Council is committed to improving the nutritional quality of the food they provide at all their venues and in December 2009 a Healthy Eating Policy was introduced. This policy aims to raise awareness and promote the benefits of healthy eating while improving the availability of healthier food choices for staff, visitors and users of all Council facilities.

As part of the Council’s Healthy Eating Policy a ‘Healthier Catering Resource Pack’ was developed which offers delicious recipes for healthy meals including main courses, soups, salads, snacks and desserts – including a number of mouth watering dishes created by Jenny.

This resource pack is now used by all catering staff to ensure that Council facilities always offer healthy options to their staff and visitors alike.

The official launch of this resource pack took place recently at Lough Neagh Discovery Centre with the Mayor of Craigavon, Councillor Alan Carson along with Dr Theresa Donaldson, Chief Executive of Craigavon Borough Council and Jenny Bristow.

“Food is an integral part of our everyday lives and never has the message of ‘healthy eating’ been so prominent”, commented the Mayor of Craigavon at the launch.

“The amount and types of food we consume plays a major role in determining our overall health and well being which is why it is vitally important that this Council ensures that it offers a wide range of tasty but healthy food options at our facilities. Our staff and of course our visitors are entitled to be offered a wide range of wholesome and nutritious choices that will have a positive impact on their health.”

Perfect for the winter months when line drying is often impossible, Neff’s new free standing range is packed full of innovative features, including CircoCare, allowing you to take greater care of your clothes than ever before.

Special features include a Sensitive Wash which reduces exposure to allergens that cause skin irritations and highly efficient AirCondensation drying technology. Loading and unloading is easier too as the door size is a generous 32cm.

To enter simply go to Jenny’s competition page and fill in your details. Entries close at midnight GMT on the 29th February 2012.

Good luck!

Didn’t get the chance to be there? Don’t worry, Fairhill’s Christmas Market is back again on the 15th-17th December! You can check out some photos on the Fairhill website for a taste of what to expect.

Ingredients

450g/1lb Neills Scone Mix
2tsp baking powder
12½g/½oz caster sugar
250ml/½pt milk – full cream or low fat or buttermilk
50g/2oz softened butter or polyunsaturated fat

4oz sultanas
2 oz. Softened butter
25g/1oz soft brown sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon powder
1 dsp. Maple syrup

Method

Grease well a round 18-20cm/7-8 inch tin and dust lightly with caster sugar. Sieve the Neill’s Scone Mix into a large bowl and add the baking powder. Add the sugar and milk and mix to a firm dough. Turn out onto a floured surface, knead lightly and roll out to a rectangular shape approximately 30x23cm/12×9 inches and ½ inch thick.

Filling

Make the filling by heating the sultanas, sugar, butter, cinnamon, maple syrup spread on top of the rolled dough.

Brush around the edges of the dough with cold water – this will help seal the edges – and roll the dough up loosely into a log shape, making sure it is even and well-shaped. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 7 slices and arrange flat in the tin with one in the centre.

Bake in the hot roasting oven @ aprox. 200°C middle shelf for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden. Remove from the tin and leave to cool. The scones will retain their individual roly-poly shape and can be separated easily.

Ingredients

225g/8oz Neills plain flour
680g/11/2lb sultanas
450g/1lb glacé cherries – red, green and yellow
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
225g/8oz butter
225g/8oz soft brown sugar
4 eggs – size 2
Rind of 1/2 lemon
30g/1oz sliced whole almonds
55g/2oz ground almonds
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon
A little milk

Method

Clean the sultanas by washing and drying well. Wash and chop the cherries in half and dry well.

Toss the cherries in one third of the flour to be used in the recipe.

Cream the butter and soft brown sugar until light and fluffy, then alternately add the lightly beaten eggs, flour and almonds, in three additions. (Always sieve the flour before adding).

Add the lemon rind and mixed spice and finally the sultanas and cherries, use a little milk to adjust the consistency.

Transfer to a well lined 230mm (9inch) cake tin and bake at 180°C/350°F or Gas Mark 4 for a 1/2 hour.

Reduce to 150°C/300°F or Gas Mark 2 until cooked (approximately 1-11/2 hours).

The event took place at the Oxfam Botanic Shop at Botanic Avenue in Belfast on Tuesday 8th November 2011, and the picture shows Jenny and Brian with busy bee Connie Hamilton celebrating the launch of the Oxfam Unwrapped Christmas gift catalogue.

Speaking at the launch Brian Kennedy said, “Oxfam Unwrapped gifts are fantastic Christmas presents. Every single gift is tailor-made to empower people and improve lives. They really are some of the best gifts you could give this year.”

As well as Jenny’s delicious cooking there will be live musical accompaniment by Steven McBride and fantastic raffle prizes to be won.

Tickets cost £10 and are available from Raymond McBride on 078 3372 8480 and the event starts at 7.30pm.

Jenny who has written numerous books, made several TV series, and is regarded as the unsurpassed culinary Queen of Cooking will be creating a feast of divine Hallowe’en delights in everyone’s favourite shopping centre, which itself will have undergone a spooky transformation in preparation for next weekends Halloween fun.

Jenny told us: “I am thrilled to be coming to Ards Shopping Centre this weekend. My food fest demonstration will give the centre’s shoppers some wicked food ideas for the Hallowe’en season. These include Broomstick Kebabs, Pumkin Pie, Sizzling Sausage casserole and Maple Chicken Wings all made from fresh produce capturing the best of the season. My ingredients will come from Asda, McGees Butchers, Iceland and Shaw’s Home Bakery at the centre. To really add a touch of class, my creations will be served on beautiful Belleek dinnerware from the centre’s Belleek store. During the shows, I’ll be inviting the audience to sample the dishes and a few lucky spectators can take the finished items home!

The plan is to offer something relevant to everyone, whether you’re entertaining the family this autumn, having a children’s get-to-gether or making something sensational to take to a party.” Members of the audiences will be selected at random to win fantastic prizes including: Jenny Bristow cook books, Asda gift cards, a fabulous food hamper and Ards Shopping Centre vouchers. Jenny also needs Junior Chef apprentices to assist her on Saturday, so bring the kids along for a taste of something special!

Jenny’s Hallowe’en Food Fest demonstrations at her specially constructed kitchen on the mall adjacent to the River Island store are on Friday 21st at 12 noon & 2pm and Saturday
22nd at 12.30, 2 and 3.30pm.

Check back soon for more exciting competition offers.

Entry to the competition closed on the 30th September and the winner will be announced on our website on Friday 7th October. So please check back soon to see if you are the lucky winner of this fantastic competition.