Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2018 i Good Food

If you’re not a fan of food crazes such as cloud eggs, obscure grains and unicorn everything, 2018 will be something of a delight. ‘Exciting’ and ‘ethical’ are this year’s watchwords. The BBC Good Food Trends Panel predicts that flexitarian eating (that’s a lot of veg, with just a little meat or fish) will go mainstream, and we’ll also be embracing flavour-packed nootropics, foods that boost brain power. OK, there may also be more extreme things on the way. Hello haem burgers – plant-based patties that bleed, but which are really just veggie burgers. Read our review on page 62. s say we slavishly following . January is the time to embrace the familiar, the comforting, the feelgood – and to bring some balance back. That’s where dishes like our…

Dash cucumber water Dash water bills itself as British sparkling spring water infused with wonky fruit and veg. Using surplus produce gets a huge tick, but what’s even more thrilling is that with no sugar or flavourings other than the fruit, it isn’t remotely sweet – a huge bonus. £14.99 for 12 x 330ml cans, amazon.co.uk Choc & Awe This plant-based cheesecake from Freaks of Nature went down very well with the whole team. Dairy-free and gluten-free it still delivered on flavour and felt indulgent enough to eat as a treat. £2.29 for a 90g pot, waitrose.com Mimo Catalan salsa romesco This traditional Catalan sauce is made in Spain and packed with almonds, hazelnuts, peppers and tomatoes. Billed as a…

Vegan in 7 by Rita Serano (£16.99, Kyle) If you’re thinking of going vegan for Veganuary or just want a break from meat, fish and dairy after Christmas, this is the book for you. It’s not too taxing either – all the recipes contain no more than seven ingredients, with tons of colourful stir-fries, salads, pastas, stews and curries. Must-try recipe Mushroom polenta tart East by West by Jasmine Hemsley (£25, Bluebird) One-half of the superfoodie Hemsley sisters, Jasmine has gone solo with this collection of Ayurvedic recipes designed to help balance (and boost) mind, body and spirit. Perfect for a new-year health kick. Must-try recipe Sri Lankan mustard fish curry with broccoli ‘pea’ rice The Modern Cook’s Year by Anna Jones…

Amazing dressed beets Sweet, sour, salty and crunchy, Jamie’s beet salad is packed with flavour and texture combinations. With just five ingredients, it’s a breeze to make. SERVES 4 TOTAL 27 mins EASY V 600g raw mixed-colour baby beets (ideally with leaves) 4 clementines ½ bunch fresh tarragon (15g) 100g crumbly goat’s cheese 40g shelled unsalted walnut halves 1 Reserving any nice smaller beet leaves, halve any larger beets and cook, covered, in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile, squeeze the juice of 1 clementine into a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a good splash of red wine vinegar. Peel the remaining 3 clementines, slice into fine rounds and arrange on your plates. 2 Drain…

If you need an excuse to forgo Dry January, Blue Moon is it. The refreshing wheat beer is full of citrus tang and is best served with a slice of orange. Inspired by Belgian wheat beer, Blue Moon got its name after brewer Keith Villa tried it out on his friends in Denver, Colorado. One took a sip and exclaimed, ‘A beer as good as this only comes around once in a blue moon!’ FLAVOUR NOTES Orange, coriander and white pepper. Soft mouthfeel due to the oats. BEST DRUNK WITH… Very versatile – as good with Belgian mussels as it is Thai green curry. Thanks to stbartsbrewery.com and beer sommeliers brewandpress.co.uk. Save on this warming Grenache-based red when you buy a case of red wine (there’s also mixed and white…

The best thing about cooking octopus is that everyone gets a leg. Or is it an arm? Anyway, there’s lots to go around – if, indeed, everyone wants a sucker-laden limb in the first place. Which my wife and three teenage kids were distinctly nervous about. I’d never cooked octopus before. Didn’t know how. I’d eaten it twice before: once on holiday in Greece (rubbery) and again at Neil Rankin’s Indian smokehouse, Temper City (mouth-meltingly tender). So when I saw a recipe for octopus with smashed potatoes and piso in Portugeuse maestro Nuno Mendes’s new cookbook, Lisboeta, I wanted to see if I could cook a cephalopod at home. Nuno is famous for A-listers’ favourite restaurant, Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone. But in Lisboeta, he’s gone back to his roots. The…

Our cookery team have created hearty, comforting dishes peppered with healthy twists to keep you feeling good as well as cosy. Get all your daily veg from the chicken traybake, and the burritos might be the best use yet for brazil nuts. Even swede-haters will love our pappardelle, and the butternut Bakewell is the perfect January treat – the combination of spelt flour and squash makes it densely rich and satisfying. Get everyone round the table and serve delicious veg-packed seasonal food and we’ll all get through January together. 5-a-day chicken with kale & pistachio pesto Eat your 5-a-day in one meal with this delicious veg-packed traybake. If you’re vegetarian, simply leave out the chicken and use veggie parmesan. SERVES 3-4 PREP 20 mins COOK 45 mins EASY olive oil 500g…

Paella is easier to make than risotto – for one thing, no need for all that stirring – and much more satisfying on a winter’s evening. I have no hesitation in presenting a version that is so straightforward and foolproof that you could pretty much make it in your siesta: the whole operation is done in the oven, in one baking dish. This is an extremely flexible dish, and it’s easy to adapt according to what you have in the fridge, and the family’s preferences. You can scale it up or down (timings remain the same), and dial up or down the luxury (by which I mean the saffron and prawns). Serve it piping hot from the baking dish, just as it is, or with crusty bread and a salad.…

‘Thanks to Zoe Adjonyoh, there is scope to show customers how to use different spices’ Cathy Chapman, Head of Food Product Direction and Innovation, M&S What’s ‘in’ in 2018? Almost anything, so long as it’s exciting and ethical, is fair pickings. Ghanaian, regional South American and even Himalayan flavours are coming to a plate near you. ‘Chefs are using unusual combinations of cuisines,’ according to food authority Ed Templeton of London’s Carousel restaurant, so expect ‘fusion’ and ‘hybrid’ as buzzwords. In supermarkets, meanwhile, Jonathan Moore, Waitrose’s executive chef, expects tart, tangy ingredients like sea buckthorn, sorrel, and tamarind to emerge, as the British palate increasingly embraces sourness and bitterness to balance salty and sweet flavours. Perhaps predictably, this year will see plants triumph over meat, with Britain’s emerging vegan…

Anthony Warner, development chef ( @one_angry_chef); Ed & Ollie Templeton, co-founders, Carousel London ( @carousel_ldn); Cathy Chapman, head of food product direction and innovation, M&S ( @marks andspencer); Georgina Lunn, product development manager, Sainsbury’s ( @sainsburys); Tony Naylor, Good Food columnist ( @naylor_tony); Jonathan Moore, executive chef, Waitrose ( @waitrose); Victoria Moore, Good Food columnist ( @planetvictoria); Ian Dodds, head of markets & communication, KERB ( kerbfood @kerb_); Abby Talbot, head of own label, Booths ( @boothscountry); Ruth Tewkesbury, publicity manager, Hardie Grant ( @hardiegrantuk); Caroline Brown, head of publicity, Octopus Publishing ( @octopus_ books); April Preston, executive head of food innovation, Harrods ( @harrods); Michele Bradley, PR, Z-PR/ Lakeland ( @lakelanduk); Lucy Hancock, account director, Storm Communications ( stormcomuk); Megan Pryor, account manager, Taste PR ( @tastepr); Natalie Evans,…

Families struggling to put a meal on the table might see no option but to eat sliced bread with chocolate spread When did a sandwich become a meal? During a recent (thankfully brief) stay in hospital, I was offered one for supper: fridge-cold flaccid sliced bread filled with sweet-tasting beige stuff – purportedly tuna. Its very appearance killed any desire to eat stone dead. Even if I’d had a healthy appetite, this measly apology for a meal would not have satisfied it. I ate food my family had brought instead. Poor-quality sandwiches – additive-laden bread, waterlogged ham, plastic cheese, fish mulch – aren’t just a hazard for hospital patients. They’re also seen as a suitable meal for children, and turn up like proverbial bad pennies in schools and care homes.…

Apologies if this column lacks its customary sparkle. But, like you, I am suffering from a severe case of January. Christmas is over. The sky is grey. The mood bleak. On 15 January, it’s Blue Monday: officially the most depressing day of the year. For that reason, Dry January, now in its fifth year, strikes me as a terrible idea. In winter, we all need a little light in our lives, and, at Naylor Towers, that light glints off a cluster of gin, brandy and whisky bottles. Believe me, I am not out to get trolleyed (please drink responsibly), but a snifter, a pick-me-up, a livener is an essential (vodka and) tonic in January. Warmth floods in, endorphins spike and the world seems far more forgiving. Abstain if you must,…

Feeling sluggish after the indulgent festive period? Whether your goal for the New Year is to lose weight, cut back on sugar or to simply try some new healthy recipes, we’re here to help. The following seven-day plan is packed with recipes and tips to help you eat well and combat hunger. How our plan works Our triple-tested recipes – specially developed by our food writer, Sara Buenfeld, alongside nutritional therapist Kerry Torrens – are created using ingredients that don’t have any additives, and are packed with healthy fats, lean protein, slow-release carbs and a rainbow of healthy vegetables and fruits. If eaten as part of the plan, you can also expect to cut back on added sugar, lose excess pounds, increase energy levels, improve digestion and support your immune…

Looking forward to tucking into some fresh homemade dishes? Aldi, crowned Fresh Produce Supermarket of the Year in 2015, 2016 and 2017, stocks an impressive selection of versatile fresh ingredients, all at great prices. Here are some suggestions for different ways to use them, so you can get the most out of your weekly shop. TOMATOES The flavoursome tomato is a kitchen essential. Use it to make fresh salsa, pasta sauces, salads or homemade soup, add it to sandwiches or even top on pizzas. CELERY Thanks to its lovely tanginess, celery is perfect with dips or filled with peanut butter! LETTUCE This salad staple is more versatile than you might think. Use it in a falafel wrap or to dress burgers, add to the blender when making a smoothie, or…

January can be a funny one. It tends to be the month that’s most demonised as being cold, wintery and unforgiving. Everyone’s on a post-Christmas come-down, and so many are sucked into the ‘New Year, new you’ detox. I, on the other hand, have to make the best of it. My birthday is in January, so I’d like it to have a better reputation. I think we should try to be kind to ourselves after Christmas – pleasurable, indulgent and nourishing meals are my way of coping with chilly days and nights. From the meltingly tender citrus-marinated chicken to an easy caramelised onion and chicory tatin, I’ve made sure that these recipes not only make the best of what’s in season, but that they’re comforting and simple to throw together,…

Like a musical ear-worm, a particular flavour combination sometimes lodges in your brain and plays over and over. Despite coming from Northern Ireland – where I grew up with the salty richness of butter, the floury sweetness of potatoes and the peatiness of whiskey – you’d think I’d been brought up in Hanoi. Perhaps, in another life, I was. The imagined flavours that chase each other round my head are the hot, sour, salty, and sweet strains of chilli, lime, fish sauce and palm sugar, the tastes of Southeast Asia. Fish sauce is the ingredient that makes Southeast Asian food what it is, the salty, amber river that runs through it. In Thailand it’s nam pla, in Vietnam nuoc mam, in Myanmar ngan bya yay. I first tasted fish sauce…

FISS, AUSTRIA Best for… five-star family spa It sounds grand but Schlosshotel is no fussy five-star castle. This former hunting lodge delivers stylish sustenance with home-from-home understatement. Dinners – always five-courses – are served in the piste-view salon, with kids at liberty to dip in and out of à la carte, encouraging adventurous diners. The beautifully-presented buffet, far from a fall-back, has acres of fresh salad and crispy crudités, a hit-list of kids’ favourites, and a gallery of pungent cheeses. À la carte is defined by flavour-forward soups, local game, Alpine meats and lake fish, complimented by seasonal veg and superb Tyrolean wines. Save space for the daily-changing bonanza of puds, from macarons to a gelato bar and two chocolate fountains. Breakfast and lunch buffets are similarly proportioned. Just as…

Vegan lemon cake This vegan lemon cake is light, fluffy and zingy. It also works well if you replace the flour and baking powder with gluten-free alternatives. SERVES 12 PREP 15 mins COOK 30 mins plus cooling EASY V * 100ml vegetable oil, plus extra for the tin 275g self-raising flour 200g golden caster sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 lemon, zested,1/2 juiced For the icing 150g icing sugar 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Oil a 1lb loaf tin and line it with baking parchment. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and lemon zest in a bowl. Add the oil, lemon juice and 170ml cold water, then mix until smooth. 2 Pour the mixture into the tin. Bake for 30 mins or until a skewer…

HOT TREND CACTI CAKE Embrace the cactus craze with these fun and stylish decorations recipe MIRIAM NICE photographs EMMA BOYNS As it’s a proven fact that the internet loves cake and cacti, we’ve made these plants out of sugar – an Instagrammer’s dream. Although this cake looks intricate, the decorating technique is easy to master if you break it down. A plain vanilla sponge iced with vanilla buttercream works well as the base (find a recipe at bbcgoodfood.com ). To decorate, start by crumbling up some shortbread to create a sandy base, then load up your cake or cupcakes with as many plants as you like. Mix up the sizes and shades of green for maximum impact. Get decorating… CACTI CAKE First, make a basic buttercream MAKES enough…

FAUX FOOD We’ve seen a rise in vegetarian and vegan restaurants and pop-ups serving ‘faux’ meat products recently, often made using seitan (see p11) or jackfruit. And they’re impressively similar, from meaty-looking vegan burgers to tacos and even vegan ‘fried chicken’. PREMIUM MIXERS Gone are the days when plain tonic was the only option, these days the market for premium alcohol mixers has exploded, with brands like Fever Tree and Fentimans reporting record sales and bringing out a whole host of exciting new flavours like clementine & cinnamon tonic. VEG-BASED COCKTAILS Forget dry January, we’re still drinking cocktails but now we’re putting vegetables in them (new year, new me and all that). And we’ve noticed a rise in veg-based cocktails in trendy bars recently, from beetroot to yellow pepper! VEGANUARY…

TOM KERRIDGE: LOSE WEIGHT FOR GOOD Viewers who’ve marveled over Tom Kerridge’s astonishing 12-stone weight loss won’t want to miss this. Tom will be supporting 13 volunteers on a weight loss programme by teaching them low calorie recipes which don’t compromise on flavour. On Wednesdays at 8pm on BBC Two. BACK IN TIME FOR TEA From tripe to microwave chips, Bradford family Ellis go culinary time travelling, experiencing the challenges of Northern working-class family life from 1918 to 1999. It’s not all grim up north though, with pub grub and seaside fun for all. Starts soon on BBC Two.…

Mancunian diners – and the Manchester dining scene – are unique. It’s a mixed bag here! There’s a big weekend bar scene, and a growing appreciation for fine dining. At the same time, the informal dining scene is emerging, so it’s an exciting time. At The French (thefrench.co.uk), we’ve created a more relaxed environment over the last year, with chefs delivering many of the dishes to the table, and a chefs’ counter in the dining room has added a sense of theatre. My three favourite dishes on the menu are tater’ash, my take on the Northern classic; almond poached cod with leeks and smoked roe, and ‘Easy peeler’, a sugar ‘satsuma’ filled with white chocolate cream and sea buckthorn sorbet. We have a lot of playful twists on Northern recipes…

Katie Jones is an Englishwoman who followed her dream to move to a tiny village in a remote part of the Languedoc. She makes gorgeous fitou that is succulent and smells of the herbs that grow among the rocks of the parched hillsides. Last time I met her, she told me she was working on a new wine with a rather unromantic name – Hairy Grenache. I totally get why. Grenache can have a hairy sort of a feel to it, or at least a texture that I sometimes describe to myself as ‘suedey’ or ‘like a pom-pom’. Hairy or otherwise, grenache is a wine that seems to soak in the summer sunshine and keep it until opened, giving you back the warm breeze of a sultry August evening even…

Juliet Sear is a baking wizard and food artist. Discover her kids’ cooking videos on the BBC Good Food Youtube channel @JulietSear Halloumi traybake SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 1 hr EASY V 750g baby new potatoes, halved 2 medium red onions, quartered and broken up into large pieces 4 tbsp olive oil 400g can chickpeas, drained 1 large red pepper, sliced into strips 1/2 romanesco broccoli or cauliflower (about 400g), cut into small florets 250g mixed colour cherry tomatoes 4 garlic cloves, peeled 250g pack reduced fat halloumi, thinly sliced small bunch basil, leaves torn 1 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the potatoes in a large roasting tin with the onion. Pour over 2 tbsp olive oil and roast in the oven for about 30 mins.…

The tools to use We’re setting aside NutriBullets and spiralizers for kefir kits and pressure cookers. Sales of Lakeland’s kefir kits tripled after Michael Mosley’s BBC2 documentary, Trust me, I’m a Doctor, featured the fermented yogurt drink. Google searches for pressure cookers are up 15%, according to Lakeland. The hot ingredients Sriracha, harissa, togarashi and kimchi are key ingredients according to Harrods’ April Preston, who can’t live without Kewpie Mayonnaise, a Japanese rice vinegar-based mayo. We’ll be sprinkling meals with lesser- known herbs like sorrel, lovage and Thai basil. Sainsbury’s Georgina Lunn predicts bigs things for speciality cooking oils – like smoked rapeseed oil and pumpkin oil. The eagerly anticipated new openings Ramael Scully, former head chef of Ottolenghi’s NOPI and co-author of NOPI: the Cookbook, goes solo with Scully,…

ourdough is having a huge moment, and if you can get beyond the slightly annoying hipster association, it’s easy to see why. It has a total of three ingredients, and the rise comes from the simple act of flour and water fermenting together to create its own natural yeast and bacteria. But, more importantly, it’s a massive act of love: to get the flour and water to the right stage of fermenting takes 10 days of ‘feeding’ a flour and water paste with more flour and water. This eventually creates the mother – a bubbling pot that lives in your fridge and as long as you feed it (her?) regularly, you can scoop bits off to make sourdough bread for the rest of time. Last month, I undertook a sourdough…

What do we look for in our version of the perfect, nourishing bowl of soup? Should it be mild, for ultimate comfort, or should it pack a bit of a punch to keep things interesting? It’s a personal thing, but we can all agree that our soup should have a delicately balanced flavour. That’s where the new OXO Ready To Use Stock comes in. Available in three delicious flavours – Succulent Free-Range Chicken, Tasty Vegetable and Rich Farm-Bred Beef – these stocks instantly give your soup an irresistible depth and richness. Mild Shredded salad soup SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 20 mins EASY 320ml OXO Ready To Use Succulent Free-Range Chicken Stock 1 star anise 10 Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed (normal peppercorns will also work) 3cm-piece ginger, peeled and…

Walnut & almond muesli with apple Serve with full fat milk and whole bio yogurt. They contain 4% fat and are richer in essential vitamins A, D, E and K. This recipe makes enough for two mornings. SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 2 mins EASY V 85g porridge oats 15g flaked almonds 15g walnut pieces 15g pumpkin seeds 1 tsp ground cinnamon 80g raisins 15g high fibre puffed wheat (we used Good Grain) 4 apples, no need to peel, grated milk, to serve 1 Put the porridge oats in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring frequently until they’re just starting to toast. Turn off the heat, then add all of the nuts, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon, then stir everything together well. 2 Tip into a large bowl, stir to…

Lamb & squash biryani with cucumber raita Eat half when you make this, and chill the remaining biryani and reheat in the microwave. SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins COOK 25 mins EASY 4 lean lamb steaks (about 400g), trimmed of all fat, cut into chunks 2 garlic cloves, finely grated 8 tsp chopped fresh ginger 3 tsp ground coriander 4 tsp rapeseed oil 4 onions, sliced 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped 170g brown basmati rice 320g diced butternut squash 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder 20cm length cucumber, grated 100ml bio yogurt 4 tbsp chopped mint, plus a few extra leaves 2/3 small pack coriander, chopped 1 Mix the lamb with the grated garlic, 2 tsp chopped ginger and 1 tsp ground coriander and set aside.…

Wine expert Henry Jeffreys, along with the BBC Good Food team, tasted his way through over 100 wines to choose our Wine Club selection. Henry writes about wine for The Guardian and The Spectator, and on his blog, worldofbooze.wordpress.com. He is also a judge in the Best Drinks Producer category for the BBC Food and Farming Awards. His first book, Empire of Booze, is out now. Find Henry’s tasting notes, including food pairings, for all the selected wines at bbcgoodfood.com/wine-club. Picco Attila Chardonnay Ribolla Gialla Venezie 2015 This is such a clever blend of Chardonnay with a grape that’s rapidly gaining cult status, Ribolla Gialla, a native of north east Italy. It’s very fresh and saline with amazing after notes of apricot and almond, creating a wine with real complexity.…

Sweet & sour pork This recipe can easily be adapted to use chicken or prawns in place of the pork. SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins plus chilling COOK 30 mins MORE EFFORT 1 pork fillet (about 500g), trimmed and cut into 3cm chunks sunflower or vegetable oil, for deep-frying cooked rice or noodles, to serve For the marinade 1 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tbsp shoaxing rice wine or dry sherry 1 garlic clove, grated thumb-sized piece ginger, grated For the coating 50g cornflour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground white pepper 2 tsp celery salt 2 tsp caster sugar For the sauce 1 tbsp sunflower oil 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped thumb-sized piece ginger, chopped 1 green or red pepper, roughly chopped 2 tbsp tomato ketchup 4 tbsp rice…

‘Few things are more Scottish than haggis, but it’s still a bit of a mystery to non-Scots and can vary hugely in quality.’ 1 WHAT EXACTLY IS HAGGIS? Historically, when hunters made their kill, they would use up the offal, which went off first, using the cleaned animal’s stomach as a cooking bag. Minced heart, liver and lungs are bulked out with oatmeal, onions, suet, seasoning and spices before cooking. Nowadays natural casings are still used, but synthetic ones are becoming more common (there is no effect on the flavour.) 2 WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE? Haggis is like a crumbly sausage, with a coarse oaty texture and a warming peppery flavour. It’s most commonly served with neeps (mashed turnip) and tatties (mashed potato) and washed down with a wee…

One morning in Havana is all it takes to understand why Cuba is on the rise as a travel hotspot. A first taste of the Cuban capital reveals hot pink vintage cars grumbling along sun-kissed streets and a host of exotic aromas – plus it’s acceptable, if not encouraged, to have a shot of rum in your morning coffee. What’s not to love? Until quite recently, this colourful Caribbean island was far from renowned for its food. But since the economic reforms of 2011, the restaurant scene has flourished, with displays of extreme creativity and skill. Now is the time to visit, to get a taste of both the traditional and the newly emerging era – and the dining options are almost endless. You can spend as little or as…

A brick dungeon 100 feet below Clapham High Street in London may not be where you’d expect to find a farm growing microgreens and salad leaves. But since 2012, West Country entrepreneurs Steven Dring and Richard Ballard have been using two vast former World War 2 air-raid shelters as the base for their company Growing Underground, London’s first subterranean farm. Growing Underground uses the latest hydroponic systems and LED technology to grow their crops year-round in the pesticide-free, weather-free environment the tunnels provide. The farm’s central location cuts the need to rely on imported produce and reduces food miles for retailers, which means the leaves are both sustainable and fresh. It’s an achievement that led to their being named the winners of the BBC Radio 4 Farming Today Future Food…

Write to BBC Good Food , BBC Worldwide, Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London W12 7FA Email us at hello@bbcgoodfoodmagazine.com  Find us on social media @bbcgoodfood and tag us #bbcgoodfood star letter Although I agree with some of the sentiment of Joanna Blythman’s article ‘Home delivery? Don’t be so lazy!’ (Nov), I think she was a bit too strident in her assumption that those who order takeaway from gourmet restaurants always do so because they’re lazy. In October, I should have been celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary in Vienna, but instead I was waiting on knee surgery, quite incapacitated. So, for a week, it was all about takeaways, some from the best restaurants in Newry. It wasn’t Vienna, but at least the food…

Here at Good Food HQ, we’re always trying new and exciting food products, drinks and seasonal ingredients. This month, as it’s Veganuary, we shine a spotlight on a vegan ingredient which has grown hugely in popularity recently. WHAT IS IT? Seitan (pronounced ‘say-tan’) is a wheat-based product also known as wheat gluten. It is used in vegetarian and vegan cooking as a meat substitute. WHY NOT JUST USE TOFU? Seitan has a higher protein content and meatier texture than tofu, so works better as a ‘mock-meat’. MOCK-MEAT? LIKE WHAT? Think fried chicken, burgers, wings and kebabs... but all vegetarian. Cooked seitan is an effective faux meat as it crisps up on the outside but remains moist and chewy inside, just like meat. WHERE…

1 Rare mezcal Try this smoky and smooth agave-based spirit with dinner. 2 Mexican as it you before ’ve never – high had end cooking overseen by Martha Ortiz, cookbook author, TV star and chef at leading restaurant Dulce Patria in Mexico City. 3 Firedanced seabass Martha Ortiz says it ‘was inspired by a dish from Sinaloa State, North Western Mexico. When I saw the method of cooking on a rejilla (rack) over the fire it looked as if the fish had started dancing. It is marinated in red adobo, mayonnaise, lemon and chilli powder.’ 4 Warm vibes The room is ablaze with pink, red blue and tan; striking artwork; wooden screens, leather booths and flattering, low lighting. 5 Guacamole nacionalista – the most Instagrammed dish: it’s all about the…

In September 2017, Bahraini chef and restaurateur Roaya Saleh brought Villa Mama’s from the Saar district of Bahrain to London’s Chelsea. Having spent her summers on the family farm while she was growing up in Bahrain and in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother, Roaya takes a seasonal, home-style approach to cooking. Mahyawa Mahyawa is a sauce made from salted, spiced and fermented local sardines, that we serve with khubus, a Middle Eastern flatbread, which is a staple in Bahrain. Ash soup Ash is a thick, hearty Persian soup. Made up of lentils, herbs and noodles, it’s perfect for winter. Goat cheese & spinach kunafa Kunafa is normally an Arabic dessert made using very fine threads of pastry and a sweet filling. I love the pastry’s crispy texture and…

Another month, another gin. This column celebrates this national obsession by exploring new gins from around the UK Made in Oxford’s first distillery, Toad Dry Gin (£39.50) has solid artisan and sustainable credentials, distilled from seeds of ancient grain grown within a 50-mile radius. Some of the botanicals are from Oxford Botanical Gardens, others foraged by the Master Distiller in local forest and include meadowsweet and dried bitter orange. This one’s a Friday nighter – it’s potent (46%).(spiritoftoad.com)…

With over 85 feelgood recipes, this collection has all the warming and nutritious recipes you need for eating well in 2018. On sale now, £3.90. VISIT THE BBC GOOD FOOD SHOW Discover a BBC Good Food Show near you – find out more on page 74. Readers save 30% on tickets! GOOD FOOD ON YOUR TABLET Download our interactive app at the Apple App Store. HOW-TO VIDEOS Sharpen your skills with our cookery videos. Find over 200 recipes and techniques at bbcgood food.com/feature/videos.…

Beet hummus & crispy chickpeas subs SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins COOK 10 mins V 300g pack cooked beetroot in water, drained, half sliced 400g can chickpeas, drained 3 tbsp vegetarian pesto olive oil splash of vinegar (white wine vinegar if you have it) 2 large ciabatta rolls, sliced in half 2 large handfuls mixed rocket, watercress & spinach salad 1 Blitz the whole beetroot,3/4 of the chickpeas, 2 tbsp pesto and 1 tbsp oil in a food processor with some seasoning until you have a thick, smooth hummus. Heat the ciabatta following the pack instructions. 2 Fry the remaining chickpeas in a little oil until crisp, then set aside. Toss the salad leaves with the remaining pesto and a splash of vinegar. Slice the rolls, then assemble the sandwiches…

“I was looking forward to trying something new – we needed to recharge” You can imagine the look on my kids’ faces when I announced, ‘Guys, we’re going vegan for a week – maybe even two if you’re lucky!’ The resounding silence was a sure sign that they weren’t impressed. My youngest son asked me, ‘What is being vegan?’, so I explained that it meant stripping out all animal products from our diets, including honey and eggs. After explaining in as much detail as I could (with a little help from a search engine), they were up for the challenge. I was looking forward to trying something new. As a family, we’d been feeling tired, sluggish and a little out of sorts – I felt like we needed to recharge,…

We’ve teamed up with one of our favourite chef contributors, José Pizarro, to plan a wonderful Sunday lunch at his buzzy restaurant, José Pizarro at Broadgate Circle – and you’re invited. José’s knowledge and passion for Spanish food is unbeatable, and his four London restaurants are always lively, with guests enjoying jamón, sherry and his signature dishes, including croquetas and tortilla. José and his team have created an exclusive menu of dishes to share for this special event. On the day, you will enjoy an introduction to sherry masterclass by González Byass and a jamón tasting by Cinco Jotas, then José will introduce the menu and share his experiences and stories of being a chef, restaurateur and cookbook author, followed by lunch, tea and coffee. Plus, you can buy an…

Lamb biryani I’m a big fan of Indian food, and love the range of regional dishes. Biryani is a real favourite of mine, especially when cooked dum-style, whereby the ingredients steam in their own juices under a dough crust, which traps in all the amazing spices. Instead of dough, I’ve used a tight lid of tin foil, which works just as well. SERVES 6 PREP 10 mins plus at least 2 hrs marinating COOK 50 mins plus resting EASY 400g lamb neck, cut into small cubes 4 garlic cloves, grated 1 tbsp finely grated ginger 1 tbsp sunflower oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 tbsp each cumin seeds and nigella seeds 1 tbsp Madras spice paste 200g basmati rice, rinsed well 8 curry leaves 400ml good-quality lamb or chicken stock…

‘ In the late 1980s, my uncle went on holiday to Sri Lanka, and never came back. He lives on Taprobane Island – a strip of jungle perched on rocks with an old white house – off Weligama Bay. My family and I first went to visit him 15 years ago when Sri Lanka was in the midst of civil war. We seemed to be the only tourists and you weren’t allowed to travel north of Colombo. I remember that smack of hot, humid air with the strong, musty scent of the tropics when I first stepped off the plane. I still look forward to that moment when I visit now. I instantly feel at home in Sri Lanka.’ Egg curry Frying the eggs gives a tofu-like exterior. Serve these…

Ingredients in depth: Honey Hundreds of varieties of honey are produced around the world. What’s the difference between the four most widely available? Clear Also called runny honey. In its cheapest form, when no blossom is mentioned, this will be a blend of different honeys. Clear honey is often used in recipes because it has a pourable consistency that is easy to work with and dissolves quickly. Set Sometimes called cloudy or creamed honey, this is the same nutritionally as runny honey but more spreadable. Set honey can also be cooked with, but needs to be heated up gently in a pan or the microwave to melt it. Manuka This set caramel-coloured New Zealand honey has an acquired earthy lavender flavour. It is said to have many antibacterial properties, which…

Our pick of the best machines for creating delicious healthy juices at home, whether you’re a juicing novice or a seasoned pro BEST ALL-ROUND – STAR BUY 1 Smeg slow juicer £449.95 smeguk.com This classic retro design slow juicer came out on top as it makes smooth juice and allows you to adjust juice thickness. It’s also stylish enough to keep in pride of place on the kitchen counter, but be warned that larger pieces of fruit and veg might need to be chopped a bit to fit through the small ingredients funnel. BEST FOR A SMALL KITCHEN 2 Panasonic slow juicer £117.34 currys.co.uk This juicer was by far the most compact of the models that we tested. It was also really easy to clean, as…

1 Breakfast in your casa particular will set you up for a day of exploring. If it’s not included with your room, it’ll cost no more than £3, for which you’ll be served fresh juice, coffee, a tropical fruit plate (with amazing mangos), eggs, bread, sometimes pancakes and maybe even a grilled cheese sandwich. 2 If you’re in Havana at the weekend, don’t miss a night out at Fábrica de Arte Cubano. This cultural centre in a converted factory is a hive of creativity, with art exhibitions, live music and wonderful food and drink. Grab a stamp card on the way in, order away and pay for what you’ve had on your way out. Open from 8pm Thursday to Sunday – get there early to avoid the queues. fac.cu 3…