Celebrate Bramley Apple Week

Tangy bramleys are at their best now and, to celebrate, this week has been earmarked as Bramley Apple Week. This refreshing mackerel and apple slaw recipe recipe from TV chef Valentine Warner and herb expert Jekka McVicar combines the flavour of the crisp green fruit with the freshness of herbs, so there’s no need to add salt or sugar.

‘Bramley apples have a lovely clean taste that goes really well with oily smoked mackerel, while the dill and chives balances the flavours,’ says Jekka.

Warm smoked mackerel with bramley apple slaw
Adapted from a recipe by Valentine Warner and Jekka McVicar

Prep time: 10 min, plus resting
Cook time: 10 min
Serves: 2

3 heaped tbsp light mayonnaise
3 heaped tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
1tsp wholegrain mustard
2tsp Dijon mustard
1½tsp white wine vinegar
200g raw white cabbage, leaves very finely shredded
1½tbsp roughly chopped dill fronds
½tbsp snipped fresh chives
1 large bramley apple, sliced thinly and cut into very fine strips
2 small smoked mackerel fillets (not peppered)

1. Combine the mayonnaise and Greek yogurt in a large bowl, then mix in the mustards and vinegar. Stir through the shredded cabbage and herbs, then set aside for 10–15 min to soften. Stir through the apple.

2. Warm the mackerel under a low-medium grill, then peel off and discard the skin.

3. Divide the slaw between two plates, then top each with a warm mackerel fillet and serve.

Per serving
601kcal, 28.5g protein, 45.8g fat, 8.4g saturates, 19.5g carbs, 17.5g sugar, 4.7g fibre, 3.6g salt, 165mg calcium, 4.2mg iron

Low sugar
Gluten-free
2 of 5-a-day

More choice for gluten-free products

By Norma McGough, HFG expert and dietitian at Coeliac UK

It may seem like the current hype about gluten-free diets and foods has come from nowhere. Some people see it is as yet another fad spurred on by diet-conscious celebrities who give up gluten to ‘beat the bloat’. But for people who have coeliac disease, a gluten-free diet isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten. When sufferers eat gluten it damages the lining of the gut and causes a range of symptoms, including diarrhoea, excessive wind and/or constipation, persistent nausea and vomiting, tiredness and/or headaches… to name just a few.

According to recent findings, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, the number of people in the UK diagnosed with coeliac disease increased fourfold between 1990 and 2011. It’s now thought one in 100 people in the UK have the disease – but only 24% have been diagnosed, meaning there are around half a million people who have a gluten intolerance but don’t know it.  ‘It’s a shocking statistic that needs urgent attention,’ says Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK.

However, the rise in diagnoses has resulted in increased demand for gluten-free food – good as more and more products hit the shelves. However, Coeliac UK members report that they have to travel to large supermarkets to find gluten-free products, often visiting more than one store to buy everything on their shopping list.

That’s why this Coeliac Awareness Week (12–18 May), the charity is campaigning to increase availability of gluten-free staple foods in supermarkets. For further information see coeliac.org.uk/gfg.

Heathly Food Guide’s Recipe Collection: Make it Healthy 100 Gluten Free Recipes is out now in selected supermarkets, and available for download from iTunes.