Win one of five organic Hemsley + Hemsley Riverford recipe boxes

Enter now to win a limited edition organic recipe box from Hemsley + Hemsley and Riverford Organic, and try their specially created range of organic meals for two.

We're giving away five limited-edition organic recipe boxes worth £39.95 each, plus a bottle of organic prosecco, courtesy of Riverford Farm and food writer sisters Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, aka Hemsley + Hemsley.

Launching mid-January for two weeks only, this special guest chef box contains everything you need to make three healthy and hearty meals for two, including the freshest seasonal organic ingredients from Riverford Farm. 

Quinoa Goat's Cheese Beetroot Risotto with Parsley Lemon Oil

The recipes are free of gluten, grains and refined sugar, and were specially created by the sisters, who launched their first cook book, The Art of Eating Well, in summer 2014.

To find out more about Jasmine and Melissa's approach to eating, read our Q&A.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions
This competition is open to Healthy Food Guide readers, registered on the website (free) and who are UK residents, aged 18 and over, excluding employees (or families of employees) of Eye to Eye Media Ltd, Riverford Organic Farms Ltd, or anyone linked to the competition. Website entry closes midnight 31st January 2015 and entries received after the closing date of the promotion will not be considered. No responsibility is taken for entries lost or delayed. The winner will be drawn at random and the judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into. The winner will be notified in writing within 28 days of the closing date. There are five prizes to be won. The winner will receive one Hemsley + Hemsley limited edition Riverford recipe box and one bottle of prosecco. In the event of developments outside its control, the promoter reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value. The winners may be required to participate in future publicity. The promoter’s decision is final and binding in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into. Promoter: Riverford Organic Farms Ltd, Buckfastleigh, Devon, TQ11 0JU.

Winner must live within the Riverford delivery territories (most of England and South Wales; postcodes can be checked at www.riverford.co.uk).

Q&A with the Hemsley sisters

Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, aka Hemsley+Hemsley, are hipster food bloggers-turned authors. Here they talk to HFG about their approach to food and their new partnership with Riverford Farm. We also asked them to tell us what we’ll all be eating in 2015…

Don’t forget to enter our competition to win one of five Riverford and Hemsley recipe boxes (closes 31 January 2015).

Tell us about your cooking ethos
Our approach to healthy eating keeps things as close to nature as possible. This means we eat meat and vegetables that are organic, wild or biodynamic or come from a source that champions natural food. Our food is simple to make, delicious and nutrient rich – and it’s also grain, gluten and refined-sugar free.

How did the partnership with Riverford come about?
Our mum introduced us to Riverford about 10 years ago, even before we started our company Hemsley+Hemsley, and we’ve enjoyed their organic produce ever since. The provenance of the ingredients we use is very important, so working with Riverford’s veg-obsessed founder Guy Watson was a natural match.

What was your inspiration for the recipes?
The H+H Riverford recipe boxes are the perfect option for the health-conscious, food lover, allowing you to cook nourishing, delicious seasonal meals every night of the week, and all in an hour or less! By focusing on fresh, seasonal produce, you’re able to experiment with different ingredients, try new flavours and access nutrients from produce that is in its prime.

What swaps/alternatives/tricks did you use to make these recipes healthy?
A lot of our them are inspired by a family member or a friend, or from a client requesting that we reinvent their favourite dish to make it healthy. The beauty of these dishes is that there is no compromise on flavour, but they are better for you.

Our recipes for the boxes include a sausage ragu with celeriac spaghetti – celeriac is sliced into spaghetti instead of the starchy, refined, wheat-based pastas traditionally associated with a ragu. Our steak and kale salad is accompanied with celeriac chips and our goat’s cheese and beetroot risotto uses quinoa in place of rice. These nutritious ingredients will keep you feeling satisfied for longer while being nourishing.

How have you cut grains, refined sugar and/or gluten from your diet?More easily than you think! As well as replacing pasta with spaghetti spirals made from celeriac or courgettes, we make our own bread (we have two recipes in our book, The Art of Eating Well), have swapped regular noodles for buckwheat (gluten-free) and we also make noodles from carrots and cucumbers! You can also substitute rice with broccoli or cauliflower rice. We use whole natural ingredients like cooked beans in brownies and cakes for a lovely, rich texture.

What food trends are you expecting to see in 2015?We anticipate that 2015 is going to be a big year for the spiralizer! A secret weapon for the health-conscious cook, the Hemsley+Hemsley Spiralizer (launching this month) is useful for packing your meals with nutrient-rich vegetables. It’s also a delicious way to replace refined and glutinous foods such as pasta and noodles.

Use it to prepare some of The Art of Eating Well favourites, such as Courgetti or Celeriac Ragu, Sesame Cucumber noodle salad or Vietnamese Pho Soup.

More than anything, we hope to see people cooking even more because there’s nothing better than home-cooked food made with love.

The low-FODMAP diet

Many IBS sufferers and their practitioners swear by the elimination – under guidance – of certain carbs, known as FODMAPS (in the January issue of Healthy Food Guide, we’ve included some IBS-friendly recipes for you to try). If you want to know more about what these foods are and how to steer clear of them, read on…

FODMAPs are certain types of carbohydrates that are not absorbed in the small intestine and are instead passed into the colon. Although they are poorly absorbed by everyone, only some people get IBS symptoms when bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain and constipation occur as the natural bacteria in the colon digest the food.

These FODMAPs (Fermentable oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and polyols) tend to be found in processed foods, artificial sweeteners, wheat products, some vegetables, fruit and pulses and some dairy foods. For example, fructose (a monosaccharide) is the main type of sugar found in fruit juice, fruit and honey; lactose (a disaccharide) is the main type of sugar found in dairy products; and types of sugars called oligosaccharides are found in foods such as cereals, bread, pasta, biscuits and cakes.

How the low-FODMAP diet works 
With the help of a dietitian, over a period of eight weeks, FODMAPs are virtually eliminated. If your gut is going to respond to a low-FODMAP diet, this is the period during which IBS symptoms should lessen dramatically or disappear. You then reintroduce FODMAPs one by one – each over a period of three days. From this you can establish those that trigger IBS symptoms and those your body is able to tolerate. It may be that you can tolerate certain amounts of a certain FODMAP, which is useful to know if you’re going out for dinner, or to a friend’s house.

‘One of my clients, for example, now knows she can tolerate some gluten-containing foods occasionally without aggravating her IBS symptoms,’ says registered dietitian and IBS specialist Jennifer Low. ‘This has been useful as her husband’s family eat lots of pasta. But she also knows if she has a wheat-based cereal for breakfast, a sandwich at lunch and pasta for dinner she gets a very painful tummy.’

If you think a low-FODMAP diet may relieve your symptoms, look for a registered dietitian in your area (ask your GP to refer you or visit freelancedietitians.org), who will be able to guide you through the elimination and reintroduction process. It’s very important not to try it without guidance. ‘Many foods contain FODMAPs and you could seriously compromise your health if you try to eliminate these foods without the help of a health practitioner,’ says Jennifer.

Find out more at:
jlnutritionclinic.com
theibsnetwork.org

Which foods contain FODMAPS?

Flours and grains

Barley
Bulgur
Chickpea flour*
Couscous
Durum
Lentil flour*
Multigrain flour
Pea flour*
Rye
Semolina
Soya flour*
Wheat bran
Wheaten cornflour
Wheat flour
Wheatgerm

Cereals

Wheat-based and mixed-grain breakfast cereals
Muesli

Fruits

Apples
Nectarines
Pears
Peaches
Plums

Vegetables

Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Garlic
Mushrooms
Onions

Pasta and noodles

Egg noodles
Pasta
Gnocchi

Breads, biscuits and cakes

All biscuits
Bread
Breadcrumbs
Cakes
Croissants
Crumpets
Muffins and pastries containing wheat and rye
Ready-made sourdough breads

Dairy foods and alternatives

Milk
Ice cream
Soft cheeses (in large quantities)
Yogurt

Meat, fish and eggs

Sausages and other processed meats (check for onion and dehydrated vegetable powders)

Nuts and seeds

Pistachios

Spreads, condiments and flavourings

Honey
Shop-bought chutneys
Dressings
Gravies (containing onion)
Relishes and sauces
Stock cubes

Drinks

Fruit juices made with FODMAP fruits (see above)

Fats and oils

Dairy spreads and margarine (in large quantities)


This list should be used only under the guidance of a registered dietitian specialising in IBS management.

*These contain the oligosaccharides GOS and fructans, but in small amounts as part of a recipe do not cause IBS symptoms in most people. You should assess your tolerance under the supervision of a registered dietitian.

Healthy New Year’s Eve canapés

Party bites don’t have to be a health hazard. See in the new year with this no-fuss recipe for no-stodge, vegetarian canapés that melt in the mouth...

Tomato, olive and basil tarts

Prep: 15 min Cook: 10 min Makes 12

Ingredients:
Cooking oil spray
2 large filo pastry sheets (about 90g)
300g vine-ripened tomatoes, deseeded and diced
50g green olives, pitted and thinly sliced
1tsp white balsamic vinegar
1tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2tbsp roughly chopped basil, plus extra leaves to garnish

Method:
1. Heat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Spray a 12-cup mini-muffin tray with oil.

2. Spray 1 sheet of the filo pastry with a light coating of oil. Fold in half, spray again, then fold in half again to make a rectangle. Cut the rectangle into 12 squares. Repeat with the remaining sheet to make a total of 24 squares. Press 2 squares, at alternate angles, into each muffin cup. Bake for 8–10 min until the cases are light golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

3. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, olives, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and chopped basil in a bowl and season with cracked black pepper. Set aside to macerate (soften) for 5 min.

4. Divide the tomato mixture among the tart cases, garnish with a few basil leaves and serve immediately.

Tip
You can bake the filo tart cases the day before. After cooling at the end of step 2, store in an airtight container until ready to fill.

Per tart: 32kcal, 0.8g protein, 1.3g fat, 0.2g saturates, 4.8g carbs, 1g sugar, 0.7g fibre, 03.g salt, 7mg calcium, 0.4mg iron

Low cal
Low saturates
Low sugar
Vegetarian
Dairy free

How to enjoy sprouts beyond Christmas

By now we’ve all heard of kale, and it’s probably the current trend for the curly leaf we have to thank for putting brassicas and their benefits at the centre of the table. But riding on the coattails of kale is, surprisingly, the sprout. Loathed by many and over-boiled by plenty, sprouts are nonetheless increasingly sought after for meals besides the Christmas dinner.

Sales of sprouts are up by 13% to 32million kg in the past 12 months, according to recent research by Kantar Worldpanel. These miniature cabbages are now making their way into smoothies, salads and stir-fries, being charred and roasted through a culinary renaissance. And this increase in sales has led sprouts growers to extend their growing season beyond Christmas, so it now spans from August to April.

Whatever you think of trends, the popularity of brassicas can only be a good thing. Typically, the darker green the leaf, the more vitamins and minerals it contains. They’re packed rich with vitamins and antioxidants, which are essential for keeping your immune system healthy. They give you a potassium boost, which helps keep blood pressure down and are an excellent source of beta-carotene. Importantly for non-meat eaters, they’re a great source of iron, too.

For many, though, sprouts remain the only disappointing part of the festive plate, so why not cook yours a little differently and incorporate them into something other than your Christmas dinner? Unleash their nutty undertones, and discover what all the fuss is about with our easy recipe.


Beef and sprouts stir-fry
Pre 10 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4

Ingredients:

300g Brussels sprouts, shredded or thinly sliced
1tbsp toasted sesame oil
500g lean beef, cut into strips
Bunch spring onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ head cabbage, shredded
Juice 1 lemon
4tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 x 250g packs ready-to-serve steamed basmati rice, to serve


Method:

1. Steam the Brussels sprouts until just tender, then set aside.

2. Add 2tsp of the sesame oil to a wok or frying pan and put over a high heat. Cook the beef in batches for 3 min or until browned, then transfer to a plate.

3. Add the remaining oil to the wok or pan. Stir-fry the spring onions, garlic and cabbage for 2 min or until soft. Put the sprouts and beef back in the pan, with the lemon juice and sweet chilli sauce and cook, stirring, for 1–2 more min. Serve with the steamed rice.

Easy variation Replace the lemon juice and sweet chilli sauce with 2tsp grated ginger and 3tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce.

Low cal
Low fat
Low saturates
Low sugar
Low salt
High protein
High iron
Gluten free
Dairy free
1 of 5-a-day

Per serve: 419kcal, 35.4 protein, 11.2g fat, 3.2g saturates, 46.9g carbs, 7.2g sugar, 6.3g fibre, 1.2g salt, 81mg calcium. 5.3mg iron


Top tips when shopping for sprouts

Choose firm, fresh-looking and brightly coloured veg that smell fresh and not ‘cabbagey’. Avoid any that are limp and browning at the edges.

Store in the fridge for up to four days. Sprouts on the stalk will keep in a cool place for several weeks.

Eat eight sprouts for a portion of your five-a-day

Cook Finely shred sprouts, then stir-fry in a little groundnut oil with garlic, ginger and lemon zest. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Five ways with leftover turkey

Boxing Day and beyond sees the turkey sandwiches rolled out, which, frankly, doesn’t add up to the most exciting festive spread. So why not try these five tasty ideas instead – those leftovers will soon be polished off…

1. Spicy wraps

Combine a handful of shredded cooked turkey with a little reduced-fat mayonnaise mixed with ½ tsp curry paste, then spread on a wholemeal tortilla wrap. Top with lettuce, sliced tomato and cucumber, chopped chilli and fresh coriander to taste, then roll up.

2. Quick pizza

Mix bite-size cooked turkey pieces with some barbecue sauce in a bowl. Top a thin ready-made pizza base with a little more barbecue sauce, some thinly sliced red onion, chopped tomatoes, torn reduced-fat mozzarella and the turkey. Bake in a hot oven until heated through.

3. Head to the Med

In a bowl, combine chopped cooked turkey with chopped tomatoes and celery, some chickpeas and prepared couscous. Drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon juice and season with black pepper, toss again briefly, then serve. 

4. Satisfying spuds

Mix chopped cooked turkey breast with grilled lean bacon, chopped avocado, a little lemon juice, reduced-fat sour cream and some black pepper. Serve with hot jacket potatoes.

5. Oodles of noodles

Make a tasty salad by combining cooked and cooled noodles with a handful of chopped cooked turkey, some sweet chilli sauce, roasted peanuts and finely chopped chilli, a handful of fresh coriander and lime juice to taste.

…And don’t forget the stock!

Instead of binning the carcass the minute the meat has all gone, it makes sense to use the turkey bones to make your own low-salt stock:

Put the stripped turkey bones in a baking tray with 2 sliced carrots, 1 sliced onion and 2 sliced celery sticks, then roast in a hot oven for 30 min. Transfer to a large saucepan or stock pot and add around 3 litres water, 1 tsp crushed peppercorns and 2 bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1½–2 hr. Cool, strain through a sieve, then portion into freezer bags and freeze for up to three months. Defrost to use in soups and casseroles.

How to make a healthy festive starter

With the countdown to Christmas now in single figures and the prospect of cooking the big lunch soon to become a reality, we couldn’t have been happier to receive a preview of Abel & Cole’s festive recipe boxes. This smoked salmon starter went down a treat – a fresh and zingy prelude to the rich-tasting dishes that are to follow. Try it for yourself, then pick up a copy of the December issue of Healthy Food Guide for more festive inspiration.

Merry Christmas!

Smoked salmon salad with citrus and spice

Prep: 30 min

Serves: 6–8

• 150g watercress

• 2 red onions

• 1 cucumber

• 3 limes

• 2 tbsp brown rice wine vinegar

• Pinch demerara sugar or to taste

• Pinch dried chilli flakes or to taste

• 400g smoked salmon

1 Rinse the watercress and pick out and discard any thick stalks. Gently pat the remaining sprigs dry with kitchen paper, then set aside.

2 Peel and very finely slice the red onions. Halve the cucumber lengthways, then use a vegetable peeler to make thin strips, stopping when you reach the seeded core.

3 Finely grate or pare the zest from the limes, then add to a bowl. Squeeze in the lime juice. Add the brown rice wine vinegar, sugar and chilli flakes. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Taste and add more sugar/chilli as needed.

4 Divide the watercress, red onion and cucumber ribbons among 6–8 small serving plates, or pile it all onto one big platter. Top with the smoked salmon, then spoon over the dressing. Serve straightaway.

Per serving (based on serves 6)

123kcal

18.4g protein

3.3g fat

0.6g saturates

5.2g carbs

3.9g sugar

1.7g fibre

3.2g salt

58mg calcium

1mg iron

LOW CAL

LOW FAT

LOW SAT FAT

LOW SUGAR

HIGH PROTEIN

GLUTEN FREE

DAIRY FREE

1 OF 5-A-DAY

This year, Abel & Cole is offering a choice of three Christmas Feast boxes with ingredients and recipe cards, each to serve 6–8. Take a look at what’s included, then place your order by 22 December at abelandcole.co.uk/christmas/feast-box:

The Merry Veggie Christmas Feast Box £80.00 (reduced from £100)

Cauliflower Soup with Saffron & Sage

Roast Stuffed Squashes with Christmas Spices

Hot Harissa Tomato Sauce

Potato Skordalia

Cumin Roast Celeriac & Parsnips

Broccoli with Sesame & Lemon

Red Cabbage with Pomegranate

Brilliant Baked Orange & Cardamom Cheesecake

The Brilliant Beef Christmas Feast Box £140.00 (reduced from £160)

Smoked Salmon Salad with Citrus & Spice

Roast Topside of Beef with Mustardy Onion Gravy

Dishy Horseradish Crème Fraiche

Yorkshire Puddingle Bells

Goose Fat Roast Spuds & Snips

Lemon & Cumin Carrots

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts & Lardons

Honeyed Red Cabbage with Bramley Apples

Jewelled Chocolate Torte

The Terrific Turkey Christmas Feast Box £180.00 (reduced from £200)

Smoked Salmon Salad with Citrus & Spice

Butter Roast Turkey with Cider Gravy

Sage & Shallot Stuffing Balls

Goose Fat Roast Spuds & Snips

Lemon & Cumin Carrots

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts & Lardons

Honeyed Red Cabbage with Bramley Apples

Jewelled Chocolate Torte

Why a Christmas pretox beats a detox

Are you a post-Christmas detoxer? Or are you in with the in crowd and giving healthy pretoxing a go? You’ve still got time to start – and you could be feeling the benefits well before you take your first bite of turkey…

The Christmas pretox isn’t something you hear about much, but new research commissioned by Currys PC World has found it to be a growing regime adopted in the run-up to Christmas. And – here’s a surprise – it’s not just the ladies who’re looking to fit into sparkly LBDs: nearly a quarter of UK men are embracing a healthy regime in preparation for the festivities.

The survey found that 22% of men are pretoxing, and looking good at the office Christmas party is one of their main motivators. But – perhaps not a surprise – only 15% are good enough to maintain their diet and fitness regime through the winter. Around 47% of those men surveyed began their pretox in the final week in November. Currys saw sales of health-boosting gadgets such as juicers and step counters begin to spike during that month.

But it’s the post-Christmas regime where the figures fall short, with 93% of the men surveyed expecting a weight gain of around 8lb. Fitness and nutrition expert Lucy Wyndham-Read offers her tips on staying on track in the run-up to the holidays:

1. Speed it up. Walking a little faster is a great way to burn off extra calories. Aim to walk at a speed of 4 miles per hour, as this helps you burn fat. Use a wearable fitness product to measure, or count how many steps you take in 20 seconds at a speed of 4 mph then multiply by 3 – it should be 135 steps per minute. 
2. Stand up. In the office, set a timer on your watch or phone for every 20 minutes. When it goes off, stand up and move if even for a few seconds. After 20 minutes of sitting, the body starts to slow down the amount of calories you burn, so move every 20 minutes to keep it fully active. 
3. Swap biscuits for a smoothie. Save calories and get your vitamins at the same time. 
4. Calorie challenge. Every day, challenge yourself to burn off an extra 100 calories over the build-up to Christmas. 
5. Skip. Skipping for 10 minutes can burn up to 135 calories and it sculpts and tones your lower body. 
6. Add oats to your smoothies. Throwing these into your blender will help stabilise your blood sugar levels so you’ll be less tempted to snack on mince pies. 
7. Take the stairs. Taking the stairs two at a time works your thighs and bottom harder. If you avoid the handrails, you’ll contract your abs more for balance. 
8. Create a playlist. Music is a great motivator, so draw up your list, name it ‘My Pretox Christmas Playlist’ and listen to it when you work out. 
9. Keep gym kit in sight. Put your workout gear on the radiator – this way you’re more likely to slip into it and head for a quick workout. 
10. Apply determination and discipline and you’ll get the desired results.

Good luck!

For more advice about enjoying this year’s festivities without sacrifice, pick up a copy of December’s HFG for tips on keeping a smart festive party strategy, see our choice of savvy drink swaps and cook up the best healthy versions of Christmas favourites.