Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

Food Writer

Main navigation

Healthy Eating

Recipe: Skinny Carbonara from {Everyday Super Food by Jamie Oliver}

Today sees the publication of Jamie Oliver’s brand new cookbook Everyday Super Food and I’ve been busy trying out some of the recipes for myself at home, beginning with Jamie’s Skinny Carbonara.

If you’ve been following Jamie on Instagram or on the You app, you’ll have noticed that this is the year he turned 40. He himself has enjoyed making some simple lifestyle changes, for example, by practicing mindfulness and by making some changes to his diet and lifestyle. Everyday Super Food is really his ultimate manifesto for helping you do the same.

I have four copies of Jamie’s new book to giveaway (see entry form below) with the recipe for Jamie’s Skinny Carbonara also shared below with the publisher’s permission.

Every Day Super Food

The Skinny Carbonara was very tasty and quick to make – fifteen minutes at most. I didn’t see any instructions for juicing the lemon and I ended up adding in the juice of one whole lemon. Next time, I would use the juice of half a lemon. I had quite a lot of pea mixture left over, so blitzed it up with some chicken stock and had a an extra cup of pea soup for lunch the next day. The whole family enjoyed it and the addition of peas and ground almonds gave the dish an extra lift and a bit of texture, along with the crispy bacon. Nobody noticed the wholewheat spaghetti so that’s a permanent switch for us in the future!

I can’t wait to try the Mega Veggie Burger featured by Helen here, or the Baked Eggs with Popped Beans that Katherine tried here. I’m also looking forward to trying Jamie’s Grilled Corn and Quinoa Salad, shared by The Happy Foodie.

Skinny Carbonara Ren Behan
My version of the tasty Skinny Carbonara recipe from the book

The book ties in with a new six-part Channel 4 series, Jamie’s Super Food, due to broadcast this autumn and you can buy the book from today.

Print

SKINNY CARBONARA SMOKY BACON, PEAS, ALMONDS & BASIL

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 2

Humble little peas are a source of nine different micronutrients, and are especially high in thiamin, a B vitamin that helps our hearts to function properly

Ingredients

  • 200g freshly podded or frozen peas
  • 1 tablespoon flaked almonds
  • 1 small clove of garlic
  • ½ a bunch of fresh basil (15g)
  • 15g Parmesan cheese
  • 1 lemon
  • 150g wholewheat spaghetti
  • 1 rasher of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
  • olive oil
  • 1 large free-range egg
  • 100g fat-free natural yoghurt

Instructions

  1. Put a pan of boiling salted water on the heat for your pasta, dunk a sieve containing the peas into the water for just 30 seconds, then put aside, leaving the pan on the heat.
  2. Very lightly toast the almonds in a dry non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, then blitz until fine in a food processor. With the processor still running, peel and drop in the garlic, a pinch of sea salt, the basil leaves, the finely grated Parmesan and the lemon juice. Blitz until it comes together, then pulse in the peas, to try and keep a bit of texture.
  3. Cook the pasta in the boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, very finely slice the bacon and fry slowly in the frying pan with 1 teaspoon of oil on a medium-low heat until golden and crispy, then use a slotted spoon to transfer to kitchen paper, so the flavoursome fat stays in the pan.
  4. Scoop in three-quarters of your pea mixture to heat through.
  5. Whisk the egg and yoghurt together well. When the pasta’s done, reserving a mugful of cooking water, drain the pasta and toss straight into the pea pan, mixing well, then take the pan off the heat (this is very important, otherwise the egg will scramble when you add it, and we don’t want that).
  6. Pour in the egg mixture and toss until evenly coated, silky and creamy, loosening with cooking water if needed. Taste and season to perfection, and serve topped with the remaining pea mixture and the crispy bacon.
  7. It might be skinny, but it’s beautifully light and delicious. Enjoy!

Courses Healthy

Cuisine Italian

 

Skinny Carbonara
Jamie’s Skinny Carbonara {Image from the book, taken by Jamie Oliver}

Giveway – Enter Here
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Everyday Super Food by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Random House

ⓒ Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2015 Everyday Super Food) Photographer: Jamie Oliver

With thanks to Jamie’s PR team for the recipes, previews and review copy in the post.

Wholewheat Fettuccine with Kale by Amy Chaplin

Yesterday I shared a book review of At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, a new recipe book by New York-based chef Amy Chaplin, who creates vegetarian and vegan recipes. Today (with the publisher’s permission) I’m sharing my favourite recipe from the book, which you can find on page 98 of the UK edition – Wholewheat Fettuccine with Kale, Caramelized Onions and Marinated Goat’s Cheese. I didn’t have the marinated goat’s cheese to hand (there’s a recipe for that, too, in Amy’s book on page 116) so I used a mild and creamy locally produced goat’s cheese called Childwickbury goat’s cheese. The recipe calls for kale (cavolo nero) but you can use spinach in it’s place in this beautifully simple pasta dish.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do – it’s become my go-to supper!

Wholewheat Fettuccine

Wholewheat Fettuccine recipe by Amy Chaplin on renbehan.com

1 vote

Print

Wholewheat Fettuccine with Kale by Amy Chaplin

Yield 4

In this recipe, the author, Amy, uses her own Marinated Goat’s Cheese, inspired by Meredith Dairy, in Australia. However, it also works well with a soft goat’s cheese and so I've used a mild British goat’s cheese many times to make this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium to large red onions, thinly sliced
  • Sea salt
  • 340g (12oz) wholewheat fettuccine
  • 1 ½ bunches 700g (1 lb 9 oz/10 cups) sliced kale or cavolo nero (or fresh spinach)
  • 225g (8oz) marinated goat’s cheese (oil marinade reserved) at room temperature (I used a British goat's cheese)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the onions. Sauté for 10 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add a pinch of sea salt, lower the heat slightly and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions are soft and caramelised.
  2. In the meantime, bring a large pan of water to the boil and add a large pinch of salt. Add the wholewheat fettuccine to the boiling water and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or following the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pan.
  3. While pasta cooks, stir the kale (or spinach) into the cooked onions, cover the frying pan and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender, stirring once or twice. Add onion and kale mixture, three quarters of the goat’s cheese and lots of black pepper to the pasta; mix well.
  4. Drizzle in a tablespoon or more of oil marinade from the cheese (or add a drizzle of good quality olive oil) and season to taste.
  5. Divide among bowls and top with a crumble of remaining goat’s cheese; serve immediately.

Courses Vegetarian

Like this recipe?

You can find more of Amy Chaplin’s recipe here on her webpage. 

For a simple, gluten-free supper, try my Brown Rice Noodles with Spinach and Tomato (GF, V, VG)

If you eat prawns or shrimp try my Wholewheat Penne with Prawns

A UK blog that I love which is full of whole food and healthy recipes is Food To Glow by Kellie Anderson- try any of her delicious dishes!

 

With thanks to Jacqui Small Publishing for their permission for me to share this recipe. Photo Credit Johnny Miller. Recipe Credit Amy Chaplin. 

French-Style Irish Beef Salad by Bord Bia

When the Irish Food Board sent me this recipe to try recently, I couldn’t wait to make it, pack it up and take it on a picnic. It almost looked too pretty to transport, but actually, it travelled well. I kept the tomatoes and the boiled eggs whole and in a separate container until I was ready to serve the salad. Although the star of this salad if the grass-fed Irish Beef, there’s a French influence from the Dijon mustard and I loved the addition of the capers and gherkins, too. A fresh baguette on the side and a glass of perfectly chilled rosé is all you need for a perfect al fresco, French-inspired supper.

Bord Bia French Beef Salad

Photo Credit Irish Food Board/Bord Bia 

Bord Bia French Beef Salad_3

7 votes

Print

French Style Irish Beef Salad by Bord Bia

Yield 4

A protein-packed salad with grass-fed Irish bullet steak, which is best served blue or rare. With new potatoes, eggs, tomatoes and a French-style Dijon mustard dressing.

Ingredients

  • 500g piece bullet steak
  • 700g waxy new potatoes, scrubbed or scraped
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 plum tomatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
  • For the dressing:
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 120ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, very finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, extra to garnish
  • 2 tbsp tiny capers
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped gherkins
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Lightly dressed green salad and French baguette, to serve.

Instructions

  1. Heat a cast-iron griddle pan until searing hot. Add the steak and cook for about 5 minutes each side or until rare. Set aside for at least 15 minutes to rest or up to an hour is fine, then cut into thin slices, trimming down as necessary.
  2. Place the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender, then drain. Cook the eggs in a pan of simmering water for 7 minutes until soft-boiled. Drain and run under cold running water, then shell.
  3. Meanwhile, make the dressing; place the vinegar, mustard, honey and seasoning in a screw-topped jar and shake until the salt has dissolved. Add the oil and shake again vigorously until you have a nice thick emulsion. Add the shallots, chives, parsley, gherkins and capers, shaking gently to combine.
  4. While the potatoes are still warm, cut them into slices and arrange half in the bottom of a serving dish. Spoon some of the dressing over and then cover with a layer of the slices of beef. Repeat the layers, spooning a little dressing over each one. Cover with clingfilm and set aside at room temperature for an hour to allow the flavours to combine.
  5. Just before serving, cut the soft-boiled eggs into quarters and arrange around the edge of the salad with the tomatoes. Garnish with parsley and serve straight to the table with a separate bowl of green salad and some crusty French bread.

Courses Salad

Cuisine French

Notes:

Grass-fed beef is a healthy option, with high levels of vitamins A and E, and a good balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. 

Irish Beef produced under the Irish Food Board’s Quality Assurance Scheme is found in leading UK supermarkets and assures you that the beef you buy is sustainable and reared to the highest standard.

With thanks to the Irish Food Board, Irish Beef and Bord Bia for letting me share this recipe.

You can find more Bord Bia/Irish Food Board Recipes Here

Follow Bord Bia @BordBia

I’m linking this to my July and August Simple and in Season challenge, as the salad uses new potatoes and in-season tomatoes.

Simple in Season

You might also like my Polish-inspired beetroot salad if you’re packing up a picnic!

I’m going to be hosting a number of handpicked recipes over the summer holidays to keep you all inspired while I get stuck in various holiday traffic jams, picnic with my kids and work on updating my recipe index.

If you like them, please tweet me or instagram me @RenBehan using the hastag #handpicked  or in this instance @bordbia

Editorial/Unpaid content
 

A Polish-Inspired Beetroot Salad with Apples, Radish and Dill

Polish Beetroot Summer Salad

A Polish-inspired beetroot summer salad with apples, radish and dill

I was interested to read this week about the four distinct waves of Polish migration to the UK. I tend to only think of my parents’ generation, resettling to the UK after the Second World War and of course, of the most recent wave. In fact, there have been Poles in Britain since around 1830, following the November Uprising of 1830-1831, with a second wave happening between 1880 and 1920.

Both my mother and father’s family settled in England during the third wave, shortly after the war. My father left Poland at the tender age of sixteen, having first undertaken a forced and perilous journey of approximately 1700 miles from Poland to northern Russia. Aged eighteen, my father and his twin joined the Polish Army in Exile formed by General Anders. They formed in Buzuluk, and travelled via Tashkent, Bukhara and Moynaq. They were then part of a brigade that went to Suez and Durban in South Africa, before arriving in Scotland. Once in Scotland, they trained with a Polish tank brigade, later taking part in the Battle of Falaise, going on to liberate the towns of Ypres, Ghent and Passchendaele, amongst many others. After the war, they were kept on as peacekeeping troops.

Polish collage

Family history book, my father in the Polish army, Polish folk art.

It wasn’t until many years after the war my father formed a business with his brothers, who had all fortunately survived the war, and they employed my grandmother, my mother and her brother, who had also resettled in England from Poland during the war. My dad later married my mother and they had five children, of which I am the youngest. The family business employed many fellow Poles and their families creating new industry in Manchester for a period spanning three decades. Their contribution to society, like that of many migrant Poles, was not insignificant.

Polish radish

By the time I was born, my grandmother had her own house and a small garden here in England. I remember her garden being full of all the things that she used to grow in Poland. In fact, most Poles had a little allotment patch either at the front or at the back of their house. I remember playing in her garden and seeing plenty of beetroot, runner beans, cabbages, carrots, potatoes, radishes and lots and lots of dill. Babcia kept chickens, too, so there were always plenty of eggs. She never quite came out of war mentality, so there were lots of jars of pickles and preserves. Cooking Polish food would make her feel closer to home; it was the only cuisine she knew. Taught by my grandmother, my mother also cooked Polish food for our family and so I knew little else. As a baby my mama tells me I was weaned on beetroot soup and that I loved it.

Migration means many things to many different people. I personally am always fascinated by stories of resettlement and relocation. They are rarely clear-cut and often there is also an element of history involved, too. I know that my parents were always incredibly grateful for the Polish community church hall, where we would often spend time marking significant occasions in Polish history, or folk dancing or fundraising with the Polish Scouts. It still exists to this day, now welcoming new Poles, arriving with predicaments of their own.

These days, of course, communities are often formed online, too. With strong links to the migrant communities around the world, Lebara, a UK-based telecoms group, are bringing together a collection of stories and articles, examining migration and offering a place for people to share collective memories; a community platform, of sorts, aimed at bringing together rather than dividing. It’s an initiative that I’m keen to support, particularly in light of my own family history and my keenness to promote positivity and inclusivity towards those who find themselves far away from home.

As well as thinking about my story and that of my parents’ migration all those years ago, I’m sharing today a recipe inspired by my grandmother’s garden, which by this time of year would be brimming with summer salad ingredients, ready to provide a colourful addition to our family table. The recipe should shortly be featured on the Lebara Community Site, too.

Polish Beetroot Summer Salad

There are plenty of other interesting articles and recipes being added to the Lebara Community Hub all the time – pop over and have a read here.

I’m also linking this recipe up to Simple and in Season June, Extra Veg June 2015, hosted by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Meat Free Mondays hosted by Jac at Tinned Tomatoes.

For more Polish recipes, see www.renbehan.com/mypolishkitchen 

Polish Beetroot Summer Salad

4 votes

Print

Prep

Total

With many thanks to Lebara UK for commissioning this recipe and for creating the migrant community hub. 

Recipe: Spring Green Smoothie, New York and Goal Setting

Hello Spring Smoothie

Hello Spring Green Smoothie…

Spring has finally sprung here in the UK and I am so glad, not least because for the past five weeks, we’ve all been feeling really under the weather. Hence the lengthy blog silence, which I’m really sorry about. February started well. After lots of planning and packing, we spent a week in New York over half term with all three children, braving the chilliest weather there – literally arriving on the coldest day on record. I might have punctuated my trip with lots of visits to the Magnolia Bakery. We came back, extremely elated having had such a brilliant week, but somewhat exhausted…hence this spring green smoothie recipe.

…

Read more

Clearspring Gluten Free Brown Rice Noodles with Spinach and Tomato

ClearSpring Gluten Free Noodles

It’s always nice to find ways of making our favourite recipes a little healthier and this is especially true of pasta. This month, I’ve experimented with courgette or zucchini noodles, sometimes called ‘zoodles’ and also with a new type of 100% organic Clearspring gluten free brown rice noodles – recipe below. Usually, these type of noodles are used in Asian cooking, perhaps to make a noodle salad or a Pad Thai, though the packet did say you could use them as a gluten free alternative to pasta – which is what I did. In the ‘Pasta Please’ link up that I was hosting for Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes, we also had some fresh pasta with kale, mint and pesto, eggplant (aubergine) meatballs, fresh spinach pasta and some baked salmon with spinach and basil pesto pasta. So, all very virtuous!

…

Read more

Beetroot and Kale Soup | Kale and Almond Crumble | Jumpstart2015

Beetroot and Kale Soup

Beetroot and Kale Soup with a Kale and Almond Crumble – virtuous! 

So, are you really, really fed up of healthy eating now? Have you fallen off the wagon? Or, are you still ‘being good?’

If you started a new healthy eating regime at the beginning of the year, you could be 22 days in, which is amazing, if you’ve stuck to the plan.

Happily, I’m still in the ‘being good’ category. Since the start of the new year, and with the support of some of my fellow bloggers following the #JumpStart 2015 plan, I’m ten pounds down and feeling much lighter and brighter.

…

Read more

British Asparagus, spinach, beetroot and halloumi salad

Hooray – foodies up and down the land are celebrating the start of British Asparagus season. It’s here for just a short window of time, officially from 23rd April to 21st June 2014 and I, for one, have been spotting lots of it when out and about. Fortunately, the asparagus season this year coincides with the last six weeks of my pregnancy, which is lucky, since my craving have shifted from sweet to savoury. Possibly something to do with a chocolate overload at Easter…At 34 weeks my body also needs more Vitamin K and iron – which I’ve been able to pack into this asparagus and spinach salad in abundance. For anyone after a quick superfood boost, asparagus contains a whole host of good stuff; soluble fibre, potassium and folic acid (it’s the leading vegetable for this!) along with rutin, which when combined with vitamin C, can protect the body from infection. Other pregnancy superfoods that could be added to this simple salad include strawberries, blueberries, apricots, tofu (replace the halloumi), lightly steamed broccoli and sunflower seeds.

Asparagus Salad

Asparagus Salad

4 votes

Print

British Asparagus, Spinach, Beetroot and Halloumi Salad

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4

A superfood salad bringing together British asparagus with baby spinach, beetroot, grilled halloumi and pomegranate seeds.

Ingredients

  • 250g fresh asparagus
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 250g halloumi cheese
  • 100g baby spinach
  • 200g salad beetroot
  • 100g pomegranate seeds
  • 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
  • 3 tsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

Instructions

  1. Add one teaspoon cold pressed rapeseed oil or olive oil to a frying pan. Cook the asparagus for two-three minutes until it starts to take on a little colour and soften. Sprinkle with the lemon zest towards the end. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  2. Add the sliced halloumi to the pan - you may want to cook it in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for two minutes on one side and then flip the slices over.
  3. Scatter the baby spinach over a large plate, roughly chop the beetroot and add, then scatter over the pomegranate seeds, the warm asparagus and warm halloumi cheese.
  4. For the dressing, mix a little pomegranate molasses with some rapeseed or olive oil and pour over the top of the salad.

Asparagus Salad

More Asparagus Recipes

British asparagus and mozzarella salad by Ren

Fresh pasta with goat’s cheese, lemon and asparagus – by Ren

Lemony new potato wedges with asparagus – by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours

Roasted asparagus with a carrot-miso dressing – by Kellie at Food to Glow

Another amazing superfood salad, which I adore, is this Smoked mackerel, beetroot and potato salad (use in season Jersey Royals if you are in the UK) by Jeanne at Cook Sister.

I’m also extremely grateful to Michelle at Utterly Scrummy for hosting April’s Simple and in Season – providing me with a little respite. There have been lots of simple, seasonal entries from all over the globe including plenty of wild garlic, nettle and asparagus recipes, too!

Simple and in Season

What are you looking forward to making with your British asparagus?!

Five spring recipes in BBC Good Food Magazine

I’m back with more exciting news, this time of a feature in BBC Good Food Magazine, within the April edition – on the shelves (in the UK) currently. I was asked to create these recipe back in November, shortly after contributing a recipe and some words on Polish cuisine in a feature on the Global Kitchen published in January. Magazine and print schedules are organised so far in advance, which is quite strange when you are used to the medium of instant publishing and blogging! So, it was a lovely surprise to finally get to see my ‘storecupboard spring clean’ recipes featured in the April edition.

BBC Good Food Magazine Ren Behan

My recipes fit into the ‘Everyday’ section of the magazine, under the banner of ‘Make it Tonight’ – so they are designed with ease and speediness in mind, with minimum ingredients. Spring is obviously a great time of the year to purge those storecupboards of all the ingredients leftover from Christmas. So on that note, my recipes include plenty of nuts, seeds and dried fruits, pulses, grains and pasta, brightened up with window box herbs and extra veggies.

Supper from your storecupboard

Recipes (starting on page 54) include –

  • Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry (£1.30 per serving)
  • Fruity Tabbouleh with Feta £(1.03 per serving)
  • Tomato and Rice Soup (just 58p a serving and one of my go-to recipes)
  • Macaroni Cheese with Bacon and Pine nuts (£1.57 per serving)
  • Salmon with Sesame, Soy and Ginger (£2.04 per serving)

All of the recipes were tested by both myself, the kitchen team and by some of the taste team, with beautiful photographs by Sam Stowell.

I loved the fresh flavours, and the pesto was a really tasty addition. A great soup to freeze or take to work the next day, too.” Sky – Taste Team on the Tomato and Rice Soup.

I hope you find the time to pop to the shops to pick up a copy of BBC Good Food Magazine April – let me know if you spot it, or if you try any of the recipes within.

BBC Good Food Ren Behan

With thanks to Sarah Cook at BBC Good Food for commissioning these recipes. PDFs/Photographs all copyright BBC Good Food Magazine. Photographs by Sam Stowell. 

‘Fruitdrop’ Pear & Plum Banana Bread

This week I’ve had a much-needed health kick whilst getting through a huge box of fruit delivered to me by a company called Fruitdrop. The children got very excited about seeing all the fruit and have been eating much more of it too, usually in the way of fruit salads and a quick morning smoothie. We do eat a lot of fruit in general, but I think seeing a big box bursting with a huge variety of fruit sparked additional interest. The box contained red and white grapes, clementines, apples, pears, melon, kiwi fruit, mango, bananas, plums and a lemon – around fifty pieces of fruit in total. My Fruidrop box arrived in pristine condition and even though we are getting through it (with the help of a couple of batches of this fruity Pear and Plum Banana Bread) it has lasted us well over a week.

FruitDdop

The kids really love banana bread as an after school snack and so I very often whip up a batch for them. With all the extra fruit to hand, I decided to layer up some of the pears and plums within the loaf itself, also serving it with some extra fruit.

Plum and Pear Banana Bread

Fruitdrop is mainly aimed at office initiatives, with a suggestion of ordering enough fruit for 2-4 pieces per person per week, with a fruit box starting at £20. You can also order milk to go along with your fruit delivery and deliveries take place all over the UK on an ad hoc or more regular basis. The fruit is handpicked by Fruitdrop and sourced from wholesale markets from within the UK (although not all of the fruit was British grown). Fruitdrop also guarantee to replace any fruit if you find any damaged or over-ripe.

Fruitdrop-7

Print

Pear & Plum Banana Bread

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 6 -8

A quick and easy extra fruit banana bread recipe for the family (or your co-workers!) to enjoy. You can also use apples, or blueberries as one of the layers.

Ingredients

  • 150g unsalted butter (plus a bit extra for greasing)
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 200g self raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (plus extra for dusting)
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 bananas, mashed
  • 120g sour cream
  • 1 pear, ripe, sliced
  • 2 plums, ripe, stone removed, sliced

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 5. Grease the inside of a loaf tin with a little butter and line with a sheet of baking paper.
  2. Using an electric whisk, beat the butter with the sugar, eggs and vanilla.
  3. Sift in the dry ingredients and stir with a metal spoon. Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream.
  4. Add one third of the mixture to the loaf tin and spread out using the back of a spoon. Next, add a layer of pear. Then a further third of the mixture followed by a layer of plum. Add the rest of the mixture and flatten the top. Dust with a little extra cinnamon.
  5. Bake the loaf for 1 hour. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for ten minutes before carefully taking it out to cool on a wire rack. Serve when warm or cold with extra fruit on the side. .

Other fruity recipe you might like to try with a fruit box –

You could adapt this Late Summer Fruit Salad with Pomegranate and Pistachio

Or, perhaps try these Toffee Apple Tarts, adding in some pears, too.

You could also use the pears to make these delicious Pear and Chocolate Brownies

 

With thanks to Fruitdrop for the delivery of fruit for me to review.

Pear & Plum Banana Bread Recipe commission in collaboration with Fruitdrop.

Breakfast Club: Quick Rhubarb Muffins

A quick post to say that this month, I’m joining in with Fuss Free Helen’s Breakfast Club hosted this month by (BiB’s Finalist!) Katie over on her brilliant blog Feeding Boys and a Firefighter. I’ve had lots of rhubarb given to me recently, from friends and neighbours, who are reporting great crops! The theme is Breakfast Bakes and I fancied making some rhubarb muffins so I  found a super-easy recipe on BBC’s Good Food for Rhubarb, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Muffins. I made six large muffins rather than twelve small ones and as I wanted to make them for a quick grab-and-go breakfast, I used Agave Nectar in place of the sugar and added 50g of oats into the mixture as well a sprinkle of oats onto each muffin. Make them! Enjoy!

Rhubarb Muffins

Rhubarb Muffins

Linking up to Simple and in Season, too!

RhubarbSimple and in Season

Recipe: Turkey and Leek Meatballs with Tomato Tagliatelle

Turkey Meatballs

We love meatballs! If you make your own at home, you know exactly what’s gone into them and you can add lots of lovely flavours, too.  They are easy to make and the kids love them.

These are really tasty, I used turkey mince (very lean and great value) and added leeks and freshly grated Grano Padano cheese for extra flavour to make turkey and leek meatballs. Serve with lots of tagliatelle pasta and tomato sauce and everyone is happy! If you wanted to, you could use an onion, but my kids prefer leeks. You can also add a teaspoon of mustard or even a tablespoon of ketchup for something a bit different.

Turkey Meatballs

I’m really pleased to be taking part in the Lean on Turkey recipe challenge, as we’re really keen to eat more turkey, instead of beef or pork and red meat. This time, the challenge was to create a pizza or pasta meal for the family for under £10.

The total cost of this meal was £9.91 from Ocado, but in fact, the turkey breast mince was on special offer (3 for £10) instead of £4.50 for one 500g packet so I was able to freeze a couple of packets for another time, too. Grano Padano cheese is a great alternative to the slightly more expensive Parmigiano Reggiano, which is worth keeping an eye out for as it brings the costs down a little.

Turkey Meatballs

[kitchenbug-your-recipe-appears-here-9390]

Costing   

  •  £1.99 – tomato and Basil Sauce
  • £1.75 –  fresh tagliatelle
  • £4.50 –  turkey breast mince (500g)
  • 60p –  large leek
  • 20p – large egg
  • 10p –  garlic (one clove)
  • 12p – bread (2 slices)
  • 65p -Grano Padano cheese (50g)
  • Olive oil, store cupboard
  • Salt and Pepper, store cupboard

£9.91 at Ocado

Turkey Meatballs

Sponsored Post + cost of ingredients covered

With many thanks to Lean On Turkey for asking me to create a recipe for them

Have you tried making your own meatballs at home? What’s your favourite family meal? Let me know if you try these!

Other family favourites

Easy Macaroni Cheese with Baby Leeks

Easy Peasy Homemade Pizza

Fish is the Dish: Whole Wheat Penne with Prawns

It’s always a treat when staying near, or on the coast, to pop into a local fishmonger to pick up some of the freshest fish that you can get your hands on. We spent the second week of our Easter holidays staying near the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales. On our last day, we fancied picking up some fresh prawns from Llyn Seafoods for a simple supper. Had the spring weather been a little kinder, we would have most likely made some prawn skewers to throw on the barbecue. As it happens, it was a little rainy, so I made a big plate of whole wheat penne with prawns instead.

Penne with Prawns

This recipe is very adaptable – if you don’t like mushrooms, don’t add them. You can swap the courgette for peas, or perhaps some asparagus, which should be coming into season in the UK towards the end of April. I added a tiny hint of chilli, but you could add more heat and also some fresh cream; it was our last day, after all. We’ve also switched to whole wheat pasta over white pasta, but any pasta works fine in this dish. Prawns take just a minute or two to cook in a hot pan – don’t forget the garlic and a little lemon zest to pick up the flavours.

As part of the Fish is the Dish #HealthyHappyHearts campaign, we’ve been making an effort to eat at least two portions of fish a week. Adding a handful of king prawns to a dish, such as pasta, a stir-fry or even a risotto is a great way to add extra protein and omega-3 to your diet and they are a great standby for the freezer as they are quick to defrost.

Penne with Prawns

Here’s the recipe

[kitchenbug-your-recipe-appears-here-8919]

I’m adding this to Simple and in Season, as the prawns were fresh and in season – hosted here this month.

Don’t forget to join in!

Simple and in Season

With thanks to Fish is the Dish for a voucher towards our fish for the week as part of the #HealthyHappyHearts campaign. You can also find some of the Healthy Happy Hearts Menus here and follow @FishistheDish on Twitter for more tips.

How were your Easter holidays?

 

Courgette or Zucchini Boats with Bolognese Sauce {Paleo Friendly}

Courgette or Zucchini Boats

One of the things that I enjoyed the most about my Paleo/Whole 30 challenge in January was the simplicity of it.  No processed foods, no heavy or starchy carbohyrdates, no gluten or wheat. Just plenty of lean and organic protein, fresh seasonal vegetables and lots of fruit. It’s not rocket science and it’s pretty obvious that you are going to feel a million times better and start to shrink. I got to day 26, having also had no alcohol, cakes or chocolate and had lost eight pounds. I also felt clearer headed, had lots more energy and had more ‘even’ moods. Unfortunately, a (stressful) overnight stay in hospital with my little one and then an over-indulgent family party weekend knocked me off my healthy eating pedestal. However, I was able to get back on track and I’d say that I’ve kept to my new rules about 80% of the time, which I think, and hope, is sensible in the long run. This recipe for  Courgette or Zucchini Boats with Bolognese sauce has since become of my favourite go-to Paleo recipes and I try to make it once every couple of weeks to stay on track.

Courgette or Zucchini Boats

Courgette or Zucchini Boats

Courgette and Zucchini Boats

 Hope you enjoy this recipe.

Courgette or Zucchini Boats

Guest Post: Cucina Ceri – Subbing Processed Carbs for Colourful Veg

By Ceri Jones, of Cucina Ceri

Readers of this blog will know that this January, Ren committed to the Whole30 regime, which draws on the Paleo approach to a diet based on whole foods (meat, fish, veg, fruit, nuts and seeds) to enable the body to re-set itself and become less dependent on sugars and processed foods as fuel.  Since my blog, Cucina Ceri, is full of Paleo inspired recipes I was delighted when Ren asked me to put together a guest post for Fabulicious Food. 

I get my recipe inspiration from just about everywhere – meals out, reading magazines, other blogs, cookbooks and cooking shows on the box – I take my inspiration first and worry about adapting it to my nutritional aspirations later!

I love experimenting in the kitchen, and as a reformed pasta-&-dense-carb-a-holic, I love to find new ways of using my existing pasta recipe repertoire to create tasty new and good for you dishes.  My favourite way of doing this is to replace grain and gluten-heavy foods such as pasta, noodles and rice with vegetable alternatives.  This also increases my daily intake of vegetables at the same time – perfect!

Here are 5 of my favourite ideas –

1. Using courgettes as ‘spaghetti’ or noodles.  I’ve got a piece of equipment called a ‘spiraliser’ but very cheap julienne peeler works just as well.  In a matter of minutes a humble courgette can be turned into fabulous ribbon lengths and served alongside favourite pasta sauces such as bolognese, meatballs, carbonara or pesto.  My current favourite recipe is Pancetta with Courgette Linguini. For a cuisine way further east than Italy I recently cooked up a tasty Prawn Pad Thai.  I’ll be posting this up on Cucina Ceri very soon.

Pancetta with Courgette Linguini

Pancetta with Courgette Linguini 

2. Stuffing veg to carry sauces.  I am loving using squash, hollowed out, roasted and filled with a pasta sauce of choice.  My easy on the eye Squash All’Amatriciana is one of my favourite ever recipes.

Squash All’Amatriciana

3. Using cauliflower as rice.  Stick a head of cauliflower through the grating attachment on a food processor, steam or stir fry with some garlic & coconut oil and hey presto you’ve got a pile of highly nutritious cruciferous veg to serve as an accompaniment to a meal.  I recently served this alongside my Burmese Pork Curry . Cauliflower rice can also be used instead of bulgar in Tabbouleh.

4. Using thinly sliced aubergines or courgettes instead of lasagna sheets.  Certainly no less tasty, than a conventional lasagne I had great fun creating this Faux Lasagna – by layering up beef bolognese, vegetables and creamy pesto sauce.

5. Subbing grain-free flour in gnocchi. This is a recipe I haven’t yet published on the blog as I need to perfect it a little further – a gnocchi made from sweet potato and chestnut flour.  I choose sweet potatoes over plain as whilst white pots are a vegetable they are basically a nutritional non-event. Chestnut flour is one of my favourite substitute flours and like the sweet potato has a slightly sweet edge.  This gnocchi dish is starchy carb heavy so saved for a special treat.  The gnocchi carried both sauces I trialled superbly – Creamy Coconut with Salmon and Spinach, Rocket & Parma Ham.

Cucina Ceri

So there you have it – just a few of my favourite ideas I wanted to share. I would be really interested to know if anyone has any similar recipes or ideas?   Thanks so much Ren for inviting me to guest post – and best of luck with the rest of your Whole 30 journey.  I am reading with interest!

Cucina Ceri Paleo Food Blog

With many thanks to Ceri Jones for this lovely and informative guest post – brimming with healthy ideas!

 

Review: ‘Well Fed’ and a Whole 30 Update

I can hardly believe it myself, but I am on Day 16 of my Paleo/Whole 30 Challenge, designed to re-set your system so that you become less dependent on sugar and processed foods to fuel your body. I’ve been eating plenty of lean protein, such as grass-fed (more omega 3, less hormones) pork and beef, organic chicken and fish as well as fresh vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts. It has changed the way I approach food. I no longer automatically reach for the biscuit tin or make meals entirely based around carbohydrates. It has been difficult (I am really missing milk and cheese) but this is the longest time I’ve ever stuck to any type of programme that ‘eliminates’ any one thing (in this case, wheat, dairy, sugar, soy, legumes) and the health benefits, so far, are encouraging.

Zucchini Boats

I am enjoying the simplicity of eating the Paleo way, surprisingly, meals are not any harder to cook or plan. The children are still eating as before, but I have noticed that we are all eating more fruit and veg as a family. Most importantly, I’m managing not to eat their leftovers, or snack on chocolate, or sip countless lattes throughout the day. I am looking forward to getting to Day 30 and to re-introducing some things back in, such as organic milk, but there is no doubt that some of the new habits I have gained will stay. I will be allowing myself chocolate and cake again, life is too short to completely deprive yourself of everything, but I hope not to be led by cravings for sweet foods and instead, to consider them a treat.

I am sleeping more soundly and have a clearer head. I also feel like I am on more of an even keel, nothing really bothers me so much, even running late in the morning, which is a pet hate. In fact, I’m waking up earlier and getting more things done before the children wake up.  I have clearer skin and sharper taste buds. Even the pear I ate this morning tasted almost too sweet. Although this plan is clearly restrictive, it is strangely liberating not to be sugar-dependent and there is lots that I can eat, including fruit and veg, which makes The Whole 30  feel like a healthy thing to be doing.

Well Fed

I’m just about to try making Cauliflower Fried Rice, based on a recipe in Well Fed, and I also have a slow cooker Bolognese (Paleo-friendly) recipe to share soon, too.

Here’s a re-cap on some of the useful resources I’ve come across –

Books

It Starts With Food – By Dallas & Melissa Hertwig creators of the Whole 30 plan 

Well Fed, Paleo Recipes – by Melissa Joulwan (Whole 30 approved)

Websites

Whole 9, which includes the Whole 30 Plan and free PDF’s

The Clothes Make The Girl (Mellisa Joulwan’s blog

UK-based Cucina Ceri

Nom Nom Paleo – great recipes by Michelle

It Starts With Food

Butternut, Coconut and Hazelnut Soup – Paleo Friendly – find my recipe here

Review – (Cookbook) Well Fed, Recipes for people who love to eat

Well Fed, Paleo Recipes for people who love to eat, is written by Melissa Joulwan with photography by David Humphreys. The cookbook is based on a Paleo eating plan, also referred to as the Paleo Diet, Caveman Diet, Prima, Real Food and Paleo Lifestyle.  There is a simple to follow ‘No’ list, including processed foods, grains, legumes, soy, sugar, dairy, alcohol, white potatoes and vegetable oils. This is based on the idea that we should eat the foods that make us healthiest. On the ‘Yes’ list are animal-based protein, vegetables, fruit and natural fat sources. Some people eat this way 100% of the time, or as much of the time as they can, others chose to follow a 30-day elimination program such as The Whole 30, before re-introducing certain things back into their diet, whilst noting the effect on their system.

The point of a Paleo eating plan is that by removing inflammatory foods from our diets, and by eating ‘real food’ we reduce our risk of “diseases of civilization,” such as heart disease, diabetes and cancers. Added to that, Melissa says, “our energy levels are better, we look years youngers and we enjoy life more.” So far, I’d agree with her!

Inside, there are sections on The Paleo Kitchen, including Weekly Cook Up ideas, Your Paleo Pantry, Recipes, Meal Ideas, Sauces and Seasoning, Protein, Veggies and Salads, Fruits, and a Resources section. The recipes are very simple to follow, and include Moroccan Meatballs, Cinnamon Beef Stew, Rogan Josh, and BBQ Pork (Cauliflower) Fried Rice.

It would only really be worth buying this book if you are trying a Paleo way of eating, or are taking part in The Whole 30 challenge. I’ve certainly picked up some great ideas from the book, but mainly around making sauces, seasoning and flavourings to keep things interesting rather than any new cooking techniques or groundbreaking recipes. That being said, the cauliflower fried rice idea was a new one to me and I have been introduced to some interesting alternatives, such as coconut aminos, in place of soy sauce. There are plenty of recipes that you can slow cook, or prepare in advance, to keep on top of things.

There is no specific section on breakfast because Paleo eaters oftens just eat the same food for breakfast as they would the rest of the day, such as grilled chicken and vegetables, but I would have liked to have seen a few breakfast ideas in here for better value for money.  

(Own copy, bought from Amazon.com RRP $29.95, I purchased mine for $18.94 which came to £20.32) but it is available on Amazon.co.uk, too for around the same price.) 

Well Fed

I really hope I haven’t bored you with my healthy eating update, I am pleased as punch that I’m half way through.

Just think, it’s Shrove Tuesday soon and Valentine’s Day and I am looking forward to sharing some treats, too!

 

 

Recipe: Butternut, Coconut and Hazelnut Soup

Here in the UK, the sun is shining, the skies are blue and it’s the beginning of January. It’s a little disconcerting. The children have gone back to school, the Christmas tree is down (which means my big bay window and all our light is back) and everyone is on a health kick, including me. I’ve just finished reading a compelling a new book, a gift from my sister in the States, called It Starts With Food. The basic premise is to follow a Paleo-style eating plan, filled with grass-fed meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. The Whole 30 program itself is easy to follow. It’s designed to re-set your system so that you are no longer reliant on sugar or processed foods to fuel your body. It sounds straight-forward and sensible enough. However, eating like a caveman and cutting out wheat, sugar, chocolate, dairy, legumes and most carbohydrates for thirty days means that the plan requires a pretty high level of dedication. I’m happy to say I’m on Day 7 and feeling great. More clarity, less cravings, no desire at all to reach for the biscuit tin. I am missing milk in my tea, but I can start to reintroduce certain things at the end of the thirty days. I’ll give you an update and a little more information when I’ve reached Day 30. Below, I’ve posted my first paleo-friendly recipe for butternut, coconut and hazelnut soup and some helpful links I’ve come across so far.

It Starts With Food

I’m easing myself back into blogging, too after a long break, the longest break I’ve had in two years. I started writing a ‘highlights of 2012’ post and gave up. I started writing a handy ‘how to make your blog shine in 2013’ post and ended up writing half an ebook, so I’m going to plug away at that and see what comes of it. I’ve written and submitted a cookery book proposal. I’m testing and developing recipes for two brands. Things are generally looking bright and shiny. Here’s to a happy and healthy new year.

Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup

Some useful sites that I’ve found while on my new paleo-friendly challenge

Whole 9 Life – including

Healthy Hot Chocolate Breakfast Smoothies

My children love chocolate and they’d ask for a sprinkle of cocoa every day if they could. Luckily, we manage to avoid most sugary breakfast cereals and instead we go for a bowl of milky porridge or Weetabix, so they are usually allowed a little pinch of cocoa. Breakfast smoothies are a good option, too, if time is tight. I’ve even found a way of making hot chocolate breakfast smoothies, which are always a hit, by blending the ingredients with warm milk. I also add oats and chia seeds for an extra health kick.

Hot Chocolate Smoothies

When I saw that Helen’s Breakfast Club this month was being hosted by Choclette with a theme of chocolate, I knew that it would be really easy for me to rustle up one of our favourite chocolate-themed morning treats. We’re not talking bars of Dairy Milk here, just a square or two of Fairtrade, organic dark chocolate. We like chocolate orange flavour and we buy ours from The Co-operative Food as their own-brand range is Fairtrade.

Chia Seeds and Chocolate

Earlier this year I was also incredibly lucky to win a Vitamix machine, by entering my card into a draw at Food Blogger Connect. I’ve learnt that the trick, with any kitchen gadget, it to keep it out on the counter. As soon as it goes into a cupboard, whether its a juicer, blender or food processor, it never gets used again. So my Vitamix has taken pride of place on my counter and we use it most days. It has encouraged me to experiment with extra ingredients in our smoothies, such as adding a handful of spinach, or a ripe avocado, or some super-healthy chia seeds. It would be incredibly difficult to get the children to eat any of these ingredients in large amounts, so blending them with milk and dark chocolate is a great way to sneak in some extras. I’ve also been whizzing up super-fast and healthy soups, sauces (cheesy bechamel in an instant) and you can even make sorbets, frozen cocktails and ice-cream. We no longer have a fridge full of leftover vegetables, they all get whizzed up in some form or another in our Vitamix.

Vitamix

The main advantage to the Vitamix machine over a standard blender is the power of the commercial motor and the blades – the Vitamix will even blitz down peel, pulp and seeds and you can use raw ingredients, too. Unlike a juicer, you don’t lose any of the fibre because it all gets whizzed up. It can also make steaming hot soup in under five minutes and if you use ice-cubs and frozen fruit, you can make instant ice-cream. They are pricey…but if Santa is feeling generous this year…

Back to the smoothies, I think you could make these in a standard blender, too. Just keep whizzing, grate your chocolate and use a very ripe avocado. You could add spinach, a banana and more milk if it is a little thick. If you haven’t heard of Chia Seeds yet, pop down to your local health food shop. They are being described as the new super-food (there’s always a new one, isn’t there?) containing stacks of Omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fibre. They are gluten free and sugar free and were the ancient discovery of  the Aztecs.

Healthy Smoothies

Healthy Hot Chocolate Breakfast Smoothies

Ingredients:

  • 50g/a couple of squares Fairtrade dark chocolate (grated if not using a Vitamix)
  • 1 avocado – super-ripe, stone removed, scooped out
  • 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds – or you can use flax seeds
  • 1 teaspoon honey, we used local honey
  • 2 tablespoons raw oats or up to one Weetabix biscuit
  • 500ml/2 cups warm milk – we used whole milk
NB You could also use a banana in place of the avocado.

Method:

Vitamix Instructions –

  1. Place all the ingredients together into the Vitamix container and secure the lid. Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and increase the speed to variable 10. Blend for 30 seconds or until you get the right consistency. Add extra milk and blend again if the smoothie is too thick. Pour into small cups or milk botttles and drink immediately.

Jug Blender/Hand Blender Instructions –

  1. Put all of the ingredients into your jug blender or into a tall container if you are using a hand blender stick blender. Add all the ingredients together (apart from the milk) blend together and then slowly add the warm milk. Blend for another two minutes until the mixture is smooth. Pour into small cups or milk bottles and drink immediately.

Healthy Smoothies

Note: I won a Vitamix blender through a random prize draw at Food Blogger Connect – I was not required to write a post about it, but since I use it so often, it was bound to feature! Many thanks to Vitamix UK.

Hope you enjoy these smoothies for breakfast soon!

Silvena Rowe’s Watermelon and Feta Salad with Za’atar Crumble

Ottoman-inspired food. Not something that you might come across everyday, but what a treat. There is something quite magical about the blending of sweet with sour, hints of honey, sprinkles of sumac, cinnamon, cumin, za’atar. Street markets offering marinated meats, shawarma, garlic sauce, tahini, preserved chillis. Mezze tables with olives, hummus, freshly baked flat bread. Fresh flavours of parsley, mint, lemon. Sweet figs, orange blossom, pistachio, pomegranate, rose petals. My dream feast, my inspired table.

This month’s Random Recipe challenge set by Dom at Belleau Kitchen was to go back to basics, to pick a book, any book and cook from it. Bulgarian-born Chef Silvena Rowe’s Orient Express has been sitting on my shelf for many months. Fast food from the eastern Mediterranean. Small dishes, lightness, hints of Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume; the brilliant book she wrote before this one.

I openend the book at page 19, a chapter named Za’atar and Saffron, and my challenge was simple; Watermelon and Cherry Tomato Salad with Feta, Almond and Za’atar Crumble.

I followed Silvena’s recipe in the book, making one simple addition of a chopped white peach. The sweetness is already there in the watermelon, the peach just added an extra flavour hit. I also used one whole ripe tomato in place of cherry tomatoes. Fresh mint, feta cheese, flaked almonds, a sprinkle of za’atar – a spice blend made up of sesame seeds, thyme, cumin and ground sumac. You can blend your own following Silvena’s recipe here  or buy it in the shops now. A few pretty white, nasturtiums to decorate. This salad is full of summer, an explosion of fresh, bold flavour.

Watermelons remind Silvena Rowe of her upbringing in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, within the Ottoman Empire. She remembers piles of watermelon at the market, ripe and ready for a hot sunny afternoon. This salad reminded me to book a holiday abroad, to go an explore the street food and street markets of the eastern Mediterranean.

I’m sending this recipe across to three wonderful blog events and also linking it up to Simple and in Season, too, here at Fabulicious Food.


1. Random Recipes at Belleau Kitchen – Challenge #19 Let’s start at the very beginning.

2. Monthly Mingle Street Food Challenge hosted by Zizi’s Adventures

3. The One Ingredient Challenge hosted by Working London Mummy and Laura from How to Cook with a theme of peaches.

Other recipes in Orient Express I’d like to cook are:

Za’atar Crispy Fried Calamari

Orange and Za’atar Marinated Haloumi

Chilli Chickpea Street Pilaf

Lamb Moussaka Rolls

Honey and Ginger Roasted Apricots with Ricotta

 

Where would your ultimate food adventures take you? To the Ottoman Empire, or beyond?

 

Roasted Peppers with Quinoa and Capricorn Goats Cheese

There has been a little goat on Twitter making me chuckle. Her name is Ethel and she lives in Somerset. She produces some lovely milk along with her friends in the West Country and with it, Capricorn make a lovely creamy cheese at the nearby Lubburn Creamery.  Capricorn Goats Cheese is made with pasteurised goats’ milk and happily, it is suitable for vegetarians, too. I’ve created a lovely recipe for Ethel as part of the #CapricornChallenge, which I hope Ethel and her friends will approve of.  Interestingly, the cheese continues to ripen, so for a milder flavour, use it as soon as you buy it. For a stronger flavour and more creaminess, use it closer to the use by date (but still store it in the fridge). This is a perfect summer’s evening supper, with a little glass of wine on the side for good measure.

If you haven’t tried quinoa, I would give it a go, but as an alternative, you could use some cous cous to fill up the peppers. I’m quite fond of quinoa as it is highly nutritious and known as a grain made up of complete protein. I’ve added a handful of pumpkin seeds to add an extra nutrient boost, too.

 Bake some peppers (halved and de-seeded) in the oven until soft…

Fill the peppers with cooked quinoi with pumkin seeds. Lay a slice of Capricorn Goats Cheese over the top…

 Bake again until the cheese has melted…

 Serve with some fresh salad and a glass of wine…

Here’s the recipe in full.

Print

Roasted Peppers with Quinoa and Capricorn Goats Cheese

Prep

Cook

Total

Ingredients

  • 4 red peppers
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g quinoa, uncooked
  • 50g pumpkin seeds
  • 2 x 100g drum Capricorn Goats Cheese
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Salad/watercress to serve

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C/160 fan.
  2. Carefully slice the red peppers in half through the core and remove the seeds using a small sharp knife. Put the peppers in a baking dish and drizzle with the olive oil and a twist of black pepper in each.
  3. Place the baking tray and peppers in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions – usually, in a large pan of boiling for 10-12 minutes. Once cooked, drain and then stir through the pumpkin seeds.
  5. Take the peppers out of the oven and carefully pour any juice and oil inside the peppers onto the quinoi.
  6. Using a tablespoon, carefully fill the pepper halves with quinoi.
  7. Slice the Capricorn Goats Cheese into four discs and place one disc over each of the filled pepper halves.
  8. Put the stuffed peppers and goats cheese back into the oven and bake again for 10 minutes, or until the goat’s cheese is bubbling and melted. Serve immediately with a side salad.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 4

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

With many thanks to Ethel and the Capricorn Goats Cheese herd and team for sending me a hamper full of lovely goodies as inspiration to create this recipe for the #CapricornChallenge. I’m also in with a chance of winning a weekend in Somerset – fingers crossed! You can find more delicious recipes here in Ethel’s kitchen. Capricorn Goats Cheese is available in Waitrose, ASDA and Tesco. You can follow @EtheltheGoat on Twitter.

Have you tried any British goats cheese? If so, what’s your favourite way of eating it?

  

Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella and Tomato Salad

I think this is my favourite salad. It is so easy to throw together and any variation on it is welcome at my table. This time, I used a fresh, creamy Buffalo Mozarella, bought from Tony’s Italian deli, Buongiorno Italia in St Albans. The tomatoes are fresh plum tomatoes, now in season. A handful of rocket leaves and a few black olives. Some avocado wouldn’t have been out of place. A drizzle of good quality olive oil is essential. Usually, I go for a Tuscan olive oil, but this week I’ve been trying a hand picked, cold pressed olive oil made from Koroneiki olives called Olive Branch produced by a family who live locally to me in Hertfordshire, from olive farms in Crete. I think it stood up to the Italian ingredients well and it positively loved the fresh tomatoes.

My sister and niece also came over from Italy and brought me a small bottle of Crema Con Aceto Balsamico di Modena – a beautiful thick Balsamic glaze, which seeped into the olive oil and into the fresh cheese bringing it all to life. We ate the salad with a few slices of mortadella from Bologna and proscuitto crudo served on a board. Delizioso.

The summer holidays have arrived! I have realised that the only way I’m going to be able to keep up with blogging is to keep my posts short and simple. Is that possible? Let’s see…   

I’m sending this salad across to Fleur at Homemade by Fleur who is hosting Simple and in Season for me this month as well as to Laura at How to Cook Good Food who co-hosts the One Ingredient Challenge with Working London Mummy. July’s ingredient is tomatoes.

What have you been eating now our summer seems to have finally arrived?!

  

With thanks to Olive Branch for the sample bottle of olive oil.

 

 

Recipe: Feta and Chive Omelette (and a Neoflam Pan Review)

I have a slight obsession with chives and unfortunately for my husband who dislikes it, with dill. It stems from my Polish foodie upbringing as both herbs are used fairly extensively in Polish cooking. Chives are called  Szczypiorek and dill is called Koperek. Both can be grown easily and I tend to chop mine and freeze it too, so there’s always some on hand. I used to get sent to school on a breakfast of scrambled eggs with chives (see the recipe here) or scrambled egg with Kielbasa, garlic sausage. With that fragrant combo it’s a wonder I had any friends! Interestingly, last week I also went on my first guided foraging walk (more about that to come, I ate squirrel!) and we found some hedge garlic growing wildly, which is an alternative to chives, onion and garlic, so I’ll be using some of that too, soon.

I love the combination of chives with cream cheese and also like to pair chives with locally produced British goat’s cheese, as well as with feta. So this is a very quick omelette with feta and chives sprinkled in, but really, any crumbly white cheese would work.

…

Read more

Japanese-Inspired Chicken Teriyaki Bento

This month, I have been determined to take part in Dom’s ‘Random Recipes’ challenge over at Belleau Kitchen. Dom’s recipe challenge has been running for over a year now and as each month passes by, I find myself drooling over the round-up posts, wondering why I hadn’t taken part.  The rules are that you must select a book randomly and cook a recipe from it. This is great, as it encourages people to turn to books they might otherwise overlook and neglect. The book I randomly selected (from an ever-growing pile now overtaking the whole house) was Leemei Tan’s Lemongrass and Ginger. Leemei is a UK-based food photographer, who also writes a successful blog called My Cooking Hut. Leemei has recently had her first cookery book published to the theme of ‘Vibrant Asian Recipes’ and vibrant they are, too.  It is worth looking out for, it is a very impressive first book, with recipes from Japan and Korea, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam and India and Sri Lanka.

My version of a Chicken Teriyaki and Onigiri Bento

…

Read more

Fish is the Dish: Pan-Fried Coley (Wild Saithe) with Quick Cheesy Mash

More fish! This time, coley, which I have to say is a new one for us at home. What can I say about coley? Well, I was very pleasantly surprised. Coley is a white fish and is also known as saithe. The fillets I was sent to try by John at Delish Fish were marked at ‘Wild Saithe Fillets’ and they were individually packed in sealed pouches and sent in a well packaged cool box. I signed for the box at 4pm and they were still cold to the touch on arrival. I popped them straight into the freezer and de-frosted two fillets by putting them (still in their pouches) into a bowl of cold water for an hour or so, until I was ready to cook them. 

Fishy Facts:

Coley is in the cod family, but is less expensive and it is a very good alternative to cod and haddock.

Honest opinion: I thought the coley fillets tasted nicer than cod or haddock. They were very mild in flavour, the kids wolfed their food down and crucially, even pan-frying the fish, it didn’t make the kitchen smell. Some of the fillets looked pink/grey, but when I cooked them, they turned white.  The fillets were very flaky, took just a couple of minutes to cook on each side and I didn’t get the sense that they were ‘meaty’ – in the way that cod can be, they just simply fell apart and almost melted in the mouth.

Coley and mash kids version

[gmc_recipe 3338]  

There is definitely something very comforting about eating fish with mashed potatoes. I think it is because we used to eat cod in parsely sauce with mash growing up. In this recipe, the mash is ‘quick’ because I bunged two potatoes into the microwave to bake them and then scooped out the insides and mashed them.

 

Fish is the Dish -Top fish tips for all the family 

  
N.B Review/Sample Thank you once again to Fish is the Dish for their ongoing campaign to encourage us all to eat more fish and to John at Delish Fish for sending me the fillets to try.

I received the Wild Saithe Fillets for free in the hope that I would mention them on my blog. I only recommend food/products or services I use personally and believe my readers may be interested in.

 

What do you think about lesser known species of fish? Have you tried coley?!