My Flexible Friend!

Back in my baby blogging days (9/11/14) I gave definitions for vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian. Well now there's a new buzz word on the block; flexitarian!

This enables people to eat a mostly plant-based diet whilst still enjoying a meat or fish dish occasionally! Apparently lots of people have tried being vegetarian but still can't resist a bacon sandwich or have been long-term vegetarians who have come back to the idea of eating small amounts of sustainable meat, poultry, fish and seafood. For others it may be a way of going a step beyond meat-free Monday as people recognise the health, financial and environmental benefits of eating the vegetarian way.

Personally I don't like meat or fish and so after 26 years of being vegetarian I can't imagine being tempted back from the green side! However, never say never, I have met many people who have returned after decades away from meat.

My husband has bought me a cook book entitled The Part-time Vegetarian by Nicola Graimes. I'm not sure of his intentions as he is definitely ('though not in huge quantities) a meat and fish eater. The book gives vegetarian recipes with a "part-time variation" enabling meat or fish to be added. As he does not like many vegetables, nor many pulses, I'm at a loss as to what I might make that will suit us both. The children are off to Uni next month and it really would be nice to be able to cook just one recipe for the two of us. Let's hope he can be flexible because, sure as hell, I cannot! 

Little and Large!

Late August/early September means show-time! There are village, town and county shows up and down the country (see my blog showing off dated 13/9/15).

In the grow and show category the aim is to show 3 uniform fruit or vegetables but there is always a prize for the largest vegetable. Obviously this is just for fun as any large item would be past its best and not great to eat. Nowadays the craze is for baby veg.

These are sometimes immature vegetables which are harvested early and enjoyed for their tender and delicate flavour. Other times they may be specially bred miniature varieties and can be grown in 6-12 weeks. If your fingers are not green, these can be found in most supermarkets; everything from baby beetroot, courgettes, turnips, aubergines ... the list goes on.

I don't remember baby vegetables being around when my own children were babies. It would have been so much easier to persuade them to eat a baby carrot than a large one. At least with broccoli we could convince our little darlings that they were eating baby trees! 

My favourite part of the film Big is when Tom Hanks' character, Josh, nibbles a baby sweet corn as though it were a full size one ... priceless! 

Getting your oats!

I have never been the cool kid; never mind a trend setter, I couldn't even keep up with the trends. I was probably the last person ever to be wearing a Bay City Roller scarf, the last person blowing their whistle in a nightclub and the last person to get a smart phone!

Well here I am again; this time telling you about overnight oats!

It turns out the idea came from some Swiss doctor way back in the 1900s. I may be behind the times but really? Anyway, the point is, they are a nutritious, no-cook, make-ahead, healthy breakfast which can be tailored to your taste and personal preference.

The first time I made them I stuck to a Quaker Oats recipe which included:-

Half a cup of Quaker Oats

Half a cup of low fat milk

A spoonful of yogurt

A spoonful of peanut butter

A pinch of salt

A pinch of cinammon

Some chia seeds

Some chopped banana

Layer the ingredients in a jar, screw the top on and place overnight in the fridge. The next morning, unscrew the lid and voila breakfast is served. The oats will have absorbed some of the liquid so they soften and all the flavours will have infused.

The combinations are innumerable. You could use soya or almond milk, any flavour yogurt, honey or maple syrup sweeteners, any nuts, seeds or spices and any fruit you desire. The website is full of inspiration.

I love porridge in winter; it's so pudding-like and comforting. This is a great summer alternative and ensures you can still have your oats - and enjoy them!

Turning Japanese!

Ah the English Lake District in summer ... The grey slate buildings match the slate grey skies and the trees, likened to Wordsworths daffodils, are truly "fluttering and dancing in the breeze." Nevertheless the scenery is spectacular, the hiking and sailing therapeutic and the shops ... well great if you're partial to hiking and sailing paraphernalia!

As we drove past Windermere we reminisced about a boat trip taken across the Lake four years ago. We smugly congratulated ourselves for securing seats on deck before a large party of Japanese tourists boarded. Having only just departed the jetty the first spits and spots of rain began and we stumbled downstairs to the lower deck which was full ... of Japanese tourists. We squeezed ourselves into a corner and, with only the lashing rain to view from the window, we turned our gaze inwardly.

The tourists had obviously just left their hotel for a trip across the water carrying backpacks and cameras aloft. A middle aged couple began to unpack their bag and set up a mid morning snack. First came the hard boiled eggs which were nibbled surreptitiously (although the eggy aroma soon let the secret out). Next a miniature pack of cornflakes were shared as if they were a bag of crisps and then a weetabix eaten like a biscuit! As each item of contraband was unpackaged my husband and I furtively nudged each other. The couple were clearly quite thirsty after all that dry food and so knocked back a couple of shots ... of UHT milk! Hilarious!

They had obviously raided the breakfast buffet (and who hasn't?) but surely surmised that English cuisine was fairly underwhelming. Still, funny as it was to watch, I dread to think how we would have fared had the roles been reversed and we had snitched a Japanese breakfast!