Diet?

I, and probably most every other normal person, have overeaten this Christmas. After a week of a yo-yoing dial, this morning the scales confirmed a consolidated five pound gain. I can only hold up my hands and squeal 'mea culpa'.

I decided to make a stir fry, something warm and nourishing. I added hot chillies to give it some depth and some ginger and lemon grass for a bit of zing.

Unfortunately I teamed it with belly pork which was, if I say so myself, delicious, but fatty in the extreme.

Diet? Not this week, I'll begin next Monday...

Let it Snow...

January has arrived and it has been snowing for about three weeks now, yet, I never tire of the view from our windows. Nor, do I tire of the excuse to make food to warm the body and soul. This food does tend to contain a few calories, but good food so often does.

In my opinion there are few things in life more satisfying than sitting in a warm house, with a bowl of freshly made soup and a heartily buttered piece of crusty white bread waiting expectantly before you. Soup is possibly  the easiest of dishes to create and undoubtedly, one of the most gratifying.

I have made some Leek and Potato soup or Vichyssoise if you eat it cold, which in sub-zero temperatures, I can not contemplate. It is easy and cooks fairly quickly. The ingredients are cheap, which is helpful during belt tightening January. I have added some double cream at the end, but you could substitute this with milk or even leave this addition out.

To make this you will need:

1kg potatoes cubed
1 medium onion diced
3 leaks chopped
Approximately 1.5 litres of cold water
1 chicken stock cube
salt and pepper to taste



To be taken with a thick slice of homemade white bread, preferably the crust. With food like this to eat I don't mind if it snows for another three weeks.

Crispy Szechuan Belly Pork

This is a terrific and cheap dish. Belly Pork is one of the most flavoursome, yet underrated, pieces of meat available. With its high fat content, if cooked on a high heat, it is incredibly easy to create the crispiest crackling ever.

Preheat the oven to its hottest setting

To make this you will need:

A medium sized piece of Belly Pork
2 tsp of flaked sea salt
½ tsp of Szechuan pepper corns
drizzle of olive oil