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A Healthy Kitchen is a Happy Kitchen

April 15, 2012 By

When you think about health and safety in the food industry it is easy to think of some of the more ridiculous warnings which appear on food and beverage packaging, such as a bag of nuts with ‘make contain nuts’ emblazoned across the side, or the disposable coffee cup which warns you that the contents are hot. Whilst they are momentarily amusing, their reason for being often stems from a serious incident where a consumer has been harmed and the law has ruled these warnings necessary.

In the restaurant business there are several levels of health and safety requirements to be aware of. Clearly, food handling is a big part of the job so all the applicable qualifications will be required. There are then rules relating to staff welfare to consider and then of course the safety of the customers themselves. Knowledge gained at fire safety courses is just as valuable as that gleaned from customer care workshops so make sure that you pay attention and even if the subject matter is dry you stay alert and concentrate.

For kitchen workers in restaurants their ambition might be to train for a Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate once the basis course has been completed. Make sure you select a reputable training supplier and that the course is properly accredited before you part with any course fees. Request recommendations from trusted sources or look online for a reputable training facility to trust to look after your employees.

With any training, revising the course content is helpful on a regular basis to ensure best practice is being adhered to, and don’t be afraid to have reminders on display in the workplace. Reference aids for things like food storage temperatures are available in poster form and are a useful aide memoir for many people. A healthy kitchen is a happy kitchen after all!

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Cooking from scratch or ready meals?

December 20, 2011 By

As anyone who has a family to cook for will know, making quick meals is often the priority. With a million and one other jobs to do around the house, any busy mum or dad will wants to be able to whip up something tasty and nutritious without slaving over a hot stove for hours on end.

And of course it’s not just parents; for busy working men and women, time is also often of the essence, and many of us simply don’t have the time to spend hours in the kitchen making a gourmet meal for one.

So does this mean we have to resort to a constant diet of ready meals? Not necessarily. You can whip up some delicious and nourishing meals in a short amount of time without always relying on the microwave. It’s just about learning a few quick cooking cheats and preparing in advance.

So, for example, if you find that you have an hour or two spare on a lazy Sunday, you could put some music on and take your time to cook up a healthy stew or pasta dish; it doesn’t have to be stressful. Then simply freeze and you can heat up a tasty meal in minutes throughout the week. You’ve basically got your own homemade ready meals! Half the price and you can control exactly what goes into them; perfect!

And cooking from scratch needn’t mean buying a hundred weird and wonderful ingredients either. A simple baked potato popped in the oven for a couple of hours while you get on with something else makes a healthy and very tasty meal, served with baked beans, cheese or just butter – whatever takes your fancy.

Of course, every now and again, there is nothing wrong with buying the odd microwave meal. They can be expensive for what you get however, so make sure you use Printable Coupons to make the most of your money.

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Make sure bread’s on your shopping list

November 8, 2011 By

If you are looking for ideas for tasty and nutritious snacks but are pushed for time and money, then do not overlook the humble loaf! Bread is a relatively cheap and filling food product that can be used in many more ways than you might think.

For breakfasts, there is nothing quite like the simple pleasure of buttered white toast or soft boiled eggs with toasted soldiers for dipping.

Of course, the one thing we most often associate this sometimes under-rated food with is the ever-popular sandwich. Ever since polite society started enjoying it as a late-night snack to accompany gambling and drinking nights in the 18th century, the sandwich has been one of our most popular light meals or filling snacks.

And it’s no wonder, when you can ring the changes so easily! If you are catering for fussy kids, for example, a jam sandwich in white bread usually goes down a treat, or a ham and tomato sandwich in wholemeal bread makes a nutritious and filling savoury option.

Don’t forget about hot sandwiches either! A cheese and tomato toastie or a chicken and ham panini melt make a wonderfully warming snack if you’re short on time

As well as making a never-ending variety of tasty hot and cold sandwiches and quick and easy breakfasts, bread can be used as an ingredient in other dishes too. If your bread has started to go slightly stale (although not mouldy) it can be used to make a fabulous bread and butter pudding, for example, and there are many other recipes that involve using breadcrumbs. So you need never let that loaf go to waste.

And if you really can’t use it all up in time, the birds will be grateful for you sharing the leftovers with them!

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When is a diet not a diet but an easy way of life?

October 25, 2011 By

I want to go on a diet, but I really want a diet that’s not like a diet!  Does that make sense? I want to be able to lead a normal life, eating meals that are sensible, not over doing it on the calories and not struggling with that packet of biscuits I know is at the back of the cupboard. [Read more...]

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Curries for dieters

September 1, 2011 By

Since getting married thirty-odd years ago I have acquired a good collection of cookery books, many of them on Indian cooking, but it is to Madhur Jaffrey that I turn time and time again. Indeed her original Indian Cookery is my bible when I fancy cooking a curry.

Two in particular are favourites when I have stepped on the scales and had a shock: her chicken with red peppers, and chicken with lemon and coriander. Chicken as they say is the dieters’ friend although her prawns in a dark sauce are good for dieters too.

The chicken and red pepper sauce involves making a mixture in a blender of onions, root ginger, garlic, almonds , peppers, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne. This combined with some water and lemon juice is the medium in which the chicken is cooked.

The chicken with lemon and coriander again involves making a paste, this time with root ginger and water and then frying with some garlic. With lots of fresh coriander, green chilli, cayenne, cumin, coriander, and turmeric this gives a delicious tangy sauce in which to cook your chicken. This tasty sauce can also be used as a basis for a variety of vegetarian recipes for the health conscious.

As an accompaniment, plain boiled rice is best. Many Indian rice recipes involve frying the rice in oil which obviously all adds to the calorific value of the meal. Naan bread is high in calories too so if you must have naaan with your curry why not try the low calorie mini naans available in many supermarkets. The good news about poppadoms is that they are only 65 calories each so if they are your weakness have one with a clear conscience! Most supermarkets sell ready cooked ones which are healthier than the ones you fry in oil at home.

A quick look on the internet provides yet more online recipes that are healthy and easy to cook so even if you are on a diet there is no need to deprive yourself of your favourite food.

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Convenient Online Grocery Shopping

August 26, 2011 By

 

Online grocery shopping has become very popular over the last few years due to widespread internet access across the population.  Big supermarket chains were the first to offer online grocery shopping, and the convenience of placing an order online and receiving a grocery, vegetable and/or fruit delivery has many benefits. The downside, however is that there is, in many cases, a minimum order cost (often £50) and delivery charges can also apply.

Well there is now an alternative to the supermarket giants.  milk&more, part of the Dairy Crest Group enables you to place an order from their extensive range of well known brands and have it delivered to your door by a your local milkman.  The method is very straightforward and has the added advantage of no extra delivery charge.  The first thing to do is to visit the milk&more website at www.milkandmore.co.uk.  Here you can input your postcode, which will introduce  your milkman (the service currently covers extensive parts of South Wales and England  serving more than 1 million UK homes.)  Then browse the online shop for the products you want and complete the simple payment forms.  For orders placed before 9:00pm your milkman will deliver your groceries as early as your next delivery morning.

As well as milk and other dairy products, milk&more’s range includes bread, breakfast cereals, crisps,  snacks, as well as fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables for delivery to your door.  There is even a selection of household products such as cling film and tissues and a range of pet foods so all members of the family can wake up happy!

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