AUGUST 2022

WorkJoy

Welcome to my blog and what I have been up to in the last few months. KitchenJoy has been on the move! We have relocated just down the road, to a cool interior space and was up and running after one week from the move. The transition was very smooth and it feels like I have been here forever in a really calming relaxing way.

Business as usual and plenty of FODMAP and gluten-free classes. I created a new menu for gluten-free as this is becoming such a popular class and wanted to give my clients some menu’s purely using gluten-free products and how versatile they can be. We made chilli lime fish taco’s with a mango salsa. The taco’s were made with coconut milk and tapioca flour, with the fish marinated and baked in the oven. You can then just assemble it with the mango salsa plus avo on the side. Delicious, healthy and easy to make! In fact there was some pancake mixture leftover, so I made one for brekky topped with berries and greek yoghurt. For starters we made gluten-free bread sticks and watercress pesto dip as per the photo above. Final course was banana bread but with olive oil & cassava flour which is a fibrous root so a little different.

The MasterCard video went live in July to their top premium users and the theme was Spring and Energise. I made cauliflower tabbouleh salad and chicken asian mixed grain bowl with pak choi.

I recently did an event at Royal Society of Arts (RSA) at Embankment funded by the Government on healthy eating for your immune system. It was a demo of Matcha green tea energy balls, made with dates, cashew nuts, sunflower seeds, almond flour, almond butter and matcha green tea powder. Showing people that you can have healthy snacks when you feel a mid afternoon dip coming on!

I am so excited to be working with Pub in the Park (PITP) at Chiswick House. I shall be making vegan burgers around the fire pit in the afternoon of September 4th. It is a three-day extravaganza, expect delicious dishes, fiery cooking demos, celebrity chefs Tom Kerridge & Matt Tebbutt, lots of Aperol Spritz's and of course live music from your favourite artists & bands! So it's time to block off the weekend of the 2nd - 4th September and grab your tickets to West London's hottest food and music festival.

I am also organising my first retreat at KitchenJoy. This will be on Saturday 17th September for the day. We will start with yoga and meditation on the decking in my beautiful garden, followed by light brunch of fresh fruits, greek yoghurt and rhubarb muffins. We will have an interactive vegan cookery class making Asian mixed grain bowl with tahini dressing, followed by chocolate and orange mousse. The afternoon session maybe on a demo of fermented foods or an external speaker to come in. A goody bag to take home as well !

Watch this space for more details. If you are interested, please let me know. There will only be x6 spaces.

SocialJoy

I have just been on a retreat in the Cotwolds which involved lots of fitness training, hikes in the countryside, lectures on nutrition and healthy eating. The bonus was I could take my pooch and I think she enjoyed the workouts too! It was a good reset button and to get away for a week.

Watercress and Pesto Dip

150g watercress 1 garlic clove, chopped
100g walnuts
Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
50g parmesan cheese
50ml olive oil Drizzle of natural or greek yoghurt Pine nuts (handful)
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Wash and roughly chop the watercress, then place in a Nutribullet or blender. Add all the other ingredients, except the yoghurt and pine nuts.

Pour the paste into a bowl and drizzle/swirl the yoghurt in and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Serve with breadsticks or pitta bread.

. 🙂

Enjoy ……..
  

APRIL 2022

Beetroot falafels to bake

WorkJoy

Welcome to my bi-monthly blog and what I have been up to in the last couple months. I did a few corporate team building events and one was with a commodity trading co. There were x11 on their team and we made plant-based dishes, consisting of making the seitan, cauliflower buffalo wings, and matcha green tea energy balls in a gift bag to go. Was very full on but lots of fun with a big team!

I also hosted a networking event for Chiswick Business Network for happy hour so wine was supplied and I made nibbles of beetroot, broccoli and carrot falafel’s with tahini dip. The above photo is the beetroot falafel’s about to go into the oven! Recipe below.

I shall be filming for the Spring MasterCard event very soon and shall be making Asian spiced mixed grain bowl with chicken & Cauliflower tabbouleh.

I have signed up for a couple new platforms. One is a new Co called Needi https://needi.co.uk/ and the other one which is established mainly in Australia called Class Bento https://classbento.co.uk/ so exciting to be part of a few partnerships.

KitchenJoy

Lots of variety on classes including FODMAP, gut health, vegan online, vegan (in person), gluten-free and a new course on breads online. For the breads I wanted to share with people, breads without using yeast. We made Goat’s cheese, onion and potato bread with thyme, Rye, hazelnut and pumpkin seed and last but not least Soda bread with fennel seeds & dried cranberries. They can all be popped into the freezer, already sliced to use as well. The gluten-free classes, I always bake some bread for clients to enjoy when they arrive and last week I made a different one cheese and chive soda bread which just gives people ideas and generally the gluten-free shop bought loaves are quite heavy and not so tasty. I also experimented in making cauliflower cheese bites dipped in panko breadcrumbs which were delicious!

Please contact me for more details if you are interested in any other types of medicinal cookery classes or 121 tuition. This also applies to online private cookery classes and team work building sessions.

SocialJoy

I had my birthday in April so lots of celebrations! Starting with a mini break at Cabu in Hythe Kent. These are really cool cabins and the marketing says for people that couldn’t get into Soho Farmhouse and it really was a replica ! https://holidays.cabu.co.uk/cabu-by-the-sea

We had a dip in the hot tub whilst sipping prosecco and bought some steaks to cook in the communal bbq area with “flamed” heated tables. We were right on the beach and was very lucky with the weather so we did lots of long walks with Rhubarb jumping the waves. On my actual birthday went to RA to see Francis Bacon exhibition which was Bacon’s unerring fascination with animals, how it shaped his approach to the human body and distorted it. Both powerful but dark. Off to Noble Rot restaurant in Soho afterwards for a very long delicious lunch of smoked eel, roasted monkfish and English fizz. https://noblerot.co.uk/

I also celebrated with the girl’s making porn star passion fruit martini’s at my house, followed by an outing to our local curry house, what is there not to like!

It was the boat race end March and always good to view from Chiswick side and very buzzy at the pubs and dogs galore! Cold but a fun afternoon :)

Easter was celebrated with the usual chocolate eggs (still unopened in fridge!) and roast lamb + rhubarb crumble with the family and lots of doggy walks :)

Beetroot falafel’s

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

2 onions , chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

2 x 400g cans chickpeas , drained

500g raw beetroot , peeled, trimmed and coarsely grated

100g fresh breadcrumb

1 egg

1 tbsp tahini paste

vegetable oil , for brushing or frying

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until softened but not coloured. Add the cumin and cook for 1 min, then scrape the mixture into a food processor with the chickpeas, two-thirds of the grated beetroot, the breadcrumbs, egg and tahini. Whizz to a rough paste, then scrape into a bowl and stir in the remaining grated beetroot with plenty of seasoning.

With damp hands, shape into about 20 balls and space on baking parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until ready to serve.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the falafels with a little vegetable oil and bake for 20-25 mins until crisp and hot through. Alternatively, heat 2.5cm oil in a deep wok and fry in batches, turning, until crisp and hot.

To serve

    1 tbsp tahini paste

   2 x 150ml pots natural yogurt

    pinch of sugar

. 🙂

Enjoy ……..
  

FEBRUARY 2022

Gluten free bread with oats, walnuts & thyme, with a FODMAP beetroot dip

WorkJoy

Welcome to my bimonthly blog and what I have been up to! As you can see I did not post in January as KitchenJoy is really busy now and I can pack more news into publishing this blog every other month now and be more productive in the ktichen!

I have been proactive attending in person networking groups again in the city, which I find very effective for signing up corporate events, especially law firms for team building events with KitchenJoy.

The last couple of months, I have been experimenting with new recipes to add to the portfolio. I made a cauliflower frittata which was delicious, and versatile to keep in the fridge to have for brekky warmed up or lunch with a green salad. Also on the agenda parsnip and carrot cookies which can be stored in the freezer and just warmed up in microwave for a healthy sweet snack.

I have just signed a contract with https://landmann.co.uk/ who sell gas and coal bbq’s. I will be giving them a “bbq recipe of the month” and will receive a free gas bbq in return!

I sent off a new proposal to MasterCard for a March class titled “Eat your way to happiness this Spring” and wanted to specifically make seasonal food. My suggestion is purple sprouting broccoli in tempura with soy dip and vegan rhubarb bread. Hope they like the combination!

KitchenJoy

The last two months have been busy with clients redeeming their Christmas vouchers and FODMAP classes more than ever. As per the photo above, I made some gluten-free soda bread with walnuts & thyme which is very low FODMAP and a beetroot dip made with dairy free yoghurt for starters when people arrived.

I have been helping a client in Perth (online of course!) with weight management. This will be a fortnightly live cooking session over a few months, to aid him with healthy choices and recipe ideas moving forward.

I shall be holding a networking event here at KitchenJoy cookery school on Wednesday 16th March 4.30 - 6 pm - Happy hour! So there will be wine :) I shall be serving some healthy nibbles of mini broccoli, beetroot and carrot falafel’s with dips.

https://www.meetup.com/Chiswick-Business-Network/events/282324575/ s

Please contact me for more details if you are interested in any other types of medicinal cookery classes or 121 tuition. This also applies to online private cookery classes and team work building sessions.

Last Sunday, I did a General Health cookery day with two lovely girls and we spent the day cooking an array of delicious dishes starting with a green lime brain booster shake with coconut water, zest of lime and juice, parsley leaves, avo, spinach leaves, cucumber and banana. This was so nourishing and the lime gave it a zingy fresh taste! We then made some hazelnut, rye & pumpkin bread with a smoky harissa dip. Cauliflower buffalo wings, which were spicy and hot! Our main course was Japanese miso glazed salmon with quinoa in bone broth and steamed veggies with tahini dressing. We finished with beetroot chocolate brownies and coconut yoghurt and the girls made some matcha green energy balls to take home.

SocialJoy

I participated in Veganuary, starting after new years day, just to eat more plant-based foods and try different vegan foods on the market. We are very lucky in London, as there are many vegan restaurants and offerings. But for New years day, I made my last indulgent meat dish of boned belly of pork and a Scandi marinade of dill, garlic and juniper berries and slow cooked for a few hours. This was a Nigella recipe, indulgent and satisfying after a new years eve party! Followed by lemon tart, which is a Delia recipe, she has the best lemon tart recipe on the market!

Have tried out a new restaurant in Soho https://gunpowderrestaurants.com/ which is Indian small plates. The spicy lamb chops are probably the best I have ever tasted!

For Chinese new year, visited https://www.haidilao.com/404 which is a Chinese hot pot in Piccadilly, with bubbling broths where you dip in raw meat or seafood. A noodle man comes over to your table and makes the noodles stretching, cutting them into your broth. All very entertaining and great food.

Low fodmap beetroot dip

280g cooked beetroot

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 handful fresh mint

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

 1/2 tsp  fennel seeds

1/2 tsp  ground coriander

125ml coconut yoghurt or lactose free plain yoghurt

Place the beetroot, lemon juice, mint leaves, coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds in a food processor.

Measure out the coconut yoghurt and save 2 tablespoons. Coconut yoghurt can vary in thickness and I don't want your dip to become too thin, so we are saving a little bit for later.

Pop the coconut yoghurt in the food processor and pulse until the dip is thick and smooth (no chunks of beetroot left). Check the consistency and stir through the remaining coconut yoghurt if needed. Keep in mind that this dip will thicken slightly as it cools in the fridge.

Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes before serving. Then serve with rice crackers or low FODMAP veggies. This dip also goes great in nourishing bowls. Enjoy 2 to 3 tablespoons per serve.

Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

. 🙂

Enjoy ……..
  

DECEMBER 2021

Chocolate bark with sour cherries, pistachio’s & dried raspberry powder

WorkJoy

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022!

Welcome to my monthly blog and what I have been up to!

We finalised the filming for the MaserCard video which is due to go out in January and this was edited and signed off! So that is super exciting!

Google UK came back for a January energising theme. We did an October one before on vegan and both online for their clients. Recipes will be either Asian mixed spiced bowl with pak choi and avocado brownies or pea, za’atar & feta fritters followed by tahni chocolate chip cookies. Let’s see which menu they choose!

I am hoping to do more networking next year as this is where i get most of my work from apart from referall’s and repeat business.

The new course starting in January - “Breaking unhealthy eating habits”. There will be a FREE taster live session running on 10th January for 30 minutes with myself and Audrey Zeitoun. Please book your ticket as per the link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/manage/events/213458298517/tickets

I made some chocolate bark for pressie for clients for Christmas. I just made it up as I went along, it has sour cherries, pistachip’s, and dried raspberry powder in. You can add what you wish to make your own unique bark!

KitchenJoy

This month I have been busy selling E Gift Vouchers for Christmas gifts, so lots of classes to be booked in the new year!

Please contact me for more details if you are interested in any other types of medicinal cookery classes or 121 tuition. This also applies to online private cookery classes and team work building sessions.

SocialJoy

I hope you all enjoyed the festive break, by eating lots of yummy foods and drinks with a few walks thrown in , to burn off the excesses of Christmas dinner! We visited friends locally for their open champagne house in the morning and came back to eat oysters with Fortnum’s Sir Nigel’s marmalade vodka liquor drizzled into our fizz, A great start to the Christmas feast, followed by turkey and all the trimmings, with Christmas pud to finish the day off.

I hosted a fab Christmas party with the whole dining table full of grazing foods for everyone to enjoy. We also went to the Panto at London Palladium which is such a hoot and traditionally go every year.

Our New Years dinner party went with a bang, with lots of friends to celebrate and a great menu of mackerel pate, monkfish with shallots in a cream saffron sauce, french beans & new baby roast pots in rosemary + sea salt. The dessert was quite decadent, well it was New Years Eve ! Croissant and marmalade n butter pudding !

CHOCOLATE BARK

Makes 4 packages

INGREDIENTS

200g dark chocolate

2 tbsp oat milk

50 g sour dried cherries

50g shelled pistachio’s

handful of dark chocolate nibs

sprinkling of dried raspberry powder

METHOD

Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Do not allow the water to touch the bowl. Add in the plant-based milk and stir until all melted. Mix in the chopped nuts and cherries. Pour onto a greaseproof paper tin and spread very thinly. Sprinkle on chocolate nibs and raspberry powder.

Cool in fridge for few hours and then remove from greaseproof paper and either chop shards of with a knife or break with hand.

Place in a cellophane bag and tie with a ribbon and store in fridge until ready to give away as gifts.

. 🙂

Enjoy ……..
  

NOVEMBER 2021

Parsnip fritters

WorkJoy

Welcome to my monthly blog and what I have been up to!

The MasterCard spec has changed, but potentially long term, good news for KitchenJoy! MasterCard felt that their participants were a bit nervous attending the cookery school post pandemic, so have decided to record the event and post to their clients on their database. The theme will now be engerizing foods for January 2022. I filmed the first session this week, prepping the rye, hazelnut & pumpkin bread and to accompany this, a smoky harissa red pepper dip. A series of videos on themes, which will be based seasonally can be videoed for their clients throughout the year.

A different wine pairing evening is booked for 2nd December with @fromourcellar which will see their wine expert, Alix explain and compliment the wines served with a 4-course menu of scallops on pea purée, pork chops with a mustard sauce, greens & roast pots and to finish, a fresh quince with gorgonzola cream and a few chocolate petit fours. The theme is based on the Owl and the Pussycat poem by Edward Lear.

Just heads up on a new course starting in January - “Breaking unhealthy eating habits”. There will be a FREE taster live session running on 10th January for 30 minutes with myself and Audrey Zeitoun. Please book your ticket as per the link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/manage/events/213458298517/tickets

I made some parsnip fritters as per the photo above served with rocket salad and toms. Parsnips are in season now and lovely to have as a veggie lunch alternative. Recipe below, with a chilli yoghurt to serve as well.

KitchenJoy

This month there seems to be more online classes. It just shows you the mix is always varied. Vegan classes as ever, the most popular and FODMAP diet classes leading second now. FODMAP diet is usually associated with IBS symptoms and it’s a case of eliminating certain foods, commonly garlic, onion and pulses, from your diet for a month to see if symptoms improve with no bloating of the gut, gas and stomach cramps. There are lots of interesting and easy to follow recipes out there now. One of my favourite to share with my clients, is buckwheat pancakes with coconut dairy free yoghurt and berries

Busy now selling Christmas E Gift Vouchers, especially through the platform Not on the High St (NOTHS) and directly with KitchenJoy. So will be raring to go in the new year with new clients using their vouchers!
Classes will finish around mid December, so I can concentrate on Christmas, which I just love!!! 🎅 🎄 🥂 🌟 🎁 ❄️

Please contact me for more details if you are interested in any other types of medicinal cookery classes or 121 tuition. This also applies to online private cookery classes and team work building sessions.

SocialJoy

Its now proper winter, which we don’t mind with bright blue skies and crisp fresh cold weather. I am still following my retreat plan, so keeping super fit and healthy and continuing to lose a bit of weight before the festive season is really upon us!

Am doing lots of entertaining with dinner parties and festive celebrations coming up too at KitchenJoy. I made a gorgeous burrata cheese salad for starters with toasted pine nuts, sun dried toms, yellow toms, pomegranate seeds, figs on a bed or rocket with balsamic drizzle Main course was venison ragu on grilled polenta with cavolo nero. Ending with toffee caramel apple cake. I think everyone was happy!

Am hosting a Christmas party and have been gathering sprigs of eucalyptus and mistletoe to decorate the table which will be full of grazing foods. Photos to follow in new year!

PARSNIP FRITTERS

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

3 Medium parsnips, grated

6 spring onions finely chopped

1/2 lemon juiced

1 tbsp dukkah spice

4 tbsp of chickpea flour

2 tbsp of dill, finely chopped

2 tbsp of parsley finely chopped

1 tsp of Maldon sea salt

2 eggs

Olive oil for cooking

YOGURT

150g of yogurt

1 tbsp of dill, finely chopped

1 tbsp of parsley finely chopped

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp of lemon juice

2 tbsp of Olive oil

½ tsp of Maldon sea salt

1 red chilli, finely chopped

METHOD

Grate veg and mix the grated parsnip in with rest of the fritter ingredients (if parsnip seems a bit wet, use a tea towel to take out excess water)

Add olive oil to a hot pan and fry a couple of tbsp of the parsnip mixture for a few minutes on each side

Mix the yogurt sauce together and serve with the fritters

. 🙂

Enjoy ……..
  

OCTOBER 2021

Pumpkin season!

WorkJoy

Welcome to my monthly blog and what I have been up to!

I have the opportunity to work with MasterCard which is fantastic news, the participants will come to KitchenJoy for a Good Mood Foods class next month. They wanted a unique menu and of course I wanted it to be seasonal. So on arrival, participants will be welcomed with a wasabi & watercress dip with homemade rye bread, followed by a autumnal restorative soup. For the main course a Korean bbq Seitan stir fry with herbed three grains, freekah, red rice & quinoa, seasonal roasted veggies with maple syrup & balsamic dressing. Dessert has to be something with pumpkin of course! The pumpkin pies are easy to make and delicious as per the recipe below.

I did a wine pairing evening, which was fun where the menu was tapas, so the wine’s were all Spanish. A wine expert come in to conduct this part, so a lot of interesting facts and unusual wines and including a dessert wine. We were spoilt with the menu of sticky garlic squid served with pink sparking Cava, chicken black rice paella with a white Rioja, smoky meatballs with black pudding & Beronia wine, chorizo in red wine with a red Rioja, Tarta de Santiago with a dessert wine, and finally Manchego cheese drizzled with rosemary honey + walnuts with another red!

I made some matcha green tea cookies with chocolate chips for a Japanese class that I have coming up. You could really taste the green tea aspect but lovely with choc chips in too!

I spent some time replenishing my live wall ready to take it through the winter with lots of ferns and ivy. Very therapeutic planting all the pods and seeing them transform and grow on the wall.

KitchenJoy

This month has been one of my busiest on record. So back to back classes at the school on good mood foods, gut health, vegan, gluten free, FODMAP and chocolate for starters!

I also did an online good mood foods (becoming very popular for corporate) for a sports streaming video co from Denmark. We made vegan pumpkin bread, which is slightly sweet but made with lots of cooked/steamed pumpkin and oats and just a little maple syrup. Ideally toasted, with nut butter or even served with avocado. I demonstrated pea, za-atar and feta fritters, which are similar to Ottolenghi style and easy peasy to make and have as snacks or for lunch with salad. And lovely moist avocado brownies to finish off with.

Not my normal thing, but I did a children’s 13th birthday party which was so much fun and a bit messy in a really good way! I thought it was a good idea to start with m&m cookies as they bake really quickly and then the girls can eat these whilst prepping the Oreo chocolate brownies. I pre made a 3 layer rainbow sponge cake so the girls could assemble it and then it was decorated with a pink butter icing, lots of sprinkles, sparkles and marshmallows all over! It looked amazing and the birthday girl took this home. A good time had by all…..

Please contact me for more details if you are interested in any other types of medicinal cookery classes or 121 tuition. This also applies to online private cookery classes and team work building sessions.

SocialJoy

Now its Autumn, where the nights get longer but we can have some super sunny crisp days, and is in fact my favourite season. I am also doing sober October, which runs nicely into my retreat that I have been on recently. I have also upped my exercise also to fit into the retreat plan whilst I am there and am on top of my game.

The retreat was in Devon, where we had to detox a week before arriving, which meant no alcohol, coffee or sugar. All the meals were nutritionally balanced with protein, good carbs and veggies. Lectures every morning on subjects such as emotional eating and mindful living. There is always much more knowledge out there to expand on and lots of reading on books recommended by the lecturers there. Lots of different exercise classes throughout the day, from boxing, long walks, weights, to belly dancing ! There were x18 people on the week’s course and typically more women than men but we were all like minded and good to share stories and support each other. A good reset for coming up to the festive season :)

Lots of downtime after the retreat to relax and dog walks, apart from a few theatre trips which I am so pleased we can now go and see some wonderful performances.

Spicy Pumpkin Pies

Serves 4

Ingredients for the batter

1 large size pumpkin (600-800g) or 240g pumpkin puree

60g butter (room temp)

6 tbsp almond flour

20 chopped dates

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

Pinch sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

For the spice mix

4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

4 tsp nutmeg

3 tsp allspice

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Pierce the pumpkin a few times with a sharp knife and then place on a baking tray. Bake for 20 mins and then slice with a sharp knife. Place the two halves back in the oven, flesh side up, and cook for a further 40 mins or until soft, opening the oven every now and again to allow the steam to escape. Allow the pumpkin to cook, then remove the seeds and save these for roasting later. Peel the skin from the pumpkin flesh or scoop out the flesh.  Discard the stringy parts if necessary. Place the flesh in a food processor and puree or mash by hand, it can be kept in the fridge for up to four days.

To make the pudding weigh out 240g of pumpkin puree and whisk in the rest of the ingredients. If your butter is cold, you can melt it in a pan and then add a little at a time so as not to cook the egg. Pour the mixture into four glass or porcelain ramekins and place on a tray in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Serve immediately for a risen finish. Delicious with Greek yoghurt!

. 🙂

Enjoy ……..
  

SEPTEMBER 2021

Autumnal salad with blackberry dressing

WorkJoy

Welcome to my monthly blog and what I have been up to!

I went along to a trade exhibition at Olympia on new food ideas, so lots of sampling was going on! There were lots of new vegan ideas such as convenience food and ready meals. Tricky to ascertain how healthy these foods are so don't let the 'vegan' label fool you! Alcoholic sparkling water was very popular with lots of companies picking up on this trend. I had sampled some when we visited The Hamptons on our last holiday before lockdown (how I miss holidays!). The advantage of these seltzers is they are low in calories though still pack the punch of alcohol - if that's what you're after. 

It seems Good Mood Food classes are very popular at the moment and don't we all need a mood boost given the last 18 months. I recently facilitated a corporate event for a lovely group of ladies from KCWC who attended for a lunchtime session and when they arrived I pre made some rye, hazelnut and pumpkin bread with x2 homemade butters. I added rosemary, garlic and smoked paprika and the other butter, chives, garlic and za’atar. This was followed by the participants making cauliflower tabbouleh and broccoli falafal’s and lots of tahini chocolate chip cookies to take home!

The course How to break unhealthy eating habits is launched now for 27th October and also an online version on 2nd November. Please email me to reserve a place and as per details below:

“Replacing a bad food habit with a good food habit takes time and patience. It requires several steps, from setting your goals to get support.  One of the important steps is figuring out what your barriers are.

What has stopped you from changing your eating habits in the past? What do you think might stop you in the future? Identifying these barriers now, and having a plan to help you get past them, will help you change bad food habits into good food habits”

Audrey will be discussing this topic in detail as above and I will cook a savoury dish which will be an energising brain food and matcha green tea energy balls.

I won a deal with Danz, a sports streaming platform for good mood foods which will be up to a 1,000 participants online!

KitchenJoy

This month has kicked off with many in person classes back at the cookery school, so very exciting to see clients again and be up and running 100%. I have been facilitating courses such as gluten free, gut health, vegan, chocolate, a few full day classes on general health and FODMAP.

Please contact me for more details if you are interested in any other types of medicinal cookery classes or 121 tuition. This also applies to online private cookery classes and team work building sessions.

SocialJoy

I hope we are all still enjoying the Indian summer, and making the most of it! I made the most of it, on a day trip to West Witterings beach with the doggy to get our last beach days in!

Have tried out some new restaurants in the area, with Betty’s opening in Chiswick which offers lots of small plates, such as braised octopus, soft shell crab, pork belly and the best wings ever with a blue cheese dressing. Highly recommend this restaurant and the brunches are good too. https://www.bettychiswick.com/

Pub in the Park was this month too with lots of interesting food and drink stalls, so we could try lots of different cuisines such as Indian naan bread with lamb keema and my favourite was KFP (Kentucky fried partridge!!) and watermelon & lime mojito’s.

I attended the the Chiswick book festival over one weekend where authors are promoting their new books and I just loved Rowan Hooper’s - “How to spend a trillion dollars” on saving the world and solving the biggest mysteries in science. Fascinating!

For my birthday I was lucky to receive a voucher for Chapel Down vineyard and decided to make a 2 overnighter trip in Rye. https://www.chapeldown.com/ It was fun tasting all the wines and we did lovely long walks at Camber beach.

I made a blackberry salad as blackberries are abundant this time of year and thought a blackberry dressing on a salad would be fresh and easy to make. As per photo above and recipe below.

Autumnal salad with blackberry dressing

Serves 3

Ingredients

350g butternut squash, cut into 0.5cm slices
2 raw beetroot, peeled and cut into 0.5cm rounds
250g pack ready-cooked quinoa
3 tbsp toasted flaked almonds
Large handful wild rocket
Handful of tomato’s

Dressing Ingredients

250g blackberries

32g lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp coconut sugar (optional)

 Roast the butternut squash in the oven on 200c for approx. 40 mins, or until golden brown. Cook the quinoa as per packet instructions.   Allow to cool.

Rinse the berries thoroughly and mash them with a potato masher or fork.

Heat the blackberries over low-medium heat for around 5 minutes to begin reducing the berries. This will help with texture and intensify the flavour of the berries.

Cool slightly and then (optionally) press through a sieve to remove the seeds and excess pulp.

Mix the berries with the remainder of the ingredients and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasonings and add some coconut sugar if desired.

Decant into a glass jar and shake well. For additional flavor, allow the dressing to infuse for an hour or two in the fridge (or even overnight) for best flavor. However, you can also use it immediately.

. 🙂

Enjoy ……..
  

AUGUST 2021

Black rice porridge with rhubarb

SocialJoy

Welcome to my August blog and all the news from this month. I hope we are all still enjoying the summer, although the weather is a bit off and a lot of us managing with staycations.

I went along to the Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire this month, apart from being a bit soggy, it was really fun. Lots of different music, comedy, talks, fancy dress cricket and amazing food market stalls. Each morning, there was a food panel, hosted by journalist, Lisa Markwell and featuring festival chefs, such as Robin Gill from Darby’s, Thomasina Miers, founder of Wahaca, plus sommeliers, and restauranteurs debating the future of veganism to social media of food trends. All very interesting!

Sampled the wonderful food stalls such as Naania which was roasted aubergines in a naan bread and vegan coconut yoghurt & berries for brekky.

It was my girlfriend’s 60th birthday, so I treated her to Afternoon Tea at the new Chiswick House Pavillion on the deck. Was very delicious and Rhubarb was allowed to come along too! https://www.gardenpavilion.co.uk/afternoon-tea

Another girlfriend’s 50th Birthday was at Vinoteca, the champagne and wine was flowing all evening. The food was just delicious with canapes of grilled steak kebabs, Neal’s Yard fried cheese balls, followed by leg of lamb, roasted veggies, and cheese + a very decadent chocolate cake. We were truly spoiled! https://www.vinoteca.co.uk/locations/chiswick/

Rhubarb had her 1st birthday and received a few treats and toys that she is working her way through. Most of them are now destroyed and in the bin and a new batch will be arriving soon!

We had a Carribean night at my Hogarth health club with rum cocktails, jerk chicken and Caribbean band playing all night. The fire pit was on too, so we could roast a few marshmallows at the end of eve.

The Sunday bank holiday was spent at Hampton Court Food Festival, trying lots of delicious samples of toffee vodka, and other tipples. It seems wine in a can is now the new trend and they tasted really good. Also there was a bloody mary in a can just called Bloody which had a kick to it.

This month’s recipe is a rhubarb breakfast dish, as its in season and very versatile to use and easy to grow in your garden too, but you can use any fruit you wish. And did you know Rhubarb is actually a vegetable and it is unusual because it’s very sour and slightly sweet. In fact, its dried roots have been utilised in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It is a very good source of vitamin K1, Vitamin C and fibre. The leaves are poisonous so make sure you discard these.

It is one of my favourite foods on the planet and that is why I called my doggy Rhubarb! M&S sell a rhubarb cordial which is great with sparkling water!

Its great to mess around with different grains for both savoury and sweet dishes. I love using the black rice for brekky, its has a nutty texture. It is best if its soaked overnight with coconut milk (from a tin). Quinoa is also a great grain for breakfast too, just cooked in water and topped with greek yoghurt and berries.

WorkJoy

RDF Television Ltd from Bristol, hired out my kitchen space this month for Eat well for less which will be aired on BBC One on the next series. I can’t wait to see KitchenJoy on the TV and will send a link when RDF let me know.

I am working with Audrey Zeitoun who is a Life Transitions Coach on a joint cookery event on 27th October - How to break unhealthy eating habits which will cover

“Replacing a bad food habit with a good food habit takes time and patience. It requires several steps, from setting your goals to get support.  One of the important steps is figuring out what your barriers are.

What has stopped you from changing your eating habits in the past? What do you think might stop you in the future? Identifying these barriers now, and having a plan to help you get past them, will help you change bad food habits into good food habits”

Audrey will be discussing this topic in detail as above and I will cook a savoury dish which will be an energising brain food and matcha green tea energy balls.

KitchenJoy

A few more vegan classes online and also in person this month.. But generally August is a quiet month for the cookery school and time to take stock, relax, holiday and pretend the sun is out !

I have a few vegan day classes coming up which means I need to add quite a few more recipes to fulfil the day. I made a vegan blueberry cake with olive oil which turned out just fine. Unfortunately Rhubarb seemed to like it a lot as well and managed to squirrel away most of it too by climbing up on the island.

Please contact me for more details if you are interested in any other types of medicinal cookery classes or 121 tuition. This also applies to online private cookery classes and team work building sessions.

BLACK RICE PORRIDGE WITH RHUBARB

Serves 2

1/2 cup black rice

1/2 cup whole-fat coconut milk

1/2 cup water

1/8 teaspoon salt

Rhubarb topping

2 cups rhubarb (chopped into approx 10cm batons)

1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

1 stick cinnamon

2 whole star anise

2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup whole-fat coconut milk

Put the black rice & salt into a saucepan and add the coconut milk. Ideally soak overnight but absolutely not necessary. Bring the rice to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, cover and let simmer for 30/35 minutes, until soft, it will be nutty like brown rice.. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 to 10 more minutes to thicken.

In a separate pot, combine the ingredients for the rhubarb topping. Heat over medium low until rhubarb is cooked and has broken down. Taste and add extra sweetener or cinnamon as desired.

Divide the black rice into two bowls and stir in the rhubarb mixture. (taking out cinnamon stick and star anise)
Add pumpkin seeds, nuts and coconut flakes if you desire.

. 🙂

Enjoy ……..