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Allergy Awareness Week 2018

Running from 23rd-29th April, this week marks the Allergy Awareness Week 2018, a time to raise awareness of people living with allergies. Their focus this year is on the issues that people with allergy face while they are traveling.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce one of our upcoming books, My Kids Can’t Eat That, written by Award-winning functional nutritionist Christine Bailey. As the mother of three children with auto-immune conditions, Christine knows first-hand how confusing and scary the diagnosis can be. But in this brilliant book, she will show you how to take control of the situation and make sure you and your family can still eat healthily and safely.

This is a friendly, no-nonsense guide to take a functional, holistic approach to food allergies or intolerances in your child. In simple language, Christine helps you make sense of the diagnosis, explaining the difference between food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities.

Cathrine gives you all the top tips and techniques, as well as nutritional know-how and delicious substitutes you need to ensure that at home, eating out, and going on holiday is yummy, healthy and fun for everyone.

The book includes 60 allergen-free recipes and simple, practical advice on eating out, travel, shopping and more, plus sympathetic advice on how to deal with schools, babysitters and other parents.

You can find more information about the author, visiting her website here.

The book is published on 16th August in the UK, and on 18th September in the US.
To read more about the book and for pre-order, visit the Amazon page here.

 

 

I Love My Wok

From steaming to stir frying, deep-frying to braising and even smoking, I Love My Wok will show you exactly how versatile the wok really is. Showcasing over 100 delicious and nutritious recipes for all occasions, Nicola Graimes shows how one pan really can do it all.

To showcase these fantastic recipes we have chosen just three of our favourite recipes…

Golden Purses

Serves: 4, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. sunflower oil (plus extra for deep-frying

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

5 spring onions/scallions, finely chopped

5cm/2in piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

250g/9oz minced/ground chicken

2 tsp. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

20 wonton wrappers

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sweet chilli sauce, for dipping

 

Method:

  1. Heat a wok until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, then the garlic, spring onions, ginger and chicken and stir-fry for 4 minutes until cooked through.

 

  1. Pour in the soy sauce and wine and cook, stirring for a further minute or until all the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

  1. Place one wonton wrapper on a flat surface, keeping the others covered with a damp cloth. Put a tablespoon of the chicken filling in the middle of the wrapper. Brush the wrapper with a little water, then gather the sides up around the filling and pinch together to make a bag, enclosing the filling. Set on one side, covered with a damp cloth. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

 

  1. Heat enough oil in the wok to deep-fry the filled wontons. When the oil is hot enough to brown a day-old cube of bread in 35 seconds, add 3-4 wontons and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden. Repeat with the remaining wonton.

 

  1. Serve immediately with sweet chilli sauce, for dipping.

 

 

Yakisoba Noodles

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

(plus 1 hour marinating time)

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

 

 

Ingredients:

350g/12oz firm tofu, drained, patted dry and cubed

250g/9oz dried ramen noodles

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tbsp. tomato ketchup

2 tbsp. vegetarian ‘oyster’ sauce

1 tsp. soft light brown sugar

1 tbsp. sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

1 tbsp. sesame oil

5cm/2in piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 red pepper, sliced

1 carrot, sliced diagonally

2 courgettes/ zucchini, slice diagonally

250g/ 9oz Chinese leaves, shredded

6 spring onions/scallions, white and green parts separated, sliced diagonally

Handful of toasted sesame seeds

 

For the marinade:

3tbsp Japanese soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp. sweet chili sauce

3 tbsp. mirin

 

Method:

  1. Mix together all the marinade ingredients in a dish. Add the tofu and stir to coat. Leave for 1 hour, turning the tofu occasionally. Drain, reserving the marinade for later.

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/ Gas 4. Put the tofu on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway, until crisp and golden.

 

  1. Meanwhile, cook the noodles following the packet instructions. Rinse, refresh under cold running water and set on one side. Mix together the rice vinegar, ketchup, oyster sauce and sugar in a small bowl and set on one side.

 

  1. Heat a wok until hot. Add the oils, then toss in the ginger, red pepper and carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the courgette/ zucchini, Chinese leaves and the white part of the spring onions/scallions and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.

 

  1. Mix the rice vinegar mixture and the reserved marinade together and add to the wok with the cooked noodles. Toss over a medium heat until combined and heated through, then serve with the tofu, sesame seeds and the green part of the spring onions/scallions sprinkled over the top.

 

Crispy Pork Balls with Spinach

Serves: 4, Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling, Cooking Time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients:

500g/ 1lb 2oz. lean pork fillets, roughly chopped

2 birds eye chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced

5cm/2in piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

Handful of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

2 sticks lemongrass, peeled and finely chopped

4 spring onions/scallions, chopped

4 tbsp. groundnut oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp. mustard seeds

½ tsp. chilli powder

500g/ 1lb 2 oz. fresh spinach, tough stalks removed

4 tbsp. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

3 tbsp. light soy sauce

1 tsp. sugar

Juice of 2 limes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

 

Method:

  1. Put the pork, bird’s eye chillies, ginger, coriander/cilantro leaves, lemongrass and spring onions/scallions in a food processor and process to form a coarse paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then form into 16 walnut-sized balls and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

 

  1. Heat half the oil in a wok and fry the pork balls, four at a time, for 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden. Add more oil if necessary before cooking the next batch and keep the cooked balls warm while cooking the remainder.

 

  1. Wipe the wok clean; pour in the remaining oil and heat. Add the garlic and mustard seeds and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the chilli powder, spinach, rice wine, soy sauce and sugar. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve, topped with the warm pork balls.

 

Nicola Graimes is an award-winning cookery writer and former editor of Vegetarian Living magazine. She has written more than 20 books, including The Top 100 Recipes for a Healthy Lunchbox, The Big Book of Wok, The Big Book of Low-Carb Recipes, Veggienomics, The New Vegetarian Kitchen (that was chosen as one of OFM‘s Top 50 Cookbooks of the Year) and The Part-Time Vegetarian for Nourish.

 

‘I Love My Wok’ is available to buy from the 17th August 2017 from Nourish.

Packed: Becky and Michelle’s Favourite Hot Food Containers

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Here we review 3 of our favourite hot food containers*

 

  1. Polar Gear 500ml Lunch Pod

This lightweight, great value lunch pod comes in a range of colours. It is primarily designed to carry food to be reheated. Double-wall insulation means it can keep food warm for up to 3 hours depending on the weather outside so works well for breakfast or an early lunch. We think it is perfect for porridge if you like to breakfast at your desk.  It comes with a built in “spork” and a removable bowl divider.
Cost: £8.99
Find out more

  1. Thermos Stainless King Food 470ml Flask

We love the neat and stylish design of this wide mouthed food flask. The lid is quite small but it’s easy enough to eat straight from the flask. Food stays nicely hot for 7 hours which should see you through until lunchtime. It comes with a full-size, foldable, stainless steel spoon and is available in 4 smart colours: Midnight Blue, Matt Black, Raspberry and Cranberry Red.
Cost £18.99
Find out more

  1. Stanley Classic Vacuum 500ml Food Jar

Sturdy and with a classic design, this flask is just as much at home in a building site as an office. With a wider mouth than the Thermos flask it is easier to fill, eat from and thoroughly clean. The lid is also a decent size if you want to pour out your food.  It doesn’t come with a spoon so you need to pack that separately. Food stays properly hot for 12 hours which could be handy if you work long hours and justifies the higher price. It is available in two sensible shades of green and blue.
Cost: £24.99
Find out more

Don’t forget!

Your water bottle and some cutlery if you’re eating on the go.

*these 3 products were provided to us free-of-charge by the manufacturers to review them independently.

Becky Alexander is a food writer (The Guild of Food Writers) and food book editor for companies such as Dorling Kindersley, Penguin and Bloombsury. She writes a fortnightly food column for The Herts Advertiser newspaper focussing on seasonal, local food. Becky recently appeared on a BBC Radio programme giving commuters easy ideas for their lunches. Michelle Lake DipION CNHC mBANT is a registered Nutritional Therapist and has been running her own busy practice, Mission Nutrition in St Albans for over 10 years. She trained for four years at the Institute of Optimum Nutrition on its internationally acclaimed nutritional therapy course. She is a member of BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) and The Complementary and National Healthcare Council (CNHC).

packed

Becky Alexander, Michelle Lake
Packed
£12.99, pre-order from Amazon

 

 

 

How to Pack Your Lunch Well

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Written by Becky Alexander and Michelle Lake.

Ever arrived at work to find your soup has leaked in your bag? Or ended up buying a new lunch because you couldn’t face the squashed, “sweaty” cheese sandwich you’d wrestled to work on a crowded bus?  Does your packed salad end up less than appetizing by the time lunchtime arrives?

Here, Michelle Lake & Becky Alexander authors of Packed share their top tips on how to pack the perfect lunch.

  1. Invest in a new lunchbox (or two)
    Lunchboxes are big business these days and there are so many to choose from. In just a couple of weeks you will have saved the cost of buying a box or two by taking your own lunch. The Sistema To Go Salad lunch box has four sections with a mini dressing pot to store all ingredients separately until lunchtime, and even comes with a foldable knife and fork. We love bento-boxes for dips, chopped veggies, olives, nuts andhome-made sushi.  Aladdin and Yumboxes are great.
  1. Clever lids
    Lids that “clip and seal” tend to be more secure and long-lasting than conventional lids which can warp over time.
  1. Collapsible
    You can find collapsible boxes that make taking your box home again easy.
  1. Choose BPA-free
    There is some concern that chemicals from the plastic can seep into food (particularly if the food is heated up) and this could be harmful to our health.  BPA stands for bisphenol A, an industrial chemical used in plastics. Look for BPA-free on the labels.
  1. Salad dressing tips
    Most salads are best dressed just before eating, so pack your dressing separately. One idea is to add your dressing to your lunch box first, then put the salad on top; you just tip it before eating to dress the salad. Mini jam pots are great too.
  1. Super kale
    Kale actually benefits from being dressed in advance as it softens the leaves and becomes easier to digest. In fact, you can dress a whole bowlful of kale leaves and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days to use as a base for different salads.
  1. Keep it cool
    Keep your salads and sandwiches fresh and appetizing by keeping them cool until lunchtime. If you can’t refrigerate your lunch at work buy a couple of mini-ice packs to pop into your lunch box. The Sistema Chill it to Go lunch box comes with an ice brick you can leave in the freezer until ready to use and slot neatly into place in the morning. When the weather is really hot consider putting your lunch into a small cool bag especially if you’re packing fish, eggs or dairy products which can easily go off.
  1. Avoca-dos and don’ts
    We love to include avocado in our lunch – it’s packed with good fats, vitamin E and has a delicious creamy taste. But no one likes brown mushy avo in their salad. Buy small avocados, take one with you to work and add it at lunchtime. It takes seconds to cut in half and scoop out the flesh. If you want to prepare in advance squeeze over plenty of lemon or lime juice to stop it oxidizing and turning brown.
  1. Breakfast on the go
    Keep jam jars as they make perfect “breakfast-on-the go” pots. Fill them with overnight oats, yogurt, fruit, nuts and seeds. Just don’t forget your spoon.
  1. Liven up your lunch
    Fill small containers with nuts and seeds which you can add to your soups or salads to make them more exciting. Homemade pestos also make delicious “stir-ins” and will last several days in the fridge.
  1. Sandwich savvy
    Sandwiches do best assembled directly onto parchment paper, wrapped and then secured with an elastic band.  This allows air to circulate and stops it “sweating”. To prevent a soggy sandwich choose crusty bread or rolls. You can toast and cool your bread to eliminate some moisture before you prepare your sandwich.
  2. Keep it warm
    During the winter months we all crave something warm and nourishing at lunchtime. If you can, heat your food before work and store it in a food flask so it’s ready to eat at lunchtime and avoid queuing for the microwave. Remember to heat your flask with some boiling water before you add your food to help maintain its heat.

Becky Alexander is a food writer (The Guild of Food Writers) and food book editor for companies such as Dorling Kindersley, Penguin and Bloombsury. She writes a fortnightly food column for The Herts Advertiser newspaper focussing on seasonal, local food. Becky recently appeared on a BBC Radio programme giving commuters easy ideas for their lunches. Michelle Lake DipION CNHC mBANT is a registered Nutritional Therapist and has been running her own busy practice, Mission Nutrition in St Albans for over 10 years. She trained for four years at the Institute of Optimum Nutrition on its internationally acclaimed nutritional therapy course. She is a member of BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) and The Complementary and National Healthcare Council (CNHC).

packed

Becky Alexander, Michelle Lake
Packed
£12.99, pre-order from Amazon

Get 40% off Our 2016 Releases

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Don’t miss our special offer! Get 40% Off Our 2016 Releases!
This offer is available until December 31, so take advantage of these special prices!

As we are approching the end of a great year, we would like to thank our followers for their enthusiasm for our books during 2016.
We have prepared a special offer for you: from now until the end of the year, you can buy all this year’s releases at 40% off.
To take advantage of the offer, use the coupon winteroffer when you proceed to checkout on our website.

 

You can choose from the following releases:
Slow Dough: Real Bread by Chris Young
Fast Fuel: Food for Triathlon Success by Renee McGregor
Fast Fuel: Food for Running Success by Renee McGregor
The World In My Kitchen by Sally Brown and Kate Morris
The Supercharged Green Juice & Smoothie Diet by Christine Bailey
The Aussie Body Diet: A Happier, Healthier You in 14 Days by Saimaa Miller
The Right Bite by Jackie Lynch
Healing Spices by Kirsten Hartvig
Healing Berries by Kirsten Hartvig
Healthy Speedy Suppers by Katriona MacGregor
The Gut Health Diet Plan by Christine Bailey
The Jewelled Kitchen by Bethany Kehdy
In the Mood for Healthy Food by Jo Pratt

Shop For Your Packed Lunch

packed-shopping

Written by Becky Alexander and Michelle Lake.

Most of us eat the same things each week for lunch, with cheese and ham sandwiches being the most popular. Not everyone works near a Pret or wants to spend 20 minutes of their break queuing so we have come up with lots of ideas to make taking your lunch to work more interesting and delicious.

Noone wants to shop all the time, so you need to buy ingredients that are going to last until the end of the week. Packed (by Becky Alexander and Michelle Lake, Feb 2017) is full of quick ideas for grown-up, healthy lunches. These are five of our star ingredients that we always have at home. They all last for ages and are packed with nutrition, so you can add them to whatever you are already making or throw them all together to make a hearty salad.

  1. Rocket leaves. A bag will last a week in the fridge if you don’t pile things on top and squash them. Spinach leaves are pretty good too. More delicate leaves tend to wilt after a day or two. Add rocket to your sandwiches and salads, or stir a handful into a bowl of hot soup to boost your veggie intake. You can also whizz rocket leaves with a little olive oil to make a pesto to spread in sandwiches instead of butter. Aim to include a handful of leafy greens with every lunch; they are bursting with phytochemicals which have been found to be cancer-protective.
  1. Peppers. Orange, red and yellow peppers can be sliced and eaten with a dip or as the base for a salad. You can get ahead by slicing up a few, pop in a container and keep in the fridge to add to your lunches throughout the week. Green ones are only really nice when cooked. Jars of roasted peppers are good too, so why not buy a jar for the cupboard for when you run out of fresh salad? No need to add a dressing either – just a squeeze of lemon. Aim to add some brightly coloured veggies to your lunch to get optimum amounts of carotenoids which help to keep eyes and heart healthy.
  1. Feta cheese. A pack of feta will last for ages in the fridge. Just a small amount adds lots of flavour; crumble it in to your salad or pasta. You can freeze leftover cheese if you don’t get through it in a week or two. Add some olives from a jar (cheaper than the ones in tubs) and you are on your way to a Greek salad. Feta is one of the healthiest cheeses around ­- it’s lower in saturated fat and higher in friendly bacteria that most other varieties. Made from goat’s or sheep’s milk and naturally lower in lactose, many people find feta easier to digest than other cheeses.
  1. Cooked lentils. A pouch of cooked black or Puy lentils is so easy to use. No need to rinse, just open the pouch and spoon about half into your lunch box. Add chopped pepper, feta and rocket, or whatever you have in the fridge, squeeze over some lemon, and you have an easy and very nutritious lunch. Freeze the rest or keep in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days. Protein-packed lentils are a fabulous lunch choice; they release their energy slowly to keep you full until home-time.
  1. Chickpeas. Cans of cooked chickpeas are a bargain and a great plant source of protein and iron. Look for the red or brown ones which are lovely in a salad or roast vegetables. You can also stir them into soup. I like the creamy white ones roasted: rinse, then mix with a little olive oil and a little paprika. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Add to salads and soups or eat on their own as a snack. It’s easy to make your own hummus by whizzing them up with some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and cumin. Feel free to throw in other ingredients like roasted peppers or olives. Hummus makes a great filling for sandwiches and wraps or spoon into a pot and bring along some veggie dippers.

Becky Alexander is a food writer (The Guild of Food Writers) and food book editor for companies such as Dorling Kindersley, Penguin and Bloombsury. She writes a fortnightly food column for The Herts Advertiser newspaper focussing on seasonal, local food. Becky recently appeared on a BBC Radio programme giving commuters easy ideas for their lunches. Michelle Lake DipION CNHC mBANT is a registered Nutritional Therapist and has been running her own busy practice, Mission Nutrition in St Albans for over 10 years. She trained for four years at the Institute of Optimum Nutrition on its internationally acclaimed nutritional therapy course. She is a member of BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) and The Complementary and National Healthcare Council (CNHC).

packed

Becky Alexander, Michelle Lake
Packed
£12.99, pre-order from Amazon

The World In My Kitchen Is On Tour

3d-cover

The World In My Kitchen by Sally Brown and Kate Morris will be on a digital tour starting from November 25. Every virtual ‘stop’ will give you a sneak peek of the book, with recipes, author spotlight features, interviews and giveaways.

The World In My Kitchen is a fantastic book if you want to start cooking with your kids, it is full of easy-to-make, delicious recipes to spark their global imagination.

 

Tour Dates:

25 Novemebr: The Moomy Blog
Haajra, a 20 years old mum from India. A teacher by profession and a blogger by passion.

26 November: Skating Tomato
Tahlia was born and bred West Australian, currently living and studying in London. She is passionate about health and wellbeing, and helping others do so as well.

27 November: TTS group
TTS group will publish an exclusive interview top the authors. TTS have been talking to educators and inventing new reasons for children to love learning for over 30 years.

28 November: Kindred Spirit
Kindred Spirit will publish an exclusive Scandinavian Christmas recipe from Sally Brown and Kate Morris.

29 November: Dallas Single Mom
Heather Buen is helping re-invigorate the lives of Dallas’ single moms.

Sally Brown and Kate Morris launched The Purple Kitchen Company in 2000 to promote the power of food education for young children through schools, courses and the media. They deliver original food training to schools and local authorities supported by their educational publication, Get Cooking in the Classroom. In 2008 they beat over 1000 proposed ideas to win a commission with BBC CBeebies for the education zone with I Can Cook, which has now run to 4 series and a total of 104 episodes, and has been sold into 150 countries worldwide. They developed the I Can Cook brand, including two books, two CBeebies Special magazines, an equipment range with Lakeland Plastics and a live show with Butlins. They have also contributed to national press, including Good Food Magazine, delicious and Nursery World.

Three Spooky Halloween Recipes You Can Cook With Your Kids

It’s that time of the year again! No, not Christmas — Halloween! But instead of cooking all by yourself, you can include your kids in preparing the Halloween’s food. We have three party dishes from the book The World in My Kitchen for you.

Old Lady Chicken Fingers
Prepare the dish as explained by the book. Before serving, put a dash of ketchup on one end of the finger and place an almond on top of it. Now, they really look like fingers!

wimk_africa_chickenfingers

Chicken Fingers (Africa, Mauritius)

Ingredients:

  • 3 skinned chicken breasts, about 400g/14oz total weight
  • 4 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon ready-crushed  wet garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ready-grated  wet ginger
  • 1 pinch of ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoon fine polenta Extra equipment: baking sheet and baking parchment, pastry brush

Method:

  1. Cut the chicken breasts up into finger-size pieces, using scissors. Try to make them all about the same size so they will cook in the same time. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
  2. Put the flour into a bowl. Lift the chicken pieces into the bowl and cover all over with flour.
  3. Break the eggs into a cup and tip into a second bowl. Add the crushed garlic, grated ginger and black pepper and mix together with a fork. Put the polenta into a third bowl.
  4. Lift a piece of floured chicken into the flavoured beaten egg to cover the flour, and then into the polenta. Put onto the baking sheet. Repeat this until all the chicken pieces have been covered in polenta. Now wash your hands. Lightly dab the top of the chicken fingers with a little more oil, using a pastry brush.
  5. Ask your adult to put the baking sheet in the oven, using oven gloves.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes until the chicken coating is golden and crunchy, the chicken is tender and the pieces are cooked through to the middle (not pink).

Monster Eggs
These eggs already look pretty monstrous! For variety, you can experiment with food colouring!

After you have cooked them, peel off the shells of these magical tea eggs to reveal fabulous coloured patterns. Cracking the shells lets the colours in the water make patterns on the egg whites inside the shells.

wimk_asia_chineseteaeggs_1

Chinese Tea Eggs

Ingredients:

  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 decaffeinated tea bags
  • 1 heaped tablespoon chopped glacé/candied peel

Method:

  1. Put the eggs into the saucepan and fill with cold water so that the eggs are just under the water.
  2. Ask your adult to put the pan on the hob/stovetop over a high heat and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and boil for 10 minutes. Then ask them to take the pan off the heat and put it into the sink.
  3. Run cold water into the pan for 5 minutes until the eggs are completely cold.
  4. Gently tap the eggs with a tablespoon so that the shells crack a little all over. Put the eggs back in the pan and fill it with cold water again. Add the soy sauce, tea bags and glacé/candied peel.
  5. Ask your adult to boil the eggs for another  55 minutes. You may need to ask them to top up with more boiling water. Then ask them to take the pan off the heat and put it into the sink.
  6. Run the cold water into the pan for 5 minutes until  the eggs are completely cold. Peel off the shells to see the patterns you have made. Eat the patterned eggs as a snack, just as the Chinese do.

Bloody Demon Eyes
Prepare the Buns as explained in the recipe. Look at the picture: The jelly resembles the blood, the cream/yoghurt the white eyeball – you just need to add raisins/ pieces of chocolate or some other ingredient for the pupil.

wimk_namerica_teabuns_2

Newfoundland Tea Buns (Canada)

Put a few grapes in the freezer when you go to school, then they’ll be frozen and ready to eat as another type of Canadian after-school snack.

A chewy, fruity little bun, children all over Canada often enjoy these buns freshly baked when they arrive home from school needing a tasty snack to keep them going until dinner.

Ingredients:

  • 300g/10oz/2½ cups plain/ all-purpose flour, plus extra for dredging
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 90g/3oz/½ cup caster/superfine sugar
  • 100g/3½oz butter, softened
  • 70g/2½oz/½ cup raisins
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 6 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
  • Extra equipment: dredger, 5cm/2in cookie cutter, baking sheet and baking parchment

Method:

  1. Mix together the flour, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl with a fork.
  2. Cut the butter into small cubes, using a table knife. Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the raisins and lemon juice and stir well.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon of the milk and stir. Everything will start to stick together. Add another tablespoon of milk and stir again until you have a large, soft dough ball. If it doesn’t make a dough, slowly add the rest of the milk and keep stirring until it does.
  4. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface with a dredger and put the dough on it. Flatten the ball with your hands so that the mixture is about 2cm/½in thick. Cut out about 12 buns with a 5cm/2in cookie cutter.
  5. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Put the buns on the sheet. 6  Ask your adult to put the baking sheet in the oven, using oven gloves. Cook for 10 minutes until slightly risen and golden. In Canada, they serve these buns with dollops of thick cream and jam. You could try it with yogurt instead.

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Sally Brown and Kate Morris
The World in My Kitchen
£12.99, available from Nourish Books

 

Meet Renee McGregor, our Guest Instagrammer!

Renee McGregor is one of the UK’s top sports nutritionists, advising athletes from amateur to Olympic levels. With years of experience and expertise in sports nutrition, she offers vital and unequalled insight into what you need to fuel your success in your given sport.
This week we publish her new books: Fast Fuel: Food for Triathlon Success and Fast Fuel: Food for Running Success.

Take a look at our Instagram account, Renee will be our guest Instagrammer from Tuesday until Friday this week.

 

Bring Autumn Colour to Your Lunchbox

squahsmarket

As the days get colder, sandwiches and summer salads don’t always satisfy us at lunchtime. With a little planning and preparation you can have satisfying and comforting seasonal lunches every day of the week.

  1. Pile up your veggies. Workloads often build up during the autumn months, and combined with chillier days means you need help fighting off any train and office colds. Try to make sure that at least half your lunch is made up of immune-boosting veggies. Soups are a great way to pack them in, and did you know you can just add a handful of leaves and stir in? Rocket, kale and watercress go well with lots of soups; just stir in a handful for a boost of vitamin C, beta-carotene and other antioxidants. Simply pack the leaves in a separate container and stir into your soup when you’re ready to eat.
  2.  

  3. Plan ahead. Make a big batch of soup, curry or chilli one evening or at the weekend. Freeze individual portions so you always have something you can take to work. Take a flatbread with you and you have an amazing lunch.
  4.  

  5. Squash in some nutrients. Nothing says Autumn quite like the piles of multi-shaped squash you find in farm shops and supermarkets at this time of year. Squash last for ages before you cut them open and are a really versatile ingredient. The brightly coloured orange flesh of pumpkin and butternut varieties is full of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant which plays an important role in skin and eye health. Cut your squash into chunks (skin on if you like) and toss in olive oil before roasting. When cool add leaves, feta cheese and lentils, or whatever you have in the kitchen to make a great packed lunch.
  6.  

  7. Beet yourself up. Beetroots boast an impressive nutrient content. They are rich in anthocyanin, which gives them their crimson colouring and makes them a powerful detoxifier. Wrap them in foil and roast in their skins to keep the nutrients intact. You can then peel and slice when ready to use and add to salads. Beetroot also make a rich, earthy base for dips or soups. You can also eat their iron-rich leaves in salads but only whilst they are still crisp and fresh.
  8.  

  9. Make a satisfying slaw. Red cabbage, carrots and apples all last for ages and make a very quick slaw. Slice a chunk of cabbage and an apple, mix in a grated carrot, add a few pumpkin seeds and mix with a teaspoon of Greek yoghurt for a delicious super-fresh slaw. As well as being easy on your wallet, cabbage is great for your tummy promoting lots of friendly bacteria. Red cabbage also contains plenty of disease fighting antioxidants responsible for its pigmentation.
  10.  

  11. Pack smart. Treat yourself to a funky new wide-brimmed thermos flask to take soup, stews and chillis to work. Fill it with boiling water for a minute or two before emptying, then add your hot lunch; no need to microwave at work. The money you save on takeaway soup will pay for it in a week.

3 Ways With Squash

  • Chop up your squash and roast with some olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add them to soups or stews for some fibre-rich slow-releasing energy and ditch your bread roll.
  • Store your roasted squash in the fridge as a filling base for an autumnal salad. Place a handful into a lidded jar or container, add some sliced red onion and chopped red pepper. Crumble over 50g of feta cheese and top with two handfuls of green leaves such as rocket or watercress. A dressing of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil will perfectly complement the roasted squash.
  • Blend the roasted squash with some pine nuts, butterbeans, garlic and lemon juice to make a yummy dip. Oatcakes, chicory leaves and celery sticks make tasty dippers.

Becky Alexander is a food writer (The Guild of Food Writers) and food book editor for companies such as Dorling Kindersley, Penguin and Bloombsury. She writes a fortnightly food column for The Herts Advertiser newspaper focussing on seasonal, local food. Becky recently appeared on a BBC Radio programme giving commuters easy ideas for their lunches. Michelle Lake DipION CNHC mBANT is a registered Nutritional Therapist and has been running her own busy practice, Mission Nutrition in St Albans for over 7 years. She trained for four years at the Institute of Optimum Nutrition on its internationally acclaimed nutritional therapy course. She is a member of BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy and The Nutritional Therapy Council (NTC).

packed

 

Becky Alexander, Michelle Lake
Packed
£12.99, pre-order from Amazon

 

Cheese & Apple Scones

vegetarian-food-for-healthy-kids-low-res-single-pdf-adobe-acrobat-pro

This recipe is extracted from Vegetarian Food for Healthy Kids by Nicola Graimes.

Savoury scones/biscuits make a good alternative to the usual sandwich and these have been pimped up with the addition of cheese, apple and linseeds/flaxseeds. Spread them with butter or, to make them more filling, split in half and fill with cream cheese and slices of cucumber. To make a sweet version, leave out the cheese and stir in 2 tablespoons sugar instead.

Makes: 8
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
200g/7oz/1½ cups self-raising wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground linseeds/flaxseeds
50g/1¾oz/3½ tbsp chilled butter, cubed
1 apple, with skin, cored and grated
90g/3¼oz mature/sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup milk, plus extra for brushing

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
  2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl, adding any bran left in the sieve/fine-mesh strainer. Stir in the linseeds/flaxseeds.
  3. Using your fingertips, lightly rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the apple and Cheddar. Gradually, stir in the milk using a fork, then bring the dough together with your hands.
  4. Press out the dough on a lightly floured work surface, about 2.5cm/1in thick. Using a 4.5cm/1¾in cutter, stamp out 8 rounds.
  5. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with milk. Bake for 20–25 minutes until risen and
    golden. Transfer to a wire rack and serve warm or leave to cool completely.

vegetarian-food-for-healthy-kids

Nicola Graimes
Vegetarian Food for Healthy Kids
£12.99, available from Nourish Books

 

Pistou

This recipe of pistou from the book Top 100 Low-Carb Recipes by Nicola Graimes is a new take on the traditional soupe au pistou which is a specialty from the south of France, Provence to be exact and eaten in the summer months.

Low Carb Recipe 1

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 leek, sliced

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 stick celery, finely chopped

3 green beans, thinly sliced

700ml/11⁄4 pints/3 cups vegetable stock

150ml/5fl oz/2⁄3 cup pasta

1 bay leaf

30g/1oz/1⁄2 cup whole-wheat conchigliette (small shells) pasta

30g/1oz/1⁄2 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed

sprig of fresh rosemary

salt and freshly ground black pepper

a few shavings of Parmesan, to serve

1 tbsp pesto, to serve

Method:

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the leek. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the carrot, celery and green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  • Pour in the stock and pasta and add the bay leaf, stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, half-covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and using a hand-blender or food processor, semi-purée the vegetables.
  • Return the bay leaf to the soup, add the pasta, cannellini beans, and rosemary and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. You may need to add some extra stock or water if the soup seems too thick. Remove the bay leaf and rosemary and season to taste.
  • Divide between 2 bowls. Serve with the Parmesan shavings and a spoonful of pesto.

Top 100 Low-Carb Recipes

Nicola Graimes

Top 100 Low-Carb Recipes

£5.99, available from Nourish Books

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