Choc-mint Mousse

Chocolate and mint. A divine combination however you choose to execute it. Keep this dessert dairy-free by using oat or rice milk.

Serves 4 (or 6 if you use small glasses)

Ingredients

500ml Oatley (or milk)

1 cup tightly packed mint leaves

3 - 4 Tbsp agave syrup

4 egg yolks

3 gelatine leaves

90g dark chocolate, finely chopped

150ml whipping cream (optional)

Method

1. In a saucepan bring the Oatley and mint leaves to just below boiling, then set aside to infuse for 1 hour. Don't worry if the Oatley separates - this is easily fixed by whisking it.

2. Whisk the egg yolks and agave syrup in a clean saucepan, then pour the cooled Oatley through a sieve into the egg yolk mixture, discarding the mint leaves.

3. Place the saucepan over a low heat and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a custard that coats the back the spoon.

4. In the meantime, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out any excess liquid and add them to the custard. Stir until they dissolve.

5. Now pour the mixture into a clean bowl and put it in the fridge for an hour or so. When it has cooled sufficiently, stir in the chopped chocolate.

6. At this point, you can either spoon the custard into individual glasses or bowls and place them in the fridge, or you can whisk the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks, and fold this into the custard before spooning it into glasses and refrigerating. The end result is quite different, but both are delicious. The dairy-free mousse has a firmer consistency (you might want to reduce the amount of agave syrup and chopped chocolate) and the full-fat version has a lighter texture, but is obviously quite a bit richer. My husband prefers the former and I the latter.

7. To serve, decorate each glass with chocolate and mint leaves.

Scallops with sausage, chestnut puree and rocket

I often find myself disliking foods others regard as delicatessen, like sweetbreads and fois gras. But scallops are a different story. For me, scallops embody all that is perfect about seafood – the subtle, slightly sweet flavour of seawater; a succulent, fleshy texture and health benefits galore. Scallops are an excellent source of vitamin B12, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and potassium, all of which are important for cardiovascular health. But be sure to choose responsibly sourced scallops - hand dived are best.





Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients
Splash of rapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 small 100% low-fat organic pork sausages, casings removed
Handful of marinated red peppers, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
12 scallops, cleaned
2 heaped tablespoons home-made or organic tomato sauce
fresh rocket, finely chopped
chestnut puree

Method
1. Gently heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan.
2. Add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes before adding the sausage meat.
3. When the sausage meat is almost cooked, add the chopped peppers and capers.
4. Keeping the heat quite high, add the scallops and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, or until caramelised.
5. Stir in the tomato sauce and chopped rocket just before taking the pan off the heat.
6. Serve on pureed chestnut, sweetened ever so slightly with honey, or a chestnut and sweet potato mash.

Healthy Habit #3 BE A MOVER & SHAKER

How privileged we are... We can buy gadgets and gimmicks to do just about anything for us - washing machines, lawnmowers, blenders, mixers, dryers. We don't even have to step out of the house to be entertained or to stay in touch with friends and family. With Facebook, web albums, mobile phones, home entertainment systems, laptops, Twitter and iPads, these days being social doesn't necessarily mean putting yourself out there. And when we do leave the house, most of us drive or are only minutes away from the nearest tube or bus stop. Even relaxation these days involves a comfortable spot on the sofa and a hand firmly resting on the remote control, rather than a walk in the nearest park.

But something is worryingly wrong with this picture.

Our modern sedentary lifestyles are wreaking havoc with our general health and well-being. Ask anyone who has ever tried to lose weight and keep it off - following a strict diet only gets you so far... the rest depends on how active you are and whether you can incorporate exercise into your everyday life. And weight loss is not the only benefit of regular exercise.

Exercise improves efficiencies in your body

Aerobic exercise like running, walking, swimming or cycling, will improve your stamina by training your body to become more efficient: it will use less energy for the same amount of work and extract more oxygen out of each breath you take.

Exercise will speed up your metabolism

Our bodies use a basic amount of energy (or calories) to function each day (and night). Exercise will raise this resting metabolic rate by reducing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass, which has a higher metabolic rate and therefore uses more calories. Aerobic exercise has the added bonus of speeding up your metabolism for 4 to 8 hours after you stop exercising.

Exercise helps prevent illness and disease

Regular exercise strengthens the heart muscle, lowers blood pressure and "bad" cholesterol (LDLs), and increases blood flow and the level of "good" cholesterol (HDLs), all of which reduces the risk of heart disease. Being active also reduces the risk of cancer, diabetes and other diseases.

Exercise strengthens and tones

Resistance training, including any kind of weight-bearing exercise, develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture will improve, and your muscles will be more toned.

Exercise enhances flexibility

Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination.

The psychological benefits of exercise

Studies have shown that exercise releases endorphins, which lead to a "natural" high. Endorphins, the chemicals produced in the brain that bind to neuro-receptors, are believed to relieve pain, enhance the immune system, reduce stress and delay the aging process. Even moderate activity can therefore help you unwind, combat depression and improve your sleep.

If all of this is not motivation enough for you to start taking exercise more seriously, remind yourself that using the stairs rather than the elevator, walking home rather than taking the bus and playing hide-and-seek with your children rather than watching TV are all small, easy changes you can make to reach your weekly target level of activity. Even doing tedious household chores will burn calories. So bring on the broom!

The perfect meringue

Here are some tips on making meringue

1. Eggs separate more easily when they are cold, but the whites are easier to whisk at room temperature.
2. Whisking egg whites causes the protein to form elastic bands, which trap air bubbles and this creates a delicate, unstable network. A small amount of acid (such as lemon juice, vinegar or cream of tartar) helps to stabilise whipped egg whites.
3. Sugar also acts as a stabiliser. To ensure your meringue holds its shape and looks thick and glossy, use at least 2 tablespoons of caster sugar per egg white. Any less and your meringue will shrink. Also remember to only add the sugar at the end when the whites have formed soft peaks.
4. Fat, water and other impurities (such as egg yolk) interfere with the formation of a good foam in egg whites. Ensure your stainless steel or glass bowl and whisk are spotlessly clean and dry before you begin.
5. For stiff peaks, beat the egg whites on high speed until they form peaks with tips that stand straight and will not lose their shape.
6. As a topping for cakes, tarts or pies, meringue can be baked at a low temperature for a pale result (15 to 20 minutes at 100ºC/200ºF) or in a moderate oven if you are after a browned topping (5 minutes at 160ºC/320ºF). Any cakes or pies with meringue toppings should ideally be eaten on the same day. After a day or so, the meringue starts breaking down and will start to weep.
7. For crispy, dry meringues, you should leave them in the oven at a very low temperature for about 3 hours.

Pretty in pink

Fairy cakes for little princesses...


This recipe is for my adorable niece, Jana, who celebrates her 1st birthday only a few days after her cousin, Kasper.

Makes 12 regular cakes (but they are also really cute as mini-cupcakes)


Ingredients

120ml (about 1/2 cup) natural Greek-style yoghurt
2 organic eggs, lightly beaten
90g (110ml) coconut oil, melted over a very low heat
1 tsp vanilla extract
90ml agave syrup
150g spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda)
60g almonds
finely ground pinch of salt

For the topping
2 organic egg whites
4 Tbsp caster (or superfine) sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp beetroot juice

plum or raspberry compote (or natural jam, like St Dalfour's, thinned with a little lemon juice)


Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC/340ºF (or 160ºC/320ºF in a fan oven) and line your muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Whisk together the eggs, yoghurt, liquid coconut oil, vanilla extract and agave syrup until just combined. It is important not to over-mix cupcake batter.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
4. Gently fold the dry ingredients, together with the salt and ground almonds, into the batter.
5. Fill the paper cases almost to the rim. Allow a few minutes for the batter to settle, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes (or 10 to 15 minutes for the mini-cupcakes).
6. Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Then lift the cupcakes out of the tray and leave to cool off completely on a wire rack.
7. With a small knife, cut off the top of each cupcake in such a way that you are left with a shallow cavity. Spoon a small amount of fruit jam or compote into this cavity and then replace the tops (although, in my kitchen they always seem to disappear inexplicably...).
8. Next, whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl. When they hold soft peaks, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the cream of tartar into the mixture while whisking. Just before you reach the "stiff peak" stage, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar into the meringue and whisk. When the meringue is thick and glossy, fold in the beetroot juice. (Note: you can obtain a teaspoon of juice by grating some fresh beetroot and squeezing it over a cup)
9. Finally, divide the meringue mixture amongst the cupcakes and use a spatula to shape each one.
10. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 100ºC/200ºF. Do not be tempted to increase the heat, as the cakes look more attractive if they are pale pink, rather than golden.

Small cakes for little hands

I am filled with trepidation. Kasper's first birthday is coming up and I cannot seem to figure out where this past year has gone. After he arrived, many well-meaning eldery folks said: "Enjoy every minute - they grow up so fast!" and I would just nod and smile, eager for my son to learn to sit, crawl, then stand and walk. But today my heart is heavy with the realisation that time really does fly like an arrow and that our little ones have been lent to us for only the briefest period. I am nevertheless determined not to let these thoughts ruin the special day. After all, children learn to smile from their parents.

These are the cakes I intend to make for Kasper's birthday celebration. Please bear in mind that the recipe contains nuts, which makes them unsuitable for babies under 1, and because of the chocolate, the birthday boy will also be limited to only a couple.

Makes about 70-80 tiny cakes (or 12 regular sized cupcakes)

Ingredients

For the cakes

120ml (about 1/2 cup) natural yoghurt

2 organic eggs, lightly beaten

100g (125ml) coconut oil, melted over a very low heat

2 Tbsp barley malt extract

90ml agave syrup

120g spelt flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

30g good quality cocoa powder

60g hazelnuts, finely ground

pinch of salt

150g dark chocolate, finely chopped

For the icing

100g dark chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170ºC/340ºF (or 160ºC/320ºF in a fan oven) and line your muffin trays with paper cases.

2. Whisk together the eggs, yoghurt, liquid coconut oil, malt extract and agave syrup until just combined. It is important not to over-mix cupcake batter.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.

4. Gently fold the dry ingredients, together with the salt and ground hazelnuts, into the batter.

5. Lastly, fold in the chocolate pieces carefully.

6. Using a teaspoon, gently drop small portions of batter into the cases. They should be about 4/5ths full. Allow a few minutes for the batter to settle, then bake for 10 to 15 minutes (or 20 to 25 for the regular sized cupcakes).

7. Remove the trays from the oven and leave to cool. Then upturn the cupcakes onto a cooling wire.

8. Make the icing while the cakes are baking, as it will need to stand a while before reaching the perfect "spreadable" consistency.

9. Over a bain marie, slowly allow the chocolate and coconut oil to melt. Then stir, cover and cool at room temperature.

10. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, and the icing has started to set, spread a small amount onto each cake. Decorate with chocolate buttons, red currants, chopped nuts or any other delicacy that tickles your fancy.

Lemony fennel salad

A lovely young man joined us for dinner the other night. Half-way through the meal he pulled a tiny foil-wrapped parcel out of his pocket and handed it over to me. I proceeded to unwrap one of the most unconventional and original 'thank you' gifts I have ever received: Turkish lemon salt. Also known as citric acid, "lemon salt" isn't really salt at all, but a weak organic acid in crystal form used as a natural preservative and to add a sour taste to food and drinks. A quick lick convinced me of its potency and inspired the salad below.

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients
1 fennel bulb, finely shaven

For the dressing
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp ground "lemon salt", optional
1/2 tsp sumac
large pinch of unrefined sugar or xylitol
small bunch of dill, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp cold-pressed lemon or plain olive oil

Method
1. Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar, screw on the lid tightly and shake well.
2. Taste the dressing - if you are happy that you have achieved the perfect balance between sweet and sour, pour it over the shaven fennel and toss.
3. Serve with fresh grilled fish.

Aubergine and yoghurt soup

How strange being back at work after an 11 month absence. And what a difficult decision it was. Bursting into tears in the Monday morning team meeting because you were up all night with your ill baby and you feel like a rotten mum for having dropped him at the creche in such a state is just par for the course, I guess. And so is being knackered after cooking the week's meals on Sunday instead of lazing about with the FT Weekend.

A very large (in my husband's opinion the largest) part of the problem is my tendency to perfectionism. Nigella's whole domestic goddess thing. I feel compelled to cook meals myself, rather than get take-out, even if it is from Ottolenghi. I want it all to be "just so". Is that too much to ask? All I need to do is focus on easy recipes that can be made quickly, in large quantities and keep well in the fridge or freezer. See - not that complicated!

I have always found that soups are great for busy times and can quickly be reheated to be eaten with a thick slice of buttered rye bread. Try this recipe - it is an exciting and tangy meal-in-a-bowl.


Serves 4

Ingredients

2 medium aubergines

1 celery stalk, finely sliced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 – 3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp caraway seeds

1 egg yolk

½ Tbsp corn flour

1 cup / 250ml natural yoghurt

650ml vegetable stock

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

Method

1. Cut the aubergines in half length-wise and roast them in a hot oven (200ºC/400ºF) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are very soft. Then set aside to cool.

2. In the meantime, heat a little olive or rapeseed oil in a saucepan and gently cook the onion, celery and garlic until soft.

3. In a separate pan, dry roast the spices for a few minutes, before grinding them in a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

4. While the other ingredients are cooling down, beat together the egg yolk and corn flour, then stir in the yoghurt.

5. Now scoop out the flesh of the aubergines (discarding the charred skin) and liquidize with the cooked onion mix, the spices, one cup of vegetable stock and the cayenne pepper. Pour the soup back into the saucepan and add the rest of the vegetable stock.

6. Slowly whisk in the yoghurt mixture and stir continuously over a medium heat until the soup just starts to simmer. Then remove the saucepan from the heat immediately. Adjust seasoning.
7. Serve with a spoon of thick yoghurt and some chopped parsley or a sprig of lemon thyme.

Blackcurrant ricotta pancakes

I hate goodbyes. So, to make it all a tiny bit more bearable, I decided to offer these little pancakes at Suzi and Illi's farewell brunch. The velvety ricotta batter is an ideal canvas to show off not only the deep purple of the blackcurrants, but also their delicious sharpness. If you squint your eyes, they even seem healthy with no added sugar and relatively little flour. Serve them with raw manuka honey and a warm smile.

Makes about 15 medium pancakes

Ingredients
3 large eggs
250g ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla essence or 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
pinch of salt
150g refined spelt flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
125ml milk or milk substitute
2 bananas, mashed
125g blackcurrants, washed and stripped from the stalks


Method
1. Beat together the eggs, ricotta cheese, vanilla and salt.
2. Add the flour and baking powder, and mix well. Then whisk in the milk.
3. Finally stir in the mashed bananas and blackcurrants.
4. Heat a skillet over a medium heat and add a tiny knob of butter. Once it has melted, use a spatula to coat the entire pan with the butter.
5. Now drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and cook on one side for about 2 minutes (or until the top seems set). Then flip each pancake onto the other side and cook for another minute.
6. To keep your pancakes warm, place them in a glass bowl and cover with a lid.

Courgette and mint soufflé

Earlier this year I convinced two of my longest-standing friends, Suzi-Q and Illi, to pack their bags and finally pay us a visit in London. What a superb time we've had so far. We even managed to squeeze in a trip to Paris. There, we hosted a dinner in our rented apartment with a 360º view across the City of Love.


It was during my frantic shopping trip for this said dinner, that I was reminded yet again of how versatile our trustworthy old friend the courgette (also known as zucchini or marrow) is. I never have anything specific in mind when I add a couple of marrows to my shopping basket, but somehow they always come in handy. And so it was that night. I topped fresh egg papardelle and slow cooked tomato sauce with char-grilled strips of courgette and judging by the empty plates, it turned out just fine. Parisians Kévin and Olivier brought the perfect dessert to end our evening: cherry clafoutis. C'était magnifique!


Back home I decided to try something a little more sophisticated with the humble marrow. This soufflé is quite delightful and really very easy to make. Don't be tempted to cut corners and add the grated marrow raw, though - it will end in a soggy affair.


Enough for 6 individual soufflés

Ingredients
35g butter
35g flour
250ml milk (or milk substitute)
freshly ground rock salt and black pepper
150g grated courgette
2 shallots, finely chopped
50g soft goats' cheese
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves
4 large eggs, separated


Method
1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour, salt and pepper.
2. Gradually add the milk, whisking continuously. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat.
3. Fry the courgette and shallots over a low heat in a little oil until soft. Now stir the vegetables and cheese into the white sauce, making sure the cheese melts.
4. Beat in the egg yolks one by one, then set the mixture aside to cool for 10 minutes.
5. In the meantime, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then fold them into the mixture. Be careful not to over-mix.
6. Spoon the mixture into 6 lightly greased individual ramekins and bake for 25 minutes at 180ºC/350ºF (or 170ºC/330ºF in a fan oven) or until puffed up and golden. Serve immediately.

Tomato and sweet pepper relish

Although a certain amount of nutrients (in particular Vitamin C and flavenoids) are lost when you cook tomatoes, the process actually increases the concentration of other nutrients like lycopene, which is located in the cell wall. So it seems you will benefit, whether you like your tomatoes raw or cooked. This relish is excellent with strong cheeses, with left-over roast chicken or cottage cheese as a sandwich filling, and stirred into stews to liven things up. Adjust the amount of chillies according to your own taste.


Enough for 1 jar

Ingredients

3 sweet bell peppers (one red, one yellow and one orange)
800g tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, crushed with 1/4 tsp rock salt
1 red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 red chillies, finely chopped
2 Tbsp dark brown unrefined sugar
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3-4 whole cloves
pinch of ground allspice
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF. Cut the peppers in half and place them cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes or until the skin starts to blacken. You could also do this under a very hot grill or with a kitchen blowtorch.
2. Remove the peppers from the oven and put them in a glass bowl. Cover with a lid or a plate.
3. While the peppers are sweating, cover the tomatoes with boiling water. Leave for about 1 minute, then use a sharp paring knife to slit each one around the middel. Slide the skin off, remove the core and chop roughly.
4. Now skin the peppers, again using a small, sharp knife.
5. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for roughly 3 hours or until the liquid has evaporated. Stir occasionally.
6. If you are making it as a gift or you would like it to keep in the fridge for a while, remember to sterilise your jar before you spoon the relish into it.

Chilled tomato soup with basil oil

In the Olympic Games for Vegetables & Fruit, Mr Tomato would take the decathlon gold medal. Without a doubt. Not only is it one of the most versatile ingredients a cook can have in the kitchen, but it is also amongst the most attractive contenders of the Games, and each plump fruit is a nutritional powerhouse.

Although a tomato's secret weapon is thought to lie in its colour, caused by the bright red carotenoid called lycopene, recent research shows that tomatoes' anti-oxidant and cancer-fighting effects are a result of the synergy between lycopene and the other photonutrients. Tomatoes contain almost half of your daily Vitamin C requirement, and are rich in Vitamin A, E, K, and B. They also contain potassium, manganese, copper and iron.


Here is my take on a hot weather favourite - chilled tomato soup. Tomatoes are available all year, but for the tastiest specimens, stick to the summer harvest. The addition of basil oil and avocado makes all the difference in the taste and texture of this soup, but also has a nutritional purpose. When eaten with foods high in fat (like cold-pressed oils, nuts & seeds, and avocados), fat-soluble lycopene is better absorbed by our bodies.

Serves 4

Ingredients
650g organic tomatoes, skins removed
1 small avocado, peeled and roughly chopped
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
5 spring (or salad) onions
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
a few slices of ripe mango (about 100g), peeled
freshly ground black pepper to taste
pinch of freshly ground rock salt
dash of Worcester Sauce
2 Tbsp cold-pressed basil-flavoured (or plain) olive oil
250ml/1 cup filter water

For the salsa
5 large basil leaves, finely shredded (a sharp pair of scissors works best)
1 tomato, skinned, deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 a small avocado, finely chopped and drizzled with a little lemon juice
cold-pressed basil-flavoured olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. To skin your tomatoes, pour boiling water over them and leave to stand for about 1 minute. Then drain them and use a sharp paring knife to remove the skins. Cut each tomato in half and remove the fibrous core.
2. Mash the avocado with the lemon juice and zest. This will avoid oxidation.
3. For this recipe I have only used the white parts of the spring onion (in other words the bottom half). Do keep the green tops for the next salad you make.
4. Now blend all the ingredients, apart from the water and olive oil, in a liquidiser until smooth.
5. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil in a trickle and then thin the soup to your desired consistency with water. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours to chill.
6. Shortly before serving, combine all the ingredients for the salsa and top each bowl of soup with a spoonful.

Healthy Habit #2 KEEP IT REAL

When you buy an expensive new handbag or mobile phone, you want it to be the real deal. And you will insist on seeing the guarantee and proof of authenticity. Sure, you could buy a counterfeit at a tenth of the price, but then you expect it to be of far lesser quality. When it comes to food, however, many of us are complacent about its origin, the ingredients, the potential harmful effect on our bodies and the alternatives available to us.

I am all for having a treat or a pre-prepared meal every now and then. But when I do, I try to ensure that it is the authentic, guaranteed choice. In other words: no preservatives, no colourants, no chemicals, no artificial MSG, no trans-fats, no refined sugar, not too much salt, no flavour-enhancers and preferably organic (as this will ensure minimal exposure to pesticides, chemical fertilisers, hormones and other routine drugs given to animals). In order to pick the right product, you therefore have to read the labels and UNDERSTAND what they say. My rule of thumb is that food should have as few artificial ingredients as possible.



Thankfully, these days there are many products on sale that are "free-from" and make healthy food accessible. But do consider: home-made is usually still the best option. A store-bought smoothie, for example, may be a healthier breakfast than a croissant, but it will have been lightly pasteurised to prolong its shelf-life, robbing it of at least some of its nutrients. Rather take a few pieces of fruit, some natural probiotic yoghurt and a dollop of raw honey, whiz them together in your blender and enjoy the fact that you are having the real deal.

Beans and asparagus with dukkah dressing

My dear friend, Ida Marie, is visiting with her brand-new husband of 6 weeks. Ida and I met about 12 years ago in Milan, where we immediately bonded over our mutual passion for food and a disdain for the industry that was paying our trip. We have since shared quite a few great meals and many trusted recipes. Thankfully, the weather has remained fantastic and we have managed to squeeze in a couple of BBQ's with our guests. This salad was a wonderful accompaniment to the ostrich meat we grilled.



Dukkah, which is found in every household in North Africa and the Middle East, is a fragrant blend of ground nuts, spices and seeds. Recipes do vary (I used a truly South African Biltong dukkah for this recipe), but they all taste heavenly. One way of enjoying dukkah is to dip fresh bread in olive oil, and then in the spice mix. You can also sprinkle it over roast vegetables.


Ingredients

450 - 500g combination of yellow beans, young asparagus stalks and green string beans
2 cloves garlic, crushed
small bunch dill, finely chopped
15 - 20 sage leaves, finely chopped
tiny knob of butter
1 1/2 Tbsp Biltong or Egyptian dukkah
zest of 1 lemon
30g pine nuts, lightly toasted
fresh sprouts, such as alfalfa, to garnish

For the dressing
3 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
3/4 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp Dijon (or other hot) mustard
freshly ground rock salt


Method

1. Steam the yellow and green beans until tender, then refresh under running cold water. This helps to preserve the vibrant green colour.
2. While the beans are steaming, pour boiling water over the asparagus and leave for a couple of minutes. Then drain and refresh under cold water. Leave the beans and asparagus in a colander to dry.
3. Next, fry the chopped sage in a tiny amount of butter. Be careful not to let it burn.
3. Put all the ingredients for the dressing into a jar and screw on the lid tightly. Shake until the dressing emulsifies.
4. Combine the rest of the salad ingredients including the sage with the vegetables, pour the dressing over and toss.
5. Serve topped with fresh sprouts.

Peaches and peas with a chickpea dressing

The South East of England has been blessed with a wonderful summer so far (although our garden must be thrilled about the rain overnight!). We've been eating quite a few salads, as one never seems particularly hungry in hot weather. This recipe makes use of fresh peas - a delicacy that, in my opinion, should never be subjected to any form of cooking.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the salad

rocket leaves, enough for four portions

150g fresh peas (about 400g unshelled weight)

4 ripe peaches or nectarines, stoned and quartered

2 salad or spring onions, sliced

1 medium cucumber, peeled and thickly sliced

seeds of one pomegranate

1/2 cup / 80g cooked chickpeas, optional

For the dressing

2 cups / 320g cooked chickpeas

2 large cloves garlic

1 tsp cumin, dry roasted and ground

1 tsp ground paprika

juice of 1/2 lemon

3 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste)

freshly ground rock salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 cup / 125ml yoghurt

1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses

3 - 4 Tbsp water

Method

1. Whiz together all the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor.

2. If you'd like to thin it down more, add another tablespoon or two of water.

3. Dress the rocket leaves with some olive oil and a splash of apple cider vinegar.

4. Arrange the salad ingredients on 4 plates and drizzle over the dressing.

5. If you were using a tin of chickpeas, you could add the remaining chickpeas to the salad.

Beetroot, carrot and strawberry salad

This visually exciting salad combines the best of the season's ingredients. Beets are low calorie and rich in nutrients like carotenoids and flavenoids. Beets and beet greens are also a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, iron, Vitamin B6, manganese and potassium. Betacyanin is the pigment that gives beetroot its stunning colour and has powerful antioxidant properties. Beets are also one of the richest sources of folic acid and they contain the mineral silica, which helps the body utilise calcium in our fight against osteoporosis.


Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients
1 large beetroot bulb, grated
3 medium carrots, grated
1/2 red pepper, chopped finely
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
300g strawberries, hulled and halved
30g dried sour cherries
1 Tbsp good quality aged balsamic vinegar
squeeze of lemon
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp cold-pressed olive or rapeseed oil

Method
1. Mix together the beetroot, carrots, red pepper, 200g of the strawberries, cherries and the poppy seeds.
2. In a food processor blitz together the remaining strawberries, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and black pepper. Lastly add the oil with the motor still running.
3. Pour over the dressing shortly before serving and mix well. The salad does draw water if it stands for a while, so it is best eaten up in one sitting.

Spiced Honeydew Salad

I cannot think of a more invigorating way to either start a summer lunch or end a long, hot day. Change the quantities of ginger and chilli to suit your own taste.

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 cups cubed honeydew melon (or use a melon baller)
zest of 1 lime
zest of 1 lemon
1 medium bunch fresh cilantro (coriander)
1 medium bunch fresh mint
1 red chilli (remove seeds and membranes if you prefer only a little kick)
1 large knob of ginger, grated
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of unrefined salt
1-2 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil

Method
1. Combine the cubed melon, lime and lemon zest, and set aside.
2. In a food processor, whiz together the herbs, chilli, grated ginger, lime and lemon juice, and salt.
3. With the motor still running, add the olive oil in a slow drizzle until the herb dressing has the consistency of a wet pesto.
4. Mix 4 teaspoons of the herb dressing with the melon cubes. You can keep the left-over herb dressing in a glass jar in the fridge for about 1 week. Remember to cover it with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation. It is excellent with grilled chicken or fish, as well as stirred through a barley or quinoa salad.

Healthy Habit #1 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER - THE PROJECT

I have a strange fascination with other people's trolley contents in the supermarket. It never ceases to amaze me when a mother with 2 toddlers in tow chooses frozen pizzas and sugary fizzy drinks for her family. Or a man in the prime of his life fills his basket with a loaf of white bread, some processed cheese and a 6-pack of lager. I always ask myself the same question: why do these shoppers make such bad choices?

There may be several reasons for buying a ready meal, bulk-discounted tinned soup or decadently rich chocolate pudding, such as convenience, cost or a perhaps an upcoming special occasion. On the whole, though, I believe most consumers out there make the wrong food choices, because they are completely disinterested in or uneducated about what they put in their mouths. Unfortunately, ignorance in this case, does not amount to bliss.

Obesity has a severe impact on health, increasing the risk of type-2 diabetes, some cancers, and heart and liver disease. Although there has been a huge improvement, awareness regarding the serious risks of a poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle is still pretty abysmal. Obesity- and lifestyle-related illnesses are currently the largest drain on healthcare public funds in the UK. Direct costs are estimated to be £4.2 billion and this figure is expected to more than double by 2050 if things don't change. Then there are the costs to society and the economy more broadly (like reduced productivity due to sickness absence), estimated at £16 billion and expected to rise to £50 billion by 2050. To think these costs could largely be avoided if people made the right food choices...

My project over the next year or so will be to discuss several healthy habits that I try to apply in my own life. I will include recipes that incorporate these habits and hopefully you will agree that healthy needn't equal boring or tasteless.


NHS Health Survey for England 2008

Department of Health: Obesity General Information - December 2009

Times Online "Increasing Obesity Pushes Diabetes Drug Bill to £600m" - September 2009

The Observer "Who's to blame for Britain's obesity problem?" - October 2009

Fashionably late

Procrastination. A word I had hardly ever used in connection with my life. Until, that is, I realised I had put off starting my own blog for almost 5 years. Wow. And now I am entering an arena that half the world's laptop-toting population has already made its own. How to make a sensible contribution if every topic has already been covered from a hundred different angles? Hmmm.

In our current environment of information overload, it seems particularly arrogant to believe I have something to say that others might find interesting. I have thus decided to approach my blog in a very personal manner. It will merely be an electronic version of what I have been doing for the past 10 or so years on tattered pieces of paper and in dog-eared notebooks: recording delectable recipes, valuable sources, and all kinds of food facts that I believe could be useful in my endeavour to live a healthy, energetic and utterly delicious life. Here's hoping it will inspire at least some of you too.