Give people something to relate to – keep it real and simple

We have an obesity crisis in the UK and I think that we need to go back to basics and encourage people to make tasty, simple and healthy recipes. Dishes which everyone can relate to and not have to worry whether they will like them or how long they will take to make?

It’s important to recognise that many time-pressured people currently throw something in the oven or the microwave. We can’t expect them to become supercooks overnight!

Additionally there is a challenge in reaching families or individuals who may be vulnerable and/or relatively disadvantaged, and who do not have the means to make dramatic changes to their diets.

Slow cooker recipes are great when your trying to stay healthy

If someone who is obese is used to eating plenty of burger and chips, fish and chips, or even a calorie dense pork pie, he or she probably isn’t likely to suddenly switch to eating mackerel with a miso and carrot dressing.

Many people who are obese can lack self-esteem and confidence, which is easily forgotten when it comes to creating recipes which help those individuals to tackle their over-eating.

So what if we took 10 obese individuals, looked at what they’ve been eating, and replicated a healthier version of their food. Are they likely to try it? Hopefully most of them would.

They wouldn’t have to change to miso soup, which frankly can be pants – I don’t care how good it is for you! I don’t believe that many people would feel great if you put a bowl of miso soup in front of them after they’ve been eating their beloved fish and chips.

However, what about a healthy bowl of sweet potato baked fries and a lightly coated baked fish, served with crushed minted peas? Or a burger made with lean mince, topped with a healthy coleslaw, served with baked parsnip chips? What about lamb curry, slow cooked with very little fat, and served with a bowl of quinoa or some chapattis. These dishes should all still keep people in touch with their food reality.

Not everyone will want to or be able to embrace this kind of change, but for those with the enthusiasm and basic cooking skills to give it a go, I really hope that these alternative recipe ideas encourage some people.

I believe that we need to build self-esteem. We should encourage an important and major life changing decision, which is rooted in food common sense. Not one that’s been made on the basis of introducing a sesame kale salad or miso superfoods salad. This type of radical change of diet probably isn’t going to be sustainable, and represents an unrealistic change. ‘Small change – big difference’ is paramount here.

One great way to ensure that people don’t reach for those unhealthy takeaway menus after a hard day’s work is to invest in a slow cooker. I love sitting on the train on my way home, knowing that the slow cooker has my food ready for me, with incredible aromas that have filled the house.

I have attached the link to my cooking tips video to help you cook from scratch every day. These are definitely worth following to take a little pressure off you during the week.

Why not try this delicious and healthy slow cooked lamb recipe:

Slow cooked lamb with pumpkin or butternut squash

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 kg lean lamb, diced into chunks
300 g pumpkin or butternut squash, deseeded and diced

Key Spices

1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
1 Indian bay leaf
1 1 inch piece of cassia bark
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 whole dry Kashmiri chillies

Warming Spices
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp fenugreek leaves
8 green cardamoms, lightly bashed
2 black cardamoms, lightly bashed

Wet Ingredients

2 tbs coconut oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
400 g good tinned tomatoes
2 tsp pulped garlic
2 tsp pulped ginger
2-4 fresh green chillies, slit in half
2 tbs white wine vinegar
200 ml water
Rock salt or sea salt flakes to taste
1 tsp grated jaggery
Small bunch of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Zest of one lemon

Method

Place a dry pan on a low heat. Gently warm the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and black peppercorns. You are only looking to tease a little warmth from these spices for about 1 minute, so no need to roast them to death.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the contents to the pestle and mortar. Remove the bay leaf and cassia bark and set aside. Then gently grind the remaining contents and add to a large mixing bowl.

Place a sauté pan on a low heat, add the coconut oil, warm through and then add the onions, cassia bark, bay leaf, mustard seeds and salt to taste.

Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the turmeric and Kashmiri chillies (you can either crush these or leave them whole) and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Remove the sauté pan from the heat and add the contents to the mixing bowl.

Now place a wok on a high heat and allow the wok to become very hot.

Add the lamb and brown a little. No oil is required here.

Remove the lamb from the heat and add to the mixing bowl.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, green chillies, white wine vinegar, water and jaggery to the mixing bowl, along with the pumpkin or butternut squash.

Stir all the ingredients well and then place them into a slow cooker on a low setting.

Cook for 5 hours.

Take the warming spices and gently warm in a dry pan for 1 minute and set aside.

Add the warming spices to the slow cooker and cook for a further 1 hour or until the lamb is completely tender.

The pumpkin or butternut squash should have thickened up the sauce.

Switch off the slow cooker, add the lemon zest and chopped coriander.

Serve with a bowl of quinoa or some wholemeal chapattis.