It's Pancake Time!

And it's not a day to be ignored! Who doesn't love a fluffy pancake topped with all sorts of goodies?

I have been using chickpea flour (gram flour) for a while now. It has a lot going for it - it's a rich source of fibre and protein, offers good levels of calcium and magnesium (great for the bones), potassium (good for the heart), selenium and iron (good for protecting us against disease), B vitamins (energy-givers), is gluten-free and best of all, is well-tasty and makes great pancakes!

Many cultures claim to have 'invented' the chickpea pancake but as ever, the Italians like to claim the edge! The story goes that they were created aboard a shipwreck by Genoese sailors, where the only foods to survive a fearsome storm were chickpeas and olive oil so they mixed them with sea water, flattened the resulting dough, allowed it to dry on the deck in the sun and their version (farinata) was born.

I use Yottam Ottolenghi's recipe which makes 12 delightfully light and fluffy pancakes (the man just never disappoints!)
Put 100g gram flour (readily available in Indian and Middle Eastern stores), 4g (half a sachet) of 'fast action' yeast and ½ teaspoon of caster sugar in a large bowl with a good pinch of salt. Add 1 small beaten egg and 100ml water and whisk until you have a very smooth batter. Cover with clingfilm and set aside for an hour until it has doubled in size then add ½ teaspoon of baking powder, mix well and set aside, covered for another 10 minutes (you can do all this beforehand so you are good to go when it's pancake time).

Put a heavy-bottomed frying pan on a medium heat and add a tablespoon of light olive oil. Once hot, put three or four heaped dessertspoons of the batter into the pan and cook for 2 minutes each side or until the pancakes have risen to about 1.5cm in height and are light, fluffy and golden-brown. Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel and set aside while you make the rest of the pancakes, adding more oil with each batch.

You can serve them with all kinds of savoury and sweet toppings but I think this year I am going to go with blogger Allyson at Reclaiming Yesterday's suggestion of creamy natural yoghurt and frozen or fresh blueberries lightly 'stewed' with water and honey - her image (below) just screams 'Pancake Day deliciousness'!

Make Turmeric a Store Cupboard Essential

I have talked before about the incredible anti-inflammatory properties of the natural spice, curcumin (found in turmeric) but recent research indicates that to get the max from it, it should be married with an Omega 3-rich oil so when you are making a curry and slinging in plenty of turmeric (or ordering in a Saag Aloo or other turmeric-rich dishes), warm through a few tablespoons of flaxseed oil (don’t let it get hot or you will destroy the essential fats) and drizzle over the whole lot just before serving.

Are You in the Mood for Love?

Here are a few last minute suggestions on how to make your Valentines Day one to remember without fear of packing on the pounds!

The hormones testosterone, dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin play an important role in mood and desire and what you eat can do more than you might imagine to heighten both for a memorable Valentines Day! Here are some quick, easy and delicious suggestions, most of which can be eaten with your fingers - the last thing you need on the 14th Feb is a load of washing up!

Fresh king prawns painted generously with garlic butter and grilled (what could possibly be the problem with garlic if you are both eating it and it has long been associated with promoting love and arousing desire!)

Slice up some creamy buffalo mozzarella, scatter some basil leaves around (full of libido-lifting nutrients) and lots of sliced, sweet tomatoes (the first tomatoes grown in Europe were called love apples because they were related botanically to the mandrake or love plant which was noted in the Bible for its reputed aphrodisiac qualities). Add a few sea salt flakes, a generous grinding of black pepper and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Eggs are hard to beat for a quick, easy and delicious snack for two! They are a great source of protein, rich in iron which helps circulate oxygen around your body, creating the kind of energy that you are looking for on Valentines Day and there’s so much you can do with them! Scrambled with smoked salmon (or even more indulgent, with shavings of fresh truffles), Eggs Benedict or Florentine or just soft boiled eggs with toast ‘soldiers’ or steamed asparagus tips to dip in. And it’s not only hen’s eggs - try boiling a few quails eggs, peel them (that’s a job for 2) and hoover them down with a cocktail and a bowl of salted almonds while you are putting other delicacies together in the kitchen!

And while we’re talking eggs, let’s not forget caviar (fish eggs). Caviar packs a real nutritional punch containing almost all the proteins, essential fats, vitamins and minerals required to get those hormones singing! Beluga is expensive but we’re talking one night of the year here and a little goes a long way.  A few slices of brown toast, a spoonful or two of caviar, a couple of glasses of champagne and you might find you’ve lost your appetite for food and moved on!

If you both like getting into the kitchen, why not experiment with fish baked in a parcel. If you’ve never tried it you are in for a treat and keep in mind that studies indicate that historically, those who lived by the sea and feasted regularly on fresh fish and shellfish had impressively-boosted levels of testosterone throughout most of their lives! Place your fish fillet of choice on a large square of foil, top with very finely-sliced onions, crushed garlic, spinach (bursting with zinc, an essential mineral involved in the production of sex hormones), asparagus tips, finely-sliced tomatoes and diced, fresh chilli, season with sea salt crystals and lots of freshly ground black pepper, scrunch the foil to create a loose parcel and bake in a medium oven until the fish is cooked through and the juices are running clear.

And for dessert, well it has to involve chocolate (which has the added bonus of being rich in a chemical called phenylethylamine which plays a vital role when we fall in love and feel passion and levels are believed to peak during orgasm!) How about ‘fingers’ of mango and papaya or whole strawberries dipped in melted dark chocolate or a small, dark, rich chocolate mousse topped with silky smooth double cream – unbeatable!

Help for Migraine Sufferers

A study on Co-Enzyme Q10 found that more than half of migraine sufferers who took a CoQ10 supplement reduced their migraine episodes by almost 50%. Even those who still suffered, saw the duration of their migraine drop by half. The dosage level for CoQ10 was 100mg three times a day.

An additional tactic is to get more magnesium-rich foods such as spinach, chard, avocados, almonds and cashews into your diet as research indicates that migraine sufferers are very often deficient in this mineral.

And... very dark chocolate is another good source of magnesium so when a snack-attack threatens, have one of those mini bars with a handful of nuts and a mug of green tea!