List of All Articles with Tag 'lifestyle'

The deputy mayor of Finland’s capital is facing possible legal action and calls for him to pay compensation for damages and to resign after he was caught red-handed spray-painting graffiti in a railway tunnel last weekend

Space disco cowboy

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is considering a new rule that would slash credit card late fees by 75%, from current highs of up to $41 to as low as $8

Elon Musk reportedly takes “microdoses” of “ketamine”, a drug he has praised as being “a better option” than antidepressants when “taken occasionally”. The SpaceX founder is said to use the dissociative anaesthetic to manage depression. Musk, 52, previously tweeted in 2017 about his struggles with mental health. Speculating that he could have bipolar disorder, he spoke of how he experienced “great highs, terrible lows and unrelenting stress”. According to The Wall Street Journal(WSJ), people close to Musk have witnessed him using ketamine in small doses. Following the publication of WSJ’s article on Tuesday (27 June), Musk tweeted that while depression is “overdiagnosed” in the US, it is a “brain chemistry issue” for some people. He believed that “zombifying people” with selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a widely used type of antidepressant medication, “happens way too much”. “From what I’ve seen with friends, ketamine taken occasionally is a better option,” Musk added. The Independent has contacted Musk for comment. His attorney and top advisor did not respond to WSJ’s request for comment, it was reported. In 2017, Musk answered questions from Twitter users about his personal life and was asked about his mental health. He wrote: “The reality is great highs, terrible lows and unrelenting stress. Don’t think people want to hear about the last two.” When asked if he had bipolar disorder, the South African entrepreneur simply replied: “Yeah.” According to the NHS, bipolar disorder is characterised by extreme mood swings that can range from extreme highs (known as ‘mania’) to extreme lows (depression). It can be treated in several ways, including taking medication to treat prevent and stabilise episodes of mania and depression. In a later tweet, Musk added that he may not be “medically” bipolar, but said he does not know. “Bad feelings correlate to bad events, so maybe [the] real problem is getting carried away in what I sign up for,” he wrote. Microdosing involves consuming small doses of drugs, usually psychedelic or sub-hallucinogenic substances such lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or mushrooms with psilocybins. Ketamine is an approved drug in the US for treating severe depression that has not improved with other therapies. In the UK, it is approved as an anaesthetic drug by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), but not for use in treating depression. However, in 2019, a drug similar to ketamine – known as esketamine, which is taken as a nasal spray – was approved in the UK for treating severe depression. Read More Walk this way... but not like that: How men’s walks became sexualised Sarah Ferguson reveals she almost skipped doctor’s appointment that led to cancer diagnosis Influencers face backlash for promoting Shein factory during PR trip in China Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg: Who would win a fight between tech titans? Elon Musk’s sister says she’s been overcharged due to her last name Nicolas Cage once bought a plane seat for his son’s imaginary friend

Three-row SUVs have been a popular choice among car shoppers with large families

A mum who had her teeth removed after she vomited so much while she was pregnant - has gone on to have more children and embrace life. Louise Cooper, 26, became pregnant for the first time while she was working as a nanny at a ski resort in France. A week after finding out, the mum-of-three said she got so sick she had to move back to the UK. Louise was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) in April 2017 – a condition which affects around 1% of women. Louise would vomit so frequently, her teeth started falling out. Her first child, Zachary, five, was born in November 2017 and six months later Louise had to have all her teeth removed as they were so damaged. Since then, Louise has had two more children, has embraced life without teeth and often goes out without wearing her dentures. Louise, a hairdresser, from Reading, Berkshire, said: “Life is alright now, everything has gone back to normal. “Life is a lot more relaxing and enjoyable. It is not enjoyable when you have HG and are in bed for nine months. “I have embraced having no teeth. I have only really just come to terms with everything in the past year. “It has restricted my diet - I don’t eat a lot of meat anymore. “I mainly stick to eating vegetables.” Louise fell pregnant with her first child in February 2017. A week after she found out she was pregnant, Louise’s sickness was so bad she returned home to be with her family. Three months after falling pregnant, Louise wasn’t getting any better and was bed bound for much of her pregnancy. In April 2017, Louise was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) - excessive nausea and vomiting. Louise said: “The damage was caused by the acid from vomiting. “I lost my first tooth around 16 weeks and it was just out of nowhere. “I was told that my teeth would need to be removed as they were so damaged. “I gave birth to my son in November 2017 and six months after that I had my teeth removed.” After the birth of her son, Louise has had two more children - Ollie, three, and Oakley, 11 months - and every time she has suffered from HG. She said: “HG disappears when the baby is delivered. “However I had more than one child and I have suffered from HG every time. “I would say my diet isn’t the healthiest as it is restricted from trauma. “I have a lot of trauma about food groups, it is so traumatic to go through severe vomiting for nine months - it was none stop. “It is hard to go back into a routine of understanding that food won’t make me vomit anymore. “It was very traumatic, I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy. “A lot of people compare it to the side effects of chemo as you feel like you are dying. “It is unpleasant. It is emotionally and physically draining.” Within the last year, Louise said she has only just managed to come to terms with having no teeth and will now leave the house without her dentures. She said: “I have accepted the fact I have no teeth. “I have dentures now but they are not the most comfortable things to wear as they are cosmetic. “They are also very triggering for the traumatic side of HG. “I can now leave the house without having teeth in. Life is more relaxing and enjoyable for me.” Read More Why are Russian and Belarusian players allowed back at Wimbledon? Matt Hancock seeks to humiliate himself in public again Intermittent fasting ‘no better for weight loss’ than calorie counting British toddler has American accent after watching popular YouTube show GB News in ‘significant breach’ of Ofcom rules over Covid vaccine claims

Reading for pleasure in early childhood can help youngsters perform better at school and boost their mental health as they enter teenage years, a study suggests. The study of more than 10,000 children found that those who started reading for fun at a young age performed better at cognitive tests and showed improved “brain structure” in adolescence. For “optimal” results, children should be reading for 12 hours every week, academics from the universities of Cambridge and Warwick in the UK, and Fudan University in China, found. Their study, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, analysed data on the children, all from the US, including interviews, cognitive tests, mental and behavioural assessments and brain scans. We encourage parents to do their best to awaken the joy of reading in their children at an early age Professor Jianfeng Feng They then compared information on children who began reading for pleasure before they turned nine against those who started later, or not at all. Of the 10,243 participants studied, just under a half (48%) had little experience of reading for pleasure or did not begin doing so until later in their childhood. The other half had between three and 10 years’ reading for pleasure. Those who started reading for pleasure at a young age were found to perform better on cognitive tests, which measured verbal learning, memory and speech development, and school academic achievement, when they were teenagers. These children also had better mental wellbeing, showing fewer signs of stress and depression, as well as improved attention and fewer behavioural problems such as aggression and rule-breaking. They also tended to use screens less and slept longer. Academics also analysed brain scans of teenagers and found that those who started reading for pleasure at a young age showed moderately larger total brain areas and volumes, and also showed differences in brain regions previously shown to relate to improved mental health, behaviour and attention. “Reading isn’t just a pleasurable experience – it’s widely accepted that it inspires thinking and creativity, increases empathy and reduces stress,” said Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. “But on top of this, we found significant evidence that it’s linked to important developmental factors in children, improving their cognition, mental health, and brain structure, which are cornerstones for future learning and well-being.” Professor Jianfeng Feng from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and the University of Warwick, added: “We encourage parents to do their best to awaken the joy of reading in their children at an early age. “Done right, this will not only give them pleasure and enjoyment, but will also help their development and encourage long-term reading habits, which may also prove beneficial into adult life.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Stan Wawrinka on setbacks, preparing for Wimbledon and friendship with Roger Federer Hacks for saving money on school uniforms King Charles and Queen Camilla surprise spa guests in bathrobes at eco-village

Michelin-starred chef David Chang has poured cold water on the idea that grilling burgers on a barbecue is the optimum way to cook them. The founder of Momofuku Ko, which has two Michelin stars, said that barbecuing patties only serves to turn them into “carbonised crap”, but people keep cooking them like this because of the socialising that is associated with cooking outdoors. On his podcast The Dave Chang Show, the controversial chef suggested that using a griddle to cook burgers is a superior method. Chang, 45, said: “Grills suck for burgers. We have assumed as a culture that in summer, we eat a burger and it’s grilled. “I actually think the grill is a horrible thing for the burger… I think this viewpoint could get me in trouble,” he admitted, but pressed on with his argument against the grill. “The success rate of the griddle is better than the grill, and also there’s no clean up, you have nothing to worry about.” The Korean-American restaurateur continued: “A juicy burger is going to turn into a guaranteed grease fire [on a barbecue], why use it? This whole idea of imparting flavour from the grill, the only flavour that’s being imparted is the carbonised crap that’s on it. “You would need to cook a burger over charcoal for 12 hours to get that smoky flavour. “A backyard burger is an experience that you try to convince yourself is better than it actually is,” he claimed. “It’s the nostalgia, it’s the smells, it’s your friends. But if you actually take it out of the context, it’s not that good.” Chang went on to allege that the close relationship between burgers and grills “is a marketing lie”. “How many places where you think have a good burger, cook it on a grill?” he challenged. However, he did have some praise for barbecued foods. Chang said that grilling corn was “clearly the only champion” and he “can’t think of anything else” that makes corn taste quite as good. Chang has previously shared his opinions on burgers that landed him in trouble. In 2015, he provoked the ire of Australians when he wrote in his blog Lucky Peach: “You know who f***s up burgers more than anyone else in the world. Australians. Australia has no idea what a burger is. “They put a fried egg on their burger. They put canned beetroot on it, like a wedge of it. I am not joking you. This is how they eat their burger.” He also laid waste to the use of wagyu – beef that comes from cattle that is bred in Japan and is highly prized for its marbled fat content – in burgers. In his “burger manifesto”, Chang wrote that it was “the dumbest burger in the world” to use wagyu. “It’s like 70 per cent fat content – it’s disgusting. Would you eat a ground bacon burger? That’s what you’re doing with a wagyu burger,” he said. “Or the idiots that have ‘kobe beef wagyu sliders with a trio of ketchup’ on their menu – that drives me insane.” The chef is also known for speaking candidly about his toxic behaviour while working in kitchens in the past. In his 2020 memoir Eat a Peach, Chang wrote: “When I’m angry, I seethe with such intensity that it can’t simply be emotional. It’s like I’m an animal registering danger.” Hannah Selinger, an award-nominated journalist, wrote in her essay for Eater that “in all my years of restaurant work, I had never seen anything like the roiling, red-faced, screaming, pulsing, wrath-filled man that was David Chang”. She worked as corporate beverage manager at the Momofuku restaurant group in 2008. Chang responded to Selinger’s essay and said that while he didn’t recall specific incidents mentioned by her, “they are entirely consistent with my behaviour at the time, which I did not begin to correct until several years later”. He added that “the bottom line is that I’m sorry”. Apart from his podcast, Chang also hosted Netflix’s travel and food series Ugly Delicious from 2018 to 2020. The show aired two series and featured celebrity guests including Jimmy Kimmel and Nick Kroll. Read More Walk this way... but not like that: How men’s walks became sexualised Jonnie Irwin makes rare red carpet appearance as he says ‘every day is a gift’ Influencers face backlash for promoting Shein factory during PR trip in China Budget Bites: Three light recipes that sing of summer Danny Dyer explains why he has a Toby Carvery Platinum Gold Card Three quick and easy plant-based fakeaways to create at home

With Wimbledon starting next week, Stan Wawrinka is excited about returning to London’s iconic championships. “It’s really a different tournament with the history, also the fact that we play on grass courts. The courts are amazing, the atmosphere is great,” he says on a video call from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Today, the Swiss player is taking a break from his gruelling training schedule to visit SW19 as part of his long-running partnership with Evian. “It’s always special for us players to go practise or to play matches on small courts as well, because you have so many fans coming and the atmosphere is always going to be special,” he continues, saying his most memorable Wimbledon match was against a certain Swiss opponent. “I played one quarter final against Roger [Federer] on Centre Court – it’s always special to play Roger, to play him here was something really nice.” Ahead of the famous championships, the 38-year-old has been training in Monaco, before heading back to London this week. So, how does the three-time Grand Slam winner balance the physical and psychological aspects of preparing for high-profile events? “It’s all a big puzzle,” says Wawrinka, who was born near Lausanne to a German father and Swiss mother. “As a tennis player, you have the fitness side and you have the mental part – you have everything that you need to do to be ready.” Plus, there’s the challenge of having to deal with defeats: “Tennis is a tough sport in the way that you end up almost every week losing. You need to accept [that you will] lose and try to learn and take something positive from it.” How does the former world number three cope with not winning? “I try to refocus on myself, try to also think about everything I’ve been doing in practice… you can lose against a better player. If you know you’re doing the right things, then you can only be positive about it.” Stan the Man (as he’s known to fans) isn’t fazed by comparisons to Federer – whom he’s beaten on just three of the 26 times they’ve competed on court. “I always look for the positive of the situation and I’ve been lucky enough that when I arrived [on the circuit] I was a little bit younger than him – he was already at the top,” says Wawrinka, who is three years younger than his record-breaking countryman. “For me, it was a chance to have Roger in the same country… I had the chance to practise with him and he became a friend.” The pair were victorious at the Davis Cup in 2014 and at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, taking gold in the men’s doubles. “The Olympics are something that any athlete in any sport dreams about, to play individually, but [playing] doubles and to feel like a team it was super special,” Wawrinka recalls. How does training for doubles matches compare to singles? “It’s more the mental part. You need to know your partner, talk with him a lot about the tactics, but more about what’s going to happen. “Communication is really important on the court, but also off the court. For us, it was quite easy to play together because we are such close friends.” Seen as a late bloomer in terms of tennis, Wawrinka admits it was a struggle waiting to achieve his inaugural Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2014. “For me, the most challenging part was to find the confidence in myself and in my game. I only won my first Grand Slam at 29 years old, it took me a while to really find that confidence.” Suffering setbacks throughout his career due to knee, elbow and foot injuries, Wawrinka’s ranking has yo-yoed in the past few years, but he returned to the world top 100 in February. “It was tough to be back at 37 years old after more than a year out for another two surgeries,” he says. “It was not easy, but for me, it’s about the passion. I love what I’m doing, I enjoy the process… it was, of course, so special to be back again in the top 100.” Off the court, he unwinds by spending time with daughter Alexia, 13, whom he shares with ex-wife Ilham Vuilloud, a Swiss TV presenter: “I’m traveling a lot so I don’t have that much time to be with her, so I’m trying to enjoy that.” Having grown up on his parents’ biodynamic farm, the tennis champ has inherited the green-fingered gene, growing fruit and veg in his garden back home in Switzerland. “I have tomatoes, courgettes, I have many fruits. I think it’s just different when you have your own garden than when you go buy it at the shop directly.” Reducing his impact on the environment is also a priority for the Evian global brand ambassador, which is why he’s pleased the water brand is introducing refillable bottles for players at Wimbledon for the first time this year. “It’s important for us, the players, [because] we’re traveling a lot – this new bottle is going to be great,” Wawrinka says. Two years away from 40 and with 16 career titles and 550 career wins under his belt, he’s not planning on hanging up his racket any time soon. “I’m still hoping to play a few more years on tour. It’s, of course, not easy, but I’m passionate about it. I want to enjoy it as much as I can,” Wawrinka says. “The time I will stop there will be no way back, so I need to really push and try to be as good as I can.” Evian, official water of the Championships, together with Wimbledon have launched a new refillable solution to hydrate players on court during this year’s tournament. Discover more at www.evian.com. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Hacks for saving money on school uniforms King Charles and Queen Camilla surprise spa guests in bathrobes at eco-village Nearly 1.5m 18 and under referred for mental health support in 2022 – charity

Time-restricted eating, commonly known as intermittent fasting, may produce similar weight loss results for adults with obesity compared to traditional calorie counting, according to a new study. The small clinical trial, whose results were published on Tuesday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, found that participants who engaged in 8-hour time restricted eating had improved insulin sensitivity compared to those in the control group who ate their calories any time over 10 or more hours a day. Over a billion people worldwide are obese with the with the disease projected to grow in prevalence across the globe, according to the World Health Organization. Obesity has also been found to be a serious risk factor for other metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer. A widely adopted tried-and-tested method to lose weight is to burn more calories than one consumes, and to achieve this, individuals typically count the calories of the food they eat each day. While this traditional approach for losing weight involves counting calories, time-restricted eating, without calorie counting, has also emerged as a popular strategy as it is easier to follow. However, whether intermittent fasting is as effective in producing weight loss, especially beyond the short term, has remained unclear. In the new research, scientists from the University of Illinois Chicago studied 90 adults with obesity from the Greater Chicago area to determine whether intermittent fasting or calorie restricted eating would be more effective for weight control and heart disease risk reduction. Researchers randomly assigned participants to 1 of 3 groups: 8-hour time-restricted eating from noon to 8:00 pm only without calorie counting; reducing a fourth of their calories daily; or no change in calorie consumption with eating taking place over 10 hours or more throughout the day. Participants who followed time-restricted eating and those adopting calorie restriction met regularly with a dietician. The study found that participants who engaged in time-restricted eating ate 425 fewer calories per day than the control group and lost about 4.5kg (10lb) more than the control group after one year. On the other hand, the calorie-restricted group ate 405 fewer calories per day and lost about 5.5kg (12lb) more after one year, with participants in both groups showing high adherence to their interventions. Scientists believe the new study and its findings can help make better-informed clinical decisions by taking individual preferences into consideration, rather than just choosing a diet that may be more effective. Researchers also point out that access to dieticians likely helped the participants make healthier food choices. As there was substantial individual variability in weight loss among participants using these interventions, they called for further research to determine who would most benefit from each of these diet choices. Read More Scientist behind Ozempic says drug can make life ‘so miserably boring’ Teens with severe obesity are turning to surgery and new weight loss drugs, despite controversy Two children were born with ‘insatiable hunger’ that left them severely obese. Now scientists know why British toddler has American accent after watching popular YouTube show GB News in ‘significant breach’ of Ofcom rules over Covid vaccine claims NHS unions vote to accept government pay deal – but nurses could still strike

Jonnie Irwin has said that he “takes every day as a gift as it comes” amid his treatment for terminal cancer. The A Place in the Sun presenter, 49, made a rare red carpet appearance at the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) Awards on Tuesday night (27 June) in London. Irwin also spoke about the support he has received from the BBC’s Escape To The Country production team and said they “put their arm around me” after he divulged his diagnosis. The TV host publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer that had spread to his brain in November 2022, after keeping it a secret among close friends and family for two years. He told The Mirror at the TRIC Awards: “Today is a good day. Yesterday I peeled myself out of bed and munched painkillers but so far so good today. I take every day as a gift and as it comes.” Irwin previously claimed that Channel 4 “pushed him aside for someone healthier” after discovering his terminal cancer diagnosis and told him they didn’t “think they can get the insurance”. He spoke of being “heartbroken” by the broadcaster, adding: “I just feel I’d earned a bit more from them after 18 years”. Channel 4 representatives said the production company “were unable to secure adequate insurance cover” for Irwin. However, Irwin had nothing but praise for Escape To The Country, which he described as “family” to him. “With a notable exception from one production company, as soon as they found out they put their arm around me and, insurance provided, they looked for work when I could,” he said. “So any location that was anywhere near me I was [the] first candidate for and they really helped me find work. They were understanding, especially with travel arrangements. They were so supportive, I can’t thank them enough.” Escape To The Country was nominated for the Daytime TV award at the event, alongside A Place in the Sun. The latter won the category at the end of the night. Prior to the winners being announced, Irwin described the production team as “family” and said the nomination was “recognition” for all their work. “I’ve worked on Escape for coming up to 10 years, but 20 years in the industry and I’ve had the most fun and it’s the most like a family of all the shows I’ve done,” he added. When he first revealed his diagnosis, Irwin said he “doesn’t know how long” he has left to live, but hopes he will inspire people to “make the most of every day”. Earlier this month, he celebrated his “best ever” Father’s Day with his three sons, four-and-a-half-year-old Rex and three-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac. He shares his children with wife Jessica Holmes. It came after he revealed in an interview with Hello! magazine ahead of Father’s Day that he has not told his sons about his terminal cancer, saying it would “be horrible news that they’d have to get their heads around”. “And it would confuse the hell out of Rex – he’s got a shocking enough day coming,” Irwin said. “Let’s bury our heads in the sand for as long as possible.” Read More Walk this way... but not like that: How men’s walks became sexualised Jennifer Lawrence addresses Liam Hemsworth affair rumours after Miley Cyrus’s ‘Flowers’ music video ‘I don’t deserve this’: Tom Hanks’ niece has screaming meltdown on Claim to Fame Jonnie Irwin celebrates ‘best Father’s Day ever’ amid terminal cancer diagnosis Jonnie Irwin ‘removes himself’ from family home amid terminal cancer battle Nicolas Cage once bought seat on plane for son’s imaginary friend, Minnie Driver says

Make the most of all the season has to offer by chowing down on bell peppers, courgettes, cauliflower and asparagus across three wonderfully, light dishes that sing summer. As part of our Budget Bites column – where we’ve teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month – we’ve brought you three seasonal dishes that make the most of your staple ingredients while keeping your fresh shopping list minimal. We’ve also provided a handy shopping list for the ingredients (though hopefully most of it will be knocking about already), which are used across all recipes to ensure minimal food waste. You just need to decide where to shop, whether it’s locally or online. Shopping list 9 cloves garlic 20g fresh ginger 30g fresh basil 4 red bell pepper 2 courgette 5 spring onions 200g asparagus 1 lemon 1 cauliflower 1 red chilli 5 spring onion 40g unsalted butter 150g mozzarella ball 300g crème fraîche 1 x 250g ciabatta 1 vegetable stock cube 2 tbsp miso paste ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground coriander seed 1 tbsp mild chilli powder 2 tbsp sesame seeds 10g pine nuts 400g tinned chopped tomatoes 400g tinned butter beans 250g microwave Puy lentils Olive oil Vegetable oil Sesame oil Red pepper soup with basil salsa If you can get your hands on Romano red peppers, give them a go – they will provide a little more sweetness. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 4 red bell pepper 4 cloves garlic 6 tbsp olive oil ½ ciabatta (1x 250g) 20g fresh basil 10g pine nuts 400g tinned chopped tomatoes 150g mozzarella ball Method: 1. Preheat: Preheat the oven to 180C. 2. Prep the peppers: Deseed and thinly slice 4 bell peppers, then peel and thinly slice 3 cloves of the garlic – we will use the other clove of garlic later. 3. Preheat the pan: Add 2 tbsp of the oil to a large saucepan and place it over a medium heat. 4. Fry the peppers and garlic: Once the oil begins to shimmer and loosen, tip in the peppers, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Fry for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and jammy. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 5. Prep the bread: Cut 1 ciabatta in half and wrap half in clingfilm – we will use this for another recipe in the pack if you haven’t used it already. Cut some of what remains into small 0.5cm cubes and rip the rest into bite-sized chunks. 6. Get ready to bake: Toss the small cubes with 1 tbsp of oil and a generous pinch of salt on a small baking tray. Spread everything out into an even layer on the tray. 7. Bake: Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 8. Assemble the salsa: Add the leaves from 20g of basil to a measuring jug, along with 10g of pine nuts, 3 tbsp of oil, and a generous pinch of salt. 9. Blend the salsa: Blend until smooth and pesto-like, then give the hand blender a rinse – we will need it later. 10. Add the tomatoes: Once the peppers are ready, add 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes and a generous pinch of salt. 11. Add the bread and simmer: Add the ripped up chunks of bread from earlier (not the small cubes), and 150ml of water. Simmer for a further 5-7 minutes, until the bread starts to break up – this will thicken the soup. 12. Wash up: While you wait for the bread to break down, crack on with a bit of washing up. 13. Blend: Once the bread has broken down a bit, take the pan off the heat and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 14. Serve: Divide 1 x 150g ball of mozzarella between 2 serving bowls, then ladle over the soup. Spoon over the basil salsa, scatter over the crispy ciabatta, and dive in! Summer stew with dukkah croutons We use ground spices but if time is on your side, try toasting whole spices and then blending them to amp up the flavours! Serves: 2 Ingredients: 2 courgette 5 spring onions 200g asparagus 2 cloves garlic 400g tinned butter beans 1 vegetable stock cube 1 tbsp miso paste 40g unsalted butter ½ ciabatta (1x 250g) ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground coriander seed 2 tbsp sesame seeds 3 tbsp vegetable oil 100g crème fraîche 10g fresh basil 1 lemon Method: 1. Preheat: Preheat the oven to 180C, this will be for the bread later. 2. Prep the veg: Cut 2 courgettes in half lengthways, then cut them crossways at 1cm intervals. Cut 5 spring onions in quarters crossways, then repeat with 200g of asparagus. Peel and finely grate 2 cloves of garlic. 3. Assemble the stew: Add the courgettes, spring onions, and garlic to a medium saucepan along with 1 undrained 400g tin of butter beans, 1 stock cube, 1 tbsp of miso, and 40g of butter. 4. Get the stew on: Add 400ml of water, then place the pan over a high heat. 5. Simmer: Once the stew comes up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the courgettes soften slightly. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 6. Prep the bread: Cut 1 ciabatta in half and wrap half in clingfilm – we will use this for another recipe in the pack if you haven’t used it already. Rip what remains into bite-sized chunks and add them to a medium baking tray. 7. Get ready to roast: Toss the bread with ½ tsp of cumin, ½ tsp of ground coriander seed, 2 tbsp of sesame seeds, 3 tbsp of oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Spread everything out into 1 even layer. 8. Bake: Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 9. Add the asparagus: Once the courgettes have softened slightly, add the asparagus and simmer for a further 4-5 minutes, until the asparagus is soft but still has a slight bite. Crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait. 10. Season: Once the stew is ready, finely grate over the zest from 1 lemon, then season to taste with its juice and salt. 11. Serve: Divide the stew between bowls and spoon over 100g of crème fraîche. Finish with the leaves from 10g of basil and tuck in! Chilli roast cauliflower with ‘holy trinity’ lentils The “holy trinity” in this dish refers to a wonderful combination of spring onion, ginger and garlic that is often used throughout Chinese cookery. Serves: 2 Ingredients: 1 cauliflower 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp mild chilli powder 200g crème fraîche 1 tbsp miso paste 5 spring onion 3 cloves garlic 20g fresh ginger 2 tbsp sesame oil 250g microwave Puy lentils 1 red chilli Method: 1. Preheat: Preheat the oven to 180C – this will be for the cauliflower later. 2. Prep the cauliflower: Cut the green leaves from 1 cauliflower, then use a small knife to cut small florets from the woody stalk in the centre. We won’t be using the stalk or the leaves for this recipe, but they work well in soups! 3. Get ready to roast: Toss the florets with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, 1 tbsp of mild chilli powder, and a generous pinch of salt on a large baking tray. Ensure the florets are fully coated, then spread everything out into 1 even layer. 4. Roast: Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden in places and soft throughout. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 5. Mix the creme fraiche and miso: Beat 200g of creme fraiche with 1 tbsp of miso paste in a small bowl and set aside – we will use this for garnish later. 6. Chop chop: Finely chop 5 spring onions, then peel and mince 3 cloves of garlic and 20g of ginger. 7. Preheat the pan: Add 2 tbsp of sesame oil to a large frying pan and place it over a medium-high heat. 8. Fry: Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, add the spring onions, garlic and ginger. Fry for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and golden in places. 9. Add the lentils: Add 1 250g pouch of lentils to the pan and fry for a further 4-5 minutes, tossing regularly, until piping hot. Crack on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait. 10. Prep the chilli: Thinly slice 1 red chilli – we will use this for garnish later. If you are still waiting for the lentils, now would be a great time to do a bit of washing up! 11. Serve: Spoon the miso creme fraiche onto plates and spread it out into large discs. Divide the lentils between the plates and add the roast cauliflower. Scatter over the red chilli and serve! In response to the rising cost of living, we have teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month. 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