Eating In

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have sadly been unable to review our fabulous British restaurants, so instead, this issue, we are publishing some recipes from some top London Chefs, so you can try your cooking skills at home, along with a recipe for Banana Pancakes from the fabulous Betsy Cook Speer, and a feel good fast smoothie by Laura Palowski.

English Asparagus with Egg and Mimosa Dressing

English Asparagus With Egg And Mimosa Dressing By André Garrett, Executive Chef at Corinthia London

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 bunches of green English asparagus 30g unsalted butter Sea salt 1 punnet edible flowers 1 small bunch garlic chives 1 small bunch chervil, picked 4 large eggs 1 small shallot, finely chopped 1 small bunch chives, finely chopped 200ml extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper 200ml champagne vinegar 150ml extra virgin olive oil Juice and zest of 1 orange Sea salt

Wash and peel the asparagus, cleaning all the spines, then cut the bottom 2cm off all the asparagus and set aside to cook later.

Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil to cook the eggs. Cook two of the eggs for 10 minutes until hard-boiled and set aside. Then boil the other two eggs for 5 minutes, before breaking open and scooping out into a bowl whilst still warm and whisk lightly, adding the olive oil to emulsify like a rough mayonnaise. Season, then add the chives, shallots and grate the two hard boiled eggs into the mixture well - bound dressing. Set this aside.

In a medium pan, bring the vinegar and orange juice to the boil and reduce slowly until a light syrup, then take off the heat and whisk in the olive oil to emulsify, before adding the zest and seasoning. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil, drop the asparagus in and cook for 3 minutes before removing with a slotted spoon. In a separate, flatter pan, warm the butter and add the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and baste with the melted butter. Add a tablespoon of the orange dressing and baste the asparagus again, then place them onto kitchen paper to drain.

To serve, take four plates and spoon a good amount of the egg onto each. Place the warm asparagus on top, and finally dress with the orange dressing and garnish with the edible flowers and herbs.

Soup Au Pistou

Soup Au Pistou By Anthony Demetre from Wild Honey St James

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

200g onions 200g carrots 100g leeks 200g squash or pumpkin 250ml good quality extra virgin olive oil 200g potatoes 200g courgettes Bouquet garni Salt and freshly ground black pepper 100g fresh peas or broad beans, blanched 100g cooked fresh white beans (Coco de Paimpol, or other) 4 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped 100g cooked short-cut macaroni or ditali

For the pistou

3 garlic cloves 1 bunch of basil 50g freshly grated Parmesan (plus more for serving) About 100ml good quality extra virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)

Peel the vegetables as necessary, and cut them into rough 1cm dice. Rinse the leeks well.

In a large heavy-based pan, sweat the onions, carrots, leeks and squash or pumpkin in the olive oil over a gentle heat until soft. Add the potatoes and courgettes, and sweat these gently, stirring, until just beginning to soften.

Cover the vegetables with water, then add the bouquet garni, with salt and pepper to taste, and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Add the remaining ingredients and set aside to keep warm.

To make the pistou, combine all the ingredients except the oil (in a food processor rather than a blender, as this gives a better consistency). Then, with the machine still running, pour in just enough oil to make a thick, smooth paste.

Remove the bouquet garni from the soup and add the pistou at the last minute, together with a drizzle of olive oil and more grated Parmesan.

Mackerel Tartare

Mackerel Tartare - Oyster Cream, Green Apple, Shiso By Gary Foulkes at Michelin-starred Angler in the City

Serves 4

Ingredients

480g of diced raw mackerel 2 finely diced banana shallots

60g of finely chopped pickled pink ginger 50g of chopped chives 1 Granny Smith apple 5ml of white soy sauce 10g of crème fraîche Zest of one lemon 250ml of oyster cream 1 punnet of purple shiso cress 1 punnet of green shiso cress Wakame powder to finish

Oyster Cream:

Place three opened oysters into a highpowered blender with the juice of two lemons and a little salt.

Blend until completely smooth and emulsify with grapeseed oil and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Pass through a fine sieve, place into a squeezable plastic bottle and set to one side.

Mackerel Tartare:

Place the diced mackerel into a bowl and add the shallots, pink ginger, white soy and crème fraiche, chives, lemon zest and mix together.

It is important to taste the mix as you can add more of each ingredient should your palette desire.

To Finish:

Place a circular mould on the plate and carefully place the correct amount of mackerel into each.

Gently smooth the mackerel down with the back of the spoon before placing five equal size dots of the oyster cream on top of the mackerel.

Finish the dish with batons of the apple, shiso cress and wakame powder.

Scallop Minestrone

Scallop “Minestrone”, Broad Beans, Peas And Wild Garlic By Gary Foulkes at Michelin-starred Angler in the City

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 Large Orkney scallops 100g fresh shelled peas 100g fresh shelled broad beans 20 preserved confit tomatoes 100g cooked chick peas 8 Squid ink Garganelle ( this can be replaced with a shop bought pasta such as a macaroni) 20 small basil leaves (Greek basil is preferable) 10 finely chopped wild garlic leaves 500ml tomato essence *see separate recipe - to be prepared 1 day in advance.

To Finish:

A good quality first pressed olive oil

Blanch the fresh peas, then the broad beans in boiling salted water and then refresh immediately in iced water.

Pod the beans and the peas and set to one side.

Thinly slice the radishes on a mandolin and place in lightly acidulated water.

Slice each scallop into three and season lightly with coarse grain salt. Place the sliced scallops equally into the bottom of the serving bowl.

Gently warm the tomato essence - Do not boil.

Place the chick peas into the tomato essence, along with the broad beans, blanched garganelle/pasta and peas. Drop in the preserved tomatoes, sliced radishes, adding the wild garlic leaves.

Spoon the warm minestrone over the scallops and finish with a good splash of the olive oil and fresh basil leaves.

* Tomato Essence

Ingredients

22 plum tomatoes (de-seeded and juiced and cut into quarters) 7g celery salt 4g cracked white pepper 15g salt 25g sugar 5 basil leaves

Prepare the tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well, making sure the tomatoes are well coated in the marinade.

Place in a tray, cover and place in the fridge, leaving it to marinade for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, place the mix into a blender and “pulse” the tomatoes but do not blend them. They want to be broken down but not a purée.

Hang the tomato mix in some muslin cloth and retain the clear juice that drips out of the cloth.

Gary Foulkes in the kitchen Scallop with Ponzu and Smoked Eel

Scallop With Ponzu And Smoked Eel By Ben Murphy at Launceston Place

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 XL Cornish scallops (1 per portion) 1 Whole smoked eel - diced (4 x 1cm cubes per plate)

For the eel stock

All the trimmings of the smoked eel, including the skin 2 carrots 6 shallots 2 cloves of garlic 4 sprigs of lemon thyme 200g fish stock 40g bonito flakes

For the ponzu

200g soy sauce 2 lemongrass 100g orange juice 28g ginger 10g yuzu juice 44g Ultratex thickening agent (or 6 sheets of soaked gelatine if unavailable)

For the eel jelly

100g smoked eel stock 10g agar agar 2 sheets of gelatine Salt to taste

For the stock - Dice and sauté the vegetables and eel trim for around 8 minutes. Once coloured add the herbs, bonito flakes and fish stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain off the liquid which will be used for the jelly.

For the jelly – Soak the gelatine in ice cold water until it softens. Bring the stock to the boil and add the agar agar. Cook on a high heat for five minutes while stirring continuously, then add the soaked gelatine, and season to taste. Pour the liquid onto a baking try to create a 5mm layer and refrigerate. Once set, this can be cut into a 5cm disc with a pastry cutter.

For the ponzu – Bring all the ingredients (except the Ultratex) to a boil in a pan. Cover, and allow to infuse for 6 hours. Once cooled, blend

the infusion with the Ultratex, to create a thick paste. Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps.

Cooking the scallops - Pan fry the whole scallop with butter over a medium/high heat (we quickly char ours on the BBQ first). These should be cooked just before serving.

To plate – Ensure that the jelly discs, eel and ponzu are at room temperature. Pipe a 10cm spiral of ponzu in the centre of the plate, place the whole roasted scallop in the centre of the spiral. Top each scallop with four cubes of smoked eel and finish with a disc of jelly.

Food As Medicine To Feel Good Fast By Laura Palowski, Healthfull

I’m a nutritionist and health coach in London, where I use food as medicine to help others achieve optimal health. I’m sharing my favourite nutrient-dense smoothie as a simple way to strengthen your immune system, support gut health and boost energy:

Dr. Green Smoothie 1-2 c spinach 1/2 avocado 1/2 banana 1/2 pear 1 lime 2 T hemp seeds 1 T ginger 1 c water Mix in a high-speed blender and enjoy!

Whether you’re looking to get your health back on track or optimise an already healthy lifestyle, feel free to reach out to book a virtual session. I’m also offering complimentary sessions to our carers on the front lines. To learn more, visit livehealthfull. com or contact me at 07553 155257.

Easy Peasy (and healthy) Banana Pancake Recipe By Betsy Cook Speer

Ingredients

1 egg 1 banana

In a bowl, smash-up the banana with a fork. Crack the egg into the bowl and gently mix banana and egg. Don’t worry about lumps. They seem to make the pancake fluffier.

Coat the pan with Kerrygold grass-fed butter or olive oil (both healthy fats). Cook your pancake over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes each side or until lightly browned. I usually make just one big pancake. Delicious. Enjoy!

Your ‘Ditch Diets’ Checklist

Betsy Cook Speer, author of 527 Things to do Before you Die...t, is a Wellness & Success Coach, passionate about helping women feel good about their bodies, themselves and their lives. She recently shared her motivation for her new online course: Prep-Pack for Success.

“I suffered through years and years of yo-yo dieting and ‘self-hate’ about my eating and my weight. Weight loss had become my ultimate measure of success. It was ruining my self-esteem, my health and my energy. On top of that, I used failed diets as an excuse for not reaching other life goals.

6 TIPS FOR DITCHING DIETS Ditching damaging diets is an uber-smart idea but any change can have its challenges. So, this list has things to think about and do before you transition to a wonderful new no-diet life.

1. Plan Something to Look Forward to • Learn a new skill • Make new friends • Try a new sport • Dust off an old hobby.

2. Find A New Group If you’ve been part of a diet or weight-loss community, you’ll need a new non-diet tribe to hang out with. You might enjoy my fb group: @galswithnodietfor cool friendly women.

3. Build a Support System Those around you could be quite supportive of your choices while others may not. Trying to transition with less than supportive folks can be difficult. You’ll find a few ideas to help you decide what your share and how you do it, in this blog: To Share or Not to share.

4. Review Food Facts If you’ve been on a meal plan and you haven’t had to make food choices, it’s a good idea to reacquaint yourself with which foods to choose for a feel-good factor. My Feel-Good Shopping Sheets is a great place to get some answers.

5. If You Need More Help If your relationship with food feels more deeply rooted, possibly attached to a disturbing memory or event then, it might make sense to chat with a professional before you make this shift. It could be part of the reason for your eating patterns in the first place.

6. Prepare to Ditch Diets the Right Way You’re in luck! June 24th, 2020 I’m launching a brand-new online course called: Prep-Pack for Success designed to prepare you in the right way to succeed as you ditch diets.

So, I quit diets, focused on feeling good and becoming the best version of me. Ironically, that’s when I lost 40 pounds. Now, I want to help other women become the best version of themselves.”