Christmas and the meals around it

Its that time of year again where we dash about looking for the perfect present and the perfect meal to serve on Christmas Day.

We obsess over the turkey and trimmings and forget about what we will eat in the days leading up to the big day, and the days after.

This is a wonderful time to eat staples that we wouldn't normally think of. Meatballs or falafel, soups, home made breads and tea loaves.

I had some wonderful meatballs the night before last, the first time I'd tried to make them. Pork sausage meat, parsley and garlic were the only ingredients in the meatballs, served with a warming tomato sauce and tagliatelle. It really was delicious, vibrant and not too heavy but very filling.

Plans for the menu this week include lentil soup, lamb shoulder (slow cooked with smoked paprika and winter veg in a one pot casserole), falafel and a fish dish (to be decided). We are currently being inundated on the telly with notions of left-over turkey before the event! Generally we don't have much in the way of left-over turkey. We always had enough for Christmas day and Boxing day and that was it. We'd move onto other foods after that, which is such a good thing, after seeing all the possibilities with left-over turkey :D

One of my favourite left over dishes is bubble and squeak. I've seen so many recipes for this over the years but really all you need is left-over potatoes and cabbage, with some oil in a frying pan and an egg to bind everything. It really is that simple. I'd probably add cayenne as I am pregnant just now and loving everything with cayenne at the moment :D

I think a key to surviving this time of year is to not think too hard about it. Just go with what flavours you and your family fancy, nothing too heavy after the main event as your stomach will need a rest, but good, hearty food. Soups never go wrong and make a wonderful winter warmer.

Have a wonderful seasonal feast wherever you are and stay warm and dry xx

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scotland about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback: The Island of the Mist is book 2 The Stone in the Sword is book 1 The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats: The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

Winter is on its way

Winter is almost upon us, and we are already craving comforting, warming foods. We want casseroles, stews, curries, one pot wonders. Anything warm and cosy that will make life feel good.

Celeriac is a wonderful root vegetable at this time and if you haven't tried it I strongly recommend it just now, while its in season. Here are a few recipe ideas: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/search?keywords=celeriac

Another thing I love at this time of year is a pudding, or a scone, or a cake in the evening. One of my favourite cake/loaves is Date & Walnut and Nigella has a wonderful recipe for this: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/date-and-walnut-loaf-1748

Finally a word on thrift regarding winter warmers. We bought a whole rabbit from the butcher last weekend and made a wonderful stew with half of it but the bones were terrible! Please be aware that if you are having rabbit there are many, many bones, some of which are tiny but could make you choke so please be careful.

We also bought a very cheap piece of lamb - the rib. This, stewed or casseroled over 2 1/2 to 3 hours with onions, carrots, garlic, cayenne pepper, stock and bay leaves is simply divine. The meat melts off the bones. I have never been a fan of ribs until trying this and it was so good we are serving it to guests this weekend. Add potatoes in for a filling meal.

On a vegetarian note, puy lentils are a fantastic staple. They are highly versatile and very good for you, hold their shape far better than red or dahl lentils and can be used for chilli's, casseroles and anything else! They will take the boldest of flavours so don't be afraid to try new recipes.

This looks to be a winter of bad weather and cold and/or wet nights. Stay warm and well fed x


On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scotland about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback: The Island of the Mist is book 2 The Stone in the Sword is book 1 The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats: The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

September foods, harvest time

September is my favourite month of the year and one of the reasons for that is the variety of wonderful foods. It really is a flavour-fest!

This is the time of harvest and we get to reap what we have sown.

Soups are top of the list for me, as we have lentils and squashes, beetroot and courgette.

In season this month:
Apple, Damsons, Figs, Pear, Plum, Raspberry, Sloe
Aubergine, Beetroot, Butternut squash, Cabbage, Chicory, Cobnut, Fennel, Globe artichoke, Pumpkin,
Radish, Rocket, Sweetcorn, Swiss chard, Truffle, Watercress
Grey mullet, Mackerel, Mussels, Oyster, Scallop, Sea bass,
Grouse, Lamb, Partridge, Venison, Wild duck

Going out of season:
Apricot, Bilberries, Nectarine
Courgette, Cucumber, French beans, Greengages, Kohlrabi, Marrow, Pepper, Runner beans, Spring onions, Tomatoes
Crab, Sardine

So do get them while you can!

If the weather holds out, it is a great time to havea few late barbeques before its back indoors for casseroles and risottos or stews and lovely soups. As I mentioned in a post some time ago, Bubble and Squeak is one of my favourite meals, a great way to use up excess cabbage and full of wonderful goodness.

I mentioned before a book I was reading called In Defence of Food by Michael Pollan. I cannot recommend this highly enough! It is an excellent book on food, diets and how to live well and be healthy. It was a Sunday Times best food book of the year and rightly deserves this title.

As a diabetic, i like to know what foods have a good effect on my blood sugars. I monitor regularly and have noticed that lentil soup seems to work very well at balancing my sugar levels. I strongly recommend home-made lentil soup to anyone with diabetes. Lentils are also very good for lowering cholesterol and balancing blood pressure, so if you have a health problem in any of these areas, you might want to start eating a few bowls of soup, or having lentils as part of a main meal. Red work very well but puy are also good. I haven't tried yellow lentils yet and as such cannot state whether they are as effective.

As a result of reading this book, I am more inclined to go for organic produce than before, even though it is more expensive. Organic food has more nutrients than heavily farmed non-organic produce.

Good eating :D

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scotland about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback: The Island of the Mist is book 2 The Stone in the Sword is book 1 The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats: The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

Chicken dishes and vegetarian options

Chicken is the kind of food you can eat all year round. But finding new ideas on how to cook it can be tricky. I think finding new types of cuisine is the key here. Many people don't really know much (apart from people from the area themselves) about Middle Eastern cuisine. This type of cuisine seems to have been made for chicken! Spices about as the flavours are fragrant, delighting the sense. And for the vegetarians, we have a few alternatives!

A nice, easy way to get into this flavourful type of cooking is by starting with something like Chicken tagine (can also be used with lamb).

Rather than write out the recipes myself, I'm simply sharing the links to some delicious recipes: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chickentagine_74834

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/648086

The following link is for a general chicken dish with Middle eastern flavours: http://www.womanandhome.com/recipes/292397/middle-eastern-chicken-recipe

The delectable http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mussakhan_80246">Mussakhan

Middle eastern cooking includes spices such as saffron, cumin, harissa, raz al hanout and other rubs.

Of course, it doesn't have to be chicken! Many dishes from this area are vegetarian, from baba ganoush to hummus, and lets not forget falafel: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/homemade_falafels_with_30527

More vegetarian options include:

Potato and Walnut Kibbe

Fattoush

Whatever you have this summer, keep it lively!


On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scotland about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback: The Island of the Mist is book 2 The Stone in the Sword is book 1 The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats: The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

In Season in August and kohlrabi

We're fully into summer now and while the year has been sluggish so far, its starting to catch up now that we've had some proper sunshine!

Here's a list of all that's in season this month:

Apple, Apricot, Bilberries, Nectarine, Raspberry

Aubergine, Beetroot, Chicory, Cobnut, Courgette, Cucumber, Fennel, French beans, Globe artichoke, Greengages,
Kohlrabi, Marrow, Pepper, Radish, Rocket, Runner beans, Spring onion, Sweetcorn, Swiss chard, Tomato, Watercress

Crab, Grey mullet, Sardine, Scallop, Sea bass

Lamb, Venison

Stil in season but heading out:
Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Peaches, Redcurrants, Strawberries and also Mangetout!

An unsung hero at this time is the Kohlrabi. This 'cabbage/turnip' is a wonderful vegetable that is hugely versatile. Much like other veg, it is very different cooked than in its raw state. Raw, it is wonderful with apple and citrus flavours in a salad or slaw. Cooked, it is amazing roasted or in a soup. I've included a link here for a wonderful, light summer soup recipe: Kohlrabi soup.


On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scotland about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback: The Island of the Mist is book 2 The Stone in the Sword is book 1 The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats: The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

Fake food!!! Plus Carrot and Coriander Soup

With every new invention of a type of food with omega 3 added to it, or a cereal with iron and vitamins forced into it, we move further into the realm of fake food.

Eggs generally do not naturally have Omega 3 - it is added to them my feeding the hen flaxseeds etc. Mass producers are going mad in their search for the perfect processed foods - while the real food, unadulterated (we hope!) is being left of a shelf. I have to say that I would rather have a real potato than fake 'low-fat' pasta. Fora that matter, I'd rather have proper pasta than the fake stuff.

We are messing about more and more with our food and it is not healthy! Many people still think margarine is healthier than butter. Butter is a natural by-product of milk. Very little other than churning and packing is done to it - marg is a whole other kettle of fish. Every part of it is processed.

We have become so obsessed with healthy eating that we are eating very unhealthy items because they have healthy nutrients added. This is not a good way to eat!

We need to return to a diet of non-processed foods, or very few if possible, of enjoying and savouring our food and not thinking about the nutrients in a particular product but in the overall goodness of a meal.

Anyone who has read 'In Defence of Food' by Michael Pollan, will recognise what I am saying. I recommend reading this book for anyone who is not sure they should drop the 'altered' cereal boxes.

Nutritionists keep changing their minds about what is good for us - protein, then carbs, not animal fat but trans fats, not trans fats etc. We need to realise that this is an industry closely linked to the processed food industry. We should trust ourselves. Eating a balanced meal of unprocessed foods is far healthier than a ready meal with low fat content and added vitamins.

My mum makes the best soups ever! She has a real talent for them. Last year she started making carrot and coriander soup but not with ground coriander/seeds, with the leaves. It was a blessed change and I found I loved this soup far more than the one with the seed. I can highly recommend this type of soup. So use up those excess carrots in this delicious soup. Simply substitute the ground coriander for fresh and use as much or little as you like!

Bon Apetit!

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scotland about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback: The Island of the Mist is book 2 The Stone in the Sword is book 1 The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats: The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin

Fabulous Fennel!

Fennel is one of my most favourite and most versatile vegetables out there. You can do so much with it and it really packs a punch. It also happens to be in season at the moment!

If you tried fennel and didn't like it, try it again. The flavour of raw fennel is very different from the cooked, which sweetens it. If you tried it raw, try it cooked and vice versa!

Fennel is wonderful raw in a salad with something citric, like orange or grapefruit, or as an accompanyment to fish (if roasting your fish, lay it out on top of a bed of fennel). Rather than reamin off a huge list of ideas, here are a few recipe links:

Fennel and Orange Salad

Sauteed Caramelised Fennel

Red mullet, fennel purée and fennel salad with lemongrass broth

Griddled fennel with a hot tomato and balsamic dressing

Chicken breasts with fennel

Fennel is not the only thing in season in July. This month has some of the most falvoursome fruit and vegetables available!:
apricots, blackcurrants, redcurrants, loganberries, cherries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines and raspberries
broadbeans, aubergine, chicory, courgette, beetroot, spring onion, swiss chard, watercress, tomato, cucumber, french bean, kohlrabi, greengages, globe artichoke, runner beans, peas, radish, rocket
lamb, mackerel, sardines, crab

So why not get them at their best!


On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scotland about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback: The Island of the Mist is book 2 The Stone in the Sword is book 1 The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats: The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin