Tear & Share

Family & Food= Love

Why has it become so hard for us to sit around a table and share a home-made meal?
We have become a fast food nation. Why? Because it’s cheap and easy. However, cooking home-made food is not necessarily expensive. So step back and take some tips from the Spanish (Tapas), Italians (Antipasti) and the North Africans (Tagine). These cultures embrace the good things in life; food, family & friends. Sharing what we eat creates a sense of togetherness which is a feeling we all desire. This used to be a daily routine for us Brits but now about half of the Nation struggle to make this happen. Getting together around food creates closeness, good conversation and also has health benefits. So put aside those TV dinners, gather together, get involved and enjoy the things that truly matter in life.

How often do you sit at the dining room table with friends/family and share a home-made dinner? 
It’s important to get everyone involved, including the little ones. What are your views on this topic?

Broccolicious

Continuing on the theme of food waste this evening. Last night when I was catching up on episode two of "Food & Drink" I was inspired by one of Tom Kerridges dishes. The subject was based on cooking luxury food on a budget but the dish also linked back to not wasting food. The element of the dish that was inspiring and cost saving are broccoli stalks. So say Sunday lunch is over, you've eaten all the broccoli florets and you're left with the stem. Don't chuck it in the bin, use it for Monday nights dinner:

• Cut the stem into quarters and trim down the ends/edges (removing any woody parts, as you would do with asparagus)
• Once prepared place into a pan of salted boiling water. Cook for about 5 minutes, until they're tender but with a bit of crunch
• Finally, drain and coat the stems in a tsp. of butter and some cracked black pepper

To be honest, I wasn't sure on how it would turn out but I'm delighted to say it's absolutely delicious & flavoursome ( far better than the florets themselves).
So why not have a go? Remember, you'll be reducing waste and saving pennies!

Other ideas to use up leftover stems: Sliced up and used in a stir fry or cut into chunks for soup. Maybe it will work with cauliflower stems too?

Is our food too cheap?

Food Waste

I have been following the BBC TV series "Food & Drink" presented by Michelle Roux Jr. The first episode of series two was based on the topic of food waste. Watching this got me thinking about how easy it has become for us to just bin excess food. This has inspired me to write about the problem at hand and hopefully open peoples eyes whom may not realise.

Food waste has become a major issue in the U.K. Here are a few shocking statistics I found about the problem:

• British families are throwing away the equivalent of 6 meals per week in food waste
• Resulting in throwing away an average of £60 a month for a household
• Foods that are commonly thrown away; bread, milk, fruits & vegetables
• 86 million chickens were said to be discarded each year

This just gives us a small view into this major situation, but what can we do about it? Here are a few handy tips that can help:

• Understanding the difference between "use by" and "best before". These are labels that have to be used for legal reasons. However, we as a consumer need to use our senses to decide whether a product is perished or not. Vision, smell and touch are key elements on deciding if a product is gone off and NOT the date on the packaging. Note: For health safety reasons please follow them when it comes to meat & fish products.
• Your freezer is your best friend. If you have excess food building up in the fridge why not turn into those 6 meals? You can freeze and store them for up to 3 months.
• If the vegetables are looking a bit sad you can bring them back to life. Prepare your vegetables, place them into a pan of boiling water for a couple minutes, drain them and pop into ice cold water. Once that process is completed place them on a tray and into the freezer. Finally, when the vegetables are frozen store them in a container safely in the freezer.
• Help yourself by gaining knowledge on preservation methods. For example, left over fruits can be preserved by turning them into jams.

Questions I have been asking myself: How have we as a nation let food waste build up? Why don't we have the knowledge on how to purchase and preserve sensibly? Do we buy more due to constant offers in the supermarkets? Is our food too cheap?

What are your thoughts and tips on this subject?

"The New Years Diet"

Well Christmas has come and gone, a month exactly to this day. We have all embraced and welcomed the New Year into our lives. A new year always brings change and the biggest one has to be “the diet”.  We all want to lose those extra kilos we gained whilst indulging ourselves in tasty treats over the Holiday Season. But why should a diet involve starving ourselves or eating bland tasteless foods? Fortunately, it doesn't! Here are a few tips to drop those unwanted extra bits but still being able to enjoy our food experiences.

·         Enjoy a good nutritious breakfast. The worse mistake you could accomplish would be skipping breakfast. It is a vital routine of the day that kick starts our metabolism. An ideal breakfast would involve oats (porridge), natural sugars (honey) and a piece of fruit.
Or at the weekend it could be a poached or dippy egg with wholegrain/nut/seedy bread. Full of protein that releases energy. Avoid adding any extra fat!

·         Make lunchtimes fun and not dull. This could be done by enjoying a salad which doesn't necessarily have to involve soggy green leaves. Rustle up a fluffy couscous salad that’s jam packed with flavour and crunch. It’s great with dried/fresh fruits such as; sultanas, dried apricots and pomegranate. Add some crunch with the addition of dry toasted nuts/seeds such as walnuts or pumpkin seeds. Finally, for the feel of indulgence add a low fat soft cheese crumbled throughout. Tip: For pasta salads use whole-wheat- just as good but healthier!

·         Dinner time needs to be balanced, nutritious and full of protein. A balanced meal needs to contain 2/3 vegetables, meat that is low in fat (replacing chicken with turkey) and a small amount of carbohydrates. Tip: Replace regular potatoes for sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are not a carbohydrate but a vegetable. However, you still get the sensation of having a full meal.

·         Snacks: Make up your five a day by munching on your favourite fruit or vegetable.

·         Finally, a little indulgence here and there doesn't hurt. You don’t want to cut out all naughty’s as if you do it will drive you mad and you’ll end up going on a fast food frenzy!

Here are a few useful website’s that will help you create delicious but healthy meals:

• http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Goodfood/Pages/goodfoodhome.aspx

• http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/healthy

Turkey Meatballs with Citrus Couscous

Are You Dreaming Of A White Christmas?

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...#Home

Advent calendars at the ready?25 days to go...it's official the countdown for Christmas is in full swing!

How prepared are you? Are you an early bird like me and have already finished your gift shopping? Or, will you leave it till the last minute? Most people will do the latter, joining in with the hectic hustle & bustle that is created around this festive season.

However, for me, I prefer the preparation that leads up to creating a "perfect" Christmas spread. As my favourite part of Christmas day is sitting around the table sharing a meal with the ones I love.

What is your favourite part to the Christmas holiday?

More to come...The Cookman's Festive Menu

Baking Is Good For The Soul

Having some spare time on my hands and wanting to enjoy myself before Uni starts back up on Monday I thought to myself "Have a baking day".

So on goes the oven at 160 degrees Celsius and turn up some cheerful Christmas music. Yes, I know you might be thinking it is too early for Christmas music but I couldn't resist when baking Chocolate & Orange Biscuits. The scent of orange being grated reminds me of this magical time of year.

Basic ingredients (makes one log-20 biscuits): 100g soft unsalted butter, 50g caster sugar & 175g plain flour
~ Combine all ingredients till it forms a soft dough (may seem very dry/crumbly but it's meant to be). ~ Form the dough into a log shape- approx. 18cm, wrap in cling film and place in fridge till firm- around 2hours.
~Once firm slice into 5mm discs (you should get 20biscuits or so), place on a baking tray and bake at 160 Celsius for 15minutes.
 ~Remove from oven, cool completely before decorating!

Extra ingredients you could use to flavour the biscuits with: Orange zest, vanilla or almond essence, cocoa powder, lemon zest, fresh lavender or whatever takes your fancy.

Note: For making the chocolate biscuit you replace 10% of the flour with cocoa powder. In this case it would be 157.5g of flour & 17.5g of cocoa powder.

To decorate the orange flavoured biscuits: Melted dark chocolate to dip biscuits in & finish with candied orange peel.
To decorate the chocolate flavoured biscuits: Orange icing~ mix together 125g icing sugar and 3tbsp of orange juice till the mixture is smooth, place in a piping & decorate as you wish. To finish, sprinkle on chopped candied orange peel.

Note: Combine any flavours and edible decorations as you wish just make sure you use the exact basic ingredients/method. Have fun with it! ~Enjoy :)

Feel free to send feedback or any biscuit recipes with me...

Fish For Thought

It may sound rather weird but I've had fish on my mind for the past week or so. Maybe it’s because I've eaten it more than normal and it is said to be food for the brain…

During my childhood years my consumption of fish was low to none at all. I’d say the most fish I consumed would have been in fish-cakes (mainly consisting of potato), maybe the odd piece of battered fish from the chippy (normally went for a sausage instead) or the odd tuna sarnie. We weren't a fishy family and I think that was due to my Mum not being keen on fish or preparing it.
However, in the last 4 years I would say my fish & shellfish intake has risen. This is related to the skills I've acquired through catering college. Learning about the varieties of fish and the ways to prepare/serve them.  Now I truly appreciate these delicate creatures of the sea. Unfortunately my stomach doesn't see enough of them. Mainly because I'm a student and can’t afford it. But I’ll definitely eat any coming my way when I can!

Why should we eat fish?

1.       Full of omega 3

2.       Great source of vitamin D

3.       High in protein

4.       Low in fat

5.       Fish oil is good for the heart & blood vessels

How should we get our dose of fish?

It’s recommended to intake fish once or twice a week.

Lunch ideas:  The classic tuna sandwich- add some sweet corn for the sweetness and crunch or the up and coming cream cheese and salmon bagel. Easy, yummy & healthy :)

Dinner ideas: There are a lot of easy fish options that have been created for us such as;

• Breaded or battered fish- can be found in the frozen or chilled section of supermarkets
•  Fishcakes- try and go for the ones in the chilled section that contain a higher quantity of fish
• Fish ready meals, watch out for the added salts & sugars
• OR treat yourself, buy some fresh or frozen fish and have a go at cooking it! It’s not as daunting as you may think.

Here’s a handy website that I use A LOT for easy recipes:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/fish

Alternatively try out my recipe for fish goujons, easy & fun to make

Lemony plaice goujons with a crunch-Serves 2

Ingredients

      4 fileted, skinned & deboned flat white fish fillets (ask your fishmonger if you’re unsure)

Juice of half a lemon

1 egg, whisked and seasoned

50g Seasoned flour

Mixture of 60g breadcrumbs & 40g sesame seeds (you could use any other seeds or crushed nuts)

Also, you can add different herbs (dried are best) or spices to your taste.

Method:

1.       Cut your fish fillets into strips, place in a bowl with the juice from of half a lemon. Let stand covered in the fridge till required.

2.       Set up an assembly line. Plate with the flour on, bowl with the egg in and a plate with the breadcrumb mixture.

3.       Get your fish strips out and do as follows:

4.       Coat in flour, tap off any excess. Dip in the egg. And roll in the breadcrumb mix. Repeat.

5.       Heat your deep fat fryer to 180 degrees Celsius or heat oil in a deep pan (be careful!)

6.       Deep fry your goujons for approx. 3minuts until golden brown.

7.       Remove from oil and place on absorbent paper to soak up excess fat.

8.       Serve with your favourite dipping sauce. I made a Marie Rose sauce which is equal amounts of mayonnaise and tomato ketchup mixed together.

This is a great way to get children started on fish. They could also help with the coating process as its fun getting your hands stuck in!

Here’s an interesting guide to sustainable fish, start thinking about fish from a new perspective: http://www.goodfishguide.co.uk/ 

How often do you eat fish? What kind of fish do you eat? And how do you prepare it?