Tag: Healthy Eating

Categories
Breakfast Recipes

500 Miles?

We have walked a fair few miles so far on our motorhome tour of Scotland, though perhaps not quite the 500 that Scots duo Craig and Charlie – The Proclaimers – sing about in their popular singalong folk anthem.

My main photo above was taken on one such walk through terrific scenery – along the Aberdeenshire coast from Stonehaven to the centuries-old silhouetted ruins of Dunnottar Castle. Very gothic.

A hearty, filling breakfast is essential before setting out on a hike like this. It will probably come as no surprise that breakfast meal of choice on this trip has been Scots porridge oats. The classic Scots dish is incredibly nutritious, oats being a good source of fibre and healthy fats. Add in some fruit, nuts and seeds and you’ll have all the fuel you need for an active day in the great Scottish outdoors.

My version of porridge may not necessarily be one for the purists, as it is made in the motorhome’s microwave oven. However, it is is made entirely from local ingredients that we have picked up from shops, been gifted or, ahem, scrumped en route.

The core ingredients are oats and milk, the oats puffing up as they warm in the heat of the milk. To this I add at least one fresh fruit. At a small, very remote, rural site that we camped on in the Borders, the farmer told us to help ourselves to the plump fresh blackberries from the hedges. These work well in porridge as they burst in the heat, flavouring and colouring the oats purple.

Scottish raspberries work just as well, giving the porridge a pinkish hue.

Another pitch in Aberdeenshire was in an orchard, where we were offered as many crisp apples from the trees as we wished. Chopped apple is great stirred into the warm oats.

We have also picked up various sprinkles at refilleries in Oakham and Stonehaven – chopped nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and some dried fruit. Refilleries are great for motorhoming as it’s possible to buy and carry on board just the quantity required.

The method is simple. Put 4 – 5 tablespoons of Scottish oats in a microwavable bowl, and cover it in semi-skimmed milk. Add in berries if using.

Microwave on full for around 3 mins, stirring half way through. Keep an eye on it, and when it starts to bubble up the sides of the bowl, remove it.

You may need to act pronto here, otherwise it can easily erupt, volcano-like, all over the sides of the bowl making a holy mess of your microwave.

Stir in your sprinkles of choice, a swirl of local honey if you like, and enjoy. With this warm, hearty fuel inside you, you’ll be ready for a healthy outdoor hike. Even if it’s not quite as far as Craig and Charlie’s. Here are the Proclaimers with I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).

Categories
Breakfast Desserts Recipes

Spiced Plum Compote

A plentiful supply of fresh plums has been arriving off the trees and into the ADK kitchen recently – I guess it’s that time of year. Here’s a very quick and easy way of cooking them up for use either as a breakfast topper, on oats or muesli, or as a dessert, with milk or natural yoghurt (see above). There are only 4 ingredients and the whole exercise will take about 10 mins.

And it’s delicious.

Servings

At least 6 servings.

Timings

10 mins.

You Will Need

  • 9 – 10 fresh plums
  • 1 tbsp demerara sugar
  • 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
  • juice of 1 lemon

Method

  1. Chop the plums and discard the stones. Place in a saucepan with the other ingredients.
  2. Bring to a boil and stir, then reduce to a simmer for 5 – 10 mins. Switch off.
  3. Allow to cool, and serve over oats, nuts and seeds or muesli, with milk or natural yoghurt, as a breakfast or dessert dish.

Customise It!

If you don’t have 5 spice, then mixed spice, cinnamon or nutmeg will be fine. Another idea is to chuck a cinnamon stick into the saucepan as the compote is cooking, if you wish.

Today’s addition to the Playlist is a track that came on a few days ago while I was driving. I’d forgotten how great it was, especially with the unmistakable jangling sound of Johnny Marr on guitar. Add in Bernard Sumner from New Order on vocals and you have one mighty Mancunian supergroup. This is Electronic with Get the Message.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Kale & Puy Lentil Curry

Here’s a medium curry that is both vegetarian and vegan. While the base comprises a number of fresh vegetables and spices, the undoubted stars of the show are two particularly healthy ingredients.

Kale grows in our garden and seems to keep on producing new crops as the seasons progress. It is a source of fibre, calcium, vitamins and antioxidants, which help us stay well by removing toxins from the body.

Lentils are a good source of protein for anyone following a meat- or dairy-free diet. Puy Lentils are the variety that pack the most protein per calorie.

Servings

A meal for 4.

Timings

25 mins to prepare and cook.

You Will Need

  • a little oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • half a red chilli
  • 2 cm piece of root ginger
  • 2 – 3 mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp curry powder (I’m still using my Qatari Spices)
  • 8 – 10 tomatoes (I used fresh as we have lots growing in the garden)
  • 1 400g can of coconut milk
  • 8 leaves of kale
  • 60g Puy lentils
  • a handful of nigella seeds
  • 6 – 7 cardamom pods
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • basmati rice

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a wok, and add the crushed garlic. Chop the onions, chilli, ginger and mushrooms and add to the wok. Chuck in the curry powder and give it all a stir.
  2. Let it sizzle for a few minutes, then quarter the tomatoes and add in. Let them squash down in the heat, then add the coconut milk.
  3. Fill the empty coconut milk can with water and pour in to the wok. Chop the kale leaves into 3 or 4 strips, and add in with the lentils. Check the liquid level at this stage, and top up with more water if necessary – there should be just enough liquid to cover the veg. It will reduce down to a creamy consistency as the kale and lentils cook.
  4. After about 10 mins, add in the nigella seeds, cardamom pods and garam masala, giving it all another stir.
  5. After another 10 mins, spoon out a lentil to check it is cooked. You should just be able to bite through without it becoming too soft or mushy.
  6. Switch off and serve with steamed or boiled basmati rice.

Customise It!

It’s a vegetable curry, so add in whatever veg you have to hand or like to use. Peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots – all will go well.

I’m going to be off on my travels again soon, this time exploring Scotland. More of this in upcoming posts, but for now I’ve been getting in the mood and listening to some great tracks from Scottish bands. Here’s one of the best, Glasgow’s Franz Ferdinand with Do You Want To.

Categories
Desserts Recipes

Passion Fruit and Lime Pots

I made these recently to share with friends as a dessert after a dinner party. They look good, taste fresh and tangy with a hint of sweet and sour, are a little different from the norm, and not that difficult to make. They can also be prepared well in advance of mealtime. It is a Mary Berry recipe originally, so thanks to Mary for the inspiration!

My recent photo post on Twitter for this dish received a new record number of likes for A Different Kitchen, so I’m sharing the full recipe here.

Timings

20 mins to prepare, at least two hours to set in the fridge.

Servings

This will make six pots.

You Will Need

  • 6 passion fruits
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 600ml double cream
  • 100g caster sugar

Method

  1. Tip the cream and sugar into a saucepan. Heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved, then step up the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  2. Halve 5 of the passion fruits and scoop out the juice and seeds. Whirl the juice and seeds in a food processor with blade fitted, until smooth. Push through a sieve so that you have a smooth juice, and discard the seeds.
  3. Add the passion fruit juice to the warm cream and sugar mixture, so that the cream will start to thicken.
  4. Add the lime juice also to the mixture, and stir in so that it thickens further.
  5. Pour the mixture into six ramekins and let cool. Once cooled, place in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours.
  6. When ready to serve, cut the remaining passion fruit in half and scoop out the juice and seeds. Scatter this across the surface of the 6 pots, and serve.

The musical accompaniment to this dish should be smooth, mellow and sophisticated, with just a hint of an edge to reflect the combination of sweet and sour. I’ve opted for a band getting a lot of play recently in the ADK kitchen, and that is Massive Attack, here with the excellent vocals of Tracey Thorn. Enjoy Protection.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Bomb the Basa

Basa is still a relative newcomer to our fishmonger stalls and markets. Being a good source of protein, rich in healthy omega 3 fats, and coming from a plentiful and sustainable supply, it certainly deserves our attention alongside the more traditional cods and herrings. You could even say it has earned its plaice (sorry, couldn’t resist that one). Being quite inexpensive and available in many supermarkets also helps.

I’ve cooked with it a few times and found that it tends to stay firm, holding its texture and shape where some other types of fish are more likely to fragment into flakes. This means it is quite receptive to marinades and toppings that add complementary tastes.

Servings

This will make a meal for two.

Timings

10 mins to prepare, 25 mins in the oven.

You Will Need

  • 2 basa fillets
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2-3 cm piece of root ginger
  • 1 small green chilli
  • 1 small red chilli
  • half a lemon
  • olive oil
  • black pepper

Method

  1. Line a baking tray with foil and brush it with a little of the oil. This will ensure that you can remove the fish after cooking, to serve in one piece!
  2. Lay the 2 fillets on the foil. Top with finely chopped garlic, ginger and chillis. Splash on the lemon juice and a drizzle of oil, with a few twists of pepper.
  3. Cook in the oven at 180C for about 25 mins.

Customise it!

Stick with the holy trinity of garlic, ginger and chillis, but if you want to add some chopped spring onions that would be fine also. Fresh coriander (cilantro) would be excellent.

If you like fish with a buttery sauce, you could make up some of the lime and sea salt butter I made on this earlier post (see here, step 9) and melt some over the fish as you serve it. The lime and sea salt will work well with the chilli and ginger.

I served this with some new potatoes and steamed green veg, as the picture shows. I imagine it would also be really good with some stir fried veg or noodles, and a spicy sauce.

There are other Basa recipes around, but you will do well to beat this. Or, should I say, Beat Dis!

It’s an honour to add Bomb the Bass to the ADK Spotify Playlist.

Keep this frequency clear!

Categories
Bakes Recipes

Blackberry, Oat & Yoghurt Muffins

The end of summer/start of autumn is a great time of year for fresh blackberries. You may find them in supermarkets and farm shops, and some farms will let you pick your own. Best of all though is that they grow plentifully in the wild in hedges in public places and country parks, and can usually be picked free of charge.

Nutritionists will say that they are good for our overall health in various ways, such as being a source of Vitamin C and antioxidants, which protect our body cells.

I recently went on a walk to pick some in a nearby country park. I have included a photo of my haul of two filled plastic containers. My Fitbit told me afterwards that I had earned 52 active zone minutes from the exercise, which shows how blackberries can be good for our health in more ways than one!

There are many ways to use blackberries. A favourite of mine is as a topping on muesli.

I have also used them recently in a blackberry, coconut and almond traybake.

Probably my favourite though is the muffins, shown in my main photo, where they are combined with rolled oats and natural yoghurt, The muffins can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a lunchtime snack, a picnic dessert, or indeed at any time.

Servings

Ths will make 12 muffins.

Timings

15 mins to make, 25 mins in the oven at 180C.

You Will Need

  • 200g plain flour
  • 1 and a half tsp baking powder
  • half tsp salt
  • 85g rolled oats
  • 240 ml natural yoghurt
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 120g light brown sugar
  • 90ml milk
  • 90ml vegetable oil
  • 140g fresh blackberries

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C and prepare a muffin tray/container. I use a flexible silicone plastic mould that requires no greasing. This makes it especially easy to pop out the muffins when they are baked.
  2. Wash and dry the fresh blackberries. Lay them on a dish.
  3. Weigh out the flour and sprinkle a few tablespoons over the blackberries, turning them so they are coated in the flour. This will help stop them sinking to the bottom of the muffin mixture as they are baking.
  4. Mix together the rest of the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
  5. In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, yoghurt and bicarb of soda. Let this stand for a minute, then add the beaten egg, sugar, milk and veg oil.
  6. Pour the oat/yoghurt mix into the flour mix and stir to combine. Add the flour-coated blackberries in the final few strokes.
  7. Spoon the combined mixture into the muffin tray and bake for 25 mins.
  8. Remove from the tray/mould when the muffins have slightly cooled, and let cool fully on a wire tray.

Customise it!

Missed the blackberry season? Don’t worry – substitute another fresh berry, such as raspberry or blueberry, and the muffins will be nice also.

If you do venture into the countryside to go blackberry picking, here’s a topical track from The Farmer’s Boys to get you in the mood.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Chilli Mushroom with Lime & Sea Salt Buttered Veg

A roasted filled portobello mushroom makes a great vegetarian dinner. It holds its shape and texture when cooked and releases its juices when you cut into it with a knife. In this dish it is combined with summer veg served with melting slivers of butter infused with lime, sea salt and chilli flakes.

Servings

This will make one serving, so multiply up by however many mouths you are feeding (I’ll say more about this below!)

Timings

20 mins to make the vegetable chilli filling, then 20 mins in the oven to roast.

You Will Need

  • 1 stick celery
  • half an onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • half a red, green or yellow pepper
  • a little vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon of plain flour
  • half a 440g tin of kidney beans
  • 300g vegetable stock
  • 60g red lentils
  • 1 portobello mushroom
  • seasonal veg (e.g. green beans, carrots) for one, boiled or steamed
  • 40g butter, softened
  • zest and juice of half a lime
  • a few twists of sea salt
  • a few chilli flakes

Method

  1. Put the chilli powder and cumin seeds in some oil, until sizzling.
  2. Finely chop the onion, celery, carrot and pepper and shallow fry until softened.
  3. Take off the heat and sprinkle the flour over. Turn the veg over until it is coated in the flour.
  4. Add the stock and bring to the boil. When boiling, add the lentils and kidney beans. Put on the lid of the pan and simmer for 10 – 15 mins until the lentils have softened.
  5. Remove the lid and let the mix reduce through evaporation, until you have a soft, thick consistency.
  6. Remove the stalk from the centre of the mushroom, chop and set aside. Brush the mushroom all over with oil.
  7. Fill the mushroom with the chilli mix, topping it with pieces of the stalk, gently pressed down into the mix. Place on a metal tray and roast in the oven at 180C for 20 mins.
  8. While the mushroom is roasting, chop and boil or steam the seasonal veg.
  9. In a small bowl, mix the butter, lime zest and juice, sea salt and chilli flakes. Place in the fridge until serving.
  10. Serve up the roasted mushroom with the veg on the side. Slice off a few slivers of the butter and let melt over the veg.

Customise it!

Lots of scope for going off piste here, while sticking to the fundamentals of a roasted portobello mushroom, a chilli filling and seasoned butter for the veg. Swap in other types of lentil or pulse, and use some drops of tomato passata if you wish along with the stock. Choose whichever veg you prefer to serve on the side, and prepare it as you like it. Garlic goes well in both the chilli mix, and especially in the butter.

I’ve given the measurements to make one portion here. However, I would quite often make a larger pot of the vegetable chilli and serve some of it on other occasions, in a different way (e.g. with rice) or freeze some of it for a later date. Similarly, the seasoned butter is great with other foods, such as sweetcorn and fish, so I sometimes make a larger batch of that as well.

In other words, don’t be afraid to gross up the amounts. Stick to the instructions above and you’ll have a nice meal for one. Go larger and who knows – you may have enough to feed a Seven Nation Army. Cue the White Stripes!

Categories
Mains Recipes

Turkey, Feta and Courgette Burgers

I’m pleased to announce that we have another guest post on A Different Kitchen! It is by my sister Pamela, an experienced and talented cook whose meals I have enjoyed on numerous occasions. 

Hi. My featured meal is Turkey, Feta and Courgette Burgers. I have used this recipe many times. It’s healthy, tasty, easy and uses up some of the mint in our garden (you can see some of our mint bush in the photo). It is also useful if you have an abundant courgette (or zucchini) harvest, which some of you may be experiencing at this time of year.

Servings

Depending on your preferred size of burger, the recipe makes as many or as few burgers as you like!

Timings

10 mins prep, and 10 mins to grill.

You Will Need

  • 500g turkey breast mince
  • 1 large courgette, spiralised or cut into tiny cubes (I use a Kenwood mini chopper)
  • 100g feta crumbled
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • half teaspoon chilli flakes
  • small bunch of mint, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sumac powder
  • zest of an unwaxed lemon
  • 1 large egg beaten

Method

  1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl with your hand and shape into burgers.
  2. Place these on a baking tray lined with tin foil and cover with cling film.
  3. Put these in the fridge to firm – the smell is amazing.
  4. At this stage you can also freeze the burgers – or some of them – for another day.
  5. Put the tray under a hot grill and cook the burgers for 8-10 minutes, gently turning, until golden brown. 
  6. Enjoy with a fresh salad. No burger baps required!

Well done Pam and thanks for sharing this delicious looking recipe.

The author of a guest post gets to choose a favourite track of theirs for adding to the ADK Playlist. Pam’s choice is Happy by Pharrell Williams. She saw him performing the song live and says it was brilliant!

Categories
Blog Desserts Snacks

Take Me to the Beach

We spent the long bank holiday weekend by the beach at Branksome. The weather is still great here, and it was easy to swim in the sea each day. On the final day the breaking surf was a little too choppy for my liking, so I settled for going in knee high, and a barefoot run along the shore, stepping and splashing through the lapping waves.

One of the many pleasures in a trip to the beach is an ice cream from the kiosk. On this occasion, I noticed that they were stocking the new Vegan Magnum, and decided to give it a try. It’s a dairy-free version of the legendary ice cream on a stick. I’m not vegan, but I am always open to trying new foods and have enjoyed a number of vegan desserts in the past.

I wasn’t sure what to expect – the Magnum I consider to be no less than a modern design classic, and I did wonder if messing around with its ingredients may turn out to be a disaster. I was thinking of what happened when Coca Cola decided to update a famous soft drink that everyone had grown up loving, only to have to yield to popular opinion and go back to making it by the original recipe.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, it is quite difficult to point out the differences in a blind taste. The Vegan version still has a delicate chocolate couverture, made from coconut oil and cocoa butter, that fragments indulgently as you bite into it. The underlying ice cream, made from pea protein with vanilla, is sweet and velvety, and not at all (as I had feared) unduly coconut tasting. The only real difference I could pinpoint is slightly less richness to the creamy taste, but not in any way that would put me off buying another.

Dairy-free alternatives to foods have been growing in popularity for some time. A relevant factor in this is concern about the contribution made by the livestock industry to climate warming, and consumption of water at a time of increasing drought. Many believe a vegan diet brings health benefits and is kinder to animals.

What is clear is that anyone who is vegan can now enjoy a Magnum when they visit the beach, a theme park or go on any other great day out: a wonderful contribution to the cause of equality of opportunity.

I’m hoping there will yet be a few more trips to the beach before the summer is through. That will probably mean a few more Vegan Magnums to come, as I make the most of our Pure Shores.

Take Me to the Beach!

Categories
Breakfast Recipes Snacks

Banana Oat Breakfast Bars

The recipe for these first appeared on page 66 of the February 2005 issue of Sainsbury’s Magazine. I know this because I ripped the page out and have kept it carefully ever since. I have lost count of the number of times I have made these – the recipe has proved reliable as a fresh, tasty and healthy snack for breakfast, lunchboxes, car journeys, filling the gap at half-time at a football match etc.

Servings

Depending on how you cut these, it will make 16 squares or around 20 rectangular bars.

Timings

15 – 20 mins preparation, plus baking time 25 mins.

You Will Need

  • 75g mixed nuts
  • 110g margarine
  • 75g demerara sugar
  • 3 tablespoons golden syrup
  • 200g rolled porridge oats
  • 75g self-raising flour
  • 40g dried cranberries
  • 2 medium ripe bananas
  • 1 egg

Method

  1. Spread the nuts across a baking tray and toast in the oven at 180C for 5 mins.
  2. While the nuts are toasting, combine margarine, syrup and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until all have dissolved into a thick paste.
  3. Remove the nuts from the oven and chop in the food processor with blade fitted. Leave the oven on.
  4. Combine nuts, flour (sifted), oats and dried cranberries in a bowl.
  5. In a separate bowl, peel and mash the bananas, and mix in the egg.
  6. Combine the banana/egg with the oats/flour and give it a good stir. Finally , add in the syrup/sugar paste. Mix well so that there is no dry flour and all the oats are covered in the brown syrupy paste.
  7. Tip the combined mixture into a traybake tin. The one I use is 20cm square, but it also works with a rectangular tin measuring 25cm x 16cm ( I have made both with these ingredients).
  8. Bake in the oven, still at 180C, for 25 mins.
  9. Remove and leave to cool in the tin. Once cool, invert it on to a chopping board, then carefully invert it back again on to another board. You can then chop it into rectangular bars or squares, as you wish. These will keep in a tin for up to 3 – 4 days, though they are usually all gone well before that!