More Questions than Answers?

It appears a lot of the nation were glued to the BBC's Angela Rippon, telling us 'How to Stay Young' - a two part series that delved into physical and mental health as we age.
There were lots of scientific bits, with research that backed up their theories, then lots that had absolutely no scientific evidence to support it at all (such as sitting down on the floor and standing up again with your legs crossed, not using any other part of the body, as a sign that you are likely to live longer), very disappointing.  A yoga instructor called into Radio 4 the following morning when this very item was being discussed, and pointed out that to attempt this was likely to cause injury - ankles and knees not being in line apparently.
Then there were the pieces that related to food - Angela was shocked to find she has visceral fat around her organs, but she was going to get rid of it by taking inulin every day (not a pile of old lentils, but just a teaspoon of powder) - no explanation as to what it is, what is does or how you may be able to get it from other foods?
Inulin is a dietary fiber, a naturally occurring oligosaccharide (several simple sugars linked together) belonging to a group of carbohydrates called fructans. Unlike other carbohydrates, inulin is non-digestible, so it passes through the small intestine, and ferments in the large intestine.  Through this fermentation process it becomes healthy intestinal micro flora and acts as a prebiotic, feeding probiotics (friendly bacteria) in the gut.  In addition to promoting a healthy gastrointestinal tract, inulin may also help with constipation.
Chicory root is the best source of inulin, but there are lots of other foods containing inulin that are easier to include in our everyday diets - leeks, garlic, onions, asparagus, bananas, wheat, Jerusalem artichokes and dandelion root.

For the brain we were told that purple foods would be beneficial, having studied a group of centenarians in the Far East.  Again, there was no mention of other aspects of their lifestyle (they were shown playing croquet and whizzing around on a scooter), or other aspects of their diet.  I expect the supermarkets are now being inundated with requests for purple sweet potatoes!
Anthocyanins are members of the flavonoid family of phytochemicals, found in plant foods.  They provide the bright red-orange to blue-violet colours found in many fruits and vegetables - blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, red cabbage, elderberries, cherries, purple grapes, blood oranges and aubergines especially.
Plants produce anthocyanins as a protective mechanism against environmental stressors, such as ultraviolet light, cold temperatures, and drought. This production of anthocyanins in roots, stems, and especially leaf tissues is believed to provide resistance against these environmental hazards, making them a potent antioxidant.  Research has shown anthocyanins may have a beneficial effect against cardiovascular disease, cognitive function and cancer.
To increase your intake of both nutrients, try these delicious low sugar muffins - perfect for a breakfast or brunch snack.  They are also dairy-free.  If you can find purple sweet potatoes great, if not orange ones are also fine in this recipe.

Banana and Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12

1 banana, peeled and chopped
4 eggs
100g light muscovado sugar
150ml olive oil
200g wholemeal self-raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
175g carrots, peeled and grated
160g sweet potato, peeled and grated
150g blueberries

• Pre-heat the oven to 190°C / Gas mark 5.  Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
• Mash the banana in a large bowl then whisk in the eggs and sugar.
• Slowly whisk in the oil.
• Fold in the remaining ingredients (do not over-mix).
• Divide between the paper cases and bake for 30-35 minutes, until risen and golden.
• Cool on a rack and store in a air-tight container - these also freeze well.

Cycling Curious Cuba

I was warned when I mentioned to others that I intended to cycle around Cuba that I would struggle to find good food.  I thought, how bad can it be?  And the answer is, pretty bad!  If you eat meat (lots of pork) and are only staying for one week in an all-inclusive resort, then maybe you will survive, but as a non meat-eater and one who likes to snack throughout the day whilst cycling, I was relieved that I had taken a stash of snacks with me.
In Havana we hunted down what was reported to be the best supermarket in the city (and reported by Lonely Planet as stocking everything from fresh pastries to babies nappies) - when we visited there was only spam (found everywhere in Cuba!), mayonnaise, shampoo and obviously, rum!
So not only can you not get a variety of food in hotels or restaurants, it's also impossible to buy it to cook for yourself.
I had assumed that when we reached the countryside we would see more of local people growing their own vegetables and fruits, but this was not the case either, although people we spoke to who were staying in local homes said they had experienced some great food.
One thing that the Cubans do very well is Pina Colada!  The best we had was from a shack (known as the service station!) on a main road - we stopped there around 10.30am and instantly joined the long queue.  I had intended to have mine without rum, but when they hand you the Pina Colada in one hand and a bottle of rum in the other, it seemed rude not to mix the two!
Another drink that became a favourite when we were cycling long distances on hot days was homemade lemonade - served ice cold, with a layer of honey in the bottom of the glass to be stirred in or not, depending on your likeness for sweetness.  I've had this a few times since my return - once while I was suffering with flu (but without the ice!), as I love the mix of sharpness and sweetness that it gives.

Cuban Lemonade

1 lemon, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
2-3 tsp good flavoured honey

Place the lemon and sugar in a small blender and blend with 100ml water.
Strain into a jug of ice and then strain again into another jug and top up with another 100ml water.
Spoon the honey into a glass and then pour the lemonade on top.
Stir as you drink!

PS.  I haven't actually tried it, but I suspect rum would also work quite well in this!

A New Grain?

It's taken me a while to recover from my recent trip to Ethiopia, for so many reasons!
Firstly, it was pretty tough from the point of being at a higher altitude than normal (Gondar is at an altitude of 7,300 ft - and from there we climbed higher) then, having decided to climb to the fourth highest peak in Africa (Ras Dashen at 14,928 ft) we also camped along the way, so no home comforts (or anything close!).  But the most difficult thing for me was coming to terms with the poverty that we came across along the way - it was worse than anything I have experienced in any other place I've visited (and I've been to a lot of third world countries), but still the people are smiling - how do they do that?  For anybody that is not satisfied with their life back here in the UK, go and spend a few weeks in Ethiopia, and realise how lucky you are.
Apart from the poverty, the area I spent time in was stunningly beautiful - the Simien Mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage site and it's easy to see why - you can sit on the top of a mountain, surrounded by beautiful tame baboons, watch ibex grazing (the only place in the world where you will find this amazing animal) and listen to the black kites making their calls as they fly overhead.  All this, and just mountains as far as the eye can see.
As usual, for me it was also a chance to see what food the Ethiopians live on, and it turns out that they have a fantastic crop that they have been growing for years - a grain that is gluten-free and richer in nutrients than most other grains.  
Tef, which is available in the UK but at the moment doesn't seem to be that well known, is rich in protein, calcium and fibre, along with many other important minerals and vitamins.
In Ethiopia the main food tef flour is used for is injera, a kind of fermented flat bread that is used as the plate before eating it.  It was an interesting texture (a bit like the top of a crumpet), and the sourness quite odd, but when eaten with the lovely spicy lentil dishes and vegetables it did seem to work!
I didn't take much into the mountains with me, but still I had more clothes than most, so eventually I gave them all away.  Which meant I had plenty of room in my suitcase to bring back 8kg of tef flour!!  The market sellers were not happy at selling such a small amount (?) and amazingly I wasn't stopped at the airport for having 8kg of white powder in my case!
So now have enough tef flour to experiment with for the next few weeks - keep looking for the new recipes coming your way.  And obviously if you don't want to buy tef flour you can use other gluten-free flours in the recipes.

Tef Berry Pancakes

Serves 4

125g teff (I used red tef)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 egg
175ml dairy-free milk
25g unsalted butter, melted
50g blueberries
50g raspberries
1 tbsp olive oil
maple syrup to serve (optional)

• In a large bowl mix together the flour, cinnamon and baking powder.
• Whisk together the egg and milk and then whisk into the flour until smooth - the mixture should be the consistency of thick double cream - add a little more milk if needed.
• Stir in the butter and half the blueberries and raspberries.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then spoon tablespoons of the mixture into the pan.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden underneath then flip over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.  Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Serve with the remaining berries and a drizzle of maple syrup if wished.

Mountain Bikes and Garlic

I did once own a mountain bike. I'm not sure why I had it as I never rode it off-road, just potted around country lanes, wondering why it was such hard work.  The nearest I've got to serious downhill mountain bike stuff was when I worked as a chalet girl in Chatel, France, we didn't have any snow for the first few weeks and one of the team thought it would be a great idea to take mountain bikes up in the cable car and then ride them back down.  I opted for sitting in the sun at the top of the mountain writing postcards, I was the only one injury-free at the end of the day!
But since moving back to the country I decided to join the local cycling club, not realising initially that mountain bikes were the bikes of choice (I turned up on my thin-tyred hybrid and was sent on my way!).
Luckily I have been loaned a rather gorgeous bike so now take part in the ride around The Chilterns each week - and what a great way to explore, albeit I am focused on the ground more than the surroundings as, watching out for tree stumps, mud, holes and the like is pretty crucial.
But what I didi spot as we were storming through a woodland this week, was a carpet of beautiful wild garlic.  Asking if everyone could stop whilst I pick a bunch of garlic was not really an option - trying to keep sixteen cyclists together all evening is already a big enough task, so today I retraced our route, this time on foot and with a big bag!


One of the tastiest things to make with wild garlic is this delicious pesto - rich, pungent and very moreish!



Wild Garlic and Hazelnut Pesto

100g wild garlic (flowers and leaves)
100g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
30g parmesan, grated
juice of 1/2 lemon
100ml-200ml extra virgin olive oil

- Place the garlic and hazelnuts in a food processor and process until completed broken down.
- Add the parmesan and lemon juice and blitz again.
- With the machine running slowly pour in the oil, adding more if you like a looser consistency.
- Spoon into a jar, cover with a little oil and store in the fridge.

Walking the Camino

What an amazing experience - one I would wholeheartedly recommend to anybody who loves a bit of a walk!
The Camino Frances is the most popular of all the Camino routes to Santiago de Compostela in North West Spain, and I can understand why.  It starts in St Jean Pied de Port on the French side of the Pyrenees and finishes around 780 km later in Santiago.   This was a test run for us, so with only one week to spare we managed to cover 102 miles.
Day one is a bit of a shock to the system, with a huge mountain to climb and over 17 miles to walk to the next hostel.  We were told we couldn't climb the mountain as there was deep snow at the top and it would be too dangerous.  Some of the party were relieved, others disappointed, but for those that thought we would be having an easier day, they were in for a bit of a shock!  We still had to climb to 1057 metres to reach our dinner and beds for the night!
Apart from the walking, the next best thing about the camino is the people you meet.  Everyone has a different story to tell as to why they are there, and there were lots of stories that certainly made me feel very humble, including a robust 74 year old woman who had walked the route 7 times and this time had started in Austria!
I had anticipated returning home a little slimmer, but fortunately the food was far too good for that to be the case - lots of great almond dishes, roasted peppers, surprisingly good fish, perfect paella, and great garlic soup! And of course we were walking through the Navarre and Rioja wine areas, so it would have been rude not to sample a little each night to help us sleep!




Quick and Easy Paella

Serves 4

 1 tbsp olive oil
 1 red onion, peeled and diced
 1 garlic clove, crushed
 pinch saffron
 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
 300 g long grain rice
 1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes
 900 ml fish or vegetable stock
 400 g mixed seafood (frozen is fine)
 100 g peas
 seasoning
 handful chopped parsley

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and saute the onion for 4-5 minutes then stir in the garlic, saffron and paprika and cook for 1 minute.
• Stir in the rice to coat with the spices, then pour in the chopped tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15-18 minutes, stirring from time to time, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
• Stir in the seafood and peas, cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Check for seasoning, scatter with parsley and serve.

Happy eating!

Joy x

Training for a pilgrimage

Well it's not long now before myself and six friends head off for St Jean Pied de Port to start the Camino de Santiago - a very long walk across the top of Spain.  We are only going to do a quarter of it - with the intention of returning each year for the next three years to complete the 791km pilgrimage!
Needless to say we've had a strict training programme in place (?!) - stomping over the Chilterns most weekends, trying to find the steepest hill we could, to acclimatise ourselves to the accrued ascent of 990 metres on day one!
And obviously to compensate (and reward) us for each training session, there has to be cake (to be honest, I'm not sure anybody would have turned up for the training had cake not been made available!).
On one of our walks we were lucky enough to find a church that not only provided tea and coffee, with a kettle and fridge with milk, there was also cake in the fridge - what a welcome treat that was.  If you are walking the Ridgeway, take time to wander off the trail to Nuffield church for a bit of sustenance.
One of the group can't tolerate dairy, so each week I had the fun task of coming up with a different delicious dairy-free cake - another challenge I really relish!  Baking without dairy is actually pretty straight forward, and most of you who follow me regularly will know that I am a great lover of coconut oil (and the brand I think is the best for flavour and quality is Coconoil), so this is used for fat instead of butter and works really well.
Up until now though I'd never attempted pastry, so gave myself a new challenge!  And I'm pleased to say the result is pretty tasty.

Fig Tarts

Makes approx 10-12

For the pastry –

60 g wholemeal plain flour

100 g plain flour

1 tbsp caster sugar

60 g Coconoil

6-7 tbsp iced water

For the filling –

225 g dried figs, chopped

2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar

pinch nutmeg

·        -To make the pastry, mix the flours and sugar in a bowl and then place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

·        -Melt the Coconoil in a microwave and leave to cool.

·        -Slowly spoon the coconoil into the flours, rubbing it into the flour as you would if you were using butter.  Return the bowl to the freezer for 15 minutes.

·        -Meanwhile, cook the figs in a pan over a medium heat with 300 ml water, until most of the water has been absorbed.  Stir in the sugar and nutmeg until the sugar has dissolved then remove from the heat.  Place in a food processor and blend until nearly smooth.  Leave to cool.

·        -Remove the pastry mix from the freezer and break up any large lumps with your fingers.

·        -Spoon in the water, using a knife to mix it in, then use your hands to finally bring the dough together.  Roll into a ball then wrap in cling film and leave to stand for 20 minutes to rest.

·        -Roll out on a floored work surface, then use a pastry cutter to cut 10-12 circles and place these in a cake tin.  Spoon the fig mixture into the pastry cases.

     Bake for 20-22 minutes at 180°C (450°F) Gas mark 4.

      Eat warm or cold with a dollop of creme fraiche (if you can tolerate dairy!).

       Happy Eating 

J     Joy xx

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Finally out of hibernation

It's that time of year when, after a few days of sunshine I finally feel like I can come out of hibernation.  No more layering on the clothes, staying indoors because it's dark at 4pm, or eating comfort foods due to being bored!  Yes, it even happens to me!
This is the time of year I love, it's time to get out and get living life to the full again.  And I do mean for you to get out - don't exercise in a gym when it's sunny outside - get out there and climb a hill or cycle to the shops - include it into your daily routine.  I feel hugely lucky that I live in the beautiful Chilterns so for me the perfect antidote to feeling sluggish is a brisk walk over the nearest hill - it's amazing how positive I feel when I return home.
For a lot of people it's also a time for spring cleaning, but as I've never been that keen on hoovering and dusting, I tend to do my spring cleaning on myself!  I will not mention the D word, or I will have you all rushing to make cauldrons of cabbage soup and the like, but spring cleaning your body is a great way to help you towards optimum health and vitality, and all it takes is changing your eating habits to only include fresh, clean foods.
Cutting out processed foods doesn't have to be difficult, and once you start experimenting and enjoying fresh food, you will never eat processed food out of choice again!
Next time you go food shopping fill your basket with fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits, nuts, seeds, eggs, fresh fish, lean meat, olive oil, quinoa, rice, lentils, coconut milk, spices, and anything else you love that is not processed, then go home and start to experiment (that's pretty much what all good cooks do to come up with recipes).  You will be amazed at what you can make - tabbouleh with grilled fish, Spanish tortilla, Thai curry, vegetable soups, fish pie, rice salad - the list is endless, and not a processed food in sight.  Here's what I came up with this weekend - a protein rich meal made with fresh ingredients, ready on the plate in 20 minutes!

Salmon Burgers with Griddled Asparagus

Serves 4

700 g salmon fillet
20 g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 sticks lemon grass, sliced
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
5 g fresh coriander
freshly milled black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
400 g asparagus
4 eggs
2 tbsp flaked almonds

- Place the salmon, ginger, lemon grass, sesame seeds, coriander and pepper into a food processor and blitz until well combined.
-Using wet hands, shape into 4 burgers then chill for 20 minutes.
-Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and 1 tbsp olive oil on a griddle.  Cook the salmon burgers for 6-8 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through the middle.  Keep warm.
-Poach the eggs in a pan of simmering water, and cook the asparagus on the griddle for 2-3 minutes.
-Serve the salmon burger on a bed of asparagus, topped with the poached egg and sprinkled with flaked almonds.

Happy eating!

Joy x