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| Recipe of the week... ... Indian Goat's Cheese Salad |
Ingredients: 1 garlic clove, 125g soft goats’ cheese, 1
lime, 1 red chilli, 1 red onion, 15g fresh root ginger, 1 teaspoon nigella
seeds, 100g baby leaf salad, 300g sweet potatoes, 20g fresh coriander, olive
oil, sugar, salt and pepper
Time taken: 40 minutes max
Serves: 2 super filing, super healthy, super tasty portions
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Hi readers,
Happy Thursday! How are you today? And this week, in
general? Are you having a good one? I think I’m having a good week, readers!
There’s been a cheese n wine night which is ALWAYS cause for celebration – had a
fab night munching cheese with the girls. And I’m storming on with my newfound
knitting hobby while watching Fortitude.. quite getting into the knitting! It’s
easier to enjoy once you’ve learned the basics.
Then this morning I dramatically reversed my car into
another car while trying to park at work – doh! So, now my white car is a bit
red and someone’s red car is a bit white. And it was scary for half an hour or
so while I recovered from the shock. But it turns out I’ve scraped the car of
an angel! This person doesn’t want any help repairing their car and they don’t
seem upset about the damage. They text me that it’s cool. And my faith in human
beings is restored – what a guy!
And it’s almost the weekend, readers, which I think I’m
about ready for!! How about you? Have you got much lined up for the weekend? I’m
going to struggle to top the last one – I brunched with friends, and walked in
the peaks with my Father Bear, and got myself a HUMONGOUS cakeaway and took it
to the cinema. Watched ‘The Glass Castle’ – a cracking film. Can such a good
weekend be beaten?? We shall see!
Let’s talk food, readers, as I’ve been mulling this over
again these past few days. Following on from my last blog post, in which I
tackled the first of three ways to overcome an emotional eating habit loop, as
suggested by Rachel at re:wellbeing…
1.
Address the cues
2.
Increase wellbeing
3.
Change the behaviour
… I’ve since been thinking through Rachel’s ideas on ways we
can increase our wellbeing. Because, in my mind, this is so important! Don’t
you think, readers? So many of us – especially women, in my opinion – are
resigned to putting ourselves at the bottom of the pile and prioritising
anything and everything over our own wellbeing. Why is it that we always come
last, even with ourselves? How is that fair?
Sometimes, it isn't always going to be possible to remove or
change the cues and triggers that cause emotional eating. As such, it can help
to build wellbeing and self-care
activities into your life. Self-care doesn't just mean booking a massage, it’s
much broader and is about having your needs met – including physical, emotional,
social and spiritual needs. When your needs are met then negative emotions can
be felt less frequently and intensely, and you find yourself better equipped to
deal with them (without turning to food) if they arise.
And, thinking
beyond food habits, wellbeing and self-care activities can help people to
function better in all areas of life. Sometimes, we can be so busy we forget to
take time for ourselves, or we feel selfish for making 'me' time, but it's
important. Both for mental and physical health, and for our relationships, too.
Think about
how easily you’re irritated when you’re hungry, or if you slept badly, or you’re
stressed out? Dragon You doesn’t only impact on your own day, but also on those
around you as well. And nobody wants that! Give it a think – are your current
self-care activities working? What activities give you a sense of wellbeing? Are
there loads or just a few? How often do you make time for these activities?
Which
emotions do you need to feel or would you like to feel more often? What activities
could you do to fulfil your needs – both physical and emotional? When and how
can you make time for wellbeing and self-care? How can you make it part of your
daily or weekly routine?
Seriously,
readers, what would have to change for you to be able to make space for these
wellbeing and self-care activities in your life? Maybe it’s going to require a
shake-up of your beliefs surrounding self-care? I say, go for it! Maybe you
need to ask for help, allocate a budget, join a club… go go go for it!
As Rachel,
at re:wellbeing, spells out for us…
“Building more activities into your life which
improve your wellbeing in terms of physical and mental health can help you to:
- experience negative emotions less often
- be better able to deal with negative emotions
that do arise
- live a happy life”
Simples? I hope you’re inspired, readers, to make at least a
small change to increase your self-care. It doesn’t need to be anything big – everyday activities, including yoga, can affect
your wellbeing. And I’m a big
believer in yoga! Practicing yoga is really great for helping you to feel
grounded and in the moment, putting the day and your worries behind you. It
helps you to know your body, and yoga’s also been linked with reducing anxiety
and depression.
 |
| @yogasusie |
I think some yoga may be required after my dramatic bump in
the car earlier!! And perhaps a little more care for my car in the future, as
well as self-care! … but seriously, readers, do take care of yourselves. And
remember how important it is to do so. One sure fire way to treat yourself with
kindness? Cook great food! Feed yourself something healthy and delicious!
My recipe of the week, this week, readers, is a Gousto
recipe for an Indian Goats' Cheese
Salad and it’s a smashing recipe if you’re looking to eat something
healthy and great-tasting, too. That perfect balance of cheese and leaves!
Feast your eyes – here’s the recipe in just ten simple steps…
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Recipe: Indian Goats' Cheese Salad
1.
Treat yourself to a few minutes deep breathing,
concentrating on each breath in and out, as you open the windows, pour a drink
and gather your ingredients together on the kitchen counter.
2.
Heat the oven to 200C and chop the sweet
potatoes into bite-sized pieces, leaving the skin on. Cut the red onion into
quarters, leaving the skins and root on.
ChefBeHere Top
Tip: According to Gousto, leaving the skins and root on an onion while it roasts,
stop the onion from drying out and falling apart – I would have known that!
3.
Add the chopped sweet potato and onion quarters
to a baking tray, drizzle with cooking oil, and season with generous pinches of
salt and pepper. Carefully transport your tray into the oven to roast for 20-30
minutes.
4.
Meanwhile, you can be prepping veg! Pick a few
coriander leaves and set them aside for now, to use as garnish later. Chop the
remaining coriander finely, including the stalks. Peel and finely chop the
garlic. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Cut the red chilli in half lengthways,
deseed and chop finely.
ChefBeHere Top
Tip: You can make good use of a teaspoon here! It can be used to peel the
ginger (just scrape the skin off with your teaspoon) and to deseed the red
chilli (scrape the seeds out with the same teaspoon).
5.
Next, you’re going to make your chutney. Add the
chopped coriander, garlic, ginger and chilli to a pestle and mortar and grind
to a paste. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and the juice of half a lime,
and mix to combine. The season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar – this
is your spicy green chutney.
6.
Time to sort your dressing! In a small bowl,
combine the juice of the remaining half a lime with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Season with generous pinches of salt and pepper – this is your dressing.
ChefBeHere Top
Tip: Don’t forget about your veg in the oven! Once the onion is tender and the
sweet potato is cooked and starting to crisp, you can safely remove from the
oven and leave to cool in the baking tray for a few minutes. Turn the oven off.
7.
While your veg cool a little, spread the nigella
seeds over a chopping board. Roll your block of goats’ cheese in the nigella
seeds until evenly coated and dotty as a Dalmatian.
8.
Once you won’t burn your fingertips, carefully
remove the skins from the cooked onion by cutting off the root and peeling off
their skins. Then you can separate the onion quarters into petals.
ChefBeHere Top
Tip: If – like me – you’re not a fan of greasy foods, take a moment now to tip
your sweet potato out on some kitchen roll and pat dry to remove any excess
oil.
9.
Add the onion petals, sweet potato chunks and
baby leaf salad to a large bowl and toss everything with the dressing. In your
hands, break the goats’ cheese into small pieces and spread over the bowlful of
salad.
10. Garnish
the salad with your reserved coriander leaves and dollop with spicy green
chutney. Set the table with dinner plates and cutlery, and top up your drinks,
then tuck into this colourful, summery tea!
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| So many brilliant colours on one plate 😃 |
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In the words of
Gousto…
“In this Indian salad, mixed baby leaves are tossed in a zingy lime
dressing with roasted sweet potato and red onion petals. You’ll roll our creamy
goats’ cheese in aromatic nigella seeds and break it up over the salad. All
topped with a homemade bright green coriander, ginger, chilli and lime chutney
which adds a zingy-spicy kick.”
What do you think, readers? Would you give this recipe a
try?? Only forty minutes of your evening required… and you can have a wine on
the go that whole time! Plus, there’s only really one unusual ingredient (I’m
thinking: nigella seeds) involved in this week’s recipe. Everything else is
pretty much standard supermarket fodder.
And this is a bit fancier than a pizza, isn’t it? C’mon!
What a great looking plateful of food! I think this salad both looks and tastes
great, readers, another triumph from Gousto. And the pride that comes with
eating a salad where you’ve made the dressing all by yourself is pretty cool, I
say.
Let me know, readers, if you give this salad recipe a try.
How did it go in the kitchen? Did you like it? And have a wonderful weekend,
readers! Take care in your cars and DEFINITELY get the cake.
Dollop safely,
Hayley
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An informative footer
I’d like to note, the above is part of a series of posts that I’m
currently having fun writing, while undertaking a fresh start with food. Food
bloggers can’t admit they got bored with food, you say? Well, I beg to differ!
In August 2017, I made two wonderful decisions; I signed up for Gousto – a food
delivery company who send recipes and ingredients in the post – and I began a
health & wellness program to transform my food habits, with Rachel of
re:Wellbeing. In this blog post, and others like it, I share one of the
wonderful recipe that I’m taking on, and an idea that I’m exploring as part of
this fresh start.
If you would like to find out more about Gousto, please visit https://www.gousto.co.uk/
(I have a sneaky discount code! If you’re new to Gousto, then click
HERE for 50% off your first 2 boxes and I’ll get a discount too for referring
you… so errrrybody wins)
And, if you would like to learn more about re:Wellbeing, then visit https://www.rewellbeing.com/
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