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.