Olive Magazine January 2018

We don’t do diets here at Olive – that’s because we love food. It brings us joy. And we know that it can do marvellous things for our energy, our health and our mood, among a million other things. So instead of suggesting you eat less this January, we’re giving you lots of inspiring ideas to eat more. I’m a massive fan of a tray bake – once the prep is done you can bung it in the oven and forget about it until your stomach rumbles to remind you. Everything in that one dish infuses into each other so that it’s an intense flavour hit, and if you pop it in the middle of the table everyone can dig in and help themselves. It’s the perfect way to do family dinners,…

TRENDS TRANSLATOR Each month, the Olive magazine team spots a hot new trend appearing in restaurants and street-food stalls, and then translates it for you to cook at home. This time it’s all about new-wave vegan food. The MBLT (Mushroom ‘bacon’, lettuce and tomato sandwich with vegan mayo) 40 MINUTES | SERVES 2 | EASY | baguette 1 small, sliced open cherry tomatoes 6, halved lettuce a few small leaves, roughly shredded MUSHROOM ‘BACON’ flat mushrooms 4, cut into ½cm slices vegetable oil 1 tbsp maple syrup 2 tbsp smoked paprika 2 tsp garlic granules 1 tsp VEGAN MAYO silken tofu 200g dijon mustard 2 tsp white wine vinegar 1 tbsp • Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and line two baking trays with baking paper. Lay out all the mushroom slices, brush with oil and season. Mix the maple syrup, paprika and garlic granules. • Bake…

I use coconut milk a lot but, if you are only cooking for one or two, a whole tin isn’t always needed (usually, I freeze any leftovers in bags or ice-cube trays). This new creamed coconut is made from fresh organic coconut meat which has been dried, puréed then packed in jars, each of which is the equivalent of 6 x 400ml tins of full-fat coconut milk. It’s easily blended with water to make coconut milk, or you can just add straight to soups, curries, smoothies or salad dressings. Best of all, it’ll keep for up to a year in the fridge, so no more waste! £7.95/500g, shop.lucybee.com Chicken, greens and coconut quinoa salad 20 MINUTES + COOLING | SERVES 4 | EASY | multi-coloured quinoa 200g vegetable stock about 400ml Lucy Bee fair trade…

HECK Bollywood Bites Packed with cauliflower, green lentils and seeds, and spiced with chilli and ginger, these make the perfect side for a veggie curry. £2.99/255g, Waitrose Lee Kum Kee sriracha mayo This spicy condiment combines a creamy texture with a fiery kick. Dollop onto chips for an indulgent treat. £5.99/445ml, amazon.co.uk Multigrain tortilla chips Quinoa, flax and sunflower seeds give these scoffable tortilla chips a pleasingly nutty flavour. £2.19/150g, Tesco Monty Bojangles maple & hazelnut Scofflets With a smooth centre plus texture from the chopped hazelnuts, these mini truffles are seriously moreish. £2/100g, Waitrose Itsu wasabi prawn crackers These crackers offer great crunch and subtle heat. Ideal for a mid-morning desk snack. 79p/18g, ocado.com Eat Natural cocoa & almond granola With no refined sugar and just a little bit of honey, this not-too-sweet granola has great bite from the almonds…

Walkers Salt & Vinegar SQUARES It was a dark day in the Rowe household when I discovered that I had acquired an allergic, duck-lips-like reaction to Pringles salt and vinegar crisps. But Squares have always saved me – just the right amount of acidity and salt. And they’re square, which is pleasingly perverse. Scrumpy Jack TINNIES As a loud and proud West Country girl I’m never too far away from some cider – and I’d like to think of myself as a connoisseur. But when it comes to cheap and easy to drink, Scrumpy Jack is a reliable old friend. Burger CHEESE slices My boyfriend Paul snuck these into our fridge recently and it reminded me how much I adore orange plastic cheese. I first fell in love when a friend at school brought back…

What is it? A high-powered blender from Vitamixs new Ascent range. Features The A2500i comes with three settings – for hot soups, frozen desserts and smoothies – which automatically adjust to different container sizes; highly customisable pulse and speed controls; a digital timer; and wireless connectivity which promises that the Ascent will “evolve with the latest innovations”. Why buy it? The price tag is hefty but serious home cooks will love this smart, ultra-powerful blender, which makes the silkiest soups, smoothies and purées. Better yet, it comes with a 10-year warranty, so it’s a long-term investment. £499, vitamix.com and John Lewis.…