Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2026 i Good Food

Beans have had a bad reputation and been the butt of playground jokes for years, but these storecupboard staples are no longer the ingredient we snigger at – they’re an affordable, flavour-building, fibre-rich powerhouse with the ability to nourish us and the planet. As this month’s deep-dive (p67) shows, beans are exceptionally good for soil health, and vastly under-eaten in the UK. That’s why we’re championing them as a versatile ingredient that works as well in pasta bakes as it does in brownies. And, last month, we shone a light on women’s health, so this issue, we’re doing the same for men, looking at what to eat to stay fit and well (p81). Whether it’s beans, better habits or resourceful small producers (p124), this month is all about rethinking what…

Brussels sprouts The ultimate love-it-or-hate-it veg, sprouts may be divisive, but they’re a versatile crop to enjoy during the colder months. At their peak from October to March, they can be added to stir-fries with onions and ginger, shaved thinly and eaten raw with a creamy dressing, or pan-fried with pancetta for a quick side. Most sprout-haters avoid them due to texture; when boiled, they can be mushy, but when fried, roasted or charred, they’re more interesting and flavourful. If you can buy them on the stalk, do – they’ll keep for longer. Look for plump, bright green sprouts with tightly packed leaves – the smaller, the sweeter. Charred brussels salad with chilli & crispy onions This zingy salad is full of different textures and would go very well with…

The base Crêpes This recipe creates slightly thicker crêpes than your usual French-style ones – ideal for holding the indulgent fillings on page 54. MAKES 8 PREP 10 mins plus 30 mins resting COOK 30 mins EASY V 125g plain flour3 eggs, beaten250ml whole milk2 tsp sunflower oil, plus extra for frying 1 Tip the flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour in the beaten egg, then slowly whisk into the flour until a paste forms. Slowly whisk in the milk and, once it has all been incorporated and the mixture is thinner, whisk in the oil. Set aside to rest for 30 mins. 2 Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat and, once hot, drizzle in a little oil and carefully wipe it…

Why eat beans, peas and lentils? Quite simply, they are good for you and good for the planet. They are also delicious, add texture to dishes, come in many varieties, and are full of fibre. Beans can be boiled, fried, roasted, mashed, milled in flour, fermented and puréed; they can be used in savoury and sweet dishes and incorporated into drinks. In other parts of the world, beans are treasured, just as they have been historically in the UK, but here they seem to have fallen out of favour with many of us (baked beans and hummus aside). In a recent survey commissioned by the Food Foundation, 66% of people reported eating less than one portion of beans or pulses a week. For the sake of our health and the…

Your nutritional needs will depend on your age, physical fitness and activity levels as well as your risk of disease. Find out how much carbohydrate, protein and fat you should be eating and how to make the right choices for a diet to keep you full and energised around the clock. Common health concerns for men Whether male or female, we should all be aiming for a minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but in the UK only one in three men achieve this minimum target. Fruit and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and protective compounds that support health, including that of the prostate. With prostate cancer now the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the UK, it’s worth considering how diet can help guard against…

Best non-stick Ninja Foodi Zerostick This is a serious pan that’s useful when cooking for a crowd given its generous size and depth. It has a polished stainless steel exterior, sturdy riveted handle and is a manageable weight for the size. It retains heat well, so much so that we had to lower the temperature to stop our dishes from overcooking (making it energy-efficient, too). It’s also metal utensil-safe, dishwasher-safe and oven-safe up to 260C. Available from Ninja (£54.99) Best value Lakeland Only Pan Inspired by the cult favourite Always Pan, Lakeland’s Only Pan promises to be “the only pan you’ll ever need”, and in many ways it delivers. Its generous depth and curved edges make it versatile, and it’s also oven-safe – though only up to 150C. Extras include…

1 FONDUE Dunk bread into fondue – opt for a moitié-moitié (half-and-half) of gruyère and vacherin fribourgeois, a semi-hard cheese – infused with wine and garlic. Pair with white wine, then chase with schnapps or tea. 2 PAPET VAUDOIS This mash of leek and potato stewed for hours is earthy, oniony and a perfect bed for fat sausage, unique to Vaud (saucisson Vaudois). It’s the region’s star dish, and its crimson sausage, loosely stuffed and plump, is a must. 3 RÖSTI VALAISANNE Thinly grated, pan-fried potatoes, or rösti, is one of Switzerland’s iconic dishes. Indulge in rösti Valaisanne – rösti topped with crispy bacon, fried egg and raclette, served with gherkins and pickled pearl onions. 4 RACLETTE Step into most Swiss hillside haunts, and the aroma of pungent melted raclette will…

BSME Awards 2024 Editor of the Year (Food and Drink) Keith Kendrick, Good Food PPA Awards 2024 Campaign of the Year: Good Food app takeover by Nadiya Hussain AOP Digital Publishing Awards 2023 Editorial Team of the Year: Consumer Good Food and olive AOP Digital Publishing Awards 2023 Best Online Brand: Consumer Good Food BSME Awards 2023 The Readly Award Good Food What’s Your Perfect Comfort Food? (October 2022) The Publisher Podcast Awards 2023 Best Food & Drink Podcast Good Food Podcast PPA Awards 2022 Media Brand of the Year (Consumer Media) Good Food PPA Awards 2022 Editor of the Year (Consumer Media) Lily Barclay goodfood.com and olivemagazine.com PPA Awards 2022 Writer of the Year Melissa Thompson, Good Food BSME Awards 2021 Editor of the Year, Food & Drink Lily…

Green chilli chicken pot pies Put a delicious twist on chicken pie inspired by Mexican green chicken chilli (or chilli verde) – it amps up the flavour while retaining the comfort factor. Make one big pie or smaller individual portions to suit your family set-up. This is lovely served with sweet potato mash and an extra scattering of chilli for those who love spice. SERVES 6 PREP 30 mins plus cooling COOK 1 hr 20 mins EASY ❄ 2 tbsp olive oil8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs1 large onion, finely chopped1 green pepper, finely chopped150g frozen sweetcorn50g butter1-2 fresh green jalapeños, deseeded and finely chopped6-8 pickled green jalapeño slices, chopped, plus 1 tbsp brine from the jar3 garlic cloves, crushed1 tsp smoked paprika½ tsp dried oregano1 tsp ground cumin2 tsp ground coriander25g…

Hot honey crispy chicken burgers with blue cheese slaw SERVES 4-6 PREP 20 mins COOK 15 mins EASY 50g plain flour2 eggs, beaten100g panko breadcrumbs1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for air-frying1 tsp garlic granules1 tsp onion granules600g mini chicken breast fillets2 tbsp hot honey For the slaw 100g hard blue cheese (such as stilton), crumbled2 tbsp white wine vinegar40g mayonnaise150g soured creamsmall handful of chives, finely chopped¼ small white cabbage, finely sliced2 celery sticks, finely sliced½ red onion, finely sliced1 small Granny Smith apple, finely chopped into matchsticks To serve 4-6 burger buns, toasted 1 First, make the slaw. Combine the blue cheese, vinegar, mayonnaise, soured cream and chives in a large bowl, and season to taste. Add the cabbage, celery, onion and apple, and toss well to coat.…

Red Quick cooking with no need for soaking, these have an earthy, almost meaty flavour. Use them where you want a thick purée-like texture. Green/brown hold their shape better than red when cooked and have an earthy flavour. Be careful not to overcook, otherwise they will turn mushy. Small green/speckled green Firm with a peppery taste, they work well cold in salads. They are sometimes known as French green lentils. Puy These small mottled greyish-green lentils can only be called Puy if they are grown in the Le Puy region of France as they are AOC-protected. Beluga Called beluga because of their resemblance to the caviar, these hold their shape well and have a nutty flavour and firm texutre. They look good in salads. Yellow/white Depending on the recipe, these…

Includes three free gifts plus free delivery! Good food deserves great wine – presenting the Good Food Wine Subscription. Your introductory 12-bottle case opens with Spain’s juicy Camino de Seda and Portugal’s gently spiced Vinha do Fava – classic reds to complement hearty roasts – and The Black Stump, a big Aussie red that stands up to steaks. There’s a fresh South African white that’s perfect with chicken risotto, plus seafoodfriendly Pinot Grigio and a French original to complement stir-fries. JUST £9.99 a bottle. PLUS, you get two Dartington glasses, a bottle of Prosecco and olive oil – together worth £37 – for FREE. You’ll then enjoy regular free deliveries, locked-in value and access to inspirational recipe ideas via our online hub, plus a bottle of olive oil with every…

My favourite dish is buttermilk roast chicken from my first book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (p104). When I have a birthday dinner with friends where we all cook for each other, I almost always ask for that chicken. I think because people think I’m always out eating incredible things, nobody ever just roasts me a chicken, but it’s so comforting. I had the idea for Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat when I was 19 and it came out when I was 37. That’s a very long time, but I always knew I was going to write this book. It’s been amazing watching people have their own relationship with the book. I can’t believe how many people say to me, ‘It changed the way I cook’, it’s a daily occurrence. Even Chez…

GOT CRAVINGS YET? I’ve made a lot of chocolate cakes: some good, some dry, some that collapsed in the centre (and were quickly rebranded as ‘sunken’). But, over the years, I’ve settled on this as my favourite. It’s not fancy, but it has a moist, fudgy crumb, rich ganache icing and light mascarpone cream filling. It’s the sort of cake I want to eat forkfuls of straight from the fridge before bed (it’s chilled due to the fresh cream and mascarpone – read on to find out more). Like many good things, it improves with age, over a couple of days, which is as long as cake tends to last in my house. Strike a balance Like all good recipes, this cake is about balance: the cocoa is dark and…

Keeping neighbours fed while cutting waste Mark Scott is the catering manager at Pendleside Hospice which feeds over 100 people around Burnley with hot meals made using food otherwise destined for landfill During the Covid-19 pandemic we were faced with the dilemma of whether to furlough our chefs, so we came up with the idea of a community meals service. We now provide the only hot meals-on wheels service in East Lancashire. Every meal is made fresh each day. From the oven, they’re specially packaged and delivered within an hour so it stays hot for customers to eat. The deliveries are made by a team of 53 volunteer drivers, 365 days of the year, covering a 20-mile radius around the Burnley area. We take on apprentices from the local college,…

Forget beige buffets and limited drinks menus, today’s all-inclusive resort is aimed at an ever-younger, travelsavvy crowd who demand boutique design and the comfort of knowing that all those craft cocktails have been factored into the headline price. Premium wines and chef-led tasting menus are now deemed a must-have for any self-respecting all-inclusive resort, while some partner with local restaurants to allow the culinarily curious to explore beyond the hotel compound. Andalusia, Spain The first foray for the Ikos brand outside Greece has raised the bar for Spanish all-inclusives, offering menus by Michelin-starred chefs, premium drinks and activities like paddle-boarding, yoga and golf. There’s massage for ‘deluxe’ guests in the spa, where you’ll find a lovely hammam, Anne Semonin treatments and an adults-only pool. There are five other pools, around…

• Read the recipe before starting. Basic storecupboard ingredients, like salt, aren’t included in the ingredients list. • Use standard measuring spoons for accuracy, especially for things like spices, yeast and salt. • Where possible, we use humanely reared and produced British meats, poultry and eggs, and sustainably sourced seafood. • To avoid waste, we suggest how to use any leftovers you may have from our recipes. • Eggs carrying the British Lion mark guarantee that all hens are vaccinated against salmonella. • We try to avoid using plastic. You’ll find instructions to wrap or cover, but we won’t specify what to use unless it is vital to the recipe. Helping you to eat well Our BANT-registered nutritionist analyses our recipes on a per-serving basis, not including optional serving suggestions.…

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Chicken balls in sweet & sour sauce This family-favourite takeaway is easy to recreate at home – pre-cook and freeze the meatballs if you like. SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins plus chilling COOK 15 mins EASY 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs4 garlic cloves, finely grated2 tbsp grated ginger2 spring onions, finely chopped pinch of ground white pepper50ml Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry1 tbsp dark soy sauce2 tbsp light soy sauce1 tbsp toasted sesame oil1 egg, beaten3 tbsp cornflour100ml rapeseed oil For the sweet & sour sauce 100ml cold vegetable stock50ml pineapple juice from a can (reserving some pineapple pieces)1-2 tbsp light soy sauce1 tbsp ketchup2 tbsp clear rice vinegar2 tbsp golden syrup1 tbsp cornflour1 garlic clove, finely chopped2.5cm piece of ginger, finely grated1 red onion, sliced into half-moons1 red…

The colder months of the year can feel draining for many. With shorter days and less sunlight, many people experience dips in energy and mood, sometimes linked to Seasonal Affective disorder (SAD). While light exposure, activity and sleep are key for managing mood, what we eat also plays an important role in supporting brain health and emotional wellbeing. Certain nutrients are linked to serotonin production, stable energy and reduced inflammation – all of which can help lift our mood. So, let’s discuss how we can add the right foods to our plates to ensure both good food and good mood. Eat more of these foods • Wholegrains/complex carbohydrates Wholegrains like oats, brown rice and barley, along with starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, provide a slow, steady release of energy…

I look forward to going to Ikea as much for the Swedish meatballs and cinnamon buns as I do for the photo frames and cushions – and don’t even get me started on the Daim bar (Sweden’s favourite chocolate bar) almond cake. I’ve tried many recipes to recreate these meatballs and have even tried supermarket Swedish meatballs, but I’ve never found any that come close to the real thing – until now. This is thanks to a new cookbook by Brontë Aurell, owner of Swedish café ScandiKitchen in London, where she recreates childhood food memories for fellow Swedish ex-pats. Brontë says, “I’ve spent decades writing down recipes on paper napkins in my café for second- and third-generation Scandinavians, helping them search for long-lost tastes and recipes and evoking remote childhood…

For chocolate lovers MORRISONS CHUNK BELGIAN CHOCOLATE WITH PRETZELS, CARAMEL & NOUGAT This is our favourite flavour from Morrisons’ new range of chunky chocolate bars. Pretzel bits give a salty edge. £2.50, Morrisons For a vibrant base MERCHANT GOURMET WITH SABRINA GHAYOUR PERSIAN STYLE RICE AND LENTILS Queen of big flavours Sabrina Ghayour has created easy-to-use spiced grain and rice pouches to lift dishes in minutes. This one has warming notes of cumin and cinnamon and is studded with sultanas. £2.50/250g, Waitrose and Sainsburys For a gut health boost JAMU SODAS RASPBERRY & HIBISCUS If you like a shrub, try this. Apple cider vinegar gives this fruity, naturally gut-friendly soda a pleasant tangy finish. £29.99 for 12 cans, wearejamu.co.uk For a warming curry AAGRAH BUTTER CHICKEN COOKING TARKA PASTE Use…