Author: Healthy Diet Tips

Beloved chicken salad gets a spicy-funky upgrade thanks to the Vietnamese dipping sauce nuoc cham. Lime juice, fish sauce, alliums, and a flash of heat from bird’s-eye chile are slightly mellowed with a big dollop of mayo. Fold in pulled chicken (a rotisserie bird is ideal, but if you’d rather poach chicken breasts, be our guest) and dinner’s done.This just-creamy-enough chicken salad is great as a large salad or in lettuce cups, topped with tender herbs and a handful of fried shallots, but that’s only the beginning. Try it on slices of sourdough, alongside cold soba noodles and crunchy veg,…

As a child, we lived above my family’s bakery (Hobbs House Bakery) in Gloucestershire. There was flour everywhere, and bread was the rhythm of our lives. I’m a fifth-generation baker, and now my son is the sixth. In many ways, this is the job – passing skills on to the next generation. I have such fond memories of jamming doughnuts in the family bakery in the middle of the night.Food has always been my first language, and my relationship with bread has inspired this. The word ‘companion’ comes from the Latin com and panis, ‘with bread’. Sharing food is one…

Torquay is a seaside town that makes you fondly remember gentler times. Locals are proud of its long association with Agatha Christie, whose statue sits on a bench near the harbour; you can have a traditional Devon cream tea and enjoy a stroll on its palm-lined promenade. But there’s more to the English Riviera than nostalgia: while still delightfully traditional, the boom in English wine is just one influence bringing contemporary flair to the southwest. It’s easy to reach by train, and there are plenty of ways to get out on the water. Take a 30-minute ferry to nearby Brixham…

Did you know there are more than 1,800 named cheeses in the world? In the UK alone, there are over 700 varieties – more, some argue, than France. And, that’s not to mention the dozens of new cheeses being created by the artisan community every year – all of it, by the way, made from just four ingredients: milk, starter culture, rennet and salt.No wonder then that no matter how hooked we are on the hard stuff (and the soft, washed, smelly and blue), we shy away from adventure and instead default to the blocky, pre-cut, shrink-wrapped cheeses available in…

Protein powder was once associated mainly with bodybuilders and athletes, but it’s now a mainstream supplement used by people with a wide range of health and fitness goals. As a fitness expert, I’ve seen first-hand how useful it can be for supporting recovery after exercise, supporting muscle mass maintenance and making it easier to meet daily protein needs when life gets busy. But what does protein powder do, exactly? Its primary role is to provide a convenient source of protein that can help support muscle repair, recovery and growth.It’s also become increasingly popular among women, particularly those over 40. As…

Getting away from it all has special meaning on Sardinia – the wildness and resulting seclusion of its people are considered central to why so many live to 100, earning it Blue Zone status.A stay at the Conrad Chia Laguna puts you at the southerly tip, well away from populated centres, beside protected coastal wetland. Rocky hillsides are stubbled with aromatic myrtle, rosemary and juniper, giving way to the eponymous grass-fringed lagoon and, beyond that, glittering sand and the azure Mediterranean.Deferring to these natural wonders, the Conrad’s 107 rooms offer understated luxury, most with a generous balcony to celebrate that…

Georgia is a foodie traveller’s dream, with a unique cuisine influenced by diverse neighbours. With Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan at its borders, its cuisine shows similarities with both the Middle East and Central Asia, whilst making use of the abundant nuts, pomegranates and cheese from the country.The earliest evidence of winemaking was found in Georgia, meaning that many travel to the country for its wine alone.Tbilisi, its capital city, is an exciting and convenient destination, with new direct routes from UK airports, and the fantastic wine region of Kakheti within reach.KhachapuriGeorgia’s national dish is the khachapuri, which is a…

Recipe tipThe Tangzhong methodIf you’ve ever wondered how bakery-style buns become so light, fluffy and soft, the answer often comes down to two things: an enriched sweet dough and the tangzhong method. Sweet dough is usually made with butter, milk, eggs and sugar, which all create rich flavour anda tender crumb. This style of dough also stays softer for longer than standard bread dough would. Many modern bakers take this a step furtherby making a tangzhong first, which involves cooking a small portion of the flour and liquid into a paste before adding it to the dough. The paste helps…

One base, three twistsBeans on toast with maple bacon crumbleHeat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Arrange 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Cook in the oven for 5 mins until starting to turn golden. Flip the bacon over, then brush over 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup. Return to the oven for 12-15 mins until the bacon is dark brown and crispy. Leave to cool completely on the tray (the bacon will continue to crisp up as it cools). Finely chop the cooled bacon or whizz in a food…

Recipe tipPuttanesca roast chickenThe same punchy puttanesca flavours of the traybake base work brilliantly for a one-pan roast chicken. Mix the oil, garlic, chilli flakes and tomato purée together as before, then rub the mixture all over a whole chicken and season well. Roast for 40 mins in a roasting tin as before, then lift the chicken onto a board and stir the tomatoes, olives and capers into the sauce in the tin, scraping up any sticky bits. Sit the chicken back on top and roast for another 40 mins, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce…