New Year's Resolutions

What are my New Year's resolutions? Write my blog more often. It is already the 17th January and this is my first post of the year. Brilliant start! 

The others were drink less and eat more healthily. I managed to go six days without any alcohol which is probably the longest stretch I have managed since I was last pregnant, 9 years ago. 

As for the healthy eating; I have been scouring the newspapers and magazines for the latest ideas. Deliciously Ella is very last year now but Amelia Freer’s second book Cook. Nourish. Glow. seems to be very “of the minute”.  She is a Nutritional therapist and wants to completely re-educate the way you eat. She explains that we eat too much sugar, dairy, processed food and gluten. To summarise, somewhat briefly, she believes in buying good, seasonal, preferably organic produce and taking a little time to cook them at home. Good news for all my readers because that is exactly what you have been already doing for years. Not exactly rocket science!

But my personal diet message to myself as I get older, is all about re-hydration. There is no doubt as we age everything: our hair and nails and skin gets drier and moisturising from the inside as well as the outside can really help.  We are used to rubbing fatty moisturisers into our skin, but this is constantly at attack from the environment, so it would seem that it might be more effective to put the fats inside you, so that your body can do the job of lubricating you itself. Of course, by this I mean good fats rather than bad fats, namely Omega 3 fats, essential fatty acids. I think we all panic at this word, imagining that we have to consume bucket loads of sardines and mackerel to achieve our daily quota, but whilst fatty fish are clearly good for you, all sorts of vegetables, seeds and nuts are also excellent sources.

Here are a few to try and include in your diet
Flaxseeds
Walnuts
Beef
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Winter Squash
Broccoli
Kale
Spinach
Green Beans
Parsley

It is not only Omega 3 which provides good fats. Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats are also good. A moderation of saturated fats are also acceptable from whole milk, coconut oil and grass-fed meat but tran-fats should be avoided at all costs in commercially baked goods, packaged snack foods, margarine and commercially prepared fried foods.

To make sure you are getting enough good fats (Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated) stock up on avocados, olives, nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews and walnuts), seeds (sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds), flaxseed and fatty fish.

Luckily I had a couple of Avocados in my Riverford box this week, so I set about making up a new salad. I am particularly pleased with the salad dressing which turned out really creamy and fresh. I just used tarragon, which always goes well with chicken and some basil for added zing. 

I also like chicken cooked in this butterflied method as it cooks in minutes, as it is so thin, and stays really juicy and tender. Finally, of course you can add any other vegetables you have to hand and your salad leaves are up to you too. I used a mixture of rocket, watercress and a few sprigs of mint. So get hydrating!

Grilled Chicken with Almond Dressing, Avocado and Vegetable Salad

Dressing
50g almonds, soaked
A few sprigs of what herbs you fancy – coriander, basil, parsley or
tarragon, leaves picked

100ml extra virgin olive oil
2 x 150g chicken breasts
Zest of a lemon

Dried oregano
Extra virgin olive oil
Mixed salad leaves and maybe a few sprigs of herbs
1 bulb fennel
1 carrot
1 small courgette
1 ripe avocado
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
lemon wedges, to serve

For the dressing drain the almonds, add the olive oil, the herbs, a good pinch of salt and pepper and some water and puree with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. Add more water to get a good consistency and check for seasoning.

Take each chicken breast and cut it through the from one side to the other, stopping just short of the edge. This is difficult to explain so please follow link. Unfold the chicken breast and lay flat. Season with salt and pepper, dried oregano and lemon zest on both sides. Drizzle with olive oil.
Shave the fennel, courgette and carrot with a mandolin. Peel and thinly slice the avocado. Dress the salad and shaved vegetables with a little olive oil and a small pinch of salt. Arrange on plates. Heat a griddle pan of just a large frying pan. Arrange the avocado on the plates with the salad. Grill the chicken on both sides until just cooked. Place on top of the salad. Drizzle with almond dressing and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Plenty

Usually the necessity of having to work for a living is nothing but a distraction for getting on with my blog. Recently however, I have been doing recipe testing and photography for Riverford, for their soon to be launched "Recipe Boxes".This is a new craze sweeping the nation when you receive, delivered to your door, three easy to follow recipes plus all the ingredients to cook your evening meals. 

I have to admit that I wasn't overwhelmed by the idea until I put them to the test. I like to think I am not the sort of girl who is not short on ideas or creativity when putting together a dinner for two, but I cannot tell you how pleasant it is, just sometime to not have to think about it. To know that everything I need is there at home waiting for me, no shopping, no planning and what turned out to be an even greater plus is that even Hugh, the other half, can cook them too. For the first time in years he actually managed to cook dinner on his own, not once but twice in a week. He found the recipe cards easy to follow and what with the unavoidable convenience of having all the ingredients weighed out, to hand, managed to knock up dinner with practically no fuss at all!  And you would not believe how pleased he was with himself.

In the meantime I needed to deal with my latest allotment glut. Due to my failure to sew few and often, to stagger my crops and in my total over enthusiasm to grow anything at all, I now am reaping the excess crops to mirror my initial excess impatience. I failed to thin my crops sufficiently and I am weighed down with Fennel, Chard and Spinach, all ready at the same time.

Lucky for me, guess what recipes I have been testing this week. Being seasonal, the recipes I am testing exactly match what I am harvesting and these two recipes for Indian Spiced Spinach & Chickpeas and Fennel & Chard Gratin could not have been more perfect for using up my surplus vegetables.  Now I can start dealing with the tomatoes!

Indian Spiced Spinach & Chickpeas with Coconut & Coriander Rice
prep & cook 40 mins, 

serves 2
1 onion (150g)
1 garlic clove (5g)
piece of ginger (25g)
fresh coriander (20g)
20g butter
150g long grain white rice
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
salt
oil for frying eg sunflower or vegetable
200g spinach (or change to 150g chard)
1 x 400g tin chickpeas
½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds (2g)
½ teaspoon ground cumin (2g)
½ teaspoon garam masala (2g)
¼ teaspoon chilli powder (1g)
¼ teaspoon turmeric (1g)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (1g)
400g chopped tomatoes
1 lemon (150g)

Put the rice in a sieve and rinse well under the tap. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel the ginger and finely grate it. Wash the coriander leaves and leave them to dry. Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains. Stir the coconut milk so it’s smooth and add to the rice with 150ml water. Season with a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, the lower the heat, cover and leave it cook on a bare simmer. Keep an eye on the pan, stirring it every now and then to stop it catching on the bottom. Add a little water or more of the coconut milk if it’s getting too dry. While the rice is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and gently fry without colouring for 6 minutes. While the onion is cooking, rinse the chickpeas well and leave to drain. Wash the spinach and remove any tough stalks. Roughly chop the leaves. Add the garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, cumin, garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric and cinnamon to the onion. Fry gently for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and a good pinch of salt to the onion. Bring up to a simmer. After the tomatoes have been simmering for 10 minutes, remove the rice from the heat and leave to steam, still covered. Continue cooking the tomatoes for another 5 minutes. Finely chop the coriander leaves. Uncover the tomatoes and add the drained chickpeas and spinach. Stir together and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. (It does look like a lot of spinach to start with, but it wilts down). Fluff up the rice with a fork. Squeeze in the juice from ½ the lemon and stir in the chopped coriander leaves. Serve with the chickpeas and spinach.

Fennel & Chard Gratin
prep & cook 45 mins
serves 2
2 fennel bulbs (500g)
olive Oil
salt & pepper
300g chard
2 garlic cloves
100ml white wine
1 whole nutmeg
125ml crème fraîche
fresh thyme
salt & pepper
25g wholemeal breadcrumbs
40g parmesan
1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 190C/180C fan assisted/gas mark 5. Put on a large pan of salted water to boil. While the oven is heating up, trim any large spiky tops of the fennel and remove any tough outer leaves. Cut the bulbs into thin wedges, still with the core intact to keep them together. If a few odd bits fall apart, don’t worry. If you have any feathery fronds on your fennel, keep those and add them when you stir in the cream. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan. Add the fennel and cook it very slowly, stirring every now and then. It will take about 20 minutes, until it’s starting to caramelize. Strip the chard leaves from their stalks. Wash both, then chop the stalks very finely. Peel and finely chop or crush the garlic. Once the water is boiling, plunge the chard leaves in and boil for 3 minutes. Get a large bowl of cold water ready. Drain the leaves and plunge into the bowl to refresh, then drain again. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the leaves. After about 20 minutes or so, when the fennel starts to look a golden brown colour, add the chard stalks and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the wine and use a fine grater to grate a little of the nutmeg into the pan. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, chard leaves and the thyme leaves. Season well with salt and pepper. Transfer to the baking/gratin dish. Put the breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Finely grate enough of the lemon zest over the bowl so you have approximately 1 teaspoon in there. Grate in the cheese too. Mix together then scatter over the fennel mixture. Transfer the dish to the oven (ideally keep the sweet potatoes on the same shelf but move them onto a lower shelf if you need to make room – you might just need to cook them a little longer) and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven, until the gratin is golden on top.

Beta Than Cider

I recently realised that I was not doing nearly enough exercise. Since the kids have finally both started school, I don't even seem to walk as much I as used to.  No more endless trips to the park pushing buggies.  This lack of exercise is taking its toll - mainly on my hips and although there is absolutely no sign of any warm weather ahead at all, I just know that it is going to catch me out suddenly.  Winter will come to an end one day, the sun will come out and I will be very white, over-weight and un-shaven.  So I decided to take up Bikram Yoga.  Although frowned upon by purist yogis, this variation of yoga is done in a heated room which not only causes you to sweat profusely but you also have to work twice as hard, just to cope with the heat. The idea is it makes you more agile and less likely to suffer injury and the heat makes it more cardiovascular so you burn more calories. In reality, it is really almost unbearable but you feel fantastic when you manage to survive yet another class.

Unfortunately this new exercise regime also coincided with another new discovery. I developed an unhealthy obsession with cider.  Not just any cider by Henney's Frome Valley Cider which is so delicious that I just couldn't get enough of it.  It just seemed the perfect way to re-hydrate and re-tox in the evening after a hard couple of hours detoxing. Unfortunately, it turns out that cider is incredibly fattening and so it was having a very detrimental effect on my attempts to loose weight.  I now appeared to be developing a beer-belly as well, or a cider-belly to be more precise. So, very sadly, the cider had to go. But what could I possibly replace it with?

The only joyful experience about going to Bikram Yoga is that they have a lovely juice bar with deliciously, tempting sounding concoctions.  However, having finished my relatively cheap 30 day introduction offer, the price rose rapidly, especially as they appear to expect you to go every day. However, at around £11.00 a class I really cannot afford to go more that twice a week and it has also forced me to economise on my new juice fix.  So I have turned to making my own.  After a few weeks of experimenting this is my favourite combination. 

First of all it must have beetroot, the ultimate super-food.  So long is it's list of benefits, that it is hard to believe that there is anything that beetroot can't do.  To counteract the sweetness I balance the flavour with celery and fennel and finally add a few carrots and a little apple. The overall list of health benefits of these vegetables on The World's Healthiest Foods website is so long that it would take you a week to read it but what is so amazing is that it tastes so good that you don't really even care.  The kids also love making juice so you can get them to do most of the work however there can be a bit of a battle as to who gets to drink most of the end results  but what better way to encourage your kids towards a healthy diet.

Beta than Cider

I really do recommend organic vegetables for juicing.  Since they are raw and I don't even bother peeling them I just don't want a whole lot of pesticides in my juice.  It is a really good way of using up an Organic Vegetable box which can work out cheaper than buying organic at the supermarket.  If you really want to go for it, add a handful of something green as well.  Spinach, beet-tops or Watercress are all especially good.
2 sticks Celery, washed
2 Carrot, washed and topped
2 Beetroot, topped tailed and well scrubbed
2 Apples
1 head of Fennel

Wash all the vegetables and cut the Beetroot, Apple and Fennel into wedges which will fit into the juicer. Carrots and Celery are usually the perfect juicing size already to fit perfectly into the 
juicer shoot. Mix all the juices together well and drink as soon as possible. I like to keep the vegetables in the fridge to make your drink nice and cold.

If you would like some more juice recipes I highly recommend Thirst by Nigel Slater.

Eat Your Veg

As I may have mentioned, one of my many jobs is trying to inspire people how to use up a weekly organic veg box. I go to peoples houses and in two hours cook up a lunch for up to 10 people, from a medium veg box. None of the recipes are complicated, but I have to admit that when I get home from work, often the last thing I feel like doing is cooking. So I am going to share with you the ultimate easy, quick recipe for using up lots of veg, which also keeps kids and adults happy alike and it is none other than "a bake".

A "bake" really doesn't conjure up a good image for me - vegetable bake, tuna bake, cheesy bake - just the names fill me with repulsion. But there is no reason why a bake should not be a beautiful thing and happily it is always all baked in one pan, which saves on washing up.

I don't know about you, but when it comes to it my kids, aged 5 and 7, they are happiest eating nothing more complicated that some meat or fish, some potatoes and some vegetables. But it is so important to keep it varied, interesting and full of flavour. So this first recipe is just very simply a selection of all your families favourite vegetables, baked all together with a lovely piece of fresh wild salmon.. Choose a selection of seasonal vegetables which compliment rather than overpower the fish. This dish also makes a great alternative to a roast at the week-end especially when entertaining. If you want to impress, make a lovely Salsa Verde , some Salmoriglio or even a delicious Anchovy and Rosemary Sauce to drizzle over your fish.

The second recipe is similar but involves sausages instead of fish. I choose a selection of sausages. Some plain ones for the kids, some spicy ones for the adults. Chorizo style sausages work particularly well and add a smoky note. The sausages stand up to stronger flavoured vegetables - onions, shallots, swede, celeriac or parnips. This is a really good way of using up vegetables at the end of the week from your veg box. And, if you have got a lot of veg to use up, you can always leave out the fish or meat and just have the baked veg. It is just delicious on it's own.

Fillet of Wild Salmon and Vegetable Bake 
I only eat wild salmon, when in season, as I find farmed salmon is too fatty for me. There seems to be a good supply of sustainable Alaskan Wild Salmon available, very reasonable and full of flavour. ObviousIy I would prefer to shop more locally than Alaska so If you are worried about your carbon footprint then at least make sure that the vegetables are locally sourced. The selection of vegetables is up to you but the is my favourite. Beetroot or bitter leaves such as Radicchio or Trevise are also lovely with salmon.  One last tip about salmon: don't over cook it.  As soon as you see white liquid coming out of the salmon, that is albumin and it’s a protein, and is a sign that you salmon is done. Remove immediately from the oven and your fish should be still pink and juicy inside.

2 generous slices of wild salmon, with or without skin
2 bulbs fennel, trimmed of excess outer leaves, save fronds 
2 baby courgettes, cut in half
Large handful of cherry tomatoes
Couple of handfuls of New Potatoes, boiled in salted water until cooked
1 Bunch of Asparagus, woody stem snapped off
Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
Cut the fennel into 4 or 6 pieces lengthways, depending on size.  Cut the potatoes in half or if very small leave whole. In a large baking dish toss all of the vegetables with 3-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Make sure the tin is big enough.  If the vegetables are too crowded they will sweat instead of bake. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Try and make sure that the potatoes are facing down and that the fennel is also flat side down.  The more surface area that comes into contact with the bottom of the pan, the easier the vegetables will brown. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove the pan from the oven and push the vegetables to one side. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place it in empty space you made in the baking dish. Return the dish to the oven and bake
for another 10 minutes, based on thickness of the salmon. Scatter with the chopped fennel
fronds.

All sauce recipes are adapted from The River Cafe.
Salsa Verde
I vary this recipe according to what I am serving it with.  I prefer to go easy on the mint as it can end up tasting a bit toothpasty and instead I opt for basil, dill, chives or the fronds from the fennel tops.  Just get a good tasting balance.
1 large bunch Flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 bunch Mint leaves
Very good extra-virgin olive oil
3 Garlic cloves
100g Capers
50g Anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Red-wine vinegar

In a food processor chop the garlic, capers and anchovies. Add the mustard and vinegar, season and add some olive oil and purée until well amalgamated.  Add all the herbs and whiz and more olive oil to achieve desired consistency.

Salmoriglio
In a pestle and mortar, pound 4 level tablespoons fresh Thyme or Marjoram or a very good quality dried Oregano with 1 teaspoon sea salt until completely crushed. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Pour 8 tablespoons of very good, peppery extra virgin olive oil slowly into the mixture. Add a little freshly ground black pepper. 

Anchovy and Rosemary Sauce

2 tbsp. fresh young rosemary leaves, very finely chopped
12 anchovy fillets
Juice of 1 lemon
150mls very good extra-virgin olive oil

Place rosemary leaves in a mortar and grind as finely as possible. Add anchovy fillets and grind to a paste. Add lemon juice, mix well, and then, stirring constantly, add oil, a few drops at a time. Transfer sauce to a small bowl.

Sausage Bake with Vegetables
You can use all sorts of vegetables in this dish. I like to use up whatever I have left in the fridge.

Some good quality sausages
1 Red Pepper, cut into largish chuncks
A handful or two of cherry tomatoes
1/2 a butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2 cms chunks
2 parsnips, cut in 4 or 6 lengthways, depending on size
4 small shallots, pealed
1 or 2 Red onions cut into 8 wedges
A handful of New Potatoes, cooked in pleanty of salted water, cut in half
1 Bunch of Asparagus, woody stem snapped off
Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A bunch of thyme

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Toss all the vegetables in plenty of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in a large roasting tray with the sausages.  Make sure they are not overcrowded or they will sweat rather than bake.  Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring well half-way through.

Fabulous Fennel

I love Fennel.  I know it is meant to be a bit of a "love it, or hate it" vegetable, but I just think it is an acquired taste. But I don't think I really understood fennel until a late age. Now I think is so super versatile and clean and fresh, I just can't wait for it to appear in early summer.  I love it raw, sliced as thinly as possible and dressed with lemon juice, peppery extra virgin olive oil and a little salt. I love it baked until melting tender with loads of Parmesan cheese.  I love it roasted or barbecued until caramelised and golden. I love it's seeds in curries, fish stews, sausages and marinades.  I love its fronds, stuffed into the cavity of a fish before roasting.  And of all the herb teas, fennel is my favourite. Strangely enough though, I hate alcohol with a fennel or Anise flavour. Pernod, Raki, Ouzo, Pastis - Yuk!  And it is not like me to turn down a drink.

What I particularly love about fennel is it's ability to cut the richness of fatty fish, pork or sausages.  Hugh, the other half, is hugely fond of Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes, a book which he permanently has by his bedside and It was he who first requested this sausage dish with braised fennel, waxy potatoes and lemon.  It is a spring like dish, hearty enough to stand up to chilly evening, yet refreshing, zesty and clean. Just what you need to wake you up after a winter of heavy stews and casseroles.  The perfect transition from Winter to Spring. The Luganega sausages are hard to come by and very expensive if you ever should, but I discovered some fantastic Italian sausages at our local butchers Robert Edwards which work very well.  They are quite spicy, which is really nice but not very fennely, so I add fresh fennel and fennel seeds to my recipe. Waxy potatoes are not as popular in England as in the continent.  We seem to prefer our potatoes more floury.  Look out for Charlotte, Anya, Ratte or Pink Fir Apple Potatoes. The other thing I like about this recipe it is a one pot meal which means less washing up.  

The second recipe is from Simon Hopkinson's recent, brilliant T.V.show and book "The Good Cook". Here the fennel is slow-roasted and the juices are whizzed up with the Parmesan at the end. The first time I made this recipe I was convinced it wouldn't work. I had never used Parmesan in this way, but it amalgamates with the fennel juices and results in a lovely creamy sauce, perfect with the braised fennel.

Two of my favourite fantastic fennel recipes - so even if you think you hate it, why not give it another go.

Fennel Sausages Braised with Lemony Potatoes and Bay Leaves

Adapted from Rick Stein.  The original recipe is more just like roast vegetables but I have added twice as much water to create more of a stew. You can finish this off in the slow-cooker if you like.  It makes a fabulous meal to great you after a hard days work.

450g/1lb luganega sausages (available from specialist Italian or
Continental grocers), or other nice meaty pork sausages.
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 heads of fennel, trimmed and cut into 4/6 wedges, depending on size, lengthways (save the fronds)
750g/1½lb small waxy potatoes, peeled and each cut into quarters
2 lemons, pared zest and juice
4 fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
salt and freshly ground black pepper
240ml/8fl oz water

If necessary, twist the sausages into 7.5cm/3in lengths and separate them and then cut into individual sausages. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a 26cm/10in flame-proof casserole dish. Add the sausages and fry until nicely browned all over. Lift them onto a plate and set aside. Add some more oil and the fennel and fry until golden. Next add the garlic and the fennel seeds. Fry for a few minutes more. Stir in the potatoes, browned sausages, lemon zest and juice, bay leaves, ½ teaspoon salt and ten turns of the black pepper mill. Pour over the rest of the oil along with the water, cover tightly with the lid and bake for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Or cook for 4 hours on slow in the slow-cooker. Remove the lemon zest and Bay leaves. Sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds.

Braised Fennel with Butter and Parmesan

Adapted from Simon Hopkinson. As I said, I am not a fan of Pastis so I miss that out and use extra Vermouth instead, but if you do not have any, white wine will work well instead. Delicious served on it's own or along side some roast lamb.   

750g/1½lb fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved, trimmings reserved
50g/1¾oz butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp dry vermouth or white wine
Splash Pastis (optional, alternatively add more dry vermouth)
60g/2oz Parmesan (or similar vegetarian hard cheese), grated, plus extra for serving
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.

Melt the butter in a casserole dish over a low heat. Place the fennel into the butter cut-side down, and scatter around the trimmings. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and increase the heat. Add the vermouth, Pastis or white wine. Cover with a sheet of foil loosely pressed down on the vegetables, and put the lid on top. Place into the oven to cook for 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and turn over the fennel. Return to the oven and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until very tender when poked with a small, sharp knife. Preheat the grill to high. Remove the fennel from the dish. Place in a warmed shallow oven-proof dish cut-side up, cover with foil and place in the oven while you make the sauce. Pour the trimmings and cooking juices through a fine sieve suspended over a small pan. Warm through and add 45g/1½oz of the Parmesan. Blend with a hand blender until smooth and creamy (about the consistency of pouring cream). Pour the mixture over the fennel and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place under the grill and cook until the surface is pale golden-brown and slightly bubbling around the edges.