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Winter vegetables in a béchamel sauce topped with an oaty crumble and grated mature cheddar cheese – this recipe is not only delicious, it’s nutritious too. Although we are experiencing Spring-like weather at the moment, temperatures are set to drop and when they do we’re more likely to crave comfort food. What’s good about this recipe is that whilst we’re indulging in comfort food it’s good for us too with nutrient packed winter vegetables.
Brexit food shortages are a concern for many of us. Is it a possibility? Should I stockpile food? If we leave the EU, where will our food come from? Will food prices increase? Will the quality of our food be compromised? Will there actually be Brexit food shortages or is it scaremongering?
I decided to carry out some research and this is what I found:
I know better than anyone what it feels like to be a broke student. The amount of times I’ve hit the bottom of my overdraft is quite scary. Then the student loan comes in, and I think I’m rich – for about two weeks.
If you’re on this website, it’s probably because you’re looking for a new recipe to try out, or you’re interested in how companies in your area give back to their communities. This article won’t help you with either of those things. However, if you’re looking for help on making delicious food with a small budget, you have come to the right place.
Let’s start with the obvious. Ready meals are not cheap. Even if they’re frozen! The price says 3 for £6 at ASDA so you think, what a bargain! But the portions are small, and that’s only going to last you three dinners! Also, if we’re being honest, cheap ready meals from ASDA do not taste good and definitely aren’t good for you, no matter what they put on the label. The salt and preservatives stuffed into one of them almost gives me a heart attack by looking at it, and I haven’t taken a bite yet! That’s not to say I’ve never eaten one. In my first year of uni I had more ready meals than I could count on four, maybe five hands! And how did I feel after eating them? Gross, undernourished and hungry! Ready meals are the easiest things to cook. It’d be pretty hard to do it wrong, but is it worth it?
As long as you have the basics in your fridge and cupboards, you can make a nutritious and delicious meal for just as cheap as a ready meal. When I say the basics, I’m talking flour, salt, pepper, stock cubes, garlic and tomato puree and milk etc. These are the basics for a lot of meals! The initial cost will be slightly higher to buy these items, but as soon as you have them they should last you a long time! I’m still on the same bag of flour I bought in September!
Soon, you’ll find that your weekly shop really goes down in price. Have a look at some of the recipes on this website for some cheap, and easy meals with bare minimum ingredients. Some that I would recommend would be Spaghetti Bolognaise, Chicken Curry and Lasagne. Imagine being able to say that you can cook these dishes from scratch! It’s a lot easier than it sounds, trust me.
A Christmas Buffet should look colourful and appetising. Whenever I plan a buffet I recall the adage “you eat with your eyes first” and try to make sure that the food is presented in an eye catching manner. I also experiment and try at least one new dish to keep my buffet exciting. Although mince pies are delicious how many of us get fed up with them before Christmas Day is here? I prefer to exclude the classic Christmas dishes from my buffets. Care needs to be taken to ensure that there is a variety of foods – so not too much bread or pastry. Here are a few items taken from my latest Christmas buffet.
Continue reading “Christmas Buffet – liven up your buffet table”
How to make a Traditional Christmas Pudding
Christmas Pudding, Plum Pudding or Figgy Pudding – you simply cannot have a Christmas Dinner without the traditional dessert! It has a long history dating back to Roman times, and the recipe I am sharing with you today was passed to me by my mum. It has never let me down!
I’m sorry guys. I abandoned my food blog. I find it hard to believe that it’s been eight months since I last posted on my blog. It wasn’t intentional. Whenever I write my dogs lay by my feet, and sadly I lost my two Labradors within the space of a couple of weeks – Sasha aged 11 years and Holly who was only 5. I simply lost my motivation to write. I’m sure my fellow dog lovers will understand, but I am conscious of the fact that others have far greater losses to bear – so please accept my apologies.
Continue reading “Food Blog – Relaunching after an Eight Month Break”
Method
Lemon Meringue Pot
Preheat your oven to Moderately hot.
Combine the cornflour and 110g of sugar in a small pan. Gradually add the lemon juice and water, stir until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat and simmer for one minute, and continue stirring. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon rind, egg yolks, butter and cream.
2 tbsp Cornflour
110g Caster Sugar
60ml Lemon Juice
125ml Water
1 tsp Grated Lemon Rind
2 Eggs (Separated)
30g Butter
2 tbsp Whipping Cream
75g Caster Sugar
Total Cost: £1.75
Cost per Portion: 44p
Divide the mixture between 4 (125ml) ovenproof cups/dishes. Place on a baking tray.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add the 75g of sugar to form the meringue.
Finally divide and spoon the meringue into the cups/dishes on top of the filling.
Place the cups into the oven for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Serve immediately.
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Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods you can buy and they are cheap. Eggs are also one of nature’s most versatile ingredients – so many recipes contain them. If you care about the welfare of hens, it’s okay to eat free range eggs, isn’t it? The battery cage ban was introduced throughout Europe in January 2012, so why wouldn’t you want to eat eggs?
Who wants to diet? Who else has over indulged at Christmas and now wants to shed those excess pounds? I know I need to – but I also know that I don’t want to!!! It’s cold, the wind’s howling outside and I’ve just returned from walking my dogs – and all I really want is comfort food.
Continue reading “How can I blog about food and diet at the same time”
“We are a kitchen, not a hospital” (Raymond Blanc). On the BBC Good Food Show Raymond Blanc argued that it is now ‘fashionable’ to have a food intolerance. He is not the only chef to have complained about customers claiming to have food allergies and intolerances. In July this year an Australian chef vented his anger on Instagram with customers ‘who aren’t honest about what they can eat’. He gave an example of a customer who had a ‘shellfish allergy but loves oyster sauce’. He said “you make it really damn hard for people with actual allergies and dietaries to go out to eat. Are they right?
Continue reading “Food Allergies & Intolerances: Are they fashionable obsessions?”