Cheer for Chia!

Chia seeds are all the rage at the moment. Their long name is Salvia Hispanica and is a relation of the mint family, coming from Mexico and Guatemala. They have been around forever but have only recently made it on to the superfood list. They are extremely nutritious, organic and gluten free to name only a few of the benefits.

I bought some recently from a food market where they came loose, in a brown paper bag. At home I decanted them in to a jar and placed them beside the porridge so that I would remember to sprinkle them each morning. I have to say, on opening the cupboard, it does look as though we are harbouring Great Aunt Ermentrude's ashes!

The other downside, if I'm allowed to say there is one, is that the little perishers get stuck in ones teeth and can make a reappearance at any point during the day! Worse still, due to the fibre content within them, they absorb large amounts of liquid and expand. That's a good thing I hear you say; they expand in the stomach, increasing fullness and slowing down the absorption of food. Well yes, but remove one from between your gnashers and it looks something like a fish eye! A bulbous transparent shell with a black dot in the middle!

No I shouldn't say these things. They really are good for you and can be incorporated into your diet with ease. Sprinkle them on porridge, cereal, yogurts, smoothies, veggies, rice, salads and add to baking. They have very little flavour so adding them to your food will significantly boost the nutritional value. 

I enjoy blueberry and raspberry chia porridge washed down with a cup of chai tea!

Seven Square Meals!

"So what exactly do you eat?" It's a question I am asked all the time and, unfortunately, I never have a ready answer. During this week's National Vegetarian Week (NVW) I decided to keep a log of my meals and take a good hard look at what exactly I do eat!

Well, I'm proud to say that this week there were no beans on toast nor jacket potatoes - the vegetarian staple in most people's eyes.

Monday

Chilli bean soup with whole meal pittas

Tuesday

Stuffed peppers with Mediterranean rice

Wednesday

Roast pepper and halloumi pasta with garlic bread

Thursday

Tomato and mozzarella tart with salad

Friday

Halloumi and vegetable kebabs with salad, potato wedges and lentils at a BBQ with friends

Saturday

Avocado smash with poached eggs on toasted bagel

Sunday

Cauliflower, sultana and onion pasta with pecorino cheese at Stuzzi Italian in Harrogate, Yorkshire

Bright, colourful, tasty food all week. I'm no great cook so if I can do it - anyone can! It doesn't have to be NVW for you to give it a go - maybe just start by having meat free Monday!

The Face of Vegetarianism!

Tomorrow marks the start of National Vegetarian Week (NVW) promoted by the Vegetarian Society (est. 1847 - wow!!) and hopefully your local food stores, cafes and restaurants with be highlighting this and providing ideas for tasty vegetarian meals. You can check this out at www.nationalvegetarianweek.org. This is now in its 24th year and literally going from strength to strength with more people choosing to be kinder to their own bodies, animals and, of course, the planet.

At the same time my home city, Leeds, is holding its own food and drink festival 12-30th May called Leeds Indie Food, supported by Leeds BID and Leeds City Council. This looks like being a fantastic event with street food markets, pop-up venues, beer, wine and coffee tasting and several vegan and vegetarian food events. Check it out at www.leedsindiefood.co.uk 

Last year I totally missed NVW and mentioned it belatedly in my blog dated 31/05/15 which included my old standby recipe of Naan Bread Pizzas. This gave ideas for toppings and design, one of which was to make a face using roasted peppers and onions. The photo below shows that it is possible to make a face without actually doing anything to the naan!

Sloe Sloe Quick Quick Sloe!

Hurrah! It feels like summer! Just been away with friends to Middleham in North Yorkshire for a dog walking weekend. Middleham is a lovely village overlooked by the ruins of the Castle with only the sound of horses hooves disturbing the tranquil setting. We did a circular walk starting and ending in the village one day and then walked from beautiful Jervaulx Abbey the next.

The key to making these walking weekends a success is having the right provisions. A good picnic or a decent pub en route are essential elements plus a quick sugar-boost when needed. Our go-to snack is a shot or two of Sloe Gin and a nice chunky slab of flapjack.

I have previously shared my flapjack recipe so here's my Sloe Gin Recipe:-

- In Autumn pick sloe berries (from the blackthorn trees). These should be picked after the first frost but can be gathered when you see them (and before someone else does) and then frozen to break down the tough skin. Some recipes say you have to prick the skin with a needle but I think life's too short and freezing works well.

- 1lb sloe berries

- 1 litre gin (use a fairly cheap one)

- 8oz caster sugar

- place berries, sugar and gin into a large sterilised jar, seal and shake well

- place jar in a cool dark cupboard and shake regularly - every day for a week

- after a week, shake once a week for at least the next month

- store for several months (the longer the better) shaking occasionally

- when you can wait no longer, strain the gin through a muslin cloth and pour into sterilised bottles

- enjoy it straight-up, add prosecco for a Sloe Royale or google a recipe for Sloe Gin Fizz

Mayday Mayday Mayday!

May Day is an ancient spring festival celebrated in the northern hemisphere with dancing around the maypole, singing and eating cake. For most of us it is a bank holiday, for which we are thankful!

Mayday Mayday Mayday is a verbal distress signal given in life-threatening emergencies and mainly used by pilots and seamen, 'though in some countries by police and firefighters. Most of us will never need to use it, for which we are thankful!

Today I cooked a meat lasagne-type meal (ode to Mezza Bezza) for the family and created a similar meal for myself which was very tasty:-

- Butternut squash cut into cubes and roasted in the oven with walnuts and chopped sage leaves

- Once cooked add tinned tomatoes, cumin, coriander and mango chutney

- Spread a tortilla wrap with mascarpone plus grated cheese on top & place in an ovenproof dish

- Spoon butternut squash mixture on top

- Do another layer of tortilla, mascarpone and cheese followed by butternut squash mixture

- Finish with a tortilla spread with mascarpone and cheese

- Place in oven 180 for approx 20 mins 

Voila! A delicious vegetarian meal made in half the time of a conventional lasagne.

Made on May Day and, 'though crisp at the edges, without having to put in a Mayday call to the fire services ... For which we are thankful!

Brit(ish) Spears!

Hurrah! The British Asparagus season is just about upon us, beginning 24th April and, sadly, ending by the 21st June. It's a short season so make the most of it.

Asparagus is a little madam of a vegetable. It requires certain conditions to grow well and then takes a couple of years to produce its first crop. Then, when the green shoots do emerge, they have to be individually hand cut and whizzed off to the shops (or onto your plate) ASAP before they deteriorate. 

Asparagus can be steamed, grilled, roasted and griddled. I enjoy them griddled and served with a poached egg, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a scattering of grated Parmesan (and in this case, chips!)

A good risotto is probably my favourite meal and the best is made with Spring vegetables; Asparagus, peas and beans. They are also good in vegetarian tarts (egg and cheese based) and pastas or can be eaten raw in salads.

There was a story on social media recently of a husband being sent out for asparagus. He came back from the shops bearing a bunch of daffodils which he claimed looked like asparagus! Funnily enough, I have heard that the best way of storing asparagus is to place it in a vase of water rather than store in the fridge. Imagine the guy coming home to cook his fresh asparagus only to find it covered in yellow trumpets!

Enjoy this British seasonal vegetable. Yes, you can buy imported versions all year round but eating seasonally is important and, without a doubt, British is Best! 

... 5 potatoes, 6 potatoes, 7 potatoes, More!

On April afternoons the birds are telling their own little story through song and there is promise in the air. It always reminds me of a period when I would finish middle school and sit in my mother's lean-to greenhouse planning things to grow. I liked the earthy fragrance but kept away once she grew tomatoes and geraniums as I didn't like the smell.

Since having a garden of my own I have always had, at the very least, a well stocked herb garden and sometimes pots of tomatoes, strawberries and chillis on the go. A few years ago I developed a proper garden and grew potatoes, onions, beans, garlic, courgettes, beetroot, radishes and salad leaves. That garden is now buried under a lovely patio but I have missed tripping out into the garden and snipping or digging up bits for tea.

Suburban gardening really took off during the war when needs must and even in the 1950s when there was still rationing. In the 1960s people had more leisure time and gardening became a hobby. Greenhouses were a popular addition to the garden and therefore more tomatoes were home grown. In the 1970s the repertoire included hot peppers which were essential for the food of the moment; chilli con carne! During the 1980s this became courgettes for ratatouille and in the nineties butternut squash. More recently rocket and spinach have been popular to grow for spicy salads and the cute baby veg is up there too.

This year I have decided to claim back a little piece of land and for the first year will grow potatoes as this helps to improve the soil. They are currently standing to attention in old egg boxes whilst they sprout (known as chitting) and soon I shall be able to plant them out, water and earth-up regularly before harvesting in the summer. When cooked they will be delicious with melted butter and chopped mint. Not counted as one of my five-a-day but a nutritious and tasty accompaniment.