Broad Truth

It's whats on the inside that counts:-)

To taste and not feel,

To think and not say,

To be and care little,

To lose and win nothing –

Is to be empty.

To relish and love,

To speak and light up a room,

To say sorry and mean it,

To not know and trust anyway –

Is to be enriched.

Chorizo loves a pear!

I’m sharing the simplest of warm salads today. The flavours speak for themselves and though I didn’t eat broad beans much as a child, as an adult I welcome them to my plate ~ they're an excellent source of protein and contain LEVODOPA, a chemical the body requires to produce dopamine (the neurotransmitter associated with the brain's reward and motivation system)

To shell a bean is a less arduous task than you may think, I’ll go as far as to say it’s relaxing, grounding even. It is the small repetitive actions in cooking that are most meditative - your reward will be a welcome example of “beauty is skin deep” for inside awaits a true emerald gem. The velvet green capsule holds sweetness and flavour in abundance. Whisk a dressing of zesty lemon and tangy wholegrain mustard; finishing with a sprinkling of mint and NOURISHMENT of the most cleansing kind ensues. For an extra bite, you may add some chorizo, if so, balance with a few pears too.

Our Irish cat Rusty, under the broad beans - has he been snacking on them? He looks pretty sharp!!! ;-))

The recipe is laid out so that you may choose, trust your instincts, listen to your body and know that it is in our simplest actions that we find true peace.

Love,

Sinead xxx

Broad Beans with Minted Mustard and Honey Dressing

Fresh and delicious

SERVES 4

Broad beans 800g

Olive oil, 2 tbsp

Red onion, 1 finely sliced

Lemon, 1 juiced

Clear honey, 2 tsp

Wholegrain mustard, 1 tsp,

Mint, 1 small bunch, leaves finely sliced

OPTIONAL

Chorizo, 50g sliced

Pear, 1 cored and sliced

SHELL broad beans and cook in lightly salted water for 7 minutes until tender.

HEAT a pan, when hot pour in oil and fry onion until beginning to soften.

ADD chorizo at this stage, if using.

WHISK together, lemon, whole grain mustard, honey, mint and seasoning.

DRAIN beans.

POUR dressing into the hot pan and add pears (if using)

MIX well and pour everything into a serving bowl.

GORGEOUS!

Waiting for a gap

"Time and tide wait for no man" - as King Canute discovered to his horror when he failed to make the sea obey his command ~ mmm ~ Nature reminds us of our place in the natural order each waking day,  and no less is true in our kitchens and in music of course - this is one of my favourite pieces by the majestic Philip Glass! Now, back to the kitchen, the heart beat of our homes,  where time determines frazzled from fried and sailing to stressful, celebrations from woe and weekend rest to working day. How we manage time and respond to the tick tock clock coincides with our overall contentment and coping levels. 

On the BBC's "Saturday Kitchen" the lovely bear like Tom Kerridge upon being informed of an unusual foodie fact said gleefully, "Everyday is a school day". I felt an inner smile and grateful recognition as I was taught something too - It is in listening and responding, be it in the kitchen, classroom, office, bedroom or street that we learn most. Life is more interesting when we are receptive and open, in food terms; the changing seasons keep us on our toes and encourage us to enjoy all that surrounds us. This month aptly, runner beans are tootling in our shops and gorgeous berries, radishes, rhubarbs and many other delights are dancing in the sweet summer air.

Sunshine in your palm!

I often get hankerings for pancakes, both the savoury and sweet kind, they're light and suggest calm to me - though sometimes they seem easier to prepare than other times. What I'm learning is that the simplest recipes are transformed by thoughts - I know this to be true - I'd like to make a small request.... the next time you cook, consciously smile and feel the warmth in your tummy! if making this recipe start by cracking the eggs into your hand:-) that will set the tone. I'd love to hear how it goes and what you cooked? Did it taste better? When I do the food always tastes better, as time ceases to stress and the experience proves more important than the result. Pressure is a power we choose to bow too, time is a reality that makes equals of us all.

Wrap a couple of these up in foil, slip in your bag or large pocket:-) find a lovely view and relish it accompanied by the maturity of cheddar and the sweetness of corn!

Golden days are now.

*these make a perfect addition to any packed lunch – they are my son’s favourite.

FFX

Sweet corn and Cheddar pancakes

Makes 10

Rice flour 200g

Baking powder 2 tsp (gluten-free for those who wish it to be so)

Eggs 3 beaten

Milk 100ml

Mature cheddar 150g

Tabasco several drops

Tin of sweet corn 300g

Spring onions 7 finely chopped

Chives 1 small bunch chopped

Seasoning

Lovely and golden

BLEND together in a mixer all of the above ingredients, excluding the sweet corn and spring onions.

STIR in chives, sweet corn and spring onions – season generously.

SPOON two tablespoons per pancake on a lightly oiled heated pan.

FLIP after two minutes and cook until the other side is golden too.

SERVE warm with whatever topping suits you, or simply serve with a fresh green salad – either way there is sure to be no leftovers!

Aromatic Love

Love greets us on a plate! The ending of a kitchen story where hands create!

Love needs no introduction, it is felt universally, knows no bounds and is a language we all understand ~ blazing through each of us with a pulse so strong and pure ~ it’s other pseudonym, LIFE. Anything that doesn’t nourish or nurture is not LOVE! LOVE is life giving and purifying:-)

Cooking is one of the simplest ways to express love and colours our life with a rainbow of flavours and tastes.

Felt all over the world ~ Arc en ciel ~ 彩虹 ~ pelangi ~ regenbogen ~ rainbow:-) 

When we feel good after a meal, then be sure, that the most sacred of ingredients has been added, LOVE, when the cook skips this out, it’s clear to all.

Do you honestly ever feel good after McDonalds or other fast food?

In contrast, how do you feel after a home cooked meal, prepared by someone you love?

Sauce marinade gives this dish wings!

Gravy and sauces are what I call the “jus, jus” of meals, it would be as easy to go without them, though when that little bit of extra time and thought is given to a meal it becomes complete.

This time last year I shared a chicken recipe, "Some of my favourite summer smells" This dish fits into my list of summer favourites ~ light and fragrant ~ with that jewel of an ingredient five spice, it is an aromatic dreamers gold dust, pour in some soy, oyster sauce and honey and we bring poultry to a sticky and delicious taste sensation.

One of my golden rules, and I don't have many ~ add protein to each meal ~ it is the building block for our cells, by doing so we actively support our blood sugar control and like all good nourishment, a feeling of balance will follow:-)

 

This protein rich dish is a true crowd pleaser and pure in its deliciousness. Serve with soba noodles and edamame beans for a meal to savour.

I hope you enjoy it!

FFX

Aromatic Love

Memories of nourishment

SERVES FOUR

Chicken breasts, 4 with skin on

Soy sauce, 2 tbsp

Honey, 2 tbsp

Oyster sauce, 2 tbsp

Lime, juice and zest

Five spice, 1 tsp

Chilli powder, ½ tsp

White pepper, ½ tsp

Sesame oil, 1 tsp

Garlic clove, 3 bashed and roughly chopped

Ginger, 1 tbsp, bashed into a paste

MIX all of the ingredients together in a jug, except the chicken breasts.

CUT each breast into two-pieces, length ways.

PLACE the chicken in a suitable sized dish and pour over marinade.

MASSAGE all the gooey loveliness into the chicken pieces.

LEAVE to marinate for at least 20 minutes, though a couple of hours would be even better.

PRE-HEAT oven to gas 6, 200’c.

TRANSFER chicken pieces onto a lined baking tray – and dispose of the excess sauce.

BAKE for 25 minutes.

SERVE with soba noodles and edamame. Lime pieces and scallions (as my Dad called them:-) spring onions to some, scattered liberally on top make for a colourful addition too.

Marinade me

A spoonful of goodness helps the meatiliciousness go down! 

A proposal of the most tempting kind! And the answer is YES, YES, YES! Marinades are the flavour of “forget me not”. Beauteously they tenderise effortlessly and this particular gem is one of my all time favourites for beef.

Give gorgeousness to beef 

Ginger gingerly melts and boosts the flavour of the meat. The celery salt captures your senses in tangy splendour that twinned alongside garlic, both fresh and powdered, gives an infusion of flavours that creates a carnivores taste carnival;-))

Wherever you are in the world, buy your meat from local producers.

“Cottages, stock, green fields and birds . . . . if we want to keep this beauty farmers need to be supported, which means buying British meat.” Tim Wilson

It is with total conviction that I support this and would encourage everyone to take a moment to consider why it is so important. Beauty, passes us by every moment of the day, sometimes it’s not so obvious, though I challenge anyone to gaze over a country meadow, peeping between the hedgerows and butterflies and not be bowled of by nature’s beauty.

If you're lucky, a blue butterfly may land on you!

The secret to a good steak is to pre-heat the pan – I love to use a griddle pan, though this is not essential. Heat on a high setting for a few minutes, then tssssss – the meat when placed gently onto the pan surrenders and sears, the scent released beckons an audience of the most mouth watering kind! Serve alongside a freshly made potato salad and warmed beetroot, for light and unforgettable meat magnificence.

Meat marinade 

A gargantuan summer feast awaits!

tssssssssssss!!!

MAKES ENOUGH FOR FOUR PIECES OF STEAK

Soy sauce, 1 tbsp

Olive oil, 2 tbsp

White pepper, ½ tsp

Celery salt, a pinch

Ginger, 1 heaped tsp, crushed into a paste

Garlic powder, ½ tsp

Garlic clove, 1 crushed into a paste

MIX all of the above ingredients until well combined

POUR over your meat and leave for at least fifteen minutes.

MAGIC happens when meat is left for a couple over hours, to soak up flavours.

When ready to eat

PRE-HEAT a pan large enough to fit your steaks.

PLACE steak in pan – no need to grease.

COOK to you liking, depending on the thickness of steaks, and how you like your meat cooked, time will vary – follow your instinct. As a rough guide 2 ½ minutes on both sides works wonders for me.

REST meat for five minutes in a warm place before serving.

SAUNTER . . .

Blue berry?

A Cornish field of bluebells

Why blueberry when your juice stains purple?

Why when cooked your sweetness doubles and colour intensifies,

And gently oozing droplets stream like a capsule of vivid colour bursting?

When stirred into a batter a pancake of dizzying deliciousness delights,

Tempting taste buds toward a blooming blueberry blitz.

I have never forgotten my first blueberry moment...

I love journeys, the photo above was taken on a recent expedition, a happy cream tea Viv's Tea Garden led us to the spot above and the view was breath taking. Bluebell meadows are a moment of splendour and no more is true for taste adventures. Through cooking a flavour finds a new way of expression and a taste that was once familiar, becomes totally different – think apples/ in a pie – mushrooms/ in a stew – bananas/ baked.

Happily stir a puckered blueberry into an oat and buckwheat batter and watch as it sinks gracefully, then twirl a sliver spoon, mix it all up and one by one drop dollops into a hot pan – breathe deeply and smell this fragrant simmering sweetness as it transforms….

Watch for the bubbles!

And take great comfort in these few moments, that just as batter bubbles and becomes a soft pancake so too do we in any given moment - we choose to change our thoughts, our moods or any experiences really, by adding a few new ingredients, trusted favourites or by simply turning up the heat – everything changes.

In pancake terms;-) Every true change involves an action – in the simplest of forms.

Today a blueberry pancake changed my life!

No question is certain without an answer that involves inspiration. By being present miracles unfold and the deepest purple stain becomes blue, or not!?

This recipe is a wondrous weekend wake up, it’s also gluten-free, for those who need it to be so – in which case, choose gluten-free oats and gluten-free baking powder. If you’re like me and don’t mind waking up a little earlier midweek then you’re in for a treat any day of the week.

Be sure to cook these in a non-stick pan – if you don’t have one they really are a worthy investment and will save you a great deal of time in the long run, as well as improving the results of your lovely efforts. Try serving these with some freshly cooked crispy bacon and fruit, a candidly unapologetic gastronomic start to a day that invites dreams to come true. 

Crispy bacon meets refreshing fruit to stir you into a balance of nourishment

Life is full of possibilities and here’s to breakfasts that start the day as we mean to go on, heavenly;-)

Happy day to you.

Sinead xxx

Blueberry pancakes

Mouth melting moments of banana work a treat alongside sweet blueberries

Buckwheat flour, 100g

Oats, 50g

Baking powder, 1 tsp

Salt, a pinch

Sweet freedom, 3tbsp (or soft brown sugar)

Milk, 170ml

Butter, 25g melted

Eggs, 1 beaten

Vanilla essence, 1 tsp

WHISK egg, milk, vanilla essence, sweet freedom and melted butter in a bowl.

POUR in buckwheat flour, oats and baking powder, stir until well combined.

DROP in blueberries and enjoy this moment, then stir well. (to save time in the morning, you may leave the mixture in the fridge overnight and loosen with some more milk in the morning) 

HEAT a non-stick pan and with a tablespoon drop in batter.

WATCH out for little rising bubbles and then flip over until gorgeously golden on the other side.

SERVE as you wish, be it with bacon, maple syrup, fruit or yogurt, whatever you choose - savour each mouthful!

It's all in the jeans?

Dearest Readers,

I'm posing a few questions today and would love to hear your thoughts - but first let the wonderful Radish take centre stage!

Consciously see the beauty in the ordinary - ordinary is often EXTRAORDINARY!

Radishes, pinky punchy balls of earthy fire, are ripe for the picking right now. Their subtle heat is a gentle reminder of the changing seasons upon us – roll on Summer!

Is happiness determined by our feelings? Does what we eat truly effect our moods? Or are we genetically programmed to be happy/ miserable? The answers YES, YES and YES. Recent research suggests 'a happiness gene' lies at the heart of contentment - if this be so, the gene 5-HTT has a lot to answer for! And woe betide you if the gene hasn't worked its magic on your DNA.

The' long' version of the gene bequeaths a happy existence whereas the 'short' one is truly the short straw! 

Genes aside - self acceptance and finding what makes us happy and making good informed choices certainly raises the barometer of joy - by nourishing and nurturing ones body self esteem and happiness get a boost - we can all empower ourselves regardless of the "long and short" of it. Good news!

Find a good fit and your already half way to happiness!

Salads, bright fresh green ones make me a happy camper, especially at this time of year. We can't swap our genes, though we can wear comfortable “jeans” because we CHOOSE to and we ALL deserve too. 

The good Abraham Lincoln said wisely “We are as happy as we make our minds up to be.” And I for one agree.

With this lightest and loveliest of suppers happiness is there for the tasting! Bright pink radishes and crisply fresh peas, sweetly mixed with a refreshing mint and crème fraiche dressing, topped with Halloumi, ah flavours and nourishment in abundance.

There is joy to be found in the simplest observations and lightly searing halloumi that turns from pale cream to golden ooziness is pretty close to cooking contentment. When I made this salad the other day it was received with delight. Certain suppers stir smiles more easily and this is a sure winner.

Halloumi = Happiness!

Couple with pinkest radishes and gorgeous green peas we have a light and lovely dish which is challenging for even the most ardent Ebenezer’s!

Happy salads and summer days.

Happy Halloumi Pea and Radish salad

Eat green, feel great!

For the crème fraiche and mint dressing

Crème fraiche 110ml

Mint 2 tbsp

Lemon juice 1 tbsp

Seasoning

For the green pea salad

Cucumber, ½ peeled and cut into chunks

Radishes, 12 sliced

Fresh peas, 75g

Edamame peas, 75g

Mixed salad leaves 100g

Halloumi, 250g sliced into desirable size

Olive oil, 1 tbsp

MIX all dressing ingredients together and season.

SIMMER fresh peas and edamame in salted boiling water for 3 minutes.

DRAIN and plunge into cold water, to keep them a lovely shade of green.

HEAT a pan and add olive oil.

PAN-FRY Halloumi for a couple of minutes on either side, until golden.

MIX remaining salad ingredients and stir in cooled drained peas.

POUR over dressing and serve onto plats with slices of Halloumi.

HAPPY days with Halloumi.

Hope for breakfast

Waking to golden peaks and spice

If being happy wasn't enough, being hopeful is apparently better for your health and appetite. Happy souls relish chocolate and treats more often, whereas their hopeful friends, looking to the future, are more likely to graze on fruits and salad and fish and lightness! Negative people, in total contrast are most drawn to junk food, any surprises there? Junk food, sugar loaded and bursting with all things fat, gives that instant feel good hit of comfort, though like all quick fixes never lasts.

If your goal is to live a good life, moderation, that old buzz word, is key – obsession in any form is unhealthy, so rather than forbidden fruits, welcome the wonderful variations that the seasons bring in healthy abundance. This month we welcome asparagus, rocket, samphire, European cherries, outdoor rhubarb, chives, parsley, mint, crab, scallops, sea trout. We will soon be awash with beautiful berries and it is hard not to get excited about summer fruits, when does a strawberry ever taste as good than on a long summers day?

Our feelings, our appetites and our moods, very much like the British weather are subject to change. By being prepared we can handle almost anything, for me preparation begins at breakfast time. I can sense by my first actions in the day whether or not I need to slow down, and by simply being in the moment I find peace. Eggs are a universal morning ingredient, in India I relished their gorgeous curried boiled ones, in Michigan my Aunt Kate’s blueberry pancakes remain an all time favourite and now these spicy scrambled wonders have become a current favourite. Moments of whisking and minutes of cooking give a breakfast worth savouring. 

If your fuel is love filled from the start, so too will your day.

When we're hopeful we notice beauty in surprising places!

I have a gift to share with all London based foodies, I’d love to stretch it to you all, as I know my readers stretch from all over, though for now London bound it is. This weekend there is a wonderful foodie fantastic exhibition taking place right in the heart of London. If you fancy a day of culinary delight use this code when purchasing your ticket and you’ll get a brilliant reduction. Details follow . . . 

 Real Food Festival - Earls Court

London 5-8 May 2011

DISCOUNT CODE: RFF76

A standard Adult ticket of £11.00 (saving £9 on the door price)

A ticket and a copy of the brand new Real Food Festival Cookbook for £17.50

2 tickets and a copy of the cookbook for £26.00

A VIP Ticket for £30.00 (saving £20 on the door price) which includes a RFF book, goody bag, festival cocktail and access to Mrs Paisley’s Lashing VIP tent

Discount code is RFF76 which should be entered when making ticket purchases online at www.realfoodfestival.co.uk

Happy week and brilliant breakfasts to you all!

Love,

Sinead xxx

Summer Spiced Scrambled Eggs

Olive oil 2 tbsp

Cumin powder, ½ tsp

Paprika, 1 tsp

Red chilli, 1 finely sliced

Spring onions, 4 roughly chopped

Fresh coriander, 1 small bunch chopped

Eggs, 8 whisked into frothy joy

Sea salt, to sprinkle

Indian Black pepper, one good scratch

HEAT non-stick pan and pour in oil.

ADD red chilli, spring onions and fry for a minute to release flavours.

SPRINKLE over spices and pour over whisked eggs.

STIR gently until the eggs form golden soft peaks and turn of heat just before cooked.

SEASON with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt and lightly stir once more.

SERVE immediately and sprinkle over coriander and some extra slices of chilli if you feel like it.

BEAUTIFUL breakfast for a beautiful day.