With their meat-spud-veggie past, it was only natural for the British colonialists in India to have made off with a spice or two (or 99), and perfectly fitting now that one of the current British national dishes is chicken tikka masala.

Both Coronation and Jubilee chicken involve poultry (usually leftover!) in a spiced mayo dressing. Piquant, creamy, aromatic, sweet and savory — what’s not to like?

While I have cooked the chicken from scratch for my recipe below, just use leftover chicken if you’re pinched for time. (On a side note, who thought it’d be a great idea to serve leftover chicken slapped in two pieces of bread to a queen?!) This was absolutely delicious with a crisp salad and in a sandwich. It would also work with pasta. And, like many things imbued with spices, it tastes even better the next day!

Tips: As above, to save time, use pre-cooked chicken or simplify the ‘bird’ marinade to salt, pepper and lime, and double the spices in the saute marinade. But never, never skip the sauteéing of the spices. This is mandatory to avoid the gritty taste and lack of aroma of uncooked spices. I used a part-ripe mango here for its piquancy. Feel free to use raisins and a small handful of sliced almonds, often bedfellows of the royal coronation chicken :)

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For the bird:

• Chicken, 4 fillets, skinless
• Ground coriander, 1/2 tbsp
• Garam masala, 1 tsp
• Ginger, fresh, 2 tsp heaped
• Rice vinegar or lime juice, 1/2 tsp to 1 tbsp
• Mirin, 1 tsp
• Olive oil, 3/4 tbsp

1. Broil on Hot setting on your oven broiler for about 10–12 minutes
2. Check that chicken is done by cutting it at its thickest bit
3. Leave to cool a little before chopping into little cubes.

For the dressing and marinade:

• Thick yoghurt, 2 tbsp
• Sour cream, 2 tbsp
• *Mayo, 1 tbsp (optional)
• Fat slice of lime or lemon, use the juice (and zest if you wish)
• Mango chutney, 2 tbsp
• Mint, small handful, chop finely

1. Mix in a bowl, season, and set aside

Sauteéd ingredients for marinade:

• Chopped, 2 shallots
• Scallions, 3, slice white bits, keep sliced green bits for garnishing
• *Mango, part or fully ripe, cut into cubes (optional)
• Garam masala, 1 tsp
• Turmeric, 1/2 tsp
• Cayenne pepper, smallest pinch

1. Saute the shallots and scallions in some olive oil till wilted
2. Add the ground spices, then the mango
3. Season with some salt, cook till softened and fragrant
4. Fold this into the yoghurt marinade
5. Add the chicken
6. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (eg. more lemon juice or pepper)
7. Serve in a sandwich as is or with a green salad.

A New Coronation Chicken, Fit for a Queen was originally published in Diva Indoors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I found some delightfully magenta Japanese yams while foraging for seasonal goodies in the dark woods well-lit aisles of my local Whole Foods.

Vivid on the outside, they’re crisp-white inside, and a wonderful addition to a festive tray of roast vegetables. They were just the inspiration I needed for my Asian-twist latke tradition, an annual rite which enters its 17th year (er, I started very, very young).

All you need to do is grate these yams, along with a regular potato, directly into a bowl of water and drain (and repeat). This keeps them from oxidizing, or looking like they’ve caught the bubonic plague. For good measure, I threw in some chopped, red serrano chilis and nori (seaweed).

If you need to cut down on carbs, I’d suggest swapping out the potato for grated zucchini, and upping the eggs factor.

You may also find a recipe for Indian-inspired latkes here and some that are Chinese-inspired.

Fear not if you run into trouble with the batter, click here for some helpful tips.

When you’ve finally made a lotka latkes and need help restoring your now-greasy kitchen to its former stainless steel glory, click here for inspiration and tips. (You’re most welcome!)

Last but not least, here’s the recipe for Japanese Yam Latkes with Nori and Chili Flakes. They fry up to a delicious crisp and don’t tend to be greasy. Once done, place them on kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil, and keep them warm in a preheated 240F oven. Serve with sour cream, apple sauce or thick, Greek yoghurt.

Enjoy, and Happy Hanukkah!

What you need:

• Japanese yam, 1, grated
• regular potato, 1, grated
• leek, 2, sliced
• ginger, 1 tsp, grated
• nori sheet, 1, snipped
• red serrano chili, 1, deseeded and chopped
• salt, 1–1 1/2 tsp
• eggs, 2, beaten
• flour, 2 tbsp
• soy sauce, 2 tsp

What you do:

1. Grate the yam and potato directly into a bowl of cold water
2. Do this a couple of times and drain it. Set aside
3. Combine the first six ingredients
4. In another bowl, beat the eggs with salt, soy and flour
5. Stir the egg mixture into the now-drained grated spud mixture
6. Heat some olive oil in a pan
7. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat down to a moderate temperature
8. Drop flattened handfuls or spoonfuls of potato batter into the oil
9. Cook for 2–3 minutes each side, or till golden brown
10. Lift them off the pan, drain on kitchen paper
11. Keep warm in the oven or serve immediately

For Hanukkah, Japanese Yam Latkes with Nori and Chili was originally published in Diva Indoors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The best thing about these lamb koftas is also their worst thing — they’re so darned tasty that however large a batch you make, there’s only going to be these three wee balls left (and I had to hide them) as evidence of your labors.These koftas were actually Plan B. The weather, which was uncooperative, left Plan A out in the rain — burgers on the barbie. But luckily what I had planned to use for A, a creation from just last week, were also perfect for B (today’s happy brainwave).

Here’s how you make them. We had them with rice and sautéed spinach and tomatoes.

For the koftas:

• Lamb, minced, about 1 ½ pounds
• Leek, finely sliced into rounds, 3 large ones
• Mint, two large handfuls, chopped
• Ginger, 1 ½ inch worth, chopped into smithereens
• Garam masala, 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce, 1 tbsp
• Salt and pepper, as needed

1. Saute the leek and ginger till softened
2. Add the garam masala, stir till well incorporated and fragrant
3. Bung leek and ginger into a bowl with the soy sauce and chopped mint
4. Add raw meat to it, mix it well together and form into balls
5. Brown the koftas in a little olive oil to caramelize them a little on both sides, they don’t need to be cooked through
6. Remove and place on kitchen paper to soak up excess oil

To make the curry:

• Leek or several shallots, sliced
• Ginger, 1 inch worth, chopped finely
• Garlic, chopped, 1 tsp
• Coriander, ground, 1 tbsp
• Cumin, 1 tsp
• Stock, 1 to 1 ½ cups
• Optional — Coconut cream, 2 tbsp

1. Saute leek, ginger and garlic, add half a chopped chili if you like (I do like)
2. Add the dry spices and sauté till fragrant
3. Add some chicken stock, about 1 to 1 ½ cups
4. Go slowly, so your curry isn’t too thin
5. Once it starts to simmer, gently add the kofta balls into the curry
6. Cook about 10 mins, making sure it’s simmering and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan
7. Season towards the end, adding 2 tbsp of thick coconut cream if you like

Eat immediately. Serve with rice and raita and a fresh sautéed veg. Enjoy!

Lamb Koftas with Leek and Mint was originally published in Diva Indoors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Where I grew up, in Malaysia and Singapore, this festival (along with Hari Raya Puasa (the Muslim Eidl), Diwali and Christmas) were open-door celebrations, with neighbors and friends dropping in and out of the celebrants’ homes to wish them well and to partake of the festive goodies. They would mostly be invited, although it would be perfectly normal also to drop in unannounced (to avoid horrified looks, this helps if you know the person ;) ).

My late Granddad’s best friend, Uncle Guan (which was actually his first name), was Peranakan Chinese. He was a descendant of late 15th and 16th century immigrants to the Indonesian islands, who adopted some of the local customs and style of dress, and developed their own hybrid of Nyonya or Baba Chinese cuisine.

He also might have been a perfect character for an Asian version of the TV drama, Big Love (albeit a more genteel, non-violent one) .

A tradition that was peculiar to the Babas is that they (by this I mean the men) sometimes had more than one wife, and he, his spouses and all the fruit of their loins, and of their loins’ loins, often lived quite happily under the same roof. This was the case with our lovely Uncle Guan, his first wife, Mrs Guan, his second wife, Mrs Teo, and their 11 children. Yes, I did say 11. People had heaps of kids in those days, so, with two wives, this was rather a modest number, really.

My Granddad and Uncle Guan had forged a firm and tight friendship from World War II days, when Malaysia was occupied by Japanese forces. They would sit and natter on for hours on end in Malay, the only language common to them (my Grandad didn’t have first-language familiarity with it), though between them, they must have spoken 8 or 9 languages. I found it incredible and charming that they still got their messages across with no worries, and their raucous laughter would ring out every few minutes, reverberating off the Teos’ newly painted walls of their modest, but impeccably kept kampung (or village) home.

The details of how their friendship flourished, I am not entirely sure of. But I have been told that my Granddad looked after the Teo family (Teo was their surname) during the war and offered them protection from the Japanese. The Indians, a much smaller minority than the Chinese, apparently posed less of a threat to the colonialists at the time, earning a few extra ounces of trust this way.

After the war, Uncle Guan started a ritual of including my Granddad and his entire family, comprising kids, kids’ spouses and grandchildren, at the Guan-Teo family’s Chinese new year reunion dinner, held on the eve of the new year. Traditionally, this party is almost sacred, for family only, so we were very honored indeed.

Their dinners were an astounding and memorable affair, a multi-sensory feast of up to twenty dishes. In my child’s mind, it resembled all the wedding parties I had attended, beating them handily in taste and presentation.

The meal would begin with sharks’ fin soup (I’m not sure if this was the real or artificial stuff), and include whole, steamed, gingery fish (a Lunar new year symbol of luck), roast chicken and duck, longevity noodles and my favorite, something named by the Guans simply as a yam cake.

This yam cake was absolutely the most orgasmically delicious thing my taste buds had had the pleasure of being tickled by (even at that tender age before I started to use such adverbs).

A steamed pudding of meat, likely pork, and purple yam, marinated with ginger, scallions and other hitherto-secret spices, possibly with flecks of black mushroom and Chinese sausage, the yam cake then encased in a mysterious skin which I believe could have been beancurd. It was steamed (though I remember the outer layer as being delightfully crunchy) and served piping hot, then sliced at the banquet table. As you bit into it, the sweet and savory, the crunchy and squishy, would all explode and meld in your mouth. You just didn’t want to stop eating the darned thing till it was all gone.

Now, if there’s anyone out there to whom this yam cake sounds familiar, please tell me its name. Offer me a recipe, and I may have to instate you as a permanent guest at reunion yam cake-workship dinners of my own!

For afters, we (my three brothers and I) could never get enough of Mrs Teo and Mrs Guan’s homemade pineapple jam tarts. On the butteriest, crumbliest base, sat a wodge of sweet, gooey homemade pineapple jam. While I’d eat mine slowly and daintily, savoring every bite of the modestly sweetened base with the almost chewy (in a good way) jam on top, my brothers would often stuff two or three into their mouths, nearly choking on the buttery powdery biscuit base because of the giggles that often accompanied this act of unadulterated greed. These are still tied at No. 1 in my Top Ten Tarts list (along with my mum’s, which were equally scrumptious. Yes, there’ll have to be a blog post on those soon).

As if that entire feast wasn’t good enough, Uncle Guan never let us come away without handing each of us several mandarin oranges and a plump hongbao, into which he had stuffed freshly minted notes (always of an even denomination for good luck).

Dumplings, which resemble money pouches, are an auspicious item to serve at Chinese New Year, a festival which goes on for 15 days. To make these vegetable ones, avoid telling long stories. Focus. Get these ingredients, and get to work ;)

• shiitake mushrooms, 100g
• chinese cabbage, about half, sliced thinly
• green onions or scallions, 2, diced
• chinese leek, 3, sliced thinly (white part only)
• garlic, 2, crushed
• ginger, 1 tbsp, freshly grated
• five-spice powder, 1/2 tsp
• hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp
• soy sauce, 1 tbsp
• sesame oil, 1/2 tbsp plus 1 tbsp veg oil of your choice
• chinese cabbage, about half, sliced thinly
• circular dumpling wrappers (from Chinatown or local Chinese supermarket)

1. In a wok, saute, in the sesame oil with a bit of sunflower seed oil, the ginger, garlic, leek and onions till fragrant
2. Add the mushrooms, cabbage and flavorings
3. Stir fry quickly, till just done
4. Take it off the heat
5. Take one dumpling wrapper, add about a teaspoon of the veg filling in the middle of it, run a water-dipped finger around its circumference and then bring both ends together in a semi-circle. Pleat the top of the dumpling as you wish.
6. Dumplings may be steamed in a bamboo or stainless steel steamer for 8 minutes, or fried in oil
7. I steamed them this time and they were lovely, but will fry them next time!

(Warning: Dumplings on screen may appear larger than they are in real life!)

Happy Year of the Horse! And a tale of two grandfathers was originally published in Diva Indoors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

A happy coincidence in the Gregorian and Hebrew calendars brings us Thanksgivukkah this year — a simultaneous Hanukkah and Thanksgiving food fest — and a phenomenon not likely to be repeated on November 28th for possibly a century.

This basically means two things:

1) Not a lot for those of you who don’t celebrate Hanukkah! Or

2) You need to rally up the troops to cook (and eat) everyone’s favorite holiday foods all at once!

I don’t know about you but I’m excited about having butternut squash soup, latkes, pecan pie and donuts at the same meal.

Among my planned Thanksgivukkah mashup items are pumpkin donuts and sweet potato latkes with apple sauce, and both are featured below. If you prefer cider donuts with jam, here’s that recipe as well as one for apple latkes.

The donuts:

• yeast, 2 packets
• plain flour, 2 1/2 cups (more for dusting work surface)
• cinnamon, 1 tbsp
• pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup (mix with 1/4 cup lukewarm milk to loosen)
• sugar, 4 tbsp
• egg yolks, large, 2
• melted butter, 3 tbsp
• vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
• strawberry jam, for filling
• icing piping thingy, or meat baster, for stuffing the jam
• large mouth and appetite, for eating

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast and 2 tbsp sugar over just-warm water (1/4 cup), leave for 5 minutes till frothy
2. In a large bowl, sieve flour with cinnamon
3. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yolks, 2 tbsp sugar, a pinch of salt and the yeast mixture
4. Knead the dough by hand for 5 minutes, or in a food processor fitted with a dough hook
5. Shape into a ball in an oiled bowl and leave to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in a warm spot
6. Pour veg oil into a deep pan and heat up to about 375F. (Or drop a teeny bit of dough into it and wait for the oil to be at sizzling temperature)
7. Dust work surface with flour and pat the dough down onto it, rolling it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/3 inch
8. Cut out shapes with a donut or cookie cutter

1. Fry, very carefully, in the oil, lowering the donuts into it on a slotted spoon to prevent splattering
2. They brown quickly, so watch till they turn golden on one side, and flip to the other (they will plump up)
3. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to soak up the grease
4. Sprinkle or roll them in sugar
5. If you like, pipe jam into them, or inject jam with unused meat baster
6. Serve warm
7. They also freeze well. Before eating, defrost donuts a few hours and warm them in a moderate oven (330F) for about 10 minutes

For the sweet potato latkes:

• sweet potato, 1 large one, grated
• potatoes, 1 large, grated
• shallot, 1, large, chopped finely
• rosemary, 1 generous tsp, chopped finely
• egg, 1
• flour, 1 tbsp
• cornmeal, 1 tbsp

1. Saute the shallot till fragrant and caramelized
2. Mix all the ingredients together and season generously
3. Fry as per the latkes above and serve with applesauce

Pumpkin Donuts for Thanksgivukkah was originally published in Diva Indoors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

This unsung veggie, all wan and nondescript, is a treasure trove of nutrition (and a magnet for spices).

A head of cauliflower of 6-inch diameter packs 11g of protein, 12g of fiber and nearly five times your daily requirement of Vitamin C. All that in a trim 146-calorie package that is amenable to as much or as little flavoring as you desire.

That’s why it’s my soup of choice for my 5:2 regimen this week (that, and the fact that a friend asked for a creamy cauli soup recipe that was also light and tasty).

As you can tell, I am on a bit of a soup bender, making a different big batch every week and challenging myself to find new ones of 50 cals or under per cup. [On a fast day, I like to start our evening meal with soup because it’s filling and stuffed with veggie goodness, then follow it with more veg and protein. Ludicrously, it’s possible to have nutritious and satisfying three-course 5:2 dinner of under 350 cals this way.]

In the ring with the cauli soup is another power-hitter — mustard seeds! These tiny black seeds are loaded with selenium and magnesium — both great anti-inflammatory nutrients. To bring everything together into velvety, smooth scrumminess, a little tub of non-fat Greek yoghurt was added (packing a whopping 18g of protein).

The amount below — including cream cheese — should yield nearly 10 cups of soup at about 50 calories a cup :)

What you need:

• Cauliflower, 1 kg (very large head) — 250 cals
• Olive oil, 1 tsp — 40 cals
• Shallot, medium — 10 cals
• Chili, green, 1/2 (deseeded) — 1 cal
• Ginger, 3 slices, minced — 2 cal
• Mustard seeds — 1 tsp — 10 cal
• Garam masala — 1 tsp (optional) — 6 cals
• Stock, veg or chicken — 6 cups (30 cals, College Inn chicken stock)
• Lemon, juice and zest of
• Greek yoghurt, nonfat, 170g — 100 cals (3 tbsp)
• Optional — cream cheese, optional, 1 tbsp — 40 cals
• (Substitute the yoghurt for 4 tbsp of coconut milk, if you wish, at 93 cals total)

1. Saute the shallot, chili. mustard seeds and ginger in the olive oil
2. Add the garam masala, stir till fragrant
3. Add stock and bring to a boil
4. Add cauliflower and allow to simmer for about 20–25 minutes
5. Turn the stove off and drop the yoghurt (and cream cheese if using) into the pan
6. Add lemon juice and zest
7. Whizz in a food processor till smooth and silky, adjust seasoning if needed (add a tsp of Better Than Buillon, for eg)
8. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Soup with Mustard and Greek Yoghurt was originally published in Diva Indoors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tomato and Pepper Soup[/caption]

I haven’t been able to bring myself to say the F word since August.

It’s almost akin to admitting Failure, somehow. Or so my Feeble mind thinks. Basically, I’m on a nutrition regime aimed at losing weight, and I am sheepish about discussing it. The F word, incidentally, is Fast (what did you think it was?!).

Having had a supercharged metabolism for the good part of more than three decades, I have had to admit to myself that the pounds had glued themselves to various bits, and weren’t going to let go without a bit of persuasion. An underactive thyroid (which translates to a slower metabolism) and four months on steroids for an auto-immune condition (which translated to podge being redistributed to annoying places like my face, neck and back) didn’t help.

And it wasn’t as if I’d made no effort to lose the added poundage.

I walked 3 miles every single day of 2012, plus joined various ludicrously expensive cross-fitness and HIIT — high-intensive interval training — classes (which left me with an assortment of injuries) and lost not an ounce of weight. This year, I increased my daily walking requirement to 5 miles and bought a FitBit to track those steps, and the quality of my sleep. I may have managed to lose a pound or two over the course of several months. Not too quick, but it was progress.

Then, on a recent visit to London, my Father-in-law, like a proper dad and dad-in-law, introduced my husband and me to a good F word: The (Intermittent) Fasting Diet, aka the 5:2.

Promoted on BBC television’s Horizon program by a doctor-journo friend of his, my FIL bought into the nutrition regime, hook, line and sinker, and had managed to shift 8 pounds himself in his first two weeks on the regime. So we read the book, and were keen to try as soon as we got back home.

Why did we like the plan? It was backed by studies showing:

a) the positive effects of intermittent fasting on glucose and cholesterol levels

b) some evidence of anti-inflammatory properties

c) the fact that the weight loss involved fat rather than muscle

d) it could extend life expectancy

e) a lowering of levels of IGF-1 hormone, which allows several repair genes to be activated

f) and it seemed to work for most people who attempted it.

The last bit was especially encouraging, given my age (people seem to think I’m in my 20s, so let’s ignore what I said about ‘three decades’ above!) and hypothyroid/post-steroid past.

Now, my dieting past was a bit patchy, if not non-existent. I tried the new Weight Watchers for a week, lost 5 pounds, and got bored of counting calories (and being pontificated at during meetings).

As a former mad runner, that had been my preferred way of keeping fit in the past, but my knees have protested recently (and loudly, too).

The 5:2 seemed somewhat easier and less fiddly. You eat, as per normal, for five days of the week. And incur a weekly, quite significant calorie deficit by doing a mini fast for two of those days. Women may consume 500 calories on each of those two days, and men, 600. You pick any day you like, though some regularity may help one stick with the plan longer-term. [So, yesterday was a fast day and I wasn’t in the least bit hungry all day, till about 3:00pm, when I had a slice of turkey bacon (35 cals) and an egg (70 cals). For dinner, it was homemade tomato soup (50 cals) and a stir-fry of chicken and broccoli (230 cals) and a handful of strawberries (20 cals). I also squeezed in 5 miles of walking and felt fantastic.]

So, I had joined the world of dieters and fasters, reluctantly, because:

1) as an enthusiastic cook and baker, I know it can be annoying/perplexing when people turn down home-made goodies

2) of that feeling of having failed or lost control of one’s life and weight. This is hard for control freaks!

3) doesn’t Fasting sound extreme? “So, it’s not Yom Kippur or Ramadan, and you’re fasting. What’s that about?”

This was brought home to me yesterday when a BFF asked me to join her for a meal, and I declined (well, it was a Fast Day!). I initially suggested we went somewhere healthy-ish because I was doing well on my health regime and wanted to get to my target weight. She dismissed me, saying, “You’ve lost enough weight; you’re going to be an anorexic!”

(Btw, I am nowhere near being anorexic. Sigh)

Well, this train refuses to be derailed! It’s been 8 weeks that I’ve been on the regime, and excluding two weeks recently when I was off sync with the 5:2 program after ear surgery, I have lost 12 pounds. With just 7 to go! It’s incredible and I am unearthing items out of my wardrobe that I haven’t worn in two years :)

Yesterday, my husband thought I’d gone mad because, not only was it a fast day, right after a one-hour meeting with my kids’ principal, I went to the dentist and had three of my teeth filled in (my first ever fillings, woot!) with no painkiller. The dentist had, ahead of time, given me a Valium prescription because I’d postponed the procedure for a year out of unadulterated fear, but I didn’t use it (double woot). I felt not a thing during the procedure, and followed it with a 5-mile walk. Not sure if the events of yesterday had anything to do with the 5:2, but I was in a right kick-ass mood ;)

So, there. It’s all out now. I will leave you with the recipe for the Zesty Tomato and Pepper Soup I made yesterday. Its’ flavors sing in every way so, at 50 calories a cup, you may wish to have two. Or the whole pot ;)

Zesty Tomato Soup

• Leek, white part only, chopped (12 cals)
• Shallot, chopped (30 cals)
• Red peppers, 200g worth, chopped (50 cal)
• Strained tomatoes, 750g (180 cals)
• Passata, 4 tbsp (80 cals)
• Agave nectar, optional, 1/2 tbsp (30 cals)
• Lemon, one, juice and zest
• Cumin, 1 tsp
• Mixed Italian herbs, dried, 1 tsp (or handful of fresh basil)
• Filtered water, 1–2 cups, as needed
• Chicken buillon, 1 tsp

1. Saute the leek and shallot till fragrant
2. Add the red peppers, stir till it wilts a little
3. Add strained tomatoes and all other ingredients
4. Add water judiciously and only as needed
5. Cover the pan and simmer for 20–25 minutes
6. Puree in processor till as smooth as you like
7. Serve with a sprig of basil (Thai basil is used here) and dollop of yoghurt or sour cream

Zesty Tomato and Pepper Soup, and The F Word was originally published in Diva Indoors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

This is a lusciously hearty, enthusiastically spiced, cheerfully vivid soup that belies the fact that it’s pretty lightweight, too, at 50 calories a cup.

I omit the cilantro and coriander occasionally and substitute with 3 teaspoons of fresh, grated ginger, along with a teaspoon of ground ginger, on occasion, for a soup with more zing :)

What you need:

• carrots, skinned and chopped, 1 1/2 pounds’ worth (276 cals)
• tomato juice, two cups (90 cals)
• leek, 1/2 (chop the white bit only) (30 cals)
• agave, 1 tsp (10 cals, optional)
• veg stock, 3 cups (45 cals)
• cilantro, handful of, chopped
• ground coriander, 1 1/2 tsp
• garam masala, 1 tsp
• juice and zest of half a lemon
• season to taste

1. Saute the leek in a modest drizzle of olive oil till fragrant and it wilts
2. Add the ground spices
3. Add the carrots and a bit of stock, stew till the carrots soften a touch
4. Add the remaining stock, tomato juice and agave, lemon juice and zest
5. Steep for about 25 minutes or till the carrots are tender enough to puree
6. Adjust seasoning (it may not need any!)
7. Whiz in a processor with the cilantro leaves, till smooth
8. Serve with a dollop of sour cream (23 cals per tbsp) or Greek yoghurt (8 cals per tbsp, non-fat) and sprig of cilantro.

Carrot and Coriander Soup was originally published in Diva Indoors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Such a wonderful, easy soup to make, and, at 36 calories a cup, you can have someone else watch your waist for you :)

What you need:

• 3 courgettes, zucchini (I used two yellow ones, one green)
• 1 large shallot, sliced
• 1 celery or leek, green part only, sliced
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 large tablespoon grated ginger
• mint, handful of
• lemon zest, of one lemon
• optional — 1 tsp of veg buillon (if stock has no sodium)
• optional — sour cream (23 cals per tbsp) or Greek yoghurt (non-fat at 8 cals/tbsp) and extra mint, to serve

What you do:

1. Saute the shallot and leek till fragrant
2. Add the ginger and cubed courgettes/zucchini and mint
3. Once the courgettes have begun to soften, add the stock
4. Stir and allow to cook, covered for 12 minutes
5. Blend the soup till it’s a consistency you like (I made this smooth)
6. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yoghurt, and extra mint leaves.

Courgette, Mint and Ginger Soup (aka Zucchini Soup) was originally published in Diva Indoors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

This is a neat way of making those calories count at breakfast. With two kids about to head into teenagery — one recently just got there — (and little DNA assistance for them to gain some altitude), I try to pack as much protein into their meals as I can!

Everyone is familiar with garbanzo beans, better known as chickpeas or in their mushed-up luscious form as hummus. My family has seen the humble garbanzo bean in its meals over centuries, millenia, even. They would turn up on the table for breakfast (ground up and put to task in various forms of griddled Indian pancakes), lunch (perhaps as a channa masala, with tomatoes), tea (as kadala, a snack popped into the mouth that’s baked or sauteed with chilis, lemon juice, ginger, sometimes coconut shavings) or dinner (perhaps in a curry with chicken.)

I used garbanzo bean flour this morning, together with soy flour, to pack some protein punch into these pancakes. As I normally make pancake or waffle batter free hand (without using recipes), please take a look at the batter to see if you need a teeny bit more flour, for example. Go easy on the cup of milk at first, just to make sure you get a nice, thick batter that is still pourable.

These babies were served with stewed berries and maple cream.

Here’s what you need.

• eggs, 3
• garbanzo bean flour, 1/3 cup
• soy flour, 1/3 cup
• unbleached flour, 1/3 cup
• zest of an orange
• almond essence, a few drops
• milk, 1 cup (add more if batter’s too thick)
• baking flour, 1 tsp

Mix all the above together.

Prepare your griddle. I like to drizzle a few drops of olive oil on it and spread it with a pastry brush

Pour a ladleful of the batter on it, flip when the underside is golden

1. Remove when the second side is golden.
2. Voila!
3. Stew whatever fruit you have with a teeny bit of water, 1/2 a tablespoonful of maple syrup, till it looks, well, stewed
4. For the maple cream, whip together cream and 1/2 tablespoon of maple syrup. The flavor this imparts on the cream is incredible (use the more richly flavored, nuttier and thicker grade B syrup)
5. Serve and watch it all vanish!

Garbanzo and Soy Pancakes was originally published in Diva Indoors on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.