Sunday 10 July 2011

Time to bulk up!

With only 14 days left before I fly out to Lusaka and join the other members of the Row Zambezi team, I have to really work hard now at keeping fit and healthy, so I can start the trip at the peak of fitness.
Luckily the team have been helped along with sponsorship from a few supplement companies, so we will all be taking probiotics and multi-vitamins prior to and during the expedition, in the hope that this may give us a good base of nutrition, especially for the days when we are surviving on army rations (which I have been told will cause constipation, so I will also be sneaking a little pot of ground linseeds into my bag, to help me in that situation!).
But what also sprang to mind was that I will certainly be losing weight whilst on the trip (rowing for 4-7 hours a day for 17 days does have some benefits!), so could allow myself a few treats before I go!  So as well as taking in my normal healthy day to day nutritional foods, I have been allowing myself a bit of free rein on everything else.  Pudding for me (I have a very sweet tooth) would normally be fresh fruit and natural yoghurt, which I do adore, but this week I found a little banoffee pudding to be equally satisfying!
Getting away from my normal diet also gives me more inspiration to try new recipes, and this soup was served to me in a restaurant when I was on a press trip in Germany many years ago and I had always wanted to try to recreate it - I think I've just got it right!
I have also recently acquired a fantastic machine called a Vitamix - an amazingly serious blender that can blend almost anything, and it makes this soup taste extra creamy and light.


Salmon and Horseradish Soup

Serves 4
Prep time: 8 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
500g potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 ltr fish stock
260g salmon fillets, cut into chunks
1 ½ tbsp creamed horseradish
100g double cream
snipped chives to serve

1.     Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the sliced leeks for 6 minutes.
2.     Add the chopped potatoes and stock and bring to the boil.  Simmer for 16-18 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
3.     Add half the salmon and cook for a further 2 minutes.
4.     Process in a blender or food processor with the creamed horseradish and cream until smooth.
5.     Return to the pan, add the remaining chunks of salmon and reheat until the salmon is cooked – about 2-3 minutes.
6.     Serve garnished with snipped chives.

2 comments:

Vanessa said...

How can you do that to me? A picture of banoffee pudding and no recipe??? I know you're off soon. Can we schedule a skype time? How about my Thursday evening, your Thursday morning? As soon as I've put the boys to bed I can put it on - around 7.30pm my time? Miss youx

Joy said...

Definitely! What time will that be for me??!! I have dentist at 9.30am (having a complete overhaul before I leave!) Miss you lots too. Jxx