the stonesoup diaries

I love Winter in a cold climate. Frosty mornings and crisp clear days.

But even so, I also love knowing that we’ve made it to the shortest day of the year and that Summer is (slowly) on its way.

So to celebrate, I have a wonderful Winter recipe for you. It’s slow cooked lamb shanks with one of my favourite Winter veg, the humble parsnip.

And it couldn’t be simpler, just pop everything in a pot and into the oven. Then all it takes is a few hours while you can potter around doing other things.

Too easy and so comforting!

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lamb shanks with parsnip
serves 2

2 lamb shanks
6 medium parsnips
1 can tomatoes (400g / 14oz)
2 sprigs rosemary
2 red onions, chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 150C (300F). Place shanks, whole parsnip, tomatoes, rosemary and onions in an oven proof pot. Add 1 1/2 cups water and cover with a lid. Season.

2. Bake for 2 hours. Remove lid and bake for another 1-2 hours or until shanks are tender and browned and the sauce has reduced.

VARIATIONS
beef - replace shanks with osso buco and reduce cooking time to about 2 1/2 hours total.

chicken - replace shanks with chicken thighs or drumsticks. Reduce total cooking time to 1 – 1.5 hours.

slow cooker – pop everything in the slow cooker. Skip the water. Cook for 8-10 hours on low, you might like to brown the shanks under the grill (broiler) before serving.

vegetarian / vegan – replace shanks with a can of chickpeas. Reduce cooking time to 1 or 1.5 hours.

Cheers
Jules x

ps. Looking for help with your meal planning?
Then you need the 2-Minute Meal Plan.
More details:
www.thestonesoupshop.com/2mmp/

I’m a big fan of home made lunches.

Cheaper, healthier and way more tasty that bought lunch options.

Not to mention much more fun.

But I did used to suffer from the occasional home made lunch disaster…

That terrible feeling when you realise that your lunch as leaked into your favourite handbag or brief case… Never a good look (or smell!).

Then my Irishman introduced me to the glass containers with plastic lids made by Pyrex.

I haven’t looked back.

I’ve since completely got rid of my old recycled take away containers. And the few odds and ends of Tupperware I had picked up along the way.

So not only does my lunch look way more appealing, it’s been years and years since I’ve had to do an emergency handbag clean out.

Like to learn more about healthy lunches?

Then you’ll love the ‘Beyond the Sandwich: Healthy Lunch Ideas’ class at the Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School!

For more details go to:
www.thestonesoupshop.com/lunch/

Cheers
Jules x

ps. Hurry! Doors close to the SVCS soon. It’s your last chance to get in at the current price.

For me, a meal isn’t a proper, healthy meal until there is some sort of salad or green veg involved.

As much as I love a classic green salad for its versatility and deliciousness, salad leaves and lettuces tend not to last that long in the fridge.

I used to find myself having to make a trip to the shops to top up our salad greens supply between major shopping trips. Always a hassle.

Over the last few years I’ve discovered a wonderful alternative.

Shaved cabbage salads.

Not only do they taste wonderfully fresh and crunchy, cabbage usually has even more nutritional goodness than salad greens.

But the best part is cabbages will keep in the fridge for easily a few weeks, just waiting for you to decide its salad time. Win. Win. Win!

Last week I experimented with a new riff on the old shaved cabbage favourite using baby brussels sprouts instead.

So so good!
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shaved brussels sprouts salad
serves 2 as a side

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or sherry vinegar
2 handfuls brussels sprouts

1. Combine lemon juice, vinegar and 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl. Season.

2. Trim and discard the bases of the brussels sprouts. Then finely shave lengthwise using a mandoline or sharp knife & a steady hand. The finer your shavings the nicer your salad.

3. Toss shaved sprouts in the dressing.

VARIATIONS
cabbage – if brussels aren’t your thing, use 1/2 white, chinese or savoy cabbage

no rice vinegar? – replace with sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar or extra lemon juice.

Cheers
Jules x

ps. Would you like to make a real difference to your healthy cooking and eating habits?

Well now’s your chance to join the Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School before the price rise and learn just how easy AND delicious healthy cooking can be…

Click on the the class which sounds most interesting below:
:: Beyond the Sandwich: Healthy Lunch Ideas
:: Solve Your Dinner Dilemma
:: Reclaim Your Waistline
:: Master Your Meal Plan

Note: When you sign up, you’ll get access to ALL the classes for the one low price…

OK so you’re probably wondering who the hell is Mr Wilkinson?

So we’ll clear that up right away…

Mr Wilkinson, or Matt to his friends, is an English chef now based in Melbourne and his new book, ‘Mr Wilkinson’s Favourite Vegetables’ is my latest cookbook crush.

I just love it!

And what is Mr Wilkinson’s favourite vegetable?

I won’t spoil the surprise, in case you decide to read the book for yourself.

Instead I thought I’d share the recipe for a brilliant little raw zucchini salad I made a few months ago inspired by the wonderful Mr Wilkinson.

If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you’re in for a treat now as zucchini are coming into season. For everyone else, I know Summer seems like a long way away, but I’ll make a note to remind you guys (and myself) about this salad when we get there!
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salted zucchini salad
serves 2 as a side

Inspired by Mr Wilkinson’s Favourite Vegetables.

2 medium zucchini (courgettes)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
small bunch flat leaf parsley or basil, leaves picked
3-4 tablespoons goats cheese, optional

1. Slice zucchini into thin ribbons using a mandoline then cut into spaghetti strands using a knife. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes. Stand for 3 minutes.

2. Rinse zucchini and pat dry using paper towel.

3. Combine lemon juice with 2 tablespoons olive oil. No need to add salt.

4. Toss the dry zucchini strips in the dressing with the parsley or basil. Scatter over the cheese, if using.
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If you’d like to explore Mr Wilkinson’s wonderful vegetable world on your own, you can pick up a copy over at the book depository, and if you decide to buy a copy from this link I’ll get a small commission so you’ll be supporting Stonesoup too!

Cheers,
Jules x

ps. In case you missed it last week, I’m working on a new ebook focusing on easy weight management tips, I’d love to get your thoughts on this topic!

I’ve created a super quick 3 question survey, please follow the link below to let me know what you think:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H9NFCHC

When it comes to burgers, I’m not usually one to get excited about cheeseburgers.

So I surprised myself the other day when I came up with the idea of having cheeseburgers as a way to use up some leftover guryere cheese.

I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed the simple burger covered with oozy cheesy goodness.

And it finally dawned on me…

The secret to an amazing cheese burger?

It’s all about the cheese.

It needs to be something full-flavoured AND it needs to be a good ‘melting’ cheese.

That’s it.

Guryere is perfect but you could also play around with other Swiss cheeses like raclette. Or go for a combo of something like parmesan for flavour and mozzarella for melting.

Just steer clear of plastic processed cheese and you’ll be laughing.

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the ultimate cheeseburger
serves 2

2 onions, peeled & sliced
450g (1lb)ground (minced) beef
100g (3.5oz) guryere cheese, finely sliced
tomato ketchup, to serve

1. Cook onion on a BBQ hot plate on a medium heat with loads of olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft & browned. Remove from the heat.

2. Increase the BBQ temp. Season beef and form into 2 patties.

3. Cook burgers for about 4-5 minutes. Turn and layer the cheese on top. Close the lid of the BBQ and continue to cook for another 5 minute or until the cheese is melted and the burgers are cooked to your liking.

4. Serve asap with onion and ketchup on the side.

VARIATIONS
vegetarian – try these chickpea burgers instead of the beef.

dairy-free – skip the whole cheese idea and keep it real with regular burgers.

Hope you have a wonderful (and warm!) weekend.

Cheers,
Jules x
www.thestonesoupdiaries.com

ps.
I’m working on a new ebook focusing on easy weight management, I’d love to get your thoughts on this topic!

I’ve created a super quick 3 question survey, please follow the link below to let me know what you think:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H9NFCHC