a posh place but it was a place which was very much in touch with food and where it came from. We used to get eggs from a farm in the village and my best friend lived on a pig farm.
I think the distance we have now from food production is part of the reason we don't respect it enough.
So does my approach matter? My approach isn't because 'thrift', for a while became a food trend; rather, food trends happened to coincide with what I'm about. But the more I thought about it, as we've been going through this awful, extended recession, the more it did make sense.
When you are in straightened times, necessity can be the mother of invention. Finding new and delicious ways with lentils might not sound exciting but when that leads to the best vegetarian lasagne you've ever tasted, can that be bad? In the last few years, I've found cheap ways to eat 7 a day proving healthy food doesn't have to be expensive.
So what is the point eh? House prices are increasing, confidence is going up, we're all great right? Well maybe. But if you think about it, increasing house prices is vanity, it's not real wealth. If you have a house, unless your mortgage is fixed you're likely to be seeing interest rate rises soon, squeezing already tight incomes. House prices going up put more and more families out of reach of buying a home. Reliant on landlords with no real security in their rental outgoings. As Ken Clarke said this week, British people aren't feeling the recovery yet.
Why does everyone think there is this anti European rebellious feeling in politics at the moment? People are fed up. Fed up with feeling the squeeze. It's astonishing to think this has been going on for 6 years. For much more than my son's entire life.
Food is one of your largest monthly expenses after a roof over your head. When incomes decline, some families reach for highly processed foods which seem cheap but offer little nutrition so devising and sharing inexpensive, tasty food high in nutrition I hope will never go out of fashion.
So what have I learned? Despite my upbringing, some habits had started to slip until we were really starting to feel the bite in 2008 / 2009. Just like successfully dieting and keeping off the weight, I changed habits bit by bit. I eat far less meat than I used to and the meat I do eat tends to be things like chicken thighs, small amounts of chorizo or bacon to flavour a dish, fish (if bought frozen is really thrifty) and slow cook joints like brisket. I shop less often and am more likely to use what's in my fridge or freezer than get something specific in for a meal. I know that with lentils and curry paste in my cupboard, I'm half an hour away from something decent, tasty and filling. I freeze ingredients going out of date and often freeze items straight after opening if I think I won't eat the contents in time. I label everything well in my freezer. I can't remember the last time I threw something substantial away.
Forget about the money for a minute if you like. I would argue that thrift is, perhaps the wrong word. It is food respect. If you eat meat, eating all of it including using the bones for stock is a way to respect it. If you have vegetables nearing the end of their usefulness, making soup or sauces is a great way to preserve them because they freeze brilliantly.
Throwing food away means that was a waste, not just in the literal sense. The food will decompose in a land fill producing methane which is a far more dangerous greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Energy was used in making that food and it was wasted.
So if I've not convinced you that food thrift is worth being a 'trend', I hope I've convinced you it's worth learning how to cook good, thrifty food for the health of your family or if you like. do it for the planet instead or just because it's right. Because, let's face it, I've never been trendy.
Kamis, 29 Mei 2014
Rhubarb Cake
Rhubarb is such an odd fruit. It's almost a twisted fact of nature that rhubarb is great at this time of year, just as we should be donning our suncream and sunglasses. Then you have a spring like this one. Days of dismal rain and almost tempted to switch on the central heating.
So rhubarb suddenly has a strange purpose. The joy, if you like, in the drizzled disappointment of British weather!
After initial reluctance, my son loved this cake and so did I. It lasted for 2 further days in a tin and I also froze some wedges which defrosted in the microwave beautifully.
Great served warm as a pudding with silky double cream or custard or cold as a cake. Ok, I'm not winning any prizes on health here but I figure it's still healthier than a chocolate bar, and, cream aside, it's pretty low in fat.
Rhubarb Cake - makes 1 large cake
Ingredients
60g, 2oz Margarine
300g, 10.5oz Sugar (I used a mix of half white and half dark soft brown sugar which gave lovely little toffee flavoured flecks in the mix)
2 Eggs
300g, 10.5oz Self Raising flour (or the same amount of all purpose / plain flour with 3 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Mixed Spice (apple pie spice)
300g, 10.5oz Low Fat Yogurt
250g, 9oz Rhubarb cut into short lengths
Method
Preheat an oven to 160oC, 325F, Gas Mark 3.
Line a 7.5", 19cm cake tin with baking paper and grease lightly (a mild flavoured oil spray is great for this).
Cream the margarine with the sugar as best you can as there isn't much fat. Add the eggs and beat in. Add the spice, vanilla and the yogurt and beat together.
Add in the flour then fold in the rhubarb.
Pour into the tin and bake for approx 1hr 15mins. Check after an hour and cover if it's browning too much. Check with a sharp knife or skewer to see if it's done.
Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve warm or cold. This would be great warm with custard. Central heating from the inside thanks to Rhubarb cake!
So rhubarb suddenly has a strange purpose. The joy, if you like, in the drizzled disappointment of British weather!
After initial reluctance, my son loved this cake and so did I. It lasted for 2 further days in a tin and I also froze some wedges which defrosted in the microwave beautifully.
Great served warm as a pudding with silky double cream or custard or cold as a cake. Ok, I'm not winning any prizes on health here but I figure it's still healthier than a chocolate bar, and, cream aside, it's pretty low in fat.
Rhubarb Cake - makes 1 large cake
Ingredients
60g, 2oz Margarine
300g, 10.5oz Sugar (I used a mix of half white and half dark soft brown sugar which gave lovely little toffee flavoured flecks in the mix)
2 Eggs
300g, 10.5oz Self Raising flour (or the same amount of all purpose / plain flour with 3 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Mixed Spice (apple pie spice)
300g, 10.5oz Low Fat Yogurt
250g, 9oz Rhubarb cut into short lengths
Method
Preheat an oven to 160oC, 325F, Gas Mark 3.
Line a 7.5", 19cm cake tin with baking paper and grease lightly (a mild flavoured oil spray is great for this).
Cream the margarine with the sugar as best you can as there isn't much fat. Add the eggs and beat in. Add the spice, vanilla and the yogurt and beat together.
Add in the flour then fold in the rhubarb.
Pour into the tin and bake for approx 1hr 15mins. Check after an hour and cover if it's browning too much. Check with a sharp knife or skewer to see if it's done.
Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve warm or cold. This would be great warm with custard. Central heating from the inside thanks to Rhubarb cake!
Rabu, 21 Mei 2014
Cauliflower Pakoras; great finger food for kids
Cauliflower pakoras are something I'd never made before until recently, but as part of my 7 a day challenge I made some vegetable pakoras using peas and loved them. When I moved house a few days back and restocked my cupboards (including buying some gram flour), the helpful assistant in the shop suggested cauliflower was pretty good and, in fact her favourite. She also said that fresh spinach was, in her opinion much better in Indian food than frozen.
I always like a bit of advice when it comes to cooking so I gave it a go. The jury is out in the spinach. In my opinion frozen is just as good but the great thing about baby spinach is you can use it as a salad vegetable or cook with it and it just so happened I had some in my fridge so I went with it.
Traditionally I don't think the cauliflower is precooked but although I don't like soggy cauliflower, I'm not overly keen on cauliflower which bites back either so I partially precooked mine.
Heat up approx 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep saucepan. Never leave hot oil unattended.
Traditionally I don't think the cauliflower is precooked but although I don't like soggy cauliflower, I'm not overly keen on cauliflower which bites back either so I partially precooked mine.
Caulflower pakoras - serves 2-3
Ingredients
7 Small cauliflower florets
30g, 1oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded
100g, 3.5oz Gram flour (chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, besan)
2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Madras curry paste (or more if cooking for adults if liked)
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp Baking powder (use gluten free if avoiding gluten)
75 - 150ml Cold water
Oil for frying
30g, 1oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded
100g, 3.5oz Gram flour (chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, besan)
2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Madras curry paste (or more if cooking for adults if liked)
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp Baking powder (use gluten free if avoiding gluten)
75 - 150ml Cold water
Oil for frying
Method
Part cook the cauliflower by boiling for approx 4 minutes so still firm but almost cooked. Cut into halves.
Part cook the cauliflower by boiling for approx 4 minutes so still firm but almost cooked. Cut into halves.
Heat up approx 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep saucepan. Never leave hot oil unattended.
Mix the flour, curry paste, lime and baking powder with enough water to make a batter like consistency.
Add in the spinach then add in the cauliflower. Try a drop of batter in the oil, if it sizzles immediately, put a coated piece of cauliflower and see how it cooks. If it browns too quickly but the batter is still runny inside, lower the heat. If it takes a long time and seems greasy, increase the heat.
Cook in batches of 3-4. Leave to drain on kitchen roll then serve as a starter, a side dish or as I did for my son with some rice cooked with peas and some mango chutney mixed with plain yogurt to dip.
Add in the spinach then add in the cauliflower. Try a drop of batter in the oil, if it sizzles immediately, put a coated piece of cauliflower and see how it cooks. If it browns too quickly but the batter is still runny inside, lower the heat. If it takes a long time and seems greasy, increase the heat.
Cook in batches of 3-4. Leave to drain on kitchen roll then serve as a starter, a side dish or as I did for my son with some rice cooked with peas and some mango chutney mixed with plain yogurt to dip.
Reheating: Once cooked, keep in the fridge and either eat cold (although they do go a bit soft) or much better, reheat in a preheated 180oC / 350F oven for approx 6-10 minutes or until warmed through and crisp. It's almost worth making extra to have the leftovers with no effort the next day!
Jumat, 16 Mei 2014
Quesadillas for the Whole Family
Quesadillas was something I used to make for my son when he was very little. This is a slightly updated version with plenty of sneaky hidden vegetables!
Quesadillas - Serves 2 adults and a toddler
Ingredients
1 tomato, diced
1 tbsp fresh coriander, cilantro chopped
1/4 Green pepper (capsicum), finely chopped
Approx 1-2 inches courgette (zucchini) finely chopped
1/2 tin (drained, 120g, 4oz drained weight) red kidney beans
1 Clove garlic
1/2 tsp mild smoked paprika
45g, 1 1/2 oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
4 tortillas
Salsa or chilli sauce, to serve
Method
Mix the ingredients apart form the cheese tortillas and salsa and heat in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes or until hot through and combined.
Spread half the mix on a tortilla, top with half of the cheese then put a second tortilla on top. Don't be tempted to overfill them as they'll fall apart.
Dry fry in a non stick frying pan.
When browned on one side, flip by putting a plate on top then turning out and sliding back into the pan.
Brown on the other side then slide out, cut up and serve. Grown ups might want some salsa for dunking.
Make it Thrifty
Use up leftovers in quesadillas. Leftover cooked chicken might be nice. You can use pretty much anything you want. I keep meaning to put some cooked sweetcorn in sometime. The only thing you must include is cheese as it holds it all together.
If you have any tortillas left over, either freeze them or spray with oil, bake for about 6 or 7 minutes at 200oC, 400F, Gas Mark 6 or until browned and crisp. Serve with dips.
Quesadillas - Serves 2 adults and a toddler
Ingredients
1 tomato, diced
1 tbsp fresh coriander, cilantro chopped
1/4 Green pepper (capsicum), finely chopped
Approx 1-2 inches courgette (zucchini) finely chopped
1/2 tin (drained, 120g, 4oz drained weight) red kidney beans
1 Clove garlic
1/2 tsp mild smoked paprika
45g, 1 1/2 oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
4 tortillas
Salsa or chilli sauce, to serve
Method
Mix the ingredients apart form the cheese tortillas and salsa and heat in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes or until hot through and combined.
Spread half the mix on a tortilla, top with half of the cheese then put a second tortilla on top. Don't be tempted to overfill them as they'll fall apart.
Dry fry in a non stick frying pan.
When browned on one side, flip by putting a plate on top then turning out and sliding back into the pan.
Brown on the other side then slide out, cut up and serve. Grown ups might want some salsa for dunking.
Make it Thrifty
Use up leftovers in quesadillas. Leftover cooked chicken might be nice. You can use pretty much anything you want. I keep meaning to put some cooked sweetcorn in sometime. The only thing you must include is cheese as it holds it all together.
If you have any tortillas left over, either freeze them or spray with oil, bake for about 6 or 7 minutes at 200oC, 400F, Gas Mark 6 or until browned and crisp. Serve with dips.
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Rabu, 14 Mei 2014
Spinach and Carrot Cannelloni
Cannelloni is a surprisingly easy dish to cook for one. I had made some tomato and pesto soup the other day and the leftovers were in the fridge. It occurred to me that it would also make a really good pasta sauce.
But I had no cream cheese, no goats cheese, no mince, nothing traditional for a cannelloni filling in the house. So why not vegetables. Why not? You know what, it didn't just work, it was delicious!
A great idea for fussy kids not keen on vegetables (or even adults!)
Spinach and Carrot Cannelloni - Serves 1 adult or 2 children
Ingredients
1/2 a carrot, peeled and grated
20g, 2/3oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded
2 tbsp Single cream (light cream) but any cream could be used
30g, 1oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
200-250g 7-9oz of homemade tomato and pesto soup
4 tubes cannelloni. Mine were quite small, weighing 45g, 1.5oz. Make sure you choose the dried kind which can be cooked without precooking
Method
Mix the grated carrot, spinach, cream and grate in a third of the cheese.
Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F. With your fingers (the messy bit), shove the filling inside the tubes.
Pour a spoonful of the soup into the base of the baking dish, put the cannelloni on top, finish with more soup and then the rest of the cheese grated on top.
Check pack instructions but it should take about 30-40 minutes to cook until bubbling, browned and the cannelloni are cooked through.
Make it Thrifty
A completely different dish from leftovers. What could be thriftier than that?
A great idea for fussy kids not keen on vegetables (or even adults!)
Spinach and Carrot Cannelloni - Serves 1 adult or 2 children
Ingredients
1/2 a carrot, peeled and grated
20g, 2/3oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded
2 tbsp Single cream (light cream) but any cream could be used
30g, 1oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
200-250g 7-9oz of homemade tomato and pesto soup
4 tubes cannelloni. Mine were quite small, weighing 45g, 1.5oz. Make sure you choose the dried kind which can be cooked without precooking
Method
Mix the grated carrot, spinach, cream and grate in a third of the cheese.
Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F. With your fingers (the messy bit), shove the filling inside the tubes.
Pour a spoonful of the soup into the base of the baking dish, put the cannelloni on top, finish with more soup and then the rest of the cheese grated on top.
Check pack instructions but it should take about 30-40 minutes to cook until bubbling, browned and the cannelloni are cooked through.
Make it Thrifty
A completely different dish from leftovers. What could be thriftier than that?
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Kamis, 08 Mei 2014
Honey Ginger Glazed Tuna
Glazed tuna, a pretty tasty invention, I have a feeling this would work with any kind of robust oily fish. The idea is you add the flavour after the cooking so you don't get issues with the sweet sauce burning in the pan. I enjoyed this and have made it twice already, what's more, fresh or frozen tuna is a great source of Omega 3 (tinned isn't). It's also great to make something like tuna the star of the show when so often it's just bunged in a sandwich as a cheap protein source, although I have to admit my favourite way to have tuna is sushi but with the sweet gingery notes, this still hits the mark.
This isn't mad spicy so should be fine for kids but no babies please as it contains honey.
Honey and Ginger Glazed Tuna - Serves 2 adults
Ingredients
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tuna Steaks
Spray oil
Stir fried vegetables and noodles or salad and rice to serve
Method
Mix the ginger, honey, soy, chilli sauce and oil together in a bowl and put to one side.
Cook the rice or noodles. Fry the tuna steaks for a couple of minutes on each side or until done on the outside and still pink in the middle (fully cook for young kids). Put onto a warm plate and spoon on some of the glaze.
In the meantime, finish cooking the rice or noodles and stir fried vegetables or this would be great with a shredded salad.
Serve drizzling more of the glaze onto the fish and vegetables if liked.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for frozen tuna steaks in the freezer section and defrost before using, they're much cheaper than fresh.
This isn't mad spicy so should be fine for kids but no babies please as it contains honey.
Honey and Ginger Glazed Tuna - Serves 2 adults
Ingredients
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tuna Steaks
Spray oil
Stir fried vegetables and noodles or salad and rice to serve
Method
Mix the ginger, honey, soy, chilli sauce and oil together in a bowl and put to one side.
Cook the rice or noodles. Fry the tuna steaks for a couple of minutes on each side or until done on the outside and still pink in the middle (fully cook for young kids). Put onto a warm plate and spoon on some of the glaze.
In the meantime, finish cooking the rice or noodles and stir fried vegetables or this would be great with a shredded salad.
Serve drizzling more of the glaze onto the fish and vegetables if liked.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for frozen tuna steaks in the freezer section and defrost before using, they're much cheaper than fresh.
Amazingly I've been shortlisted for the Britmums Brilliance in Blogging awards. Making it to the finals depends on a vote from people like you. Please click on this image below and a survey will open. It will ask for your email address but they don't spam you, don't worry! It takes seconds!
Jumat, 02 Mei 2014
Gluten Free Pancakes
Chickpea pancakes might sound like an odd proposition for breakfast but bear with me. Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour or 'Besan' has a distinctive, savoury taste but there is something delicious about that served with syrup, just like that salty sweet combo of bacon and syrup is something fantastic, so was this.
The amazing thing about chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour is it has over double the amount of protein compared with wheat flour which makes them amazingly filling so a great start for the day, and, handily for coeliacs (or people choosing to avoid gluten), it's naturally gluten and wheat free.
The verdict was "nice but not quite as good as the normal ones" from the household, I disagreed. I really liked them and I felt seriously full until lunch.
Gluten Free Pancakes - Makes enough for 3-4
Ingredients
Batter
225g, 8oz Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour (besan)
2 tsp Gluten free baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Apples, grated (including skin but excluding the core)
300ml, a generous half pint Milk
2 Eggs
Butter or spray oil
Butter, honey (over 1s only), golden syrup or maple syrup to serve.
Method
Blend all of the batter ingredients together including the grated apples. I normally take them and crate them back to the core.
Heat a non stick frying pan and either rub butter over it or spray with spray oil (see my original pancake post for more instructions).
Pour or spoon on a little batter. Keep on a medium heat and turn when the bubbles start to burst. It might take a little trial and error to get the perfect heat.
Once ready, put on a plate and top with your choice of toppings.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for big bags of Besan or Chickpea flour in the Indian / South Asian section of your supermarket. They're also great for making pakoras!
The amazing thing about chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour is it has over double the amount of protein compared with wheat flour which makes them amazingly filling so a great start for the day, and, handily for coeliacs (or people choosing to avoid gluten), it's naturally gluten and wheat free.
The verdict was "nice but not quite as good as the normal ones" from the household, I disagreed. I really liked them and I felt seriously full until lunch.
Gluten Free Pancakes - Makes enough for 3-4
Ingredients
Batter
225g, 8oz Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour (besan)
2 tsp Gluten free baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Apples, grated (including skin but excluding the core)
300ml, a generous half pint Milk
2 Eggs
Butter or spray oil
Butter, honey (over 1s only), golden syrup or maple syrup to serve.
Method
Blend all of the batter ingredients together including the grated apples. I normally take them and crate them back to the core.
Heat a non stick frying pan and either rub butter over it or spray with spray oil (see my original pancake post for more instructions).
Pour or spoon on a little batter. Keep on a medium heat and turn when the bubbles start to burst. It might take a little trial and error to get the perfect heat.
Once ready, put on a plate and top with your choice of toppings.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for big bags of Besan or Chickpea flour in the Indian / South Asian section of your supermarket. They're also great for making pakoras!
Amazingly I've been shortlisted for the Britmums Brilliance in Blogging awards for the third year running but I've never won and only once made it to the finals. Making it to the finals depends on a vote from people like you. Please click on this image below and a survey will open. It will ask for your email address but they don't spam you, don't worry! It takes minutes and at the same time, you can vote for other blogs you like the look of or not if you don't read many other blogs (or choose not to!) I'm listed as "Mama Cook" in the food category.
Minggu, 27 April 2014
Pasta Salad for the Whole Family
Pasta salad is one of those things you can use any old stuff in. Leftover cooked chicken? Marvellous. Tuna? Equally at home. Well I'd picked up an avocado which was actually ripe (unheard of so of course it was down to 20p and 'reduced for quick sale'!) I would have loved some guacamole and maybe I'll use the other half for that but I had nothing to serve it with so a pasta salad it was. It's a great way to squeeze in fruit and vegetables which your child might not ordinarily try.
Pasta Salad - Serves 2-3
I should have made this during my week of eating 7 fruits and vegetables a day! A surprising hit with my youngster who's normally a bit of a salad dodger. Substitute the dressing for mayonnaise or a mayo / yogurt mix if you prefer.
Ingredients
90g, 3oz Wholewheat pasta (use regular if you prefer)
90g, 3oz Frozen sweetcorn
100g, 3.5oz Smoked bacon, chopped
90g, 3oz Cucumber, chopped
A handful of cherry tomatoes or baby plum tomatoes
1/2 Ripe avocado
Dressing
1 tbsp Yogurt (I used low fat)
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
2 tsp Olive oil
(Or alternatively use 2 tbsp mayonnaise mixed with 2 tbsp low fat yogurt)
Method
Cook the pasta following pack instructions, add the sweetcorn into the boiling water for the last 2 minutes.
Once cooked drain and refresh (rinse) under cold running water until cold.
Cook the bacon in a non stick pan without adding any fat until cooked and slightly browned. Allow to cool.
Mix the pasta, sweetcorn and bacon together and add chopped cucumber and tomatoes.
Mix the yogurt and lemon juice then gradually whisk in the oil. Peel and cube the avocado then toss in the dressing so it doesn't go brown. Mix the avocado and dressing in with the pasta salad and serve. Add seasoning if liked for adults.
Sabtu, 26 April 2014
Living below the line
Unfortunately due to personal circumstances (moving house for the 2nd time in 2 weeks) I won't get to take part in the 'live below the line' challenge this year but I thought I would tell you about it and tell you why it deserves your attention.
1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty in the world. 1.2 BILLION that's over 15% of the world population. The live below the line challenge is to try and experience, and raise money for people who live in extreme poverty by only spending £1 a day on food and drink.
I appreciate that living in a comfortable home with access to equipment and ingredients is very different to not knowing where your next meal will come from but it is a step, it's an idea and an interesting one.
Why £1 a day? In 2005 the world bank calculated that the extreme poverty line was $1.25 a day, that is, you would be considered to be in extreme poverty if you had the equivalent of $1.25 and what $1.25 can buy in the US. With inflation this has now been raised to $1.50 which with some generous rounding gets to £1.
The 5 days of the challenge run from 28th April - 2nd May inclusive. There are various ways to sign up if you want to get involved.
Certainly it's something I'm very much behind and would like to do next year. Please comment and include a link to sponsorship sites if you are doing the challenge. I'll allow links to posts or to fundraising pages for living below the line for this post! If you don't know how to put a link in, add the URL and I'll comment and add in the link.
Good luck everyone taking part!
(I have not been requested or sponsored to write this post.)
1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty in the world. 1.2 BILLION that's over 15% of the world population. The live below the line challenge is to try and experience, and raise money for people who live in extreme poverty by only spending £1 a day on food and drink.
I appreciate that living in a comfortable home with access to equipment and ingredients is very different to not knowing where your next meal will come from but it is a step, it's an idea and an interesting one.
Why £1 a day? In 2005 the world bank calculated that the extreme poverty line was $1.25 a day, that is, you would be considered to be in extreme poverty if you had the equivalent of $1.25 and what $1.25 can buy in the US. With inflation this has now been raised to $1.50 which with some generous rounding gets to £1.
The 5 days of the challenge run from 28th April - 2nd May inclusive. There are various ways to sign up if you want to get involved.
Certainly it's something I'm very much behind and would like to do next year. Please comment and include a link to sponsorship sites if you are doing the challenge. I'll allow links to posts or to fundraising pages for living below the line for this post! If you don't know how to put a link in, add the URL and I'll comment and add in the link.
Good luck everyone taking part!
(I have not been requested or sponsored to write this post.)
Jumat, 25 April 2014
Baked Onion Rings
Onion rings, love them but don't love the oiliness. I'm not some health freak but I can feel my arteries hardening as I eat! These are cunningly baked so much less fatty!
Baked Onion Rings
Ingredients
1 Small onion cut into 2mm rings
2 tbsp Mayo
1 tbsp Milk
20g, Just over 1/2oz Rice Krispies
15g, 1/2 oz Plain (all purpose) flour
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Spray Oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, Gas Mark 6. Line a tray with non stick baking paper.
Crush the rice krispies and put in a bowl with the flour and garlic powder.
Mix the mayo and milk together. Dip the rings in the mayo mix then into the dry mix. Put on the tray.
Once you've done them all, wash off all the gunk from your hands then spray with spray oil.
Bake for approx 10-15 minutes (12 in my oven, keep an eye on them so they don't burn).
Make it Thrifty
Use the oven for other things to maximise the use of the power while you're cooking these. Also keep your eyes peeled (excuse the pun) for value or smart price packs of onions. Often they're much cheaper because they're slightly smaller onions than the premium packs but still make delicious onion rings.
Baked Onion Rings
Ingredients
1 Small onion cut into 2mm rings
2 tbsp Mayo
1 tbsp Milk
20g, Just over 1/2oz Rice Krispies
15g, 1/2 oz Plain (all purpose) flour
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Spray Oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, Gas Mark 6. Line a tray with non stick baking paper.
Crush the rice krispies and put in a bowl with the flour and garlic powder.
Mix the mayo and milk together. Dip the rings in the mayo mix then into the dry mix. Put on the tray.
Once you've done them all, wash off all the gunk from your hands then spray with spray oil.
Bake for approx 10-15 minutes (12 in my oven, keep an eye on them so they don't burn).
Make it Thrifty
Use the oven for other things to maximise the use of the power while you're cooking these. Also keep your eyes peeled (excuse the pun) for value or smart price packs of onions. Often they're much cheaper because they're slightly smaller onions than the premium packs but still make delicious onion rings.
Senin, 21 April 2014
Weetabix Cake
Weetabix cake? Am I serious? Well I'd been trying different ways of using cereals quite a bit recently what with rice krispies with mackerel but I'd never found a way of using them in cakes like I had with bran loaf. Shreddies seemed promising but were a bit of a failure when I gave them a go. Who knew Weetabix would work?
This tastes similar to my bran loaf, loads of fibre, sweet whilst being low in added sugar, dairy free fat free and lovely with a pot of tea!
Weetabix Cake
Ingredients
2 Weetabix (or own brand equivalent)
350ml, 12 fl oz Decaffeinated tea (just make with one decaf teabag)
110g, 4oz Muscovado or soft brown sugar
280g, 10oz Sultanas (golden raisins)
1 egg
225g, 8oz Self Raising Flour (or all purpose / plain flour plus 2 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp mixed spice
Method
Crush up the weetabix, mix with the sugar and dried fruit. Soak in the tea for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 160oC. Mix in the spice, flour and egg and pour into a greased silicone loaf tin or a greased and lined conventional loaf tin.
Bake for about 1hour 10 mins (in my oven anyway) or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Eat warm or cool. Keeps reasonably well despite being fat free.
Make it Thrifty
Keep an eye out for value or smart price packs of self raising flour, breakfast cereal and dried fruits. They work just as well in this as the more expensive packs.
This tastes similar to my bran loaf, loads of fibre, sweet whilst being low in added sugar, dairy free fat free and lovely with a pot of tea!
Weetabix Cake
Ingredients
2 Weetabix (or own brand equivalent)
350ml, 12 fl oz Decaffeinated tea (just make with one decaf teabag)
110g, 4oz Muscovado or soft brown sugar
280g, 10oz Sultanas (golden raisins)
1 egg
225g, 8oz Self Raising Flour (or all purpose / plain flour plus 2 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp mixed spice
Method
Crush up the weetabix, mix with the sugar and dried fruit. Soak in the tea for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 160oC. Mix in the spice, flour and egg and pour into a greased silicone loaf tin or a greased and lined conventional loaf tin.
Bake for about 1hour 10 mins (in my oven anyway) or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Eat warm or cool. Keeps reasonably well despite being fat free.
Make it Thrifty
Keep an eye out for value or smart price packs of self raising flour, breakfast cereal and dried fruits. They work just as well in this as the more expensive packs.
Kamis, 17 April 2014
Pesto Crusted Fish
Bored of fish pie? Want something interesting with fish and kid friendly? This is a way to introduce a different flavour to white fish and great if your kids are less keen on fish without some kind of disguise. Very quick and thrifty to prepare too.
Pesto Crumbed Fish
Ingredients
2 White Fish fillets, e.g. Pollock, cod, coley. I use fairly thin fillets around 100-150g each
1 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tsp Pesto
30g, 1oz Breadcrumbs
15g, 1/2oz Grated extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
Spray oil or olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F / Gas Mark 6.
Mix the mayo with the pesto. Put the fish on a baking dish or tray lined with non stick baking paper. Spread the mayo mix on the fish.
Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together and sprinkle on the top. Spray with oil or drizzle with oil.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until browned and cooked through. The thicker the fish, the longer it will take. Mine was only about a cm thick so cooked reasonably quickly.
Make it Thrifty
Using pollock makes this a source of omega 3 (which is pretty much absent in most other white fish), it's also more sustainable than cod and cheaper! Look out for it in the chiller or the frozen aisle where it's often marketed as 'white fish' (but pollock might be in small writing somewhere on the back); defrost before cooking.
Pesto Crumbed Fish
Ingredients
2 White Fish fillets, e.g. Pollock, cod, coley. I use fairly thin fillets around 100-150g each
1 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tsp Pesto
30g, 1oz Breadcrumbs
15g, 1/2oz Grated extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
Spray oil or olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F / Gas Mark 6.
Mix the mayo with the pesto. Put the fish on a baking dish or tray lined with non stick baking paper. Spread the mayo mix on the fish.
Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together and sprinkle on the top. Spray with oil or drizzle with oil.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until browned and cooked through. The thicker the fish, the longer it will take. Mine was only about a cm thick so cooked reasonably quickly.
Make it Thrifty
Using pollock makes this a source of omega 3 (which is pretty much absent in most other white fish), it's also more sustainable than cod and cheaper! Look out for it in the chiller or the frozen aisle where it's often marketed as 'white fish' (but pollock might be in small writing somewhere on the back); defrost before cooking.
Kamis, 10 April 2014
Chocolate Custard (low sugar)
Custard. I never make it from scratch but I do make it from custard powder. It occurred to me when making some custard from custard powder the other day that custard powder is simply cornflour (cornstarch) natural flavouring (vanilla) and colour (normally a natural colour like annatto). I don't have much annatto floating around the house and there feels like something wrong about making white custard even though that's the colour it would be if not made with eggs, so my idea was to make chocolate custard.
This would be great hot with chocolate cake, poured over banana (if you want to keep on my 7 a day routine), on it's own or allowed to cool in small pots and eaten cold like blancmange. It's pretty low sugar too with only 1 tsp added sugar per portion. There's more sugar in a fromage frais!
Chocolate custard - Makes 2 small bowls
Ingredients
280ml, Half Pint milk
1 rounded tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tsp Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Sugar
Method
Mix the cornflour with the cocoa powder and sugar with 1 tbsp of the cold milk then add the vanilla. Heat the remaining milk in a microwave for 2 minutes or until hot. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the cornflour mix then return to the microwave for 2-3 minutes on full power or until cooked and thick. Keep an eye on it as it can boil up and boil over.
After all, who can resist delicious chocolate custard?
This would be great hot with chocolate cake, poured over banana (if you want to keep on my 7 a day routine), on it's own or allowed to cool in small pots and eaten cold like blancmange. It's pretty low sugar too with only 1 tsp added sugar per portion. There's more sugar in a fromage frais!
Chocolate custard - Makes 2 small bowls
Ingredients
280ml, Half Pint milk
1 rounded tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tsp Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Sugar
Method
Mix the cornflour with the cocoa powder and sugar with 1 tbsp of the cold milk then add the vanilla. Heat the remaining milk in a microwave for 2 minutes or until hot. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the cornflour mix then return to the microwave for 2-3 minutes on full power or until cooked and thick. Keep an eye on it as it can boil up and boil over.
I would be honoured if you would consider nominating me in the Britmums BIB awards, especially the food category.
After all, who can resist delicious chocolate custard?
Selasa, 08 April 2014
7 a day challenge - Day 7
Today was the last day of my challenge to eat 7 portions of fruit and vegetables in 7 days.
Breakfast
I started the day with my fruity toast (like I had on day 5). Delicious.
Lunch
I was with a visitor at work today so I had a buffet from the canteen. For all my criticism earlier in the week, they didn't let me down, the fruit platter saved the day. It was served with orange juice as well on the side and every sandwich had a salad garnish and coleslaw inside. I easily racked up three portions with the juice (even if that always feels like a cheat.)
Tea
What the cool kids are eating (maybe) haggis, peas, broccoli and sweetcorn. I do love haggis! It is the ultimate rebellion food as well after a week of vegetables!
7 a Day? Achieved. Mixed berries (cherries, blackberries, raspberries, black currants, red currants and strawberries), lettuce, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, peppers, pineapple, melon, strawberries, orange juice, peas, broccoli and sweetcorn. A massive 17 different types of fruits and vegetables but probably only 7 a day in quantities.
My son rounded off a nursery day full of fruit and vegetable with a snack of banana, dried apple and some watermelon. Result.
What have I learned?
It takes planning
There is no quick sling it from the freezer option, when you're trying to eat 7 a day, well the options are limited anyway. Home made soups were a life saver and I ate soup on 4 of the 7 days which is no coincidence. I would probably have switched to salads if the weather had been better but soup frozen in individual portions is a great way to ensure you have a healthy and cheap lunch.
It was difficult
More than I thought it would be. It took time and effort and my first thought of what I wanted to eat often went out of the window. I ended up doing more 'hidden vegetable' solutions than I expected, e.g. putting more into soups than I normally would or putting peas in rice. This is fine but
Portion sizes
A 'portion' of fruit or vegetables was much bigger than I thought. This meant I often didn't have any room left for foods I wanted (rather than needed) like cake! You might see this as a good thing but I don't. Personally I think if you deprive yourself of something you really want you end up eating more. On more than one occasion I still had the cake despite not really being hungry.
Cost
Although I ate less meat, I had meat available in my freezer so for me this week has actually been more expensive than I expected but that would have balanced out over time. The big thing was 7 fruits and vegetables a day will require you to do at least one top up shop in a week which I don't normally do. Just the simple act of going into a shop twice means you're likely to spend more. This could be difficult for people on limited budgets.
'Winner ingredients'
There were a few things though which saved the day when I was getting a bit run down with it and also don't cost much money. I am only a sample of one but if I was designing public policy, these are the ingredients I'd talk to the public about as ways to easily increase their vegetable and fruit intake.
Frozen vegetables; particularly peas were a lifesaver. Cheap and last forever so you can grab them when you need them.
Carrots; last well in the fridge and can be sneaked into soups, served in salads or as a side vegetable, the ultimate adaptable ingredient. British carrots are also available all year round making them pretty cheap to buy.
Mixed frozen berries; I was so pleased when I found these in my freezer. They were a cheap bag from a supermarket I'd forgotten about which livened up two breakfasts and a pudding. Also because there were so many different types in it, I could justifiably have them twice in one day and count both portions.
Lentils; it's easy to forget pulses can count towards your fruit and vegetables in a day. I used them in soups but they're also great to pad out meat sauces, especially bolognese. Green lentils are also fantastic in a salad. A great store cupboard staple, never go off and unlike other pulses don't need soaking before use.
Passata; I used this as a way of getting tomato into my diet when they're currently out of season and lasts forever in the cupboard. At about 40p a pack, it made a fantastically cheap lunch of gazpacho.
Garlic, garlic, garlic; I never counted this as one of my 7 but garlic, and chilli featured a lot over my week. Adding flavour to healthy food is key to making it feel tasty and sustaining.
So is it doable?
Every day, for me, probably no. It's the portion size which does it. I could easily fit 12 fruits and vegetables into my diet but 7 portions was hard. I can understand why the advice is there. Eating 1 grape is not going to make any difference but then does eating 5 grapes vs. a handful? Does it really make a difference?
Personally I never diet because I hate being told what to eat and what not to eat. Doing this for 7 days made me feel like I was on a diet which drove me to cake! I would rather eat what I want, when I want and stop when I'm full knowing that I enjoy the taste of fruits and vegetables, they will always be a high proportion of my diet and more than half of most of my main meals but this is not going to be achievable advice for most of the population.
What about the research?
Strictly speaking the research indicated 10 a day was the best number, 7 was shown to improve health and it looks like canned and frozen should be out. I excluded canned fruit but included passata and frozen fruits and vegetables. It seems non sensical that these could be bad and I'll wait for further research which the group have recommended.
So what do I recommend?
I would suggest a simpler message, like "include fruits or vegetables in every meal". If 5 a day is not being achieved by 80% of the population, it's unlikely 7 will but every step closer is a good idea. The key has to be to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables every time they eat and to offer fruits and vegetables at every opportunity to their kids.
I posted about this over the whole week; if you want to read back over it all please take a look:
7 a Day Challenge introduction
7 a Day Challenge Day 1
7 a Day Challenge Day 2
7 a Day Challenge Day 3
7 a Day Challenge Day 4
7 a Day Challenge Day 5
7 a Day Challenge Day 6
Please comment and let me know your experiences with 7 a day!
Breakfast
I started the day with my fruity toast (like I had on day 5). Delicious.
Lunch
I was with a visitor at work today so I had a buffet from the canteen. For all my criticism earlier in the week, they didn't let me down, the fruit platter saved the day. It was served with orange juice as well on the side and every sandwich had a salad garnish and coleslaw inside. I easily racked up three portions with the juice (even if that always feels like a cheat.)
Tea
What the cool kids are eating (maybe) haggis, peas, broccoli and sweetcorn. I do love haggis! It is the ultimate rebellion food as well after a week of vegetables!
7 a Day? Achieved. Mixed berries (cherries, blackberries, raspberries, black currants, red currants and strawberries), lettuce, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, peppers, pineapple, melon, strawberries, orange juice, peas, broccoli and sweetcorn. A massive 17 different types of fruits and vegetables but probably only 7 a day in quantities.
My son rounded off a nursery day full of fruit and vegetable with a snack of banana, dried apple and some watermelon. Result.
What have I learned?
It takes planning
There is no quick sling it from the freezer option, when you're trying to eat 7 a day, well the options are limited anyway. Home made soups were a life saver and I ate soup on 4 of the 7 days which is no coincidence. I would probably have switched to salads if the weather had been better but soup frozen in individual portions is a great way to ensure you have a healthy and cheap lunch.
It was difficult
More than I thought it would be. It took time and effort and my first thought of what I wanted to eat often went out of the window. I ended up doing more 'hidden vegetable' solutions than I expected, e.g. putting more into soups than I normally would or putting peas in rice. This is fine but
Portion sizes
A 'portion' of fruit or vegetables was much bigger than I thought. This meant I often didn't have any room left for foods I wanted (rather than needed) like cake! You might see this as a good thing but I don't. Personally I think if you deprive yourself of something you really want you end up eating more. On more than one occasion I still had the cake despite not really being hungry.
Cost
Although I ate less meat, I had meat available in my freezer so for me this week has actually been more expensive than I expected but that would have balanced out over time. The big thing was 7 fruits and vegetables a day will require you to do at least one top up shop in a week which I don't normally do. Just the simple act of going into a shop twice means you're likely to spend more. This could be difficult for people on limited budgets.
'Winner ingredients'
There were a few things though which saved the day when I was getting a bit run down with it and also don't cost much money. I am only a sample of one but if I was designing public policy, these are the ingredients I'd talk to the public about as ways to easily increase their vegetable and fruit intake.
Frozen vegetables; particularly peas were a lifesaver. Cheap and last forever so you can grab them when you need them.
Carrots; last well in the fridge and can be sneaked into soups, served in salads or as a side vegetable, the ultimate adaptable ingredient. British carrots are also available all year round making them pretty cheap to buy.
Mixed frozen berries; I was so pleased when I found these in my freezer. They were a cheap bag from a supermarket I'd forgotten about which livened up two breakfasts and a pudding. Also because there were so many different types in it, I could justifiably have them twice in one day and count both portions.
Lentils; it's easy to forget pulses can count towards your fruit and vegetables in a day. I used them in soups but they're also great to pad out meat sauces, especially bolognese. Green lentils are also fantastic in a salad. A great store cupboard staple, never go off and unlike other pulses don't need soaking before use.
Passata; I used this as a way of getting tomato into my diet when they're currently out of season and lasts forever in the cupboard. At about 40p a pack, it made a fantastically cheap lunch of gazpacho.
Garlic, garlic, garlic; I never counted this as one of my 7 but garlic, and chilli featured a lot over my week. Adding flavour to healthy food is key to making it feel tasty and sustaining.
So is it doable?
Every day, for me, probably no. It's the portion size which does it. I could easily fit 12 fruits and vegetables into my diet but 7 portions was hard. I can understand why the advice is there. Eating 1 grape is not going to make any difference but then does eating 5 grapes vs. a handful? Does it really make a difference?
Personally I never diet because I hate being told what to eat and what not to eat. Doing this for 7 days made me feel like I was on a diet which drove me to cake! I would rather eat what I want, when I want and stop when I'm full knowing that I enjoy the taste of fruits and vegetables, they will always be a high proportion of my diet and more than half of most of my main meals but this is not going to be achievable advice for most of the population.
What about the research?
Strictly speaking the research indicated 10 a day was the best number, 7 was shown to improve health and it looks like canned and frozen should be out. I excluded canned fruit but included passata and frozen fruits and vegetables. It seems non sensical that these could be bad and I'll wait for further research which the group have recommended.
So what do I recommend?
I would suggest a simpler message, like "include fruits or vegetables in every meal". If 5 a day is not being achieved by 80% of the population, it's unlikely 7 will but every step closer is a good idea. The key has to be to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables every time they eat and to offer fruits and vegetables at every opportunity to their kids.
I posted about this over the whole week; if you want to read back over it all please take a look:
7 a Day Challenge introduction
7 a Day Challenge Day 1
7 a Day Challenge Day 2
7 a Day Challenge Day 3
7 a Day Challenge Day 4
7 a Day Challenge Day 5
7 a Day Challenge Day 6
Please comment and let me know your experiences with 7 a day!
I would be absolutely honoured if you would consider nominating me in the Britmums BIB awards, especially the food category.
Senin, 07 April 2014
7 a Day Challenge - Day 6
On the home run now... A few days ago I set myself the challenge to eat 7 portions of different fruits and vegetables over 7 days and see how it impacted me and my wallet.
Breakfast
I'd had enough of trying to squeeze fruit and vegetables into breakfast for one day. So it was toast with marmalade and proper butter.
Lunch
As I said yesterday, I was on a soup drive so as well as my 'eat your greens' soup, I also made a batch of lentil and bacon, only reducing the quantity of lentils and water slightly and including carrots. That way, I could make it two different servings of vegetables in 1 portion. (Pulses can count as 1 of your 7 a day but only once per day.) I also took some watermelon, banana, two satsumas and an apple with me making my lunch 6 portions of fruit and vegetables.
It does prove you can get back on track if you start the day with a less than healthy breakfast but it does mean you feel a little bit like a rabbit later!
It is making me wonder though how I ever struggled to fit 5 a day in. Maybe my mindset is changing?
Tea
I'd concentrated a lot on fruit at lunchtime, and, let's face it, fruit is easy to eat. It's sweet and portable. So I made a very simple tea of breaded chicken with sweet potato wedges and peas. My son had his meals at nursery but I complimented his daily intake with a snack of a satsuma and some dried apple when he got home.
7 a day? Achieved! 8 different fruits and vegetables; red lentils, carrots, watermelon, banana, satsumas, apple, sweet potato and peas.
Today was easier actually. Maybe I'm getting used to this. I'm not convinced it's had a positive impact on my waistline though. If my scales hadn't run out of battery I'd confirm this but the main reason I say this is after my very healthy lunch; I still ate chocolate. I wasn't hungry, I just wanted chocolate.
Perhaps this is the thing which is forgotten so much in healthy eating advice? Food is an accessible luxury, a small opening to a way of saying "I deserve this, I've earned this", I think so many people, me included eat the 'wrong' things because of far more complicated reasons than "I'm hungry".
Breakfast
I'd had enough of trying to squeeze fruit and vegetables into breakfast for one day. So it was toast with marmalade and proper butter.
Lunch
As I said yesterday, I was on a soup drive so as well as my 'eat your greens' soup, I also made a batch of lentil and bacon, only reducing the quantity of lentils and water slightly and including carrots. That way, I could make it two different servings of vegetables in 1 portion. (Pulses can count as 1 of your 7 a day but only once per day.) I also took some watermelon, banana, two satsumas and an apple with me making my lunch 6 portions of fruit and vegetables.
It does prove you can get back on track if you start the day with a less than healthy breakfast but it does mean you feel a little bit like a rabbit later!
It is making me wonder though how I ever struggled to fit 5 a day in. Maybe my mindset is changing?
Tea
I'd concentrated a lot on fruit at lunchtime, and, let's face it, fruit is easy to eat. It's sweet and portable. So I made a very simple tea of breaded chicken with sweet potato wedges and peas. My son had his meals at nursery but I complimented his daily intake with a snack of a satsuma and some dried apple when he got home.
7 a day? Achieved! 8 different fruits and vegetables; red lentils, carrots, watermelon, banana, satsumas, apple, sweet potato and peas.
Today was easier actually. Maybe I'm getting used to this. I'm not convinced it's had a positive impact on my waistline though. If my scales hadn't run out of battery I'd confirm this but the main reason I say this is after my very healthy lunch; I still ate chocolate. I wasn't hungry, I just wanted chocolate.
Perhaps this is the thing which is forgotten so much in healthy eating advice? Food is an accessible luxury, a small opening to a way of saying "I deserve this, I've earned this", I think so many people, me included eat the 'wrong' things because of far more complicated reasons than "I'm hungry".
I would be absolutely honoured if you would consider nominating me in the Britmums BIB awards, especially the food category.
Minggu, 06 April 2014
Sabtu, 05 April 2014
Jumat, 04 April 2014
7 a Day Challenge; Day 3 - Vegetable Pakoras
7 fruits and vegetables a day is a bit harder than I thought.
A few days ago, I set myself a challenge to eat 7 fruits and vegetables minimum in 7 days to see how it affected me, my wellbeing and how hard or easy it might be.
I'm on day 3 now and I need to find ways to liven things up!
Breakfast
I was at work early today so took breakfast of rice crispies and a banana. This is actually far more than I'd normally eat for breakfast so I ended up saving the banana for mid morning. I will definitely be stretching myself more from a culinary point of view at the weekend when I have more time!
Lunch
Lunch was Gazpacho again (2 portions of vegetables) due to making a double batch yesterday with watermelon and a satsuma afterwards. I was up to 5 of my 7 after lunch but felt the need to 'retox' with some chocolate cake. A girl needs something unvirtuous!
Tea
Ok... this week has been harder (even by day 3) than I expected. I needed fried. So wrong. I know, I had chocolate there was even some sugar on the rice crispies.
But the problem is I'm just so full! Maybe I don't eat big portions but 7 lots of vegetables, in the portion sizes recommended really limits what else you can eat.
So I needed fried. I needed something which felt wrong even if it was full of vegetables. Pakora it is!
Vegetable Pakoras - Makes enough for two
Ingredients
100g, 3.5oz Gram Flour (chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, besan)
2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Curry Paste (as hot as you want it to be, I was cooking for myself so used madras but I'd use korma paste for my son)
60g, 2oz Defrosted frozen chopped spinach
60g, 2oz Defrosted frozen peas
2 Spring onions (scallions)
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp Baking powder (gluten free is easily available if avoiding wheat)
1 tbsp Fresh Coriander, chopped (cilantro)
70 - 100ml, 2.5 - 3.5 floz water
Oil for frying
Mango chutney to serve
Method
Mix the flour, spice, curry paste and lemon juice. Mix in enough water to make a batter about the thickness of pancake batter.
Add in the baking powder, spinach, peas and spring onions and mix well.
Heat up about an inch or couple of cm of oil in a saucepan and when it's hot, drop a spoonful into the fat. Cook until well browned turning a few times. Use this 'trial' pakora to check that it's cooked through by breaking it open. If it's a bit runny in the middle chalk that one up to experience and, turn the heat down a bit to cook the others.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve. Update: Store any leftovers in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat at 200oC for 6-10 minutes or until warmed through and crisp again on the outside.
I have to admit, I was going to have this with some carrot salad but I just fancied the pakora. I know but they were delicious. I could only manage to eat half of the batch which actually means I'm a bit light on my vegetable count for the day...
Or am I? Under the '5 a day' rules anyway, pulses were permitted for one of the 5 a day... so my chickpea flour counts! Result!
The pakora might not have been fabulous for the waistline but they were great for the soul.
7 a day done! Kinda. Why does it feel I've achieved it via a technicality? 7 portions of 10 different fruits and vegetables; banana, satsuma, tomato, pepper (capsicum), cucumber, watermelon, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), spinach, peas and spring onions (scallions).
A few days ago, I set myself a challenge to eat 7 fruits and vegetables minimum in 7 days to see how it affected me, my wellbeing and how hard or easy it might be.
I'm on day 3 now and I need to find ways to liven things up!
Breakfast
I was at work early today so took breakfast of rice crispies and a banana. This is actually far more than I'd normally eat for breakfast so I ended up saving the banana for mid morning. I will definitely be stretching myself more from a culinary point of view at the weekend when I have more time!
Lunch
Lunch was Gazpacho again (2 portions of vegetables) due to making a double batch yesterday with watermelon and a satsuma afterwards. I was up to 5 of my 7 after lunch but felt the need to 'retox' with some chocolate cake. A girl needs something unvirtuous!
Tea
Ok... this week has been harder (even by day 3) than I expected. I needed fried. So wrong. I know, I had chocolate there was even some sugar on the rice crispies.
But the problem is I'm just so full! Maybe I don't eat big portions but 7 lots of vegetables, in the portion sizes recommended really limits what else you can eat.
So I needed fried. I needed something which felt wrong even if it was full of vegetables. Pakora it is!
Vegetable Pakoras - Makes enough for two
Ingredients
100g, 3.5oz Gram Flour (chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, besan)
2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Curry Paste (as hot as you want it to be, I was cooking for myself so used madras but I'd use korma paste for my son)
60g, 2oz Defrosted frozen chopped spinach
60g, 2oz Defrosted frozen peas
2 Spring onions (scallions)
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp Baking powder (gluten free is easily available if avoiding wheat)
1 tbsp Fresh Coriander, chopped (cilantro)
70 - 100ml, 2.5 - 3.5 floz water
Oil for frying
Mango chutney to serve
Method
Mix the flour, spice, curry paste and lemon juice. Mix in enough water to make a batter about the thickness of pancake batter.
Add in the baking powder, spinach, peas and spring onions and mix well.
Heat up about an inch or couple of cm of oil in a saucepan and when it's hot, drop a spoonful into the fat. Cook until well browned turning a few times. Use this 'trial' pakora to check that it's cooked through by breaking it open. If it's a bit runny in the middle chalk that one up to experience and, turn the heat down a bit to cook the others.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve. Update: Store any leftovers in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat at 200oC for 6-10 minutes or until warmed through and crisp again on the outside.
I have to admit, I was going to have this with some carrot salad but I just fancied the pakora. I know but they were delicious. I could only manage to eat half of the batch which actually means I'm a bit light on my vegetable count for the day...
Or am I? Under the '5 a day' rules anyway, pulses were permitted for one of the 5 a day... so my chickpea flour counts! Result!
The pakora might not have been fabulous for the waistline but they were great for the soul.
7 a day done! Kinda. Why does it feel I've achieved it via a technicality? 7 portions of 10 different fruits and vegetables; banana, satsuma, tomato, pepper (capsicum), cucumber, watermelon, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), spinach, peas and spring onions (scallions).
I would be absolutely honoured if you would consider nominating me in the Britmums BIB awards, especially the food category.
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