What a whirlwind life has been since Christmas! Besides being offered a twice monthly radio show (more details soon!), I’ve been busy loading fabulous recipes, health advice and resources onto the Functional Foodie membership, course and recipe hub website in preparation for launch later this month/early February. Here’s my new logo, looking amazing on an apron…
Cake with veg? Absolutely! Kids love these, and they’re just as popular with adults. Being able to stuff in two such nutritious veg that adapt so well to baking needs little introduction. With a raft of ingredients like nuts and spices on top of the veg that add different nutrient profiles, fibre and health benefits,…
Supercharge for winter! Which vegetable superfoods are the best choices to ward off colds and flu? Obviously all veg is good, but to maximise nutrient intake in simple ways, some are better all rounders than others. Cabbage is a good choice, containing cancer-fighting glucosinolates, though a better choice would be watercress. This is a powerhouse…
Everyone who knows me and what I do will tell you that my passion lies in helping others use real food to live real life to the full, and attain real health via delicious, easy healthy eating – busy women especially, who so often put themselves last on the list because they are trying to…
To go with the release of Supercharge, and in celebration of boosting health the right way in five minutes a day with smoothies and juices, I filmed a series of video demos giving some easy hints and tips to all the health-conscious fruit and veg fans out there. You can find them on my Youtube…
Hollandaise sauce 4 large free-range egg yolks 250g cold unsalted butter, diced 1 tbsp of lemon juice (adjust to taste) seasoning Put a cold, heavy-based pan (like Le Creuset) on the hob, add the yolks, butter and 2 tbsp of water. Begin to heat very gently, whisking the contents constantly. The butter will melt, and…
This week’s seasonal recipe makes a lovely meal for all the family. Swiss chard may not be considered a staple in the diet of many in the UK, but it should be, especially when locally grown. Part of the beetroot family, it’s incredibly versatile and nutritious, but low in calories. An array of vitamins and…
Spinach is one of those green leafy veg that mothers and grandmothers have exhorted us to eat for generations. Clearly they knew something, well before the age of nutritional research! Calorie for calorie, spinach provides more nutrients than any other food, topping the rankings for nutrient richness and diversity. Bursting with high levels of a spectrum…
It’s apple season! Apples are a quintessentially English fruit, and the beginning of autumn sees us almost literally rolling in them. The old adage about keeping doctors away by eating a daily apple isn’t actually far from the truth, and as healthcare goes, there are much less delicious ways to keep the change-of-season bugs at…
As summer ends and autumn approaches, courgettes really come into their own. Whether green or yellow, these members of the squash family have a mild flavour, but with an array of health benefits, give them a starring role while they are so fresh and juicy. Chock full of manganese and vitamin C. courgettes don’t just…
As a cruciferous vegetable, pak choi is fast becoming a more popular vegetable in its own right, not just used as part of asian cooking. A member of the cabbage family, it’s one of the highest nutritionally ranked vegetables, providing high amounts of more than 21 nutrients. Even more brilliantly, as well as the usual…
Rocket isn’t just a lovely low calorie part of a summer salad; it has a wonderfully spicy flavour that can add a peppery note to omelettes, pizzas, or savoury tarts. Not just a tasty ingredient, rocket is a potent health weapon. A rich source of phytochemicals such as indoles, thiocyanates, sulforaphane, and isothiocyanates as well…
Food is fabulous all year round, but in summer, the freshest flavours really explode onto our plates! I’m a firm believer in all fresh foods as superfoods, but broad beans are one of those real nutrient powerhouses that absolutely must be seen regularly in a healthy diet, making the most of the seasonal stars. Health-wise,…
Fennel is another of those ‘marmite’ foods – you either love it or hate it, depending on whether or not you’re a fan of the flavour of aniseed! Its flavour is also rather different raw, thinly sliced in a salad, than it is cooked. An easy vegetable to cook braised, roasted or as a gratin,…
You might think the green juice thing is a bit off-putting for a number of reasons, but there’s nothing easier or more refreshing than cucumber and mint in a smoothie made for a summer’s day, for breakfast or a cooling snack. Peel a whole cucumber, cut small chunks straight into a smoothie maker or blender,…