Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Fresh Figs

Recipe taken from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (Ebury Press).

'This unusual combination of fresh fruit and roasted vegetables is one of the most popular at Ottolenghi. It wholly depends, though, on the figs being sweet, moist and perfectly ripe. Go for plump fruit with an irregular shape and a slightly split bottom. Pressing against the skin should result in some resistance but not much. Try to smell the sweetness. The balsamic reduction is very effective here, both for the look and for rounding up the flavours. To save you from making it you can look out for products such as balsamic cream or glaze.'

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 small sweet potatoes (1 kg in total)

5 tbsp olive oil

40ml balsamic vinegar (you can use a commercial rather than a premium aged grade)

20g caster sugar

12 spring onions, halved lengthways and cut into 4cm segments

1 red chilli, thinly sliced

6 fresh and ripe figs (240g in total), quartered

150g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled (optional)

Maldon sea salt and black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C Fan/Gas Mark 9.

Wash the sweet potatoes, halve them lengthways and then cut each again similarly into three long wedges. Mix with three tablespoons of the olive oil, two teaspoons of salt and some black pepper. Spread the wedges out on a baking sheet, skin-side down, and cook for about 25 minutes until soft but not mushy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down.

To make a balsamic reduction, place the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 2–4 minutes, or until it thickens. Be sure to remove the pan from the heat when the vinegar is still runnier than honey; it will continue to thicken as it cools.

Stir in a drop of water before serving if it does become too thick to drizzle. Arrange the sweet potatoes on a serving platter.

Heat the remaining oil in a medium saucepan and add the spring onions and chilli. Fry on a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, making sure not to burn the chilli, and then spoon the oil, onions and chilli over the sweet potatoes.

Dot the figs among the wedges and then drizzle over the balsamic reduction. Serve at room temperature with the cheese crumbled over, if using.

Enjoy! 

Spinach and CoYo (Coconut Milk Yoghurt) Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

So, my boyfriend cooked this last weekend. He seemed very dubious about my idea of cooking with plain coconut milk yoghurt but I said I thought it would work. So experiment he did and it was DELICIOUS! Thanks Mr Mahil :)

Wilt a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach with a little water in a pan, stir in a small amount of olive oil and a clove of crushed garlic, add two teaspoons or so of CoYo and season to taste.

Stir for a about a minute then take off the heat. Place into two big, juicy Portobello mushrooms and serve.

Simple but so tasty! Give it a try and let me know what you think :) 

I should have taken a pic but forgot to. I will post one here when I make it again soon!

Reduce Stress with Exercise and Mindfulness

In today’s world, stress management can be a serious problem. Financial difficulties, major life changes, as well as your day job can sometimes make you feel overwhelmed, irritable and anxious. If not managed well, stress levels can creep up on you and fall out of control.

Exercise is key in not only preventing but also reducing many types of illness, as some of you will have already discovered. Many of my clients feel entirely different after 60 minutes of training; whether they’ve simply got the blood pumping and taken their mind off the day’s concerns or done some boxing and hammered their stress out on the punching mitts.

As we know, physical training can help you fit into that brave outfit, give you a firm and shapely bottom but it can also really transform your confidence and change how we perceive ourselves. Whatever training method you choose; exercise will help reduce your stress and getting those *endorphins pumping.

For those of you who know the word but not quite the full meaning: *‘Endorphins are compounds that activate the body's opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect.’

Many people don’t realise the effects of stress on the physical body. The stress hormone cortisol is released and if that energy doesn’t go somewhere e.g. running for your life or a dynamic exercise session, it is often stored around the middle as fat. Stress generally leads to the desire for comfort food and drinks like sugary, fatty foods and alcohol so this also contributes to a larger waistline. Be cautious of letting things get into a negative cycle, as the long-term impact could be more serious than you think.

It can be hard to train when you’re stressed and not ‘in the mood’ but I assure you, it will only HELP YOU FEEL BETTER. Internally, your body will be thanking you as well as your mind feeling soothed. It may not shift a problem altogether but at least it will help you breath through the tension to a better state of mind, giving you a different, more positive perspective.

If you’re short on time then simple breathing exercises can also help a great deal with relaxation. The effects can be profound; depending on how much time you spend on it (and sometimes, how much you believe that it helps). I was asked at a Post-Natal Depression Group that I recently talked at; how to prevent/soothe a panic attack or similar? My advice is to focus solely on taking deep breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Also try an audible sigh, letting out all the air inside you while releasing tension and calming the mind. Think about your ribs expanding sideways with long, deep breaths and then contracting as your diaphragm deflates.

About five years ago, I read a book called ‘The Power Of Now’ by Ekhart Tolle, which was pretty life changing for me. It really helped me to worry less and I therefore became happier as a result. I literally remember the feeling of lightness I had while reading and learning from Tolle’s teachings. Previous to reading the book, I concerned myself, more than necessary, with the past and future. I was too busy ‘fantasising’ about the past and future to think about and truly enjoy the present moment. … Do you do the same? If so, or even if you just need further enlightenment, why not give it a try.

Broccoli Salad with Sesame Dressing

from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s book ‘River Cottage Veg Every Day’

Serves 4

1 large head of broccoli (about 500g)
½ garlic clove

1cm piece of root gingerA pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
2-3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the broccoli into small florets and steam, or cook it in some lightly salted boiling water, until just tender but still a bit crunchy — about 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, crush the garlic and ginger with the sugar and some salt and pepper to a paste, using a pestle and mortar. Combine with the vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil.

As soon as the broccoli is cooked, drain it in a colander and leave for a few minutes so all the moisture can steam off. While still hot, toss with the dressing and put into a serving dish. Set aside to cool.

Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant. When the broccoli has cooled to room temperature, scatter over the spring onions and sesame seeds, and serve.

Why Alcohol Makes & Keeps You Fat!

Alcohol has a two-fold negative effect on our ability to lose fat:

1. Alcohol is highly calorific and easily over-consumed. Compare its calorific value with

the other components of our diet:

Alcohol is 7kcal/g, fat is 9 kcal/g, both protein and carbohydrate are roughly 4kcal/g).

2. The simple presence of alcohol in your system has a hugely negative impact on your abilitytometabolisefat. Period!

This was illustrated by a study where 8 men were given two drinks of vodka and lemonade separated by 30 minutes. Each drink contained just under 90 calories. Fat metabolism was measured before and after consumption of the drink.

The reason why alcohol has this dramatic effect on fat metabolism has to do with the way alcohol is handled in the body. Rather than getting stored as fat, the main fate of alcohol is conversion into acetate and the presence of acetate in the system puts the brakes on fat loss. The greater the quantity of alcohol, the greater the quantity of acetate created, the less likely fat is metabolised.

In other words, your body tends to use whatever you feed it, and after a time becomes adapted to the macro nutrient intake. Unfortunately when acetate levels rise, your body burns the acetate preferentially.

So the body simply burns the acetate first, this basically pushes fat oxidation out of the metabolic equation. 

Distance Running

Here is an article on distance running that Lucy co-wrote with fellow Personal Trainer at The Third Space, Jon Stratford, as part of a ‘Challengers Pack’ giving advice for fundraising events, for international charity War Child.

DISTANCE RUNNING

To train for long distance running you need to condition your muscles to be able to have the strength and stamina to withstand the prolonged impact and exercise. Preparing for a marathon or half marathon you need to start training from at least 6 months before, preferably building your conditioning training up gradually over 12 months in advance. For 10k’s and 5k’s, if you are not used to running you will also need to build up the distance and conditioning from 6 months in advance.

To start with:

Ensure you have the right shoes. Have a gait analysis done (at The Sweat Shop, The Marathon Store, etc.) and invest in a pair of trainers to suit the type of support your feet need.

Make sure you ALWAYS warm up thoroughly before training. This will help to prevent any injuries, by keeping the muscles supple and stretchy. It is also vital to warm down and stretch for at least 7-8 minutes afterwards.

Here are some key stretches, for the main muscle groups:

Hamstrings (back of the thigh) – with one heel placed down in front of you and the toes up, slowly lean your weight backwards and towards the floor.

Quadriceps (front of thigh) – stand holding one foot towards your bottom keeping the knees in line and push your hips forward.

Glutes – place one foot onto the top of the knee and sit back (with the knee going out to the side). You should feel this stretch across your bottom and outer thigh on the upper resting leg.

Calves – lean forward with one leg in front. The back leg should be straight with the heel pressing into the floor.

Chest – place your hands in the small of your back, palms against the body. Push the chest out and draw your elbows towards each other behind you.

Upper/middle back – hold firmly onto some bars/railings (around the gym or a park) and let your weight drop away and towards the floor, curving your back. If you slowly bend one leg and straighten the other, you should feel a stronger stretch on one side.

Resistance Training:

With regards to a weight training programme, look at doing movements to strengthen the body overall, especially the legs. Here is a sample programme to start with. Over time you can increase the weights, to challenge yourself further once you have adapted. Do not do so until you have done at least 6 weeks of the initial programme.

Here is a programme to use when beginning your training:

Squats x 12-15

Lunges onto bosu x 12-15 each side

Press ups x 10-15

Lateral step ups x 12-15 each side – slow and controlled movement, in both directions

Bent Over Row x 12-15

Clean and press x 12-15

Core Exercises:

Russian twist x 10 (left to right = 1)

Plank for 20 seconds +

Jack knife x 10-15

Alongside this go jogging outside as well as inside. Try some interval training also; where you work hard and run for a set time and then recover by jogging or walking. Repeat this for up to 10 minutes at first. You might start by doing intervals of one minute on, one minute off then decrease that to 30:30 seconds.

Nutritional tips:

Small changes can make big differences – in your energy levels and patterns, moods, etc. so try one or two of these at a time and compare (also make note of) any changes you notice. Then you know what helps or hinders for future training purposes.

These tips are to help your body run efficiently, with regards to metabolism and using energy:

• Eat small meals regularly throughout the day, every 2-3 hours. Don’t skip the main meals.

• Combine complex carbohydrates (wholemeal grains; pasta, rice, bread, couscous) and lean protein at each meal.

• Drink plenty of water.

• Always eat breakfast; it is the most important meal of the day. Your body has been deprived of nutrients and fuel for the hours you have been sleeping.

• Avoid processed and refined foods.

• Avoid/limit sugar and alcohol.

• Avoid saturated and trans fats.

• Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, in a variety of colours.

A good balance of the following:

NUTRITION – TRAINING – SLEEP

•       If you haven’t trained before or for a while get a health check from your doctor
•       Be progressive
•       Listen to your body; eg if your shins start to ache get them checked out!
•       Drink 250ml of water per 15 mins of training
•       Never run on a treadmill set at 0% incline always put it on a minimum of 2% to stop yourself from       bobbing up and down
•       When running outdoors, wear layers so you can tie one around your waist if you start to heat up
•       Invest in a well fitting sports bra
•       Loose tops can cause nipple rubs so try Vaseline or specific running tops
•       Be safe and seen when running outdoors – wear reflective clothing especially at night
•       Know your route to avoid getting lost
•       Vary your route to avoid boredom
•       Grab a friend to train with
•       Think about wearing a hat and gloves in the cold
•       If running for over an hour carry a snack or sports supplement to keep  your energy up
•       If running on roads, run on the right so that you can see the approaching traffic
•       Try and run off roads and pavements for as much of your training as possible
•       Have a look at a local map. There could be some great places to run a short drive or bus ride away
•       Have a look at joining a local running network
•       Most of all, enjoy your training!

Training routine example:
Mon – Hard run (30 mins at a level that you can’t talk at)
Tue – Circuit *See above
Wed – Medium run (45 mins at a level that you just talk at)
Thu – Circuit
Fri – Easy run (60 mins at a level that you can comfortably talk at)
Sat – Circuit
Sun – REST

Lemon Courgettes, Feta & Watercress Salad

Here is a fresh tasting, flavoursome recipe by Silvana Franco. (I didn’t use feta cheese and it was amazing without, so use or exclude as you fancy.)

Lemon Courgettes, Feta & Watercress Salad

Serves 4, Ready in 20 minutes

50g couscous
4 medium courgettes, cut into thick slices
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
Grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
400g good quality feta, cubed
80-100g watercress or various other salad leaves
Handful fresh mint leaves

Put the couscous in a small heatproof bowl. Pour over 75ml boiling water and set aside.

Put the courgettes on a large plate, sprinkle over 1 teaspoon sea salt and leave for 10 minutes. Pat dry with kitchen paper, then sprinkle with the rosemary, lemon zest and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Mix well.

Put a griddle pan over a medium-high heat and cook the courgettes for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice, 2-3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the cumin seeds and some black pepper.

Toss together the feta, watercress, mint, courgettes and the dressing. Sprinkle over the couscous and serve while the courgettes are just warm.

Enjoy!