5 Minute Food Fix

As we near our 300th episode, Simon and I review our reasons for doing a food podcast. Is it because we love the sound of our own voices? Not so much! (Maybe!)It's because even the BEST cooks struggle to feed their families every day, especially when running households, multiple jobs, parenting, and all the other things we're doing just surviving.So one thing you can do is prepare a few things when you DO have time - like a daal that can be frozen, sweet potato croutons that can be used on a soup one day and then to plump out a salad the next. Find out more by subscribing to your favourite food podcast! DAILY DAALCube a couple of sweet potatoes, toss in 2-3 tbs of oil, shake over some salt, pepper and cumin seeds, then roast until soft, about 20mins at 180C,MEANWHILE... fry up some onion in a deep, wide saucepan or frying pan. Add in 2 cloves of garlic and a hearty knob of ginger, and fry out. Add in half a packet of Herbie's Daal Spice Mix and cook to release the aromas. When ready, add in a tin of tomatoes, the same tin again but filled with water, a tin of coconut milk or cream, and crumble in a stock cube. Allow to cook for 20 mins, stirring, then check for doneness. At cooked, add in a squeeze of lemon. Freeze what you don't need for later. To serve: Add another squeeze of lemon. Top with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, some fresh coriander leaves and those delicious sweet potato croutons.

The science does NOT back turmeric as anything other than a brightly coloured tuber... but having it with ginger in SHOT form can certainly enliven the feeling in the back of your throat, make you feel like you're at least TRYING to feel better - and it's kind of delicious! It certainly worked for Simon - who reports that this is a MASSIVE retail fad back in the UK - and after recording Yumi also gave it a go. Didn't cure her hayfever, but it was YUMMY, used up some ginger and turmeric and was a bit of a morning heart-starter!In a high-speed blender combine:400ml fresh apple juice60g loosely chopped ginger20g turmeric (powdered or fresh)juice of 1/2 a lemonspoon of black pepper (optional!)BLEND FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. Then strain the mixture through a Chux in a sieve or through a good, old-fashioned tea-strainer. Serve cold in 50ml shots.

It's true that we "eat with our eyes". Most cooks consider the appeal of contrasting (and bright) colours when putting together a meal.Simon gets deep today, asking, "Is there a place for grey food?"Yes, if you count oysters as a grey food!What else? Listen here...Tomato Tonnato recipeArrange 5-6 big chunky vine tomatoes (about 900g), sliced on a gorgeous platter.In a blender5 tbs olive oil85g tin of tuna in oil2 anchovy fillets2tsp drained capers1/4 cup of mayonnaisejuice of 1/2 a lemon1 garlic clovea few basil leavesWhizz until creamy. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Spoon the sauce over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and more basil leaves. Serve with crunchy bread.

We can't nail every meal!Especially when we're cooking in someone else's kitchen!On today's episode, Yumi and Simon both get pod therapy about their most recent disasters, and Simon does a do-over on a delicious Baba Ganoush.DO-OVER BABA GANOUSH2-3 eggplants, pricked with a skewer or fork (if you don't want to live dangerously)Cook the eggplants WELL on the BBQ. Like, REALLY WELL, so they're blackened and blistered and completely yield.Allow them to cool and sweat a bit on a plate, then rub off the skin, cut off the heads, and with the remaining soft cooked flesh, chop in up on a big board with a big knife.In a big bowl, season with salt (but not too much), a good glug of olive oil, the juice of at least 1 lemon, and some spoons of tahini. Greek yoggut *could* be deployed here but is optional. Serve with crusty bread or on the side with lamb. Yum.

All green, raw food does not have to flee from your kitchen just because it's cold.Yes, the weather definitely affects what you feel like eating but salad can still comfort and nurture you even when you're putting an electric blanket on the couch. (Try this! It's excellent!)On today's episode Yumi revisits one of the GOAT salads. The classic. Rocket, Pear and Walnut. It appears in her cookbook Endless Summer. But she's giving it a rejig to make it more weather-appropriate. THE SALAD240g rocket leaves2 firm pears, sliced into chips3/4 cup of walnuts, refreshed by being toasted under the grill for 2-3 minutesbetween 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmesan CheeseTHE DRESSING (enough for 3 salads, so only use a third of this!)40ml White Balsamic Vinegar80ml of your best olive oil1tsp honey3/4tsp salt2tbs tahini

Yes, it's been a big and exciting couple of days for Stynes with her book with Dr Melissa Kang 'WELCOME TO SEX' being nominated for a Prime Minister's Literary Award... but we WILL talk about food. Yumi's been busy going through the cookbook she co-wrote with Simon. Partly because she loves Simon's recipes but also because she can't remember her own! It's incredibly handy having them written down - and you can find the book here if you're interested.SIMON'S FULLY LOADED BANANA BREADMelt 100g of butter and set aside to cool slightly.Preheat the oven to 180C.Line a loaf tin with baking paper.Activate 1tsp of bicarb in 1 cup of Greek yoghurt. Allow it to sit for 5 mins to fluff up and activate.Add to the yoghurt mixture the butter, 1 cup of caster sugar and 2 eggs, and mix.Now add in 250g plain flour, 1tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon - and mix but don't overmix. Finally, add in 400g of very ripe, very mashed banana.Pour it into the prepared tin and cook it for 1.5 hours, trying not to doubt the cook time.Cool on a wire rack.

There are NO MORE EXCUSES if your roasted potatoes aren't perfect!Also, why is Yumi laughing so hard she has tears?It's all about this guy who went viral for his potatoes. THIS RECIPE IS YUMI'S VERSIONGet a large pot on the stove with 2cm water in, turn up hot.At the same time, put a full kettle on to boil.Quarter 700g potatoes.By the time you've finished cutting up the spuds, the water in the kettle and the small amount on the stove should both be boiling.Pour the kettle water into the pot on the stove.Tumble the potatoes in making sure they're not sticking together. Stir a little. Wait for the water to return to boiling then set a timer for 3 minutes.Once the timer has sounded, drain the potatoes really well so they're dry, and allow them to cool.To do the Ibiza method, pop the now-cool potatoes in the FREEZER for 35 mins.Preheat the oven to 200.Get a roasting tray on the hob and fill it with at least 2mm of olive oil. Be careful! Use the stove element to heat the oil and when it's spattering hot, carefully decant the potatoes into the oil. They will spatter. Use tongs to make sure each piece is cut-side down.Pop in the oven and roast for 30 mins before turning to the other cut side, and roast for another 20 mins. Serve when golden crunchy all over.

Freshly returned from his old stomping grounds in London, Simon is full of fresh inspiration and ideas. One of the places he's loved in the past is the legendary Peckham produce store, Persepolis. We hear about its owner and creative force, Sally Butcher, aka Sally in Peckham, and Simon talks us through one of her recipes, which you can find here or below:CAULIFLOWER AND PICKLE PIEINGREDIENTS1 cauliflower, cut into florets1 chopped onion1 cubed zucchini50g raisins1 tin drained and rinsed chickpeas1/2 jar of pickled turmeric (which you can buy here)Oil, for cookingfilo pastryMETHODPre-heat the oven to 190C.In a large tray, spread out all the veg, and rub and coat them with pickle and a few tablespoons of oil. Cover the tray with foil and bake for 30 mins. It is here Simon says you can stop and enjoy this with rice! Or continue on to make a pie:Lightly oil a 26cm X 36cm baking tray.Brush layers of filo pastry lightly with oil and layer them in the bottom of the tray until you have used half of the packet of filo.Now add the cauli-pickle filling.Repeat the filo brush-with-oil layering for the remaining sheets of pastry.Bake at 180C for 20 mins. Serve immediately with a side salad or enjoy later as leftovers!

You're in the minority if a lurgie hasn't waylaid you this past month!Here's a ginger tea to heal your roughed-up throat.Cook up 15g ginger, grated in 500ml water.While it's warming, make a slurry of 1/2tbs of potato or corn starch dissolved in 1tbs cold water.When the ginger-water tea is hot, use a whisk to stir in the slurry and bring the mixture to the boil. You should see your tea thicken - just slightly - and grow a little cloudy.Take it off the heat and stir through 2tbs of your best honey. Manuka is good here. Squeeze in some lemon if you have. Drink one cup immediately and save the other for bedtime.