I love food. Just as men think about sex every three seconds, I think about food! This is why I will never be thin.
Due to this love affair I am hater of food waste, I flat out refuse to throw anything away that could be eaten again. In addition to using up left-over’s saving us money on our shopping bills, I actually enjoy the challenge of deciding how best to use the previous night food to make lunch the next day.
#LoveYourLeftOvers Read More →
Summer is all about fresh, exciting food at Essex HQ. After finally convincing The Essex Husband that a salad can actually be a meal I have been on an ever-lasting quest to find new way to liven up the humble slad into an exciting family meal.
One such fab addition to our salads are these delicious Balsamic Glazed Roasted Chilli Tomatoes. These Balsamic Glazed Roasted Chilli Tomatoes are the perfect accomiant to a simple green salad, and taste all the more amazing when sprinkled with some feta cheese just before serving. Read More →
I do love a good stuffed pepper recipe. They are great for a lunchtime snack, or to accompany a main meal in the evening. Simple to make, and perfect for fitting a few of your 5-a-day.
To make two spinach and couscous stuffed peppers you will need Read More →
I love spending time in the kitchen cooking for the family. It’s my happy place and, even though I am a throughly modern woman, I do love being the one who cooks and cares for the family.
But even the most loving, nurturing people amongst us need a helping hand at times. Work is getting busier (never a bad thing) and the girls social lives are starting to rival my own, so, from time to time, dinner needs to be a quick fix. I not quite ready to throw in the towel and chuck a couple of plastic tubs in the microwave just yet, but having a few emergency meals in the freezer is not always a bad thing.
One such meal is Green Thai Vegetable Bakes served on a
Shrove Tuesday, or pancake day as it is most commonly known, is always bittersweet for me. Yes you get to eat dessert on a week night (fruity pancakes all round) which is always a winner, but it also marks to start of Lent and, for me, the beginning of 40 days with bread, potatoes or chocolate.
I can normally be found weeping in a corner at just the thought of it, however this year I am excited. I always embrace the challenge, I like the satisfaction of testing myself and taking time to remember how lucky we are, but this year there is the added bonus of the health benefits too.
I have been using the gym for two weeks now. A few classes here and there, using the pool and reconnecting with my love exercising with free weights (with a little posing in front of the big mirrors thrown in for good measure). My nutritional habits have improved and am I almost at my target for the water I take on board each day. In two weeks I have, without really trying, lost 8lbs. Over.The.Moon. Read More →
My spicy Thai soup recipe has evolved over many years. Firstly coming from a friend I used to work with, and then being adapted after finding a similar version in a cookbook I received last Christmas. It may not be fully authentically Thai but its blooming delicious, and that’s what matters most to me.
I’m a huge fan of adding chilies to food, as this spicy Thai soup recipe will testify. For that reason I was not surprised at all to see ‘Chillies Obsession’ as one of the key leading flavour trends in the 125th Anniversary Edition of Schwatz and McCormicks The Flavour Forecast. This report highlights the top five food trends (Chillies Obsession, Modern Masala, Clever Compact Cooking, Mexican World Tour and Charmed By Brazil) and more than a dozen emerging flavours predicted to impact the way we eat in the coming years.
Here is my very own Chili Obsession.
Ingredients (serves two) Read More →
To celebrate Chinese New Year this week Tesco kindly sent me a new work to whip up some Oriental goodness for my family. I couldn’t resist making my very favorite Chili Beef Stir Fry Recipe for its maiden voyage.
I love this Chili Beef Stir Fry Recipe as its a tasty way to use up left-overs from a roast beef, making it perfect for reducing your food waste and making your food budget stretch a further. Read More →
Creme Fraiche is a wonderfully healthy alternative to cream – great for livening up a meal or snack.
1. Potato Salad
The first in our 5 Ways With Creme Fraiche is this lovely potato salad. Boil 500g of halved new potatoes for about 20 minutes before mixing them in a bowl with 5 tbsp of creme fraiche, 2tbsp of horseradish and a handful of snipped fresh chives. Read More →
These lovely Creme Fraiche Chocolate Pots are made with Weight Watchers Creme Fresh and low-fat whipped cream so are a slightly less naughty way to have a little of what you fancy.
Makes 4 small ramekins (very rich so you don’t need much) Read More →
In a bid to help you along the way during Dry-January here are our Top Mocktail Recipes for you to try.
Virgin Mojito (makes 1 glass)
First up on our list of top mocktail recipes is a non-alcoholic version of my very favorite cocktail; the mojito.
You will need…
Method…
