Embrace Nutrition

Can you tell I like to bake?! Introducing my flour collection.

2012-01-21T16:04:00.001Z

As I have bought some more foodie items recently and our kitchen cupboards have been overflowing, I thought I would take the opportunity to have a nearly-spring clean. Here is what I have discovered - I own a large collection of flours!

These are the flours I have stashed away in our cupboards:

My Doves Farm collection:
Gluten & wheat free brown bread flour (new purchase)
Gluten & wheat free white bread flour
Gluten & wheat free plain white flour
Gluten & wheat free white self-raising flour
Buckwheat flour (new purchase) (gluten free)
Strong white bread flour
Fine plain white flour
Rice flour
Gram flour

Various brands:
Onion bread flour
Apple & cinnamon bread flour
Self raising flour x 1 large and 1 small (why?!)
Plain flour
Wholegrain spelt flour
White spelt flour
Strong wholemeal bread flour
Wholemeal self raising flour
Cornflour x 2
Parmesan & sundried tomato bread flour
Brown rice flour
Potato flour
Coconut flour (new purchase)

I count that as 24 different packets of flour, of varying sizes - that is a lot of flour! Good job I like to bake!

Does anyone have any flours in their kitchen that I don't have on my list? (heaven forbid anything would be missing from my collection!)

Oh and I have an iHerb order on the way which includes a packet of peanut flour, so make that 25!

My Goodness Direct haul!

2012-01-20T13:36:00.000Z

This week I placed my very first Goodness Direct order! It arrived yesterday, I was pleased with the speedy delivery (I requested Thursday when placing my order, but I know it wasn't guaranteed).

Here is what was in my order:

Doves Farm gluten and wheat free plain flour (a regular in our kitchen)
Doves Farm gluten and wheat free brown bread flour (mainly for trying the bagel recipe I saw on the Rubelle's Moon website!)
Doves Farm buckwheat flour
(can you tell I like Doves Farm products?!)
Coconut flour
Coconut oil Kara coconut milk (not pictured - it must have gone walkies in our kitchen!)
Xylitol
Rapeseed oil
Organic miso bouillon paste
A small almond milk (just a taster)
Bavarian rye bread (for my husband)
A small bag of Tyrrell's popcorn
and ...
a box of Booja Booja hazelnut truffles! (I have been waiting to try these for a very long time)

I haven't tried coconut flour before, but it's low GI and provides fibre so my aim is to try baking with it. This flour is expensive so I will experiment only in small quantities! I love baking but I don't like the effect it has on our waistlines! A friend has nicknamed me Letitia Cropley because of some of the strange recipes I produce (trying to give traditional recipes a healthier twist), but I love experimenting with different ingredients so I am continuing with this trend. I have high expectations of this flour! From my list above I can see I seem to have gone mad on coconut!

I use xylitol in some recipes as a replacement to refined sugar, and find it a suitable alternative. I don't have much of a sweet tooth anyway so I usually use slightly less sugar than recipes allow, and I find this to be fine.

Has anyone tried any of these products before?

2011 - what a year it has been!

2011-12-31T08:35:00.001Z

This is my first post in a while, sorry for the silence! It has been a very busy year for us so I haven't been able to fit blogging in as much as I would have liked, but hopefully I can change this in 2012.

As usual I am busy making my resolutions for 2012, but seeing as we have had such a wonderful 2011 I thought I would share it with you in a quick review, so here goes ...

It all started in February with this:

(my hen weekend!) Mark and I chose to have our hen and stag celebrations on the same weekend, as hopefully it was easier for our guests. We didn't have a traditional get very drunk weekend; I had a colour and style evening then a spa day followed by dinner and drinks at a piano bar, and Mark went to a rugby match then went to a jazz place in London.

In April we got married!

Two days after the wedding we went on our 'minimoon':

We had a quieter couple of months and then July came around. I turned 30 - eek! (it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I am enjoying it so far!) We went on our big honeymoon, which was amazing! I have been before but it was Mark's first time and I am so pleased he liked it. I can't wait to go back again!

Shortly after getting back from our honeymoon we moved house (again), and we love where we are living now so we're so pleased to be here. Yogi much prefers it as we have lots of natural light, which we didn't have in our previous flat.

I have also been lucky enough to find a new job which I started in November.

We had a lovely Christmas, I must have been good this year because I received some lovely presents. One of my main presents was a Kitchenaid Artisan mixer in boysenberry - it is a thing of beauty and I love it!

I think that's it! As you can see, 2011 has been a very significant year for us and it has been lovely spending it with wonderful family and friends. We're looking forward to 2012, we already have some plans for the year including something special I'm planning for Mark's 30th birthday (it's a surprise!).

As I mentioned earlier I will shortly be making my 2012 resolutions and I will post some of them on here. I usually make a list and track my progress during the year. Some people may think that's a bit over the top, but I enjoy it!

Do you make resolutions? What are yours for 2012?

Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy 2012.

The great soy debate

2011-09-03T23:28:00.002+01:00

Following my recent post on butter vs margarine, I realise one alternative people tend to reach for is soya butter, therefore I feel it's appropriate to raise a discussion about the great soy debate!

Soy (made from the soybean) is a complete protein, which means it provides all the essential amino acids needed by the body, and this makes it a sensible food choice for vegetarians and vegans who don't have animal protein in their diet. Soy beans are a good source of protein, are low on the Glycaemic Index so help to balance blood sugar levels, can help to lower cholesterol and are a good source of iron. Soy butter and milk may be a good dairy alternative not only because they are suitable for vegetarians and vegans but also because many people have trouble with digesting cow's milk. Furthermore, soy products contain less fat and fewer calories than the dairy alternatives, so may be popular with people for this reason.

So why the debate?

There is a difference between unfermented soy (such as soy milk and meat alternatives such as sausages) and fermented soy such as tempeh and miso.

Unfermented soy contains 'anti-nutrients' which are phytates, enzyme inhibitors and goitrogens. Phytates can stop the absorption of nutrients in the intestines, such as calcium, iron and zinc. This can be a problem for anyone but particularly people who limit certain foods from their diets as they may have low levels of some nutrients anyway. Enzyme inhibitors interfere with the process of digestive enzymes breaking down food to be assimilated in to the body. This means food may not be completely digested and this can cause problems with bacteria. Goitrogens are substances which affect thyroid function by interfering with the absorption of iodine, so could have a negative effect on people who suffer from hypothyroidism. Furthermore, it may interfere with the absorption of the medication given in these cases. Due to these factors unfermented soy may be linked to a number of health issues such as digestive and immune disorders, allergies, malnutrition and a higher risk of heart disease.

Fermented soy has lower levels of these anti-nutrients and is easier to digest then unfermented, and therefore may be more highly recommended.
Soy contains isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens which help to balance oestrogen in the body and have been studied for their prevention of hormone-related cancers, as well as for their role in the management of menopause and potential lowering effect on cholesterol levels. Only fermented soy contains isoflavones in the correct form to be used in the body.
However, these isoflavones may affect thyroid health and the action of hormones so still fermented soy should be eaten in caution in some cases.

Did you know that other foods also contain anti-nutrients? Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, bok choi and even fruits such as strawberries contain some substances that may be harmful in large quantities, but usually soaking or the action of cooking them would remove these substances.

On the whole I believe in 'everything in moderation', though I also believe we are all different and what works for one person may not work for another. We can't always be afraid of eating foods because of what we read about them otherwise we will eventually be eating very little!
In the case of soy I would always assess based on the individual, rather than giving a blanket yes or no regardless of a person's health status (though I know some people who do give a definitive yes or no, and I respect other people's opinions). In general we all know that processed foods are less nutritious than their fresh alternatives, and this includes soy so I would generally advise limiting it for this reason. Furthermore, soy products are often genetically modified so I would always recommend looking for non-GM products.

Alternatives to dairy and soy milk include goat's, rice, coconut, almond and even the brand Lactofree if it's just lactose someone is trying to avoid. Personally I can't taste the difference between regular and rice milk, but I am not a milk drinker as such so this makes it easier. There are many non-dairy sources of calcium so don't feel that you need to drink milk to get an adequate calcium intake.

I am interested to hear your thoughts!

Butter vs margarine

2011-08-18T17:59:00.004+01:00

Much is mentioned in the media these days about lowering your cholesterol by swapping butter for margarine, but do we really know which one of these is the healthier choice and why? To be able to answer this question it is important to understand how each are made.

Firstly, I’d like to give a brief explanation of hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation is the process of hydrogen being added to the fat molecules in vegetable oil (unsaturated fatty acids) at a high temperature, in the presence of a catalyst, changing the oil’s molecular structure. This process creates trans fatty acids, raises the oil's melting point and makes it denser - partially hydrogenated oil results in a butter-like consistency. Food companies tend to like foods with saturated fatty acids because they have a longer shelf life.

Margarine is made from oil which is extracted at a high temperature, a process which actually damages the oil, destroying any nutrients. The oil must then be hardened and this is done by hydrogenation.

Butter on the other hand is made from churning the cream that rises to the top of milk produced by cows in particular.

It is commonly thought that margarine is healthier than butter due to it containing less saturated fat, cholesterol and calories. It also usually has a lighter taste and moreover it tends to be cheaper to buy so is more accessible. Margarine usually has nutrients added so can be a good source of some vitamins and minerals.

However, after learning about the way in which both products are made and what the process produces it is difficult to uphold this belief.

Trans fatty acids stimulate the body to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and this lowers HDL (good) cholesterol, resulting in a negative effect on heart health. Moreover they can cause or contribute to health conditions and illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and infertility. Margarine can contain traces of the toxic chemicals used in the hydrogenation process, such as nickel, and can also contain artificial colours to give it the appearance we are all used to seeing. It also contains a range of additives such as emulsifiers, flavours and preservatives. Did you know margarine is actually just a few molecules away from plastic?

In contrast to this, butter does not contain trans fatty acids because it does not go through hydrogenation. It doesn't contain any additives (only added salt in salted varieties), and its colour comes from carotene in the animal’s diet.

Butter does contain saturated fat but we all know we need some fat in our diet, to provide many benefits such as protecting cells and providing us with energy. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids which are burnt by the body quicker than long-chain fatty acids. Butter can contain pesticides, drug residues and environmental toxins unless it is organic, but it also contains fat soluble vitamins such as A and D which can help with the absorption of other important nutrients (though the amount of these can depend on the diet of the animal from which the butter is made).

It’s important to pay attention to total fat intake and have a balanced and varied diet. If you wish to lower your use of either butter or margarine on bread I would recommend the following tasty alternatives.
- Goat’s butter. It doesn’t contain casein, the protein found in cow’s milk and butter which is often used in processed foods and can trigger allergies or sensitivities.
- If you like your bread moist dip it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- Hummus
- Nut butters
- Avocado

To avoid trans fats in your diet altogether look for the words ‘hydrogenated’ or ‘partially hydrogenated’ on food labels, and remember if a label says ‘low in trans fats’ that this does not mean it is trans-fat free!

What I Ate Wednesday

2011-08-03T23:32:00.000+01:00

Good evening! This is only my second WIAW and it's an unusual one because it has been an unusual day - today we have been moving house (and we're not quite finished yet!). I am just about to go to bed, which this evening is made up of sofa cushions and blankets (the bed is coming tomorrow), but wanted to get this in first.

As we have been preparing to move house for the last little while (it feels like a long time!), we haven't been doing too much food shopping as we wanted to use up what we already had. This week in particular we have just bought food as and when we wanted to eat, which is not our normal habit. On that note - I can't wait to get back to proper food shopping and cooking from scratch again!

Local sandwich shops, restaurants (and kind friends!) have been our saviour over the past week. This morning was no different, I went to our local Starbucks (my favourite local place for breakfast) and I had their porridge. I chose this because I knew I wouldn't have time to eat any snacks during the morning (I usually eat little and often), and I'd need something to provide me with sustained energy for all that moving.

The porridge was nice, maybe a bit milky and runny for my taste (I prefer it to be more like wallpaper paste!!), but still tasty.

For lunch Mark took a quick trip to a local supermarket to pick up something quick and easy, as we only had a short time. For me he chose a Moroccan chicken couscous salad and a packet of fruit, and we shared a small packet of olives (they had cheese in as well but I didn't have any of this):

I was then a bit naughty and had some Kettle chips! Everyone who knows me knows I am a fan of crisps (I gave them up for three months at the beginning of the year, and now stick to having them in moderation as much as possible, or cutting them out completely for certain periods of time).

I tried to drink plenty of fluids today because it was a warm day, I think around 28 degrees, and we were carrying heavy things between the two flats (and going up and down lots of stairs!). I had one Innocent smoothie, which was strawberry, blackberry and raspberry flavour and was very tasty!

This evening we were ready for a treat, so we went with friends to a local Indian restaurant, where I had Sag Aloo (potato and spinach) and vegetable samosas.

Overall I think we ate well today considering it was such a busy day. It's very easy to grab quick and unhealthy snacks when doing something like moving house and I'm pleased we managed to avoid doing this. I do believe in allowing treats when appropriate, so am not too worried about the evening meal. I also know we will spend tomorrow doing more moving, which is certainly good exercise!

My very first What I Ate Wednesday!

2011-07-06T19:11:00.002+01:00

Good evening, and welcome to my very first What I Ate Wednesday!

I don't usually post my daily eats, but I've seen quite a few other bloggers doing this and I fancied taking part. This contains the most photos I've ever included in one post, and does go off topic slightly but hopefully you'll enjoy!

I do try to eat a sensible breakfast (and suggest the same to others), but this morning I wasn't feeling 100% so I just had a kiwi:

My snacks throughout the day consisted of a mini breakfast cookie which was sent to me by Hannah at Mind Running Wild as part of the international blog swap, two clementines, two apricots and one plum. Can you tell I like fruit?! I had never had one of these breakfast cookies before and it was tasty and filling - thank you Hannah!

I still didn't feel that hungry by lunch time, so I had a blueberry Alpro Soya yoghurt with some Eat Natural gluten free toasted muesli. This muesli contains raisins, crisped rice, nuts and seeds. I have tried lots of different mueslis and am still trying to find one I'd like to stick with, and this is my current favourite though when I have finished this I will be looking for another one to try. Does anyone have any recommendations?
I also had a packet of sweet chilli Snack a Jacks.

I wanted something quick and easy for dinner this evening - it has been a busy week so far, I've been feeling more tired than usual and Mark wasn't at home for dinner. Also, we are moving house in a few weeks so we are trying to use the food from our freezer. Therefore, my dinner choice was two Quorn chicken-style burgers, which I had with a baked sweet potato and a salad of lettuce, rocket, radishes, cucumber and tomatoes (not pictured). (I didn't intentionally lay the food out like this, but once I had it seemed appropriate to keep them that way for the photo! It made me smile and makes me think of Emma at Sweet Tooth Runner because of her enthusiasm!)

That's it! This wasn't one of my best days for food as we are trying to use up what we already have rather than buy more, but I still tried to stick to low/medium GI foods as much as possible as this is my normal aim. My usual lunch on a work day would be a pitta bread or rye bread with salad, which is a more filling option than what I had today.

On a separate note, today I received a lovely bunch of flowers from two friends as an early birthday present. It was lovely that they thought of me and the flowers are really pretty so I thought I'd share this pic.

Something else new for me today was something I bought - fake eyelashes!

I used these on our wedding day and received lots of comments at how nice they looked, and we're going on our honeymoon soon so I wanted to give them another try (let's see how well I get on applying them myself!). Has anyone ever used these before?

I hope everyone is having a great Wednesday! I am looking forward to the weekend now that we're past the mid-week point! I have a long to-do list though, including taking in a skirt that's become too big for me as I'd like to wear it when we go away. Best get moving ...

Look what I've been baking!

2011-06-21T21:40:00.000+01:00

I am on various baking missions at the moment (one is to try cake pops, but I am still not sure if I can bring myself to wreck a cake after I have baked it - thoughts please?), one of which is to find cakes or biscuits that taste delicious but are good (or at least not very bad) for you, with as natural ingredients as possible.

This is my latest attempt, which is using a recipe I found somewhere on a Channel 4 Food website:

Ginger pecan cookies
Ingredients:

1 tsp (gluten-free) baking powder
1½ tsp ground ginger
200g ground almonds
30g pecans, chopped
50g olive oil
160g natural syrup (I used agave as that's what we had in the cupboards)

I mixed the dry ingredients:

I then added the oil and syrup and mixed it all together with a wooden spoon:

This gave quite a sticky mixture which I then rolled in to 14 small balls (the recipe says 10 - 12 so really it depends on what size cookies you want - mine are 2 - 3 inches big), then flattened and put on greaseproof paper on a baking sheet. I baked them at approximately 150 degrees (fan assisted) for around 15 minutes and this is the result:

These cookies came out very soft indeed (but quite golden enough), and I was worried they wouldn't harden enough on cooling. Luckily they have but they are still really quite moist so I am going to try them again once we have eaten this batch and use slightly less of the wet ingredients to see what difference this makes. I also think I could increase the amount of ginger because the flavour is very subtle and personally I think you can never have too much ginger! I might even try with some fresh ginger to see what this does, though again have to be careful they don't end up too sticky. I also think they would taste good with different flavours such as cinnamon and maybe a different type of nut.

I have had a small taste (as it was nearly 9pm by the time I finished, and I don't tend to eat this late) and they are delicious! I am looking forward to trying them again with some of the variations mentioned above to see what result I get.

By the way, these cookies are gluten free, sugar free and suitable for vegans. Bonus!

Do you have any similar recipes you'd like to share?

Our lovely meal

2011-06-15T20:14:00.000+01:00

This evening I made a lovely meal (not that I don't normally!), and I just wanted to quickly share it.

Salmon with roasted onion squash and red onion, with new potatoes

The salmon was very tasty and here is how I cooked it:

I quickly heated a few thick slices of lemon in a small amount of olive oil, until they were brown on both sides. I put the salmon fillets on to two separate pieces of foil, added the brown lemon slices, some rosemary, black pepper and a clove of garlic on to each fillet, folded over the foil to enclose each fillet then baked them in the oven at around 190 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.

This is the first time we have tried onion squash and it was very tasty. I removed the skin but from some quick research I think you can cook it with the skin still on.

If you follow my blog you probably will know I like to present my food in a nice way, so please ignore the slightly haphazard look of the salmon in this picture! (I didn't manage to serve as carefully as I normally do) I also love to cook colourful foods, so this meal continued this habit!

Nutrition and cellulite

2011-06-11T16:07:00.002+01:00

This month’s Zest magazine features an article about something many women begin to think about this time of year as we get in to the swing of the holiday season - cellulite. The advice given in this article focuses on recommended products to help to combat the appearance of orange-peel skin. To accompany this, I thought I’d provide some information on the foods you may like to include or limit in your diet to try to help from the inside.

Firstly, as covered briefly in the Zest article, cellulite isn’t about being fat - it can affect women (and men, though this is less common) of all shapes, sizes and ages.

Cellulite is unmetabolised fat, water and waste stored under the skin and can be the result of poor circulation and drainage and the build-up of toxins. It is hereditary though hormones, diet and lifestyle also play an important role. Cellulite is not as visible in men as women because their fat cells are deeper in the skin, their distribution of fat is different to that of women and they tend to be hairier so it would be more easily disguised. Cellulite is less obvious on darker skin, so that’s why you will often hear women say they like to have a tan to help disguise the skin’s appearance (not that I am recommending this - particularly as the sun can also damage the skin).

Diet tips

Do:

Try to drink the recommended amount of fluid per day of approximately two litres (depending on your exercise levels, climate etc), preferably of water (a natural cleanser) - this will help to reduce water retention and will help in flushing toxins out of the body
Try to eat little and often, to keep your metabolism working effectively
Follow a sensible, balanced diet - I don’t recommend ‘yo-yo’ dieting because it can encourage the fat cells to store fat due to thinking they will be starved again
Pay attention to eating a colourful diet of vegetables and fruits - brighter foods tend to be more packed with beneficial nutrients
Consume plenty of cruciferous vegetables - they contain lecithin which can help to repair tissues and encourage hydration of the cells. Include vegetables such as kale, broccoli, cabbage, pak choi, radishes and watercress. It can also be found in eggs, soy products and peanuts (and therefore peanut butter - for the many of you who love this!)
Choose particular fruits. Berries are a source of antioxidants and so can help combat free radicals. Grapefruit is also recommended because it increases the activity of enzymes which assist in detoxifying the liver
Ensure you are consuming the right type of fat - essential fatty acids, found in foods such as flaxseeds, nuts and oily fish. These help to attract water to dehydrated cells and prevent further water loss
Choose lean meat to reduce the intake of fat. Choose a variety of protein sources as amino acids are important to the health of the skin and so can affect the appearance of cellulite. Glucosamine also helps to repair the connective tissue under the skin
Ensure an adequate intake of B vitamins, which help to metabolise nutrients and are found in wholgrains, dark leafy vegetables, poultry, eggs, nuts and pulses

Don’t:

Consume too much alcohol or caffeine*, as these are toxins that can affect the performance of the liver, which naturally detoxifies the body. Calories from alcohol are stored as fat, which will contribute to cellulite
Try to lose weight quickly by crash or yo-yo dieting in order to reduce cellulite, as this will most likely not have the desired result, see the comment above
Consume too much salt, as this can increase water retention
Cut out fat from your diet completely. The body needs it for many of its internal processes and to maintain health, such as of the skin
Consume a diet high in refined products such as white bread, rice, pasta and sugar, as these all affect blood sugar levels and so can promote fat storage

*Caffeine is often an ingredient in cellulite creams, so used in this way it can help to stimulate circulation

Other tips:

Smoking destroys nutrients in the body and is full of pollutants, so may exacerbate cellulite
Body brushing can help to boost circulation and flush away toxins
Run the shower cold before you get out, as this can help to boost circulation
Exercise is important in boosting the metabolism and burning fat
Keep your skin moisturised and help to break down fat cells by kneading cellulite-affected areas

Is there anyone reading this who can add to the articles by providing exercise advice?

Have you tried these?

2011-06-02T21:18:00.000+01:00

Before I reveal what the title of this post is referring to, I just wanted to share some recent foodie finds. This week is half term so we had a nice extended weekend together to go on some day trips and try places we hadn't been to before. The first place we went to was a local Giraffe, where I had the Giddy Giraffe smoothie and it was delicious! I have recently got back in to smoothies in a big way because we bought a Bamix with some vouchers from our wedding list and having this equipment in the kitchen has made preparing foods and drinks so much easier, with the added bonus that it is super easy to clean! We have had various juicers and smoothie makers over the years, but I didn't manage to find one that was easy (or just not difficult) to clean and they were all pretty bulky, so given that we've had small kitchens so far we gave up and became smoothie-less for a while.

Back to the Giddy Giraffe:

This contains:

papaya, fresh mint, banana, orange and lime juice. Very tasty and full of nutrients! I chose this smoothie in particular for the papaya, because it's rich in nutrients and offers many benefits, in particular providing the enzyme papain, which is known for its benefits to digestive health. So anyone with digestive problems such as IBS might want to consider introducing this in to their diet.

We also went to Carluccio's (on a different day) for brunch. I was impressed right away because they had the option of fresh mint tea and this is what I had. I love the taste of fresh mint and once I had finished the hot water I then munched my way through the leaves!

For brunch I had eggs florentine, but they weren't very florentine because I asked for them without the hollandaise sauce, so basically I had eggs and spinach on a small piece of Italian bread, and it was very tasty!

I noted when looking at their website that they have a gluten free menu, which I was not expecting, so I look forward to choosing something from that next time we go.

On to my main point of this post, which is this:

I made a nice (colourful!) meal of peppers stuffed with quinoa (a regular feature in our household - an excellent source of protein), with kale and …(drum roll please) … polenta chips! If you haven't tried these before, I recommend you give them a go. Polenta is cornmeal so is gluten free and is therefore a great option for coeliacs or people who are intolerant to/trying to avoid wheat. I love the description of it on the Merchant Gourmet website, which says: "This is the moody teenager of our range - it often stays shut away in its cupboard because nobody understands it. But it's simply really" - this is so true! It can be used in a number of different ways, such as by adding it to cake recipes, making it in to breadcrumbs to coat meat when cooking, or by cooking it for longer and turning it in to chunky chips/cubes, in which case it can go alongside anything really!

I had these chips at one of Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurants last weekend and they were lovely, so I was inspired and determined to re-create them at home. I do find though that often restaurants fry foods and that isn't my cooking method of choice, so here is how I made them:

I bought Merchant Gourmet polenta because it cooks quickly, and I love their products in general so know I can always rely on them.

I boiled water with a bit of vegetable stock in a pan on the hob (the packet tells you how much water to use per weight of polenta) and once it was boiling I poured in my chosen amount of polenta. I think it's important to keep stirring it at this point because it's easy for it to get lumpy, so I stayed with it for a while but then it seemed to settle well so I turned the heat down to a simmer and left it for just 5 - 6 minutes. (note - I cooked it for longer because I wanted it to form in to a thick, springy texture) It's also important to note that polenta is a bit temperamental and it spits a lot at first, so watch your clothes!

Once the polenta looked to be about the consistency I was expecting, I removed it from the heat and poured it in to a lined tupperware container to give it some shape, then put it in the fridge. Some people say it needs to cool for a few hours or so, but I was in more of a hurry than this so I kept it in there for approximately an hour, checking on it regularly.

I removed it from the fridge and from its container and sliced it in to chunks. I chose to toss the chunks in a little oil and some rosemary, but I am sure you could keep them plain if you don't mind them not browning as well and you could add other spices, or you could fry them if you prefer that over oven baking.

I put them in the preheated oven at around 200 degrees for around 20 minutes (again, I was in a hurry so they could have had longer), and this is what I got:

Slightly uneven to look at and I will brown them a bit more next time, but they tasted lovely and met with the approval of my husband, so they must be good!

If you have any other polenta ideas or experiences please do share them in the comments below! Or if you try it for the first time based on this post please let me know how it goes.

Has anyone tried anything from the Carluccio's gluten-free menu? I'm interested to hear any feedback.

Breaking habits

2011-05-22T19:49:00.000+01:00

We all have bad food habits, whether it’s overeating certain foods that we just can’t resist, overeating by accident because we aren’t concentrating, eating when we don’t feel hungry, or grabbing food on the run. The question is, what is the best way to break these unwanted food habits? Firstly I have to say that we are all different, we have our own emotional triggers, likes and dislikes, so it’s important to remember this when attempting to make dietary changes - what works for one person may not work for another. Therefore, the advice that follows in this article is just general advice and not tailored to any particular person.

Going cold turkey - is it for you?

One approach to deal with consuming certain foods more often than desired is to eliminate them entirely from the diet. In general I don’t recommend doing this because often people choose to eliminate foods because they are fearful of consuming them, however they then miss out on the potential benefits. For example, eliminating foods containing ‘too much’ fat when trying to lose weight often means people cut down on or cut out foods such as avocado, nuts and seeds which all contain good fats and so may bring some health benefits.

Furthermore, eliminating a food completely can make you crave it even more so the result of this may actually be over-eating this food after a period of elimination.

If you think going cold turkey isn’t appropriate for you, instead pay attention to your portion sizes and try to reduce these - portion plates are available for those who need help in learning what a normal portion should be.

How do you do your food shopping?

Whether you buy in the shop or online, don’t buy too much of a food you are trying to cut down on so you don’t have a never-ending supply at home. Plan your weekly meals before going food shopping so you can go armed with a list and this will help to keep your focus on preparing these meals rather than impulse buying unhealthier foods, furthermore try not to go food shopping when feeling hungry - we all know what that can result in! Try to research recipes before going shopping to ensure a variation of meals and therefore a variation in nutrients - this may help to prevent cravings and bingeing because you are keeping the meals interesting and satisfying. Try to find at least one new recipe each week.

We try to do all our food shopping online, this works for us because we are usually so busy so it fits in with our routine. It also stops us from impulse buying because we can’t be tempted by something naughty but nice staring back at us when we’re in the queue at the checkout! I do notice online supermarkets have started introducing a “have you forgotten something?” page before final checkout which does tend to contain lots of goodies that I would prefer not to have presented to me, but I find it much easier to skip over these online than I do in store.

It’s about where and how you eat as well as what you eat

We all think about what we are eating, but do we put as much thought in to where and how we are eating? Eating when not concentrating can lead to making bad food choices, eating too fast or too much, and may mean we are eating out of habit rather than to satisfy hunger, such as when people snack whilst watching television. Eating too quickly can mean missing the signals of being full, and this can lead to indigestion. Eating on the move can make it hard to make healthy food choices, causing us to eat too fast so the feeling of hunger doesn’t stay away for long and this also makes it more difficult to gauge when feeling full. Some parents may finish their children’s leftovers when clearing away before sitting down to eat their own meal, which can also lead to over-eating.

Make a rule to only eat meals when sitting down at the table, as this puts the focus back on what’s on the plate and helps to prevent unconscious munching, over-indulging and eating too fast. It’s important to chew food thoroughly, take a break between courses and even between mouthfuls by putting the knife and fork down between each one. Some people may associate watching the TV or movies with consuming certain snacks such as crisps and popcorn, so this routine could be altered by swapping these foods for a healthier alternative, just taking a serving of the food rather than the whole packet and putting the rest away, or by taking up a hobby so less time is spent sitting in front of the TV.

If you eat separately from your children and have a habit of finishing your their leftovers, sit with them when they eat and have a small pre-planned snack such as fruit, vegetables, oatcakes or hummus. Where appropriate put leftovers straight in to the freezer so you won’t be tempted to pick later.

When do you eat?

If you skip breakfast not only are you missing the opportunity to get a good start on the day by consuming important vitamins and minerals, as well as dietary fibre, but it can also affect your performance throughout the day and lead to over-eating due to feeling over hungry. If you are short on time in the mornings and you have a habit of skipping breakfast then prepare as much as possible the evening before so little preparation is required in the morning. This may be just by getting out your bowl and spoon, or by pre

It’s important for blood sugar levels to eat regularly throughout the day, however ensure you only eat when feeling hungry and stop when feeling comfortable. Some people use a hunger scale to determine when and how much they should eat.

The habit I broke recently is eating crisps - they have always been my one weakness and I was determined to stop them from being such a regular occurrence in my diet. I did it by making it my new year's resolution for 2011, but I didn't put pressure on myself by deciding I wouldn't eat them for a certain amount of time, I just aimed to manage it for as long as possible. Well I managed it for three months and since I've started eating them again I find I am less interested than I was before and eat them sparingly rather than as a daily occurrence. It's certainly a nice feeling to know I achieved my goal and it spurs me on to encourage others!

Do you have any habits you have broken or are trying to break?

Do you have any particular tips for how to do this?

How to have a healthy wedding day

2011-01-31T20:07:00.001Z

If you follow me on Twitter, or see my Twitter updates on this blog, then you have probably noticed I'm getting married soon. We have just two months to go so are now fully in the swing of all the final arrangements. We've been engaged since October 2009 (Mark proposed in Central Park - what a romantic!) and we made a lot of the important decisions early (such as the venue, best man, bridesmaids etc), but now all of a sudden the date is creeping up on us and we both work full-time (and then some), so this is a very busy time for us both. I decided early on that I wanted to recapture the creativity I had when I was younger, so I would make everything I could for the wedding - invitations, place cards, table names, table plan etc. Before I move on to the main point of this post I just thought I'd share a couple of pictures:

I have been thoroughly enjoying being so creative, but it certainly does take time!

As you will also know, I am a Nutritional Therapist, so eating healthily is important to me. It's very easy to lose sight of this when planning such a big event as a wedding, as there is a lot to think about and your attention is taken up with planning your big day. I have realised from reading bridal magazines and websites that it's quite common for brides to try to lose weight before their wedding day, and when I went to buy my wedding dress I was asked if I was likely to change shape much before my day, so it could be taken in to consideration when ordering my dress. (As a side note, I am a size 8 - 10 so it worries me that they may have been suggesting I would intentionally lose weight before my wedding - how thin does the ideal bride have to be?!) I have unfortunately heard stories of brides almost starving themselves to fit in to their dream dress, or on the other hand losing weight unintentionally through the worry of it all. Then there's the indulgence on the day itself and the potential over-eating/drinking on honeymoon, when much of that weight the bride struggled to lose comes back on again, and more so. Many women use their wedding day as a goal for weight loss, but, depending on the length of the engagement, this can lead to unrealistic goals and trying to lose weight too quickly, and as well as being an unhealthy way of losing weight we all know that if the weight comes off too quickly then it's likely to go back on again just as fast.

It's even more important during a busy and potentially stressful time such as the lead-up to a wedding to eat sensibly, as it can be easy to be so caught up in the arrangements that you forget to eat regularly, or you are in a hurry so grab something quick and easy, which might not be the healthiest choice. I also know that sometimes people suffer from anxiety and this can affect the appetite or even lead to problems such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

With all this in mind, I'd like to offer some advice on how to have a healthy wedding day.

Leading up to the wedding:

- If you are trying to lose weight anyway don't use the wedding as a reason to try to accelerate your weight loss with unhealthy gimmics such as cutting out major food groups entirely (with no health reason for doing so). A well balanced diet combined with regular exercise is the key. If you do have any particular dietary requirements and you feel you need help in addressing these then seek help from a qualified professional.

- Don't starve yourself. You need energy for this exciting time and you don't want to turn up at your wedding looking over tired from a lack of nourishment!

- Try to take time for yourself to ensure you have regular chances to relax. It's so easy to get caught up in wedding arrangements and not have time for rest or a good night's sleep. Sleep plays a role in repair, recovery and metabolism, and stressful times can increase your chances of catching illnesses such as colds/flu, so rest is very important! Having trouble sleeping? Try including foods such as chicken, eggs, tuna, nuts and seeds in your diet, as they contain tryptophan, which plays a role in relaxation and sleep.

- Further to the above point, don't over-commit yourself during this busy time. I have tried to keep up with various commitments I had made a while ago, but have found it's making me more tired and I'm worrying more about getting things done, so I've cut back now we're getting closer to the wedding. Of course I had all these great ideas of making things for the wedding and they inevitably take longer than anticipated, so that hasn't helped!

- Make exercise part of your regular routine. You don't have to go mad in the gym for hours every day, just a brisk walk to increase your heart rate will keep you active and can help to clear your mind and make it easier to fall asleep. I know taking the dog for regular walks certainly helps me!

- If you're very busy with wedding planning and have little time for food shopping, try to shop on a particular day each week and plan your meals ahead so you can make a shopping list and stick to it. Try to choose quick and easy recipes that provide a wide variety of nutrients. I have some Friday Recipe posts on my blog - have a look at these for some easy, healthy and low cost meal ideas.

- Make sure you have healthy snacks available at home. Sometimes at weekends I find myself sitting for hours doing things for the wedding and so the ability to snack on healthy foods has been really important at these times.

On the wedding day:

- Although you will probably be nervous (as I know I will be!), try to eat a good breakfast. It's going to be a long day so this is important for your energy levels, and even more important if you're planning on drinking alcohol.

- I plan on having champagne whilst getting ready and I don't drink very much or very often these days, so know it would go to my head if I'm not careful. I don't want that to happen as I want to be completely alert and feeling well, so I'll ensure I have a glass of water to drink at the same time as the champage. This will help to prevent dehydration and also stop me from getting tipsy!

- I plan on asking people to carry a couple of small snacks for me, such as a small bag of nuts, a dried fruit bar or a banana. I expect hunger will kick in after the ceremony as my nerves will subside, so I want to ensure I eat little and often throughout the day. Planning ahead is the key - something all us brides should be good at!

- We're having a nice mixture of healthy and not-so-healthy foods available to our guests on our wedding day. Don't feel you have to go completely one way or the other. For example, we've decided to have a salad with cheese for starter and grilled salmon (plus a vegetarian/vegan option) for the main course (rich in Essential Fatty Acids), which will both provide a wide variety of important nutrients as well as lots of lovely flavours. Then we're having something nice and tasty for pudding (we've not quite decided yet though - too much choice!) and we're having chocolates in the favour boxes (mini eggs - it will be nearly easter after all!), so we've got a good balance of naughty and nice food choices and hopefully something to suit everyone.

After the wedding day:

- I'm sure it will be tempting to go mad on the honeymoon, eating and drinking as much as you want and not worrying about the consequences. Of course I want to have fun on my honeymoon, to relax and take it easy, but I know I won't feel happy in myself (and my stomach won't feel happy) if I overindulge just because I can. Try to make sensible, balanced food choices. You can enjoy yourself without going overboard.

Do you have any tips for staying healthy on or during the lead-up to your wedding day?

Here's one I made up earlier

2011-01-22T18:13:00.000Z

I wanted to share this recipe as it was one I made up as an alternative to our usual stuffed pepper recipes and it tasted lovely. We enjoy eating stuffed peppers but sometimes get bored of the same ingredients, so I thought I'd try something a bit different to see how it would turn out.

Ingredients

peppers (of course!) - I used one each, a yellow and a green

barley

mushrooms

onion

garlic (because I put it in the majority of recipes I cook)

courgettes

small amount of olive oil

black pepper and herbs

I cooked the barley according to the packet instructions. I often soften peppers before cooking them in the oven, but this time I decided not to as I wanted to see how they would turn out. I sliced the courgette, onion and chopped the garlic and put them in a pan with a little bit of olive oil, then heated them gently until soft. In the meantime I chopped the tops off the peppers (as close to the top as possible) and removed the insides.

I added a little basil and parsley to the vegetable mixture as well as some black pepper, combined the mixture with the barley and spread the mixture between the two peppers. I had some vegetables left over so I put them in a tupperware container to cool so I could have them for lunch the following day. I cooked the peppers at approximately 200 degrees for around 20 - 30 minutes.

Nut loaf (but not really)

2011-01-16T19:54:00.000Z

This is the first recipe I tried from the book I reviewed in my last post (I seem to be posting in the wrong order!). It's a nut loaf but I say not really because it actually doesn't have many nuts in it. I've cooked it again since this first time and used a mixture of nuts and seeds the second time, which worked just as well and gave a lovely twist to the flavour.

Ingredients:
1 onion
1 leek
2 celery sticks
100g mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
200g lentils (green are my favourite)
115g chopped mixed nuts/seeds
50g potato flour
50g grated cheese
1 egg
3 - 4 tbsp chopped mixed herbs

I used a silicone loaf 'tin', so lightly greased this before starting.
I heated a small amount of oil in a large saucepan, chopped the onion, leek, celery, mushrooms and garlic and lightly cooked over a low heat. After cooking the lentils according to their pack instructions, I added them to the pan, along with the nuts/seeds, flour, grated cheese, egg and herbs. I seasoned the mixture with black pepper and mixed it all together.

I then spooned the mixture in to the loaf tin, levelled it off and placed it in the oven at approximately 180 degrees for 45 minutes (until lightly brown on the top).
This loaf is lovely served warm straight from the oven, but we also ate it again for lunch and it tasted just as delicious once it had cooled down!
As long as your ingredients combine to the right consistency, you can amend them to your preference. I find this important for most recipes I cook, because it means I can play around with the flavours and cook something that suits us.

Served with home-made chips and peas (from the freezer!).

N.B I don't even use oil with my home-made chips now, and we only have half a fist-sized potato each, so I find making my own great for portion and ingredient control!

Spinach and hazelnut lasagne, and my favourite herb!

2011-01-16T19:43:00.000Z

This is the second recipe from the book I recently reviewed, and was so tasty we've had it two evenings in a row. As with most of the recipes I use, this one can easily be adapted to your tastes. I actually amended the quantities to suit us.

Ingredients:
300g fresh spinach (or you can use frozen) - the recipe calls for 900g for 4 people
200ml vegetable stock
1 onion
1 garlic clove
100g hazelnuts
2 tbsp fresh or dried basil
2 sheets egg lasagne
200g chopped tomatoes
100g low-fat fromage frais
hazelnuts and parsley to garnish

The recipe calls for the spinach to be heated in water prior to preparing the rest of the ingredients, however I don't like to over cook vegetables, therefore I simply added it to the saucepan with the chopped onion and garlic and a little olive oil. I added the vegetable stock and left it all simmering for about ten minutes before adding the hazelnuts.
I prepared the lasagne sheets as per the instructions (leaving them to soften in hot water for 3 - 5 minutes), then started layering the ingredients in a oven-proof dish. I started with a layer of the spinach mixture, a layer of lasagne, chopped tomatoes then the rest of the spinach mixture. I seasoned (quite a lot!) with black pepper, put the second lasagne sheet on top then spread the fromage frais on top of this. I baked in the oven at approximately 180 degrees (fan assisted) for 30 - 40 minutes. At approximately ten minutes before the end I added some chopped hazelnuts on the top of the lasagne, then on removing it from the oven I piled on the parsley! We love parsley and it's nutritious* so I didn't skimp on this! I then served this with some green vegetables.

Do you know why parsley is good for you?
Parsley comes curly or flat, and doesn't seem to get much press but I love it! It's very flavoursome so adds a great twist to many dishes, and it brings with it some potential health benefits:

It contains a wide range of important vitamins and minerals, such as anti-oxidant vitamin C, calcium and iron, so among other factors it acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps to boost the immune system.
It can aid digestion.
It can help with urinary tract infections.
It's an excellent breath freshener!

What are your favourite herbs?

Quick book review

2011-01-11T21:35:00.000Z

I have been inspired by Helene and decided to look out some recipe books that haven't been used in a while. I started studying nutrition years ago so I have built up quite a collection of health and recipe books over the years, and so have plenty to choose from!

Do you ever find you have lots of food in the cupboards but don't know how to put it together in an interesting and tasty meal? This was in my mind when I was choosing which book to use - we often have a fridge and cupboards full of food but it can be a challenge putting together healthy, tasty meals to suit both of us. So in this instance I was looking for recipes that would use most of what we already had in the house, so I wouldn't have to go food shopping again, and that Mark and I would both enjoy. (note - the second recipe I chose, which I will add up here shortly, does have what Mark calls "the devil's vegetable" in it, but I figure as it was cooked in with other ingredients he may not realise - unfortunately I was wrong, but he liked it anyway!)

I settled on this book:

I don't think this book is well known, probably because it doesn't have any celebrity endorsements or fancy claims on the front cover, but I highly rate it. What it contains is a wide variety of recipes to suit all tastes - meat, shellfish and vegetarian - as well as recipes to suit those who can't eat certain ingredients, such as wheat. It also gives details of the potential health benefits of certain ingredients and it lists the nutritional information for each recipe, which isn't available in many recipe books.

I would recommend this book for someone looking for a variety of recipes to suit different tastes and dietary requirements, and also for people who want to learn about the foods they are cooking.

Examples of recipes to follow …

Bread

2011-01-01T19:23:00.000Z

Happy new year everyone!

Today has been quite a lazy day as we were tired from last night (no hangovers though) and the weather has been quite miserable today so we fancied something warm for dinner. I have wanted to start making my own bread for a while, so I thought I'd give it a go today. We don't have a bread maker at the moment, this is something we will be adding to our wedding list, so I just used a loaf tin and our oven. As this is my first proper attempt at making bread (I have tried before but wasn't successful, so I gave up!), I decided to choose a bread mix so it would be straight forward and I can ease myself gently in to bread making. I chose Mrs Crimble's bread mix, mainly because I have a sensitive stomach and this brand is free from wheat and gluten, and because I have tried some other foods in this range before and have been pleased with them. This is the mix I used:

The method is really straight forward - just add 1/2 pint of water (tepid - not cold as the mix needs to prove before you put it in the oven), a small amount of oil and some yeast, leave it for 30 - 45 minutes then put in the oven at about 200 degrees for around half an hour.

This is the result (doesn't quite look like the picture on the box, but it was my first attempt!):

I think the water I used was too cold and so I struggled to get the dough to rise (had to put it on the radiator in the end, which did the trick), but this tasted lovely! You can see I added some sunflower seeds to the top, which tasted great. Any time I bake anything new I ask for Mark's verdict and he said this was delicious, so that's a great result!

We had a couple of slices of this bread with a lovely broth which contained carrot, leek, onion, garlic, lentils, borlotti beans, a bit of kabanossi sausage (to keep Mark happy!), vegetable stock, thyme and plenty of black pepper:

Now that I have had one successful attempt at making bread, I am going to look in to some different recipes so I can do some experimenting. Does anyone have any healthy bread recipes you would recommend I try?

New Year's resolutions

2010-12-31T07:54:00.000Z

I make resolutions for every new year, and I always write them down. This may seem over the top to some, but I like to check my progress throughout the year and I get a great deal of enjoyment out of realising I am achieving my goals. It's a great way to remain motivated, as we often start a new year with the best of intentions but don't manage to maintain the same enthusiasm as the year progresses. So this year I am continuing with my tradition by making a note of my resolutions, but this time it's slightly different as I am writing them here for all to see, so we will all know whether I have managed to achieve any/all of my goals or not! By sharing my goals with everyone I hope maybe someone else might be setting the same goals for themselves for the coming year and so we can encourage and support each other, and also I might help to motivate other people who are looking for support with their goals, or even ideas of goals to set!

So here goes:

My first goal is to get married! Ok, so this is an easy one because we know this will be happening, but it has been a goal of mine for the past couple of years so I'm incredibly excited that it's happening during 2011. We are getting married in April (before the royal wedding - we set the trend!) and I cannot wait for that, as well as for our honeymoons.

My second goal - to get back to a better level of fitness. 2010 has been a year of injuries for me so I haven't managed to uphold my usual level of exercise, or at least not my usual type of exercise. I have still done plenty of walking (when my injuries have allowed) and some pilates, but I haven't been able to get involved in much else. I had a hip operation back in July which greatly limited my exercise capabilities for a few months after, not to mention the months leading up to the operation when I was in too much pain to even walk very far. Then about a month ago I managed to damage my collarbone, so although this hasn't limited my walking it has stopped me from doing pilates and anything that involved too much jumping about because it has been too painful. Specifically I'd like to get back to regular pilates to help my general aches and pains, regular walking (with and without the dog), some weight training to build strength as I feel I lost a lot through my operation, and maybe get back in to running if I can. I should also be able to do some swimming when we're on our honeymoons, even if I don't manage it at any other time.

My next goal is foodie related - I plan on cutting out crisps. They are my main unhealthy weakness and I find them difficult to resist, but I always regret eating them after and they don't provide me with any benefit so the time has come to limit my intake. There are so many tasty snack alternatives available, so I have no excuse to bypass something healthy (or healthier) in favour of a bag of crisps. The main way of ensuring I don't eat these is to not have them in the house, so we have agreed we won't have them on our shopping list. Where I might struggle is when out and about/socialising, so I have to keep reminding myself of the reasons for cutting them out and hopefully that will mean I am successful!

My last goal is to learn to relax and take more time to enjoy things. I, like many people, spend a lot of my time rushing around with a long list of things to do and don't take much time for relaxation. I am very good at giving other people advice about taking time to relax, spending time on hobbies and with family and friends, so now is the time for me to take my own advice! I have a large stack of magazines and books that have built up during this year and I still haven't had chance to get to them, so I intend on working my way through them (and any other reading material I acquire). I am also really enjoying making all the stationery for our wedding and it has reminded me how much I enjoy being creative, so once we are married I plan on continuing with this hobby. I now have plenty of craft equipment that I wouldn't want to see go to waste!

In general I am looking forward to us, our family and our friends having a healthy and prosperous 2011 and I hope we can all achieve what we are striving for.

Do you have any new year resolutions? Do you have any similar to mine? If you have food related goals and are looking for advice and support please do not hesitate to contact me!

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2011!

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-24T17:17:00.000Z

Good evening,

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy Christmas! I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks because we've been so busy, but I will be back to normal after the festive season.

Merry Christmas and happy new year! x

Secret Santa!

2010-12-12T21:54:00.000Z

Good evening!

I took part in the secret santa arranged by Laura (thanks Laura!), and here is my post on what I received. I was a little delayed on posting the items I bought because of the snow (why does it always seem to create so much havoc?!), but I got there in the end. I was very excited to receive my parcel and I didn't wait long before opening it. Here is a picture of the items I received:

nakd ginger bread raw bar - I haven't tried this one yet and am excited to do so!
Slow Puck slow pear, mulberry and brazil bar. I haven't seen this before but it looks similar to the Eat Natural bars I like so much, so I'm looking forward to trying this one too.
The Tropical Jackson Bar, with mango, pineapple, papaya and coconut.
Organic spelt cantuccini, with almonds and honey. These look delicious and I'm sure they won't last long once open!
Couscous - a blend with sundried tomato, black olives, herbs and spices.
Justin's honey peanut butter blend.
Justin's maple almond butter. I have a feeling my fiance will like both of these, so I may have to keep them away from him so I have a chance to try them first!

Thank you very much to Nicky for these lovely goodies. I've enjoyed getting to know your blog since receiving these.

Taking part in this secret santa has been a great way of getting to know other bloggers who I didn't already know, it has reminded me how much I like being part of this community, and it has opened my eyes to some products that I haven't tried before.

Friday recipe #12 - warm quinoa salad

2010-12-09T22:26:00.000Z

Following my previous post, here is a great recipe idea that includes quinoa, as well as lots of other healthy ingredients. This is another quick and easy recipe which gives the opportunity to multi-task when it's cooking (so perfect for a busy evening after work) and can be easily adapted to suit personal tastes.

Ingredients
quinoa (I used a packet of red and white ready to eat - photograph below)
tomatoes
red onions
courgette
green lentils (everyone knows I love them!)
low fat halloumi cheese
olive oil
red wine vinegar
black pepper
fresh parsley

I decided on quantities as I went along, depending on how hungry we were and our own taste preferences. I used a couple of medium tomatoes, a whole medium onion and a large courgette, but you can amend this.
Firstly I chopped the courgette, tomatoes and onion in to large chunks, sprinkled them with olive oil and they were roasted in the oven for 15-20 minutes in total (approx. 180 degrees, in a fan oven).
In the meantime I put a couple of handfuls of green lentils in a pan of boiling water and simmered these over a low heat. I don't mind lentils that aren't too soft, so I don't tend to over-cook them.
At this point you can add some olive oil to the vinegar, add a handful of fresh parsley (I usually tear it by hand rather than chop precisely), season with black pepper and leave these in a bowl whilst you are preparing the rest of the meal. Alternatively if you are really short on time then you can add these to the rest of the ingredients once ready.
I chopped half a small block of low-fat halloumi cheese in to thin slices and grilled them until golden brown. I added these slices to the bowl with the oil and vinegar mixture.
The quinoa packet I bought required just a minute in the microwave, so I popped it in just before the vegetables were ready to come out of the oven, then added half the packet, along with the cooked vegetables and lentils, to the bowl.
I served this warm salad with one wholemeal bread roll each, and it was delicious!

What is quinoa?

2010-12-09T21:58:00.001Z

It has come to my attention recently that not everyone has heard of quinoa, so I thought I'd do a post on this, and to follow is a great Friday recipe (I am early this week!) based on this food.

So, what is quinoa?
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a grain which looks similar to millet, it has a slightly firm texture and nutty taste. It is a complete protein, which means it provides all essential amino acids, and is therefore an excellent food choice for us all but particularly vegetarians and vegans. Quinoa is also a good source of fibre and many nutrients such as magnesium, iron and manganese, and therefore consuming it regularly may bring health benefits.

How is quinoa cooked?
You can buy packets of quinoa which has been pre-cooked and simply needs heating, such as the one I used in the recipe coming up in the next post. Alternatively, if you buy it uncooked then it can be prepared in the same way as you would prepare rice - rinse, cover with water and bring to the boil, then simmer it for 10 - 15 minutes. Either way quinoa is really quick and easy to prepare.

Where can you buy quinoa?
Quinoa can be bought in health food stores such as Holland and Barrett, and supermarkets are beginning to stock it now as well (I buy it from Sainsbury's). Also, it can be bought from websites such as Goodness Direct. The price can vary, but in general it's not expensive to buy and for such a healthy food I think it's worth it!

What meals can be made that include quinoa?
See the next post!

New post to follow ...

2010-12-09T21:40:00.000Z

Sorry for the delay in this post, I just looked and realised the last time I posted was 21 November!! Time is flying by too fast and with Christmas in a couple of weeks everything else seems to take a back seat. Speaking of Christmas, I have taken part in a blogger's secret santa, so I will be posting on that very shortly. Meanwhile, my next post is to follow ...

Suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

2010-11-21T18:26:00.001Z

The Daily Mail website recently published an article about Irritable Bowel Syndrome, so since I've been planning on writing about this topic for a little while I thought now would be a good time to post it.

The article to which I am referring discusses the spice turmeric and how it may aid those suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), through its anti-inflammatory properties (a study is being conducted, so I will be interested to see the results). This article, and recent discussions I have heard between people who were talking about how they control their digestive symptoms, has made me realise people may not know all there is to know about IBS and the potentially associated symptoms.

IBS is a common digestive disorder characterised by chronic diarrhoea and/or constipation, abdominal bloating, excessive wind, abdominal pain and cramps, nausea, an urgent need to go to the toilet, and the feeling of incomplete bowel emptying. Symptoms can also be experienced in other areas of the body, such as pain in the lower back, muscle pains, tiredness and headaches. Symptoms are usually worse after eating and a 'flare up' can last up to a few days. Due to these symptoms and the potential embarrassment they may cause, people may also feel anxious and depressed. IBS symptoms may not be experienced at all times and triggers can vary from one person to the next, so each person should be assessed on an individual basis and measures that work for one person may not work for the next.

There is not one known cause for IBS but it may be caused or triggered by a number of different factors such as dietary, lifestyle and psychological factors such as stress. People who suffer from IBS usually have a bowel which is sensitive to stimuli that wouldn't affect other people. It is thought that women are more affected than men, and symptoms may be worse prior to or during the period.

There are a number of factors to consider when trying to ease the symptoms of IBS, which I am going to briefly discuss below.

Dietary factors

Making dietary changes may help to control IBS symptoms. As we are all unique, keeping an individual food and symptoms diary may be helpful as this can help to identify 'trigger foods', so the diet can then be modified accordingly.
The balance of fibre in the diet could be monitored, as too much of either type can affect the performance of the digestive system, affecting each person differently depending on whether they suffer mainly from diarrhoea or constipation.
Improving the balance of friendly bacteria in the gut may also ease IBS symptoms.

Other dietary factors to consider include:

Eating regular meals
Eating slowly, not taking in to much air and eating when feeling relaxed
Maintaining adequate fluid intake
Reducing the intake of alcohol and fizzy drinks
Limiting or avoiding processed foods

Lifestyle factors

Reducing stress levels may help to reduce the severity of IBS symptoms, and one way of achieving this could be through regular moderate exercise, which can help to relieve symptoms, though it's important to take individual factors in to consideration such as mobility, the presence of injuries, cost factors, family commitments and time constraints.

A GP may prescribe medication to help to ease the symptoms of IBS. There are some natural remedies that could be tried, such as aloe vera and peppermint oil - peppermint tea is known as being calming to the digestive system, and there are other similar remedies that could be tried.

Do you have your own particular triggers or remedies you would like to share? Or are you looking for further information on any of the above? I'd love to hear your comments!

*If you are concerned about your symptoms or have more serious symptoms than those mentioned above such as weight loss, blood in your stool or a family history of bowel problems, you may wish to speak to your GP. This article is designed to provide general information, is not tailored to an individual and it not a substitute for specific GP advice.

Friday recipe #11 - chickpea salad

2010-11-19T20:16:00.001Z

I recently remembered how much I like chickpeas, so here is a great recipe that went down very well in my household.

Ingredients (for two people)

1 x 400g can chickpeas

1 red onion
1 white onion
1 garlic clove

1 courgette

a handful of small tomatoes

olive oil

approx 50g feta cheese

fresh herbs - I used parsley and mint

I chopped all the vegetables in to chunks (not too small, so as to not lose nutrients), put them in a roasting tin, added a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of black pepper and cooked in the oven at 220 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

I mixed the chopped herbs (I used quite a lot of the herbs as we love the flavour) with a small amount of olive oil, mixed in the chopped feta and some black pepper and left this to sit whilst the veg was in the oven. Once the veg was cooked I removed them from the oven and mixed them in with the herb and feta mixture, then served it with a couple of lovely soft bread rolls.

This was such an easy recipe it's really recommended for an evening when you are short on time but want to eat something nutritious and filling.

Friday recipe #10 - falafels

2010-11-15T20:25:00.005Z

Anyone who has been reading my Twitter updates has probably noticed I've become a little hooked on the Starbucks falafel panini. I have become so hooked that it's starting to become a habit that's too expensive to maintain, so I thought I'd have a go at making my own falafels. This recipe originally came from BBC Good Food, a website I rate highly because of the wide variety of recipes available and the ability to leave ratings/comments against recipes.

Ingredients

400g can of chickpeas

1 small red onion

1 clove of garlic

spices - chilli powder, cumin and coriander (half teaspoon of the first, then full teaspoon of the others)

handful of fresh parsley

2 tablespoons of plain flour

My amendments would be to change the spice quantities (to personal taste), even removing the chilli if cooking these for children, plus increasing the amount of garlic and parsley (I am a big fan of both!). Ths recipe mentions adding a small amount of salt, but I don't tend to add salt to recipes so I think due to the flavours present this can be left out. Also this recipe calls for frying the falafels in oil, however it may be just as effective and a little healthier to bake them in the oven at a medium temperature. Finally, this recipe is supposed to make 4 falafels, but I chose to make them smaller as they can then easily be 'stuffed' in to pitta breads.

Method

Drain and dry the chickpeas. Chop the onion, garlic and parsley and add this in to a bowl with the chickpeas, flour and spices. Blend it all together until mostly smooth (though I think partially lumpy is nice), and fry over a medium heat with a small amount of oil or, as mentioned above, cook in the oven on a medium heat until lightly browned on both sides (turn after the first 10 minutes).

I ate these with a salad of rocket, tomato and cucumber, with one wholemeal pitta bread cut in to two and toasted. They were delicious and so quick to make!

(one was a little too brown - this was not quite intentional!)

Have you seen these before?

2010-11-08T19:20:00.001Z

I was in my local supermarket recently when these caught my eye - can you tell what they are?

They're purple potatoes!

The description on the packaging told me they are naturally grown, taste the same as regular potatoes and provide even more benefits, so as the cost was reasonable and I wanted to test out the flavour I decided to give them a go. Therefore, this evening for dinner we had purple majesty potatoes three ways! (in small quantities!)

Firstly I washed one small potato (approximately half the size of my fist) and chopped it in to chunks - drizzled some olive oil and put them on a baking tray in the oven at 200 degrees for 25 minutes, making perfect purple roast potatoes.

I then peeled two small potatoes (each the same size as before), boiled some water in a saucepan, added them to this water and simmered gently until they were soft, then mashed half of it with a small amount of butter and added the rest to a pan of vegetables and bacon.

The result? They do indeed taste just like regular potatoes, with the same texture. So what are the potential benefits of choosing these purple potatoes instead of your usual variety? Due to their colour they provide antioxidant properties (see earlier post if you are looking for more information on antioxidants) and therefore may provide added health benefits, so can be a great addition to your (and your family's) diet. The novelty colour may help to encourage children who are reluctant to eat vegetables and they are as simple and easy to prepare as any other potato variety.

Friday recipe #9 - pumpkin soup, toasted sweetcorn & toasted pumpkin seeds

2010-11-07T19:09:00.001Z

This Friday recipe isn't as quick as previous recipes I have posted, but it still needs little involvement, is very tasty and is full of important nutrients. It's also a nice choice for this time of year and cheap to prepare as many supermarkets are now selling pumpkins at low prices.

Here is how I turned this:

In to this:

This pumpkin soup recipe is one I found on Delia Smith's website, when I was specifically looking for a recipe that didn't contain cream, and I just amended it slightly for our tastes. I still cooked enough for 6 people because I had a rather large pumpkin so didn't want to waste any! The remainder will go in the fridge for Mark for his dinner tomorrow. We have some good serrated knives that cut pumpkins really well, so I used one of these to get the amount of pumpkin I wanted and threw away the insides, minus the seeds.

Ingredients:
pumpkin (if you hadn't already guessed!) - approx 700g
sweetcorn - approx 150g for the soup and 100g for the topping
whole milk - 200ml
vegetable stock - 700ml
black pepper
1 onion
25g butter

I melted the butter in a saucepan, chopped the onion and pumpkin (small pieces for the onion, large for the pumpkin) and added them to the butter. I then added the sweetcorn, placed the lid on the saucepan and left it over a gentle heat for ten minutes. Once the ingredients had softened slightly I added the milk and vegetable stock, seasoned with black pepper, re-covered and left on a medium heat for 20 minutes.

Whilst the pumpkin mixture was cooking I cleaned off the seeds I had earlier removed from the inside of the pumpkin, drizzled olive oil over them, added a small amount of salt and put them in the oven on 150 degrees. I also put the 100g of sweetcorn on some foil under the grill and toasted them until they were lightly brown.

I used a hand blender to mix the pumpkin ingredients in to soup consistency - the original recipe says to not worry about lumps but I prefer pumpkin soup to be smooth, so that's how I prepared it. I then added the toasted sweetcorn to the top and served.

Friday recipe #10 - healthier sausage and mash

2010-10-31T20:47:00.001Z

The evenings are getting darker and the weather has been a bit miserable recently, so this has prompted me to post this filling, wintery meal as a quick and easy Friday night treat. (for those who don't eat meat there are sausage alternatives available) As with most of my recipes, you can easily adapt this to suit your own tastes.

Ingredients
sausages (I usually do 2 normal sized ones each)**
one baking potato (average size)
butternut squash
sweet potato
vegetable gravy
vegetables of your choice to add to the mash itself or to have on the side

**As much as I like good sausages, I don't eat them often because many sausages available in supermarkets have a low meat content and are filled with lots of ingredients I don't like to eat. I have recently discovered the Good Little Company, a company which aims to produce foods which don't contain any artificial colours or "horrible nasty stuff" (quoted from their website), and they run Buy One Give One Free, which means that every time one of their products is purchased they donate food to someone in a developing country. I bought the Good Little Sausages, which are free from artificial colours and stabilisers and are low in fat, and I had high hopes for the taste! I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed - I do recommend these sausages and will certainly be buying them again. They even pleased Mr Embrace Nutrition, who is known for his knowledge of sausages! (he is half German)

Anyway, back to the meal ...

I always grill sausages and drain any fat off half way through. Whilst the sausages were grilling I peeled the potato, butternut squash and sweet potato and added them to pan of boiling water and simmered until they were soft. (note - I always cut in to large chunks rather than small pieces - see an earlier post if you aren't sure why) In this instance I also chopped a couple of carrots and a leek and cooked them (gently) over the hob, but sometimes I heat some oil in a pan and add chopped onions (or spring onions) and garlic so these can be mixed with the mashed potato. I boiled some water in the kettle and added it to some vegetable gravy granules (you can also use meat gravy, but I prefer vegetable). Goodness Direct sell some natural gravy powder so there are healthier alternatives to traditional gravy powders available.

Once the potato and squash were soft, I drained the water and mashed them with a small amount of semi-skimmed milk and a small amount of Flora until they made a smooth consistency. I always add black pepper (because I love it!) and I served this with the sausages and vegetables and a small amount of gravy.

Note - I never add salt to meals when cooking. For the mash I recommend using the combination of potato/squash etc that you like most, and I tend to experiment each time I make it.

Fighting a cold

2010-10-24T20:08:00.004+01:00

There is no denying that we are gradually approaching winter - the temperature has dropped, the evenings are starting to get darker and we'll very shortly be turning our clocks back (spring forward, fall back, for those who can't remember which way we go). I have noticed many people around me have been coming down with coughs, sneezes and sniffles, and so far I have managed to escape but I am now wondering how much longer that might last? So I have been reminding myself of some good diet and lifestyle tips to try to give my immune system a boost, and here I am going to share them with you ...

- Many people know vitamin C plays a big role in boosting the immune system, which is because it is an antioxidant. Free radicals are molecules that are created in the body that can cause damage to our cells, and an antioxidant is a substance that helps to reduce and prevent this damage. Vitamin C is available naturally in a number of fruits and vegetables (not just oranges, which people tend to know about), such as kiwi fruits, mango, broccoli, asparagus and parsley.

- Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin which is also an antioxidant; it enhances the production of immune cells which produce antibodies that help to destroy bacteria. Include foods that provide this vitamin, such as sunflower and sesame seeds, oats, brown rice and sardines.

- Beta carotene also has antioxidant properties and can be found in foods such as watercress, apricot, pumpkin (very current!), sweet potatoes and carrots. Did you know it's this that gives carrots their orange colour? Beta carotene is converted by the body in to vitamin A and so can provide a number of benefits in addition to the topic I am talking about here.

- Zinc helps to make new cells and enzymes, so can help in many processes including enhancing immune function. Foods high in zinc include meat, shellfish, some nuts and dairy, as well as bread and cereal products.

- Garlic is a natural antibiotic with immune-boosting properties, most notably when raw. When cooking, try to chop/grind and then leave for 5 - 10 minutes before heating it.

- Spicy food can help to relieve congestion, so foods containing chilli or horseradish, among other foods, may be beneficial.

- If you already have a cold make sure you drink plenty of warm fluids such as green tea (an antioxidant), as this can help to soothe a sore throat, relieve nasal congestion and prevent dehydration. Adding a teaspoon of honey to hot drinks may also soothe the throat and provide benefits as it contains a number of important nutrients.

- Excessive alcohol intake can affect the immune system, as it can deprive the body of vital nutrients, as well as contributing to dehydration.

- Dairy products can contribute to nasal congestion, so you may wish to limit your consumption of it whilst suffering from a cold. Or perhaps not consuming it before bed, as increased congestion may affect sleep.

- A lack of sleep can affect the body's ability to fight infection as the body heals during sleep and so not sleeping enough may affect this.

- Stress or anxiety can affect the proper functioning of the immune system, so may leave you feeling run down and susceptible to colds, as well as affecting sleep. Try to find time for yourself when you can - time to relax and re-charge your batteries.

Please remember that we are all individual and our bodies have their own requirements, so this is general advice and not tailored to any particular health situation. If you have particular requirements and are looking for more specific advice then please contact me.

Do you have any of your own cold fighting remedies? Please share them!

Friday recipe #9 - cottage pie

2010-10-23T13:41:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the delay with this one, it has been a busy week so I haven't had a chance to do any blogging. It's half term now so I hope things will calm down a bit for a couple of weeks!

This latest recipe is another easy one to prepare and you can fill it full of as many vegetables as you'd like. The ingredients I used were:

Two carrots
One courgette
One medium onion
Lean minced beef (I used the variety that can be cooked from frozen, as it's much quicker and although sometimes it can lack taste it's the perfect choice in this type of recipe)
Vegetable stock (I rarely use a meat stock as I am not always keen on the taste)
Black pepper

For the topping:
Butternut squash
Two baking potatoes

I chopped all the vegetables in to quite large pieces (see my earlier post!), gently cooked them over a medium heat, added the beef and cooked until the meat was lightly browning. I added hot water to a vegetable stock cube, added this to the pan, sprinkled some black pepper and left to simmer for 5 - 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, I cooked the chopped potatoes and squash in hot water (boiling the water before adding them, then reducing the heat) until they were soft and mashed them with a small amount of butter.
I added the meat and vegetables to a medium casserole dish, topped with the mash, sprinkled some black pepper then cooked it in the oven on approximately 180 for 20 minutes. I served it with some bread from the oven.

You could add some sweet potatoes to the mash and add different vegetables or serve with vegetables/salad. This is a great easy recipe that can be easily altered to suit all tastes!

How to save nutrients

2010-10-17T13:52:00.001+01:00

Fruits and vegetables contain a wide range of nutrients, but did you know that how you prepare these foods can affect the nutrient status of them, or how many nutrients are lost before they reach your mouth?

Try these nutrient-saving methods:

- Peel vegetables thinly, as much of the goodness can often be found in, or just under, the skin. Alternatively, scrub them rather than peeling.

- Peel vegetables after cooking rather than before, so the skins come away more easily and therefore you remove less.

- Cut fruits and vegetables in to large pieces. Cutting in to slices exposes the cut surfaces to heat, light and oxygen, which can all destroy nutrients as it results in oxidation, which can be seen if you slice an apple and leave it open to air for any length of time - it will go brown. Cutting in to larger pieces minimises the surface areas that are exposed.

- Cut the vegetables when you want to cook them, rather then pre-cutting and leaving them out for any length of time.

- Wash foods whilst whole, rather than once chopped.

- Use more gentle cooking methods other than boiling, such as steaming and stir frying/sautéing. Vegetables don't need to be over-cooked - they should be tender but still slightly crisp, and the longer and hotter you cook something the more nutrients are lost.

- If you are boiling vegetables over the hob make sure you boil the water first then add the vegetables, rather than boiling the water and vegetables together. Over-cooking foods can destroy their nutrient content.

- Use just enough water for cooking, so you don't have to drain too much of the water. Use any excess water elsewhere in your food preparation (such as in a sauce or gravy), as this water can contain nutrients from the food cooked in it.

- Cover the saucepan whilst vegetables are simmering to contain the steam and heat, as this can help to reduce overall cooking time.

- Avoid soaking sliced or chopped vegetables, as this can leach out nutrients, particularly if the pieces are small.

- Tear salad greens or cut with a non-metal implement, rather than cutting with a metal knife. Greens (such as lettuce) cut with metal wilt at the edges more quickly than if torn or plastic-cut.

- Eat raw fruits and vegetables where possible. Please contact me if you are looking for recipe ideas.

Do you have any additional tips you'd like to share, or are you looking for any further information? Please comment below!

Friday recipe #8 - tomato, mozzarella and basil salad

2010-10-15T21:50:00.001+01:00

This recipe is one which we use regularly over the summer, because it's very quick and easy and so tasty! I know we're getting in to the colder months now so warm salads might be preferred over a cold one, but this is so tasty that I can't imagine going months without it (or maybe I'm in denial about the weather!).

Ingredients (you may be able to guess from the title!)
tomatoes on the vine
buffalo mozzarella (I often use a light version)
fresh basil leaves*
ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
(quantities to your preference)

Method
Chop the tomatoes in half and slice the mozzarella in to small chunks. Add to a bowl with the olive oil, tear the basil leaves (I leave them quite large as I love love love the taste of basil!), mix it all together and sprinkle generously with black pepper.

We serve this as a side to many different dishes - stuffed peppers, a warm ciabatta, seasoned chicken, or we have it on its own as a lovely small lunch.

*Basil is a good source of many nutrients, such as magnesium, calcium and vitamins A and C, and it has a lovely strong flavour!

Graze - quick review

2010-10-11T22:04:00.000+01:00

I placed my first Graze order last week, which arrived today (a bit later than expected, but I expect probably more to do with postage issues than with the service from Graze), so here is a quick review on the process and products.

Graze offers a wide variety of unprocessed snacks, with the principle behind it being that grazing on food (eating little and often) helps to maintain blood sugar levels and may therefore being health benefits.

Signing up to receive a Graze box is quick and easy - the website is very user friendly and contains answers to any questions you might have about the process or their products. One of the great features of the website is that it allows the customer to rate the available products, even to the point of being able to 'bin' any you don't like, to ensure you only receive products you're happy to try.
I signed up, selected my delivery day, rated products that particularly appealed or didn't appeal to me, and waited in anticipation ...

My delivery contained the following:

- Olive, rosemary and siciliano pesto focaccia (the missing space in the box - we quickly shared this at lunch time today!)
- Milkshake mix
- Cracked black pepper cashews
- Funky gibbon

With the exception of the focaccia which is fresh and therefore should be eaten on the day of arrival, all the products have reasonable use by dates, so don't all have to be eaten in one go. Having said that, they are so tasty that I can't imagine they are going to last much longer! Another positive about using Graze is the ability to control portion sizes, as all the foods come in small packets, so we aren't feeling too guilty!

I particularly recommend the strawberries in the milkshake mix - these are my favourite so far (they are very tasty, a little sweet and quite moist) and so I will definitely be rating these highly to increase the chance of getting them again. I am looking forward to trying further foods, so if anyone has any particular recommendations then please let me know.

Note - there is no commitment to buy a certain number of boxes or sign up for a particular length of time, and you are only charged once a delivery is made. There are many offers around for free/half price boxes, so I recommend giving them a try!

Top 10 tips for a healthy diet

2010-10-10T11:33:00.003+01:00

Today is 10/10/10 so, in keeping with this theme, here are my top 10 tips for a healthy diet:

1 - Balance is key. Other than where a person has specific needs (such as to take allergies/intolerances or any other factors in to consideration), I believe in everything in moderation. Don't deny yourself things you crave because you are more likely to overeat them when you do succumb to the craving, but just eat treats in moderation.

2 - Hydration is important. Aim to drink approximately two litres of fluid per day (to be modified depending on activity levels, outside temperature etc), which doesn't just have to be plain water. See my earlier post on hydration for ideas of what other fluids count towards this goal.

3 - Don't crash diet as this can encourage the body to store the fat it does have, to protect itself against being starved. If you are trying to lose weight the most sensible way is slow and steady, as you're more likely to be able to maintain the weight loss.

4 - Eat regularly to maintain blood sugar and therefore energy levels.

5 - Choose healthy carbohydrates for longer lasting energy. Choose wholegrains, beans and vegetables as these are digested more slowly than unhealthier carbohydrates such as white bread.

6 - We all know about eating five a day, but do ensure you eat a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables so you can maximise the different nutrients you are consuming.

7 - Think of your portion sizes - sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

8 - Think about how, as well as what, you eat. Eat your food slowly, as eating too fast can encourage over-eating, due to your body not having enough time to tell you when it feels full, and you may also feel hungry again sooner.

9 - Plan ahead. Plan meals in advance where possible to ensure your diet contains a wide variety of important nutrients, and so your shopping can be as cost effective as possible. Try to plan ahead for snack times at work so you don't have to resort to visiting the chocolate machine. See my earlier post on snack ideas as an alternative to biscuits or chocolate.

10 - For those who have children, involve them in your shopping and cooking meals so they learn about and develop an appreciation for meal preparation.

Looking for further information or additional tips? Please contact me!

What's in your fruit bowl?

2010-10-09T14:38:00.005+01:00

Our fruit bowl is usually brimming full of lots of fruity goodness, and in fact so much so at the moment that we can't even fit everything in to the bowl itself.

What's in my fruit bowl?

Apples (green, red and cooking varieties) - The saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" may not be as far from the truth as people might think - they contain antioxidant nutrients and B vitamins, and they contain the mineral boron which helps to promote bone growth. They also contain the soluble fibre pectin which can help to lower blood cholesterol levels. The skin of apple is the most nutritious and also contains insoluble fibre, which fills us up and can help to ease constipation (but this should be noted for people who experience looser bowel movements).

Bananas - We don't keep our bananas in the same bowl as the rest of our fruit, because the skin contains a plant hormone which stimulates the ripening of fruit and can therefore cause fruit around it to 'go off' at a quicker rate than they would normally. Bananas are a good source of carbohydrate (the GI is medium but can vary depending on the ripeness of the banana), therefore helping with energy levels. They have a high potassium content, which can help to maintain a healthy nervous system and have positive effects on blood pressure, and also it keeps fluid levels in the body in balance.

Grapes - We're also keeping our red grapes in the fridge at the moment. Grapes are a form of berry, they have a high content of resveratrol, which is an antioxidant compound and so these can help against conditions such as asthma, heart disease and infections. They contain a wide variety of vitamins (A, Bs and C), as well as minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. Grapes have a high (natural) sugar content so I liked to keep them chilled or frozen so it slows down the rate at which I eat them. Grapes can also have high pesticide levels, so it's important to thoroughly rinse them after purchase.

Kiwi - It is well known that oranges provide vitamin C, but did you know that kiwi fruit actually provides more? One kiwi can provide more than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C, which can help to prevent and repair damage to the cells in the body, it supports the immune system and is important for the health of blood vessels. Therefore an adequate intake of vitamin C may help against conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as helping to resist infections. Kiwis also contain and an antioxidant called lutein, which may help to maintain eye health.

Plums - I like to buy all different colours but the ones we have at the moment are quite dark. Again, they provide antioxidants and dietary fibre. They contain vitamin A which plays a role in maintaining healthy membranes and skin. Plums also contain iron, which is required for the formation of red blood cells, and B vitamins which are important for the formation of the cells in the body and help with metabolism. Personally, I think plums are underrated!

Satsumas - These are an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamin C, so providing the benefits mentioned above for kiwis. They provide calcium which plays a role in bone health and the maintenance of muscles. They also provide soluble fibre to the diet and so can help to maintain a healthy digestive system. We choose to buy satsumas because they are easy to carry around for a quick snack and are easier to peel than a large orange if you are out and about. Note - satsumas can contribute to damage to the teeth if eaten too frequently, or too frequently on an empty stomach.

Strawberries - Actually we keep these in the fridge, but they still count as part of our fruit collection, so they deserve to be included on here. Strawberries contain a wide variety of nutrients and so can provide many health benefits; they are a source of antioxidants and also contain vitamins C, E and K and B vitamins. Strawberries also contain soluble fibre and so help to maintain a healthy digestive tract.

Fruit in general also -

- contains no saturated fat

- has a varying water content so can contribute to your daily fluid intake

- contributes towards your five a day

- is just as quick and easy to eat as a biscuit or chocolate bar, and can be just as tasty, if not more so!

Are there any vitamins or minerals you would like more information on?

What's in your fruit bowl?

Friday recipe #7 - chicken tortillas

2010-10-08T22:19:00.000+01:00

We've had a busy evening because we had some shopping to do after work (grocery and other bits and pieces), which meant I started preparing dinner later than usual and so I chose something that didn't involve too much attention so that I could also get my household chores done at the same time (so I can spend some time relaxing tomorrow morning!).

Here are my ingredients:

200g chicken breast

1 green pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 onion

1 clove garlic

mexican fajita spice/salsa

black pepper

4 seeded wraps (2 each)

romaine lettuce leaves

I chopped all the ingredients, gently cooked the vegetables in some olive oil on a medium heat, then added the chicken and cooked until it was gently browned, stirring regularly. I added the spice, with a little bit of water for moisture, seasoned with black pepper then left it to simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Once cooked I added the mixture to the middle of the tortillas, topped with some shredded lettuce, rolled the tortillas (not very neatly, I admit!) and served.

As this was quite a late meal for us (around 9pm, which isn't when we would normally eat), I didn't serve this with anything else, but I would usually serve them with a side salad.

The importance of meal planning

2010-10-07T17:08:00.002+01:00

source

We lead quite a busy life - Mark works long hours and I spend a lot of my time running (not literally these days because I can't, but I hope to be able to again soon) around trying to keep our life in order. After a busy day what I don't want to have to do is stand in the kitchen pondering what I might cook for dinner that evening, wondering how to combine the random ingredients in our cupboards in to a nutritious meal, so we always try to plan our meals in advance. Planning meals for the week ahead has many benefits in our household:

By planning our meals for a week (or longer, if possible) we can go to the supermarket and shop specifically for these meals (plus snacks) using a list (and sticking to it!), not having to spend hours wandering the aisles deciding what to buy, or worse, being tempted by 'offers' which just encourage us to make purchases we wouldn't normally make (two for one deals where inevitably something goes out of date before we've gotten round to eating it - I hate to waste food). Even better, we can order our groceries online which means we don't have to go to the supermarket at all, and by going to the supermarket less it gives us less opportunity to impulse buy. (Incidentally, it's well known that going food shopping when hungry can encourage us to make purchases we wouldn't normally make, because we are being ruled by our stomach. Or we may rush to get home to eat and so forget to get everything we needed.)

Another great benefit of shopping to a list and/or online is that Mark isn't given free reign in the supermarket, so we don't end up with cupboards full of maltesers (as much as I like them!) and very little else. Therefore hopefully we save time, to be better spent elsewhere, money and our waistlines! Another reason why meal planning can help with budgeting is because it allows us to take 'use by' dates in to consideration, so hopefully reducing food waste.

Meal planning also gives the opportunity to ensure the meals contain important nutrients, a good variety of different foods, and hopefully little or no 'junk food' (note, I do believe in a balanced diet so I can't say we are completely 'treat' free). For example if I buy a bag of whole carrots I can use them chopped in a cottage pie or broth one evening, grated in to a wrap for a lunch, or sliced and eaten as a snack with hummus. This is a cost effective way of eating because we're using an inexpensive ingredient across a number of days, and it's providing potentially beneficial nutrients such as vitamins A and C, carotene and potassium.

For those of us cooking for other people as well as ourselves (partner/wife/husband/children), meal planning allows some thought to go in to how to put meals together to suit all the tastes/routines in the family, to work around any allergies and to keep other family members involved in your decisions (may be particularly good for children). For example, as I mentioned earlier Mark often works late in to the evening at school, so the cooking I do tends to vary as I am regularly cooking for just myself. When I am doing the weekly food shopping I make sure I buy foods suitable for cooking for one, for example I might have an Innocent veg pot with a crusty roll, a jacket potato with salad, or a pepper stuffed with couscous with some veg on the side. Also there are some foods Mark doesn't like to eat so I make sure I can cater for both our tastes - Mark likes meat (it's his German side!) but I don't eat it as often as he does, so I might cook something meaty for him and something vegetarian for myself. If we know we're going to have a busy week ahead we can make sure we shop accordingly so we have meals that are quick and easy to make (see my Friday recipe series for easy, tasty recipes). Then by making sure we have plenty of food in the house, particularly for days when we have little time or inclination to cook, then this also stops us from eating out too often.

So there are many reasons why I recommend planning meals in advance, but if this isn't something you usually do then I would start slowly, perhaps by planning just for dinners or just for a weekend in the first instance, and work up from there. I really enjoy planning what we're going to eat in a week because if I'm having a particularly busy or stressful day then knowing what I'm having in the evening can give me something to look forward to, and it allows us to factor in some treats along the way!

Friday recipe #6 - turkey shepherd's/cottage pie

2010-10-03T18:59:00.001+01:00

For this latest recipe I decided to take a traditional recipe and give it a twist. The result was very tasty and a perfect easy recipe for this time of year! It takes very little time to prepare and needs just 15 - 20 minutes in the oven.

Ingredients (serves 2):
250g turkey mince (I used extra lean from Sainsbury's)
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 courgette
1 x vegetable or chicken stock cube
1 tbsp tomato paste
Black pepper
Cinnamon
Thyme - fresh if preferred
Approx 2 baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 leek
a small cube of butter
a small handful (or less) of strong cheddar cheese - optional

Method:
- gently cook the vegetables in a frying pan with a small amount of olive oil
- whilst the vegetables are cooking add the potatoes to water in a pan, bring to the boil and gently simmer until they are soft
- when the vegetables are lightly brown remove them from the heat and transfer them to your casserole dish
- using the same frying pan, add a little more olive oil and gently fry the turkey mince, adding the vegetables back in with the prepared stock (use as much liquid as you prefer) and tomato paste
- add the cinnamon, thyme and black pepper to your taste - I used 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp thyme and a generous sprinkling of black pepper
- when the potatoes are soft drain the water away and mash the potatoes with a small amount of butter until soft
- add your meat and vegetable mixture to the casserole dish, top with the mashed potato, add the sliced leek and sprinkle gently with the grated cheese
- cook in the oven (preheated) at approximately 180 degrees (fan) for 15 - 20 minutes

I served this on its own because it was enough for us, but you could serve with a salad, other vegetables (such as peas, green beans or broccoli) or bread. The vegetable ingredients could be modified to include mushrooms, peas or any other vegetable of your choice really!

*Note - by itself extra lean meat can sometimes taste bland, but in this recipe it was perfect because there are lots of lovely flavours.

Following my own advice ...

2010-09-30T20:42:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to show our dinner this evening, which is a recipe I posted early in my Friday recipe series. I made these pitta bread pizzas this evening because we had food in the fridge that needed using up, and we got home later than usual so wanted something quick and easy.

These pitta breads are topped with: some tomato paste, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, courgette, yellow pepper, bacon and lots of black pepper. I cook them for 10 - 15 minutes in the oven on approximately 170 (fan oven), and they are very tasty!

Third recipe of my mission

2010-09-28T19:40:00.000+01:00

This is the next post in my series on hidden vegetable recipes. This may appeal to parents looking to feed vegetables to fussy children, or to someone who is just looking for new and interesting recipe ideas. Also, the recipes I post on this blog are all cheap, quick and easy to make. I don't like to recommend foods I haven't already tried, or forced Mr Embrace Nutrition to try! He didn't manage to guess the secret ingredient in this one, and he really liked the result, so it comes recommended!

This recipe gave me the chance to use my new silicone cake cases - love these!

Here is the end result - can you tell what the secret ingredient is?

It's courgette!

Ingredients:

Approx 70g courgette

1 apple, peeled

1 orange, halved

1 egg

75g butter, melted

300g wholewheat self-raising flour (the original recipe wasn't wholewheat)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

100g golden caster sugar

handful of roughly chopped walnuts

Optional -

1 tub soft cheese mixed with 3 tbsp icing sugar for the topping (I omitted this)

Method:

- Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees/170 fan

- Grate the courgettes and apple in to a bowl

- Squeeze the orange halves and add the juice to the courgette and apple

- Add the egg (minus the shell!) and melted butter

- Sieve the flower, baking powder and cinnamon in to the mixture, then add the sugar and walnuts

- Mix the ingredients together until all combined (it will be lumpy)

- Add the mixture to the cake cases and bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes, then cool before eating

I prefer using wholewheat flour where possible and I love the taste of these little cakes. They are crumbly on the top and lovely and moist in the middle. You can make them in muffin cases so they are bigger, but I chose to make smaller ones because this helps with portion control, and they last longer!

Enjoy!

Friday recipe #6 - halloumi bites

2010-09-24T23:08:00.001+01:00

This Friday recipe comes from Nigella Lawson originally, and I've made it so many times because it's always popular when we have guests.

Ingredients:
Garlic olive oil
2 - 3 tablespoons of lime juice
Chopped parsley
Halloumi cheese - I usually use a lower fat/salt variety and the quantity varies depending what else I am serving it with

Method:
- Start by mixing the olive oil, lime juice and as much chopped parsley as you like in a large bowl and leave it to sit whilst you prepare the cheese
- I chop the halloumi in to as fine slices as I can manage, without it falling apart too much
- Heat a griddle or heavy frying pan and dry fry the halloumi in batches until all pieces are golden brown on both sides
- Place the halloumi in the bowl with the mixture you prepared earlier, mixing it around

You can now serve these as they are, as canapes or a small starter, but I often serve them with toasted wholemeal bread and this makes for a tasty and more substantial starter.

(image from the Nigella book and website)

My first blog award!

2010-09-21T19:48:00.001+01:00

Good evening!
I had some exciting news this week - a fellow blogger gave me a Happy 101 award - my first one! Thank you very much to Melissa.

There are a few rules that come along with getting the award, and I love taking part in things so here goes:

1. Post who gave you the award:
Melissa from An American Girl in Bristol. I really like reading Melissa's blog because we have some similar interests, but also because I am from Bristol!

2. Name ten things you like:
Spending time with my friends and family (including my lovely fiance and our dog Yogi!)
Health and nutrition (learning and teaching others)
Cooking
Exercising
Blogging!
Shopping (clothes, things for the home)
Being creative
Travelling
Music
Movies

3. Give this award to ten other people and notify them with a comment (in no particular order):
A Plus Size Girl's Journey to Healthy
Keeping Slim and Getting Stylish
Angie's Healthy Living Blog
Nutrition Mom
Box, Run, Eat
JAG's fitness blog
Health & Serendipity
The Habit of Healthy
Celery in the City
Herby Love

(as well as An American Girl in Bristol - I wasn't sure if I am allowed to return the favour!)

There are a few more blogs that I read and I feel bad I can't mention them all - I like to play by the rules but I also don't like people feeling left out!

Thank you for taking the time to read my post :o)

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

2010-09-19T16:42:00.001+01:00

It's getting to that time of year again - the evenings are starting to get darker and next month we'll be putting the clocks back (spring forward, fall back - doesn't work quite so well with the word autumn!). I notice a change in my own mood during the winter months and I know that it affects a large number of people, to different degrees. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that occurs during the winter months and is commonly known as 'the winter blues'. It most commonly begins between the ages of 18 and 30, but may begin at any age.

Symptoms of SAD may be mild or severe and can include:
- Lethargy
- Low mood, negative feelings
- Increased need for sleep, difficulty waking up, difficulty staying awake during the day
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Food cravings and an increased appetite
- Weakened immune system during the winter months

It is thought that SAD may be caused by levels of serotonin in the brain, a chemical known as a neurotransmitter, which is a mood regulator and so helps to create a feeling of calm, control and well-being - Serotonin is a 'feel good' hormone. People who suffer from SAD tend to have low levels of this chemical and are more sensitive to the changes in exposure to sunlight during the winter months.

There are options available for managing SAD, such as maintaing exercise levels, considering medication and trying light therapy, but we are going to focus on the importance of diet in relation to this disorder.

- Serotonin is made in the body from the amino acid tryptophan, which can be obtained from most protein-based foods
- Proteins can also help to stabilise blood sugar levels
- Carbohydrate-rich meals can increase serotonin levels
- Paying attention to the Glycaemic Index of foods may help to improve low energy levels and control cravings

Based on the above, sensible food choices in relation to SAD include:
- Soya, sesame seeds, bananas, oats, milk and salmon
- Lean protein sources such as skinless poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products (cheese, milk), tofu, nuts, beans and pulses
- Complex carbohydrates - including wholegrain breads and cereals

As one of the symptoms of SAD can be an increased appetite, it's important to make sensible and balanced food choices. Weight gain due to poor food choices may contribute to a low mood, and furthermore this can contribute to general health and well-being.

Friday recipe #5 - fish pie

2010-09-19T15:31:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the delay - the past few days have been full of excitement because of the arrival of my new nephew! So this Friday recipe is a little delayed and it will be followed quite quickly by another post.

My latest friday recipe is a non creamy fish pie - one I highly recommend for people who don't necessarily enjoy the taste of fish, as it has a very mild flavour. This is by far the best fish pie I have ever tasted so I highly recommend giving it a try. I make it in one casserole dish but you could also make individual ones, as this helps with portion control.

Ingredients:
milk
1 bay leaf
1 boiled egg per person
fresh chives
potatoes (suitable for mashing)
fish of your choice - I usually use haddock, cod and/or salmon fillets, one fillet per person

Method:
- Place the fish fillets in a pan with the milk and bay leaf and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes
- Meanwhile peel and chop the potatoes then place in a pan of boiling water, bring to the boil and simmer until soft
- Once the potatoes are soft I drain them and put them to one side in a bowl then use the same water to boil the eggs (until they are hard boiled) - this saves water and washing up!
- Remove the fish from the milk and use a knife to flake it in to a casserole dish in large pieces (you can also add a little of the milk, depending on how moist you'd like the pie to be)
- When the eggs are hard boiled remove the shell, chop them in to small chunks and add them to the casserole dish with the fish. At this point the yolk could be discarded instead of added to the recipe, if preferred
- Chop the fresh chives and add them to the fish/egg mix
- Mash the potatoes with some milk (and a little bit of butter if desired) and add to the top of the mixture
- If desired you can then add a bit of cheese or a small amount of butter to the top of the mashed potato
- Use a fork to create lines across the top, so when you bake the pie in the oven the tops turn a nice golden brown!
- Cook in the oven on approximately 180 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until the top has browned nicely

I usually serve this with vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, carrots, cabbage and/or peas (think about lowering the GI, due to the mashed potato). I haven't been too specific on ingredient quantities because I tend to change it each time, and you can really make it to your own taste.

Update following my supermarket haul

2010-09-14T21:21:00.003+01:00

Today I tried some of the goodies I bought at the weekend, so here goes ...

Bear granola nibbles in the flavour 'tropical crunch'. These are really tasty - sweet enough for me and plenty in the packet so they lasted me quite a while at work today. They are quite dry (to be expected) so I think they'd be great sprinkled on natural yoghurt to have as a snack or even for breakfast. These are perfect for me to take to work because I can pick at them throughout the day and not feel guilty.

Mangajo Goji Berry & Green Tea drink. I really liked this - very fruity and refreshing, not a very strong flavour and that's just right for me - I normally have a habit of diluting juices because they are too strong/sugary for me, but I wouldn't do that with this because it would dilute the flavour too much.

Tomorrow I will be trying the Kallo rice cakes and 9 nutty bar, so I will post again on those.

On a separate note, Saturday was a productive day of clearing our courtyard and it was surprisingly sunny weather, so our dog Yogi decided to make the most of it!

Supermarket haul!

2010-09-13T21:48:00.003+01:00

Yesterday we went to one of our local supermarkets and I went on a healthy food/drink buying mission, which resulted in the following purchases:

Innocent mexican veg pot - mexican sweet potato chilli with brown rice, roasted red peppers and smoked paprika. I had this for lunch yesterday with two small pieces of bread and it was delicious! It's mildly spicy, quite chunky and nicely filling.

Nakd pecan pie raw bar (kept me going at work this morning!) - dates, pecans and almonds. Free from: dairy, gluten, wheat. No added sugar, suitable for vegans. I would like to try more Nakd bars because I still haven't found a favourite.

Kallo organic milk chocolate rice cake thins. Gluten free, suitable for vegetarians. I LOVE these! They are really light but the thin layer of organic chocolate gives them a lovely flavour and they are a real treat for me.

9 bar nutty - sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, nuts and carob. Free from: dairy, gluten, wheat. Contains omega 3 and 6! I haven't tried these yet but will be doing so at work tomorrow so I will report back then.

Kallo rice cakes in two different flavours - sea salt & balsamic vinegar and mature cheese & chive. I will be trying these during this week so will also report back on these. These rice cakes are: low in fat, a source of fibre, all natural, suitable for vegetarians, suitable for vegans and they don't contain MSG. I am very much looking forward to trying these!

Bear baked granola nibbles - tropical crunch. 100% wholegrains and fruit - high in fibre and they provide one of your five a day! Again, I haven't tried these yet but will do so this week. I have high hopes for them.

Mangajo goji berry and green tea antioxidant drink. Really looking forward to trying this and hoping it tastes as good as it looks!

I am always on the lookout for new food ideas I can recommend to people, but I like to try everything first because I think you can't recommend something unless you have tried it yourself. I will post again throughout this week with updates so watch this space!

Friday recipe #4 - home-made curry!

2010-09-10T21:34:00.002+01:00

My next Friday recipe is one I sort of make up as I go along in terms of the vegetables I add and quantities I use, but I got the original recipe from India Knight's book - The Thrift Book: Live Well and Spend Less (which I highly recommend!).

Ingredients:
Tinned chopped tomatoes
Tomato puree
Cumin
Chilli powder
Turmeric
Cardamom
Courgette
Potato, cubed
Onion
Garlic

Method:
- Gently cook chopped onion and garlic in a pan over a medium heat
- Add the chopped tomatoes and all the spices (in quantities to your taste - I put between half and a full teaspoon of each) and let it all simmer for 5 - 10 minutes
- Add chopped potato, courgette and any other vegetables you like* to the sauce and cook over a medium heat until the vegetables are soft

This evening I served this with one small garlic naan bread and two small poppadoms (both bought from the shop - my Friday night treat as it has been a long week!). You could make these from scratch instead if you wish, or serve with any of these:
- salad leaves
- crusty bread
- cucumber/vegetable sticks (to dip in the sauce)

Once again this recipe is quick and cheap to make, it tastes delicious because it's full of flavour and so tastes like a treat but is packed with lovely vegetables! You could also add meat if you wish.

*Ideas - aubergine, carrots, plum tomatoes, mushrooms

Second recipe of my mission

2010-09-07T22:13:00.003+01:00

This evening I made these lovely brownies - yum! Mr Embrace Nutrition couldn't guess the 'secret' ingredient - can you?

It's beetroot!

The brownies are lovely and moist and you just get a hint of the beetroot. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

approx 4 medium beets (to give around 400g of flesh)

100g unsalted butter

200g plain chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)

1tsp vanilla extract

250g golden caster sugar

3 eggs

100g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

Method:

- Top, tail and roughly chop the beetroot. You could wear gloves for this part as beetroot tends to stain the hands, but I didn't and my hands are now fine! Put in a large microwaveable bowl, add a few splashes of water, cover and microwave for approximately 12 minutes, until tender.

- Pre-heat the oven to 180c/160c fan/gas 4 (our oven is new and powerful so I had it at 150c and gave it 5 minutes longer*). Grease a square baking tin (approx 25cm x 25cm).

- Roughly chop the chocolate, cut the butter in to cubes and add to a mixing bowl.

- Drain the beetroot and add it to the butter and chocolate then use a mixer to mix these together to as smooth a consistency as possible, adding the vanilla at this stage.

- Whisk the eggs together with the sugar in a large bowl for about 2 minutes, until pale and foamy. Slowly fold in the beetroot mixture.

- Sift in the flower and cocoa powder and gently fold it all together to make a thick, smooth batter.

- Pour the mixture in to your prepared tin and bake in the oven for 25 minutes*.

- Allow to cool in the tin, turn out on to a cooling rack and cut in to slices of the desired size.

A rather messy recipe but very worth a try! We'll be trying them with custard tomorrow (I love custard!) and I will definitely be making these again.

How to destone an avocado?

2010-09-05T20:03:00.001+01:00

I recently discovered the best way to destone an avocado, courtesy of Jamie Oliver, so I wanted to quickly share it:

How to destone an avocado

Jamaican jerk chicken

2010-09-04T20:21:00.002+01:00

Dinner this evening was Jamaican Jerk chicken - based on a recipe I saw on the Healthy Magazine website.

Ingredients:
2 chicken fillets, diced
350g new potatoes, diced
1 red pepper, diced
half a regular sized tin of chopped pineapple in juice
Jamaican Jerk seasoning
Olive oil

Method:
1 - Bring the potatoes to the boil and simmer until soft.
2 - Put the oil and pepper in to a pan and cook gently over a medium heat.
3 - Add the chicken and seasoning to the pan with the pepper and cook for 10 - 15 minutes, until the chicken has no pink remaining.
4 - Drain the potatoes and add them to the pan with the pineapple and the rest of the ingredients, then cook gently for a further 5 - 10 minutes.
5 - Serve with a side salad - I chose lettuce, tomato, cucumber and black pepper

Delicious!

An easy start to an ongoing plan

2010-09-04T20:08:00.001+01:00

Good evening!

Today I fully made use of the new oven by making dinner and baking something tasty at the same time, so this evening I am posting about both of these (separately).

My new mission is to make different/interesting recipes based on vegetables and so I started today with an easy one - carrot cake. I found this recipe on the BBC Good Food website and was quite confident it would be a good one because of all the positive reviews - and I was not wrong (I made a few small amendments as I went along)! This recipe is so good Mr Embrace Nutrition actually said it's the best carrot cake he has ever had - result!

Ingredients:
175g light muscovado sugar
175g self-raising flour
175ml sunflower oil
3 large eggs, beaten
140g grated carrots
100g raisins
grated zest of 1 large orange
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the frosting:
90g icing sugar
2 tbsp orange juice

Method:
1 - Preheat the oven to 180c or 160c for fan ovens (I actually turned this down to 140c after half the cooking time) and line a square tin (mine measured around 20cm x 20cm).
2 - Add the sugar, oil and eggs in to a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon, then add the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.
3 - Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift in to the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix all ingredients together until soft and nearly runny.
4 - Pour the mixture in to the tin and bake for around 40 - 45 minutes until firm, springy and a spike comes out clean. Cool in the tin then turn out on to a wire rack.

5 - Beat together the frosting ingredients in a small bowl until the icing is thick but still slightly runny. Drizzle the icing over the cake in diagonal patterns.

6 - Cut the cake in to the desired number of pieces and serve!

This cake is moist and full of flavour, we'll be finishing it off over the next few days and then I can't wait to make it again!

Tis the season?

2010-09-04T15:07:00.001+01:00

We went to one of our local supermarkets today to do our weekly shopping, and even though we're still in early September guess what we saw?

Biscuit tins with the words "Ho ho ho" on them

and mince pies!!

Every year Christmas starts earlier and earlier! Has anyone else started to notice Christmas products in the shops?

Friday recipe #3 - quesadillas!

2010-09-03T17:53:00.000+01:00

I think quesadillas often have the reputation of being greasy and unhealthy, but if you make them yourself from scratch, choose healthier ingredients and pay attention to how you cook them, they can make a really tasty and healthy weekend treat.

There are so many different ingredients you can use in quesadillas, so I will list some of these at the bottom of this post, and for now I will cover the ingredients I most commonly use.

Main ingredients:

- wholewheat tortilla wraps (or wraps of your choice)

- courgette

- peppers of any colour

- coriander leaves

- 1 lime cut in to wedges

- onion

Heat a griddle gently on the hob (medium heat so nothing burns) and whilst it is heating chop all the ingredients in to small chunks or slices (depending on how chunky you want the quesadillas). Divide the vegetables between the number of tortillas you have, and you can either put the vegetables directly on the griddle so they cook slightly, before adding to the wrap, or if you want your veg crispier and more gently cooked you can put them straight on to one half of the tortilla. Once the vegetables have been added to the tortilla, fold the other half on top and carefully place the folded tortilla on to the hot griddle. Grill for about 10 - 15 minutes.

You can make your own salsa by using the following ingredients:

- 4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

- 1 small onion

- quarter or half a green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

- 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

You can also make your own guacamole using:

- 2 ripe avocados, peeled and stoned

(I have discovered a great way of cutting and stoning an avocado - more on that later!)

- the juice of 1 lime

- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

- 3 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped

- quarter or half a green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

- 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

For the salsa and guacamole add the respective ingredients together and leave for 20 - 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

When the quesadillas are grilled to your liking take them off the griddle (carefully so you don't burn your fingers), cut in to half (or smaller, if you prefer) and place on a plate, then open slightly to add the salsa and guacamole, as well as the coriander leaves and lime. I usually serve them with a salad of lettuce leaves, tomato, cucumber, seeds, rocket (yum!) and sometimes feta or mozzarella cheese.

Other ingredient choices:

- roast chicken/turkey/vegetarian alternative

- bacon

- beans/pulses

- cheese (of all different types)

- different vegetables

Because quesadillas can be cut in to smaller portions these are also ideal served as a starter or as finger foods (depending on how messy your ingredients are!).

Do you have any quesadilla recipes you'd like to share?

Guest post on nutrition and sleep ...

2010-09-02T21:52:00.001+01:00

http://angieshealthylivingblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/wmww-nutrition-and-sleep-guest-post.html

The sleepy one is Yogi!

Now you see it ... now you don't

2010-08-31T19:44:00.000+01:00

One thing I have been trying to work on with my own eating habits is eating too fast. I am often in a hurry when preparing and eating meals, or eating later than planned due to a busy day, so this means I get hungry and eat quicker than I would like.

Why could this be a problem?
- Eating too fast can cause bloating, because we take in more air
- Not chewing food properly can cause digestion problems such as indigestion and heartburn
- The body doesn't have chance to realise when it's properly full, so this can cause over-eating, also
- We may feel hungry more quickly after eating a meal quickly than if it had been eaten slowly

So I am setting myself a challenge, which I extend to anyone else who has the same problem of eating too fast; to slow down. There are a number of ways of trying to achieve this:

- Put your knife and fork down in between every mouthful until you've finished each one
- Take smaller bites and if you eat really too fast try to count whilst eating so you are more aware of the time you are taking
- Eat at a table rather than on your lap in front of the TV
- Eat in a relaxing environment and never when upset or after an argument

I sometimes think about how long it has taken me to prepare a meal compared to how long it takes us to eat it, and that I'd like to spend the same amount of time eating as I did cooking. Obviously this is not that reasonable for meals that take longer than, say, 30 minutes to cook, but I am going to use this as my general guideline and see how I get on!

Do you have any additional tips to share?

Quiche

2010-08-31T19:32:00.000+01:00

This evening we had a Weight Watchers Crustless Quiche Lorraine with a salad of lettuce, tomato, onion (baked in the oven without oil) and green lentils (I can't resist!).

I don't necessarily choose WW products on purpose, but I am not always a fan of pastry and can't eat large portions so these quiches work perfectly for me and I would recommend these as a great lighter alternative to some other quiches available in the supermarket. I wanted to make one from scratch but have had a busy day again today so didn't get round to it, but will try to do that later this week and post it on here.

This meal was followed by a very bruised and squidgy nectarine (I don't like to waste food) and a handful of Tyrrell's crisps because I felt like something a bit naughty!

We have a new oven, so what did I decide to cook?

2010-08-28T10:23:00.001+01:00

Lentils! (of course)

Green lentils with carrots (usually celery as well but unfortunately we didn't have any), a few small potatoes, and this time I also added a few bits of sausage (not everyone is as mad about lentils and vegetables as I am!). This is a slightly different version of a recipe I posted a while back, just a quick and easy recipe as we had friends come for dinner.

I still haven't used the main oven, so I plan on baking at some point over this weekend - once we are a bit more sorted!

Missing Friday recipe!

2010-08-28T10:19:00.000+01:00

Hi all
Just a quick update to apologise for the lack of Friday recipe yesterday - we moved house this week so have been quite busy. I will resume next Friday (we may have the internet by then!) and in the meantime I will do a quick post on the first meal I prepared with our new oven!