Most of us now know that we should be aiming to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day but how many of us know that we should also be aiming to eat at least three servings of wholegrain a day to keep us healthy too? Not many it would seem as 95% of adults fail to reach three servings a day, most of us don’t even eat that in a week and almost a third of us don’t eat any at all!

This is, frankly, silly! Wholegrains are delicious, one portion really isn’t very big and it doesn’t take much to pop them in to your every day diet. You’ve had one of your three a day if you have a piece of wholemeal toast for breakfast and, if you have preceded that with a bowl of wholegrain cereal or warming porridge, you’re already nearly done!

I’m going to tempt you in with some delicious food ideas and then zap you with the health benefits facts!

Fattoush

There, that doesn’t look so hard does it? This is a traditional Lebanese salad  which couldn’t be easier to prepare and which makes a delicious, healthy lunch. Hiding at the back of my photograph is a toasted wholemeal pitta ready to be torn into pieces to finish off my dish. Sumac is the spice usually used here and it adds a delicious fragrant lemony zing, if you can’t get hold of sumac cumin makes a good alternative.

Serves 4

2 wholemeal pitta breads

4 tbsps rapeseed oil (one of the healthiest oils you can buy due to its balance of fatty acids and it is grown everywhere in the UK!)

3 ripe but firm tomatoes

½ cucumber

1 green pepper

1 small red onion

2 little gem lettuce

handful of fresh mint leaves

1 small garlic clove

1 – 2 tsp ground sumac (or cumin)

1 lemon

100g feta

Method

• Split open the pitta and brush the insides with a little rapeseed oil. Grill until crisp and lightly browned
• Dice the tomatoes, cucumber and green pepper
• Slice the red onion and roughly tear the lettuce and mint
• Transfer all the salad ingredients to a serving platter or bowl
• Crush the garlic clove, mix with the sumac and enough rapeseed oil and lemon juice to make a lovely balanced dressing (taste it to check!)
• Crumble the pitta and feta over the salad and drizzle with the garlic and sumac dressing.

Popcorn

Yes, popcorn is good for you! Popcorn is a wholegrain and when home popped and spiced up with your own favourite blends it makes a fantastic, healthy snack! As you can see from the photo we all got to flavour our own and then to share it around. Delicious!

Spiced Popcorn to serve 4

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

100g popping corn

spices for flavouring

salt

Method

• Pour the oil into a large saucepan and heat for a minute or two. Add the corn, cover with a tight-fitting lid and listen for the sound of popping (I have a glass lid for this which means my children can watch the magic happening as the corn pops!)
• Shake the pan from time to time to stop the corn sticking and remove from the heat once the popping subsides
• Add your choice of spices and a little salt, toss together and serve warm

I chose chilli, brown sugar, a little salt and a drizzle of maple syrup for my blend and was very reluctant to share it with anyone else! Look out for ready blended spices like Garam Masala or Thai 5  spice or raid the store cupboard and make your own.

You could try:

• chopped chives and finely grated Gruyere
• smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and salt
• oregano and finely grated parmesan
• cinnamon and caster sugar

The Health Benefits

Wholegrains contain fibre which can help maintain a healthy digestive system

A growing body of evidence suggests that diets rich in wholegrain foods can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes

Emerging evidence suggests that wholegrain intake may contribute to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. They release energy slowly, helping you to feel fuller for longer.

Different wholegrains have additional benefits. Oats and hulled barley, for example, contain beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that actively reduces cholesterol which may lower the risk of heart disease

For more on the health benefits of wholegrains, for information to help you identify what a wholegrain is when you are shopping and for more recipe ideas visit -

• Whole Grain Goodness
• All About Oats
• HGCA

Making it Simple

Just switching to wholemeal flour when you are baking (you can do half and half white flour and wholemeal) can make an instant difference to your wholegrain intake

Many thanks to HGCA for organising the day and for inviting FabFood along. It was one of the nicest blogger events I have attended with nothing being sold to us except a desire to encourage people to eat more healthily! I enjoyed it so much that FabFood is going to have a regular ‘Cooking with Wholegrains’ spot every other Wednesday!

Do you have a favourite wholegrain recipe or a top tip for popping wholegrains into our daily diet?

Combining three traditionally festive flavours, Stilton and Walnut Pate with Port is a vegetarian pate which packs a real punch. I make it every year in quantity and pack some of it into small ramekins to give as prettily packaged gifts or as part of a larger hamper.

I served this with Sakata rice crackers which we were sent to review and very nice they were too! Crispy but not brittle and not over salted they complimented the pate very well indeed. Made in Australia and now available in the UK in four flavours (two of which are suitable for veggies), they are gluten-free and low in saturated fat. One of my dinner guests who is a bit of a cracker connoisseur gave them a big thumbs up, everyone else was too busy chomping on them to speak!

Image from Sakata

Nestling on a bed of wild rocket leaves and a spoonful of boozy beetroot marmalade it is a crowd pleaser and very simple to make. I originally found the recipe in Food for Friends’ Entertaining with Friends and have fiddled with it and adapted it as is my wont!

Serves 4

Ingredients

50g Butter

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 small red onion, diced

1/2 – 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped finely (if you like it fiery leave some seeds in)

1 small green pepper, diced

50g chestnut mushrooms, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

50g walnuts, pan roasted and ground

4 tablespoons port

40g breadcrumbs

75g Stilton, crumbled

50g cottage cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Melt the butter and oil in a deep frying pan, add the onion, green pepper and mushrooms until the onions and mushrooms have softened but not browned
• Add the garlic and chilli and cook for one minute without burning the garlic
• Stir in the walnuts and cook for another minute
• Add the port and sizzle until it is reduced by half
• Stir in the breadcrumbs, cook for another minute, remove from the heat and allow to cool
• Meanwhile beat the stilton and cottage cheese together using a handwhisk or blender (I use the small bowl on my magi mix which makes quick work of it)
• Fold into the walnut mixture thoroughly, add salt and pepper to taste
• Put two thirds of the mixture back into the blender and blend until smooth-ish
• Add to the unwhizzed bit and stir together thoroughly
• Pour into individual ramekins and decorate with melted butter, cranberries and bay leaves
• Chill (This freezes well so you can  make it well in advance and then defrost the night before you need it)

Boozy beetroot marmalade is also a quick one to make and makes a lovely side dish for Christmas or, as here, a nice bed for a rich pate to rest upon!

If you have whole beetroot, pop them unpeeled into a roasting dish, cover with foil and roast at 190°C for 2-3 hours until tender. Leave to cool and then remove the skins, they will slip off easily! If you haven’t got fresh beetroot buy whole vacuum packed beetroot (usually to be found in the veg section at the supermarket) do NOT use pickled beetroot!

Ingredients

a splash of vegetable oil

4 small cooked beetroot chopped into small chunks

1 small red onion, diced

2 pieces of stem ginger, diced

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

A 5cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

200ml port

1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar

Method

• Gently fry the onion in a little vegetable oil until lightly browned
• Add the garlic and gingers and fry gently for a further minute
• Add the beetroot and port and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened to a glossy deliciousness

Serve. I think beetroot is a perfect dish at Christmas, if you chop one in half it looks very much like a bauble! (As does the red onion behind it!)

The new look destination welcomes three new restaurants; the stylish Browns Bar and Brasserie, Thai banquet style Chaobaby and locally-run handmade burger Co. They join the five existing restaurants in the St Martin’s Square area which include Jamie’s Italian promising rich pickings for the discerning foodie. While you are there you can satisfy your cultural as well as your gastronomic soul as part of the new scheme has seen the unveiling of a public art commission, ‘Timbre, created by Wolfgang Buttress using reclaimed copper from the relocated Spiral Cafe. There is also a new green wall feature and water installation which contains poetry co – written by two local artists.

The new dining quarter will open late into the evening allowing visitors to dine after the shops have closed and to enjoy the atmosphere at the city’s new dining and socialising hotspot!

Normally open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, opening hours have been extended for Christmas so pop on down, soak up the atmosphere and load up your larder!

Have you got a favourite market you love to visit at Christmas? Is there one we absolutely have to get to?

This is a fabulous soup. It is delicious, cheap and easy to make, freezes well and can be dressed up for a glamorous occasion. It is low-fat  (if you omit the cheese) and packs a protein and vitamin punch. It is perfect for a quick supper in the run up to Christmas and, if you indulge it with a little Stilton, it has a festive flavour!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

l large onion, peeled and chopped

225g broccoli, trimmed and chopped

½ tbsp cumin seeds

3 tbsps red lentils

900 ml vegetable stock made with 2 tsps Marigold Bouillon

salt and pepper to taste

Stilton or Cheddar or Parmesan to serve

Method

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, broccoli and cumin seeds and cook until starting to soften
• Add the lentils and stock and stir
• Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft
• Cool slightly then puree with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth.
• Reheat gently
• Season to taste

Serve with your choice of cheese crumbled on top and chunks of crusty bread. Or pop an attractive piece of parsley on top as I did for this photo and stick your tongue firmly inside your cheek!

This recipe has been adapted and fiddled with but originally stems from one of my absolute favourite cook books The Good Housekeeping Complete Book of Vegetarian Cookery.

Here’s a delicious idea for the vegetarian centre piece on the big day; a richly flavoured pâté, wrapped in crisp filo, it is delicious served with all the traditional trimmings. I make a lighter sherry gravy as a rich red wine or port sauce can drown the flavours. (Recipes for all three will be up next week as we get all sassy and saucy!)

Ingredients (serves 4)

500g mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 red onion, roughly chopped

2 – 3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp tamari soy sauce

ground black pepper, to taste

2tsp mushroom ketchup

2 generous tsp sun dried tomato pesto

100g ground almonds

2 handfuls of flaked almonds

1 pack of JusRol filo pastry (I use Jusrol fresh filo sheets because they are the best I have found!)

100 – 200g melted butter

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6
• Fry the onions and mushrooms in a little oil until the mushrooms begin to release their juices
• Add the garlic and fry gently for one minute without browning
• Remove from heat and stir in the soy, mushroom ketchup and pesto
• Return to high heat for one minute and reduce the liquid until it has almost disappeared
• Turn off heat and stir in the ground almonds and black pepper
• Stir the flaked almonds in gently and put the pâté to one side

• Lay a filo sheet on a baking tray and brush lightly all over with melted butter, top with another sheet and repeat, then repeat again
• Spoon the pâté onto the filo sheets and pat into a loaf shape

• Top the pâté with a further 3 sheets of buttered filo, brush the top with butter and seal

• Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until brown and crisp, serve.

If you want to freeze this in advance and whip it out to wild applause on Christmas day allow it too cool completely and then open freeze it on the baking tray before baking. Once it is frozen you can wrap it in greaseproof paper/foil/cling wrap. Defrost it overnight on Christmas Eve and then bake it when you are ready!

I am sharing this post with our sister blog Thinly Spread. Every Friday is Festive Friday between now and Christmas, do pop over to check out the other entries and add one of your own! Click on the bauble below to be whisked magically away!

We created these muffins for adults but, unfortunately, children seem to like them too. They are deeply chocolatey and are delicious with or without their topping. They go particularly well with a strong cup of coffee or a glass of oaky red wine.

Ingredients (makes 12)

Muffin Mix

250g (8oz) self-raising Flour

60g (2oz) good cocoa powder

160g (5oz) light brown sugar

100g (4oz) dark chocolate chunks

2 eggs

250ml (1 cup) buttermilk

160ml (²/3 cup) vegetable oil

Butter Icing

250g (8oz) softened unsalted butter

250g (80z) icing sugar

50g (2oz) cocoa powder

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6
• Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases
• Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl

• Stir in the sugar and chocolate chunks
• Combine the eggs, buttermilk and oil together and then pour into the dry mixture
• Combine together but don’t over mix, it should be lumpy!
• Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake for about 20 minutes
• Stand the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack
• Meanwhile whisk the butter until it is creamy
• Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together
• Add half the icing/cocoa mix to the butter at a time mixing well to combine (use the back of your spoon to press it all together and cream it.
• Add enough milk to make a good buttercream (add a little at a time, a little goes a long way with icing!)
• Spoon into a piping bag and pipe swirls from the centre outwards onto your cooled muffins
• Decorate as extravagantly as you wish!

Ingredients

300g caster sugar

4 tbsps Golden Syrup

A pinch of cream of tartar

1 tsp white wine vinegar

5 tbsps cold water

1½ tsps bicarbonate of soda

Spicy, fragrant, aromatic, zesty, crunchy.  Every meal in Vietnam is accompanied by a jug of herbs and a plate of chilies, limes and beansprouts, for you to add to taste.  The ingredients Vietnamese cooks have to work with are often simple and repetitive, rice, rice noodles, morning glory gathered from the riverbank, cucumbers, squash.  But Vietnamese meals are never boring.

Breakfast is a steaming bowl of broth with rice noodles, eaten perched on a rickety stool in the heart of the noisy, smelly, local market.  If the intensely sweet caffeine punch of the iced coffee made with condensed milk doesn’t wake you up, the tiny red chilies in your soup will.

Lunch might be a herb omelette, cooked on a gas stove in the street, as thousands of motorcyclists weave their way around you.  The omelette is always served in a crunchy baguette so you can eat and walk.  The French may have left Vietnam over fifty years ago, but you can still buy a baguette on every street corner.

Fistfuls of mint, coriander, shiso and basil are added to everything, from the famous crispy, deep fried, spring rolls, always served wrapped in a lettuce leaf with herbs, to the Ban Xeo, which can best be described as a giant crunchy omlettey pancake, which is wrapped around beansprouts, peanuts and herbs then dipped in an addictive sauce made with chilies, garlic sugar and rice vinegar.  The sauce is so good that it can make lettuce palatable to children.

Every household in Vietnam has a herb garden, from the large allotment-like plots we saw on the islands of the Mekong Delta, to the flower pots sharing pavement space with cockerels in the narrow lanes of Saigon.  People in Vietnam remember a time when food was extremely scarce and self-sufficiency is important.  Many of the things grown are unknown outside of Vietnam, with at least three completely different types of coriander, including one that looks a little like dandelion leaves.  The seed section in the garden centre is a bewildering treasure trove.

Vietnamese food is light, healthy and delicious.  Next year I’m going to grow more herbs.

Herbs can transform a simple dish from bland to an outstanding taste sensation. They are worth growing in quantity if you can so you can be generous in summer and freeze for some winter pizzazz!  Watch out for our mini series coming soon for some fantastic ideas.

All photographs in this piece are ©vwallop