Healthy eating – Breakfast by the sea

Maple roasted fennel with smoked mackerel and apple

Heather — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:20:16 +0000

Maple roasted fennel with smoked mackerel and apple

When I’m working at home it’s all too easy for me to turn into the queen of procrastination. Endless cups of tea, a few loads of washing, a bit of sock pairing and anything else that’s got nothing to do with what I’m actually supposed to be doing! I also usually put my oven to good work, either roasting up some veggies for quick meals, baking or slow cooking a stew.

This week I’ve moved away from my winter staples of roasted root veg and onto my current obsession: fennel! I love this stuff and can quite happily much through a whole raw bulb all to myself. This time I thought I’d try something a little different by using some roasted fennel in my lunchtime salad. This is a lovely light, protein-packed dish with some pretty punchy flavours. The apple doesn’t keep so add it at the last minute.

Serves one but simply double up the quantities for two people.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 fillet of ready to eat smoked mackerel (I used peppered mackerel)
A handful of dill
1 red eating apple, grated.
1 bulb of fennel
Juice of half a lemon lemon juice

Method
Chop up your fennel into chunks and place on a roasting tray, cover with the maple syrup & give it a good mix round
Roast on a medium heat for around 20mins or until it softens and browns.
Grate your apple and place into a bowl with water and lemon juice.
To serve, place the cooked fennel on a plate and top with the apple and chucks of mackerel, sprinkle with some chopped dill and a little lemon juice.

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Butternut Squash & Coconut Soup

Heather — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 12:33:02 +0000

Butternut Squash & Coconut Soup

Ingredients
1 butternut squash cut into small chunks
1/2 can coconut milk
2 pints of vegetable stock
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method
Lightly fry the onion in the oil on a low heat for around 4/5 mins or until it has softened.
Add the garlic and butternut squash and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the stock, bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer and cover. Leave to cook down for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes add the coconut milk remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Once slightly cool blend to a smooth consistency
To serve, top with chilli flakes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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DIY Pot Noodle

Heather — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 10:17:38 +0000

DIY Pot Noodle

Stuck for lunch ideas? How about this cosy homemade pot noodle?

Packed full of healthy ingredients – design your own flavour combinations with either veggie, vegan or meat.

Add quick cook noodles to a heat resistant jar.

Top with 1/4 stock cube (I used Kallo Low Salt Veggie).

Add your choice of veg. Try: Sweetcorn, spinach, grated or strips of carrot, chillies, sliced spring onion and some protein such as chickpeas, silken tofu, chicken or ham.

Add a tbsp of soy sauce, a tsbp of lime juice and a tbsp of honey.

Top with boiling water, pop a lid on and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

Stir and enjoy!

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After School Snack Ideas

Heather — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 10:29:04 +0000

School days are long for little learners and they are usually ravenous by the time you pick them up. So ward off hangry tantrums with a few of these nutritious suggestions to keep their tummies topped up until dinner.

Fruity yogurt pots

These yogurt pots are fun for kids and you use any kids of fruit to create colour combinations. You can also make them in advance to keep in the fridge ready for after school

Use any kind of tupperware pot, old jam jar or a small drinking glass (if your child is old enough to use this safely)
Start by creating a layer of fruit using your child’s favourite. This could be pieces of tinned fruit (fruit in juice rather than syrup if possible), slices of chopped banana, pear, apple, berries or cubes of melon.
Next add a layer of sugar free granola or muesli
Top with plain natural or greek yogurt

Homemade tortilla chips and hummus

It’s surprisingly easy to make your own tortilla chips and they make a far better alternative to shop bought crisps which tend to be really salty.

Preheat your grill to a medium setting
Cut up a couple of tortilla wraps into triangles and lay on a baking tray, give a small spray of oil or brush lightly with vegetable oil. Sprinkle lightly with paprika and pop under the grill, turning over once they’ve started to lightly colour on one side.
Word of warning! The tortilla chips will brown very quickly so keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

Other ideas:

Cubes of cheese & sliced apple
Chopped veggies & hummus
Banana & peanut butter wrap
Wholewheat crackers with soft cheese & grapes
Toasted teacake
Wholewheat bagel with hummus
Homemade oat cookies
Fruit and yogurt smoothies
a small cup of lentil & vegetable soup
Plain popcorn
Baked apple rings with cinnamon
Mini Babybel cheese & slices of apple

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Veggie Curry in a Hurry

Heather — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:14:47 +0000

Veggie curry in a hurry

This is a vibrant, hearty curry that’s lovely and filling, ready in under 30 minutes and won’t cost you a bomb in ingredients.

Serves
Makes enough for two generous portions and some for leftovers too.

Ingredients
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ thumb sized piece of ginger grated
2 large potatoes peeled and cut into small even chunks
2 or 3 large tomatoes cut into chunks
1 red pepper cut into chucks
200g tin of chickpeas
2 tbsp of curry powder
400ml tin of coconut milk |(approx 200ml)
Coconut yogurt and lime pickle to serve

Method
Peel and dice up your onion finely and fry on a low heat until soft.
Next add crushed garlic and grated ginger, curry powder and chunks of potato and fry until the potato begins to soften and lightly brown.
Add the peppers, tomatoes and continue to fry for 5 minutes.
Add your chickpeas and coconut milk, bring to a simmer and let it bubble away on the hob for about 15 minutes.

Serve on a pile of fluffy basmati rice and don’t be shy with the lime pickle and coconut yogurt.

Time-saving tip: A lot of supermarkets sell bags of pre-chopped garlic and ginger, which can be a great time-saving as you can simply use what you need and pop the rest back in the freezer.

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Green Power Smoothie

Heather — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 12:50:50 +0000

Green Power Smoothie

If you’re trying to increase your intake of healthy greens then why not try this nutritious green smoothie. Packed full of lovely veg, it’s a great way to get your greens in at the start of your day, or to give you a refreshing boost in the afternoon.

Ingredients
½ cucumber
1 handful of spinach
1 handful frozen pineapple
1 handful of mint leaves
Juice of ½ lime

Method
Pop all the ingredients in a blender and blitz till smooth.
Enjoy over ice.

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Spicy Bean Burgers

Heather — Mon, 08 May 2017 12:16:30 +0000

Spicy Bean Burgers

I’m guilty of eating a little too much meat sometimes and when I want to lighten up mealtimes I always find beans make a nutritious, cheap and versatile option. This recipe is really quick to prepare and the trusty food processor does most of the work for you – hurrah!

Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 tin of chick peas
1/2 tin of kidney beans
2 spring onions
Juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp of mayonnaise
1 tsp of dijon mustard
3 tbsp of breadcrumbs
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin

Method
Preheat grill to medium heat
Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until well combined.
Shape into even sized patties and grill on each side until the burgers start to brown.
Serve in wholemeal rolls with a generous spoonful of hummous and lettuce.

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National Lottery Food Champions Project

Heather — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:25:04 +0000

National Lottery Food Champions Project

One of the last jobs I was booked for before taking my maternity leave was The Food Champions Project for the The National Lottery and The English Institute of Sport. So on a rainy winter day last December I hauled all my gear (and my sizeable 8 month pregnant bump) up to London for an epic two day, 40 recipe, shoot.

The aim of the project is to share the eating habits of elite athletes so you can see just what the pros eat to keep them at the top of their game. If you thought sport nutrition meant eating bland and boring foods then recipes for this project will certainly change your mind.

I had the pleasure of working with a fab team: Lucy our amazing food and prop stylist, her assistant and Omar our talented chef – his food was incredible and we all stuffed ourselves silly for the two days. I also have to say a huge thank you to the team at the National Lottery who were total dream clients!

All the recipes, as well as information about the project are available on the National Lottery Food Champions Project website.

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Superfood Christmas Magazine

Heather — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 15:19:53 +0000

Superfood Christmas Magazine

Back in late summer I was commissioned by the Guild of Master Craftsmen to do the photography for their Superfood Christmas Magazine (yup, shooting Christmas images in the summer – the strange life of a food photographer!).

Now that the magazine is out I can share the images with you and also mention that if you’re looking to have a healthier Christmas this year then Superfood Magazine has loads of ideas for tasty dishes that are both healthy and delicious, from canapés and party food to Christmas dinner.

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Raspberry Chia jam with yogurt & honey nut oats

Heather — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 11:00:02 +0000

Raspberry Chia jam with yogurt & honey nut oats

Everyone seems to be talking about Chia seeds at the moment so I thought it was time to see what all the fuss was about. As a rule I try to restrict puds to weekends and then treat myself to whatever I fancy but it’s no bad thing to look for heathier alternatives to processed sugars. Although this recipe is made with natural ingredients it’s still incredibly sweet and perfect for an occasional treat.

Ingredients
Raspberry chia jam (see bottom of page for recipe)
100g oats
50g mixed seeds
50g almonds ruffly chopped
50g hazelnuts ruffly chopped
3 tablespoons of coconut oil
4 tablespoons of honey (runny or set)
Pinch of sea salt
Natural yogurt

Method
Warm the honey and cocount oil in a saucepan and when melted add the oats, seeds, nuts, salt and mix until throughly combined.
Place in a baking dish, press down til flat and bake for around 20 minutes at 200oc/Gas 6 or until golden brown all over. Leave to cool then break up with a wooden spoon

Raspberry Chia Jam Recipe

Having never used Chia seeds before I adapted a Chia jam recipe from the amazing My New Roots cookbook.

Ingredients
250g raspberries
1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved
Pinch of fine sea salt
3 tablespoons chia seeds

Method
Put the berries in a blender, add the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla bean and sea salt. Process until smooth. Slowly add the chia seeds and process until combine.
Transfer jam to a container. Seal and refrigerate for at 15-20 minutes, or until chia seeds have thickened puree to the consistency of jam. Jam will last for up to one week if kept sealed the fridge.

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