27th October 2016

The Truth About Almond Milk

I recently worked on a recipe book that included a homemade almond milk recipe.  I decided to try it out and was shocked at how much of the almonds I actually wasted, as most were left over as dried up meal.  Thinking that shop-bought almond milks must be able to ensure that more of the nutritious almonds make their way into the final product, I took out my calculator and looked at some labels.  Prepare to be shocked at the results!   Making almond milk is pretty easy, if a little messy and time consuming.  You take some almonds (100g in this case) and soak them in water overnight.  You then stick them in a blender with some water (400ml) […]
5th October 2016

Courgette, carrot and feta fritters with mint

I recently went to Kefalonia for my honeymoon and we ate these delicious fritters with our meal one evening, so I decided to give them a go when we got home.  Vegetable fritters are versatile and a great way to get your 5 a day but the addition of feta and mint gave a real taste zing which makes them fantastic for dinner parties (use the leftover mint for caipirinhas!)   Makes about 8 fritters   You’ll need 1 large courgette, grated 2 carrots, peeled and grated A handful of shredded fresh mint leaves Black pepper 1 egg, beaten 8 slices of feta cheese, about 2cm square and 0.5cm thick 1tbsp rapeseed oil   How to Mix together the courgette, […]
25th April 2013

Celebrity Chefs – Mealtime staples or just for treats?

Today’s Telegraph article Celebrity Chefs – Are they making us ill? reveals, from my recipe analysis, that the meals we make after watching our favourite chefs on TV or reading their books may not always be all that healthy.   I analysed a range of recipes, from indulgent desserts like chocolate hazelnut cheesecake to mealtime staples like shepherds’ pie.  While you might expect a Nigella dessert to be loaded with sugar and fat, which is fine once in a while, you may be more surprised to find a fail-safe family favourite like shepherds’ pie to contain over 100% of the guideline daily amount for saturated fat in one serving.   Much as the evidence linking saturated fat to heart health […]