We're off!

Well the training really is over now.  I finished off with a couple of laps of Richmond Park with my panniers full of books for added weight!  To start with it felt like I was pulling a trailer behind me, but by the time I was on the homeward stretch, I forgot they were there. Let's hope it feels that way when we make our first ascent on the very steep hills of Cornwall!
We've had lots of great support on our JustGiving site, which really helps us want to achieve our goal, knowing that there are people out there keeping tracks on us.
I will try to add a few blogs along the way, so do keep checking in to see how we are getting on.  I will also send daily tweets @Enjoynibbling.

Easter Treats

One week to go before we make the crazy trip, cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats, climbing the highest peaks of Wales, England and Scotland along the way - will my legs (or bottom!) make it?
In preparation I have been eating a little more than normal, thinking that it will be impossible to eat enough to sustain the amount of exercise we are going to be doing on a daily basis - apart from anything else, there will just not be enough time!
Easter being the week before we set off has been perfect, no holding back on the chocolate and hot cross buns.  It also meant I had time to escape to Norfolk to train with Jon, who is joining us on the ride - he assured me he could find us some hills to train on - he has no idea that in comparison the 'hills' of Norfolk are just little pimples!
The only problem with making my own hot cross buns is that I make far too many and, despite giving lots away I still have more than I can eat.
Having made bread and butter pudding with Panettone for a Christmas twist, I figured hot cross buns would also work a treat - and I was right.

Hot Cross Pudding

Serves 6-8

4 hot cross buns, halved
25g unsalted buter, softened
100g dried apricots
8 egg yolks
175g caster sugar
400ml double cream
200ml milk
1 vanilla pod, split
sugar to sprinkle

1.  Butter the halves of hot cross buns and place them in a buttered oven-proof dish.  Sprinkle with the dried apricots.
2.  Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl.
3.  Pour the cream and milk into a small pan, add the split vanilla pod and bring to a simmer.
4.  Pour the cream mixture through a sieve into the eggs and sugar, and whisk well.
5.  Pour the custard over the hot cross buns and leave to soak for 20 minutes.  Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4.
6.  Cook for 20-30 minutes in a roasting tin half filled with water. Sprinkle with sugar when it comes out of the oven before serving.

Row Zambezi boats are launched!

Wow, what an exciting weekend!  The boats for the Row Zambezi trip arrived at Eton Excelsior rowing club on Saturday morning, and they are beautiful!  But not only that, they are also gorgeous to scull in - smooth, balanced and really easy to steer.  The only draw-back they have is their weight which makes them hard to lift when we have to carry them over the undergrowth to avoid rapids etc.  But luckily we have a great man on the case - Dan, who appears to love such a challenge is making carrying straps as we speak!
The weekend was spent rowing them in different combinations of people, with and without a cox, and finding out how to change things, which spares will be needed etc.  It was valuable time spent getting to know how everything works and now we just have to train as much as possible in them.  It was very strange getting back into my little single scull this morning - it will be hard to keep switching between to two, but hopefully I will get used to it!
As the Team Nutritionist I am also taking on board what the team will need to keep them energised but not bored with the food, so have been experimenting with ways to make our own energy bars (this may be impossible on the trip, but I'm having fun whilst at home!).  My first attempt was greeted with positive remarks, so it's looking promising.
Making your own energy bars is great - dried fruit gives the sweetness and also helps to bind the bars or balls.  Nuts and seeds are needed for protein so always include those too.






Energy Balls!


120g pecan nuts
120g walnuts
50g ground linseeds
110g dates
40g coconut oil
40g desiccated coconut
grated rind of 2 oranges
juice of 1/2 orange
2 knobs stem ginger and a little syrup
100g dark chocolate, broken into chunks


1.  Process the pecans and walnuts in a blender until they are crumbs.  Mix in a bowl with the linseeds.
2.  Place the remaining ingredients in the food processor and blitz until they start to come together.
3.  Add the nut mixture to the food processor and blitz again until the mixture is a stiff dough.
4.  Using wet hands, take about 2 tsp of the mixture and roll into a ball.  Repeat with the remaining mixture then place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
5.  Melt the chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Gently roll the balls in the chocolate, then leave to set on a cooling rack.

A Healthier Alternative to Ice-Cream

This amazing weather has got me in the mood for ice-cream.  But rather than overdose on fat I thought I would help myself a little by using natural yoghurt, instead of rich cream and eggs.  Once you have the base of a creamy natural yoghurt, the rest is easy - just add your favourite ingredients!

Be warned though, because there is less fat and less sugar in these recipes the iced yoghurt will freeze very hard if left too long (I ate mine before this happened!) and will need to be left to soften again before eating.

Ideas to help inspire you include;  figs and honey (chop the figs, cook in a little orange juice and honey and leave to cool before blending until smooth and stirring into the yoghurt before freezing), chocolate (I made a thick sauce using Willie's 100% with water and a little honey to sweeten.  Leave to cool, stir into yoghurt and freeze).  Other delicious ideas include stirring in rich marmalade or good home-made lemon curd, or crumbling  ginger biscuits and adding with chopped stem ginger.

I could go on, but I have to get outside and eat some more iced yoghurt before the sun disappears!

Travelling gifts

I have a friend who has a great job of travelling the world to research and write about fruit.  I thought my job was pretty good, but I think he just out-ranks me!  And I thought when I asked if there was anything he would like me to bring back from Spain that his answer would be 'no', as he no doubt would be visiting there some time soon.
But I was wrong, and I had forgotten his love of wacky things - things like creative tins of food (not the food in them you understand, just the tins themselves!).  Hence I found myself wandering around the market looking for circular (he had been quite specific about them not being oval) tins of tuna.  I became like a twitcher, hunting out the most beautiful round tin I could find - I hope he will not be disappointed.
Once home I needed a taste of Spain to cheer me in this cold grey climate, so one of the tins had to be opened - sorry Chris!











Tuna with Cannellini Bean and Roasted Red Pepper

Serves 4
3 red peppers, halved and deseeded
200g can tuna in oil

1/2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
60g cherry tomatoes, halved
380g can cannellini beans, drained
sprigs of fresh parsley

1.  Place the pepper halves under a hot grill, skin side up,  and leave them until they are totally black.
Place them in a bowl and cover with cling film and leave until cool enough to handle.  Peel off the charred skin and slice the peppers.
2.  Drain the oil from the tuna into a bowl and whisk in the mustard, honey and balsamic vinegar to taste.
3.  Using a fork, break up the tuna  and place onto a platter.  Add the strips of red pepper, drained cannellini beans, red onion and cherry tomatoes.
4.  Pour over the dressing and toss very briefly.  Scatter over the fresh parsley and serve.

The Great Taste of Pepper

Another great evening hosted by The Guild of Food Writers - Christine McFadden has recently published a book covering every aspect of pepper you could wish to know and last night she gave us just a hint of what an exciting and diverse ingredient pepper is.
I had never realised how different the various variety of peppers could taste and smell - Christine had us sniffing and tasting white, red, green and black pepper, all of which come from the same plant, and each are so very distinctive.
After the tasting of pepper by itself we were treated to nibbles that included pepper, and these were not restricted to savoury dishes alone, infact I found myself preferring the sweet peppery dishes, much to my amazement!
Home-made soft cheese with the different coloured peppers was followed by Parmesan pepper crisps, then wonderful semi-dried figs that had been halved and dipped in pepper, and creamy peppery shortbread.  The final dish Christine cooked in front of us - pineapple that had been studded with long pepper, left over night to marinate, then sauteed in butter and served with it's own gorgeous syrup - heavenly.
Other things I learnt were that most of our pepper is grown in Kerela, India and that those lovely pink peppercorns that look so pretty on dishes, are not pepper at all and should be avoided at all costs!  And the reason why you should grind your own pepper and not buy it already ground is that the whole point of grinding it fresh is to ensure you get the aromatics from the oil in the husk of the peppercorn - the heat actually comes from the middle.
There is also the health aspect of using pepper - black pepper has demonstrated antibacterial effects as well as stimulating the taste buds to help improve digestion.  The other reason for grinding your own, is that most commercial ground pepper is roasted and is therefore an irritant rather than a stimulant.
Christine is so intent on having good pepper that she even has a mobile pepper mill that fits in her handbag, and travels everywhere with her!
For great pepper and other spices, go to Seasoned Pioneers.