Creating Recipes with Exeter Cookery School

I've started 2017 with a culinary first - I've devised my very own recipe. Thanks to an exciting opportunity with Exeter Cookery School, I've channelled my inner Nigella (I knew she was in there somewhere!) and turned my mind to coming up with a recipe for the sort of comfort food I crave at this time of the year. It's actually quite daunting devising a recipe - it's one thing to love food and have an appreciation for different flavour combinations but quite a different proposition to come up with something that's a) edible and b)actually enjoyable for your dining companions. 

After thinking about the flavours I love and the sort of food that I naturally gravitate towards, my recipe was always going to look towards the Med for inspiration. And having recently been inspired by Nigella Lawson's programme on the legendary food writer Anna del Conte, I've been craving a taste of Italy as an antidote to all that turkey and Christmas buffet food. 

So, my recipe blends classic Italian flavours with a nod to Spain - I just love chorizo and sherry so I wanted to find a way to include these in my idea. The result uses Orzo, a rice-shaped pasta that creates dishes that look more like risotto. It's perfect when you're craving carbs but want something a bit different to more ubiquitous pasta varieties. 

I've used a picante chorizo but standard chorizo will do - you need it in a ring rather than thin slices. Be generous with the sherry - white wine might also work but sherry gives the dish a particularly special flavour. And you need good quality tomatoes that are really juicy - I used delicious cherry tomatoes from Waitrose. 

I hope you enjoy my idea - if you get a chance to try it, I'd love to hear what you thought of it! 

Orzo with Spicy Chorizo, Tomato & Basil

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 tsp regular olive oil
120g chorizo picante, cubed (regular will do but I used an extra spicy version from Waitrose)
75ml dry fino sherry 
250g orzo pasta
625ml boiling water
Knob of butter
1 heaped tablespoon grated parmesan (and a little more to serve)
Generous handful of ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered
Generous handful of fresh basil

Method:

Gently heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan - I used my regular pasta pan. Throw in your cubed chorizo and gently cook without burning. Add the sherry to the pan and let it bubble and absorb. 

Then add the orzo and toss it in the juicy oil from the chorizo, making sure each grain is coated. Add the water and and turn down the heat to a simmer. 

Let the pasta cook for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. You may need to add a little more water from the kettle; a bit like making risotto, you want the water to absorb but the pasta to be cooked properly.

Once the pasta is cooked and all the water is absorbed, beat in a knob of butter. Then beat in a good tablespoon of grated parmesan so your orzo becomes a little creamy. Then thrown in your tomatoes and basil.

Plate up your orzo and add a scattering of basil and perhaps a little more parmesan and black pepper to serve. 

Find out about Exeter Cookery School and the courses it runs here.

Hemsley + Hemsley (and me...)

You're probably really over people banging on about things like eating clean, going sugar free, juicing, cold-pressing, spiralizing, etc, etc. But I'm afraid I'm going to add to the seemingly never-ending stream of articles, blogs and TV programmes on healthy eating with this post, sharing my love for the Hemsley and Hemsley girls, or rather their book 'The Art of Eating Well'.

My healthy eating bible

Slightly annoying title aside, this book isn't a pretentious foray into faddish food habits or the latest health obsession. It's written in a helpful, supportive way with a common sense philosophy at its core -  the 'better than' rule - which suggests that striving to eat the best, most nutrient-rich food wherever possible is the way forward. Many of the recipes are re-interpretations of old standards - shepherd's pie, beef ragu, sausage casserole - and the book relies heavily on something that was a mainstay in the cooking habits of our grandmothers: the bone broth, which is integrated into many of the books soups and sauces as a way of getting a good dose of nutrients, as well as keeping your gut in good nick(being mindful of one's gut health is another guiding principle of the book.) If you were given bone broth as a child (or in my case the Italian version - 'Brodo' - a comforting broth swimming with tiny pasta shapes), you'll no doubt remember its amazing capacity to make you feel instantly better when you were run down and poorly.

Can you tell I make this recipe a lot?

Aside from the recipes, the book is actually very interesting to read, shedding light on the science behind the buzzwords. If you've ever been dismissive about the power of that most middle-class of foodstuffs - quinoa - you might change your mind when you find out it's one of nature's most 'complete' plant foods, and a veritable powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And if you've ever tried cooking it only to end up with a bowl of flavourless, unappetising mush, this book explains how to 'do' quinoa properly - turns out it can actually be quite nice when you combine it with the right ingredients. I can personally vouch for the Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Brazil Nut Pesto, which helped me to finally 'get' quinoa.

If you're thinking a recipe book written by two sisters who also run a bespoke food service, catering to dietary whims of the rich and famous, equals expensive recipes featuring a myriad of weirdly named ingredients you've never heard of, I'm pleased to report that the recipes are - on the whole - pretty accessible (though I've yet to track down dried arame seaweed or furikake so I can have a crack at the Superfood Salad...). While some dishes do call for expensive ingredients - raw honey don't come cheap, unfortunately - I haven't noticed that following a healthier philosophy has had much impact on the weekly food spend. Places like Lidl and Aldi are great for stocking up on your fruit and veg, plus you'll pay much less here for what can be expensive items in the usual supermarkets (think pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, for example.) You will need to spend some extra time sourcing some of the less obvious items, however, but even Tesco is waking up to the fact that quite a few people want the odd pseudocereal in their lives. 

Broccoli, Pea & Basil Soup

Having tried to stick to a low-sugar diet in recent years, I have to admit that it can get a little boring sometimes, and while I've turned my tastebuds against processed sweet stuff, I don't think I'll ever completely lose my sweet tooth. However, I don't want to fall off the wagon, which is where the pudding and sweet treat recipes in this book have been most helpful. Who knew mousse made from raw cacao and avocado could be so nice (and so quick to whip up) and that amaranth makes a delicious alternative to rice pudding, satisfying a sweet tooth thanks to the use of maple syrup as a sweetener. Even my kids ate the no sugar, no flour banana bread for breakfast - a much better alternative to the standard toast 'n' jam or bowl of cereal. 

So, yes, buy the book. Everything I've made from it has been a success, and I'm using it more than any of the other books on my shelf at the moment. I feel pretty good on it and am finally getting my blood sugar issues under control, helping me feel a tad more energised, a little less stressy and generally more healthy.

Here are the recipes I've made so far and which I recommend trying:

Healthy chocolate mousse

Broccoli, Pea & Basil Soup

Feel justifiably virtuous whipping up a batch of this easy to prepare soup, packed with green goodness and boasting a deliciously tangy basil and lemon flavour. 

Beef Ragu & Courgetti

I nearly choked on my courgetti in amazement at the fact that my kids were happily slurping up their pasta sauce from actual COURGETTES. This ragu recipe is the best I've tried and you don't need to spend out on a spiralizer - I use a julienne peeler to get the same effect. 

Papaya, Halloumi & Watercress Salad

Papaya's never really done it for me, but it's packed with antioxidants and helps to cleanse your digestive tract. Combined with halloumi (one of my favourite cheeses) and peppery watercress, it's so much more palatable.

Hot Buckwheat Noodle Salad

They call it a "15-minute please everyone meal" - and it is. Delicious.

Banana Bread & Instant Chia & Blueberry Jam

Malaysian Lentil & Squash Curry

Not keen on lentils? Me neither, but this dish is so full of creamy flavour you'll forget that lentils have never excited you eating this yummy curry. 

Sausage & Cider Stew

Think swede, think bad memories of school dinners, but this recipe will make you realise that the humble vegetable is perhaps a little misunderstood. This stew combines swede with sausages, cider, leek and carrot to create an absolutely awesome winter dish. Highly recommended!

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Get a sweet hit without the sugar - this mousse takes moments to make and is full of antioxidant goodness.

Banana Bread

Ground almonds make a great alternative to flour, it turns out, and in this recipe they bulk up a mix of banana, flaxseed, maple syrup and cinnamon to make a filling, tasty bread perfect for breakfast or elevenses. Tastes great slathered with the book's recipe for instant blueberry chia jam.

You can buy 'Hemsley Hemsley: The Art of Eating Well' from all good bookstores and online at The Book Depository. A selection of recipes is also available on the Hemsley Hemsley website.

And if you're trying to cut down on sugar, you can read a post about my experiences here.

The Health Kick Kicks In

So, as is traditional this time of year (usually coinciding with that first, horrific trip to the shops to purchase swimwear) me and the other half are on a 'health kick'. While the stream of articles that litter women's magazines on making yourself "beach ready" infuriate me (who has time for a 2 week juicing detox, or a spare £200 to splash out on a figure enhancing, designer bikini?) the thought of exposing my pale, middle-aged body on a beach full of gorgeously lithe, olive-skinned beauties when we go on holiday in August doesn't exactly fill me with confidence, either. Don't most of us get that summer feeling of wanting to be just a bit lighter, a bit more energetic and a bit more glowing at around this point in the calendar? And there's nothing like turning 40 to remind you that your face and body need all the help they can get...

Our summer holiday destination

Several months on from trying to reduce my sugar intake (which I blogged about here)  I'm noticing small but significant changes, helping me stay away from the biscuit jar. I feel less sluggish and perhaps a bit less dimply of thigh. There isn't a weight loss motivation behind me doing this, but I was quite ill last year with a long-lasting virus and when a friend suggested giving up sugar as a remedy to the debilitating headaches I'd been getting, it seemed an obvious thing to try. I can't say with conviction what sorted me out in the end, but taking a long hard look at my diet and being more aware of hidden sugars certainly helped.

More recently I've been trying to address my issues with bread. I bloody love the stuff. But it's just not that good for you, is it? I can't say I like rye bread but it helps to satisfy my bread cravings (only just, though.) I can do without toast at breakfast but a sandwich, panini or baguette would be my lunch of choice. So, I'm limiting a bread-based lunch to the two days I work in an office (purely for convenience's sake) and am then avoiding bread on other days. 

I'm eating a lot of spelt crackers at the mo - nice with almond butter as a light lunch or in-between snack (Food Doctor wholegrain spelt crackers are available at most big supermarkets.) Talking of spelt, we tried spelt spaghetti the other day (white pasta is another of my weaknesses) and it was...okay. For me, nothing can replace proper pasta, but as we eat it a lot as a family I wanted to try an alternative. The kids didn't bat an eyelid about this strange new pasta - I was convinced they'd turn their noses up at it - so that was good; less good is the price point, as a 500g packet set me back £2.45. A packet of normal spaghetti is around the £1 mark so you can see the disparity.

Some low-sugar alternatives

Cost is something that is proving the biggest barrier to maintaining my good intentions. I simply can't afford to buy all organic, fill my basket with wholesome goodies from Holland & Barrett or indulge my romantic notions of starting every day with a home-made green juice, courtesy of a shiny Vitamix blender. Plus, life is really too short to be scouring the supermarket shelves searching for buckwheat noodles or raw cacao. But there are some healthy eating tips that I reckon are worth going the extra mile for, and luckily they don't cost the earth. Here are some other things that are working quite well for me at the moment...

Kale salad - not at all unpleasant

1. Shopping for basics at Lidl

Great for stocking up on the fruit and veg shop - so much cheaper than other supermarkets and the quality is pretty consistent. Items like blueberries, avocados, spinach and salad leaves are a significantly cheaper here. Buying basics at Lidl makes buying more expensive items like the aforementioned spelt pasta more viable. 

2. Swapping my morning latte for green tea

Apparently dairy gives you spots. So the morning lattes have been replaced by green tea, a cheap way to get a good dose of antioxidants. I'm getting quite fond of the taste. 

3. Making vat loads of Jamie Oliver's Tomato Sauce

I get why my kids won't eat kale or broccoli but I still want them to eat well, too. Feeding them veg by stealth is my modus operandi, and this sauce (annoyingly the recipe not available online) is a good one for getting them to eat squash, courgette and carrots without even realising. This recipe is similar to the one I've been making.

I also tried Jamie's Veggie Chilli recently and my kids weren't fully convinced but they were also not completely horrified by it. I think I'll convert them in time...here's the recipe. 

If these fail, most kids like pesto but to give it some extra nutritional value I wilt down massive handfuls of spinach in a pan with a little bit of butter, whiz in a blender and then add to the sauce - a quick way to top up your little veggie-phobes with some vitamins.

4. Trying the easier recipes on the Deliciously Ella website

A lot of healthy recipes not only require you being able to track down hard-to-find items but you also need to have quite a bit of time at your disposal so anything that involves simply dumping ingredients in a food processor is just fine by me. This is why the recipes on the Deliciously Ella site are so convenient as many involve nothing so taxing as a bit of chopping and a bit of whizzing. I have so far enjoyed the marinated kale salad - majorly virtuous and a lot nicer than the recipe suggests - and the cinnamon pecan granola which I'm using as a topper for fat-free natural yogurt in the mornings. It's delicious and a whole lot better for you than the high-sugar manufactured stuff. There are lots of other quick, relatively cost-effective ideas to try on the site.

Granola - not faffy to make at all

5. Finding the right exercise

Turns out I don't mind team sports (despite being pretty dismal at them at school)and it's true what they say - this sort of exercise feels so much less of a punishment. While I still don't fully understand the rules, my footwork sucks and I don't have a competitive bone in by body I've somehow ended up on a netball team. Playing in a proper league and everything! This entails weekly training and a weekly match, providing a much-needed cardio-vascular workout which I'm actually enjoying. Training is free thanks to a great initiative from England Netball (read more here) and match subs are about £3 per match. A total bargain.

Easy Home-made Pizza

Saturday night is pizza night in our household. If we're feeling a bit flush we might head to a favourite local pizza joint (Acapella or Prego on North View, perhaps, though we usually reserve the latter for a Monday night when you can enjoy a wallet-friendly two for one on all pizzas.) But more often than not I use the relative calm of a Saturday evening chez nous to perfect my pizza dough and try out some new topping combinations. For anyone scared by the word 'dough' - and I admit I was till I started making it myself - don't be. It's actually pretty hard to get wrong. According to the kids, my home-made pizzas win out against shop-bought alternatives, which is high praise indeed, given how fussy the two of them are.

Easy and incredibly cheap, I guarantee once you start making your own pizzas you won't look back. Here's my fool-proof pizza dough recipe:

Ingredients:

• 250g plain white flour
• 250 strong white bread flour or OO Italian flour
• 7g sachet of fast-action yeast
• 2 tsp flaky salt
• 300ml warm water
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• Packet of natural bread crumbs
• Olive oil spray

The above quantity makes 4 regular sized pizzas. It's best to use proper pizza baking sheets, though regular rectangular sheets will do.

Method:

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients, expect the breadcrumbs. Once flour, yeast and salt is combined, slowly add your olive oil, mixing in as you go. Do the same with the water. If the dough seems a little dry add a few extra drops of water, but go carefully or your mixture will get too wet. Combine the ingredients into a dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Now for the kneading, a great work-out for the old bingo wings! A good dough needs at least 10 minutes kneading to get the dough aerated and elastic. Once you're happy with it, spray a clean bowl with olive oil spray, add your ball of dough and cover with cling-film and a clean tea towel. Place the dough somewhere warm, like a sunny window sill or in front of a warm oven, and leave to proof, for at least at hour, or a bit longer if possible. You're looking for the dough to double in size. 

Ready to slam in the oven...

When the dough is nearly ready heat your oven quite high and throw you pizza sheets in to warm up. In the meantime prepare your toppings. I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to pizza - no pineapple or sweetcorn for me - and I tend to stick with traditional combinations. You can't mess up a simple Margherita of ready-made passata topped with slices of mozzarella, a sprinkling of oregano, a few basil leaves and a swirl of olive oil. I might add in a few slices of Parma ham, Italian pepperoni or a few anchovies and a handful of capers. I sometimes mix things up by eschewing mozzarella for goats cheese, which I combine with some sweet red onion, slowly softened and lightly caramelised in a pan.

When you're read to start assembling your pizzas, take a sheet out of the oven and sprinkle with your dried breadcrumbs - this gives that essential crunch to your base which makes your pizzas extra authentic. Roll out your dough and position it on your sheet before adding your toppings. They take just 10 minutes or so to cook in the oven. 

Ready to wolf down with a glass of chilled white

Simple, quick and devoid of all those nasty additives hiding in manufactured pizzas - what's not to love?

Curry made easy

I love curries but when it comes to making them I seem destined to fail. Most of my attempts to recreate the vibrant, spice-filled creations displayed in my cookbooks seem to result in bland concoctions that take ages to prepare but are truly disappointing to eat. The only exception to this scenario is a curry recipe I discovered in Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall's excellent River Cottage Family Cookbook.

Amongst the other easy, well-explained recipes is the answer to your curry conundrums - a simple but delicious Chicken Curry that uses store cupboard spices, tomatoes and chicken to create a cheap, flavour-filled treat that banishes the bland from your curry-making experience. I highly recommend this cookbook for family food inspiration - every recipe I have tried has worked a treat. 

The chicken curry recipe takes minutes to prepare and about an hour to cook. Served with rice and a naan, this dish has just the right amount of heat for younger palettes, but you can adjust the chili accordingly.

And the finished item looks like this...