News

I love pancakes

Hurray, it’s Shrove Tuesday tomorrow and a great excuse to eat pancakes. Although I love them – savoury or sweet – I never think to make them at any other time of year.

PancakesMy love affair with the humble pancake began on a French exchange holiday when I was fourteen. The family I stayed with were extremely eccentric (half of their home was a ‘Havishamesque’ abandoned theatre/shop, covered in cobwebs and unchanged for decades) but fantastic cooks; making the most amazing crepes.

Although I have never been able to replicate such pancake excellence, I have a go at making a new savoury version each year, finished off with a classic sugar and lemon. I may defy convention tomorrow with these Fruity Coffee Pancakes from Year Round Dairy Cookbook. Incidentally, a contestant on Come Dine with Me will soon be cooking from this book on TV, so let’s hope they do it justice!

As you know the majority of our Dairy Diaries are still sold by the milkmen, so we are firm supporters of this valuable British Institution. Pancake Day has always been a great reason to buy extra ‘pintas’.

For Mark Smith’s (the Guardian) intriguing foray into the world of the milkman see ‘Deliverance: out on a milk round’.

Valentine’s Treats

Is it really Valentine’s Day on Sunday? I can’t believe it has come round so quickly.

During my lunch hours I have been painting a picture of Venice (where he proposed) for my fiancé as a gift. However, as it is only about a fifth complete I think I might have to resort to plan B – cook!

Perhaps the lamb shank recipe (Quick & Easy Dairy Cookbook), which I cooked for our first date?

I think we should definitely start the day with Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and perhaps finish with a really nice bottle of red and Duck with Plum Sauce. Both these recipes are from Just One Pot Dairy Cookbook, which is now back in stock after selling out twice!

I know Valentine’s Day is a bit commercial but we all neglect to tell our loved ones how much they mean to us, so why not give your special someone a real feel-good treat on Sunday?

Frugal but Fabulous Food?

On our office bookcase sit many, tantalising and beautiful cookbooks. They have huge ‘kerb appeal’ but in reality with (much) closer inspection are rarely practical…

and their authors seem to exist in some parallel universe where there is always time (and money) to shop at the local farmers’ market or quirky deli to buy some obscure ingredient, and always vast amounts of time to spend on preparation and food presentation.

Most of us though, live in the real world, where time is a rare commodity, that elusive deli is probably 25 miles away and the farmers’ market falls on the day when we have to stay in and wait for the electrician. Life is just not that perfect. That’s why part of my job is to create a cookbook that is tantalising and beautiful but also practical – this is the reason dairy cookbooks have been so popular for so many years.

So, what subject matter does the next cookbook tackle?
One idea is to create a book that focuses on how to shop, cook and eat cheaply. But is that not why “mums go to Iceland”? Can we make a book that will compete with these bargain convenience food shops? Hopefully not all of us want to fill up on junk. Many of us love food and know the importance of eating well, but perhaps not how to eat well on a budget (including me, if I’m honest).

Whilst researching this concept I have come across some great money-saving advice. The first and REALLY important point is to reduce food waste. Try following these great tips from www.myzerowaste.com

FridgeMenu plan.
Think about the meals that will cook and make a menu plan for the week. Write down the ingredients you need for each meal on a list. Stick to this list when you shop (and don’t shop when you’re hungry). I always plan for two fewer meals than we need as there are bound to be some leftovers to be used up.

Use up your leftovers.
Before you begin to cook or shop, look what’s left in the fridge and plan meals with anything in there. Vegetables which are starting to go soft can be made into soup or pasta sauces. Over ripe fruits can be made into pies or blended to make smoothies. Half a tin of tuna could be tonight’s pasta bake and a few spoons of cooked mince could be made into pasties.

Take a look at what you throw away.
Be honest with yourself and start writing things down. Do you throw away half a loaf of bread a week? Then why not freeze it and take out slices as you need them. Take individual slices out for sandwiches the night before you need them, or use straight from frozen for toasting. If you regularly throw away vegetables then maybe you need to buy them loose and reduce the amount you buy each week.

Check your fridge.
Are the seals good and is the temperature set to between 1 and 5 degrees? This ensures your fridge will keep your food fresh for as long as possible.

Portion control.
Make smaller portions so less food is thrown away.

Our cookbook Clever Cooking for One or Two was specifically created to reduce food waste (any leftover ingredients will have a long shelf life). Try these two recipes, Cheese and Ham Souffle Omelette/Ham and Green Pea Soup, which share one 250g pack of good quality cooked ham.

Farmhouse Breakfast Week

Farmhouse breakfast and tedious work week! Yawn, my most dreaded job of the year is now upon me – editing the mini Dairy Diary; hours spent changing days, months, planners, phases of the moon etc.

Not the most exciting task in the world! To make this week more bearable I will be enjoying a delicious homemade breakfast each day to celebrate Farmhouse Breakfast week.

Taking place this week, Farmhouse Breakfast week is a real opportunity for everyone to get into the healthy breakfast habit and celebrate the rich wealth of breakfast foods found across the country. Health professionals all agree we should start the day with a healthy, balanced breakfast. Breakfast can boost energy levels, help concentration and can even help to manage weight.

For a scrumptious, filling treat, try this Egg and Bacon Toastie from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook – available now for only £2.99 (plus P&P)! For more breakfast ideas visit the Farmhouse Breakfast Week website.

Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook Sale

Ignore what Gordon Ramsey says about veggie food and enjoy a tasty Vegetarian Curry for dinner tonight.

It’s not only delicious but healthy too! This is another fabulous recipe from Hearty & Healthy Dairy Cookbook, available from our website now for a staggering £2.99 (plus £2.00 P&P). Order now while stocks last.

Lunchbox inspiration

So often in Britain our children are poorly catered for. In many of the child-targeted attractions we visit the only options available are burgers or hot dogs and chips (with our climate a packed lunch is not always a practical option!)

Even during a recent visit to a department store café (chosen specifically for its children’s-size spaghetti bolognaise) the only drinks on offer for my two-year-old were sweetener laden juice or sugary fizzy drinks. When I requested a glass of milk instead the server looked at me disgustedly as though I was asking for champagne!

Yet, in school where children’s food has been transformed beyond all recognition, so few parents take advantage of it. Half of UK children take a packed lunch to school but only one per cent of school lunch boxes contain food with that meets with nutritional standards (low in fat and salt, high in essential vitamins and nutrients). The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health reported that more than 25 per cent contained sweets, snacks and sugary drinks, which are banned in local authority prepared meals. It’s no wonder we have an obesity crisis. I know everyone is mega-busy these days but it makes me so sad that so many people don’t consider the implications of diet on their child’s health. Surely such poor quality food and drink must affect their concentration levels?

My son accidentally got his hands on some jellybeans a few months ago and I have never seen such erratic and extreme behaviour from him! I am not sure how much school meals cost, but surely it better to encourage children to eat these now that they are soundly balanced and regulated?

It’s very different to my school days when I asked for salad and I was told that they were “saved for teachers” and offered soggy cheese pie and lukewarm chips instead eeeuggggh. Pitta Pizzas are perfect for a lunchbox, they could be served raw with the topping inside the pitta or cooked and cooled for the lunchbox. For more lunchbox inspiration visit School Food Trust.

1 … 64 65 66 67
Blog at WordPress.com.