Why reducing salt is good for me

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A pinch here and a grind there, salt on our food is a habit many of us can’t break, but maybe we need to think about putting some restrictions in place.

While we need some salt in our diet to keep our hearts, bones, muscles and brains working well, too much isn’t a good thing. Going OTT with the salt shaker can raise your blood pressure which increases your risk of developing heart disease, so you need to keep an eye on things.

We know that people sometimes think that going without salt is tasteless, but this isn’t the case, so we have looked at what you can do to keep the salt levels down and your health levels high.

Check it out
When you are shopping, read the nutritional information on labels and where you can, go with low-salt options and ingredients. You will be amazed where salt, like sugar hides. Ketchup, bread, cereals, crackers and even pizzas are packed with the white stuff, so do your research and start to make sensible swaps.

Change habits
Like most things, making small changes and taking things one step at a time is the key to salt reduction success. Add less salt to your food when you are cooking, and don’t even put the salt on the table when you are eating. Cutting down this way means your taste buds will adapt and over time you will simply get used to a new normal when it comes to salt and food.

Look at spices
You don’t have to flavour your food with salt, there are healthier options out there. Black pepper, herbs, garlic, spices like turmeric as well as garlic and lemon juice all pack a flavour punch but without the health hazards of salt. With this said, do read those labels again when it comes to things like soy sauce and seasoning packets as some of these are very high in salt and worth avoiding.

Go meat free
A lot of processed meat comes with a lot of salt, so just look at how much you are eating and where changes can be made here. Those gammon steaks, bacon butties and sausage casseroles might taste great, but part of that comes from all the salt. Even if it is once or twice a week, go meat free and look at some of the veggie and vegan options that are out there, and you might find you actually prefer them.

Salt swaps
We all know that snacks like crisps and some nuts come with a heavy salt serving, so swapping for chopped fruit and vegetables with dips, and make salty foods such as bacon, cheese, takeaways and ready meals a treat rather than an everyday occurrence.

Just think about it, with the experts saying that we should eat no more than six grams of salt each day – that’s about one teaspoon – if we want to be healthy, maybe it’s time we went back to basics and looked at just how much we are eating and where changes can be made for a brighter future.

Team Pure Beauty

What to do with the leftovers

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With a tummy full of food and drink, you might be tempted to just chuck away the leftovers from the festivities, but don’t. It’s a massive bin and there is no reason to throw it in the bin.

We have had a look at how to get the most out of your festive feasts and hard-earned cash.

Spicy Noodles
Whether you have a plate of leftover chicken, beef, turkey or tofu, noodles are the perfect way to use them up.

For a fast and easy lunch or supper, you will need:

250g medium egg noodles
500g cooked meat or other protein
2 spring onions, peeled chopped
1 red pepper, chopped and seeded
One bag of prepared bean sprouts, washed and drained
The juice of two fresh limes
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of dark brown sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 red chilli, thinly sliced

First things first, cook the noodles, then drain and rinse with boiling water and leave to cool. Mix the soy sauce, lime juice and sugar into a thin paste.

Next heat the oil in a wok and when hot add the garlic, chilli, meat and spring onions, gently fry for a couple of minute then add the noodles and the bean sprouts into the pan and cook for another minute or two.

Next add your sauce to the mix, toss everything together well and once all ingredients are piping hot, serve and add extra soy sauce if needed.

Festive Bubble and Squeak
This is the ultimate in post-Christmas comfort food and is great eaten in bowls watching your favourite movie.

To make four servings you will need:

1 medium parsnip
1 potato
Leftover Brussel sprouts and/or cabbage
1 garlic clove, crushed
Leftover turkey or chicken
A little gravy – around 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large egg (free range)
Leftover cranberry sauce or mayonnaise

Peel the potato and parsnip, and then grate both into a bowl and spread the cabbage and sprouts.

Put the veg in a sieve and squeeze out as much liquid as you can, then put back into the bowl and beat in the egg as well as seasoning with the garlic, plus salt and pepper.

Once you have a sticky mess, shape into four small balls. Put the leftover meat into a pan and cook with the gravy over a low heat and gently cook until the turkey is warm. Next cook the balls for 3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown then add the cranberry or mayo and enjoy.

Festive Smoothie

As well as being left with plates of meat and veg, you will probably also find your fruit bowl is still full as people tend to opt for the chocolates over the apples and pears.

Don’t throw any of it away, instead use it to make a vitamin packed festive smoothie. For two delicious smoothies you will need:

2 apples, cored but with the peel left on
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 clementine
Small handful of cashew nuts
2 cups of spinach (fresh or frozen)
1 cup of almond milk
Ice cubes

Start by adding the liquid to your blender, followed by the soft fruit. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy, then add the remaining ingredients and ice. Blast until smooth and drink.

Team Pure-Beauty

Celebrate the Year of the Rooster

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Saturday January 28 marked The Chinese New Year and the start of The Year of the Rooster.

While there are celebratory events happening around the country over the next few weeks, if you would rather stay at home in the warm with family and friends, we have some quick and easy, but totally tasty recipes for you to try.

The staples for any Chinese feast are sticky rice, seaweed, beer, chopsticks and dim sum, you can then start with a delicious, spicy crab and sweetcorn soup. To serve six you will need:

• 6 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 2 medium sweetcorns with the kernels removed
• 4 teaspoons of cornflour
• 200g of fresh shredded white crab meat
• ½ thumb of peeled and finely chopped ginger
• 4 finely sliced spring onions
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons of chilli oil
• 1 tablespoon of dry sherry
• 2 lightly beaten egg whites

Fill a pan with water and as you bring to the boil stir in the fish sauce and add a pinch of sail. Then add the corn and simmer gently for five minutes.

Next add several large tablespoons of cold water to the cornflour, blend and pour into the simmering soup, mixing until completely combined and all lumps are dissolved. Continue to simmer until the kernels are soft and the soup has started to slightly thicken. Add the crab meat, ginger, spring onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and season to taste. Finally slowly drizzle the egg white into the soup to create long white strands then serve in bowls and add chilli oil as required.

For a main meal treat, go for ginger pork stir-fry, for which you will need:

• 250g of pork tenderloin
• 1 teaspoon of cornflour
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 150g of sliced mushrooms
• 2 deseeded, sliced red peppers and one yellow one
• 75g of trimmed mange-tout
• A thumb of grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 4 thinly sliced spring onions
• Freshly ground black pepper

This is quick to make, so get all the ingredients prepared and when guests are ready to eat mix the corn flour with two tablespoons of cold water until it is a smooth paste, and then gently stir in the soy sauce.

Warm the oil and when hot stir-fry the pork for a couple of minutes until lightly browned but not totally cooked through. Transfer to a plate then reduce the heat and stir-fry the mushrooms and peppers for several minutes together with the mange-tout and cook for a minute.

Add the ginger, garlic and spring onions and add the pork back to the pan and cook for several minutes and serve with rice when piping hot.

For those with a sweet tooth, there is nothing better than delicious than toffee banana spring rolls.

For these you will need:

• 100ml sunflower oil for frying
• 3 sheets of ready-made filo pastry
• 60g dulce de leche (a creamy caramel sauce)
• 3 ripe bananas
• Five-spice powder, for sprinkling
• Coconut ice cream and toasted sesame seeds, to serve

To make the rolls start by heating the sunflower oil in a saucepan, or you can use a deep-fat fryer set to 180C.

As the oil warms, cut the sheets of pasty in half and halve the bananas.

Spread two generous teaspoons of duche de leche over each halved banana; sprinkle over some spice and then place the banana at the bottom of the pastry sheet before creating your roll. Brush a little water across the seam to seal then repeat the process with the rest of the banana halves.

Deep-fry the rolls until crispy and golden, use kitchen paper to drain and serve with the ice cream and if you dare, repeat.

Have fun and if you have a Chinese recipe you love, let us know.

Team Pure-Beauty

There’s more to turkey than sandwiches

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almonds, carrots, Christmas, curry, drink, eat, eating, food, garlic, healthy, meals, noodles, olive oil, powder, seasonal, sesame, soy sauce, stir-fry, stock, tangine, turkey, wok

Once the roast dinner is done with, most people are left with mounds of turkey waiting to be made into sandwiches thick with mayo and mustard.

The thing is, if you only do this with your leftovers you are missing out on a healthy trick and some tasty treats. Turkey is a delicious, lean meat that is low in fat and an excellent source of protein, so don’t let it go to waste.

We have some easy recipes to help you make the most of that left over turkey you can enjoy with friends during the festive season.

Turkey Tangine

This is a delicious meal that is perfect for enjoying with family and friends between Christmas and New Year.

You will need
300g leftover turkey cut into chunks
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 sliced onion
3 carrots
2 crushed cloves of garlic
500 ml of turkey stock
150ml of water
1 can of tomatoes (400g)
1 can of chickpeas (400g)
140g of dried apricots and prunes, roughly chopped
Clear honey
½ bunch coriander, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon flaked almonds

What to do:

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion under a gentle heat for about eight minutes or until they are soft.
Add the carrots and parsnips and then cook until they start to soften and go brown.
Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute.
Add the stock, tomatoes, chickpeas, dried fruit and 150ml water.
Season, bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 mins until the vegetables are tender.
Add the turkey and simmer for at least minutes to warm through.
Stir in the honey then add the coriander and almonds just before serving with couscous and a little Greek yogurt.

Turkey Noodles
Whilst curry is the traditional meal to make with leftover turkey, this fresh stir fry is a super-healthy alternative that the whole family will enjoy. Packed with low-fat, high protein meat and tasty vegetables this stir-fry brings the dish bang up to date.

You will need:

200g rice noodles
2 teaspoons sesame oil
250g of turkey cut into strips
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
A thumb sized piece of ginger
1 red chilli that will need to be chopped
2 red peppers that are deseeded and sliced thinly
Left over Christmas vegetables such as peas, shredded carrots and cabbage (maybe leave the sprouts out)
200g beansprouts
1 bunch of spring onions
3 tablespoons of curry powder or paste
1 teaspoon of turmeric
2 large tablespoons of soy sauce plus extra for serving

What to do:

Soak the noodles in boiling water until soft, then drain and toss in a teaspoon of sesame oil in a warm wok for an authentic, delicious flavour.
Place the wok back on the heat with the rest of the oil and gently but quickly fry the garlic, ginger and chilli together.
Add all the vegetables to the wok and fry for a minute before adding the turkey.
Put the noodles plus curry powder, turmeric and soy sauce and cook everything together for a couple of minutes, being careful not to burn, and then stir through the noodles.
Serve with coriander, sliced chilli and extra soy sauce and maybe have a glass of water handy.

Of course you can make salads and soups, curries and hot pots but whatever you do, enjoy your turkey and remember it isn’t just for Christmas.