Spiced pumpkin, quince and amaretto mince pies

Tasty and healthy Christmas mince pie recipe

This recipe was developed for an annual charity auction called the Mince Pie Project. In simple terms, 100 of the UK’s top chefs cook mince pies for charity and people bid via eBay for their favourite ones. As ever with my cooking, I have one eye on it being at least a little bit healthy. So this is my take on the traditional mince pie. Remember mincemeat is very high in sugar, usually 60 per cent!!! Then add the buttery pastry and you have a nutritional disaster on your hands. By using pumpkin & quince you add at least 65 per cent fruit and veg to the equation! Technically it’s still not quite health food, however you have to live a little and this is a much healthier option.

 

Mince pie ingredients

2 medium quince, peeled and diced (approx 250g of quince).

250g of peeled and diced pumpkin, butternut squash can be used as an alternative

100g sugar

1 tsp of each mixed spice, ground ginger and star anise powder

Pinch of black pepper

Seeds from 1 vanilla pod

125ml water

50ml Amaretto

500g good quality mincemeat

Amaretti biscuits

Method

1. Place sugar, water, vanilla seeds and spices into a heavy bottomed pan.

2. Cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes until a caramel consistency is achieved. Add the quince dice and cook gently for 10 minutes.
3.Add the Amaretto and pumpkin and cook gently for a further 20 minutes until the quince and pumpkin are soft. It is also important that all the liquid is well reduced and 'sticky' or as we chef types say 'caramelised'. Then set aside and allow to cool.
4. Line small tart cases with sweet pastry. Add one heaped teaspoon of the mincemeat, then one heaped tablespoon of the spiced pumpkin and quince mix. Make sure that the tart cases aren't too full.
5. Then generously sprinkle over some crushed Amaretti biscuits.
6. Place into a pre-heated at 190c oven for 12-15 minutes and enjoy.

Ingredients

Vital Statistics

Serves: 24
Preparation: 40 minutes
Cooking: 12 - 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Good for: Post or pre training snack
Calories (kcal): 186
Protein (g): 2
Carbs (g): 33
Fat (g): 5
Fiber (g): 15
http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/spiced-pumpkin-quince-and-amaretto-mince-pies/
 

Root vegetable winter broth

Warming vegetable recipe

One thing that’s certain is that over the festive season we all eat a little bit out of the ordinary. With so many temptations it's not uncommon to consume double your normal-allocated calorie intake and then some (this is not an open challenge!) My take on the classic broth uses a lot of seasonal root vegetables. Carbohydrate comes in the form of pearl barley (which can be replaced with brown rice) because this grain holds it’s firm texture really well. And the lean protein in the turkey also doesn't break down when re-heated. Start to finish, this low calorie but hearty and healthy broth takes less than an hour to prepare and cook. So hopefully this will kick start your healthy New Year.

 

Ingredients

2 medium carrots

1 stick of celery

1 1/2 medium leeks

1 small swede

1 large parsnip

1 medium onion

75g unsalted butter

150g pearl barley

300g diced lean white meat

2 litres of fresh chicken or turkey stock

Bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Method

1. Start by dicing all the vegetables. It’s important that they are all roughly the same size to ensure they cook evenly. Melt the butter over a medium heat in a medium saucepan and cook the vegetables for 3/4 minutes over a medium heat.

2. Add the pearl barley and raw diced meat and cook for a further 2/3 minutes.

 

3. Cover with the stock and bring to the boil and then simmer for 35-40 minutes, until the pearl barley is soft and tender. Add seasoning at this stage. To serve, stir in the fresh parsley at the very last minute to retain freshness and texture.

4. This broth keeps really well in the fridge and in my opinion almost improves after a day in the fridge. A tbsp of fresh pesto added before serving would also add another dimension. Enjoy.

Ingredients

2 medium carrots 1 stick of celery 1 1/2 medium leeks 1 small swede 1 large parsnip 1 medium onion 75g unsalted butter 150g pearl barley 300g diced lean white meat 2 litres of fresh chicken or turkey stock Bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Vital Statistics

Serves: 6-8
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Good for: Pre or post training lunch
Calories (kcal): 318
Protein (g): 20
Carbs (g): 24
Fat (g): 16
Fiber (g): 37
http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/root-vegetable-winter-broth/
 

10 Foods all Women Should Eat.

10 essential foods for female health

While there are some foods we should all be eating more of, men and women also have their own set of dietary requirements as well as their own unique health concerns. Here are ten foods that women should eat.

Female-friendly food 1: Tomatoes

Another vibrant carotenoid beneficial for women's health is lycopene, a pigment found in tomatoes. Studies have suggested that lycopene may be effective in preventing breast cancer. Furthermore, there has been considerable evidence to suggest that the powerful antioxidant can help reduce risk of heart disease — the leading cause of death in women in the US, Australia, England and Wales.

Female-friendly food 2: Butternut squash

Butternut squash — like many other yellow/orange fruit and vegetables — is packed with carotenoids such as alpha-carotene and beta-carotene and thefore ranks highly in the list of foods that women should eat. While carotenes should be included in everybody's diet for optimum health, they may prove essential to women's health as a high-carotenoid diet has been linked to lowered risks of both breast and ovarian cancer.

Female-friendly food 3: Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids and have been linked to reduced risk of breast cancer and heart disease. The seeds' anti-inflammatory properties are also good for preventing arthritis, while their digestive benefits can help irritable bowel syndrome; two painful conditions which are more prevalent in women than men.

Female-friendly food 4: Salmon

Salmon has a multitude of positive health benefits for women. Not only is it rich in iron — which is integral to the diets of premenopausal women — but it is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, known for their mood-enhancing effects. Studies have suggested that omega-3 can help beat depression (something that affects twice as many women as men) and prevent mood swings, while salmon can also boost babies' intelligence when eaten during pregnancy.

Female-friendly food 5: Cranberries

Various studies have suggested strong links between consuming cranberries and reduced risks of breast cancer and heart disease. However, the most notorious benefit of cranberries is their ability to prevent and cure urinary tract infections such as cystitis, which is eight times more likely to occur in women than men. One study suggests that drinking two glasses of cranberry juice a day can prevent the symptoms of common UTIs in women, making cranberries a food that women should consume.

Female-friendly food 6: Spinach

Spinach is rich in many different vitamins and minerals, but one thing that makes it great for women is its high content of magnesium. Research has shown that magnesium may be beneficial in reducing many of the physical symptoms of PMS which plague women, including reduction of swelling, breast tenderness, bloating and weight gain.

Female-friendly food 7: Figs

Figs are a great health food, containing many vital minerals and vitamins as well as contributing to your daily portions of fruit and veg. Two minerals found in figs that are particularly beneficial to women's health are iron, which is often deficient in menstruating women, and calcium, which is important for post-menopausal women, who are more prone to osteoporosis.

Female-friendly food 8: Milk

Milk is a great source of calcium, which is extremely beneficial to women's health, particularly when combined with vitamin D (found in some varieties of milk and many fortified milk products). Consumption of the combined nutrients is not only good for warding off osteoporosis, but a study has suggested that a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D could ease, or even prevent, symptoms of PMS.

Female-friendly food 9: Oats

Oats are literally packed with health-boosting nutrients, many of which have great impacts on female health. Oats are not only great for heart health, digestion and blood pressure levels (with hypertension affecting many women over 50), but they contain vitamin B6, which can help prevent PMS and mood swings, and folic acid, which is important for women to consume before and during pregnancy to prevent birth defects in babies.

Female-friendly food 10: Walnuts

While all nuts are great for our health, walnuts have many great individual benefits for women. A study has recently found that walnuts, which are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols, may help to reduce women's risk of developing breast cancer, while their high omega-3 content may also help bone health, arthritis pain and depression. Walnuts also contain many nutrients essential for female health, such as calcium, magnesium and folic acid.
http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/10-foods-all-women-should-eat/#pagination-top
 

5 Minute Workout #20 - Full Body Torture