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Well with the new year well in swing, and the days becoming brighter, I am already starting to get excited about the whole new season of ingredients to play with in the kitchen. I love really light and bright salads and getting back into the garden means being flooded with lots of fresh and tasty veg to make my way through!

There are so many options when it comes to salads, and you can make them as healthy or different as you want. For me it just depends what sort of mood I'm in, but when I'm in a really healthy buzz, I absolutely love using as many fantastic healthy ingredients I can get my hands on.

I don't know if you have come across a brilliant little food company called Good4U foods in the supermarket, but they produce a load of really healthy ingredients that are so easy to incorporate into salads. I originally thought the company was UK based because of their web address, but last year I got an email from the lovely Laura Butler who started the company with her mum Bernie in Limerick. I was thrilled to hear they were Irish based which gives me even more reason to rave about them. Their full range of products include, alfalfa shoots, brocco shoots, sunflower shoots, and a whole host of seeds which are all perfect for sprinkling over salads! Stay tuned to the blog this week as I have a fab competition coming up from the Good4U folks!

Rocket Power Chicken Superfood Salad
As the winter months are thankfully coming to end, I am already starting to look towards more fresh and healthy dishes. Thankfully the days are becoming longer and brighter, now don't get me wrong, I'm all about comfort food, but as we start to look towards the spring nothing beats a really fresh and zingy salad. This Rocket Power Chicken Superfood Salad ticks all the boxes for me, it's perfect for a healthy lunch box, just save the dressing until the last minute. I absolutely love Brocco shoots and Lentil and Bean Shoots from Irish owned health food company Good4U, and they can be found in most supermarkets, perfect for boosting healthy salads! The Good4U range has a whole host of healthy ingredients which include, alfalfa shoots,

Serves 2
100g bulgar wheat
170ml boiling water
A drizzle of olive oil
2 chicken breasts
A little black pepper
25g brocco shoots
60g lentil and bean shoots
150g soy beans
30g spinach leaves
30g rocket leaves

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of English dried mustard
A good pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Place the bulgar wheat in a bowl with the boiling water and cover with cling film. The bulgar wheat will cook in the water while you can get on with the rest of the salad.
Season the chicken breasts with a little black pepper, brush a griddle pan with a little olive oil and cook over a medium high heat for 4-5 minutes either side or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and slice thinly.
While the chicken is cooking, cook the soy beans according to the packet, drain and rinse in cold water, set aside.
Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl.
In a large bowl toss the spinach, rocket, brocco shoots, lentil and bean shoots and soy beans with the dressing.
Assemble the salad with a layer of bulgar wheat on each plate, top with the salad leaves and shoots and finally place the chicken slices on top and serve!

I have a huge respect for the way people in Sweden view food. There is a major emphasis on eating well from a young age and also making the time to eat. While I worked as a chef in Gothenberg one of things that I was always impressed with was how, when lunch time rolled around, everything stopped and everybody working, from the kitchen porter to the restaurant manager, sat to eat a meal cooked by the head chef. The meals we ate were not just sloppy seconds, they were well thought out, healthy and delicious.

I've seen a similar emphasis on eating well being set in Swedish schools also, with fresh and healthy meals being produced for kids on a daily basis. When I went to school we were constantly served processed food with very few healthy options. I am aware that in Ireland many schemes have been introduced to teach kids about healthy options but it still does not seem to have a deep impact. In a world where we have more knowledge about food and it effects on the body than ever before, from what I can see our younger generations aren't easily provided with healthy wholesome meals as standard. It can't be hard to achieve and with with some simple planning this sort of eating can easily become common place. What do you think? How do schools in other countries approach healthy eating?

Swedish Cabbage Salad
In Sweden it is quite common for restaurants to provide diners with a salad buffet table to accompany any main meals ordered. This tangy salad is quite common and is one of my favourite Swedish side dishes.

Makes about 6-8 portions.
500g of Dutch Cabbage (About half a head of cabbage).
100ml of rapeseed oil.
4 tablespoons of malt vinegar.
1 tablespoon of sea salt.
3 tablespoons of ground black pepper.

Prepare the cabbage by slicing into thin pieces and add to a large mixing bowl. Add the rapeseed oil, vinegar, sea salt and ground pepper. Mix the cabbage until all the ingredients are combined. Taste a piece of cabbage, you may want to add another spoonful of vinegar or perhaps a little more black pepper. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge. It's best to leave the salad for at least an hour or two or even over night. Serve cool as a tasty, healthy side dish.

I recently watched "Food Inc." a movie with a tagline which promises "You'll never look at dinner the same way again" and let me just say it does not disappoint. If you have seen other sensationalist style movies about food before, don't be put off, "Food Inc." is very different, not only does it reveal the shocking way in which food is produced and its links with causing life threatening illnesses, it also provides viewers with a look at the alternative lifestyle. A visit to a free range organic farm shows the stark contrast between the production values of food. One of the best points made in the movie is that we, the consumer can change the way food is produced by demanding honest healthy food when we shop. The big companies will respond to consumers needs.

Here are some of the closing lines from the movie which really drive home the changes that you can easily make:
- You can vote to change this system, three times a day.
- Buy from companies that treat workers, animals, and the environment with respect.
- When you go to the supermarket, choose foods that are in season. Buy foods that are organic. Know what's in your food. Read labels.
- Know what you buy. The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to the supermarket.
- Buy foods that are grown locally.
- Shop at farmers' markets.
- Plant a garden. (Even a small one)
- Cook a meal with your family and eat together.
- Everyone has a right to healthy food.
- Ask your school board to provide healthy school lunches.
- If you say grace, ask for food that will keep us, and the planet healthy.
- You can change the world with every bite.

Hungry for change? Go to: takepart.com/foodinc

About the Blog
The Good Mood Food Blog started in 2007 after I moved in to my first apartment. I've always had an interest in photography so when I bought my lovely camera, I thought it was finally time to start documenting some dishes I was cooking and with that the blog was born! Most of the recipes on the blog try to include as many healthy ingredients as possible. I'm a big believer in the power of food and it's affects on our lives. I hope you enjoy the recipes and the bit of banter that goes with them.

About Me
Hey I'm Donal I come from Dublin. I grew up in family obsessed with food and drink which made it pretty hard not to have an interest. I love trying out new recipe's, adapting old ones, and tasting new things. I also have a serious addiction to cookbooks! But there's nothing wrong with that, right?


About the Book

I have recently finished writing my first cook book which is due for release Oct 09' with Mercier Press. The book is called "Good Mood Food" and is full of healthy home cooking.

Good Mood Food is a cookbook that aims to change your attitude to food, offering a delicious range of simple, healthy home-cooked recipes. Good Mood Food features mouth-watering recipes like Broad Bean, Pancetta and Pea Shoot Salad, Cookies and Cream Chocolate Chip Oreo Cupcakes, Blueberry and Banana Muffins, and a tasty Aromatic Duck Salad.

"Good Mood Food is a new breed of cookbook that springs from the talent of a passionate home cook. A truly scrumptious read."
Ross Golden-Bannon
The Sunday Business Post and Food & Wine Magazine.

“At last... Simple, easy recipes that are healthy and interesting. Donal Skehan's book reclaims good food from the convenience of supermarket shelves and puts it back where it belongs - in the domestic kitchen.”
Paolo Tullio
The Resturant

Buy Book via Mercier Press
Buy Book via Easons
Buy Book via Amazon
Buy Book via Play.com

About the Photos
All the photo's featured on the blog are taken with my handy dandy Canon 400D camera which has seen me through the last few years. The food is all home cooked and barely tweaked before being shot.

Press for the blog and book
Irish Independent Weekend Magazine "My First"- Richie Taylor
Irish Independent "The Guilty Gourmets"- Declan Cashin
Irish Tatler "Food For Thought"- Ciara McDonnell

Sunday Independent "Why You Should Know About Donal Skehan"- Julia Molony

Who else is ready for the lighter foods season to start? I love Christmas and all the festive food that comes with it but after all the leftovers are eaten I am more than ready to start eating healthy dishes again. As January rolls in the focus will quickly change to healthy dishes to help all those with optimistic New Years resolutions and I can't wait!

There is nothing more exciting for me than the feeling of starting something new! So as you can imagine I am already looking forward to 2010 and the start of a brand new decade. Now everyone has new years resolutions but sometimes its easier, if even a bit scary to look at the big picture and start thinking what the next 10 years might bring! I'm still having a think about where I want to be in 2020, but one of the big things on my list is to keep eating healthy food and exercising so I'm ready for the next ten years! So come on new decade we're READY FOR YA!

Avocado, Parmesan and Rocket Pasta

As I may or may not have mentioned I am addicted to avocados! They are packed with healthy nutrients and vitamins so all the more reason to eat them. I have been coming up with different recipes just to stick them in to my diet and this is one of my favourites. Look for avocados which are slightly soft to the touch when you press them with your fingers. The only thing to remember about avocados is that, unless you give them a spritz of lemon juice they tend not to like sitting around, so always prepare them last.

Serves 4
250g of wholemeal pasta
70g of rocket leaves, roughly chopped
2 avocados
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
A good handful of grated Parmesan cheese
A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according the instructions on the pack.
While the pasta is cooking, add the rocket, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and set aside.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and then add it to the bowl.
Pour in the vinegar and olive oil and stir the pasta until it is nicely coated. You should end up with stringy cheesy green pasta- YUM!
Slice the avocados in half and remove the stones, slice thinly and add to the pasta.
Serve straight away and devour!

September is always one of those months like January where the slate is wiped clean and it's time to start all over again. The kids are back at school and students back to college, and professional nomads like myself are back to reality! Between all our moving around over the summer months, things were a little chaotic especially when it came to food. Normal routine went out the window, replaced by irregular eating times and extra helpings of desserts - a good dollop of cream with everything. You could definitely say I indulged over the last few months and unfortunately, I'm not exactly feeling the better of it!

Since we arrived back in Ireland however, things are back on track, the kitchen is stocked with fruit and veggies and all my essential storecupboard ingredients have been replenished. As amazing as it is to travel, there really is nothing like being back home in your own kitchen.

With the winter months fast approaching, the inclination to stay inside and out of the cold becomes all the more tempting, so instead of dodging the weather and waiting until the New Year, I'm heading outdoors and getting active! All this new healthy living will take it's toll, mind you, so luckily I have a few healthy, filling recipes up my sleeve to stave off starvation and make sure I'm getting all the good stuff. This recipe comes from my book Good Mood Food: Simple, Healthy, Homecooking, it's the perfect little pick me up for those cold winter days - packed with nutrients from start to finish and full of flavour!

Boot Camp Soup
This a surprisingly tasty soup, which is wonderfully cleansing. Used originally as part of a weight-loss diet, I make it regularly as a really substantial lunch. This recipe makes a generous amount – I freeze half the soup and keep the rest in the fridge.

Serves 8
3 onions, chopped into chunks
2 green peppers, chopped into chunks
1 bunch of celery, chopped into chunks
1 iceberg lettuce, chopped into chunks
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
800ml/1½ pints vegetable stock
300g/10½oz lentils or soup mix
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Add all the ingredients to a large pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat
and simmer for 20–30 minutes until the lentils are soft.
Blend the soup to a smooth consistency with a hand blender; you may
need to add a little extra stock if the soup is too thick. Season with salt and
pepper, and serve.

If you haven't heard of Sally Bee before, and I hadn't up until recently, Sally is a mother of three who at the age of 36, despite a healthy lifestyle, suffered 3 major heart attacks in the space of one week. I'm not even going to go into the amazing story of her recovery, you really just have to read it. "The Secret Ingredient" is a collection of super healthy recipes which don't go over the top and features meals which are perfect for family home cooking.

I recently got the opportunity to meet the lovely Sally Bee, and despite our extremely brief encounter she comes across as an extremely vibrant and fun individual and when I remarked on her incredible story, joked and feigned heart pains! This is one of the fantastic recipes from her book, "The Secret Ingredient" which is out on Thursday 21st of January and can be ordered online via Amazon.

Prawn, Avocado and Pecan Herb Salad

You know, salads don't have to be boring. This dish is full of flavour! You can serve it as a main meal or smaller portions for a healthy starter. If you don't like prawns, you can substitute with chicken; anything goes, really. Be adventurous with your salads and make this a regular, everyday dish. Prawns give great texture and flavour to this recipe, but they do contain cholesterol,so I have allowed only four prawns per serving. If you want to make it more substantial, you can add extra protein: such as tuna, chicken or turkey.

Serves 2
Drizzle of olive oil
2 salad onions or spring onions (scallions),peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove,peeled and crushed
1 tbsp soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
8 uncooked king prawns (jumbo shrimp)
Mixed salad leaves
Watercress
1 ripe avocado
2 tomatoes, sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful of fresh basil, torn
Handful of shelled pecan nuts

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
Add the chopped salad onions, crushed garlic, soy sauce, black pepper and raw prawns.
Sauté until the prawns have turned pink all the way through.
Arrange the salad leaves, watercress, avocado and tomatoes in a big dish, then pour over the prawns and other cooked ingredients.
Squeeze over the lemon juice, sprinkle with torn basil and pecan nuts and serve.

Follow Sally Bee on Twitter over here.

Chinese New Year falls on Valentines day this year, so it’s the perfect excuse to whip up some tasty Chinese dishes for your loved one to celebrate and I’m not talking about calling the local takeaway! But Chinese cuisine has so much more to offer than what’s on the local takeaway menu, it's packed with delicious sauces, aromatic spices, and unusual textures. If you haven’t tried cooking any Chinese dishes, I have put together some fairly easy ones which I'll be posting all week to celebrate Chinese New Year! They don’t take too much time and leave you with some incredibly tasty results.

Healthy Singapore Noodles
Singapore noodles are a standard Chinese restaurant dish, but making them at home is so easy and it also means you can monitor what’s going in to them, adding whatever healthy vegetables you feel like. The addition of curry powder to this dish not only brings a new flavour to it, but it coats the noodles and gives a great texture to every bite.

Serves 2
3 cloves of garlic, minced
A thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
100g of rice vermicelli noodles
2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
1 carrot, finely sliced
4 spring onions
1 tablespoon of Asian curry powder
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
A good handful of bean sprouts

Marinate the chicken with the garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and oyster sauce. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Soak the noodles in a bowl of boiling water for 6 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.
Heat a wok over a high heat and add the oil to coat. Add the chicken and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add the celery, carrot and spring onion, and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the curry powder and toss through for another 2 minutes.
Add the noodles and bean sprouts and a drop of sesame oil to taste. Toss everything together using kitchen tongs until it’s combined.
Serve straight away.

All this week I will be out and about promoting the book, and this morning I am on Limerick's Live95FM. They asked me to pick out my favourite breakfast recipe from the book for their breakfast show so I had to go with my all time favourtie breakfast muffins! But these aren't any regular light and empty muffins, these babies packed full of chunky oats, bursting blueberries and bananas to keep you on the move!

Blueberry and Banana Breakfast Muffins

Healthy muffins are perfect for a quick breakfast on the go. These blueberry and banana muffins are packed
with healthy ingredients, which will keep you going for any busy morning. I normally make them the night before I have them and grab one or two just before I leave the house.

Makes 12 muffins
125g/4½oz blueberries
2 bananas, mashed
125g/4½oz plain flour
75g/3oz wholemeal flour
200g/7oz rolled oats
75g/3oz brown sugar
250ml/8½fl oz milk
2 large eggs, separated
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and sugar.
Create a well in the dry ingredients and add the banana, egg yolks, milk and oil.
Mix everything gently until a wet batter forms.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
Fold the egg whites and blueberries into the muffin batter until everything is mixed evenly.
Divide the muffin mix into individual paper cases and place in an oven for 25 minutes at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
The muffins should be fine to eat for 4–5 days and can easily be frozen in zip lock bags.

Since the launch of the book I have been asked to do quite a few kids school demonstrations, and although I was a little apprehensive at first, I have pretty much grown to love them. The amazing thing that I forget about everytime I do a demo, is just how excited they get about food, and not only that, but how much they actually take in, when you speak about food. Today a little guy, around 7 years old, bravely stuck up his hand during the demo, in front of all of his mates and asked me, what was the best healthy substitute for mayonnaise. I was totally taken aback because it just shows that these kids are really thinking about the food that is being cooked! Having grown up learning how to cook from a very early age, I guess I always took that sort of knowledge as granted and to a certain extent it was just a part of normal life for me. After reading recent reports that 1in 5 of Ireland's children are obese, it's quite disturbing to think that these kids with unhealthy diets are growing up without that sort of knowledge. Knowledge which could potentially change their lives and have a dramatic impact on their health both now and in the long run.

From what I can see on the TV and in the press, the problem with kids eating unhealthy diets doesn't lie with the schools, they can only do so much, the problem and the solution lies with the food routines set out by the parents at home. Which is why an emphasis has to be put on teaching those parents who can't cook, the basic meals and cooking habits which will set them up to run a healthy, happy household. I am of course coming to you from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't have kids and I don't mean to get all preachy on you, I know there are time constraints and all sorts of other factors to consider but when you see kids who have such an active interest in food you seriously have to question where the problem actually lies. What do you think?

Food politics aside, I started a brand new weekly food column with Cork based newspaper, The Cork News, a few weeks back and it has been getting a really great response so far! Here is the recipe from today's column!

Garlic and Rosemary Chicken with Roast Cherry Tomato Salad
Although I do try to buy as much in season vegetables as possible I just can't resist using cherry tomatoes in this tasty little dish.
The good thing about roasting the them is that it brings out the best from even the most tasteless tomatoes. By feeding them with a little sea salt, black pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar you are guaranteed little morsels packed with punchy flavour.
It's dishes like this which are really simple and full of flavour that make mealtimes far more enjoyable and take the hassle out of cooking for groups. Feel free to adapt the recipe as you wish, try using different herbs, different salad leaves, just use what you have.

Serves 4
4 chicken breasts
6 cloves of garlic
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
4 tablespoons of olive oil
A good pinch of ground black pepper
A good pinch of sea salt

For the salad:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
A good pinch of ground black pepper
A good pinch of sea salt
1 large punnet of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
120g of rocket leaves
1 small red onion, finaly sliced
Shavings of parmesan cheese to serve

In a bowl whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the salad.
Add the tomatoes to a large roasting tray cut side up, pour half the dressing over and toss to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Place in an oven at 200oC/Gas Mark 6 for about 35 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced in size.
While the tomatoes are roasting in the oven, in a pestle and mortar or with the back of a knife, crush the garlic cloves with a little sea salt, until you have a fine paste.
Remove the leaves from the sprigs of rosemary, and add them with the mushed garlic, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and chicken breasts to a bowl and allow to marinade while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients.
On a large hot griddle pan, fry the chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes either side, depending on the size, but just make sure they are cooked through.
In a large bowl, toss together the rocket, roasted cherry tomatoes, red onion and remaining dressing.
Serve alongside the chicken with some shavings of parmesan cheese.

On Wednesday, I was out in Blanchardstown IT to launch a new campaign to get students eating healthy, the lovely girls in the pic were students at the college and we had lots of fun, though one of them got an oily courgette dropped on her lovely new UGG boots.... I think she might hate me! The launch went great and in a few week colleges and schools around the country will be serving up some Good Mood Food! You can have a read of the press release below...

NEW CAMPAIGN TO PUT IRISH STUDENTS IN A GOOD MOOD WITH FOOD
Exciting new culinary campaign to boost mood, memory and concentration of students

Well-known food blogger and ‘Ireland’s answer to Jamie Oliver’, 23-year old Donal Skehan, has joined forces with the world’s biggest foodservice business, Unilever Food Solutions, to bring what he describes as “the power of good mood food” to students in secondary schools and IT colleges across Ireland.

Renowned for his love of good, simple, healthy, homecooked foods, Donal and Unilever Food Solutions are on a mission to show students and school chefs just how easy it is to make food that will lift spirits, naturally boost performance and generally put students in an all-round ‘good mood’, even in times of stress – perfect timing as Irish students face into their mid-term exams this month.

Donal has worked with Unilever Food Solutions’ culinary team to create five delicious and nutritious recipes that use a mix of readily-available ingredients that will appeal to even the fussiest of student palettes! The recipes range from fiery salsa chicken to vegetarian frittatas, which are packed with flavour and mood-enhancing goodness.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign in IT Blanchardstown, Aoife McGuigan, Channel Marketing Manager of Unilever Food Solutions said, “Good Mood Foods are foods and meals that have a positive impact on those eating them. They can be dishes that help you concentrate, an energy boost before a game, stimulation for the brain or just a dish made to share and lift the mood of all. We’re excited to have Donal on board – he’s a big believer in the power of food and how it effects our lives and is the perfect advocate for the campaign, appealing to all audiences in this exciting schools activation.”

The Good Mood Food campaign is open to all secondary schools and IT colleges in Ireland. To participate, teachers and school chefs can simply request an information pack and recipes when they place their order with their local Unilever sales representative. The information pack contains all the recipes along with colourful materials to promote the campaign in the school’s canteen including posters and Good Mood Food recipe cards that students can take home to try out for themselves.

All schools and IT colleges that participate will be entered into a competition to win a Good Mood Food masterclass with Donal where students and chefs can cook with the talented young chef and learn more about the foods that can help boost mood, memory and concentration powers.

The Unilever Food Solutions Good Mood Food campaign will commence in February, with the Good Mood Food masterclass held in April 2010.

A decision has finally been made! After a hell of a lot options this is the cover Mercier Press decided on. I'm pretty happy with it, and just can not wait to see the finished product after all this time!

Here's a little bit about the book and some of the quotes:

“At last... Simple, easy recipes that are healthy and interesting. Donal Skehan's book reclaims good food from the convenience of supermarket shelves and puts it back where it belongs - in the domestic kitchen.”
Paolo Tullio
The Resturant
A sneaky peak from one of the recipes inside the book!

The book will be available from mid-October but can be preordered here:
Mercier Press
Easons
Amazon
Play.com
Borders

OK I KNOW I KNOW THIS IS MEANT TO BE A HEALTHY BLOG! But this recipe is not my fault, I made it to cheer someone up! I could play on that whole chocolate is good for you crap but realistically, there are no health benefits to this at all. They do taste great and sure your grand once you eat things like this in moderation! I can't help feel I'm contradicting myself in posting this but here it comes:

Gooey Chocolate Pudding!
(Adapted from Nigella Lawson's How To Eat)

1. 150g of good quality plain chocolate
2. 125g of unsalted butter
3. 3 Eggs
4. 150g of sugar
5. 35g of flour

This is what we woke up to this morning. Now if that doesn't get you going on a Monday morning I don't know what will! After a pretty unsettled couple of weeks were back on track with a healthy lifestyle starting with a nice healthy jog last night, unfortunately I know it's going to be broken up yet again when we hit Sweden on Friday!

This is a great breakfast to start the week. So many people forget about breakfast, but when your mother told you to eat it, she was right! When you think about it logically, your body hasn't received any nutrients since the night before and is therefore running practically on empty! When you wait till twelve to nourish your body you have wasted a whole morning, when you could have had your body full of nutrients releasing energy.

As a general rule it is always better to eat something for breakfast rather than nothing. People who are making the time excuse generally aren't being realistic, I made this breakfast and ate it in 20 mins and it was a fairly big one, every person can make the time in the morning, by setting the alarm that little bit earlier.

Getting out of bed is a mental thing, when the alarm goes off I get straight out of bed and don't leave myself time to consider those extra few minutes I could waste by staying there. Try it tomorrow, just get straight up when the alarm rings, it's not that hard and you feel great about yourself too! Well that's what I told the girlfriend when I dragged her out of bed this morning! :)

Mixed Fruit Smoothie

1. 1/2 cup of Mixed Frozen Berries
2. 1 Banana
3. Orange or Apple Juice (not from concentrate)

I always keep some frozen mixed berries (Boylan's) which you can get in most supermarkets these days, as there perfect for smoothies because they last for a long time in the freezer. Throw the Berries in a container with the banana and fill the container up as far as the berries with Orange or Apple juice.

Then blend and serve, it's really quick and really easy.

I've been packing a fair bit of travel in this summer and I'm fairly sure with the amount of airmiles that have wracked up, I'm doing the environment no favours! This week is no different I'm back in Sweden for a bit of work and to fully soak up all the best a Swedish summer has to offer! One of my favourite things about Sweden in the summer is the beautiful still lakes with their picturesque jetties. This week I finally got my first swim of the summer in and despite always being slightly worried about what lurks at the bottom of those murky waters, I can report that the water was beautiful. All that swimming in lakes can make a cook like myself hungry, so we decided to sample what the Swedes do best, the Smorgasbord!

One of my favourite places to eat in Gothenburg is the Gunnebo Coffee House and Restaurant which is situated on the grounds of one of Sweden's most beautiful neoclassical estates, just south of the city. The buffet style lunch is made with all organic ingredients and always has something interesting and healthy to offer. During the summer months the kitchen uses fruit and vegetables from the huge gardens outside, which I find very exciting to walk through! The day we were there amongst the fantastic choice of dishes there was a cabbage salad, cucumber and fennel lentil salad, herbed pork fillet, boiled cumin potatoes, roast salmon with a creamy sauce, and Roast tomatoes with Goats cheese and red onion. We assembled our plates with fairly hefty portions, a handful of the chunky homemade bread and headed outdoors to pick our way through it. There is something fairly special about eating fresh and healthy food outdoors on a warm summer day that just makes everything taste all the better! For now, as the Swedes say "hej då"!

Roast Tomatoes with Goats cheese and Red Onion
This is a super way to make the most of the last of the summer tomatoes! This method brings out the fantastic natural sweetness and is perfection in every bite. You can prepare these ahead of time and serve them at room temperature.

Serves 4
4 tomatoes, cut in half
1 goats cheese log, cut in slices
1 red onion, sliced in half moons
A good glug of olive oil
A generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200oC/Gas Mark 6.
Arrange the tomato halves on a baking tray and top each on with a few slices of red onion and then place a slice of cheese on top.
Drizzle each tomato with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
Place in the oven to cook for 35 minutes or until the the tomatoes are soft and tender. Serve warm or cold.

Cucumber and Fennel, Lentil Salad
I think lentils are by far one of the most underused pulses. They are like the black sheep of the legume family, with many people having never even cooked them before. However that all has to change, they are full of health benefits, and just as quick as pasta to cook so no excuses! They go great with lots of different dishes but they go great here as a tasty little salad!

Serves 4
1 cucumber, cut in chunky diagonal slices
150g of green lentils
A good handful of fennel fronds, roughly chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablespoons of olive oil
A generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

Rinse the lentils in cold water drain and place in a pot. Cover them with plenty of water and bring to the boil, cooking for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Add in the fennel fronds, cucumber slices, and cooled lentils.
Season with sea salt and ground black pepper and serve!

As I mentioned I am on Market Kitchen all this week cooking down at the world famous Borough Market in London, a real haven for food lovers! I really loved the day recording down in the market as it was a lot more hands on, and we got to actually shop around for some of the ingredients, plus there was a bit of time for me to nose around the great selection of veg and food products on offer. We recorded all five shows in the one day, so let me just say it is a LONG day! I arrived at about 8am and didn't leave till around 9pm that night, but despite the long hours and the freezing cold, the amazing team really made recording an absolute pleasure.

There was a crack team of five food super heroes producing the content for the show down in the market and these guys really work hard! I have a feeling they have posed together for a photo before because when I told them I wanted a picture, they very naturally assembled themselves in that formation! Let me introduce you to them, Leonie in the middle is the home economist and she spend loads of time compiling info on each of my recipes, the woman is like a human food encyclopedia and was on hand with great one liners to stick in to my piece! Rasheed there with the clipboard is the producer and made sure everything ran smoothly and kept my spirits high throughout the day, he is a former chef and he too has a fantastic and extensive knowledge of food!

Robin with the glasses and hoody, is the hard core camera dude, who is clearly an expert at his job, as he showed no signs of loosing his patience with me even after my 15th take on one shot! He was full of advice and really helped me keep things moving along throughout the day. Olga is the foodie equivalent of a rockstar music video director and kept me so motivated all day long! She is a bundle of energy and was lots of fun to work with. Last but not least in blue hoodie is Dan, and he is literally a professional feeder! I think I saw a documentary about people who kept their partners overweight by feeding them a constant supply of junk food, and I am fairly sure Dan could be guilty of this. (note: I just googled feederism and apparently feeders derive a sexual pleasure in feeding their partners, sorry Dan maybe your not one!) He is solely responsible for introducing me to curly wurly cake! (I know, I know, recipe coming soon!)

In terms of recording, I much preferred cooking direct to camera, although, I've watched the slots last night and tonight and I'm kind of coming across like a duracell bunny! Extremely excitable but I blame the cold! One of the biggest problems of the day was keeping the frying pan hot, because of the bitter cold weather, every time I would add something to the pan, it would cool down, but Leonie did come to the rescue by erecting a portable metal guard which she would stick around the hob and we would stop filming in order for it to heat up.

I was actually flying to Sweden the following day to go skiing, so luckily had packed thermal underwear (I know, sexy right?) which after about five minutes of arriving I ran across to the nearest toilet to to change into them! So if you are wondering just how many layers I am wearing, I think the total came to seven, but I was still cold! We finished up after a long day with high spirits and lots of laughter! The dishes I cooked which will be coming up on the show this week are mackerel with chorizo potato salad, healthy Singapore noodles, healthy paella, aromatic duck salad, and one more which I has completely slipped my mind, so it will just have to remain a suprise for us all for now! :)

Well I'm back in the land of the living after a very spontaneous visit to the US, I booked the flights last Monday and found myself in LA the following day! It was my first time to visit LA and I had been promised it was the land of healthy eating, I later discovered this was pretty much as far from the truth as you could get. Perhaps it is the land of healthy eating in comparison to the rest of America, and that would be the only way I could believe this statement to be true!

I did finally make my first visit to the wholefoods market, which was an amazing experience and could have kept a foodie like myself entertained for hours! It's just so huge, and has so much produce, I wondered why this sort of supermarket hadn't been opened in Ireland, but I'm not sure we could actually get through the amount of fresh food that is available in the wholefoods markets. If you get a chance make sure to visit, it's really worth the experience.

Apart from that, LA's food, for me, left a lot to be desired, with many dishes coated in oil, however I did get a lovely breakfast at the poolside of the Beverly Hills Hotel, of Granola, soy milk, and mixed berries, now I know it wasn't the most inventive dish in the world but it was definitely refreshing after the other heavy food I had during the week!

In other news I have lots of new recipe's to post here so keep checking back, I'm also in the process of making the blog a bit more accessible, so it will be up and running as soon as possible!

One of the things I mastered last year, was preparing healthy dishes which are easy to have with you on the go.
We (Industry) were on the road everyday during the summer when we released our first two singles so I made sure we all ate well in between our fairly tight schedule.
Healthy salads were normally on the cards and went down the best, but if we were stuck for time quick and tasty wraps sorted us out!
As I mentioned we were on tour with JLS all week, and the wraps below kept us full on the road up to belfast! We have been debuting our new tracks which you can hear over here, and here, so I hope you don't mind that I have stuck up a few photo's from the gig on Saturday night. We were very excited to perform in the O2 in Dublin, but I want to brace yourselves for the photos below, because a momentous occassion took place where I got my first pair of knickers thrown at me! Knickers on a food blog, who'd have thought! :)

Quick Fresh Veggie Wrap With Crispy Prosciutto
Wraps are extremely handy for a quick and tasty lunch! The best thing is that you can really go wild when it comes to the ingredients. There are so many variations on this recipe which I make regularely, like avocado and bacon, chicken and chickpea, or even tuna and rocket!
Find your favourite combo and experiment. If you can't get your hands on proscioutto just pick up some streaky bacon instead.

Serves 2
6 slices of prosciutto ham
2 large wholemeal tortilla wraps
2 tablespoons of mayonaisse
2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves
1 carrot, grated
1/4 of cucumber, sliced thinly
5-6 spring onions, sliced thinly
A good pinch of ground black pepper

In a large hot frying pan fry off the slices of prosciutto until crisp and golden. Remove and set aside on plate with a piece of kitchen paper.
Spread 1 tablespoon of mayo on one of the tortilla wraps.
Arrange the slices of cucumber, carrot, and spring onions down the centre of the wrap. Add the spinach leaves and then place 3 slices of the crispy prosciutto on top.
Roll up the wrap and enjoy! Repeat with the second the second wrap.

Broccoli
Is a food I have only recently taken to eating, as I had only tried the steam variety! The sulphur the veg emits during the cooking process is generally what puts most people off. But now I use broccoli all the time raw in salads and cooked in stir frys, it's the type of veg that can fit well in lots of dishes. Apart from it being tasty, it also has huge health benefits. Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family and as you can imagine shares all the highly nutritious values of it's large green cousin! Here's just three reason's to eat BROCCOLI!

1. Broccoli like cabbage contains cancer fighting properties.


2. One cup of cooked broccoli contains 74 mg of calcium, plus 123 mg of vitamin C, which significantly improves calcium's absorption.


3. It's perfect for building your immune system as its packed with Vitamin C plus small but helpful amount's of zinc and selenium.

Asparagus
Is another veg which I have only just started a love affair with! This are just so tasty especialy drizzled with a bit of balsamic vinegar and thrown on a griddle pan. But wait, you guessed it THEY'RE HEALTHY TOO! I recently saw asparagus growing in a field and it was the strangest sight! Reason's to eat asparagus? Why let me give you a few!

1. Asparagus are extremely high in folate which is essential for a healthy cardiovascular system. 1 serving supplies almost 66% of RDA of folate!


2. Asparagus is a natural diuretic thanks to its mineral profile and active amino acids!


3. Asparagus are very low in calories.

We have a visitor staying with us at the moment, and he eats a lot, no wait, A HELL OF A LOT! After a big dinner of chicken and rice, the other night, he ate two big bowls of Special K, a Banana, and a bag of popcorn. I wouldn't mind, and apologies for being crude, but what worries me is that the amount of toilet paper were going through does not reflect the amount of food being eaten. As you can imagine I am a little worried about his well being, so I decided that healthy longlasting breakfast, full of fibre would do the trick and perhaps keep him running a little more regular.

I do hope, I haven't put you off the recipe completely, because it's a darn good one, a healthy twist on classic American pancakes. Don't get put off by the use of oat flour, just whizz up some oats in a blender it takes seconds and is much healthier than the refined white stuff. I got the recipe from Stella's Kitchen Blog which gives lots of different options- we used goats milk out of personal choice- so adapt it whatever you want just make sure the balance between your wet and dry ingredients stay the same.

Oatmeal Pancakes

1 cup fat free milk (or water, or goats milk)
3/4 cup oatmeal (uncooked, quick or regular oats)

3/4 cup oatmeal flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 large whites

1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

For baking recipe's like this I like to be able to attack it systematically, I'm not sure why. So First of all, heat your milk in a saucepan until warm and set aside. Blend your oatmeal flour and mix with the rest of the oatmeal, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a seperate bowl whisk your egg whites until they reach a stiff consistancy.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients in one bowl and mix until blended. Then add the egg whites and fold into the mixture. To cook simply add a full ladel of the mix to a warm pan and it takes just less than a minute each side or until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, or whatever takes your fancy!