Mixing it up

   I've been trying to think of new ideas for lunches that I can take into work. When you're trying to only eat seasonal, local vegetables you can find yourself eating the same things over and over again. So I've looked back through my recipes and adapted some of them. Here's one of my favourites. The recipe is for Summer Risotto, but you can use pretty much any vegetables as a substitute. I made some this week using pumpkin, butternut squash and mushrooms.

Ingredients
100g (3½oz) asparagus, trimmed
350g (12oz) risotto rice (or short brown rice)
125g (4oz) broad beans
1 small onion, finely diced
1 litre vegetable stock
150ml (¼ pint) dry white wine
½ lemon, juiced (I substitute this with a splash of vinegar as we don't tend to get many lemons growing in South Wales)

Boil the asparagus and beans in water for 3 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water and then drain again.
Using a little of the vegetable stock, fry the onion until transparent. If you're using mushrooms, add them here as well. Stir in the rice. Add 1 ladle of hot stock and cook until absorbed. Keep the stock simmering on the stove and add it a ladle at a time until absorbed. When most of the stock has been used, add the asparagus and beans, white wine and lemon juice. Simmer for a few more minutes.


The trick with risotto is to add the stock gradually. I once saw a TV cookery competition where a chef did not follow this advice, and his colleagues and customers were not best pleased.

Scrubbed but not peeled

   Scrubbed but not peeled. That's how I like my vegetables. It's a simple tip, but one that can provide you with more food and therefore save you money. My mum also used to tell me that there are lots of nutrients in vegetable skins.

Thirsty for Knowledge?

Are you fed up of being one of the millions of ignorant people who don’t know where their food comes from? Do you want to know more? One of the biggest habits I’ve picked up since starting the freerangecarrots blog is to check out the websites on food packaging. Pretty much every food brand and producer has their own website these days, and they’re all packed full of information. Whilst I would recommend taking the information that company websites give you with a pinch of salt (their main mission, of course, is to promote their products), they’re a great place to start. If you do suspect they are being economical with the truth just to sell to you, my top tip is to google whatever it is you are reading about. Unlike other mass communication outlets, the internet is somewhere where you will get a completely broad view of a variety of opinions!

The Engine 2 Diet

   Rip Esselstyn, triathlete and firefighter, started The Engine 2 Diet to help one of his colleagues in Austin, Texas who had a dangerously high cholesterol level. Rip had adopted a plant-based diet at the advice of his father, Dr Caldwell B Esselstyn, and he motivated the entire Engine 2 firehouse team to lose weight, lower their cholestoerol and improve their overall health. You can read more about Rip and The Engine 2 Diet at www.engine2diet.com.
   One of the comments that Rip makes on his website really struck a chord with me. He talks about how our tastes can change. So many people tell me they could not follow a plant-based diet because they don't like the food, but if your body is only used to processed, high fat food that is filled with sugar, healthier alternatives are going to taste a bit strange. It's worth sticking to it for the sake of your health. Rip is totally right in what he says. When I first started to eat a more plant-based diet, soy milk tasted odd. Now, though, I love soy milk and the thought of drinking cow's milk does not sound appealing at all.

Household Tips

My energy supplier are always sending me lots of great information about how to make my home energy fit, saving both money and resources. I thought I’d share a few of them with you.

• Check that your loft insulation is at least 270mm (11") thick.
• Have a shower instead of a bath. Baths can use and heat twice the amount of water compared to showers.
• Replace standard light bulbs with energy saving ones, which can last up to five times longer and use up to 70% less energy. And of course don’t forget to turn the lights off when you leave a room.
• Turn plugs off completely when appliances aren’t in use. They waste energy when they’re left on standby.
• Draw your curtains from dusk onwards to keep heat in the room.
• Make sure the area at the back of your fridge or freezer is clear so that it can operate more efficiently.
• Lowering your thermostat by just 1 degree can cut your fuel bills by up to 10%.

Nature's Little Helpers

One of the things I’ve loved best about my research for freerangecarrots has been discovering great, local-made Welsh products.www.natureslittlehelpers.co.uk are the perfect example. Vegans should look away now (sorry!), because this Cardiff based company make all their products from bee-keeping. As well as the most obvious gift that bees give us, honey, these clever beekeepers also create cosmetics and soap from bees wax. You can even join them on an experience day and learn how to become a beekeeper yourself. Everything you need for your new hobby can be purchased from the farm shop.

Over the winter I always suffer with really dry hands. The combination of cold weather and working with paper all day gives me the hands of a ninety-year-old with bad eczema. I regularly apply cream, and I’m constantly on the look out for the latest cure. Nature’s Little Helpers’ ylang ylang hand balm has been a huge help to me this year. It comes in a handy little tin that’s easy to pop in you bag or pocket and carry around with you, and because it’s made from bees wax it stays solid until you’re ready to use it. Then you simply warm a bit up in your hands. Plus, it smells great.

While I’m on the subject of bees, the Co-operative Plan Bee project (www.co-operative.coop/corporate/ethicsinaction/takeaction/planbee/) is a great way to learn more about these fascinating creatures. As well as helping to conserve bee populations in the UK, The Co-operative also use bee as a positive example of how teams should work together.

Are we really still that naïve?

   I heard in the news today that MPs are calling on the Prime Minister to cut the amount of money we spend on wind farms because they're not productive enough yet. Oil wasn't productive enough until someone thought to design a machine that could drill into the ground so we could get to it.

The guilt-free way to keep yourself clean

   Sorry to go all Oprah on you, but I have a new favourite thing. Whilst doing my weekly shopping at Roath Real Food Market, I came across Sebon Soaps ('sebon' is Welsh for 'soap'). They make environmentally-friendly products that are free from palm oil, animal ingredients, artificial fragrances and artificial colours.
   After a chat with the lovely lady behind the stall, I couldn't wait to try some of their products. Unfortunately I'm allergic to soap (as well as garlic, I know - it's wierd), but there was lots more to choose from. As well as their natural soap, Sebon also make other artisan products such as lip balms, deodorants, aftershave and moisturisers. So far I can tell you that the spearmint lip balm is lush, and I was very excited to find that Welsh tiger balm exists. Since my brother brought me a tiny tin of tiger balm back from Thailand seven years ago, I have requested a fresh supply from anyone who I know who has been travelling in Asia. Tiger balm is a great cure-all. It clears your head and sinuses if you have a cold, you can mix it with baby oil and massage it into sore or injured muscles and it even soothes mosquito bites. Sebon's tiger balm isn't as strong as the Thai stuff, so it's great for massaging into pressure points when you have a headache or migraine.
   Although Sebon might seem pricey at first, their products last for ages so in the long run it's a real bargain. For more info check them out on-line www.sebonsoaps.com