Author Archives for Emily Davenport, Head of Dairy Diary

About Emily Davenport, Head of Dairy Diary

Head of Dairy Diary; I'm passionate about producing high quality products that our customers will cherish. I'm also a mum of three and I enjoy cooking, walking, gardening and painting with my family, as well as printmaking (when I find the time!)

5 Favourite Books | Roald Dahl Day

5 favourite books on Roald Dahl Day

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5 Favourite Books | Roald Dahl Day

What best evokes childhood for you?

Recently, I have been reading the Roald Dahl books to my six-year old (except the Witches – too scary!!) and they transport me straight back to my six year-old self, freshly bathed in pyjamas smelling of Persil enthralled by a magical world narrated by my mum (who is a great storyteller). With my children I will be celebrating Roald Dahl Day on Saturday with cosy storytelling and Quentin Blake-inspired drawing.

Isn’t it incredible that good books
can leave such an indelible
impression that they recall
feelings more than thirty years’ old?

Many, many books have had a profound effect on me, but here is my top five.

1 George’s Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
Though I love most Dahl books this is my favourite and the one that my son and I giggled at the most. It’s wonderful in every way.

2 Dairy Diary
This had to feature in my top five didn’t it??! It’s the book that changed my life (in more ways than you can I imagine) and the book that helps me juggle everything that life throws at me! Visit the Dairy Diary page.

3 To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
I could write a whole dissertation on this book but don’t worry, I won’t bore you! As a family, we try to live by the quote from Atticus Finch “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it”.

4 Around the World in 80 Days, Michael Palin
I absolutely adore Michael Palin; from Monty Python chuckles to admiration of his brilliant travel books/TV programs. Around the World in 80 Days kick-started my love of travel writing and I have read countless travel books since. They continue to be my favourite escapist genre as I am not the most adventurous person so there will be many places in the world that I need to discover through other people as I’m not brave enough to visit them myself.

5 Fantastic Food for Less
This is not a marketing ploy honest!! This is THE cookbook that I had to have in my kitchen before it was even printed. I have loved working on every cookbook that we have produced but the recipes in this one really are exceptional and so straightforward that they perfectly fit into my busy life as a mum. Visit the Fantastic food For less page.

Here’s our family favourite from Fantastic Food for Less.

 

Spiced Cottage Pie

Cottage pie is one of those timeless favourites; this version is flavoured with a little curry powder and mixed with red lentils to produce a delicious take on a classic.

Spiced Cottage Pie recipeTime 50 minutes.
Serves 6
Per portion: 737 Kcal, 25g fat (10.8g saturated)
Suitable for freezing.
Sunflower oil 1 tbsp
Minced beef 500g (1lb 2oz)
Onion 1, peeled and chopped
Medium hot curry powder 2 tbsp
Carrot 150g (5oz), diced
Red lentils 150g (5oz)
Beef stock 600ml (1 pint)
Tomato purée 1 tbsp
Sultanas 50g (2oz)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Potatoes 680g (1½lb), peeled and cut into chunks
Butter 50g (2oz)
Milk 4 tbsp
Ground turmeric ¼ tsp
Cooked frozen peas to serve (optional)

1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the mince and onion, stirring and breaking up the mince, for about 5 minutes until it is evenly browned.

2 Stir in the curry powder and carrot, cook 1 minute and then mix in the lentils. Pour in the stock, tomato purée, sultanas and seasoning and bring to the boil.

3 Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lentils are soft.

4 Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a saucepan with just enough lightly salted water to cover them. Cover with the lid and bring the water to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

5 Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan with half the butter and the milk and turmeric and season with salt and pepper. Mash well, adding the milk as needed to make a soft spoonable mash.

6 Preheat the grill to hot. Spoon the mince mixture into an ovenproof dish, cover with the potato and fork the mash into an even layer. Dot the remaining butter over the top and grill for 5–10 minutes until browned. Serve with peas, if you like.

 

Cook’s tip

Leftover lentils can be used to make a delicious, filling soup. Cook 110g (4oz) lentils with 1 chopped potato, carrot, onion and parsnip (or any other leftover veg you fancy) and 900ml (1½ pints) stock very gently for 1 hour. Purée with a stick blender before you serve.

 

Recipe taken from Fantastic Food for Less cookbook.

 

 

 

Share your top five favourite books with me. I would love to have a new selection to put on my reading list. Thanks!

#roalddahlday
#familyrecipe
#favouritebooks

#moneysavingcookbook

Recipe of the Day: Treacle Tart with Glazed Apples

Treacle Tart with Glazed Apples

 

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Treacle Tart with Glazed Apples 

Serves 6
75 mins plus cooling
555 Kcals/portion
Fat 16g (7.2g sat) per portion
Suitable for freezing
Suitable for vegetarians

Plain flour 175g (6oz)
Butter 65g (2½oz), diced
White vegetable cooking fat or lard 40g (1½oz), diced
Golden syrup 454g tin
Ground ginger 1 tsp
Lemon 1, grated zest and juice
Fresh breadcrumbs 110g (4oz)
Cooking apples 2, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Icing sugar 1 tbsp
Custard or ice cream to serve (optional)

1 To make the pastry, put the flour, 40g (1½oz) butter and fat in a bowl and rub in with your fingertips until you have fine crumbs. Gradually add 2 tbsp water and mix to a smooth dough. Alternatively, you could use a food processor.

2 Knead the pastry briefly, then roll out on a lightly floured surface until a little larger than a 24cm (9½in) diameter fluted loose-bottomed flan tin. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin, place in the tin then ease up the sides, pressing it in place. Trim the top of the pastry so that it stands a little above the tin. Chill for 15 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Pour the syrup into a saucepan, add the ginger, lemon zest and half the juice and gently heat. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs. Leave to cool.

4 Pour the syrup into the tart case. Toss the apple in the remaining lemon juice. Arrange the slices, overlapping, in rings over the top of the tart. Then melt the remaining butter and brush it over the apples. Bake for about 35 minutes until the apples are golden.

5 Sift the icing sugar over the top and return the tart to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the sugar has caramelised. Leave to cool for 30 minutes, then remove the tart from the tin and cut into wedges. Serve with ice cream or custard, if you like.

Cook’s tips
Place any stale bread you have in a food procssor and whizz into breadcrumbs.
Separate into portions and freeze in polythene bags so that you have a ready-made supply.

 

Fantastic Food For Less cookbook

Recipe taken from Fabulous Food For Less cookbook

 

When you get the book, I would love to know which your favourite recipe is.

 

Read the blogs on our website

Win a copy of Fantastic Food For Less

Save hundred of pounds on your food bills

#recipeoftheday #moneysavingcookbook #foodforless

Competition | Win a fantastic new cookbook and save hundreds of pounds on your food bills

Money saving cookbook shows you how to stop wasting food

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Save hundreds of pounds on your food bills

Win a fantastic new cookbook

Honestly it’s true!

Did you know that we, as a nation, throw away around 7 million tonnes of food every year?

In financial terms that means the
average UK family wastes nearly £60
per month by throwing away food*.

However, by making a few simple changes to our habits, it is still possible to cook amazing, nutritious food more economically and less wastefully.

Fantastic Food For LessThis week we officially launch Fantastic Food for Less, a brilliant book packed with delicious recipes that use good quality, reasonably priced ingredients and have minimal leftovers. From tasty soups and snacks, to quick and easy main meals, and heavenly desserts, there is something to suit every taste and occasion.

There are two types of recipes: Quick & Easy, which can be on the table in 30 minutes or less, and Take it Easy, which allows you to do something else while they cook slowly.

And as with previous editions of the Dairy Cookbook series, Fantastic Food for Less features triple-tested recipes, simple to follow instructions, easy to source ingredients and full nutritional information.

Using good quality, affordable ingredients we’ll show you how to make fantastic food and reduce waste with careful shopping, clever storage and fabulous recipes. Leftovers are kept to a minimum with tips on how to use them up or store them. Everything is simple to cook, tastes delicious and won’t cost the earth.”

For 20 lucky people, we have a FREE Fantastic Food for Less

Enter here for a chance to win.

Good luck.

Enter to win Fantastic Food For Less

 

 
Here’s a taster of what is in the book. Mmmmmm.

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Treacle Tart with Glazed Apple recipe

Treacle Tart with Glazed Apples 

Serves 6
75 mins plus cooling
555 Kcals/portion
Fat 16g (7.2g sat) per portion
Suitable for freezing
Suitable for vegetarians

Click here for the recipe.

 

When you get the book, I would love to know which your favourite recipe is.

 

Read the blogs on our website

Win a copy of Fantastic Food For Less

Save hundred of pounds on your food bills

#moneysavingcookbook #foodforless

Back to School with Scrumptious Lunchbox Muffins

Back to school with Scrumptious Lunchbox Muffins by Dairy Diary

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Back to School with Scrumptious Lunchbox Muffins

Those brand new shoes are shiny and there’s that familiar scent of new stationery with a perfectly organised pencil case nestling in a pristine (for one day only!) school bag.

It must be back to school time!

Make their first day back at school even more memorable with a scrummy homemade muffin.

With fresh blackberries it should pass muster with even the most vehement lunchbox police.

 

Lunchbox Blackberry Muffins - a Dairy Diary recipes

Lunchbox Blackberry Muffins

Makes 12–14
Time 30 mins
Calories 225 Fat 9g of which 5.5g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Self-raising flour 300g (11oz)
Baking powder 1 tsp
Bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp
Ground mixed spice ½ tsp, optional
Demerara sugar 200g (7oz)
Fresh blackberries 250g (9oz), very large ones halved
Full fat milk 300ml (½ pint)
Butter, 125g (4½oz), melted
Eggs 2 large, beaten

1 Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas 6 and line a 12 or 14 hole muffin tin with paper cases. Stir together dry ingredients and sugar in a bowl, then add blackberries and mix.

2 Whisk together milk, melted butter and eggs. Gently fold liquid into dry ingredients, taking care not to over-mix.

3 Divide batter between muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and golden. Serve warm or cold.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

 

 

Read the blog on www.dairydiary.co.uk/

New Dairy Diary 2015 website

Dairy Diary 2015 website

Take a look at our gorgeous new website, showcasing all our new products!

Tadaaa, our new website is here – complete with all our gorgeous new products.

We just know this is going to be a great year.

www.DairyDiary.co.uk

Dairy Diary 2015 new products

 

Strawberry Pimms Trifle

And here’s my favourite new Dairy Diary recipe.

Strawberry Trifle with Pimms 

Time: 25 mins plus chilling
376 Kcals/portion
Fat 19g (10.9g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians

Trifle sponges 4, about 110g (4oz), broken into pieces
Strawberries 350g (12oz), sliced
Caster sugar 2 tbsp
Pimms 4 tbsp
Reduced fat custard 425g can
Double cream 200ml (7fl oz)
Low fat natural yogurt 150g (5oz)
Orange, grated rind of half
Lemon, grated rind of half
Halved strawberries and orange rind curls to decorate

1 Arrange trifle sponges in a single layer in the base of a 1.2 litre (2 pint) glass dish. Place strawberries on top and then sprinkle with sugar. Spoon Pimms over the sponges.
2 Spoon custard over fruit and spread into an even layer. Whip cream until it just forms soft swirls then fold in yogurt and fruit rinds. Spoon over custard and chill until required.
3 Decorate with strawberries and citrus rind curls.

A Dairy Diary 2015 recipe.

 

 

COMPETITION

Win Dairy Diary 2015

Hot off the press! 

Win the fabulous new 2015 Dairy Diary.

Be the first to own a copy of the best Dairy Diary yet. We have 25 advance copies to give away.

Good luck!

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Amazing Anti-ageing Foods

Amazing Anti-ageing Foods

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Amazing Anti-ageing Foods

Hmmmmm, would I like to look younger and keep wrinkles at bay?

Yes!!! Well, with regular exercise and the right foods we can grow older gracefully. The Dairy Diary shares with us what to eat and why (take note, chocolate is on the list!):

Antioxidants, which zap
cell-damaging free radicals,
are vital.

Acai berries are jam-packed with antioxidants, omega oils, dietary fibre, amino acids, calcium and B vitamins. Blueberries are a great source of anthocyanidins. They may also help brain function, keep eyes healthy, help lower cholesterol and protect against cancer.

Broccoli, kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts are rich sources of fibre, vitamin C, carotenes andother anti-cancer compounds.

Carrots are powerful antioxidants, protect skin from sun damage and wrinkles, and help maintain a healthy heart. They are one of best sources of betacarotene, which your body converts into vitamin A.

Cherries contain plenty of anthocyanidins, as well as vitamin C; strongly antiinflammatory, they reduce the risk of heart disease.

Chinese leaves are a rich source of betacarotene, help control blood pressure, improve digestion and help combat asthma and bronchitis.

Cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant, and helps balance sugar in the blood.

Dark chocolate (with at least 70% cocoa solids) – two squares give you a dose of anti-ageing flavonoids, and a good measure of antioxidants.

Fish, especially oily fish, contains essential fatty acids, and vitamin D for bones and joints. It also helps your body to eliminate fat-soluble toxins and maintains lipid supply in the outer layers of your skin, which some say smooths wrinkles.

Garlic helps maintain healthy circulation and lowers cholesterol, plus having beneficial antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

Green tea comes from the same plant as black tea but the leaves are less processed and so the tea is higher in antioxidants. It may help lower cholesterol, speed metabolism (for weight loss), protect teeth and joints and reduce sun damage to skin. White tea, from the concentrated buds of the plant, is even less processed and more beneficial.

Honey boosts the immune system and improves brittle nails.

Nuts and seeds are a great source of vegetable protein, fibre and essential fats and minerals.

Walnuts are full of antioxidants; Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, important for the immune system; almonds contain vitamin E; pumpkin and hemp seeds and linseeds provide skin-plumping essential fatty acids and valuable minerals, such as zinc, calcium, iron and magnesium.

Oats contain soluble fibre that helps reduce cholesterol, and B vitamins that, with silicon, help keep skin, hair and nails looking good and bones strong.

Amazing Anti-ageing Foods are full of vitamin E and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fat) and help keep skin
hydrated. They also have antiinflammatory properties.

Onions help maintain a healthy heart, and may slow bone loss. They contain vitamins C and B6 (good for muscles) and have anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial properties.

Quinoa is an excellent source of protein and, unlike wheat or rice, contains all the essential amino acids, as well as the whole range of B vitamins.

Tomatoes are full of vitamin C, potassium and lycopene, an antioxidant that protects skin and eyes from sun damage and helps ward off certain cancers. More lycopene is absorbed if tomatoes are heated, canned or made into ketchup, or eaten with olive oil.

 

Homemade Muesli

Dairy Diary Homemade MuesliMakes 18 portions
Time 30 mins
Calories 152 per portion
Fat 4g of which 0.5g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Ready-to-eat dried apricots 110g (4oz)
Ready-to-eat dried prunes 110g (4oz)
Ready-to-eat dried figs 110g (4oz)
Seedless raisins 110g (4oz)
Sultanas 50g (2oz)
Walnuts 50g (2oz), finely chopped
Rolled porridge oats 375g (13oz)
Oranges 2, finely grated zest only
Lemon 1, finely grated zest only
Ground cinnamon or mixed spice 1–2 tsp, optional

1 Roughly chop apricots, prunes and figs and place in a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and mix together thoroughly.

2 Store muesli in an airtight container, in a cool place.

3 To serve, spoon into serving bowls, barely cover with milk and allow to stand for 5–10 minutes. Serve topped with natural yogurt and, if you like, blueberries or a little honey.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

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