01Apr 2023 by Ali
Salad Days

Salad Days

Recipes over Troubled Water, Salad Days
"my salad days when I was green in judgment" - William Shakespeare Something's gotta giveOne of the things I realised during lockdown was that although I have eaten healthily - wholefood and vegetarian - for 40 years, I had fallen into the habit of eating too much, too often. Indulging a love of carb-laden treats in cafés, sampling home baking + doing very little exercise = the lethal combination that catches up with you eventually. It was only a matter of time. Lock down good habitsTo get fitter and healthier for most is not a quick fix. It requires taking control for yourself, determination, incentive and a keen eye on the end goal. Lockdown provided those conditions and more. As the weeks rolled on, each one as routinely similar as the last,…
Read More
29Sep 2020 by Ali
Ode to Autumn Salad

Ode to Autumn Salad

Recipes, Recipes over Troubled Water, Salad Days
When I'm in need of some build me up butternut therapy I go into roasting mode with a butternut squash and make it into a salad - it works wonders served warm or cold. "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" John Keats, Ode to Autumn. The generosity of Autumn can boost our mood - whether walking through autumnal woods or sitting down to a mellow feast of colours and flavours. In the northern hemisphere the autumnal equinox around 22nd September each year marks the beginning of Autumn. The word equinox derives from the Latin meaning equal day and night and is the transitional point at which the equator is closest to the sun and northern and southern hemispheres are illuminated equally. Autumn is typically marked by customs and festivals that…
Read More
31Aug 2020 by Ali
Quick fix salads

Quick fix salads

Recipes, Recipes over Troubled Water, Salad Days
The Juicy The Green & Crunchy The Spiralised The Mediterranean Bring the outdoors in The Salsa Sunshine vitaminsEven as we head towards autumn when the sun is thinner, there's nothing better to lift the mood than sitting outside surrounded by all the colours under the sun, catching some back end of summer rays and with a bowl of Mediterranean freshness topped with crispy Habas Fritas. Everyone can dream. Originating in Spain, Habas Fritas (roasted, salted broad beans) have become popular as a snack but you don't need a gin and tonic to enjoy them. They are currently my favourite crunchy topping for salads. You can roast your own, thereby controlling the amount of fat and salt, in which case dried split fava beans from Hodmedods are just the job and…
Read More
17Aug 2020 by Ali
Somewhere over the rainbow

Somewhere over the rainbow

Recipes, Recipes over Troubled Water, Salad Days
A celebration of saladsIn celebration of the lockdown summer I am writing a series of blog posts on salad-making. Not just salads as a side serving but as a meal in themselves - as protein-rich, good-fat and low-carb as you like, brimming with vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients. If you don't want to addle your mind with all that nutrition and food science simply go for a variety of differently coloured plant-based ingredients and you can't help but benefit from a nutritional boost and a taste sensation. Follow the yellow brick roadStarting with a Rainbow Salad you can either create one rainbow plate singing with colour or put together a selection of salads in harmonising parts. The more colours of the rainbow you include the greater the range of phytonutrients, your…
Read More