Zingy lemon squares

When life gives you lemons… bake something fresh and tasty!!

Ingredients (base)

• 175g plain flour

• 50g ground almonds

• 85g golden caster sugar

• 140g cold butter, diced

• 1tbsp milk

Ingredients (lemon topping)

• Zest 3 lemons, plus 200ml lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

• 3 eggs

• 200g golden caster sugar

• 25g self raising flour

Making the base:

1) Heat oven to 200c (180c fan/gas 6)

2) Line a square tin, ideally 21-22cm, with baking paper

3) Put the flour, ground almond and sugar in a bowl with the diced butter and rub with your hands until it resembles fine crumbs

4) Stir in the milk with a cutlery knife

5) Tip into the tin and press down evenly

6) Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until golden

Making the lemon topping:

1) Remove the tin and lower the oven to 180c (160c fan/gas 4)

2) Sieve the lemon juice into a bowl and add the eggs, sugar, flour and lemon zest. Whisk to combine

3 Pour over the base and then pop back in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until the top is set

4) Allow it to cool in the tin before removing and slicing into squares

5) Then make your favourite drink, tea, coffee or even a G&T and sit back and enjoy!!

Wild garlic hummus

Hummus is so easy to make from scratch and there are endless flavours to choose from.

If you love the taste and smell of garlic, you’ll be sure to enjoy making this recipe.

Wild garlic is in season right now and it’s so easy to forage; its vibrant, fresh and tastes amazing! You’ll find it in many British woodlands and whilst its smell will give it away, look for the long pointed green leaves and the white, star-shaped flowers. When picking, try to pull it right out of the ground without breaking off the small white bulbs. You can eat both the leaves and the bulbs but together they give great flavour.

It makes for a great afternoon snack, a tasty starter or a perfect dip to have with your tapas.

Ingredients

• 1 small handful of wild garlic

• 1 can of chickpeas

• 2 heaped tablespoons of tahini (or 1/4 cup olive oil)

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 2 tbsp water

• 2 tbsp olive oil (if using tahini)

Hummus can be made with or without tahini, a paste made from toasted, ground sesame seeds. It will give your hummus a slightly nutty flavour and also adds smoothness to the texture. 

Hummus can be made just as easily without it though by using olive oil in its place. This recipe has the measurements for both. I very rarely have tahini in the cupboard and so I substitute with olive oil and its equally delicious!

Method

1) Wash your wild garlic well and let it drain

2) Chop the garlic finely, leaves and all

3) Add the chickpeas, tahini (or olive oil) lemon juice, salt, cumin, wild garlic and water to a food processor

4) Blend until smooth

5) If using tahini, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and blend again until creamy

6) Serve with your favourite bits like chopped carrot and toasted pitta, and try not to eat the whole lot in one go!

Old skool jam & coconut cake

Anyone else remembers the highlight of the school day being dinnertime, in particular the puddings? They were definitely my favourite and this one was the best of all - light, fluffy coconut cake topped with jam, sprinkles of coconut and served with lashings of custard?

This quick, easy recipe will hopefully bring back some nice memories, and even if not, it’ll give you a very nice cake to eat!

Ingredients (cake)

• 8oz caster sugar

• 8oz softened butter

• 8oz self-raising flour

• 4 large eggs

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2oz desiccated coconut

• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

Ingredients (for the topping)

• Raspberry jam

• 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut

Method:

1) Cream together the sugar and butter

2) Add the eggs one by one and mix well

3) Add the vanilla

4) Add the coconut and gently fold in the flour

5) Grease/line a baking tin (approx 9x9 inches) add the cake mixture

6) Bake at 350f (180c/160c fan) for 40-45 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clear

7) Let the cake cool slightly, then spread the top with jam and sprinkle with the remaining coconut

8) Serve with lashings of hot custard!!

Lou's favourite - carrot cake

Whenever we’re out and about on an adventure - a walk or a bike ride, and we stop for tea and cake, it’s always a good bet that Lou will choose carrot cake if it’s on the menu. Turns out, she makes a pretty awesome one herself too, so here’s the recipe…

Ingredients (cake)

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 of a cup of oil (any type you prefer)

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

• 1 cup of granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 cups of plain flour

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon of ginger

• 1 1/2 cups of grated carrot

• 1/4 cup of walnuts (finely chopped)

Ingredients (lemon butter cream frosting)

• 1/3 cup of butter (at room temperature)

• 3 cups of icing sugar

• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
  1 tsp grated lemon zest

Making the cake:

1) Add eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar to a large bowl, mix together and put to one side

2) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon,
nutmeg and ginger then give it a stir
3) Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture along with the grated carrots and mix until just
combined
4) Fold in the walnuts
5) Pour batter into a greased/floured round cake tin (9 inches by inches approx.)
6) Bake at 350f (180c/160c fan) for 40-45 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean
8) Allow the cake to cool completely, then spread the frosting (see instructions below)
10) Slice and enjoy with a cuppa 🙂

Making the buttercream frosting:

1) Beat the butter, lemon zest and juice in a bowl
2) Gradually beat in the icing sugar until light and fluffy
3) Let it cool then spread on the cake

Chewy ginger oat biscuits

Looks like the mice got to this one before we could take a photo! ;-)

Here’s a simple, tasty recipe that Lou baked up this week. I can confirm that they are absolutely delicious and go very well with a cup of tea. I cannot however confirm who was responsible for the bite taken out of the biscuit in the picture above.

They’re by no means a health food but eaten sensibly we all know there’s always room for something tasty in a balanced diet. Happy baking!

Ingredients:

• 85 grams of porridge oats

• 100 grams of plain flour

• 100 grams of caster sugar

• 100 grams of melted butter

• 50 grams of chopped, crystallised ginger (you can use coconut instead if you prefer the flavour or just fancy some variety)

• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup

• 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

 Nutritional info (one biscuit):

• Calories - 118

• Carbs - 13g

•  Sugar - 6g

• Fat - 7g (from saturates 5g)

• Protein - 1g

• Fibre - 1g

How to bake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c (fan oven 160c)/gas mark 4/

2. Put the oats, ginger (or coconut), flour and sugar into a bowl.

3.  Melt the butter in a pan or a microwave, then add the golden syrup

4. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the dry mix

5. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, then pour in the butter and syrup; stir gently to incorporate all the ingredients

6. Scoop out a dessertspoonful of the mixture and place on a buttered baking sheet; repeat ensuring they are around 2.5cm/1inch apart to allow room for spreading.

7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown

Prepare for plenty more recipes soon with the launch of balance club this week.

Souper duper soups

Soup is a classic part of a balanced diet; warming on a cold day, a great way of feeling full whilst keeping the calories under control and an opportunity to pack in an abundance of fruit, vegetables and nutrients.

Soup in fact is unique when it comes to helping stave off hunger - generally solid foods are consider more satiating (filling) than liquids but soup is the exception. In a range of studies it seems to curb appetite to the same level as eating solid foods. It’s thought that our perception of soups as hearty and filling may be responsible for this, but however it works, it’s a great reason to enjoy a bowl.

Here are three of our favourite recipes; all incredibly simple but ‘souper’ tasty!

Carrot & Lentil Soup

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Calories per serving: 100

Servings: 4-6 (depending on who’s eating it!)

Ingredients:

• 150g dried red lentils

• 600g Carrots chopped

• 1-litre water

• 2 x veg stock cubes

• Optional seasoning: Cumin, chilli, chipotle, coriander, black pepper, salt

Method

1) In a large pan add 1 litre of water and 2 veg stock cubes and bring to the boil

2) Add carrots and lentils and any seasoning you wish

3) Simmer for around 25 mins or until carrots and lentils are cooked

4) Allow to cool slightly and blend until smooth, then serve.

Creamy Tomato & Basil 

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Calories per serve: 80

Servings: 4-6

Method:

1) In a large saucepan add olive oil and sauté garlic and onions until lightly browned, then add the canned tomatoes

2) Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, breaking them up by squeezing them as you put them in the pan. Give it a good stir

3) Add the chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar and allow to cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally

4) Once cooked for 10 mins, reduce the heat to low and stir in cream and chopped basil, simmer for a few minutes and serve!

5) Optional topping, add parmesan or even an optional tasty side of a toasted cheese
sandwich. Soup and a sandwich - mmmm what's not to love!!

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic

• 2 tbsp chopped white onion

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cans chopped tomatoes

• 400g whole tomatoes

• 2 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock 

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/3 cup heavy cream 

• 4 tbsp fresh basil

• Parmesan cheese (optional

Hearty Pasta Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 carrots

• 1 large onion, chopped 

• 1 litre veg stock

• 200g mixed peas / beans 

• 400g can chopped tomatoes

• 250g pack fresh filled tortellini (your choice
  of flavour) 

• Parmesan (optional)

• Seasoning of choice, salt, pepper, garlic

Method:

1) Heat oil in a pan

2) Fry onions and add carrots until they start to soften

3) Add the vegetable stock and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes

4) Add the peas and beans (or any other veg) and cook for another 5 mins

5) Once the veg is tender add the tortellini and return to the boil for 2-5 mins until the pasta is cooked 

6) Season and sprinkle with parmesan

7) Optional garlic bread on the side

Flipping brilliant pancake ideas

Here’s a whole load of inspiration for your pancake day…we’ve got something for every meal, savoury, desserts, gluten free, vegan and even boozy! A nice balance of healthy and tasty, so enjoy.

Breakfast ideas

• The North American Contintental - straightforward thick pancakes topped with bacon, maple syrup and blueberries

• Expresso pancakes with Nutella - mix an espresso shot (you can use normal ground coffee with water if you prefer) into the pancake batter mix, then top with Nutella once ready

• Eggs Benedict pancakes - top plain pancakes with thick-cut ham, spinach, a poached egg and readymade Hollandaise sauce (or you can make your own in about ten minutes)

Vegan and gluten free options

You can swap out traditional flour for buckwheat flour to make your pancakes gluten free. For a vegan option, use coconut oil and almond milk (there are loads of other oils you can use - olive, avocado or any vegetable or seed oils, and you can swap almond milk for soya, oat or rice). Try topping your pancakes with banana, maple syrup, berries, vegan chocolate chips or plant-based yoghurt.

How do you like yours? Thin and crispy crepes…

or thick and fluffy American style?

Lunchtime pancakes

• Tuna mayo and spinach - make thin pancakes and fill with the tuna mayo and spinach before rolling up

• Cheese and ham - the pancake equivalent of a toastie, perfect for days when the weather is horrid

• Vege protein pancakes - buckwheat is a good source of protein, so after you’ve made your pancakes, fill with the buckwheat, some rocket and some sliced cherry tomatoes (or salsa for added zing).

Savoury options

• Parsnip pancakes - roast some parsnips, mash them thoroughly and add to the batter mix. Serve with a honey and mustard dressing

• Quesadilla pancakes - fill plain pancakes with either mince or soya, roll up, cover with grated cheese then bake in the oven until the cheese is golden brown

• Butternut squash, goats cheese and rosemary pancakes - dice and sprinkle the squash with rosemary then roast for 20 minutes; you can crumble on the goats cheese for the last few minutes to warm it or add cold to the pancakes

Dessert options

For something a little more luxurious, why not try…

• Blueberry cheesecake pancakes - mix cream cheese into your batter mix and then serve topped with blueberries

• Cinammon crepes - stir the cinnamon into your batter and then make them thin and crispy before serving with the nut butter of your choice, some sliced banana and raspberries

• Lemon and sugar - no pancake list is complete without the ultimate traditional pancakes; you can use real lemons or Jif!

Boozy alternatives

Last but not least, here’s some inspiration if you fancy a pancake nightcap…

• Espresso Martini pancakes - mix espresso, sugar and coffee liqueur to make a syrup, whilst separately mixing vodka, mascarpone, yoghurt and icing sugar to form a cream. Dollop the cream onto plain pancakes and drizzle on the syrup

• Baileys Cream pancakes - mix Baileys and some thick double cream and whisk together thoroughly; once served top with a little more Baileys for good measure

• G&T pancakes - make a syrup by mixing a G&T, lemon juice and sugar, reducing down until nice and sticky. Pour another G&T into your batter mix and whisk until smooth. Once served, grate lemon zest over the top for an added touch.

Whatever you choose; healthy, tasty, main or dessert, make them with love and enjoy.

Use your loaf

Lou’s lovely no need to knead fruit bread

There’s no denying, fruit and bread go together like Torville and Dean, Morecambe and Wise, Ant and Dec even. Delicious sliced fresh off the loaf, made into a sandwich with vintage cheddar wedged between or simply toasted with a little butter…or my favourite, peanut butter.

Time to prepare:

15 minutes to put together, prove overnight and then 45 minutes in the oven

Nutritional highlights:

• Walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fats, including alpha-linolenic acid, one of those wonderful Omega 3s. They pack a decent amount of protein and the phytonutrients (plant goodies) beta-carotene (vitamin A), lutein and zeaxanthin, plus fibre and a host of antioxidants. They’ve been linked to better heart, brain, bone and digestive health, improved mood, energy, weight management and reduced inflammation

• Dried cranberries and apricots are a good source of dietary fibre, important for healthy digestion and helping increase feelings of fullness. The apricots are also rich in potassium that helps regulate fluid levels in your body, iron (important for blood cells and oxygen carrying), plus more vitamin A and antioxidants to keep your immune system strong

Ingredients:

• 350g plain flour

• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

• 30g chopped walnuts

• 135g dried cranberries & apricots (or mixed currants
  of your choice)

• 85g agave or liquid honey, plus a little extra for brushing on after baking

• 375ml water at room temperature

• Dutch oven (a thick metal or ceramic pot with a lid that seals it completely)

1. Add the flour to a large mixing bowl. Add yeast to one side of the bowl, and the salt to the other side

2. Stir the yeast into the flour on its side of the bowl and then stir the salt into its side. This will prevent the salt mixing directly with the yeast. Then give the whole mixture a good stir until everything is combined

3. Add the dried fruit and walnuts and stir until it’s coated and distributed evenly

4. Measure the water, make sure it is room temperature; water that is too cold or warm can kill the yeast and prevent the bread from rising

5. Add the agave to the water and stir until combined

6. Pour the water into the flour and mix until combined; the dough will be rough and sticky. There’s no need to kneed this dough, just give it a good mix

7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, leaving enough space for the dough to double in size. Put the bowl in a warm place to let it rise, proving for 12-18 hours

8. After proving, grab your dough and some grease-proof paper. Dust both the paper and your hands with flour, then scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the paper. It will still be sticky and look a little rustic.  Shape into a circular loaf on the paper, trying to handle the dough as little as possible to avoid it deflating

9. Sprinkle with flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap to let it rise again, this time just for 45 minutes

10. Pre-heat the oven to 210 fan/gas mark 8; put the Dutch oven in the top to warm up

11. After rising, remove the plastic wrap and trim around the grease proof paper as close to the dough as possible

12. Remove the Dutch oven and transfer the dough into the pot as carefully as possible. Place the lid on the pot and return to the oven for 30 minutes; do not take the lid off in this time. After half an hour,
remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes

13. Remove the pot and transfer the bread
to a wire rack to cool. Brush a little extra agave on top of the bread if you fancy it

14. Resist cutting into the bread until it’s
pretty much cooled. The bread continues to bake on the inside even after it’s been removed from the oven

15. Enjoy

Five saucy strategies

Flavour is hugely important to us when it comes to food. So often I’ve heard clients say that they’d like to eat more healthily but they’re worried that this means eating bland food and taking up an eating routine that they can’t sustain.

And when it comes to eating more healthily, many diets will encourage you to ditch the sauce and dips. It’s not bad advice in the sense that they are often the source (pun very much intended) of many additional calories. As you know though, the balance mentality is that being healthier doesn’t have to require living a monastic lifestyle, banishing all of your food pleasures permanently.

Here are a few strategies that can help you reduce your calorie intake from sauces and dips in a more balanced way…

1) Have the ones you love

An increased amount of choice leads to an increased calorie intake. Think ‘all you can eat’ buffets, pic n mix, or mezze platters and you get the idea. Our brains are terrible at counting the calories we’re consuming and if we’re given a choice, we don’t like to miss out, so we choose EVERYTHING.

Pick your absolute favourite sauce or dip and make sure that’ all you have available in your cupboards. Without even trying, you’ll decrease your calorie intake.

2) Are you eating it just out of habit?

Routines can be both helpful and unhelpful. Do you automatically reach for the sauce when you eat out, or do you always order a sharer starter with lots of dips? Do you always buy the biggest back of Doritos and a range of dips every time your friends come round? Analyse your eating habits and see if there are any times or places where you’re overdoing it and make a plan to overcome it in future. If you can’t think of anything, track your eating for a week or two and you’ll likely uncover some times when you could go easy on the condiments.

3) Plan your portions

As I mentioned earlier, we’re very bad at knowing how much of something we’ve had. In a study of people’s eating behaviours in a restaurant, Brian Wansink monitored how much of the free bread put on the table people consumed. They watched them via CCTV and afterwards, surveyed restaurant goers to ask how much food they had consumed. Over ten per cent of those who’d eaten some of the free bread didn’t even remember doing so!

So let’s relate this back to you. You place your dinner on the table and take the entire bottle of sauce with you. Whilst you’re eating, you chat away with your family or friends and don’t notice your hand automatically reaching for the bottle to add more sauce to your plate three or four times throughout your meal. Maybe you eat whilst looking at your phone or watching TV; your mind is distracted and the Ketchup or Reggae Reggae just slips in unnoticed.

Now I could tell you to always be conscious of exactly what you’re eating, but life doesn’t work like that. You can however put strategies in place to eat less without even trying. You could always eat at the dinner table, away from your phone or the Gogglebox, you could put some sauce on your plate and then put it back into the fridge before you sit down to munch, or you could steal a few of those little sachets of sauce when you eat out and limit yourself to one or two with your meal.

4) Don’t have it in the house

If you can’t trust yourself to control your portions, don’t. Make sure you never have the dips and sauces at home and then you’ll only be able to have them when you’re eating out.

5) Spice it up a bit

Sauce isn’t the only thing that can add flavour to your meals. Maybe swap it out for a spoonful of your favourite spice or some fresh or ground herbs. Whilst they still contain calories, they tend to pack a punch and so you only need small amounts to ramp up the flavour in your food.

Hopefully there’s an idea here you could try, or maybe it’s inspired you to come up with a plan of your own. Either way, as ever choose one small step to do and help yourself find a little better balance.

The best afternoon tea recipes on the web

Photo courtesy of Angello Lopez on Unsplash

The tradition of afternoon tea first began in the mid-19th century, when Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford found herself always hungry between her mid-day lunch and fashionably late dinners. She began to request sandwiches and cakes as a late afternoon snack and then started to invite friends to join her for this novel event. The idea spread through fashionable society, a new meal was born and its popularity has continued to grow to the present day.

In honour of this great British tradition, it's National Afternoon Tea week this week, so we thought we'd share a nice selection of recipes from the web to help you enjoy it to the full. Just remember to only do it once in a while; stopping work for an hour at 4pm every day for sandwiches, cakes, scones and tea probably isn't going to go down too well with your boss, and it'll likely be even worse for your waistline.

Tasty recipes

The ever wonderful Jamie Oliver has a host of recipes for afternoon tea here. Everything from cakes, buns, muffins and biscuits through to savoury treats like scotch eggs and breads.

This selection of recipes will leave you drooling, with a wide range of interesting ingredients, flavours and textures on offer to really mix up your diet.

And for those of you with a sweet tooth, why not try these Pimms scones from BBC Good Food, or this chunky apple, raisin, walnut and cider cake from delicious magazine.

Healthy options

If you fancy a more savoury scone, this cheese and pickled celery option from Great British Chefs may be more your thing.

You may of course want to put on a fancy spread, maybe the queen is coming to visit, or your mother-in-law! Whoever it is you're keen to impress, here are a few options fit for royalty:

• try these fancy salmon sandwich stacks from Good Housekeeping magazine

• or this range of healthy afternoon tea recipes designed for a queen from Body and Soul

Twinings tea also have some helpful tips on how to stay balanced whilst indulging in a few of your favourite treats.

Whatever you choose, remember the golden rules, keep it balanced and enjoy it to the full!

Refreshing foods and drinks for hot summer days

I heard this week that the sun has been shining continuously for over 50 days here in the UK and us Brits struggle to cope with all those powerful rays, we're just not used to it.

If you're feeling a little hot under the collar, here are six great foods and drinks to help cool you down...

1) Gazpacho soup

Most of us associate soup with cold winter days, but not the Andalucians from Spain. Gazpacho is best served chilled and packs in plenty of nutrients whilst also helping to cub hunger with its high water content, which also helps to cool you down.

Try Gordon Ramsay's recipe to make your own.

 3) Salads

The end of June bought a warning of lettuce shortages in the UK caused by high demand and wilting crops in the hot weather. 18 million lettuces were sold that week alone.

Salads are a popular choice as temperatures soar as many find their desire to eat hotter foods waning, or maybe its the lack of desire to stand in a hot kitchen. 

The choices are endless with so many possible ingredients and flavours to choose from; you can add fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, fish, cheese, tofu, nuts, seeds or whatever takes your fancy.

Here's a super-tasty take on the British classic, the Ploughman's, coming in at only 400 calories.

5) Spicy food

It may surprise you to learn that hot food and drink actually helps to cool you down. That's because the heat produced leads you to sweat and as the air catches the droplets, it cools you down. It's essentially your built in air conditioning system. Here's how it works with a hot drink like a tea.

2) Iced tea

Another one that us Brits find strange; surely it should be served piping hot? Not in the USA, where 85% of teas consumed are served cold. Click here for Twinings top ten iced tea recipes. 

4) Melon

Rich in water, melon is light, rich in antioxidants and a great low-calorie snack. In fact, watermelon has over 90 grams of water per 100 grams, hence the name. Just don't eat it like this guy

6) Water

Dehydration increases heat storage in your body and decreases your ability to tolerate heat. Staying hydrated with water, squash, milk, herbal and fruit teas or fruit juice mixed with water is therefore essential to help you keep your cool.

Balanced BBQ recipes for summer

Summer is still very much here and you might want to make the most of it with a barbecue for family and friends. Everybody loves cooking outdoors so I thought I’d put together some simple, healthy, quick, tasty recipes for barbecues and eating outdoors. All you need do is choose your favourite, invite a few friends over, get the food and drinks in and light the coals.

There’s something quite magical about cooking over a real fire, as if somehow you’re transported back in time thousands of years to an era when you hunted, scavenged and prepared your food on a daily basis. I don’t suggest you go that far these days and I certainly wouldn’t recommend barbecues on a regular basis as the process of cooking over a flame can increase cancer-causing substances in the foods. I’d also recommend using good quality meat for your outdoor meals, as there’s plenty of evidence that the cheap stuff increases health risks in the long term too. If you buy good stuff and treat yourself occasionally (which is probably all you can do given the not so great British weather), a barbecue can be a really tasty treat. Be sure to cook your meats thoroughly to manage the risks of food poisoning.

Here are three recipes you can use to make your next barbecue a balanced one:

Balance Kebabs

When imagining a kebab, most people picture some almost unidentifiable meat purchased at 3am after a night out. In truth though they can be an incredibly healthy addition to your diet. The word kebab simply means food cooked on a skewer.

Vegetarian option – load up a skewer with chunks of halloumi, red onion, courgette, cherry tomatoes and mixed peppers.

For the carnivores – either replace the halloumi or simply add cuts of lamb or beefsteak.

Balance mushroom burgers

Cook two large flat mushrooms with their stems removed (Portobello work well) and a burger of your choice. I opt for venison but you can be traditional and use beef or go vege with a bean burger. Once cooked, place the burger between the two mushrooms and add iceberg lettuce, a slice of beef tomato, smoked cheese and a little brown sauce.

Super sides

Not everything you have at a barbecue needs to be cooked on the grill. Here are two healthy sides you can use to add flavour and variety to your gathering.

Falafel and couscous tabouleh

Add a little Mediterranean feel to your occasion with this Lebanese classic. These days you can easily buy falafel and houmous in lots of places so there’s no need to make your own. Simply follow this recipe and it’ll be ready in no time.

·      25g couscous per person

·      1 tablespoon of olive oil

·      1 lemon juiced

·      A few bunches of parsley and coriander

·      1 or 2 spring onions

·      2 beetroot

·      2 beef tomatoes

·      Half a cucumber

·      Black pepper

·      1-2 packets of falafel

·      Houmous (you can buy different flavours to give your guests a bit of variety)

Cook the couscous as per the packet instructions; normally it takes just a few minutes. Chop the onions, beetroot, tomatoes, cucumber and herbs and mix the couscous in once cooked. In a different bowl mix the lemon juice with a little black pepper and olive oil and then add the couscous mix. Cut the falafel into smaller pieces and mix in. Serve in a bowl and place the houmous separately in a small dish.

Sweet potato wedges

 I use this easy-to-prepare potato wedges recipe all of the time. They taste great served hot or cold, with a little slat and pepper or with a tzatziki dip.

Take one medium-sized sweet potato (white potatoes are in fact just as healthy so you can switch if you’d like). Cut it into wedges leaving the skin on, put in a pan and cover with water then bring to the boil.

Drain the potatoes and place back in the pan to season with sea salt, black pepper and 1 clove of grated garlic. Mix gently then, using an oil bottle with a spray nozzle, squirt a couple of sprays of oil onto a baking sheet. Place the wedges on the sheet; spray the top of them with a little more oil then pop in a hot oven and cook till brown. Mine usually take around 20 minutes in a fan-assisted oven at 180 degrees Celsius. 

If you liked these recipes you may enjoy A Week in Balance, my seven-day recipe plan for every meal of the day and snack ideas too. For just £2 you can get your copy here. Half of all proceeds goes to help Genetic Alliance UK in their work supporting people with rare conditions. 

A taste of summer

Glastonbury, Wimbledon, long evenings sat in the garden, all of these can only mean one thing, it’s mid-summer. To celebrate this here’s two simple, healthy, tasty, balanced desserts you can serve for the family or after a barbecue using the most quintessentially English fruit, the strawberry.

Strawberries are a great addition to a balanced diet because:

   They’re rich in vitamin C, with one cup providing your entire daily requirements

   They’re low Glycaemic Index and have been linked to better blood sugar regulation

   They contain a good source of dietary fibre

   Also found inside are numerous antioxidants, vitamin K, manganese, magnesium, iodine, folate, potassium, phosphorous and copper

   The richness of antioxidants means this little berry has been strongly linked to the prevention of both heart disease and a range of cancers

   They may even help to slow down the effects of ageing!

Natural Strawberry Yoghurt

Strawberries

Pumpkin or sunflower seeds

Halved walnuts

Honey

Plain natural yoghurt

1 square of dark chocolate

Slice as many strawberries as you desire (4-7 per person depending on size is normally enough) and mix in to the yoghurt with the walnuts and pumpkin seeds. Grate the dark chocolate on top and add a small spoon of honey.

The 60-Second Mini-Strawberry Cheesecake

Plain digestive biscuits

Chopped strawberries

Cream cheese or mascarpone

Natural yoghurt

Sliced almonds and mixed seeds

Honey (optional)

Roll or whack the digestive biscuit into small crumbs (you choose which but the latter is a fantastic choice for stress relief) and place into the bottom of a bowl or champagne flute. It tastes the same but the glass gives it a more arty appearance! J

Mix the cream cheese or mascarpone with a few spoons of yoghurt and if desired mix a little honey in for extra sweetness. Pour this mix on top of the biscuit base. Add the chopped strawberries, sliced almonds and mixed seeds to suit.

Fancy more recipes like this? Then download my new guide ‘A Week in Balance’, with seven days’ of breakfasts, snacks, lunches and dinners plus a home exercise routine to keep you fit, healthy and balanced. It’s only £2 with half going to charity, get your copy here: http://bit.ly/1GQEhRO

From white stuff to right stuff: Five alternatives to sugar

Weaved throughout many of the ‘Ten Steps to a Balanced Diet’ is the importance of decreasing sugar intake. Sugar is a highly refined substance and as you already know, foods high in sugar will contain a lot of calories and soon leave us feeling hungry again and ready for more. 

In its highly processed state it offers few if any health benefits, and over time excess sugar intake can lead to weight gain, diabetes and tooth decay so we’re all told we should reduce how much we consume. Trouble is, that’s not always as easy as it sounds. Here I honestly review a few sugar alternatives that you could consider using to wean yourself off the white stuff, looking at the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Honey

Made by bees using nectar from flowers, honey has been used by various empires through the ages, including the Greeks and Romans. 

The good: Rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, there’s certainly more goodness in honey than in refined sugar. It’s been shown to contain iron, calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium which all keep your body functioning optimally. 

Over the years it’s been proposed that it might treat wounds and infections, control allergies and manage gastrointestinal problems, although these claims need a lot more research to prove one way or the other. It has been shown in one study to ease night-time coughing in those with colds.

Drawbacks: Manuka honey is often purchased by people in an attempt to alleviate their latest bout of cold/flu. Whilst it may work as an antibacterial treatment for wounds, it’s cold-fighting properties are not yet proven, nor are the other claims made about it lowering cholesterol, treating diabetes and even cancer.

In fact, honey is around 80% sugar, half of it fructose, meaning whilst it’s probably slightly better than sugar, go easy on how much you use or you’ll be adding calories and increasing your insulin levels just as you would with refined sugar.

Panela

Pa what I hear you say? Panela….what’s that? Well it’s unrefined cane sugar, or certainly less refined than sugar. When sugarcane is cut down, it is boiled and the sap oozes out. This sap is then further refined to produce sugar, but Panela is just hardened blocks of this sap.

The good: As it is produced from the juice of the cane plant, it’s been shown to contain all of the vitamins and minerals found in the plant; everything form vitamin A to zinc, with plenty in between including calcium, copper, vitamins C and D, iron, potassium and polyphenols. It scores very highly on its levels of antioxidants too.

I use it myself, grating it into porridge to add some sweetness. It tastes good and a block lasts me a long time.

Drawbacks: It’s still over 70% sucrose, so the usual advice to consume it in moderation applies.

Carob

Carob is produced form the pods of the carob tree, found in the Middle East. They are ground and roasted to produce a chocolate-like substance.

The good: It is lower fat than cocoa powder, half as much in fact. It is also caffeine free, in fact it has no stimulants at all yet it still tastes like chocolate.

You can find it in 9bars or use it to make these very tasty cookies suitable for vegans.

Drawbacks: Yep, you guessed it. It’s still high in sugars and therefore calories too.

Maple syrup

A completely natural substance made from the sap of that maple tree, synonymous with Canada of course where the majority is produced.

The good: Another rich source of nutrients - magnesium, zinc, manganese and zinc to name a few. It’s also rich in phenols, powerful antioxidants more usually associated with grapes and berries, and wine by those who need to justify their slightly elevated intake! :-)

Drawbacks: Groundhog Day!! High in sugar and calories, say no more.

Dried fruit

Ok so you know what this is. There are lots of different types of course; apricots, figs, dates, prunes, raisins and sultanas, pineapple and many more.

The good: Dried fruits are actually higher in fibre than fresh alternatives and fibre is essential in the diet to keep your digestive system healthy, fill you up and keep cholesterol levels low. Some dried fruits seem to be higher in nutrients than their freshly picked counterparts too, check out this interesting article on the Livestrong website to find out more.

The drawbacks: Dried fruit has lost all of its water and so may have a higher sugar content and higher glycaemic index. They’ve also been shown to have a laxative effect in some people so eating them before a run is not advised!

In summary, all of these may offer a little more nutritional benefit than plain old refined sugar, but as the first and arguably most important step of the balance 'ten steps to a healthy diet’ says, go easy on the quantity. As the old saying goes:

                           'Everything in moderation’

Or to put it another way, you need to find your balance. :-)

Stressed? Here's how to find some balance.

Do you often feel stressed? How do you know? What do you feel? How do you feel? What do you see and hear?

The word stress is one that you’ll probably hear many times these days, but its meaning is probably more complex and controversial than you may imagine.

The word stress comes from the Latin word stringere, meaning to draw tight. This is a good analogy, as it’s true meaning is to put strain on something. When thinking of it in relation to you, it relates to anything that challenges your body and takes it out of its comfort zone. This could be a mental stress, challenging your brain, a physical stress challenging your body, or both.

When most people think of and use the word stress these days, it generally carries a negative meaning, yet that does not always have to be the case. There are in fact two distinct types of stress:

Eustress

This is good stress. What’s that you say? How can stress be good? Well let’s look at a few examples.

Exercise - you know it’s good for you, or you do if you’ve been reading the balance blog and Facebook posts! Exercise involves physical exertion, placing stress upon your body. In fact, one of the key principles of exercise that any fitness professional can tell you about is called overload. In simple terms, your body will not adapt and get fitter unless you challenge it. Why would it? If you’ve ever taken up exercise, you’ll know that feeling of discomfort in the first few sessions, then after a while you don’t find it so hard. You have stressed your body enough that it’s decided to change, primarily because it’s quite lazy and doesn’t want to have to work hard. Suddenly you find the same exercise session pretty easy, and the only way to get more changes from your body is, you guessed it, to work harder still. Of course, you need to do this sensibly and gradually or you place your body under too much stress and increase the likelihood of overtraining and injury.

Challenge - ever had a job that was just too easy and you were bored? Many of you will have experienced this and will have spent time trying to get promoted or looking for a career change. You’re basically trying deliberately to add more stress to yourself, but that’s because you need it and want it. Imagine if there was no challenge to life, what would be the motivation to continue? It could easily be argued that stress is actually what keeps you alive.

However, as with all things in life, it’s all about balance. Too much stress, or unwanted stresses can have a negative impact.

Distress

This is the term for bad stress, any stressor that puts your body under too much strain or has a negative effect. This is what most people think of when they use the term stress.

What causes distress?

• Work - being overworked, not enjoying your job, demanding deadlines, pressure passed on by your boss or by targets set for your team, bonus schemes, long hours, there’s a whole host of reasons why work can stress people both mentally and physically.

• Money - life these days can be expensive and throws up unexpected costs when the car breaks down or a utility bill is bigger than you thought.

• Family life - it’s hard to get on with the people you love all the time. Even when you do, you want to look after them and time apart, exam pressure for children, job interviews, university placements, holidays, illness and a million other things can make life feel complicated and stressful.

• Lack of sleep, too much exercise, exposure to electrical and chemical radiation, taking exams, and even sitting down place stresses on your body, the latter putting your knee joint under strain by tightening the muscles that attach around it.

Whether you are affected by stress (I mean distress) depends on a number of things:

1) Your balance of eustress and distress.

2) The coping mechanisms you have in place.

Let’s have a look at these and see what can be done. Firstly, it can be useful for you to identify all of the things that create good stress and bad stress in your life.

Make a list like the one below.

Eustress

• My gym visits

• Taking exams for my courses

• Rehearsing for a play that you’re going to be appearing in

• Preparing to go self-employed

Distress

• Lack of sleep

• Work pressures

• Getting the kids to school on time in the morning

• Flying on holiday next week and hate flying

• Fitting in visits to the family around after-school clubs, visits to the doctors, going shopping, picking up a prescription, posting your tax return on time and a million other things you struggle to make time for

• Spending 10 hours a day sat in front of a computer

Now you’ve got your list, don’t get stressed if you think you’ve missed something, you can add it at another time, it’s worth looking at the balance of good and bad and asking yourself two questions:

1) Can I add more things that will give me eustress to my life?

• Take up yoga or meditate

• Go for a walk outside at lunchtimes or at least get away from my desk more often

• Book a race to raise money for charity

• Spend time playing sports with my children

• Go to sleep half an hour earlier

These are just a few examples, you’ll have plenty of your own.

2) How can I manage or remove the things that cause me distress?

Some would call this stress management or stress reduction, you can call it distress disposal, Fred or whatever you like that makes most sense to you. Let’s choose one possible cause of distress and look at ways to reduce it; in this case the fear or hatred of flying. Hate is a strong word so it must be pretty stressful. What can you do to manage this stress?

1) Avoidance - in this case don’t fly. Go on holiday in the UK? Nah, no sunshine! Drive and take the ferry? Too far and would take up half the holiday.

2) Drink - many choose this as a way to remove stress as it makes them feel relaxed. You need to ask yourself though, is it a good method? One or two drinks may supply an instant feeling of relaxation as the alcohol acts on the nervous system, any more though and guess what, you’re actually placing your body under distress as it then has to cope with the increased level of toxins in the body and the dehydration. Your liver and other organs end up stressed and long-term this won’t be a good solution for removal of stress, you simply replace one stress with another. Some go even further in times of stress and take drugs, the consequences of which are much the same if not even more severe. Getting out of it is not a great way to get over it.

3) Distraction - I know, I’ll read a book, listen to music, do a puzzle, plan a presentation, schedule my exercise for the next 12 weeks before my race. This is a great option if it works, as it uses eustress methods to overcome distress.

4) Rationalise - I could read up about the statistical likelihood of being involved in a plane crash, and reassure myself that I’m far more at risk statistically when going for a walk than I am when flying.

5) Mind tricks - I could use hypnosis, have counselling, practice meditation or anything else that I thought may help me to overcome or allay my fears.

As you can see, I have options open to me and this is a good thing, as it means I can take action and do something. Try it for yourself, pick one of the things that cause you distress and make  list of methods you could use to remove or manage this. You can try them all or even use just one of them, it really is up to you. The key thing you need to ask yourself though is, will the things I have written down have a positive impact on the health of my mind and body, or will they cause me further distress? Opt for the ones that have a positive impact. Smoking, alcohol and junk foods are common ‘stress relief’ methods employed by millions of people across the world, but they’re not effective because they end up loading different and equally harmful stresses onto the body.

The advice above serves only to help you manage stresses you feel you are able to control without seeking further help. What you may have discovered by doing this task is that there are some stresses in your life that you feel are deep-seated, that you can’t think of a way to remove or that you feel are causing you real harm. If this is the case, you should seek medical advice in the first instance and then work with your GP to find suitable solutions to balance your stresses and improve your health. 

Let’s have a quick re-cap:

• Stress can be both good and bad for you. You need good stresses in your life to motivate you, but too much stress or negative stresses can affect you both physically and mentally.

• Spend time considering the balance of your good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress). Do you need to take action to redress this?

• Add as many things to your life as you can that cause eustress - exercise, get outside, listen to music, dance, paint, read, have a bath, spend time with friends, go for promotion, set yourself a challenge, whatever it is that you personally find challenging but enjoyable.

• Identify ways in which you can manage or overcome things causing you distress. Sense check these to ensure that they themselves will not cause you further physical or mental distress. Choose realistic changes that will help bring you back into balance.

• Accept that 'stress’ is a part of your life, now and forever but recognise it is essential to your life. It will come and go, rise and fall, but you need to find the stress management techniques that work best for you.

• Always seek medical advice if you feel a stress is having a negative consequence on your mental or physical wellbeing. Your GP can discuss a range of options available to you that best suit your needs and circumstances.

Eerie Scary Pumpkin Curry

The pumpkin, symbol of Halloween or ‘All Hallows Eve’, it is most often found on a windowsill these days, candle lighting the spooky shapes carved into it for the annual celebrations.

But it’s also a delicious, healthy vegetable and surprisingly versatile, tasting great in soups, pasta bakes, curries and GHOULash! High in vitamin A, (beta-carotene) and other antioxidants and containing seeds packed full of zinc, it’s an awesome addition to the Autumn menu.

Try our recipe below and warm yourself after a cold night trick or treating!

Ingredients (serves 2)

200g cubed pumpkin

1 large carrot

1 large red onion

200g green lentils

1 jar balti sauce

100g frozen peas

Heat some butter in a pan. Chop the carrot and onion and add them to the pan on a low heat for around 3-5 minutes until they have softened.

Chop the pumpkin into cubes (remembering first to carve the balance logo into the pumpkin before dicing)! Cover the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Stir in the jar of balti sauce and cook for another minute before adding the lentils in their juices. Place the lid back on top and cook on a low heat for around 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the peas and cook for another couple of minutes.

Serve with pumpkin seed bread.

Spine-chillngly good!

Here you can see the spirit of the pumpkin rising out of the curry. Proof that there is an afterlife in the vegetable world!