Get Wind Of This!

I am currently training for another 10k run and am reminded of a previous confession (New Year's Resolutions! Blog dated 11.1.15). At that time my friend and I would run in the evening (after tea) and whilst I parped my way around the course, she would laugh until she wet herself! Well now I run first thing in the morning before breakfast and no longer have a problem.

Let's not beat about the bush though. Vegetarians are definitely prone to wind and the main vegetable culprits (containing high amounts of unabsorbable carbohydrates) include:

Beans, brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower, artichokes, onions and Brussels sprouts. 

Also lentils and fruit such as raisins, prunes and apples.

Perusing a magazine at the hairdressers the other day, I think I may have found the solution; 

And for my friend;

So wish us good luck with our run - we will be panting all the way!

Flying the nest!

One child returned to University today and the second starts next week. By this time next week I will be an empty nester and either cheering wildly or sobbing uncontrollably!

I have always imagined, had I been to university, that I would have lived in some cosy bedsit, reading my Cranks' Recipe Book with a pan of lentil soup permanently bubbling away on the single stove and that I, due to lack of funds for nourishment, would be a petite size 8. Perhaps that's the way it used to be but how things have changed...

Residential "Halls" are pretty good and kitted out with oven, hob, kettle, microwave etc. There is still the choice of being catered for or not. A myriad of student cookbooks are available with and without vegetarian options. Although being vegetarian was cheaper than being a carnivore back in the day, nowadays there are cheap cuts of meat on offer and vegetarian food has become exciting and, a little more expensive. For example, halloumi cheese is as expensive as bacon. Also, buying and cooking for one is more expensive and the small branches of supermarket found in every student area tend to charge a premium as they have a captive audience; hardly fair for those on a tight budget!

My son spent his first year eating pot noodles, crisps and goodness knows what else; not to mention the lashings of liquid he consumed! Instead of shrinking in size he became larger and unhealthier. By his third year, armed with Jamie O's Ministry of Food book, he was sharing digs with four friends and had a cooking rota which was a great success. They even had a pre-Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings. When the proceedings got a little noisy the grumpy neighbours called the police who were amused to find the boys in their cracker hats and festive jumpers singing hearty renditions of Christmas songs!

Child number two is a good baker but has rarely cooked so, along with her essential cushions and fairy lights, I have armed her with a student cookbook and girly matchy-matchy utensils in the hope that she learns to enjoy cooking and remains a healthy size and weight!

Sherry Baby!

Returning from Ibiza and feeling chilled and relaxed got me thinking about Spanish food, drink and customs. I wrote about Spanish tapas in my blog Top Tapas dated 23/8/15 and touched on the history behind tapas food. It all started with the sherry drinkers in Andalucia protecting their drink from fruit flies by placing a piece of bread over their glasses. Over time, the bread was eaten and more and more snacks were introduced as an accompaniment to sherry until they became a meal in their own right.

Sherry is a fortified wine, meaning that a distilled spirit such as brandy is added. These wines include Marsala, Port, Madeira, Vermouth and Sherry. 

Sherry comes from the area around Jerez in S/W Spain, has protected designation of origin status and ranges from extremely dry to very sweet. The accompaniment to the strong and varied flavours of Spanish tapas is generally a (dry) fino sherry served chilled. New Sherry Bars are popping up in London and around the country as Spanish cuisine is embraced.

It's all a far cry from those sweet wedding reception sherries of old or the musty old bottle brought out on Christmas Day. In the late 1980s/early 1990s I remember pre-drinking at Yates Wine Bar where a dock or schooner of sherry was gulped down to get the night started. It was served at room temperature and was pretty disgusting but it did hit the spot. Apparently it was an Australian fortified wine and not actual sherry. Another memory of the eighties was hosting an impromptu after-party and as everyone raided our drinks cabinet one guest drank almost a full bottle of Emva Cream!

My parents still enjoy a glass of sherry every day at around 4-5pm before making dinner. They recently bought new glasses but were somewhat perturbed to find they were smaller than their old ones! They may need a top-up! "Salud!"

Noah and the F(l)ood!

Chilling on the White Isle so just a brief blog this week. 

The food has been good with lots of healthy/vegetarian cafes. Breakfast consists of wonderful creamy yogurt with muesli, fresh fruit kebabs and pancakes. Lunchtimes offered hummus, Mediterranean salad and cheeses. My evening meals were pasta arrabiata, tapas and breaded Camembert with salad. 

The restaurant last night was reached by a steady uphill climb culminating in spectacular views and an amazing sunset. Less spectacular was the delicacy menu consisting of alligator, ostrich, zebra, camel, kangaroo and bison! OMG! Even my meat eating friends were shocked! Presumably these delicacies were fresh from the freezer, unless of course there was a zoo at the back of the restaurant!

It's a shame there's no modern day Noah to save these animals from being f(l)ooded!

My Flexible Friend!

Back in my baby blogging days (9/11/14) I gave definitions for vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian. Well now there's a new buzz word on the block; flexitarian!

This enables people to eat a mostly plant-based diet whilst still enjoying a meat or fish dish occasionally! Apparently lots of people have tried being vegetarian but still can't resist a bacon sandwich or have been long-term vegetarians who have come back to the idea of eating small amounts of sustainable meat, poultry, fish and seafood. For others it may be a way of going a step beyond meat-free Monday as people recognise the health, financial and environmental benefits of eating the vegetarian way.

Personally I don't like meat or fish and so after 26 years of being vegetarian I can't imagine being tempted back from the green side! However, never say never, I have met many people who have returned after decades away from meat.

My husband has bought me a cook book entitled The Part-time Vegetarian by Nicola Graimes. I'm not sure of his intentions as he is definitely ('though not in huge quantities) a meat and fish eater. The book gives vegetarian recipes with a "part-time variation" enabling meat or fish to be added. As he does not like many vegetables, nor many pulses, I'm at a loss as to what I might make that will suit us both. The children are off to Uni next month and it really would be nice to be able to cook just one recipe for the two of us. Let's hope he can be flexible because, sure as hell, I cannot! 

Little and Large!

Late August/early September means show-time! There are village, town and county shows up and down the country (see my blog showing off dated 13/9/15).

In the grow and show category the aim is to show 3 uniform fruit or vegetables but there is always a prize for the largest vegetable. Obviously this is just for fun as any large item would be past its best and not great to eat. Nowadays the craze is for baby veg.

These are sometimes immature vegetables which are harvested early and enjoyed for their tender and delicate flavour. Other times they may be specially bred miniature varieties and can be grown in 6-12 weeks. If your fingers are not green, these can be found in most supermarkets; everything from baby beetroot, courgettes, turnips, aubergines ... the list goes on.

I don't remember baby vegetables being around when my own children were babies. It would have been so much easier to persuade them to eat a baby carrot than a large one. At least with broccoli we could convince our little darlings that they were eating baby trees! 

My favourite part of the film Big is when Tom Hanks' character, Josh, nibbles a baby sweet corn as though it were a full size one ... priceless! 

Getting your oats!

I have never been the cool kid; never mind a trend setter, I couldn't even keep up with the trends. I was probably the last person ever to be wearing a Bay City Roller scarf, the last person blowing their whistle in a nightclub and the last person to get a smart phone!

Well here I am again; this time telling you about overnight oats!

It turns out the idea came from some Swiss doctor way back in the 1900s. I may be behind the times but really? Anyway, the point is, they are a nutritious, no-cook, make-ahead, healthy breakfast which can be tailored to your taste and personal preference.

The first time I made them I stuck to a Quaker Oats recipe which included:-

Half a cup of Quaker Oats

Half a cup of low fat milk

A spoonful of yogurt

A spoonful of peanut butter

A pinch of salt

A pinch of cinammon

Some chia seeds

Some chopped banana

Layer the ingredients in a jar, screw the top on and place overnight in the fridge. The next morning, unscrew the lid and voila breakfast is served. The oats will have absorbed some of the liquid so they soften and all the flavours will have infused.

The combinations are innumerable. You could use soya or almond milk, any flavour yogurt, honey or maple syrup sweeteners, any nuts, seeds or spices and any fruit you desire. The website is full of inspiration.

I love porridge in winter; it's so pudding-like and comforting. This is a great summer alternative and ensures you can still have your oats - and enjoy them!