Month: January 2017

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So, Can Burnt Toast Give You Cancer?

This topic smacks right back to earlier days, and the Edwina Currie scaremongering of eggs.  Poor eggs hadn’t done anything wrong, and I was pretty sure that slightly charred food was going to be in the same league….

No point in me just blustering though, as without any evidence, our ‘gut’ feeling isn’t ever going to be enough.  Most of us older people are probably not going to bat much of an eyelid at the claim, but for new mothers, or those with younger children, it probably did cause many of them a right worrying day or two.    And the news since, hasn’t toned it down much either.

And really, how on earth did burnt toast and poor roast potatoes, our Christmas staple, become linked with cancer?

If you read the Guardian, we find out about acrylamide and a 1997 happening in Sweden where cows dropped dead, fish floated lifeless and construction workers became ill.  A subsequent study later showed that the control group also had acrylamide in their systems and that it’s probably present in our environment in some way, despite the chemical being toxic and not found naturally in animals.  The link was eventually found to ‘probably’ be in processed food, more likely in starchy foods like bread and potatoes, cooked at high temperatures.

The Food Standards Agency

Acrylamide is a chemical substance formed by a reaction between amino acids and sugars. It typically occurs when foods with high starch content such as potatoes, root vegetables and bread, are cooked at high temperatures (over 120°C) in a process of frying, roasting or baking.

Acrylamide is not deliberately added to foods, it is a natural by-product of the cooking process and has always been present in our food.

The Food Standards Agency released their Go For Gold campaign.  You can read about it here, from the 27th January.   It aims to minimise harmful levels of acrylamide in our own cooking at home, by:

  1. Aiming for a light colour when frying, baking, toasting or roasting starchy foods.
  2. Checking the pack for cooking instructions and following them.
  3. Eating a balanced diet, with a mix of foods.
  4. Asking us not to keep raw potatoes in the fridge, as they say, keeping potatoes in a fridge can increase acrylamide levels.

Is There A Cancer Risk From Eating Burnt Starchy Foods?

How long is a piece of string?  I have no idea.  Everywhere I have looked, uses the words ‘possible,’ ‘probably,’ or ‘unlikely in daily living.’  Studies are likely to have been carried out at levels far above the consumption of humans, but we don’t know for certain.  Acrylamide could be classed as a possible carcinogen, but then again, so can many other things.

The advice not to burn toast, is likely just a help, to not compound any possible levels inside our bodies already.

Should We Stop Eating High Starchy Foods?

None of us can tell anyone else what they should or shouldn’t eat.  It’s very much a personal choice and we have to look at the potential, then weigh up the risks for ourselves and our families.  For me, that would be daft.  Bread and potatoes are almost a whole food group in our house.

What Do I Think?

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An Alternative to Traditional Haggis, Neeps and Tatties. Great for Kids..

And when I say kids, I mean of the big variety too.  My teens like anything wrapped in breadcrumbs or battered, and lets face it, there are times when the easiest option is indeed the best option for us on a day to day basis.  Yes, I make lots of fresh and home cooked meals, but I’m not adverse to also grabbing something from the freezer on a day where I’m rushed, and throwing something hassle free onto an oven tray, to quickly feed the ravenous hordes.

I also have to say, that mashed anything is one of the hardest things I take food photographs of.  Dollops of food just never looks great on a plate, even though it tastes awesome on the way into your belly….

My mother, is very fussy with her food, and for me, looking at a plate of haggis, while traditional, isn’t the most attractive of dishes.  But realistically, that’s not what Burns Night is all about, and that’s the occasion when us Scots celebrate the birthday of the bard, Robert Burns, poet extraordinaire.  If you want to find out more about it, click here.

Mash Direct sent us some samples of their Burns Night Fare, which included traditional Neeps and Tatties (mashed swede and mashed potatoes), and Burns Bites, or a mix of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, coated in a crispy gluten free crumb.

I quite liked how Mash Direct quote Robert Burns, or who I know more as Rabbie Burns, as do many of us up in Scotland.

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftan o’ the puddin’-race!
Aboon them a’ ye take your place,
Painch, tripe or thairm;
Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.
(From the poem, ‘To a Haggis’ by Robert Burns)

These Burns Bites are cooked in the oven at 180 Degrees for 10-12 minutes, while the neeps and tatties can easily be popped into the microwave, so it’s an easy take on a traditional meal, and very very quick.  I added a little ground peppercorn over the top, actually forgetting for a moment, that haggis can be quite spicy, but it was fine.  I’d recommend churning up the tatties before serving, by mixing in the tray, which softens them up, and of course, neeps and tatties would never taste the same, without a generous blob of butter melting into the top.

The Burns Bites would also do quite well as finger food, with neeps and tatties mixed in with the haggis.  It softens the flavour, so the bites aren’t overpowering, and make them quite easy for little ones to manage.  Three Burns Bites is 181 calories, so that’s a perfect amount for me, who always watches what she eats.  We had ours with that other national drink, Irn-Bru, in place of a good dram.

The Burns Bites are a new product for Mash Direct, and in celebration, they wrapped their John Deere tractor in Tartan.  What a fitting sight….  Burns night is the 25th January this year, and the 258th since Rabbie Burns was born.

Image Courtesy of mashdirect.com

Many of us here, do celebrate, with a Ceilidh, a meal at home, or with friends, and Scottish communities everywhere seem to enjoy the celebration.   With the neeps and tatties, grown on their Farm, Mash Direct decided to bring out a product mixing it all together.

Mash Direct Burns Bites and Neeps & Tatties can be found in Tesco Scotland, Morrison’s Scotland, Nisa Scotland and Independents throughout Scotland.

Find out more at Mash Direct.  Thank you for our samples.

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Single Pot Cheddar Cheeseburger Casserole That Will Blow Your Mind

Guest Recipe by Chidinma of Fruitful Kitchen.

Who doesn’t like burgers?

I think there are very few people out there who truly don’t enjoy one. But today, as I was getting ready to go out and buy a burger, I realised how unhealthy that is. I thought of making my own burger, which isn’t hard, but then I wasn’t in the mood to go and get the ingredients.

In comes the one pot cheeseburger casserole! Sounds weird, right? Well, it’s actually delicious and fairly easy to make. I came across this idea because I already had ground beef, cheese, veggies and pasta…why not make something out of these?

Don’t worry, even if it sounds complicated, making this casserole only requires a few steps, some easy-to-find ingredients, and it can be done in one single pot at a time, just make sure you have a sturdy and big pot.

Let’s get cooking this crazy but yummy take on a cheeseburger!

One Pot Beef Burger Casserole With Cheese

Servings: 6/ Prep time: 10 minutes/ Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lb ground beef
  • 1 diced yellow onion
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 2 cups chicken or beef broth
  • ⅓ cup ketchup
  • ½ tbsp mustard
  • 1lb rotini pasta (or any small pasta such as mini penne, mini fusilli, or conchiglie)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Step-by-step Directions

  1. Pick a large pot and add olive oil, let it warm over medium heat. While your pot is warming up, chop your onion into small squares.
  2. Place onion and let it cook until golden or transparent. Once it looks cooked enough, add ground beef and increase the heat a little bit.
  3. Let the meat cook until browned, for about 3-5 minutes. Make sure you mix the beef and onions as it cooks, add the minced garlic and mix again. Finally add salt and pepper to meat as it cooks.
  4. When meat looks brown, stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix together for about 1 minute. After, add ketchup, broth, mustard, pasta and water and stir well so everything mixes together.
  5. Cover your pot, turn down the heat to low, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until your pasta looks tender.
  6. Remove from heat and sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top. Cover again for about 3 minutes, or until your cheese melts sufficiently.
  7. Serve with your favorite toppings, such as lettuce, fresh tomato or even pickles. Enjoy!

Ready to Try This Deconstructed Burger?

I know it seems bizarre at first, but I promise you, once you have tried this casserole, you will be in love. This is the perfect recipe for cold weather, or for a group of friends. Try accompanying it with some baked potatoes, or oven-roasted potatoes if you have a large group of friends coming over to try this dish.

If you are vegetarian, maybe use some mashed chickpeas, or lentils, instead of beef. And if you want gluten free, skip the pasta and use rice pasta, or simply use diced potatoes instead.

When making this recipe, you can add different veggies, I picked these because they are usually the ones that go with burgers, but you can change them up for something more Italian, like olive oils, or something more Mexican, like corn and hot sauce. Give it a try, but always allow your meat to cook first before adding your veggies and sauces.

What do you think? Does this seem like a good, easy recipe to make perhaps this weekend? Let me know what you think and if you have tried it!

Author Bio: Chidinma is the founder of Fruitful Kitchen, a blog that shares delicious recipes and lifestyle tips. Most of her recipes help women with fertility issues, especially fibroids, PCOS, and Endometriosis. Sometimes, however, you will find other interesting recipes, as well as cooking tips and tricks there.

 

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Simple Fruit Pasty Recipe

Have you ever wondered what to do with those leftover bits from tins of fruit?

How about this…

[fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/ScottishMumBlog/videos/1279362062129739/” width=”500″ height=”400″ onlyvideo=”1″]

Fruit Pasty

Lesley Smith
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 Large

Ingredients
  

  • Half Tin Apples or 200g
  • 1-2 Pear Halves
  • 2 Peach Halves
  • 320 g Puff Pastry or 1 Puff Pastry Sheet
  • 1 Egg
  • 8 g Almond Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Coconut Sugar

Instructions
 

  • Chop your fruit into smaller pieces, after draining as much fluid from them as possible. Sprinkle a tablespoon of coconut sugar on the top, spreading all over the fruit.

  • Roll your sheet out on a chopping board. I used a sheet. Slice into 4 portions.

  • Take each piece and roll it until it is a square.

  • Break an egg into a cup, add a tablespoon of coconut sugar and beat.

  • Mix the fruit and coconut sugar, which is likely to have broken down by now, until all mixed in, then add the almond butter and mix in.

  • Split your fruit into four sections. Put a quarter in the middle of each square, and then fold over, pressing at the edges to seal with your fingers.

  • Take a knife and slice some breathing holes into the top of each pasty.

  • Bake at 220C Oven, 220C Fan, Gas Mark 7, until brown on the top. Our ovens all vary, and for mine, it took around 20 minutes.

 

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Pumpkin, Carrot and Leek Soup

I made this in my pressure cooker, but it could easily be made in a pot.  In a pot, you will have to remember to stir frequently, and add more fluid, should some boil off in the process.

The proportions are too large for a soupmaker, and I had many mouths to feed that day, so my pressure cooker had to stand in, with some of the lovely pumpkin I’d frozen from Halloween and just sitting waiting in the freezer for a new dish.

I was a little wary of how this would turn out, as it’s the first time I’d defrosted pumpkin, and it seemed a little watery, with a mushy consistency.  It wouldn’t have been any use for anything other than soup.

Pumpkin, Carrot and Leek Soup

Lesley Smith
Optional - Before adding the rest of your ingredients, lightly fry your leek with the rapessed oil, then add your pumpkin, carrot, leek and potato to the pot and allow it to shallow fry for a couple of minutes, while adding 3 tablespoons of water.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 -8 Bowls

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g Pumpkin, cubed.
  • 250 g Carrots, sliced.
  • 175 g Leek, sliced.
  • 200 g Potato, cubed.
  • 2 clove Garlic or 1 Garlic Cube
  • 1 ltr s, Water
  • 400 ml Semi Skimmed Milk
  • 4 Vegetable Stock Cubes
  • 1 Teaspoon Rapeseed Oil optional
  • Half Red Chilli deseeded and chopped. (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions
 

  • Add all your ingredients to the pot, mix well, and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.

  • Blend with a hand blender.

  • Serve with some chopped chilli or ground peppercorns on top.

 

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Healthy Food for January

I don’t know about all of you, but after Christmas and New Year, one of the things I look forward to is getting my food back under control and being organised in January.  I’m at a point where much more weight loss isn’t really what I’m after as I’d like to recomp, ie add a little muscle but stay roughly within the same weight range, give or take 5 pounds or so.

I don’t want to drop too much more weight, as it will go from my face, instead of where I’d like the last of it to go, ie my belly, but I don’t like looking haggard.  I’ll trade a bit of belly for some flesh on my face.

Hopefully some of the belly will go as I try to decrease body fat in total, but if it means my face gets too thin, I’ll put a couple of pounds back on again.  It’s all about being stronger as I get older, rather than fitting into the smallest size clothes.

So, for the rest of this month, I am back into focussed mode, and that means eating as healthy as I possibly can, while increasing the amount of exercise I do.  Over Christmas, I’ve only done a few runs, and most were on a treadmill.  I don’t mind admitting, that two days ago, my first run outside for a month was punishing.  It took a km for my lungs to settle, and at 4k, the tops of my legs got still although easier to run.  I stopped around the 5k, as I didn’t want to risk getting injured.  I can still pound out 10k+ on the treadmill, but outside is different, especially if there’s some wind.

My internet connection is pretty rubbish at the moment, so I can’t upload the new videos I have sitting waiting, but in the meantime, I’ve added posts that have some of the food I’ll likely be eating. I’m aiming for 1300 calories and 100g protein a day.  As I don’t eat that much meat at the moment, finding protein in lower calorie foods is a challenge, hence my choices below.

My Go To Foods This Month

  • Protein Powder – My choice is MyProtein, due to how easy it is to get and value for money.  Want to get a discount on your first order? Click here to use my referral code and get 25% off your first order if it’s over £25.
  • Protein Bars – Again, I go to MyProtein, and get their High Protein version as it’s nearly 30g protein in each bar.
  • Dried Mango.
  • Medjool Dates.
  • Skyr – Various Flavours.
  • Mixed Berries.
  • Persimmon and Banana.
  • Milk.

My Trusty Filler Recipes

 Cream of Sweet Potato and Tomato Soup                 High Protein Chocolate Pudding

          

Chunky Mediterranean Vegetable Soup                   Veg

          

Broccoli, Sweetcorn & Asparagus Soup                      Frozen Mango Yoghurt