Shredded Sprout Salad

Posted on December 27, 2020 by Belinda Berry

Continuing with my theme of leftovers. In order to have a few cooked sprouts with our Christmas Dinner, I had to buy a much bigger pack than we needed, so lots of raw sprouts left to use up.

I thought I would try a variation on an Ottolenghi recipe that was in the Guardian recently. Necessity forces me to come up with modifications… This was really nice and crunchy, didn’t really taste like Brussels sprouts at all, and went very well with cold turkey and ham for our lunch today. Pomegranate seeds are so lovely to add to a salad, they give a lovely jewelled look, as well as having an interesting texture and flavour.

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Shredded Sprouts Salad

A fresh and crunchy side dish that goes really well with cold turkey or ham

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 7

Servings 2

Calories 170kcal

Ingredients

1/4 whole red onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
15 ml lime juice
1 tsp maple syrup
1 pinch sea salt
100 grams brussels sprouts finely shredded
1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
15 grams Tamari-roasted almonds roughly chopped (leave a few whole)
25 grams pomegranate seeds
1 tsp pomegranate molasses

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and gently fry the onion for a few minutes and the add the garlic.
Cook for another minute or so and then add the mustard seed.
Mix this in a bowl with the lime juice, maple syrup and a little salt, then add the sprouts and herbs.
Drizzle the pomegranate molasses over the top.

Christmas Leftovers? Plan Ahead!

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Belinda Berry

I love Christmas leftovers and my idea of heaven is having a house full of home-made and fresh foods, which will form the basis of delicious meals up to New Year. With just the two of us this year, I am planning ahead and making sure that I have all the things I need to make some of our favourite dishes and make the most of the turkey, ham, pudding, cheese, cream and so on. So my shopping list includes

mushrooms
celery
leeks
pomegranate
red cabbage
pumpkin or butternut squash
filo pastry
limes
Greek yogurt
long-lasting leafy greens such as baby spinach/rocket or endive

I also find this is a great time of year to use preserves and pickles and things stashed away in the freezer and cupboards.

Here are some recipes which I look forward to.

Cinnamon and Citrus Pineapple – Have you got a pineapple that you didn’t get round to eating? This is a fab way of enjoying it. I usually serve it with thick Greek yogurt.

Squash, Stilton and Quince Tart – a super way to use blue cheese. If you are lucky enough to have your own Quinces, making Membrillo / Pate de Coing is a fab way of preserving them. I love to use it with a sharp cheese like Queso Manchego as an appetiser, and also add to apple pastries for dessert, but less often think of it as part of a main dish. They have pate de coing on the cheese counter at our local supermarket. This is a fab and substantial lunch or supper dish, which is super with a bright green and red salad (spinach or rocket with pomegranate).
Celery and Stilton Soup – I am so looking forward to this! Yes, I love to have stilton with a digestive biscuit and a glass of port, but this is worth buying a bigger piece of cheese for! Other blue cheese can be used. Part-baked baguettes make fab crunchy garlic breadsticks.
Roast Pumpkin and Glazed Walnut Salad – crack some of those walnuts, or maybe you have pecans, almonds or hazelnuts to use. It doesn’t need much in the way of leaves, but it is good to have some contrasting colour and texture, so I might use endive or radicchio.Clementine Cake – it is lovely to have a huge bowl of beautiful orange fruits to decorate the table, but you don’t want to let them get past their best, so whether they are Satsumas, Tangerines, Mandarins or Clementines, this dairy and wheat-free cake is a joy.Don’t forget the fabulous stock that you can make from boiling a gammon or the turkey carcass. Soups made with such stocks don’t need to be complicated, they will be full of flavour. I am looking forward to a zingy Thai-style Hot and Sour Soup. I keep lemon grass and lime leaves in the freezer and a jar of red Thai curry paste lasts for ages in the fridge.

As for the turkey, ours comes from Sarah Meakin at Domain du Merchien and it is the star of our Christmas table. With all the accompaniments we don’t actually eat a lot of it on Christmas Day, but just love a platter of cold meats with preserves and salads. Then there is our favourite Club Sandwich, as well as Turkey, Ham and Leek Flan; Turkey and Mushroom Pie; Turkey Curry; Turkey Risotto and Golden Tangle Pie. So, what leftovers will you be looking for ideas for? Or what are your favourite ways of using them?

A little bit of thinking ahead and you won’t have to rush to the shops to get anything extra. This year, more than ever, I have got accustomed to shopping only once a week, and I think I can happily manage a couple of weeks, as long as I have some fresh salad leaves from the kitchen windowsill – time to start sprouting! Have a wonderful festive season.

I’ve got a lovely bunch of – Coconuts!

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Belinda Berry

It’s coconut day! I am often tempted by a fresh coconut, especially if when I shake it, it has plenty of water inside. But then it sits in the fruit bowl, waiting… well today is the day!

Here is our coconut friend.

I start by making holes in and draining out the coconut water. This makes a fabulous electrolyte-balancing drink on a 5:2 fast day. In the UK you can buy coconut water ready prepared, probably made from green coconuts, which have a lot more liquid. But I can’t buy that here in France, so getting it from a coconut is the only way…. They have to be fresh though; if they have been sitting on the supermarket shelf for weeks, the liquid dries out and the flesh can go bad. So always give a coconut a good shake before buying it.

I put the coconut in a zipped plastic bag and smash it onto the concrete outside, until it is broken into several pieces. I was really lucky with this one, the shell broke off cleanly, leaving the flesh with it’s skin in a few big chunks. Rinse in cold water.

Then I take a few pieces (about 60g) and make slivers using a swivel potato peeler. These go on a baking sheet, to be toasted in the oven.

The remaining flesh is peeled – I find slicing it off with a small sharp knife the easiest way to do it. Then cut into chunks. A few chunks get set aside, just for the joy of eating some fresh coconut. Put the rest into a blender along with about 250ml water and blend until the coconut is finely chopped and looking creamy, adding some more water if it seems a little dry.

Turn out the flesh and liquid into a sieve lined with a piece of muslin, over a bowl. Add a little more water to the blender and whizz up to get the last bits of coconut, then add that to the sieve. Gather up the cloth and squeeze to get out as much liquid as possible.

Turn out the remaining coconut flesh and spread over a baking sheet.

Heat the oven to 160c (fan) and toast the coconut flakes and flesh, turning occasionally until dry and lightly golden. The flakes will only take a few minutes, keep an eye on them. The flesh will take longer; just turn and spread out again a few times, until pale golden and almost dry.

Now you have coconut milk, coconut flakes and dry (dessicated) coconut, as well as a small glassful of coconut water. The dry coconut doesn’t have so much flavour, as so much of the fat has gone into the milk; but it is a great source of fibre and is a good addition to curry or dhal, or a great topping for a dessert. I store it in a plastic box with a lid. You could grind it up to make coconut flour too. I haven’t tried that yet.

I’m going to use the milk in a coconut and lime ice, which will be served topped with toasted coconut flakes. Yummy! The milk is not as creamy as the cans or packs you can buy, as they usually are thickened with guar gum; but the flavour is lovely. Instead of a sugar syrup I will use a few teaspoonfuls of Agave syrup, which will just take the edge off the sharpness without adding a lot of calories.

How many calories in all these various coconut things is a bit of a puzzle. A typical coconut is 1405 calories. I weighed the flakes before and after and they work out to less than 8 calories per gram. Dessicated coconut is less than 7 cals per gram and I have ended up with about 100 grams of that. So by a process of elimination, I reckon the coconut milk is about 600calories. But hey, it’s not a fast day, so we don’t need to worry too much. Coconut is full of good things and is said to be a boost for our immune systems, helping to protect against viral and bacterial infections. With the number of people around that seem to have suffered from something or other these last few weeks, I think we will be glad of some extra support in that.

A midwinter treat, that reminds us of far off shores and sandy beaches, heat and sunshine. I should coco…. 😉

Turmeric is my latest go-to spice

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Belinda Berry

Did I mention Turmeric yet? Perhaps not. Since watching a recent ‘Trust Me I’m a Doctor‘ episode, I have been inspired to include more turmeric in our diet. In a really interesting piece of research, it was discovered that eating turmeric has effects on the methylation of DNA that are not achieved by taking supplements. It is hoped that this helps to unravel some of the negative changes that may occur, and in particular may help reduce our risk of cancer.

The use of heat, and the addition of oil and black pepper helps to increase the bio-availability of turmeric, so the ideal way of adding it to our diet is to make a curry! But actually, you can use turmeric in many different kinds of dishes and even in desserts. An easy way to increase your use of it is to make Golden Paste – you cook turmeric powder in hot water and then add in coconut oil (or olive oil) and freshly ground black pepper.

I’ve been experimenting with ways of using this. I’ve added it to bolognese sauce, stir fries, braised vegetables, in fact almost anything savoury can take the addition of some. We often start the day with some greek style yoghurt, with half a tsp of golden paste added in, some chopped fresh figs (which are abundant at the moment in our garden) and topped with chopped toasted hazelnuts. I also discovered that banana fried in butter with golden paste, honey and lime juice is amazing! For added spice benefits, I served it with fromage blanc mixed with ground cinnamon and decorated with lime zest.

Turmeric is often used as an inexpensive substitute for saffron, as it gives a strong yellow colour – the flavour is quite different, but it does tend to work agreeably with the same food partners. Here is my variation of an Ottolenghi dish. Roast Chicken with Turmeric, Hazlenuts and Honey.

Roast Chicken with Turmeric, Hazelnuts and Honey

2016-10-31 14:41:12

Serves 4

A comforting family meal or an exotic dinner party dish, the delicate spicy flavours and tantalisingly crunchy topping make this easy dish a winner.

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr

Ingredients

4 chicken legs, divided into thighs and drumsticks
2 onions, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp golden paste
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp cold water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
100g shelled hazelnuts
35g honey
2 tbsp orange flower water

Instructions

In an ovenproof dish, mix the onion, spices, oil, lemon juice, water and seasoning.
Marinade the chicken pieces in the mix for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 190c.
Bake the chicken for 35 minutes on a middle shelf.
While the chicken is cooking, spread the hazelnuts onto a baking tray and toast in the oven on a top shelf for about 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden.
Allow the nuts to cool for a little, then rub in a clean cloth to remove the skins.
Chop the nuts roughly and mix with the honey and flower water to make a rough paste.
Remove the chicken and spread with the nut paste.
Cook for a further 5 - 10 minutes, until the nuts are nicely browned.

Notes

See the link on this page for the method for making golden paste.
Alternatively you can use a good pinch of saffron strands.
I used orange flower water, but rosewater would be more authentic.
I served this with Green Beans with Hazelnuts and Orange (from The Cookbook by Ottolenghi) and Orzo (langues des oiseaux) pasta with vegetables.
The calorie count is per serving: 450 kcals, 35g Carbs, 30g Fat, 18g Protein

By Belinda Berry

Adapted from Ottolenghi

Focus on Flavour https://www.focusonflavour.com/

Can you have too many courgettes? I don’t think so….. Greek-inspired Courgette Patties

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Belinda Berry

One of my favourite discoveries last year, when I visited Greece, was Kolokithokeftedes – Fried Zucchini/Courgette Fritters. A delectable mix of crispy outside and soft interior. Returning home, I dug out a few recipes and inevitably, made some changes to come up with my own version, that fits in well with a Mediterranean style diet and one that is full of vegetables, nuts and, very importantly, FLAVOUR.

These are great fried, but actually easier to make and probably healthier too, if you bake them. Instead of breadcrumbs, I use ground almonds, which help to make them more protein-rich and lower in carbs.

You can vary the herbs and spices, but for me, mint and basil or oregano, along with freshly toasted and ground cumin and coriander, plus a little smoked paprika, have become the favourites. Add some finely chopped chilli for a bit of a hot kick.

This is good with larger courgettes too, though for the best flavour and texture I choose medium sized ones – up to about 15cm long. You can use any summer squash, as shown here, I have used a mixture of yellow patty pan squash and courgettes.

*It’s important to remove moisture, so after grating them, I lay them on a cloth and then gather it up into a ball and squeeze out as much liquid as I can.

Greek Inspired Courgette Patties (Kolkithokeftedes)

Makes 12 – 15

3 med – large courgettes (about 750g), grated and squeezed * (120 kcal)
1 red onion, finely chopped (44 kcal)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (9 kcal)
½ green or red chilli, finely chopped (optional) (2 kcal)
1 egg, lightly beaten (63 kcal)
3 – 4 tbsp fresh herbs, finely chopped (parsley/mint/basil/oregano/coriander) (9 kcal)
100g ground almonds (579 kcal)
100g feta cheese, crumbled (264 kcal)
25g parmesan cheese, grated (80 kcal)
freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
1 tsp ground cumin (8 kcal)
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp smoked paprika (2 kcal)
olive oil for frying or baking (40 kcal per tsp)

Mix all the ingredients, except the olive oil, in a bowl.

If you are going to bake them:

Heat the oven to 200c. Spray or brush a non-stick baking sheet with olive oil. With damp hands, take about a tablespoonful of the mixture, form into a rough ball and then flatten into patties. Lay them on the sheet and finally spray or brush very lightly with a little more oil. Bake on the top shelf for 25 to 30 minutes, turning half way through.

If you are going to fry them:

Heat a non-stick frying pan over med-high heat and add enough olive oil to just cover the base. Using a damp spoon, put spoonfuls of the mix into the hot oil and fry on both sides/all over until nicely browned. In Greece I have seen them all shapes and sizes, so go with what suits you!

a couple of examples of Greek kolokithokeftedes

Either way, lay onto some paper towel to absorb any extra oil. Serve hot, warm or cool.

Delicious served with Tsatsiki (Yogurt and Cucumber dip) and/or a Tomato and Chilli Salsa.

If you make 12 from this quantity, each one will be just 98 kcal, plus a little for the oil they are cooked in. In the following calculations, I have allowed for 2 tsps, which is approximately what I needed when baking them

Per Patty: kcals 105
Carbs 5.6g Fat 7.7g Protein 5.0g

Courgette Bruscetta with crispy Jambon Cru

Posted on August 13, 2016 by Belinda Berry

Ok, I’m guilty of an Italian/French fusion in my title, but hey, I’m embracing being a European and thoroughly enjoying being under the influence of a bit of Mediterranean panache when creating delicious vegetable-based dishes. My inspiration came many years ago, from a one of the River Café books – hence the use of bruscetta rather than tartine. Don’t be put off if you are a veggie – this is fab without the meat and I have further suggestions below.

Sauteed Courgettes with Herbs, Garlic and Lemon

If you grow courgettes, it is almost inevitable that you will have a glut at some point, even if you do try to keep picking them when they are small. This is one way of making them so tasty that even a veteran courgette-disliker can be won over. For other suggestions, do look at my Tuscan Zucchini soup and also my Seasonal Specials board on Pinterest, where you will find links to recipes for Zucchini chips, Kolokothikeftedes (Greek courgette fritters), Curry Marinated Squash Salad and more besides.

When I first created this recipe for my elderly mother, who loved ‘things on toast’, I grilled the jambon cru because she found it hard to manage raw. It worked beautifully. Now, I tend to cook the ham quickly on a fairly high heat in the frying pan, before sauteeing the courgettes and garlic, then it can drain on kitchen paper while the vegetables are cooking – you may get a crisper result baking in the oven at about 220c, but it seems a shame to turn it on just for that.

If you are a vegetarian, I suggest a topping of parmesan shavings or fried halloumi. If you are a vegan, perhaps some crispy fried onions, or some toasted chopped pine-nuts or walnuts.

You could equally use this over a pile of tagliatelle or orecchiette, or maybe crozets, the little squares of buckwheat pasta. In which case, I would probably toss the pasta in some basil oil and parmesan cheese, or pesto. Or it would pair wonderfully with Aligot (mashed potato with garlic and cheese). If you you stick with toast, then choose from wholewheat, or a substantial pain de campagne or ciabatta, that can stand up to being rubbed with garlic….

I find that every so often I really appreciate some starchy carbs and this makes a good way of using them, but if you wish to avoid them, then a big pile of dressed green salad, or perhaps a white bean puree would make a great base.

Courgette Bruscetta with Crispy Jambon Cru

This can make a delicious starter or a light lunch.

Per person:

2 slices of Jambon Cru (Bayonne, Serrano or Parma ham) (91 kcal)

for the courgettes:

1 tsp olive oil (40 kcal)
1 medium courgette (about 100g), sliced into thin round or diagonal slices (16 kcal)
1/2 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced or chopped (2 kcal)
A sprig or two each of parsley, basil / marjoram and mint, finely chopped
sea salt and black pepper
some finely pared zest of lemon

for the bruscetta:

2 slices of bread (138 kcal)
1/2 clove of garlic, peeled (2 kcal)

Heat a frying pan over fairly high heat and fry the ham on both sides until nicely browned. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

Lower the heat to medium, then add the courgettes, garlic and a spray or drizzle of olive oil to the hot pan, along with about half of the herbs and season lightly. Smaller, fresh courgettes merely need to be sautéed for about 5 minutes, until lightly golden. For older courgettes, sauté for 5 mins, then cover with a lid and cook for up to 10 minutes more, until tender.

Meanwhile, toast the bread on both sides, then rub with the clove of garlic.

Add the remaining herbs and lemon zest to the courgettes, spoon over the toast, and top with the crispy ham.

Per serving: 290 kcals
Carbs 29.6g, Fat 11.6g, Protein 18g,

Serving suggestion ; a little basil oil and a side salad of tomatoes in olive oil on some green leaves.

Tomato Tales – Sundried Tomatoes

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Belinda Berry

A lot of people know that I love to grow tomatoes. A lot of tomatoes. Lots of different varieties. This year I think I have about 60 plants of 20 or so different sorts. Not only do I love to eat a simple tomato salad, I like to have enough tomatoes so that I can avoid buying canned tomatoes or pizza or pasta sauce altogether. I also generally find that those you buy from the supermarket are pretty tasteless, especially out of season, so I prefer to use my own frozen or sundried tomatoes instead throughout the winter and spring.

With the smaller tomatoes, I generally sundry them and then store them in olive oil. I find they only need 2 or 3 days in the sunshine. Cut them in half, lay them cut side up on a tray, sprinkle with sea salt. I usually put a wire rack over the top which keeps flies off successfully. Leave them in a sunny spot, but bring them in overnight or if there is any hint of rain.

If it looks like they aren’t going to get fully dry because of poor weather, they risk going mouldy, so then I finish them off in the oven – at about 80c until they are the texture I like, which is still kind of soft, but crinkled, what the French would call mi-cuit. If you don’t have sunny weather at all, you can do the whole thing in the oven, or you could use a dehydrator. But I think the sunshine gives the most flavourful results and the best texture.

Once they are dried to your liking, you can store them in a jar of olive oil. I push in as many as I can fit in the jar and then pour in good quality virgin olive oil to completely cover them. Use a chopstick or spoon to ensure there are no air bubbles. I can get at least a whole tray full in one jar, so it is a good space-saving method of storing them. Keep them in a cool, dark place and I find they last at least a year and even two (on the occasions when I have made more than we get through).

Another way of storing them that I am trying this year, is putting them in a ziploc bag and freezing them. I think this could be an excellent way of saving them to make a paste with later, or just to add them in to all sort of savoury dishes.

So to finish with, here is one of my favourite ways of using sun dried tomatoes

Quercy Melon, Cucumber, Goat’s Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes

Per person

¼ of a Quercy (charentais) melon, peeled, deseeded and cut into 3 wedges (41 kcal)
40g of soft goat’s cheese (77 kcal)
a chunk of cucumber, halved, peeled, deseeded and sliced into thick chunks (8 kcal)
6 small sundried tomatoes, or slices of 2 large ones (18 kcal)

Dress with a drizzle of vinaigrette made with olive oil, walnut vinegar, balsamic vinegar, grainy mustard, garlic, sea salt and pepper and scatter with some fresh basil or finely chopped mint. Add about 40 kcals for a tbsp of dressing (ratio of olive oil to vinegar 1:2).

Per serving: kcals184
Carbs 18g Fat 10g Protein 7g

This makes a fabulous starter, or a light lunch. I really like it best with the soft goats cheese, like a buche fraiche (fresh log) that I can buy in the market, or the Petit Billy type of chèvre frais; but you could also use cabecou, or perhaps some sheep’s cheese like feta or buffalo mozzarella.

This recipe first appeared in my book Focus on Flavour: Recipes inspired by living in South West France.

Bon Appetit!

Beautiful Basil…

Posted on July 29, 2016 by Belinda Berry

It’s getting to the time of year when most of my gardening time is spent watering and harvesting. The first wave of beans and the raspberries are now coming to an end, but tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, summer squash, Swiss chard and perpetual spinach are growing abundantly, and the first chillies are ripening.
For these vegetables I’ve been trying out some new ideas, most of which I have captured on my Pinterest board – Seasonal Specials.

I also have some fabulous Basil plants. This year I have Purple, Sweet Green Genovese and Thai varieties.

So, what to do when you have a fabulous amount of basil? I make Basil Oil – it is wonderful drizzled over fish, chicken, anything with tomatoes, roasted vegetables, cheese…. This and the other following recipes are from my first book Focus on Flavour.

Basil Oil

I came across this in a book by Annabel Langbein and it was an instant hit with me, because I adore basil and mourn the end of the growing season. This is the perfect way to preserve the intensity of its flavour and colour. It gives a terrific visual lift to the Tomato and Feta Tartlets as well as giving its heady herbal warmth to chicken, fish, potatoes or other vegetables.

1 cup tightly packed basil leaves
Boiling water
½ cup olive oil
½ tsp sea salt

Pour the boiling water over the basil leaves and immediately refresh under cold water. Drain well and blot dry with paper towel. Blend with salt and olive oil until smooth. Store in the fridge or freeze in ice cube trays.

Approx 120 calories per tbsp

Tomato and Feta Tartlets with Basil Oil

These little tarts are really yummy. A wonderful mixture of tastes and textures. You could use mozzarella instead of feta.

Serves 6

Ready rolled Puff Pastry (373 kcal)
3 – 4 large ripe tomatoes (100 kcal)
½ pack (75 grams) feta cheese, sliced (200 kcal)
Sea salt and black pepper
3 tbsp Basil Oil (360 kcal)

Preheat oven to 200ºC. Cut out circles about 10cm diameter from the pastry. Lay onto a baking tray and prick the bottom with a fork. Chill for 20 minutes.

Slice the tomatoes and layer on the pastry, alternating with the cheese. Drizzle with basil oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with a drizzle of basil oil on the plate.

Approx 175 kcals per serving

I also love to make my own Pesto, but instead of using Pine Nuts, I use Walnuts

Walnut Pesto

Until I discovered Basil Oil this was the only way in which I could capture the wonderful aroma of basil to use beyond the season when it grows fresh. We have plenty of walnuts here, so I used them instead of pine nuts and I think they give the pesto a really fantastic flavour. It also tastes delicious without the cheese for vegans or those avoiding dairy products.

I use this with pasta for a simple starter or lunch dish, mix it in to a vegetable soup just before serving, or spread over meat or fish (see Chicken Pesto Parcels).

1 cup basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
½ cup shelled walnuts
½ cup olive oil
Sea salt
25g finely grated Parmesan or other hard cheese (optional)

90 calories per tbsp
Fat 9.5g, Carbs 0.6g Protein 1.6g

Put the basil, garlic, walnuts and salt into a blender with about half the olive oil to mix to a paste. Stir in the cheese, if using. Transfer to a screw-top jar and pour in extra olive oil to cover completely. Screw on the lid and store in the fridge. Mix well before using and recover any remaining paste with olive oil again. Keeps well.

Chicken Pesto Parcels

A super simple way of dressing up a piece of chicken, full of flavour and great for a 5:2 fast day

Cooking the chicken wrapped in paper helps to keep all the flavour and juiciness in. This is a great way to cook if you need to cater for different preferences – meat, fish and vegetarian parcels can all be cooked at the same time without transferring their flavours.

Serves 4

4 escalopes of chicken (or turkey) (164 kcals per 100g)
2 tbsp Walnut Pesto (180 kcal)
4 slices Bayonne ham (183 kcal)

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Spread the pesto on the chicken. Lay the ham on top. Roll up each one and place into the centre of a sheet of baking paper, then fold up and seal into parcel. Bake for 30 minutes at 200ºC.

Lovely served with braised endive in a cheesy sauce.

Approx 250 calories per serving (based on 100g chicken)

Week 3 Meal Plan

Posted on January 16, 2016 by Belinda Berry

This week I am planning on using cherries and figs from the freezer, as we have lots of them. I’m hoping that defrosted figs will work well in this delicious Fig and Almond tart! If we didn’t have our own produce to use up, then I would be choosing pears, oranges and pineapple for desserts, which are all good right now. You can find several recipes for those by looking through the Recipe Index in the menu bar.

I picked up a bargain pack of free range chicken legs, plus I already had a plan to make a batch of meatballs to prepare in 3 different ways (Scandinavian, Italian and Greek style), so this week is more meat-orientated than last. But we will have some fish with salad for lunch on a couple of days, and I am planning to do one of my favourite things ever with leeks – Leek Risotto with Parmesan Crisps. I have a lot of Green Beans in the freezer, plus there is still some kale and cabbage to gather, so I don’t need to buy much in the way of green veg.

Looking ahead to next weekend, I am planning a Greek inspired day. With so much talk of how good the Mediterranean diet is, I don’t need much of an excuse for making Spanakopitta, which makes a great lunch with some salad and can also make a wonderful fast day meal.

It is hard to find the right sort of cheese to make Saganaki with in France, so we bought some Kefalotiri when we were last in England, which I keep in the freezer. You may have seen Rick Stein cooking this on his recent series “Venice to Istanbul“. He suggests using Halloumi, but that is equally hard to source here. Sliced in half, dipped in semolina or flour and fried in olive oil, then drizzled with honey and sprinkled with black sesame seeds…. I remember having it with a fresh tomato sauce in Piraeus, which adds a lovely splash of colour.

We will follow it with Keftedes and Lemon-infused Greek style Roast Potatoes (I think my idea for this comes from Tessa Kiros’ book “Food from Many Greek Kitchens“). Alongside that I plan to serve some green vegetables, cooked in the style of Horta (Mountain Greens) – steamed or boiled shredded kale, cabbage and sprout tops, most likely, as that is what I can gather from the garden at the moment – the key thing is the addition of olive oil and lemon juice!

For dessert I will probably make Hazelnut and Agave Syrup Baklava, but I have a recipe for Knafeh (from Olives, Lemons, Za’atar by Rawia Bishara) – the “shredded wheat” type of pastry that I would love to try. But where do you find katafeh dough (shredded filo) in France? Can I just chop up some filo? Hmm, more research needed here. The only thing missing will be the Retsina, as it will still be Dry January…

I’m planning to add the recipes for the Fig and Almond Tart and the Meatballs over the next few days, but the latter can be found in my book 5:2 Healthy Eating for Life, along with a number of the other ideas in this weeks meal plan.

Have a tasty and healthy week – and try and move more! Wrap up well and get out in the crisp winter air, it may not last long!

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sunday	Bacon, Egg, Tomato, Sausage (brunch)	Fresh Fruit	*Chicken and Lemon Tagine, Carrot and Cumin Salad, Gingered Yogurt, Za'atar Flat Bread Fig Tart Almandine
Monday	FAST DAY	-	Carrot and Coriander Soup (100) Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Trout (160 / 270) Poached Figs with Greek Yogurt (170)
Tuesday	Yogurt with Cherries	Smoked Mackerel Salad Fresh Fruit	leftover Chicken Tagine with Cous Cous and Steamed Vegetables leftover Fig Tart
Wednesday	Yogurt with Figs	*Leek Risotto with Parmesan Crisps Fresh Fruit	*Scandinavian Meatballs, Lingonberry Jam, Creamy Pepper Sauce, Mashed Swede, Green Beans Cherry Cobbler
Thursday	FAST DAY	-	Courgetti with Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (250 / 320) *Poached Spiced Cherries with Fromage Blanc (100)
Friday	Wholewheat Toast with Almond Butter	Seared Tuna and Green Beans à la Greque Fresh Fruit	Chicken with Saffron and Garlic, Patatas Bravas, *Cabbage Green Pepper and Caraway Salad leftover Cherry Cobbler
Saturday	Boiled Egg and Wholewheat Toast	*Spanakopitta with Salad Fresh Fruit	Saganaki with Black Sesame Seeds and Honey Keftedes, with Greek style Roast Potatoes and Mountain Greens Hazelnut and Agave Syrup Baklava
* indicates recipes that are in 5:2 Healthy Eating for Life # recipes are in Focus on Flavour

First Weekly Meal Plan of 2016

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Belinda Berry

Well we’ve just about used up all the leftovers from Christmas, but what I do have is some fabulous stock from boiling the gammon. So the first thing to go into my meal plan for this week is some soup – one of my all time favourites, Pea and Ham.
Sometimes I make it with frozen peas, but today I decided that I should make an effort to use some of the dried foods in my cupboard, so I am making it with dried Split Green Peas. There are a few scraps of gammon left to use up in it. We have some oddments of cheese and I also have a jar of fabulous lemon curd (thank you Wyn!), which needs to be finished! So that explains Sunday….

After that, I am trying to focus mainly on vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, with small amounts of meat, fish and dairy. This is my take on a planet and people friendly diet! Our chickens are still laying, so there are eggs in my plan too. So nothing is excluded, but because we are keen to start the New Year with getting back into shape, we are keeping our calorie intake down and generally that means that meals are lower in carbs. Seasonally speaking, I have cauliflower, Swiss chard, various root vegetables, citrus fruits and pears. But I also have to remember that I have a lot of our own produce in the freezer, so we will use some raspberries this week.

You will find many of the recipes are linked to from the table, others can be found in one or other of my books – and some are just ideas that will be worked on and photographed – and no doubt shared with you if they are worthy of repeating!

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sunday	Bacon, Egg, Tomato	Leftover Pizza with Mixed Salad. Fresh Fruit	Pea & Ham Soup. Cheeseboard with Pickles. Lemon Curd Ice Cream with Amaretti Biscuits.
Monday	FAST DAY	-	Moroccan Cauliflower Soup (90). Salmon Stuffed with Pine Nuts and Herbs, Steamed Vegetables (240). *Oranges with Pistachio Nuts and Chopped Dates (120).
Tuesday	Yogurt with Prunes	Pea and Ham Soup. Raw Vegetable Salad. Fresh Fruit.	Spice-rubbed Pork Escalope with Fennel, Cheesy-topped Sweet Potato, Lemon Curd and Raspberry Filo Tart
Wednesday	Yogurt with Raspberries	Paté, *Celeriac Remoulade, Pickles, Melba Toast. Fresh Fruit.	*Spiced Red Mullet with Coconut-Lime Sauce, Cranberry-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Coconut and Passion Fruit Creme Brûlée
Thursday	Porridge with Raspberries (80)	FAST DAY	*Leek and Crunchy Carrot Gratin (200). Fromage Blanc with Passion Fruit (90)
Friday	Wholewheat Toast with Almond Butter	Bacon and Eggs with Baked Beans. Fresh Fruit.	Beetroot and Shallot Tarte Tatin with a Warm Puy Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Soft Goat's Cheese. Pear with Amaretti Crumble.
Saturday	Boiled Egg and Wholewheat Toast	*Home Made Pizza and Salad. Fresh Fruit.	Courgette Crisps with Garlic Mayonnaise dip. Tofu Burger with Fennel and Radish Salad and Pumpkin and Celeriac Galettes. #Flourless Clementine Cake with Chocolate Orange Sauce.
* indicates recipes that are in 5:2 Healthy Eating for Life # recipes are in Focus on Flavour

Focus on Flavour

5:2 Healthy Eating for Life

Category Archives: Seasonal produce

Shredded Sprout Salad

Shredded Sprouts Salad

Ingredients

Instructions

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Christmas Leftovers? Plan Ahead!

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I’ve got a lovely bunch of – Coconuts!

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Turmeric is my latest go-to spice

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Can you have too many courgettes? I don’t think so….. Greek-inspired Courgette Patties

Greek Inspired Courgette Patties (Kolkithokeftedes)

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Courgette Bruscetta with crispy Jambon Cru

Sauteed Courgettes with Herbs, Garlic and Lemon

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Tomato Tales – Sundried Tomatoes

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Beautiful Basil…

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Week 3 Meal Plan

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First Weekly Meal Plan of 2016

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Shredded Sprouts Salad

Ingredients

Instructions

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Greek Inspired Courgette Patties (Kolkithokeftedes)

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Sauteed Courgettes with Herbs, Garlic and Lemon

Courgette Bruscetta with Crispy Jambon Cru

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Like this:

Quercy Melon, Cucumber, Goat’s Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes

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Basil Oil

Tomato and Feta Tartlets with Basil Oil

Walnut Pesto

Chicken Pesto Parcels

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