It has been more than three months now since the beginning of ‘lockdown’ in which time we’ve all had to come to terms with social distancing and isolation. Working remotely from home is becoming somewhat the new normal and may continue.
Some of us have had the bad luck to actually get the virus, which isn’t a pleasant experience to go through. However, many of us have taken this very unusual time to learn a new skill such as a new language, learning to play an instrument or improving on baking skills amongst others.
In a way this has been a good time for me to have a lock down (if ever there was one) as I’ve had to move house. This is a considerable consuming task and would have been much more difficult if I’d been travelling around London working and seeing clients. I have now been holding nutritional consultations remotely via Skype, Facetime or Zoom in the comfort of my new home.
As well as having this time to move I have also managed to have time to hone in on my culinary skills. I have loved experimenting with wholesome, nourishing foods, foods that are nutritious, good for the soul and that make us feel happy, and energised. One of my most favourite creations and most popular was my polenta, leek and sweetcorn cake topped with a whipped feta cheese and yoghurt topping served with a lovely summer salad. This was an absolute winner.
Leek and Polenta cake
Another One of my most favourite summer salads has been a kind of Tabbouleh made with either bulgur wheat, buckwheat or quinoa, I’ve made this lots of times. Add lots of finely chopped tomatoes, lots of coriander, a handful of toasted pine nuts, some tahini, sea salt, lemon juice and olive oil and ‘hey presto’ a delicious light, fresh and healthy salad.
Tabbouleh salad - nutrients include lots of vitamin C from the tomatoes and coriander helping to strengthen our immune system, good protein and oils from the pine nuts helping to sustain energy levels as well as having a beneficial effect on our cardiovascular health, and finally lots of fibre from the bulgur wheat helping to maintain a healthy digestive tract.
As well as honing in on my culinary skills I have also been ‘honing’ in on my gardening skills. When I moved into my flat my garden was a bit of a mess, so the lock down has enabled me to have some time to brighten it up with colourful flowers and plants. I have also been able to start a herb garden growing sage, parsley, mint, rosemary, lemon balm, tarragon and tomatoes).
Oregano, sage, lemon balm, mint, parsley - all of these can be added to recipes for flavouring or just drunk as teas with numerous health benefits including hormonal balance from the sage, easing digestion from the mint and lemon balm, supporting the immune system from the oregano and parsley amongst other health benefits
Wonderful rosemary - has a calming effect when drunk as tea - has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties
Tomato Plant - tomatoes have numerous health benefits - high in vitamin C and antioxidants as well as containing lycopene which has anti-carcinogenic properties