Last day of promo price!

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My cookery book Focus on Flavour, first published in 2008, is currently available on kindle at a special price, but will soon be going up. grab yourself a bargain!

Focus on Flavour – recipes inspired by living in south west France

New book 5:2 healthy eating for life – light, fresh seasonal: delicious calorie-counted recipes for fast days, family meals and entertaining, is coming soon!

Focus on Flavour now available on kindle

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My first cookery book, Focus on Flavour, Recipes inspired by living in South West France, is now available on kindle and in printed form on Amazon.

Focus on Flavour

You can get the kindle version here and the print version on Amazon UK. It is also available on amazon.com and amazon.fr

This book includes the original of my recipe for Raw Vegetable Salad with a zingy spicy dressing which is featured in Kate Harrison’s Ultimate 5:2 diet Recipe Book, plus there are lots of other flavourful and easy to prepare meals suitable for fast days, family meals and entertaining.

I am currently working on my next book, 5:2 Healthy Eating for Life which will have a great selection of my 5:2 calorie counted recipes, including many of those shared here on my blog, all gathered together into one easy to use format. Coming Soon!!!

November 5:2 Weekly Meal Plan

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The weather is decidely cooler and today I picked the last fig in our garden. Miraculously we didn’t have a frost in October this year to bring their development to a premature halt. 

I realise that we won’t be wanting to eat so much in the way of salads, so I am looking for some other ideas for our light lunches on normal days, and some warming meals for fast days and ordinary evening meals.

I’m looking to use the following seasonal ingredients: hazelnuts, walnuts, chestnuts, pumpkin, celeriac, brussels sprouts (tiny ones ready for tasting in the garden), parsnip, swiss chard, quince, apples, pears. There may still be some wild mushrooms to be had from the market.

So here’s the plan:-

Friday

lunch: ham, egg and chips (just a few, baked in the oven)
dinner with friends: Smoked salmon with gravadlax sauce and thinly sliced wholewheat bread; Duck breast with a maple syrup jus, celeriac and pumpkin paillasson (literally, doormats!), potato and garlic mash, beetroot relish; Apple and Quince filo layers with toasted hazelnuts, served with creme fraiche

Saturday

lunch: homemade pizza and salad
Strictly TV dinner – nachos; turkey chilli enchiladas; mojito cheesecake

Sunday

lunch: spicy pumpkin soup
dinner: nut loaf with oven baked vegetables, baby brussels sprouts and a wild mushroom sauce; upside down pear and ginger cake with custard

Monday – fast day

Thai style vegetable soup
pan fried red mullet with a puy lentil salad and coconut-lime sauce
apple and ginger compote with fromage blanc

Tuesday

lunch: leftover nut loaf with winter salad (beetroot, celery and apple)
dinner: rocket salad; Pumpkin Risotto with crispy sage leaves; upside down pear cake with walnut and maple syrup ice cream

Wednesday

lunch: french toast with grilled bacon and tomatoes
dinner: Pumpkin and Sausage casserole with stir-fried greens; plum and marzipan filo tartlets

Thursday – fast day

Bayonne wrapped pumpkin wedge; fish parcel with fennel; apple compote with fromage blanc

Focus on Flavour soon to be on Amazon and Kindle…

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I’m very excited that my first cookery book Focus on Flavour, Recipes inspired by living in South West France, will soon be available on the Amazon bookstore in printed form and on kindle! It is also already available on the Apple ibook store.

Focus on Flavour

This book was first self-published in 2008 and has been available in printed form through Lulu since. At one time they made it available on Amazon, but then the rules changed and it needed a new revision. So by way of preparation for publishing my NEW 5:2 Healthy Eating for Life book, I thought I would get to grips with the process, working with my existing content.  I have used Amazon’s own Createspace self-publishing resource. I got the final version of the book and cover uploaded on Sunday – the printed copy is already dispatched! I can’t wait to see it! Once I have checked the proof, I will be able to make it available for all. More news as it happens!

The paper of the new Amazon book is a little lighter weight, but the cost is a good deal less. Instead of selling a printed copy at 30€ I will be able to offer it for less than 20€.

As for the kindle version, I am using KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and this time, my e-book will be properly formatted to make the most of the e-reading experience.I will know what the e-book costs once I have completed my upload – just working on the boring indexing, cross-referencing and double-triple checking now.

Coming soon!  And then, the 5:2 recipes, which I have been working on all this year 🙂

Caribbean Butternut Squash Soup – 120 calories per serving

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As the last of the summer vegetables get turned into ratatouille, my thoughts turn to warming winter soups and stews to see us through more chilly fast days.

One of my favourites is a spicy soup based on pumpkin or butternut squash, full of Caribbean sunshine.

butternut squash soup

Caribbean Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 4
Bring a touch of Caribbean sunshine to cool autumn or winter days with this colourful and spicy soup.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients
  1. 10g unsalted butter
  2. 1 onion, chopped
  3. 1 leek, chopped
  4. 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  5. 2.5cm piece of root ginger, finely chopped
  6. 500g butternut squash
  7. 1 litre vegetable stock
  8. 2 tsp hot curry powder
  9. ½ tsp ground ginger
  10. ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  11. Sea salt
  12. Freshly ground black pepper
To serve
  1. 1 tbsp chopped coriander or parsley
  2. 1 tbsp crème fraiche
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a large pan.
  2. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute without browning.
  3. Add the spices, stir then add chopped leek, squash and stock.
  4. Bring to the boil, stir and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until squash is soft.
  5. Add seasoning to taste.
  6. Serve sprinkled with chopped herbs and a swirl of cream.
Notes
  1. This recipe works equally well with any kind of winter squash, such as pumpkin or butternut. If you blend it until smooth it is creamy and luxurious, or if you leave it slightly chunky it seems wholesome and earthy.
Adapted from A Carriacou Cookbook by Rosamond Cameron
Adapted from A Carriacou Cookbook by Rosamond Cameron
Focus on Flavour https://www.focusonflavour.com/

Stuffed Baked Peaches – a late summer fast day dessert

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Delicious ripe yellow peaches, married with soft amaretti biscuits and the juice of an orange…. heavenly and under 90 calories a serving!

Baked Stuffed Peaches

I usually make a stuffing that has added butter, egg yolk and sugar with crumbled amaretti biscuits, then I pour a sweet dessert wine around them. Lovely, but rather heavy in calories!  So to make it lighter, I simply crumbled the biscuits into the stoned peach halves, and used the juice of an orange, sprinkling the zest over the top. Served warm, with some greek yogurt and some more biscuit crumbs, or toasted flaked almonds, for decoration.

Baked Stuffed Peach
Serves 4
Baked ripe peaches, stuffed with soft amaretti biscuits
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Ingredients
  1. 4 yellow peaches
  2. 4 amaretti morbidi (4g each)
  3. 1 orange
To serve
  1. 2 amaretti morbidi (8g)
  2. 4 tbsp greek yogurt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180c.
  2. Halve and stone the peaches and lay close together into an ovenproof dish, cut side uppermost.
  3. Crumble 1 biscuit into the cavity in each half and press lightly into place.
  4. Grate the zest of the orange over the peaches.
  5. Pour the juice of the orange around them.
  6. Bake for about 30 minutes until tender.
  7. Serve warm on a spoonful of yogurt and decorate with a crumble of amaretti or some toasted flaked almonds.
Notes
  1. Amaretti morbidi are small soft biscuits made from apricot kernels, almonds, egg white and sugar. You could equally use the more familiar crunchy amaretti or any almond-based biscuit.
Focus on Flavour https://www.focusonflavour.com/

Skinny Gazpacho for a 5:2 Fast Day

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This chilled soup recipe is simply scrumptious and only 55 calories for a generous serving. I have avoided the bread and olive oil of my traditional recipe and can’t say I really miss them,  I found that by blending until as smooth as possible and then sieving out the seeds, the end result is just as satisfying.

Skinny Gazpacho

At this time of year, tomatoes are ripening quickly and this is a fabulous way of using them, especially if you are lucky enough to have a glut of home grown ones. The soup freezes well.

Skinny Gazpacho
Serves 8
A light and delicious summer soup to serve chilled. I have kept it to the barest and simplest, so you really need good sun-ripened tomatoes for the best flavour.
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Prep Time
45 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
45 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 kg ripe tomatoes
  2. 2 green peppers (capsicum), de-seeded
  3. 1/2 cucumber, peeled
  4. 2 shallots (or a few spring onions), trimmed
  5. 3 cloves garlic
  6. 1 tsp ground cumin
  7. freshly ground black pepper
  8. sea salt
Instructions
  1. Score the tomatoes and put into a large bowl or pan, cover with boiling water, leave for about 30 seconds and then lift out with a slotted spoon and leave to cool (you might need to do this in two batches).
  2. Remove the skins and cut out the cores, chopping the remaining flesh roughly.
  3. Finely the cucumber, pepper and shallots and set some aside for garnish.
  4. Finely chop the garlic.
  5. In batches, puree the tomatoes along with the cucumber, pepper, shallots and garlic, then pass through a sieve into a large bowl.
  6. Season with freshly ground black pepper and ground cumin and stir well.
  7. Chill thoroughly.
  8. Serve with a topping of chopped vegetables, a sprinkle of cumin and a crumble of sea salt.
Notes
  1. You can vary the quantities of vegetables.
  2. If your tomatoes are not sweet and ripe, a dash of sherry or balsamic vinegar may enhance the flavour.
  3. If you don't have time to get the soup really well chilled, serve with a couple of ice cubes floating on top.
  4. For non-fasters, you can add croutons or garlic breadsticks.
  5. For a more substantial meal, add chopped hard-boiled egg as a garnish too.
Focus on Flavour https://www.focusonflavour.com/

Celebrating a 5:2 Summer – Tomato and Feta Filo Tart <400 calories

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This recipes combines some of my favourite summer ingredients – tomatoes and basil, with filo pastry and feta cheese – to make a delightful starter when entertaining, or a yummy fast day meal.

 

Tomato and Feta Filo Tart

 

Recipe serves 4 as a main course (380 calories) or 8 as a starter (190 calories).

Tomato and Feta Filo Tart
Serves 8
a celebration of luscious ripe tomatoes - serves 8 as a starter or 4 as a main course
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 6 sheets filo pastry
  2. 1.5 tbsp olive oil
  3. 2 tbsp pesto
  4. 100g feta cheese, crumbled
  5. 6 large tomatoes, sliced
  6. salt and pepper
  7. 12 basil leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 210C
  2. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of baking parchment (facilitates removal of the tart later!)
  3. Lay as sheet of filo on the paper and brush lightly with oil.
  4. Lay another sheet of pastry on top, then lift and turn over (this helps to use much less oil than brushing each sheet)
  5. Repeat until all 6 sheets of pastry have been used.
  6. Turn over the edges to make a neat outer rim.
  7. Brush the pesto evenly over the top, then crumble over half of the feta cheese.
  8. Arrange the tomato slices over the top
  9. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the remaining feta cheese.
  10. Bake until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 30 minutes.
  11. Cool in the pan then transfer to a board.
  12. Scatter the basil over, then slice and serve warm or coo, with crisp salad leaves
Notes
  1. 8 servings of 193 calories each, or 4 servings of 386 calories.
Adapted from Eating Well
Adapted from Eating Well
Focus on Flavour https://www.focusonflavour.com/

5:2 in the Summer – Tuscan Zucchini Soup

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This is a simple soup that makes a good light lunch or first course at under 90 calories per serving. Add another 70 calories for 3 grissini breadsticks. 

Ideal if you have a glut of courgettes and it freezes well too.

Tuscan Courgette Soup with breadsticks

Tuscan Zucchini Soup
Serves 6
A light and delicious soup that makes the most of courgettes/zucchini and freezes well
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1kg courgettes, diced
  2. 1 tbsp olive oil
  3. 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  4. handful basil leaves
  5. freshly ground black pepper
  6. 10 g marigold swiss vegetable bouillon powder
  7. 1.2 litres water
  8. salt to taste
  9. 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  10. 40 g parmesan, finely grated
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan.
  2. Add the courgettes, garlic, basil and black pepper.
  3. Cover and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
  4. Make the stock with boiling water and bouillon powder.
  5. Set aside a couple of tablespoonfuls of the courgettes for garnish.
  6. Add the stock to the pan and simmer gently for a further 10 minutes.
  7. Whizz to a purée with a stick blender.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  9. Stir in parsley and most of the grated parmesan.
  10. Serve with a little grated parmesan on top and some pieces of courgette.
Notes
  1. You can use any shape of courgettes or soft-skinned summer squash.
  2. This soup freezes well.
Adapted from Cooking to Impress without Stress by Annabel Langbein
Adapted from Cooking to Impress without Stress by Annabel Langbein
Focus on Flavour https://www.focusonflavour.com/