Category: Food & Drink

Marie Curie: Dinner Down Memory Lane

By on 20th October 2015in Events, Food & Drink, Local Biz, What's New?, What's On?

Marie Curie is calling on food fans in The North East to hold retro-inspired dinner parties in aid of the charity this November…

Retro food is enjoying a revival, and Marie Curie’s new fundraising campaign, ‘Dinner Down Memory Lane’, is all about holding a dinner party and recreating your favourite nostalgic food.

Recreate time-honoured classics or put a contemporary twist on some old classics, like duck a’l orange or prawn cocktail. The money raised from every dinner party will help Marie Curie provide more free care to people living with a terminal illness and their families.

Hayley Revell, Community Fundraiser for Marie Curie said, “We’re really looking forward to seeing what the local community cooks up, whether it be a classic recipe from the past or putting a new twist on an old favourite.

“Holding a ‘Dinner Down Memory Lane’ is a great alternative to a normal dinner party, and by inviting friends to make a donation in return for a dinner with a difference, you’ll be helping Marie Curie Nurses to provide care and support to people living with a terminal illness and their families.”

For more information and to sign up for a free fundraising pack visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/dinner or call 0800 716 146.

5 Essential Tips For Healthy Eating

By on 12th October 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle, What's New?

When it comes to health and beauty, the old cliché is true: you are what you eat.

Developing a lifestyle and diet that encourages fitness is crucial to long term health and wellness, but breaking old habits can be challenging. To make a lasting change to your lifestyle, try following these five simple tips.

 

1. Eat More Vegetables

Let’s start off with a really obvious one, but for a less obvious reason.

Vegetables are always recommended because they’re healthy, but they’re also really great at keeping you full. If you’re feeling satiated, you won’t be reaching for snacks. You might want to add a few oils and sauces for flavour, but remember that the best diet is one filled with steamed and fresh veg… without artificial flavouring.

2. Don’t Overdo It On The Fruit

Nobody’s going to argue that fruit is another great addition to a healthy diet, but it’s easy to have too much. Fruit provide a good amount of natural sugar and fibre, but too much can push your carbohydrate intake through the roof.

Instead, stick to your five a day, and pair it with a few almonds, unsalted nuts, or viable source of lean protein.

3. Throw Protein Into The Mix

If your diet is leaving you feeling hungry, and you’re becoming prone to trips to the fridge, there’s a good chance that your diet is protein deficient.

Protein promotes increased satiety, and a serving of lean protein on the side of your meal can have you feeling full for much longer.

4. Avoid Protein Bars

This might seem to contradict the previous point, but beware of the protein bar that promises increased nutrition. A quick look at the ingredients will show you that most protein bars are packed full of preservatives, saturated fats, and simple carbohydrates (rather than the complex carbohydrates your body really needs).

A few bars here and there won’t hurt, but don’t make them a cornerstone of your diet.

5. Drink More Water

This final tip is another obvious one, yet goes completely ignored by so many people. Water is an essential fuel for the body, and is an essential part of any diet.

A glass of water before each meal can aid the digestive process and keep you from overeating. And besides, it helps to keep the skin young and hydrated, and who doesn’t want that?

Recipe: Moroccan Spiced Chicken With Yoghurt, Chickpeas And Roasted Carrots

By on 6th October 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle, What's New?

Master Chef winner (and In & Around contributor) shares his recipe for a great family dish…

This is a fantastic family dish that makes a nice change from traditional roast chicken. I recommend placing the halved, juiced lemon in the chicken cavity before cooking.
After cooking, while your chicken is resting, pop the pitta bread in the oven to warm. Enjoy!

 

– 1 whole large chicken (1.6kg approx)
– 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
– 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
– 2 teaspoons ground cumin
– 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder or finely chopped red chilli
– 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
– fresh coriander, chopped
– 1 tin of chickpeas (about 400g), drained
– salt and ground black pepper
– juice of 1 lemon
– 1 500ml tub of natural yoghurt
– 1 tablespoon of clear honey
– a bunch of baby carrots, scrubbed, tops left on
– 1 whole bulb of garlic, broken into cloves
– olive oil
– 6 wholemeal pitta bread

With a pestle and mortar, grind (or blend in a food processor) the cumin seeds and coriander seeds with the chilli powder, garlic, fresh coriander, and a handful of chickpeas until you have a paste. Season this with salt and black pepper. Add the lemon juice and yoghurt.

Use half of this flavoured yoghurt to coat and cover the chicken all over. Add the honey to the other half of the flavoured yoghurt and put it in the fridge. Cover the chicken and leave to marinate overnight if possible (but for at least an hour).

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Place the carrots in a roasting tray with the remaining chickpeas, then sprinkle with the ground cumin, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss together to coat.

Place the marinated chicken in a roasting tray and put in the oven with the tray of vegetables on the shelf below. Cook for an hour and 20 minutes, tossing the carrots halfway through (chicken needs to cook for 20 minutes per 450g/1lb). Remove the chicken from the roasting tin and set aside to rest.

Serve with the carrots, warm pitta bread and flavoured yoghurt on the side.

Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Recipe: Scallops With Prosciutto And Granny Smith Apple

By on 20th September 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle, What's New?

One of Gareth Kyle’s earliest memories is being caught by his mother in the kitchen at 8 years old, with a pan on the stove cooking… lemonade soup!

“I had a frying pan on the go, and in it was chopped cucumber, tomato and lemonade! I was inspired by Keith Floyd to make that concoction, and I’m glad to say my skills are a bit sharper now!

I’m a self-taught cook, and I’ve taken part in a number of cooking competitions. I was a winner of the 2012 EAT! NewcastleGateshead Trial Shift Competition, and the 2011 Masterchef Live competition at the BBC Good Food show. I then went on to win a Masterchef ‘Champion of Champions’ event at the London Studios. In 2010 I was a final regional contender on ITV’s Britain’s Best Dish.”

 

– 3-5 scallops per person
– 8 slices of prosciutto
– 3 granny smith apples
– 1 lemon
– 50ml water
– 30g sugar
– 150g plain flour
– 2 eggs
– 250g panko breadcrumbs
– vegetable oil for frying
– knob of butter

To finish…

– olive oil
– garlic, cress, or chives

To make the apple purée, peel, core and chop one of the apples, and put into a saucepan with the water, sugar and juice of half a lemon. Simmer until soft, and purée using a hand blender.

Core and chop the rest of the apples into matchsticks, and dress with the rest of the lemon juice to stop them from going brown. Set aside.

Prepare the scallops by removing the orange coral. Cut the coral into smaller pieces and pané them (coat in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs) before frying in Vegetable oil until golden.

In a frying pan with a little oil, fry the scallops for two minutes each side. Add a knob of butter to the pan for the last minute, and baste the scallops in butter before leaving to rest in the pan (off the heat), while plating the rest of the dish.

Place the prosciutto on the plate with apple sticks, and puree round the outside. Add Scallops, the crumbed roe, and garnish with garlic cress and a drizzle of oil.

Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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