How To Summon Sun, Sea & Spain with Sangria

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I have recently spent the most wonderful 6 days in Southern Spain.  Tapas and Sangria are two of my favourite things.  Sangria is a traditional affair, typically known as the red wine punch. 

To create Spain with sun, sea and Sangria in your very own garden, start with a good quality red wine.  Rioja and other Spanish red wines are often used as the starting point for this scrumptious drink.

Here’s how I made this quintessential Spanish cocktail on our balcony in Marbella.

Ingredients

1 x 750ml bottle, good quality red wine

500ml freshly squeezed orange juice

30ml Cointreau orange liqueur

30ml Crème de Framboise (raspberry liqueur)

1 orange, thinly sliced

6 large strawberries, halved

1 handful of raspberries (OR use 1/2 can of fruit cocktail)

Ice

Methods

Layer the bottom of a 2L jug with ice.  Then add the fruit.  Next pour in the wine, orange juice and liqueurs.  Hosting a party this weekend?  For an explosion of fruity flavours, cool overnight and serve the next day with canapés.


This is a great recipe as I've diluted the alcohol content of this recipe with fresh orange juice, allowing the recipe to go further.  It also tastes great and is still an absolute party winner!  You won't regret making this.


How do you make your Sangria?  Share your recipes below!

Is Protein Everything It's Hyped Up To Be?

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With a mantra of moderation, common sense and experience as a dietitian firing the way to optimal exercise performance, sometimes, even my own runs go wrong.

Make me drink a protein shake and you’ll soon see me shooting daggers your way, wondering why on earth you trade your carbs for protein.  If you love working out, but also want to stay slim, then why miss the fundamental rules and fill up on expensive and often unnecessary protein from this supposed magical potion – the ‘protein shake’? 

As a nation, we already eat protein in excess.  This is true even if you enjoy lifting heavy weights and exercise daily.  For the average gym bunny, you don’t need it.  You really don’t need the additional protein drinks to your already ‘protein hyped’ diet.  You really don’t.

Similarly, strength athletes requiring higher protein intakes up to 1.2-1.7g/kg can usually meet these requirements effortlessly through diet alone and without the use of protein supplements.  It’s usually the energy intake from carbohydrates that you might be slipping up on. 

Golden Carbs
You could keep pumping in the protein, but without the essential carbohydrate intake, your exercise performance could be compromised.  


Carbohydrate foods are what your body require to fuel your performance and facilitate the muscle building process.  It is also essential to get the energy balance right, to ensure that proteins are spared for protein synthesis and not in meeting your energy requirements.

I have been running since I was 16 years old.  It’s a ritual.  I do feel the stress and frustrations building up inside me if I don’t thrash it out over a 50 minute run.  Yet yesterday morning, I headed out without breakfast.  Very unusual behaviour I can assure you!  In my defence, I felt quite grotty after a rather large meal the previous night and could only manage a hefty mug of tea to pass my lips.

It was nearly time for lunch and grey clouds threatened to halt my promised run, so I quickly sculled a small glass of banana smoothie and out that door I went.

I shouldn’t have been surprised to find that I had headaches and a stomach cramp.  I was dehydrated and had limited nutrition in the way of carbohydrates backing me up for the 9K run.  


I was unable to enjoy myself and instead of hitting that euphoric feeling, I was spiralling downwards and dying to complete the run.  Shame on me! 

What To Eat Before Exercise

Prior to exercise, a meal or snack consisting of carbohydrates and some protein (the word some being key here) should be consumed.  It’s best to stick to familiar foods to avoid abdominal discomfort.  


Ensure that you drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration during and post your exercise session.

What Went Wrong For Me?  

I didn’t eat breakfast and my snack was consumed literally 10 minutes before I rushed out the door.  My usual porridge would have been the perfect choice.  It’s a low to medium GI carb meal.  


Oats provide the slow releasing carbs and protein is found in milk.  When eaten at least 3 hours before a scheduled exercise session this would have been perfect timing for maximal abdominal tolerance and blood glucose profiling during exercise.

What and When To Eat Before Exercise

To improve performance, eat a small snack an hour prior to your run or exercise session. My fruit smoothie would have been ideal, except that I needed to have enjoyed it at least an hour before my run to reap the benefits of optimal blood sugar levels.  Let’s not forget the risk of abdominal cramps when eating too close prior to a workout!  


Most importantly, I needed to drink up and the less than 250ml cup of tea didn’t quite cut it.  If you exercise after work, a banana or a slice of fruit bread and water will do the trick.

Breaking news..

So instead of the protein shake, reach for a fruit smoothie whereby banana blended with yoghurt or milk can be the winning combination for that spot on ratio of fluids, carbs and protein.  Just make sure that you drink it at least an hour before your scheduled exercise session.  A glass of chocolate milkshake will do quite nicely too.  You can even add a spoonful of skimmed milk powder to manipulate the protein content if required.  And remember, you need your golden carbs.

Carbohydrates are found in bread, pasta, potato, fruit and some vegetables.

Sushila's Paneer Explosion

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Following on from last night's inspirational interview with Louise on vegetarian diets (see How To Follow A Winning Vegetarian Diet), I was delighted when a lovely lady (my aunt Sushila), donated her million dollar paneer recipe.  

Her cooking really is to die for.  You'll even have restaurants flaring their nostrils and turning green with envy at her 5 star recipes.  Despite this, instead of the catering business she leads finance in a multi-global company.  

What's paneer you say?  It is made by curdling hot milk with lemon juice or vinegar.  Unlike other cheese, rennet (enzymes extracted from the stomach of animals) is not used in the production of paneer.  It is therefore suitable on a vegetarian diet.  

So without further ado, I hope that I've tempted you to spice up your kitchen with this delicious paneer recipe that we've worked hard together for you.  

Ingredients

500g cubed paneer

2 tablespoons rapeseed oil

1 large red onion

1 sprig of curry leaves

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of mustard seeds

1 teaspoon hot curry powder (or chilli powder)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

I x 400g tinned tomatoes or 3-4 large tomatoes

2 tablespoons of coconut cream 

1 teaspoon fresh crushed ginger 

1 sprig of coriander leaves
1 tablespoon garam masala

Salt to taste

Method

1. First shallow fry the paneer cubes in half the oil and drain them in a paper towel.  You will need to handle the cubes gently as it can crumble.

2. With the remaining oil, fry one large onion sliced finely, curry leaves and sliced garlic. 
3. Then add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. 

4. When it gets fried add curry, cumin and coriander powders and fry further for a couple of minutes.

5. Add the tin of tomatoes and keep stirring. Once it gets heated add the coconut cream.  

6. Soon after that add the paneer cubes and mix well.  The paneer should be coated well in the tomato sauce.

7. Remove from the fire and add crushed ginger and coriander leaves.  

8. Finally mix in a tablespoon of garam masala and salt to taste.

Serve with basmati rice and a salad.  Simply delicious!


This recipe is also egg, wheat and soy free.


For further information on vegan & vegetarian diets see Grass Eating Vegan Could There Be More

If you have variations for a paneer recipe that you are willing to share, then please comment below.  I love hearing from you and read all your comments!

How To Follow A Winning Vegetarian Diet

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Words of wisdom by Louise Morrissey, 28, a public health nutritionist.  Our vegetarian health fanatic reveals her bare essentials on a global vegetarian diet.

What inspires you?

'I have been fully vegetarian for about 17 years.  It was so long ago now that I can’t remember when it all first began.  I’ve always never really liked meat.  The thought of eating animal meat or flesh made my stomach churn.  What really tipped me off the edge was when I ate take away chicken nuggets one night.  It made me really ill.  This inspired me to re-evaluate my diet and to start making healthier choices'.

Why vegetarian?

'I feel that it can be a healthier diet.  Vegetarian diets are often lower in saturated fat and higher in fibre and antioxidants.  I studied nutrition at university and this makes me aware about the principles of a balanced diet.  For me, meat is not needed in my diet.'

Any temptations to stray?

'I do slightly miss bacon, that’s the only thing that I ever get cravings for!  I am not a fan of meat generally, but bacon sure does smell good.'

What’s your secret to a successful veggie diet?

Variety is key to a balanced diet.  One of my projects in my final year at university was on ‘the balance of health on a vegetarian diet’.  This highlighted the variety of foods that are out there that many people are not even aware of when following a vegetarian diet.'  

Quinoa

'For example, quinoa is supposedly one of the most nutritionally abundant foods out there. It's a brilliant substitute for meat containing 9 essential amino acids.'  

Tempeh

'Tempeh is another great alternative.  Made from soy beans it is similar to tofu and I usually enjoy this at restaurants.  It is low in fat, protein rich and thought to have a cholesterol lowering effect.  I started eating it when I completed an Indonesian cooking course in Bali.  It’s great in stir-fries and salads.  My favourite way to eat tempeh is in a satay sauce.  I love gadu gadu.  That’s like a salad with loads of mixed vegetables.  This is a popular Indonesian dish and I often use tempeh as the star ingredient for this dish.'

Lentils

'Lentils are a scrumptious source of protein and iron.  It is low in fat and can be delicious when cooked well.  They are quite bland but absorb flavours well so cook with loads of herbs and spices.'

What’s your favourite recipe?

'My favourite recipe is butternut squash with spiced lentils & feta.  I found this treasure on BBC Good Food (see Butternut Squash With Spiced Lentils And Feta).  I love it because it incorporates lentils and butternut squash; two things that I absolutely adore.  This recipe is really tasty with mint, cumin and loads of other spices.'

Any other recommendations for recipes?

'I can recommend Vegetarian Society and goodtoknow for excellent recipe ideas.'

'I also get tonnes of recipes from my mum who has collected the most amazing veggie recipes from magazines and newspapers over the years.  I especially enjoy ‘The Philadelphia Cookbook’ and ‘Food For Good Health’ which are two of my favourite cookbooks.'

What do you worry about?

'I’m lucky, I hold a degree in human nutrition and I make sure that I know what foods are iron rich.  I ensure that meals are paired with vitamin C rich foods.  I do take ‘Spatone’ which is iron enriched water, claimed to be sourced from Welsh mountains.  Each sachet contains 34% of your recommended daily allowance and I take this in orange juice a few times a week.'

'I drink Berocca daily for B12 which provides more than 3 times your daily requirements!  I also eat the equivalent of one egg a day and enjoy eating cheese and milk daily.'

Any frustrations on the diet?

'Other people’s perceptions about vegetarian diets can be difficult to deal with.  People often automatically assume that I am a ‘fussy eater’.  Friends complain that dining out could be difficult.  They forecast problems when usually none exist.  Most restaurants cater well for vegetarians.  I am really easy as I love food and will eat just about anything on the menu (minus the cow and chicken ofcourse)!  The only quibble I’ll have with you is when you offer me an olive instead of the prosecco.'

What’s your typical day like?

Breakfast

Porridge with banana & dried fruit + a tablespoon of linseeds

Mid-morning snack

Fruit

Lunch

Varies.  In winter soups and salads for summer.  Or left-overs from the previous night.

'Today I had a yummy Thai lentil soup with granary bread & cottage cheese that my mum made.  Afterwards we went for a long bike ride through the woods & various villages in Hertfordshire where my parents live.'

Tell me about the cottage cheese

'There is so much variety in cottage cheese these days.  Today I had a sweet chilli flavoured variety which really does make it more exciting.  It’s also low in fat and high in protein so what’s there not to love?  Occasionally I may eat a muller rice afterwards for dessert.'

Mid-afternoon snack

Fruit

Evening meal

Salads with quinoa, chickpeas, lentils and feta cheese, eggs or goats cheese.  I love vegetables such as beetroot and avocado and I always eat a different salad every day.




What do you indulge in?

'I do have a very sweet tooth which I hate to admit, so I may have a chocolate rice cake, low fat rice pudding or indulge in hot chocolate.'

'I absolutely love scones so some mornings I may treat myself to a scone instead of porridge if I’m feeling naughty!  To wind down after work I may enjoy a glass of rose or celebrate with prosecco!'

My Top Three Tips

'Don’t be afraid to try new foods.'

'Make sure that you include protein foods such as eggs, cheese, lentils and pulses.  Incorporate these at every meal.'

'Know your iron rich foods and include vitamin C rich foods in the same meal to aid absorption.'

Final Words of Wisdom

'Variety in any diet is essential and nothing frustrates me more than when individuals don’t eat a variety of foods.  There are just so many different foods out there to ensure that you do meet your daily recommended intake of vitamins and minerals.  As you plan your diet and try new foods, you’ll soon realise that vegetarian diets can be quite delicious.  I am trying new foods every day and I am never bored on my vegetarian diet!'

Magnifique Macarons – Mastering The Art

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Sinead Burke is 29 and co-leads a team of clinical dietitians in London.  One of her favourite things to do is bake!  This weekend she headed out to Clapham and learnt how to make macarons as the French would say it.

What Inspired You?

This year I’ve been working on expanding my baking skills.  I’ve already mastered breads (oh why not, yes I’ve mastered them she says), and experimented with pastry.  Finally the opportunity presented itself when a colleague mentioned workshops in Clapham.

Baking for me is a great way to relax and even a very simple task or recipe can give you a sense of achievement when you’ve completed and tasted the final product.  For example, you'd never think so, but breads are one of the easiest things in the world to make.

As a dietitian, I like the fact that you can control the amount of salt that you use when baking your own bread.  A basic wholemeal loaf that’s homemade has a third of the amount of usual salt found in some manufactured brands.  

If you want to learn more about salt see my article So What's The Big Deal With Salt

What Did You Enjoy About Making Macarons?

I found it to be a very methodical process.  The folding needs to be done consistently at the right speed and sustained for 5 to 7 minutes.  When you pipe the macarons precision is key to ensure same size and that lovely round shape.  Our teacher was very informative and runs these classes as part of a social enterprise.  Money from macaron sales goes back into the local community for projects (see www.oncafe.co.uk)

Are Macarons Healthy Then?

Although macarons are an indulgent treat, their bite sized form means that you can still take pleasure from this little patisserie without blowing your calorie budget.  Just stick to one or two of these delicious delights and share the rest around with your friends.  They make a great present too!

 

Would You Send A Friend?

Definitely.  I would not have tried to make this alone without learning the tricks of the trade from an expert.  Now I feel confident to try more difficult recipes and I have some home-made passionfruit curd that I want to incorporate into my next macaron expedition!

I was truly surprised at how easy it was to make macarons.  Easy because the recipe calls for very few ingredients.  All it takes is a little patience and a nice strong arm to fold the ingredients (think of this as your gym work-out)!

The workshop lasted a couple of hours and could be a fun thing to do for a hen weekend.

Vanilla French Meringue With Chocolate Ganache Filling
Recipe by On Cookery School 

150g egg whites

100g caster sugar

180g ground almonds

270g icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

1.    Separate eggs 3 days ahead.  Leave the egg whites in the fridge (you will not need the yolks).

2.    Whisk the egg whites (at room temperature) to glossy firm peaks.  Add the caster sugar after 1 minute of whisking.

3.    Sift ground almonds together with icing sugar, add vanilla paste. 

4.    If you want to colour the meringue add a small amount of good quality colour paste (around ½ to 1 tsp).

5.    Fold in the meringue into the dry ingredients using quick circular movements, until the mixture is ready for piping.  This is called the dropping stage.

6.    Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with a plain nozzle and pipe the meringues out to the required size of about 4.5cm.

7.    Leave for about 20 minutes to set, until the skin is formed.

8.    Bake at 160 degrees celcius for 10 minutes.

9.    When ready, leave the baking tray until cool and remove from tray.

10.  Pair up on the tray one row flat side up and one row flat side down.

11.  Prepare the piping bag with the filling* and pipe onto each upturned shell.

12.  Leave in the fridge for at least 24 hours, before serving.

*This recipe used a chocolate ganache for the filling, but you can use any flavour e.g. butter cream or lemon curd, or a drop of your favourite essence into the filling.

Chocolate Ganache

200g dark chocolate

190g whipping cream

50g unsalted butter

1.    Put chocolate into a bowl.

2.    In a saucepan, heat the cream on medium heat (until it just starts to bubble but no more).

3.    Add butter and stir.

4.    Pour the cream mixture into the bowl of chocolate and stir so that it melts together to make the ganache (you can also use a whisk).

5.    Allow to cool and refrigerate so that it thickens into a lovely rich paste.

6.    Pipe into your macarons once cool.

Thanks Sinead, let's eat the macarons now :)

Banana & Pecan Delight (A Milk, Egg, Wheat & Soy Free Solution)

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This is a gorgeous milk, egg, wheat & soy free banana cake with pecans.




INGREDIENTS

150g sultanas
100ml orange juice
175g dairy free margarine
200g brown sugar (or use only 150g as this is very sweet)!
1 tsp almond extract
600g mashed ripe bananas
100g pecans, crushed
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
270g wheat & gluten free flour


DIRECTIONS

1. Place the sultanas in a small bowl and immerse in the orange juice.  Allow to soak for an hour or overnight for swollen grapes.
2. Preheat your oven to 170 degree celcius.
3. In a separate bowl, cream margarine and sugar.  Add mashed bananas, pecan nuts and the almond extract.  
4. Next add baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and add the flour in 3 parts, mixing well each time.
5. Pour the mixture into a round baking tin and bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
6. The cake can be a very moist secondary to all the bananas, so allow to cool completely and take great care when slicing.


I sometimes enjoy this delight for a Sunday morning breakfast cold, with yoghurt, raspberries, sliced banana and a hot cup of tea!

Grass Eating Vegan – Could There Be More?

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There are only so many ways that you can eat lettuce, tomatoes and lettuce.  OOPS! Have I already mentioned lettuce?  Lettuce, yes, I think I have mentioned lettuce.  Vegan diets.  Lettuce.  Hmm.  So what’s left? 

Vegan diets may call out your name, but before you jump onto the grass eating wagon, weigh up your benefits and ask yourself, have you planned your diet?

 Essential fats

By depriving yourself of fish, you could also be losing your main source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  These essential fats protect your heart from coronary heart disease and have also been linked with benefits in epilepsy, allergy sensitivity in young children, pneumonia, chronic pulmonary disorders, prostate cancer and more. 

Want to age well?  Then eat your fish to reduce your risk of dementia.  Some studies report improvement in mild Alzheimer’s but not all.

With these implications in mind, should you be worried? 

A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition claimed that restricting meat, poultry and fish improved mood in 39 subjects after 2 weeks.  At least you won’t feel bad about giving up fish, but for how long?

Fear not; supplementing your diet with nuts, particularly walnuts may push you forward to the heart healthy group.  They have a unique profile of polyunsaturated fatty acids that may improve your cholesterol profile and so your cardiovascular risk.  A spoonful of walnut oil may be all that is necessary to get your ratio of ‘good’ fats just right.

Calcium

To avoid the risk of nursing a fractured bone after a fall, pay careful attention to your calcium intake.  Cutting out dairy can reduce your intake of calcium, but milk is not the only source. 

Did you know that tofu, calcium fortified soy, rice, pea and nut milks can be an excellent source of calcium? 

Soy beans, broccoli, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, kale, mustard greens and okra are also alternative sources.  Don’t forget hummus on pitta bread is another clever way of sneaking in some extra calcium.

Don’t forget to catch the last rays of sun for the much needed vitamin D to help absorb all that lovely calcium you plan to eat!

Fibre

Increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables will also help improve your cholesterol profile by reducing total and LDL cholesterol.  Eating 50-100g of nuts at least 5 times a week will also have a heart loving effect in adults with high or normal cholesterol levels.

Iron

The obvious question: iron.  Yes, you may be prone to developing iron deficiency anaemia on a vegan diet.  But meat is not the only source of iron.  Iron is found in a wide variety of plant foods.  It’s true that non-haem iron in plant sources are not as easily absorbed as haem iron in meat, but pair your meal with a glass of fruit juice or vitamin C rich fruit and vegetables, and you’ll be well on your way to pumping some iron.

Plant sources of iron include soy beans, lentils, spinach, quinoa, tofu, iron fortified breakfast cereals, chick peas, beans, some nuts and sesame seeds. 

Make smart choices by also adding vitamin C rich fruit and vegetables to your meal and avoid tannins in tea for at least an hour before or after you’ve eaten.

Vitamin B12

By excluding all animal products, you will need to supplement your diet with either a vitamin preparation or fortified foods such as fortified breakfast cereals, fortified soy milk, nutritional yeast and supplements.

Zinc

Proof your diet free from phytates, which when eaten in large amounts can reduce your body’s ability to absorb zinc effectively.  Zinc is important as it helps your body utilise carbs, protein and fats, as well as strengthen your immune function and wound healing.

Watch out for unrefined grains and cereals which will increase your intake of phytic acid. 

Soaking beans and cooking helps reduce the amount of phytic acid in the final food.  Speak to a dietitian who can assess your diet on an individual basis and advice accordingly.

The Purple Verdict

The final word on vegan diets is that when planned carefully, can reward you with lower saturated fat intake, increased intake of fibre, vitamins and minerals from fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.  Your overall risks of cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases may therefore be improved as a result of lower BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose profiles.

So I’ll gladly take it back - there’s clearly a lot more going on than just lettuce on a vegan diet!  Just be smart and plan, plan, plan your vegan diet & always seek professional advice from a registered dietitian if in doubt.




Please leave your comments below, I read all your comments & love hearing from you!