- Page 22 of 23 - Nourishbooks

Grace’s Gluten-Free Birthday Cake Recipe

Posted on January 26, 2014February 4, 2014 by Victoria Lagodinsky

A beautiful birthday cake that’s completely gluten and dairy free

It can be difficult finding a birthday cake for a friend or relative with a gluten or dairy intolerance. But you can stop looking now! Not only does Grace Cheetham’s gluten-free chocolate birthday cake fit the bill, it looks and tastes divine too – no one will be able to tell the difference.

“This heavenly birthday cake was inspired by one my sister made for her husband’s birthday. It’s light and moist, with dark truffley chocolate flavours and a rich, creamy icing, all covered with sweetly sharp raspberries” explains Grace Cheetham, author of Simply Gluten-free and Dairy-free.

Gluten Free Chocolate Birthday Cake

Makes: 1 cake

Cooking time: 45 Minutes

Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus making the nut cream

Sponge

150g/5½oz/2⁄3 dairy-free margarine, softened, plus extra for greasing

200g/7oz dairy-free dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped or broken into pieces

175g/6oz/scant 1 cup fruit sugar or caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs

60g/2¼oz/1⁄3 cup brown rice flour

60g/2¼oz/1⁄3 cup chestnut flour

2 tsp gluten-free baking powder

1⁄2 tsp xanthan gum

150g/5½oz/1¼ cups raspberries or strawberries, hulled, to decorate

Icing

200g/7oz dairy-free dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped or broken into pieces

300g/10½oz/scant 2 cups cashew nuts

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 dates

1. To make the cashew nut cream put the nuts in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak at room temperature overnight or for at least 12 hours.

2. Drain and rinse the nuts thoroughly, then put them in a blender. Add 250ml/9fl oz/1 cup water, the vanilla extract and dates and blend for 10 minutes or until smooth.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and lightly grease two 23cm/9in springform cake tins with dairy-free margarine. Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and rest it over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Using a large spoon, carefully fold in the melted chocolate mixture. Sift the flours, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum into the mixture and fold in. Make sure the mixture is well mixed but take care not to overmix it. Evenly divide the mixture into the cake tins and level the surfaces with the back of a spoon.

5. Bake for 35–40 minutes until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and leave to cool completely.

6. Meanwhile, put the chocolate for the icing in a large heatproof bowl and follow the same procedure as in step 1, above, to melt it. Put the blended nut cream and date mixture in a food processor or blender, add the melted chocolate and blend until well mixed.

7. Put 1 cake on a plate and spread half of the icing over the top. Put the other cake on top, flat-side down, and spread the remaining icing over it. Decorate with the raspberries and serve.

Whether you’re suffering from allergy-related IBS, eczema, asthma, migraines or chronic fatigue, or you’re coeliac, Simply Gluten-free and Dairy-free will show you how to use substitute ingredients and simple cooking techniques to make mouth-watering meals. Find more inspiration on Grace’s award-winning blog glutendairyfree.co.uk.

“Grace Cheetham’s book gives us a fresh approach… many people newly diagnosed with coeliac disease are also lactose intolerant until their guts start to heal. The broad world flavours in these recipes are robust and flavoursome.” Coeliac UK

Simply Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free by Grace Cheetham.

176 pages • Illustrated • £12.99

AUS $24.99 NZ $28.00

Beef Mezze Recipe – The perfect relaxed weekend meal

Posted on January 25, 2014February 4, 2014 by Victoria Lagodinsky

A recipe for Beef Mezze from the Mighty Spice Express — **Beef Mezze – spice-encrusted roast beef, a spinach raita, a crunchy salad and warm flatbreads. Just add friends.**

Try this super-fast beef mezze recipe this weekend. Inspired by the Eastern Mediterranean, it’s a delicious platter of spice-encrusted roast beef, a spinach raita, a crunchy salad and warm flatbreads.

“I always enjoy a mezze – a table laden with wonderful home-made food to pass around to great friends and family, while the conversation and wine flow” explains John Gregory-Smith. “Before roasting, the beef is smothered in a paste of spices, lemon and garlic, which penetrate the meat while it cooks. My vibrant salad of red onions and tomatoes, with loads of fresh coriander and parsley, and doused in lime juice and olive oil, acts as a side-kick to the beef. My twist on a traditional raita uses spinach stir-fried with garlic and mixed into the cooling yogurt, topped with toasted pine nuts. It’s a heavenly combination” enthuses John. “Just make sure you squeeze all the excess moisture out of the cooked spinach first. My favourite way to eat this meal is to stuff a flatbread with beef and salad, drizzle over plenty of raita, roll it all up and go for it!”

Beef Mezze Recipe

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 40 Minutes

For the roast beef

600g/1lb 5oz beef fillet
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the spinach raita

2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
30g/1oz/scant ¼ cup pine nuts
200g/7oz baby spinach
225g/8oz/scant 1 cup Greek yogurt
1 lemon

For the onion, tomato and herb salad

2 red onions
1½ limes
2 large tomatoes
2 large handfuls of coriander leaves
2 large handfuls of parsley leaves
2 tbsp olive oil

To serve 4 flatbreads

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 and take the beef out of the fridge to come to room temperature. Peel the garlic, then chuck it into a mini food processor, and add the paprika, cumin and ground coriander. Add the olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon and blend until smooth.

2. Put the beef in a roasting tin, then tip over the paste and rub it all over the beef. Roast for 30–35 minutes until charred on the outside and beautifully tender on the inside.

3. While the beef cooks, peel and slice the garlic for the raita. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat and add the pine nuts. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until golden, then remove from the pan and leave to one side. Add the garlic to the pan. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until golden, then add the spinach and a pinch of salt. Continue to stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until the spinach has completely wilted. Tip the spinach into a fine sieve and leave to drain.

4. To make the salad, peel and finely slice the red onions, then chuck them into a mixing bowl. Squeeze in the juice from the limes and add a good pinch of salt. Mix together and leave to one side.

5. Using the back of a spoon, squeeze any excess moisture out of the spinach. Tip into a serving bowl and add the yogurt, then squeeze in the juice from the lemon and season with salt and pepper. Mix well, top with the pine nuts, then cover.

6. Cut the tomatoes for the salad in half and squeeze out the seeds, then finely chop the flesh and put it into the bowl with the onions. Finely chop the herbs and add them to the bowl. Pour over the oil and add a pinch of pepper. Mix well.

7. Pop the flatbreads into the oven for 2 minutes to warm through. When the beef is cooked, remove it from the oven and transfer it to a carving board. Slice the beef and serve it with the warm flatbreads, spinach raita and salad. Oh, and a glass or two of red.

‘Spice master’ John Gregory-Smith shows how exciting food – inspired by street stalls all over the world – can be prepared with lightning speed. With inspiration from Asia, South America, North Africa and the Middle East, John has done the thinking for you and created recipes that are full of brilliant time-saving techniques and shortcuts.

“Fast, fresh and full-on flavours from street foods to the spectacular”

Mighty Spice Express by John Gregory-Smith

224 pages • Illustrated • £20.00

AUS $32.99 NZ $42.00

Buy the book now!

The best way to lose weight? Be happy!

Posted on January 23, 2014September 17, 2015 by Victoria Lagodinsky

Blueberry-Apple-Crumble — Enjoy Apple and Blueberry Crumble with Vanilla Tofu Ice Cream as part of *The S Factor Diet*

We all know that certain hormones can make us happy, but did you also know they can help you lose weight? By paying attention to the natural hormones in our body, you can to shed excess weight easily, keep it off for good, and feel happy and energetic at the same time! Lowri Turner, author of the S Factor Diet, shows you the science behind this revolutionary diet. And you can try her delicious guilt-free crumble and ice cream recipe this weekend.

“Diets don’t work, right? Old-fashioned ones certainly don’t. They make us feel depressed, lethargic and, when our weight shoots back up again afterwards, fat!” says broadcaster and journalist turned nutritionist, Lowri Turner.

“Now you can say goodbye to those awful negative feelings. The S Factor diet tackles the cause of overeating and cravings. It’s specifically designed to make you feel good about yourself, so you can forget the “diet blues” and feel motivated to eat well and exercise”, explains Lowri.

She believes that overeating can be a physiological attempt to correct imbalances in what she calls the S Factor hormones – natural chemicals we’re all supposed to produce in abundance, but which some of us don’t. When we’re low on these hormones, we feel low, and we try to boost our mood with unhealthy foods.

S Factor hormones control how hungry you feel and how satisfied you are after eating.

Serotonin: The “Good-Mood” Hormone. Good levels of serotonin make us feel calm, contented and cravings-free. Low serotonin affects sleep, makes us feel depressed and turns us into chocoholics.

Dopamine: The “High-Motivation” Hormone. Dopamine is a chemical released in our brains in response to a reward or treat. Low dopamine weakens our resolve when the office feeder proffers cupcakes, and makes walking past the chocolate display in the petrol station a nightmare.

Leptin: The “I’m-Not-Hungry” Hormone. Leptin tells our brain when we have enough body fat and then reduces our appetite and speeds up our metabolism to burn off any excess. That’s what it’s supposed to do, but as you become overweight, it stops working properly, so you feel fat and hungry.

Adrenals: The “Stress” Hormones. This group of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, is pumped out by the adrenal glands. The right amount of adrenal hormones gives us energy. Too much and we become tired, wired fridge-raiders.

“From a lot of complicated science, my simple message is this: you can lose weight if you get your S Factor hormones working properly”, says Lowri.

Apple & Blueberry Crumble with Vanilla Tofu Ice Cream

Let’s get the “Tofu! Yuck!” reaction out of the way. Making ice cream from tofu slashes the fat content. You can’t taste the tofu and instead you get the delicious flavour of the natural vanilla. This is a sorbet-style ice cream so don’t let it freeze too hard.

Serves 6

Preparation time 30 minutes, plus at least 1 hour infusing and at least 1 hour freezing

Cooking time 30 minutes

For the ice cream

250ml/9fl oz/1 cup skimmed milk or soya milk

100g/3½oz/½ cup stevia-based natural sweetener or xylitol

1 vanilla pod, split lengthways

300g/10½oz silken tofu

For the crumble

3 cooking apples

2 tbsp agave syrup

250g/9oz/scant 1⅔ cups fresh blueberries

100g/3½oz/1 cup rolled oats

2 tbsp stevia-based natural sweetener or xylitol

A pinch of ground cinnamon

25g/1oz cold butter, diced

1. To make the ice cream, put the milk, natural sweetener and vanilla pod in a saucepan and heat over a low heat for 3 minutes until the natural sweetener has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for at least 1 hour to allow the vanilla flavour to infuse into the milk.

2. Strain the mixture into a blender or food processor, discarding the vanilla pod. Add the tofu and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Alternatively, transfer the mixture to a freezer-proof container, cover with a lid and freeze for 1–2 hours until completely frozen.

3. Meanwhile, make the crumble. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Peel, core and chop the apples. Put the apples and agave syrup in a saucepan and simmer over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes until the apples have softened. Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the blueberries. Pour the mixture into a baking dish.

4. Put the oats in a food processor and process until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Transfer to a bowl, add the natural sweetener and cinnamon and rub in the butter with your fingertips. Evenly sprinkle the crumble mixture over the top of the fruit and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden. Divide the crumble into 6 equal portions. Serve hot with a scoop of the ice cream.

With over 70 recipes to help balance your hormones naturally, Lowri Turner shows you how to shed excess weight easily and keep it off for good.

“Drop a dress size in 2 weeks”

The S Factor Diet by Lowri Turner

160 pages • Illustrated • £10.99

AUS $22.99NZ $28.00

Buy the e-book now!

Rustic Vegan Tart with Spinach Pesto Recipe

Posted on January 23, 2014February 4, 2014 by Victoria Lagodinsky

Adele McConnell’s Rustic Vegan Tart is a feast for the eyes

Author of The Vegan Cookbook, Adele McConnell has been blogging vegan recipes on her award-winning website, Vegie Head, since 2010. Try her rustic vegan tart recipe this weekend, and discover vegan food that’s packed with flavour!

Adele McConnell’s recipes have been enjoyed and recreated by tens of thousands of people all over the world. She believes you can change people’s perspective on veganism and vegetarianism without scaring them away with statistics, facts or disturbing images, or by listing what they can’t do or eat. “Instead, you can show them what they can eat and that eating vegan food is an adventure in taste and ingredients” says Adele. “There’s no feeling of deprivation. There is only an abundance of healthy, filling, incredible food. Try my Rustic Vegan Tart with Spinach Pesto and you’ll be convinced”.

Rustic Vegan Tart with Spinach Pesto

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

150g/5½oz sweet potato, thinly sliced into rounds
1 baby beetroot, thinly sliced
80g/2¾oz butternut squash, peeled and cut into dice
1 carrot, sliced
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
1 tbsp safflower oil or sunflower oil
6 asparagus spears
1 sheet of vegan ready-rolled puff pastry, defrosted if frozen
15 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
70g/2½oz/½ cup hazelnuts, chopped

green salad, to serve

Tomato spread
3 tbsp olive oil or melted coconut oil
2 garlic cloves
120g/4¼oz/¾ cup drained sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 tsp dried thyme

Spinach pesto
100g/3½oz baby spinach leaves
1 handful of parsley leaves
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Put the sweet potato on a baking sheet and add the beetroot, squash, carrot and onion, then drizzle with the oil. Roast for 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, snap off any woody ends from the asparagus stalks at the point where they break easily, then cut the tender spears into short pieces. Leave to one side.

3. Put all the ingredients for the tomato spread into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Leave to one side.

4. To make the spinach pesto, put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until finely chopped. Add a little water if the mixture is too thick.

5. After 45 minutes of roasting the vegetables, add the asparagus to the baking sheet and roast for a further 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave to one side.

6. Lay the pastry sheet on a clean baking sheet, and spread with the tomato spread, leaving a 4cm/1½in border. Arrange the vegetables in a pile in the centre of the pastry, and gently fold in the edges to make a pastry border. Scatter over the cherry tomatoes. Bake the tart for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Drizzle the tart with the spinach pesto, then sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Serve with a big green salad.

Adele McConnell is the founder of the hugely successful vegan food blog, vegiehead.com, and was the winner of the prestigious ‘Vegan Food Blogger Award’ by The Vegan Woman 2012. She loves sharing her passion for vegan food. Watch her inspiring, easy-to-follow cookery demonstrations on her YouTube channel.

“Feed your soul, taste the love: 100 of the best vegan recipes”

The Vegan Cookbook by Adele McConnell

176 pages • Illustrated • £14.99

AUS $28.00 NZ $35.00

Pre-order now!

10 Ways to Catch the Happiness Habit

Posted on January 22, 2014September 17, 2015 by Victoria Lagodinsky

“It has been said that if you do something for 21 days, without fail, it will become a habit, a ritual in your life. Most people spend time trying to change or break habits. You may not have spent time practising obtaining a habit, but the habit of happiness is one that is worth practising.”
Dr Robert M Sherfield

This is an interesting thought isn’t it? We can all relate to the preoccupations involved in changing or breaking negative habits, but it’s such a wonderful and uplifting turnaround to decide instead to adopt a new habit; it sounds a lot easier for a start.

10 Ways to Catch the Happiness Habit

Happiness, like anxiety, is contagious.

1. Do something fun and frivolous – you are guaranteed to capture some carefree childlike energy.

2. Slow down and ‘smell the roses’. Try this when you next find yourself rushing madly from pillar to post and recognize how it feels to stop and take a breather – you deserve it.

3. Stay in the moment. Try this now by bringing all your attention to this very instant. We burden ourselves with anxieties about the future and regrets and recriminations about the past – let them go and step into the NOW now!

4. Appreciate, appreciate and then appreciate some more. A self-explanatory top tip, begin this immediately.

5. Sing in the shower and start the day with a wonderful lifting of the spirits.

6. Perform an act of kindness, and you will definitely catch some happy vibes.

7. Be glad for this day. You are a unique and incredible human being, make the most of your opportunities.

8. Smile, smile, smile. The physical act of smiling triggers a rise of endorphins (otherwise known as happiness hormones).

9. Be wholehearted about whatever you do. If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. My dad was always saying this to me when I was a child and now I know how right this is. Give yourself to life and life will love you back.

10. Celebrate your successes. How often we rush on to the next thing, moving the goalposts as we go. When you can stop and recognize your achievements you nourish your feelings of self-respect and happiness.

From the bestselling author of 60 Ways to Feel Amazing and Weekend Life Coach, here’s a fresh new take on how to increase your confidence in every area of your life –The Self-Esteem Coach is the complete DIY feel-good guide for the 21st century. Follow Lynda on her inspiring website lyndafield.com.

“10 days to a confident new you”

The Self-Esteem Coach by Lynda Field

256 pages • Paperback • £8.99

AUS $17.99 NZ $23.00

£8.99 l Buy the book now!

Italian Pork Stew with Summer Herbs Slow Cooker Recipe

Posted on January 21, 2014February 4, 2014 by Victoria Lagodinsky

Pork Stew Slow Cooker Recipe — **This slow cooker recipe is the ultimate in simple and satisfying home cooking, with tender pork rich in comforting flavours**

This pork stew recipe is perfect for your slow cooker. You could even prepare it before work, and come home to a warming winter meal.

“Don’t be alarmed by the quantity of dried herbs in this recipe – it isn’t a typing error! After the stew simmers in the slow cooker for eight hours, the herbs mellow and the flavour of mint shines through. I find this dish particularly welcome in the middle of winter, when dried herbs really come into their own” says Beverly LeBlanc, author of I Love My Slow Cooker.

Italian Pork Stew with Summer Herbs (Slow Cooker Recipe)

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 25 minutes, plus making the stock (optional)
Cooking time: 8 hours on LOW

750g/1lb 10oz boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into large chunks,/span>
400g/14oz tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
400g/14oz tinned plum tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250ml/9fl oz/1 cup passata
125ml/4fl oz/½ cup Vegetable Stock or ready-made stock, plus extra if needed
2–3 tbsp dried mint
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried oregano
pinch of caster sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

finely shredded mint or chopped parsley leaves, to serve
soft polenta to serve

1. Put the pork, chickpeas and plum tomatoes in the slow cooker.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, carrot and celery and fry, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a further 1–3 minutes until the onion is softened.

3. Add the passata, stock, dried herbs and sugar, then season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Boil, stirring, for 3 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about one-third, then pour the mixture into the cooker. Stir well and add extra stock, if necessary, to just cover the chickpeas.

4. Cover the cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 hours until the pork is tender. Add a little more salt and pepper, if you like. Sprinkle with mint and serve with soft polenta.

I Love My Slow Cooker gives you more than 100 slow cooker recipes for hearty soups and starters, tender meat, delicious poultry and fish dishes, inspiring vegetarian dishes and divine desserts. Each recipe is devised to take the stress out of cooking for yourself or your family.

“Everything you need to make the most of your slow cooker”

I Love My Slow Cooker: More Than 100 of the Best Ever Recipes by Beverly LeBlanc

176 pages • Illustrated • £12.99

AUS $27.99

Buy the book now!

A Chicken Basteeya Recipe With A Twist

Posted on January 21, 2014February 11, 2014 by Victoria Lagodinsky

This weekend, try Bethany Kehdy’s Chicken Basteeya recipe from her stunning debut book, The Jewelled Kitchen – it’s the perfect centrepiece for a relaxed evening with friends.

“Traditionally, basteeya is a sweet and savoury delicacy made from pigeon layered with crushed almonds and egg, enclosed in a filo-like pastry. I decided to add a literal twist to the recipe by shaping the basteeya into snakes and replacing the pigeon with chicken” explains Bethany.

“In the Middle East, cooking is a truly intuitive art form …There is a saying that if you run with your senses, especially your sense of smell, that you will find inspiration. It’s never about exact measurements, and always about instinct.”

Chicken Basteeya Recipe

Serves 4

Preparation time 30 minutes

Cooking time 1 hour 20 minutes

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion, finely chopped

500g/1lb 2oz mixture of chicken legs and thighs

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5cm/2in piece of root ginger, peeled and grated

½ tsp turmeric or ground saffron

4 eggs

1 handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

1 handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

juice and zest of 1 small lemon

125g/4½oz/scant cup blanched almonds

3 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

⅛ tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting

1 tbsp orange blossom water

7-8 sheets of filo pastry depending on the sheet size (defrosted if frozen)

70g/2½oz unsalted butter, melted

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the pan. Sear for 3-4 minutes, browning on both sides, then drain off any excess fat. Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook for 1 minute until aromatic, tossing the chicken to coat. Cover with 500ml/17fl oz/2 cups water and simmer for 30 minutes or until the juices from the chicken run clear when the thickest part of a thigh is pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.

3. Remove the chicken from the broth, leaving the broth in the pan, and set the chicken aside to cool in a bowl. Continue cooking the chicken broth until it has reduced by about half, then whisk in the eggs one at a time until the eggs and broth form a scramble. You may find you don’t need to use all the eggs. Set aside to cool.

4. Once the chicken has cooled slightly, shred the meat and discard the bones. Add the herbs and lemon zest and juice to the chicken.

5. Grind the almonds to a rough paste in a food processor, then mix in the icing sugar, cinnamon and orange blossom water and stir to combine. Add this to the chicken along with the egg mixture. Stir to combine. If convenient, you can prepare the recipe to this stage one day in advance.

6. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Remove the sheets of filo from their packaging and cover them quickly with a damp kitchen towel to stop them drying out. Working with one sheet at a time, evenly spoon 4-5 tablespoons of the chicken mixture along the long edge of a filo sheet. Roll the pastry tightly into a long tube. Repeat with the remaining filo sheets and chicken mixture.

7. Transfer the rolled sheets to a 30cm/12in square or round baking tin. Starting from the outer edge, add the filo rolls as you work inwards to cover the base of the tin like a coiled snake. Drizzle the melted butter over the coiled pastry and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown. Lightly dust with cinnamon and icing sugar, then slice into small, bite-sized pieces. Serve the basteeya warm.

Looking for something with zing? Try Bethany’s Moroccan Citrus Salad for a vibrant and refreshing taste of North Africa.

Bethany Kehdy is a pioneer of today’s new Middle Eastern cuisine.The Jewelled Kitchen takes you on an unforgettable adventure of Middle Eastern and North African cuisines. From Tuna Tartare with Chermoula and Sumac-Scented Chicken Parcels, to Cardamom-Scented Profiteroles and Ma’amoul Shortbread Cookies – mouth-watering dishes for you to try. Find Bethany at her inspiring food blog dirtykitchesecrets.com.

“Original and delicious” – Yotam Ottolenghi

The Jewelled Kitchen by Bethany Kehdy

224 pages • Illustrated • £20.00

AUS $32.99 NZ $42.00

Buy the book now!

Lift your mood with Power Food: Seasonal Affected Disorder

Posted on January 21, 2014September 17, 2015 by Victoria Lagodinsky

Sufferers of SAD often have reduced levels of serotonin during the winter months. Serotonin plays an important role in regulating appetite – when we’re low in serotonin, we often feel more hungry. As many carbohydrate foods are rich in tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin, this may explain why we want to reach for foods like bread, pasta and pastries. These foods can cause imbalances in blood-sugar levels, which can trigger further increases in appetite and cravings.

The good news is that you can make changes to your eating habits today that will have profound and long-lasting effects on your winter mood.

Look at the list below and tick any symptoms you’ve experienced over the winter months:

1. increased sleep

2. feeling unrefreshed after sleep

3. craving starchy and sweet foods

4. overeating

5. sore or weak muscles

6. weight gain

7. anxiety

8. inability to concentrate

9. mental fog

10. feelings of hopelessness

11. irritability

12. lethargy, lack of motivation

If you ticked five or more symptoms, you may suffer from SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder.

SAD is essentially caused by lack of sunlight, so it’s important to get as much natural daylight as possible. Your body makes most of its own vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunshine. Even on a dull day, you’ll still benefit from spending time outside.

7 ways to beat food cravings

1. Eat a protein breakfast. Including protein at breakfast helps reduce cravings and control appetite. Try our recipe for poached eggs and asparagus (below) or a protein shake, nuts and seeds, or fish.

2. Balance blood sugar. Swings in blood sugar are one of the major causes of cravings so keep blood sugar stable. Eliminate sugars, fizzy drinks, fruit juice, artificial sweeteners and refined carbohydrates. Combine good protein foods with healthy fats and slow-releasing carbohydrates.

3. Include snacks during the day. Eat a couple of healthy protein-rich snacks during the day and don’t allow yourself to become too hungry.

4. Avoid eating within three hours of bedtime. This can actually increase insulin levels and may increase cravings as well as disturb blood sugar and sleep patterns.

5. Get sufficient vitamin D – not only is this important for boosting mood, low levels of vitamin D may also impair your appetite control.

6. Take natural supplements for cravings. Consider a supplement to help balance blood sugar that includes chromium. L-glutamine powder can also be very effective.

7. Include soluble fibre – this helps you feel fuller for longer and aids blood-sugar control. Eat foods such as beans, pulses, oats, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit such as apples and pears.

Blues-busting breakfast

Poached eggs with asparagus

Start the day with a runny poached egg on a bed of tender asparagus. Packed with B vitamins, iron and copper – all help in the production of neurotransmitters in the brain – plus it’s quick, easy and delicious!

Preparation time 5 minutes

Cooking time 8 minutes

Serves 2

20 asparagus spears, trimmed

4 eggs

knob of unsalted butter

Parmesan cheese (optional)

freshly ground black pepper

1. Steam the asparagus spears for 3-4 minutes until tender.

2. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and poach the eggs for 3-4 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

3. Divide the asparagus between plates, dot with butter and lay two poached eggs on top of each asparagus bundle. Scatter over a little Parmesan, if using, and season well with black pepper.

Find up-to-date nutritional science and comprehensive, accessible information on which foods to eat for optimum health and vitality in Lift Your Mood With Power Food.

“Recipes to lift your spirits” The Sun

Lift Your Mood With Power Food by Christine Bailey.

200 pages • Illustrated • £10.99

AUS $19.99 NZ $26.00

Buy the e-book now!

How to memorize your shopping list – and almost anything else!

Posted on January 21, 2014September 17, 2015 by Victoria Lagodinsky

Try these 4 steps and you will be amazed at how easily you can memorize 10 items on your shopping list. You don’t have to stop there – you can easily adapt the technique to remember almost anything.

Visualize the inside of your home. Imagine walking around its rooms from its main entrance to the kitchen, the lounge, the dining room, and so on, finishing in your bedroom.
Establish 10 stages around the house at which you could place items that you wish to remember: the mirror in the entrance hall, the sink in the kitchen, the bedside table, and so on. Visualize the stages in the order in which you come across them.
Mentally walk around your home, placing each of the following items in the correct order: cheese, milk, oranges, ice cream, cereal, bananas, bread, broccoli, fish, tomatoes. Be imaginative – the cheese is draped like a coat over the hall chair, the milk is running out of the taps in the kitchen sink, a tomato forms the base of your bedside lamp.
Wait for an hour or so, and then imagine retracing your steps. As you come to each stage, the item that you placed there should come to mind. When you go to the supermarket, recall the mental journey around your house and you won’t forget a single item!

Our brains are more likely to remain alert throughout our lives if we keep them healthy. Just as we take exercise to keep our bodies physically fit, and watch our diet to avoid illness, so we need to take care of our brain. Memory training provides an excellent mental workout, and if we make memory exercises part of our daily lives, and continue to expect our memory to serve us well, it is more likely to remain up to the task.

In How to Develop a Brilliant Memory Week by Week by Dominic O’Brien – eight-times winner of the World Memory Championship – offers us tried and tested strategies and tips that will expand your mental capacities at a realistic but impressive rate to make your memory bigger, better and sharper, week by week.

“A practical year-long programme to bring the benefits of a better memory to one and all.”

How to Develop a Brilliant Memory Week by Week by Dominic O’Brien

176 pages • Paperback • £7.99

US$9.95 AUS $14.99 NZ $17.99

Buy the e-book now!

5 reasons why learning to fast was life-changing for me

Posted on January 21, 2014September 17, 2015 by Victoria Lagodinsky

5 reasons why the fasting diet could change your life — **Amanda Hamilton’s *The Eat, Fast, Slim Diet* is the life-changing fasting diet that everyone’s talking about.**

Amanda Hamilton, author of The Eat, Fast, Slim Diet – the original life-changing fasting diet for amazing weight-loss and optimum health – explains the benefits of fasting diets and how they work.

“Traditional diet lore dictates that we shouldn’t skip meals. But amazing new findings show that short bursts of fasting, created by lengthening the gaps between eating, can lead to the ultimate fat-burning state – this is intermittent fasting (IF)”, says Amanda Hamilton. “It’s a truth that body-builders and top athletes have known for years but scientists are now confirming that fasting accelerates fat loss and shifts weight from stubborn areas too. What’s more, you’ll find that you sleep better, have more energy, slow down your ageing and even improve your long-standing health problems through fine-tuning your body’s repair mechanisms”, says Amanda. “I’ve been working with fasting for more than a decade. It gets great results, safely”.

5 reasons why learning to fast was life-changing for me and why I think you should give it a go:

1. Fasting shifted my last annoying 4.5kg (10lb) in weight, without me having to obsess about counting calories or following ridiculous “fad diets”.

2. Fasting is good for me on the inside and makes me look better on the outside. When something makes you feel this good, it is easy to stick with it.

3. Fasting makes me feel emotionally in control (and a little virtuous).

4. Fasting gets my hunger under control.

5. Ever since I discovered the fasting diet, according to the most accurate test available my biological age has remained a full decade younger than what it says on my passport, and this is in spite of having given birth to two children. I’m not showing off – it just works!

“Fasting makes things really simple. It is scientifically proven to slow ageing and boost health and is something that every human being does instinctively, only most of us have forgotten how. Another “plus” is that fasting won’t cost you anything – it’s time rather than money that’s needed. The techniques that inspired modern day fasting might well date back millennia but fasting has never been more needed than right here, right now”.

“When you first get into fasting, it can be hard to figure out which technique will suit you best so I’ll help you to navigate your way through the fasting world”, says Amanda. “Broadly speaking, there are the intermittent fasts (what I call lifestyle fasts) and juice fasts although, increasingly, fasts are becoming known according to their duration in hours or days – 16/8, 5/2, alternate day and so on. Most are do-able even for someone with only a faint whiff of interest in healthy living, but some require caution. I only feature the techniques that make the grade in terms of scientifically referenced benefits and practical application”.

“When I learned to fast, and how to harness the power of fasting, it challenged everything I’d ever read about how to eat, how to preserve health and how to stay in shape”, enthuses Amanda.

Amanda Hamilton has helped thousands of people lose weight and gain body confidence. Try Amanda’s healthy plans with more than 100 nutritious recipes. Choose a plan to suit your lifestyle and maximize the benefits of fasting – lose weight, slow down ageing and boost your health. Follow Amanda on her inspiring website amandahamilton.co.uk

“Amanda is always an inspiration as she combines true professionalism with enthusiasm, intelligence and knowledge.”
Ian Marber, Nutritionist and Author

The Eat, Fast, Slim Diet by Amanda Hamilton
304 pages • Paperback • £6.99
AUS $14.99 NZ $17.99

Buy the book now!

4 essential tips for a confident new you

Posted on January 20, 2014September 17, 2015 by Victoria Lagodinsky

Are you in need of a self-confidence boost? Leading life coach and self-esteem expert Lynda Field has written The Self-Esteem Coach with you in mind. Read her 4 essential tips for a confident new you.

“I wish I’d known from the beginning that I was born a strong woman. What a difference it would have made! I wish I’d known that I was born a courageous woman; I’ve spent so much of my life cowering. How many conversations would I not only have started but finished if I had known I possessed a warrior’s heart? I wish I’d known that I’d been born to take on the world; I wouldn’t have run from it for so long, but to it with open arms.”

Sarah Ban Breathnach (author)

“A ‘strong woman’; what do you see when you read that? And ‘cowering’; yes you’ll know what that sort of behaviour looks and feels like; we’ve all played the victim at one time or another” says life coach Lynda Field. “When we can open our arms to the world, we can believe in ourselves, feel confident and act assertively. Being assertive doesn’t come naturally to many of us; but it’s a skill that we can all develop.”

4 essential tips for a confident new you

List your past achievements and go back as far as you like: learning to ride a bike, passing an exam, getting a job, your first love affair …. Write these things down on a big sheet of paper and keep adding to the list. You’ve had so many successes.
Remember that big challenge that you overcame, how did you cope? What inner resources do you fall back on? Name these and know that you have these qualities in abundance.
Think back to a time when you were afraid to do something but did it anyway. Each time we leave our comfort zone we refresh and invigorate our energy. You know how to take a chance and you can do this again.
You have all it takes to do what you want to do in this life; all you have to do is take that very first step. Take it today!

“10 days to a confident new you”

The Self-Esteem Coach by Lynda Field

256 pages • Paperback • £8.99

AUS $17.99 NZ $23.00

£8.99 l Buy the book now!

Blackened Sea Bream or masgouf, perfect for a Saturday night

Posted on January 1, 2014February 6, 2014 by Victoria Lagodinsky

Blackened Sea Bream or masgouf, as Iraq’s national dish is known, is much revered as a food for the mind as well as the body

“The infamous masgouf, as Iraq’s national dish is known, is a much-revered dish for Iraqis, reserved for special occasions. Considered to be food for the mind as well as the body, this Baghdad speciality sprang up along the banks of the Tigris, where the day’s catch would be served to Arak-sozzled patrons in cafés”, explains Bethany Kehdy author of The Jewelled Kitchen. “It’s traditionally prepared with freshwater fish, similar to carp, butterflied and hung on skewers over brushwood fires. Mango chutney was introduced via Indian traders, and Iraqis made it their own with the inclusion of spices such as fenugreek.”

Blackened Sea Bream Recipe

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 10 minutes, plus time for marinating
Cooking time: 45 minutes

4 whole sea bream, pollock or haddock, about 1.25kg/2lb 12oz in total, cleaned and gutted, then butterflied (head and tail intact)

2 tbsp smoked sea salt flakes

1 tbsp tamarind paste or lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp ground dried lime (optional)

chopped coriander leaves, to sprinkle

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Green Mango Chutney

2 green mangoes, sliced into 1cm/½in cubes

3cm/1¼in piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated

½ garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp ground fenugreek

small pinch of crushed chilli flakes

4 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp clear honey

a small pinch of sea salt

1. Put all the fish in a grill pan and season the interiors and exteriors generously with the smoked salt.

2. Put the tamarind paste in a mixing bowl, add 3 tablespoons water and mix well. Add the olive oil and dried lime, if using, and whisk well. Season to taste with black pepper. Baste each of the fish liberally all over with the tamarind marinade. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the mango chutney. Put the mangoes, ginger, garlic, turmeric, fenugreek, chilli flakes, cider vinegar, honey, salt and 350ml/12fl oz/1½ cups water in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the mango is soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. The chutney should be slightly runny.

4. Depending on your choice, preheat a grill to high, preheat a charcoal barbecue until the charcoal is burning white or turn on a gas barbecue. Secure the fish by flattening them between the wire racks of large fish-grilling baskets, 2 fish per basket, then cook for 7 minutes on each side or until charred, crispy and flaky. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and bake the fish on wire racks placed above baking trays for 10–15 minutes, depending on the size of the fish (the general rule is 7 minutes cooking time per 2.5cm/1in measured at the thickest part of the fish).

5. If using fillets, then heat a shallow, nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and sear the fish for 5 minutes on each side, carefully turning them.

6. Sprinkle coriander over the fish and serve with Chelow Rice, along with some of the green mango chutney and some Burnt Tomato and Chilli Jam, if you like.

“Original and delicious” – Yotam Ottolenghi

The Jewelled Kitchen by Bethany Kehdy

224 pages • Illustrated • £20.00

AUS $32.99 NZ $42.00

£20.00 l Buy the book now!

Author: Victoria Lagodinsky

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5 reasons why learning to fast was life-changing for me and why I think you should give it a go:

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