New Year, New Us!

***DRUM ROLL PLEASE***

We are back ladies and gents, and it has been far, FAR too long and for this we greatly apologise.

But guess what? It's a brand new year, and with that comes a brand new us, and a brand new blog post - better late than never right?

This year, I am all about the veg - so much so that 90% of my fridge content right now is filled with the green stuff. We've both stopped rowing and with that comes a slightly different diet plan: carbs aren't as needed as we're not exercising quite as much and so vegetables have become my new BFF. This is not to say I have stopped eating carbs -especially on hangover days- as they are still a staple part of your diet to keep you going throughout the day.

My top tip is to have a carb laden breakfast to start the day and to give you an energy boost that will last til lunch.

To start off our grand return, today's blog is going to be about the, not-so-grand, coleslaw. I referenced it as an accompaniment in our sausage roll recipe, but it can be so much more than just a side salad.

I'm going to tell you the recipe at its most basic and then explain how it can make the transition from barbecue side dish to hearty lunch salad. With this, you can make a large amount of the base and then change small portions of it as and when needed.

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Ingredients (makes 4 to 5 portions)

1/2 white cabbage
3-4 carrots (depending on the size)
1 and a 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 and a 1/2 tbsp plain yoghurt


Recipe

• Grate cabbage and carrots and put in a large bowl. The best basis for carrot amount is to match it to the cabbage. Alternative: if you're not a huge fan of cabbage, try Chinese lettuce! It doesn't need to be grated, just slice it thinly horizontally and make the coleslaw chunky!

• Stir in mayonnaise and yoghurt, add more or less depending on how moist (lol) you want your salad

• Add seasonings, all about that black pepper.

• Et voila - you have, in its most basic form, coleslaw

If it doesn't look like this you've messed up 

Variations

So some slightly different options for you lovely people...

Raisins - some people hate them, some people think they're a strange item to put in coleslaw - it's all up to personal preference. Something my Mum taught me in order to juice up the raisins before adding them, is to cover them with apple juice and put on the hob in a saucepan until the juice starts to bubble. At which point, drain most of the juice and add the plumped up raisins to the bowl. This adds a lovely fruity zest to your salad.

Red onion - some people prefer a more American style 'slaw, and this is created through the addition of some onion. My favourite way to do this is to finely chop up 1/2 a red onion -it can be quite pungent- and bung in with the rest of the ingredients. This combo is generally best for BBQ style situations as the onion goes dreamily with burgers and sausages.

Apple and dried apricots - don't hate me, this is a thing I swear. This goes best with the Chinese lettuce coleslaw and is a great accompaniment to any Asian themed foods, but don't let that stop you branching out! This is really yummy and again originates from my Mum's kitchen - I know dried apricots can be quite a pricey salad ingredient, but I hope if you seen them on offer you seize the chance to try this out. I would advice a handful of apricots chopped in half and 1-1 and a half apples cut into segments for a chunky mouthful!

Feta and walnut - last and by no means least is this little nugget of wisdom I want to share. I discovered this late at night when I needed to make a packed lunch for a day on campus the next day and only had some previously prepared coleslaw in the fridge. To bulk it up and make it more substantial, I chopped up some feta and bunged in some walnuts. About a third of a block of feta is enough and chuck in a handful or two of walnuts for extra crunch and protein. Again, I know walnuts are expensive, but they are well worth buying in bulk as an extra bit of long lasting energy to add to any salad. I bought a large bag from Booker but in you aren't able to buy from a wholesale supermarket, most health food shops will let you order a large amount in one go for a discounted amount.

We're back and better than ever

Complimentary tune: Let's Dance - David Bowie, in memory of the late and great David Bowie, let's dance away those winter blues and into the new year.

Tip of the day: Head to Morrisons to stock up on cheap fruit and veg, and look at ways to get them -and all your shopping- to stay fresh for longer with tips like these.

---C

Moroccan Couscous

This is something that can be made in a large batch and reheated in smaller portions when needed. It is highly versatile and the recipe always varies whenever I make it, so different ingredients can be added each time you serve it.

Although couscous itself is not bursting full of nutrients, it is a great alternative carbohydrate to the wheat we tend to choose for most meals. The chickpeas provide you with much needed protein and the fruit and vegetables provide a lot of long-lasting energy.

This is great as a quick lunch option, especially if made in advance and kept in the fridge, but can also be a healthy dinner (perhaps with the addition of some grilled chicken to bulk it up a bit).

Kitty has talked about the use of planted herbs in recipes in a previous blog post, and the tactic of buying at the end of the day in supermarkets when they tend to be reduced. This recipe is a great opportunity for these plants to be used (especially if you don't have a vast quantity of dried herbs and spices in the cupboard), as Moroccan implies a lot of exotic herby flavours.

A work in process

Ingredients (makes 5 large portions)

500g of Couscous
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 can/carton of chickpeas (drained)
A large handful of herbs of your choice (coriander/parsley etc)
or
A large tsp of dried herbs (ground cumin/ground coriander etc)
1-2 tbsp of lemon juice (or any fruit juice you have)
2-3 carrots (grated)
1 pepper (optional but adds colour, espec. if red)
150g of raisins
150g of sultanas (or just 300g of one of these if cheaper)
2 cups boiling chicken or vegetable stock (about 2 stock cubes worth, follow ingredients on packaging)


Recipe

• In a large saucepan (you need to be able to fit in all the rest of the ingredients as well) fry the chopped up onions and crushed garlic cloves on a low heat.
• Stir in your boiling stock once the onion has browned (make sure cubes are completely dissolved before adding)
• Turn down the heat to as low as possible (or just remove from heat) and add couscous (and more boiling water if needed).
• Make sure you keep stirring well, as the couscous is liable to stick to the bottom of the pan without sufficient movement and lubrication (insert lols here).
• Once couscous is properly fluffed, chop up and add the rest of the ingredients (I would advise adding raisins/sultanas first, as allows them to plump up slightly with the steam from the boiled water).

• The best way to chop up fresh herbs is with a large non-serrated knife, place your hand flat on the farthest end of the knife and make a levering motion back and forth across the herbs (repeat in contrasting directions).

Action shot

• Add a decent amount of salt and pepper before finishing to taste (if you don't feel you used enough stock then add more salt to compensate)
• And there you have it, a simple but exciting recipe to keep you going for days (OK, maybe just hours).

Complimentary tune: Love On Top - Beyoncé, I know you all know this song so please belt it out like the belter outer it is for maximum summery happiness.

Tip of the day: If you're cooking meat off the bone, make sure to use the leftover meaty bones as stock. Do this by placing leftovers in a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring this to a simmer and then turn down to a low heat for a couple of hours (between 2 and 6), the longer its left the better the flavour will be. Strain the mixture and store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze and use when needed. Make sure you label well though so no-one uses it as an ice cream sauce.

That colour variation though

---C