Going Lentil

500g pack Heema Chana Dal: 89p

A range of spices: priceless

Well actually if you buy spices from the Worldwide supermarkets you can generally get a small bag for 69-89p. You could even stretch to £1 if you prefer to have them in a plastic shaker.

Investing in spices will save you money on buying jarred sauces, make your food taste a lot more interesting and generally transform your cooking skills. Equipped with a range of spices, you can feed yourself for at least 4 delicious meals for 89p.

I like the Heera brand as they have recipes on the back, so if you pick up a pack of lentils and have no idea what to do with them, you can confidently follow the directions on the back to ensure an authentic and delicious meal. Which is exactly what I did with my little pack of split peas:

Ingredients:

1 cup chana dal/yellow split peas, soaked overnight in 4 cups water

3 cups water

1 tsp salt

1/4tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp coriander

1 tbsp tamarind (could sub honey or treacle)

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp garlic

Method:

After soaking the lentils, drain and add to a saucepan with the 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil and simmer with the lid on for around 30 minutes, until the lentils are becoming soft. If you have a lot of time, you can leave the lentils simmering while you go about other tasks for up to around an hour - you can't really overcook them as long as there is enough liquid.

After the 30 mins, add the spices to the dal and stir, turn the heat down and put the lid on. In a separate frying pan, heat the oil with the garlic and mustard seeds until fragrant, then stir into the dal along with the tamarind. The dal should thicken after around 3 minutes, at which point it is ready.

Serve with rice and greens, or add more water and boil with sweet potato and carrots to make a flavoursome soup.

Lentils are a great option for vegetarians, as well as the health-conscious (who isn't these days?) They're cheap, easy to use and act as a perfect base for lots of spicy dishes: soups, curries, stews and as an alternative to rice.

Food Politics: The Underlying Struggles of Social Eating

Does anyone else have this problem?

As a 21 year old female, I know I don't need to ask that question.

I opened up honestly with a friend recently about this topic - expressing the struggle that is every day in the life of the food-obsessed. Constant calculations of when I'm next going to eat, how can I make sure that it's healthy, what is my backup healthy eating plan, would it be better to eat now at uni something averagely healthy or to wait until I get home, or would that be too late to digest? Should I just not eat?

In a world where every food on the planet is available to us in a nearby supermarket, the suggestion that we be health-conscious is not easy to dismiss. We have access to the ingredients, and thus no excuse not to subscribe to this lifestyle.

How about when we're in Uni 12-8, and there is no time to prepare a home cooked meal? Do we 'cheat' and buy a wrap or meal deal from Sainsbury's? And not really enjoy it because we feel too guilty as we check the scientific nutritional breakdown and wince at the numbers in red. I can't help feeling that  despite the numerous benefits of a healthy lifestyle, the national obsession may be going too far.

Things I have done in the name of 'health':

- got distracted in 70% of lectures while planning nutritious meals

- obsessively scoured menus in advance to avoid choosing  an unhealthy option in a rush/under pressure

- felt unable to enjoy 'bad' foods due to 'guilt' association

- felt disappointed in self for eating 'bad' foods, also associated with lack of restraint, willpower and weakness

- eaten 3 slices of cake to replace meals for fear of calorie overdose

- panicked at the thought of going to a restaurant socially - no one wants to be the girl with a salad, or get plate envy, or spend the entire evening thinking about food/weight when the real purpose of the event is the interaction (supposed to be enjoyable)

The last one is tricky. I'm sure people experience varying levels of food anxiety, and I have felt envious of those who seem to have got it down - nonchalantly ordering what they fancy and eating as much as they feel like. In public, I have previously felt obliged to choose something that doesn't say 'I'm on a diet' and even points more towards the 'I don't give a ---- about weight loss, look at me feast'. I would then eat more than my stomach was asking for, thus enlarging it and my lack of confidence.

So what is the solution? Maybe menus and quick conveniences need to universally cater for the health conscious. Maybe.

Maybe we all just need to chill out.

I think the real issue here comes back to the notorious size zero/photoshop perfection  that is forcefully present across advertising.

Does anyone feel good when they see these images? How many people look at clothing posters in shops, try on the model's outfit and think 'yes, I look like that' in the changing room mirror? Bodies come in so many shapes and sizes and the world needs to be more aware of that. Health is an important factor in life but it stops being healthy when the need for it becomes a mental obsession.

While I'm still personally trying to find the balance with this, I'd like to share some ideas for maintaining a healthy and nutritious mind as well as body:

- Enjoy every meal, whether it be healthy or not - you need food to survive and you shouldn't feel guilty about that

- You are your own harshest critic, no one is judging your 'imperfections' in the same way as you, positive people look for positive things

- Work on your personality over your image. it's easier to change a personality flaw than an appearance based one

- Not being a certain size or weight does not make you inadequate

- You are beautiful, and happiness comes from within

These are very important things to remember. Of course I believe in healthy eating most of the time, but I also think we need to be assured that it is okay to have something that does not necessarily satisfy the recommended quota of our daily amount.

As long as you are a healthy weight for your height and make sure you apply a reasonable amount of restraint at the urge to eat entire trays of brownies, tubs of ice cream and third helpings of chips, you should be happy. A basic knowledge of what's good for you and what isn't should be held on to, but the moment food starts affecting your confidence, social presence and ability to focus on other tasks, then it is time to rethink.

Why are so many of us aiming for this elusive 'perfection'? Confidence is the biggest form of attraction, and it can hide a world of complexes than can eventually lead to their eradication. So you have excess fat on your thighs, is anyone else going to change their opinion of you based on that? If they are, do you want to be associated with them? Same goes for stomach, arms, hips, chin, neck, ankles etcetera etcetera; the list of potential body-anxieties is virtually infinite.

This is a socially constructed anxiety which should not exist. The problem of obesity and binge eating cannot be ignored but the negative effects of the opposing side are not as openly discussed. Something non-existent can actually hold us back in life, make us sad and even loathsome of ourselves.

We should stop aiming for perfection and view that it's already there, right now. Look in the mirror and see a bump or a bulge? Embrace it, it's you, it's alive and natural and not stopping you from doing anything. It doesn't make you any less of a person than the photo-shopped model with a thigh gap and a flat stomach. Not to say that she isn't beautiful too.

That said, if we want to choose something less calorific at a restaurant, we should not feel embarrassed to make that choice. The friendly urges of 'go on, treat yourself' actually exacerbate anxieties with regard for the need to please others whilst caring for the self. We should all be more open about this topic and I would not be surprised to find that many of our consciences are alike. Having the perfect body is not a competition; there is no prize. Live for yourself, make your own choices and be comfortable with who you are and what you decide to do.

We're all beautiful for who we are, not what we look like. Let's be proud of that and get on with the more important things in life.

Review: Soup Kitchen

At around £6.50 per dish, Soup Kitchen is a little pricey for something that takes its name from a concept based on providing free nourishing food, but this is made up for by the generous portions and vibrant, quality ingredients pleasantly un-reminiscent of a school canteen. Begrudging dinner ladies are replaced by bubbly staff, stinginess exchanged for extra helpings.

Soup Kitchen have a relatively fixed menu with daily changing soups. This works well for variety as each time you can expect to find something  new and enticing  on the menu, with reassuring knowledge that the fail-safe jerk chicken, Caribbean dumplings with jack fruit  and sweet yam curry will be present and steaming away in their industrial sized steel buckets.

Everything is served with the option of jumbo purple coleslaw, chickpea salad, fresh herby tomatoes and help-yourself bread rolls. Water is available in thick swing-top glass bottles on the bar which is perfect if you're the type to drink at least 3 pints with every meal and feel embarrassed to continually nag the waiter (I hate being served a half pint - of anything).

Vegan stew

The serving counter also doubles up as a bar which comes fully stocked with the usual NQ-style craft beers, quirky bottled brews and range of tasty liqueurs. It's worth mentioning that SK has a downstairs club so it's theoretically somewhere you could spend the whole night. Long trestle tables make this a good spot for large parties for evening drinks, though the music is a little loud even in the day so be prepared to raise your voice for a decent conversation. Or just resign to enjoy your food in silence and save your talking topics for later.

That being said, the restaurant is cosy and friendly and perfect for a lunch that's guaranteed to be delicious. Being able to walk through the door and be comfortably sat down with a ceramic bowl of hot food in the space of five minutes is a blessing that the Northern Quarter would struggle without. There's no waiting for a table, no risk that it might not be right, and no gamble on how long it will take for the food to arrive.

The atmosphere is warm, wholesome and the embodiment of what its name derives from with extra funding, which I suppose is exactly what it is - apart from its customers are not homeless, though they may dress like they are (guilty).

31-33 Spear Street
Manchester
M1 1DF

http://soup-kitchen.co.uk/

Curbing the no-carb: 5 healthy swaps for under £1.

The idea of cutting carbohydrates to promote weight-loss is no stranger to the diet scene, but it definitely gets a bad rep due to the inevitable heavy regain as the price for its betrayal.

Instead of going cold-turkey from the white stuff (bread, rice, pasta), why not wean yourself off it or simply cut down by making a few small changes to your existing diet. Incorporate these swaps into your meal plan at least three times a week and bask in the glory of your guiltless, bulkless satiety.

    1.    COURGHETTI

Sains: 1 x(3 for £1.50) = 50p
Aldi: 1 x(3 for 89p) = 30p

Photo: twopeasandtheirpod

Slice your courgette in half lengthways, then slide your knife across in half again - still lengthways. Cut the courgette into thin strands that somewhat/in no way resemble spaghetti. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the courgette and cook or steam for 3-5 minutes, until tender. This is the healthiest way to cook as it involves no oil. Treat the courghetti as you would pasta - top with pesto, sprinkle with toasted seeds or simply drizzle with olive oil, crushed garlic and black pepper.


         2.    FLICE (CAULIFLOWER RICE)

Sains: 1/2x(1 for £1)=50p
Aldi: 1/2x( 1 for 75p)= 38p

Photo: thekitchn

Halve cauliflower. Grate or finely chop one half (refrigerate the other for later flice meals), put into microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of water, cover with clingfilm or one of those plastic things  and microwave for 2 minutes. Serve as you would normal rice - with curry, grilled chicken and vegetables - or bring to life as an individual dish by adding spices and chickpeas.

     3.   MUSHABON (MUSHROOM BUNS)

Sains:2 caps at( £1/250g) = 70p
Aldi: ( 89p/250g) = 50p

These amalgamations are getting tedious, I know. Gently rinse 2 large (portobello) mushroom heads under cold water, heat a frying pan with olive oil and a tsp of crushed garlic and fry the shrooms til nicely browned. Use in place of burger buns or make a whole other tasty meal by crumbling feta on top and browning under the grill. Best served with hot and crispy fried halloumi, a tomato slice, gherkin, lettuce and carb swap no.4.

         4.       SWEDGES (SWEET POTATO WEDGES)

Sains: 2 small potatoes x(£1.20/kg)= 40p
Aldi: (92p/kg) = 30p

Hm, this might still be a carb but if we start cutting nutritious veg out of our life in the name of health then there is no hope for anyone. Preheat the oven to 200°, place a roasting tin with a drizzle of olive oil in there to heat whilst you slice around 2 small potatoes into wedges. Add the wedges to the hot pan along with spices - think rosemary, paprika, dash of cinnamon - and a restrained sprinkle of salt. Roast for 25-30mins until soft when prodded with a fork and looking irresistible. Skin on or off down to preference. I prefer on.

          5.      BOODLES  (BEANSPROUT NOODLES)

1/2 pack x(60p /400g) = 30p
Aldi don't seem to stock these, but 60p at sains? Can't argue.

Photo: acouplecooks

When you come to make a stir fry, just add more beansprouts instead of noodles. That's literally it. Be sure to add substantial amounts of protein (chicken, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter) and crunchy veg so that you're sufficiently full up. The best thing? Half a pack is 100cals, so you can have oodles of boodles if you're in the moodle.

This loaf is bananas.

B.A.N.A.N.A.S

Having recently seen a lot of recipes using yoghurt in place of fat in cake mixtures, I wanted to create my own version of banana bread which combines healthier cooking substitutes with the original ingredients. By subtly changing half of the ingredients, the difference in taste is unnoticeable unlike those fat free/low calorie recipes where your 'cake' tastes like a piece of dry sponge. As a general rule in attempting to make recipes healthier, think about the nutritional value of ingredients rather than the calorie content. Here's the recipe for my first attempt, next time I'm trying it with 100% wholemeal flour and oats so will keep you updated!

 Ingredients:

60g wholemeal flour

60 plain flour

40g oats

pinch salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

50g twice-as-sweet sugar

50g melted butter

80g yogurt

capful vanilla extract

shot of freshly brewed coffee, cooled

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs, beaten

Optional: pumpkin seeds, for topping

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

If your bananas are not already ripe, put them into the oven now while you prepare your other ingredients. After around 20 mins, the skins will go black and they will be perfectly ripe. Unless your bananas are at the peak of ripeness I recommend doing this anyway for maximum flavour. When they are cooled, the flesh should scoop out effortlessly.

Combine all of the dry ingredients apart from the oats in a large mixing bowl.

In a blender/liquidizer/food processer, whiz the oats with the eggs until fine. Alternatively, use oat flour in place to save this step. Add the rest of the liquids to the mix and combine thoroughly. 

Fold in the mashed banana and scrape mixture into a greased and lined loaf tin. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds if using and bake for around an hour and a half. This loaf takes a while. Test if it's ready by ensuring that the top is nicely browned and a knife comes out clean when plunged into the middle.

This bread is delicious warm or cooled then toasted and spread with nutella or any nut butter. Serve for breakfast with coffee or as a not-so-naughty dessert.

 

What Challah Make For Breakfast?

Ha ha.

To continue with my breadventures I decided to make a plaited Challah loaf. I was really excited about the plaiting part cos so far I've only really made flatbreads, which don't come in overly exciting shapes (although that might be an idea). I'm not honestly sure how tasty this bread is on its own, but it really shines when used in dessert, as I will get to later. The lack of a distinct flavour is probably because I used wholewheat flour, so it just tastes like quite simple brown bread. Although the crustiness of the plait does make it infinitely more exciting.

Let's weave

I'm giving the recipe I used here but recommending that for a tastier bread, go with white/any other interesting flour. 

Simple Wholewheat Challah Bread.

2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
1 cup/230ml lukewarm water
400g wholewheat bread flour
200gish white flour
40g white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk (reserve the white for the egg wash)
60ml vegetable oil

On writing up this recipe I now realise that I think I forgot to add the sugar, which is probably why the bread tasted just like wholemeal. Lol. Excuse to retry I suppose.

How to: I got this recipe directly from the kitchn and the directions are really well laid out, so there is no point in me trying to do it justice.

Minor changes: I used a mixture of white and wholewheat flour, and proved the dough overnight in the fridge.

Doughn't forget the sugar

You knead to make this bread

I can prove it

I mean, it's the yeast you could do

I'm on a roll with these puns

Don't be abraid to get it wrong

It takes some willflour

But rise to the challenge

Go on, you'll loaf it

Get a slice of the action

This bread is perfect for use in desserts as-is (the wholewheat recipe). I used it for peanut butter and banana French toast, which was delicious. The simple flavour and robust crust makes it the perfect topping carrier.

For PB French toast for two:

Toast 4 slices bread, soak one side of each in 2 whisked eggs with a splash of vanilla. Spread un-soaked sides with peanut butter then fry egg side in butter, place slices of banana on the peanut butter, stick together, butter with a thin layer of golden syrup or honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.

It's also perfect to use the last few stale-ish slices in cinnamon bread and butter pudding.

Hola Granola

Wouldn't that be a great name for a Spanish granola company?! You saw it here first. 

All of the best breakfast flavours

As you may have guessed from previous posts (PB Pad Thai, the many ways with porridge), I'm a big fan of all things peanut butter. Combine it with banana, cinnamon and some other healthy stuff and that has to be a winner. 

Ingredients:

   200g mixed unsalted nuts (I get the resealable bags from Lidl, I think £1.89)
   Large handful rolled oats
   Large handful seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, mixed, etc)
   Handful raisins/ chopped dried fruit
   Anything else granola-ey (I had toasted flaked almonds from a previous truffle-making session)
   1 heaped tsp cinnamon
   1/2 tsp ground ginger
   A ripe banana, mashed with a fork
   2 tbsp peanut butter
   3 tbsp honey - if you like sweet granola, use more (mine had more of a nutty roasted flavour than standard sugary taste, but less is obviously healthier)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Chop nuts on a board until broken but still nicely chunky. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl.

Separately, mix mashed banana & PB, spoon the honey into a mug and warm on high in microwave for 10 secs, then add to banana mix.

Pour banana-ey goodness over nuts and combine until well coated. 

Spread evenly onto a lightly greased tray and bake for around 20 minutes, till smelling nutty and delicious. Halfway through roasting give the mix a scrape to ensure big clusters don't form. If you like big clusters in your granola, leave this part til the end of cooking. 

Remove from oven, restrain from eating entire tray of granola. Cool and store in a sealed container. Serve on top of yoghurt, porridge, smoothies etc.

I think this would make a lovely homemade gift if packaged in an old jam jar and sealed with a pretty piece of fabric, some string and a handwritten label. 

Photo: veggiegrettie

The best gifts are those that you'd be happy to receive!