Author: Carma Spence

Carma Spence has been experimenting in the kitchen since she was four years old and loves trying out new recipe ideas. She is the author of Bonkers for Bundt Cakes and Your Perfect Pie, as well as author and contributor to several more non-food-related books. With Carma's Cookery, she is taking her passion for empowering people and blending it with her passion for cooking, gift-giving and entertaining.

Healthy Living

Answers to Questions About Plant-based Eating

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 24, 2019

Having a diet rich in plant-based sources is becoming increasingly common, especially with younger generations driving the conversation around sustainability. In this post, James Collier, co-Founder and Head of Nutrition at Huel, a nutrition company offering a variety of plant-based powders and ready-to-drink beverages, answers some common questions about plant-based eating.

What is plant-based eating?

A plant-based diet is a diet that consists mainly of foods from plants. Such foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. Meat intake is minimal if any.

There are many reasons why people eat a plant-based diet including environmental, ethical and health concerns. I am not suggesting to eliminate meat from a person’s diet completely, however, reducing meat and animal food consumption is one of the quickest and simple ways an individual can reduce their carbon footprint.

What foods should we eat to achieve daily recommended nutrients, vitamins, minerals on a plant-based diet?

There are some easy ways to ensure, with a plant-based diet, you can get the recommended amounts of all nutrients:

Eat the rainbow.
As different color foods usually contain different levels of nutrients, it’s important to eat a variety. For example, the phytonutrient, lycopene which is an antioxidant that protects against cell damage and gives tomatoes its red color. While carotenoids, another group of antioxidants, give fruits and vegetables orange and yellow colors, such as carrots.

Get enough Vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12, which plays a vital role in helping the body produce red blood cells can usually be perceived as tricky to get enough of with a plant-based diet. The good news is, it’s really not. As a start, try incorporating plant-based milks that are that are fortified with B12, and calcium and vitamin D. Cereals, meat alternatives and some soy products are often fortified with B12 too. Taking a B12 supplement also rids any concerns.

Ensure adequate omega-3 consumption.
If oily fish is not part of your eating plan, then foods such as walnuts, soy and flaxseed are ways to ensure adequate omega 3 consumption. Flaxseed is one of Huel’s six main ingredients and contains the omega-3 essential fatty acid ALA. Omega-3 fats are generally low in a Western diet and adequate omega-3 consumption is important to support cardiovascular health.

Keep your iron up.
Iron is not just found in meat food sources. Dark leafy greens, nuts and dried fruits are great sources of iron. Iron is crucial for oxygen transport, cognitive function and the immune system. Iron from plant sources can be harder to absorb, but again, there’s no need to worry. Iron absorption can also be increased by the presence of vitamin C which is found in lots of fruits and vegetables such as oranges and peppers. It’s where the idea of having orange juice with breakfast comes from — to increase the iron that is added to cereals.

How do you transition to plant-based eating?

Whether your motivation to increase plant-based foods to your eating plan is to improve your health or environmental footprint, incorporating higher amounts of plant-based foods can be achievable.

Make small changes over time.
Start by eating one plant-based meal a day. This will be easier to stick with rather than making large, unsustainable changes overnight.

Make some easy fridge swaps.
A good place to start is by swapping dairy milk with almond or oat milk such as Oatly. The rapidly growing plant-based meat industry lead by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods is also providing shoppers with plenty of options.

Change your mindset.
Instead of thinking, “I can’t eat meat,” think about all the wonderful things you can eat and how beneficial these are for your health (and the planet). Stop focussing on meat as the hero on your plate and rather, build your plate with new and nutritious food choices.

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About the Guest Expert

James Collier is a Registered Nutritionist with 20 years of experience with the national health service in the UK. James is a renowned nutrition expert with over 25 years working in nutrition and dietetics. His experience also includes working in the NHS (UK) as a clinical dietitian covering an array of clinical areas.

He is also the co-founder of Huel, which has the mission of making nutritionally complete, convenient, affordable food, with minimum impact on animals and the environment. With this in mind, Huel’s products are 100% vegan.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

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Tags vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

Recipes

Easy Mediterranean Baked Fish

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date August 22, 2019

Looking for the great recipes in life is an adventure in itself. When you’re looking for something that feels comforting, but also has the health benefits, it can be hard to find. Many people are moving towards the Mediterranean diet because it is plentiful in nuts, vegetables, as well as fish.

That said, many of us can find fish is a little bit too much. Therefore, here is a Mediterranean style recipe for fish that you can try out. This recipe for Mediterranean baked fish features a parmesan tomato sauce and is full to the brim with Italian herbs and seasonings. It feels hearty and healthy.

Ingredients

5 plum tomatoes
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch dried oregano
4 Tablespoons white wine
24 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
4 Tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
3 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
18 oz flounder or sole fillets (Feel free to choose any fish you want as a lot of people don’t like an incredibly fishy flavor.)
6 leaves fresh basil, torn

Directions

Preheat oven to 430 F.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Put the tomatoes into the boiling water, and remove to a medium bowl of ice water.
Drain, then remove the skins. Chop, and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan (over medium heat).
Sauté the onion until tender.
Stir in garlic and oregano.
Stir in tomatoes, and cook until tender.
Mix in the wine, olives, capers, lemon juice. Finally, add the chopped basil.
Reduce the heat, blend in parmesan cheese, and cook until the mixture is reduced to a thick sauce.
Place the fish in a shallow baking dish. Cover with the sauce. Top the dish with the remaining basil leaves.
Bake 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until fish is easily flaked with a fork.

The great thing about this dish is that it can be a perfect accompaniment to a vegetable dish. If you are looking for an oven roasted vegetable recipe that’s easy, you can find plenty around.

Be sure that you go for the rainbow in terms of colors. The more colors in your vegetables, the better. The benefits of this dish, with the fish, vegetables, and that rich Italian sauces that it provides you with a healthy dose of protein, carbs, as well as lots of healthy fats. If you want to add a little bit extra to the dish, drizzle it in extra virgin olive oil, and it’s ready to serve up!

The Mediterranean diet is one of the best ways for a healthy heart, and this dish serves four people but is also an excellent way for you to give your children a colorful plate that’s also very healthy. The olives add to that being on vacation vibe and is a perfect dish for summer nights. Get yourself a glass of wine, relax on the verandah, and look out at the sun going down!

Tags fish, Mediterranean Cuisine, seafood

Healthy Living

Getting Healthy: What You Can Eat To Improve Your Skin

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date August 20, 2019

When it comes to your health, there are a few aspects of it that eating different foods can’t help. That is absolutely true when it comes to your skin. It’s the largest organ in your body, and it often tends to reflect the way that you feel on the inside. If you’ve been eating lots of processed food, you may find that you start to break out. If you haven’t been getting enough sleep, you may find that you start to look pale and drawn. But luckily there are things you can do and foods you can add to your diet to improve your skin, keeping it glowing and gorgeous.

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Improve Your Skin with Avocados

Not only are they delicious – what’s better than smashed avocado on toast in the morning? – but avocados are also great for your skin. They contain a lot of healthy fats, which can improve the way that your skin looks by keeping it moisturized and flexible, meaning that you’ll be less likely to develop wrinkles and more like to have skin that looks full. Avocados also contain a lot of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that helps protect your skin, and vitamin C, which your skin needs to create collagen. Without vitamin C, your skin will end up looking rough and dry. [/two_third]
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Improve Your Skin with Fatty Fish

There are few foods that are more generally good for you than fatty fish, or oily fish as it is sometimes known. Tuna, salmon, herring, and anchovies are all delicious – and great for your complexion. They contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which will keep your skin looking glowing, supple and moisturized, along with reducing redness and acne by bringing down the inflammation in your skin. It also contains a lot of protein, which maintains the strength of your skin, and zinc, which along with fatty acids can reduce inflammation, as well as aiding the formation of new skin cells, meaning that any scratches or cuts will heal much more quickly. [/two_third]
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Improve Your Skin with Sweet Potatoes

There are few comfort foods that are better than a baked sweet potato in the winter. Cut open the crispy skin, add some butter, and enjoy – and remember that it’s doing your skin a lot of good. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, along with other foods like spinach and oranges. Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A in your body and which can help protect your skin from the sun, meaning that if you eat plenty of sweet potato and spinach, you will be less likely to get wrinkles and sunburn from the sun when you go outside. Make sure you wear sunscreen all year round, just in case! [/two_third]
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Talk To Your Doctor

Don’t forget that it’s still important to make sure you speak to your doctor about any skin complaints that you may have. Websites like Inspire can help you work out any medications that might help you for skin conditions like acne and psoriasis, and the doctor will be able to talk it over with you and prescribe medication or creams that might be useful.

You don’t have to spend hundreds on face creams to get clear skin – explore the possibilities in your diet first!

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags avocado, fatty fish, salmon, sweet potatoes

Cooking Techniques Creative Cookery Flavor Blending

A Meat Lovers Heaven

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date June 19, 2019

Are you one of the meat lovers? When it comes to eating meat, you’re either really into all the different types of meat, or you really don’t care one way or the other. The world is divided as to how much meat we should be eating, and if we should be eating any at all. But all of these conspiracy theories created by people who love to shake the world, should not distract you away from the benefits of meat.

I admit, eating it in large quantities is not going to do your digestive system any good. But meat is something you’re most likely only going to eat once a day, in your evening meal. When you do, you’re getting so much protein and vitamins and minerals, that it would be a shame to give it all up. And some people have to eat meat or they’ll get sick!

But for those of you who are serious meat lovers, giving up is just not on the agenda. Eating meat is life, and the flavors it creates, and the texture it adds to a dish, just can’t be replicated. This article is dedicated to those of you who know you just can’t live without your meat fix. I’m going to show you the different ways you can step up your meat game.

Countries around the world have taken cooling meat to the next level, and simply sticking it in the pan and waiting for it not to be raw is not an option anymore. So if you’re ready to step up your game, sit back and relax, and see what you think of these ideas.

Different Ways of Cooking Meat

Let’s start off with the most important part. So many of people are missing out on beautiful tasting meat, simply because they stick to cooking it in the pan with just a little bit of olive oil or butter to make sure that it doesn’t stick. But this is most definitely not the way you should be cooking your meat, especially if you’re always looking for the finest tasting option.

True meat lovers own a smoker. Smoking meats is what so many big chain restaurants do in the U.S., and what nearly all of the smaller family businesses use. It’s literally the secret key–that’s not so secret–however, many people just don’t implement this cooking method.

You can get little smokers that can sit in your garden while your meat is slowly smoke-cooked. This type of cooking method is the best with brisket and steaks, simply because it produces that deep smokey flavor while leaving the meat so tender and juicy. You’d have to do your research as to how long to cook each meat, but generally, you’ll have to learn by trial and error. This is a super good, long term investment, and I promise you won’t regret it if you give it a go for the summer!

Different Meats To Try

If you call yourself a meat lover, I have this question for you: How often do you venture outside the common two? The two types of meat that most people seem to eat are chicken and beef. Pork seems to be the meat left out of the picture so often, but it’s one of the most flavorsome meats when you cook it right. But this is the part that so many people get wrong, including myself. How many times have I made pork and ended up with a dry lump of meat? I’ve lost count. My husband, on the other hand, makes an awesome pork steak that is juicy and flavorful! Go figure.

The problem with cooking port often starts with the cut. If you don’t get a good cut of meat, it won’t come out right. So first of all, think about sourcing something such as brine pork ribs. Ribs are massively underestimated, but when seen on a menu in a restaurant, soon they get the standing ovation they deserve.

However, at home, it’s just not common to see pork ribs. Here’s the scoop: This dish starts in the morning. Get a big enough dish, and coat the ribs in your favorite BBQ sauce. Go a bit fancy, and source one that you know restaurants use. Leave it to soak all day, and then slow roast them in the oven in the evening. That strong BBQ flavor, alongside juicy slow-cooked meat, is a winning combination. Have a side dish of beans, corn on the cob, and maybe a few chips or fries, and you’ve got yourself a succulent meat dish we know you’ve been sleeping on!

The Best Country for Meat Lovers

If you really love meat, then you should definitely think about going on a little meat lovers adventure around the States. So many restaurants serve the craziest meats, cooked to perfection. Just going there simply to eat food is enough, but you’re all aware of the super cool things you could do alongside that. So do your research, and find out what states are the best for well-cooked meats!

And don’t stick to the obvious, sit-down restaurants either. Some of the best pulled pork I’ve ever had was cooked in a smoker in the parking lot of an Ollie’s in Maryland.

Tags meat

Cooking Techniques

Tips on Tenderizing Meat

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 9, 2019

Mastering the skill of tenderizing meat can mean the difference between an enjoyable meal and a tough-to-chew hunk of meat. From wagyu beef to pork loin, the best cuts of meat are those that have been tenderized. If you go to any of the best restaurants and order a meat dish it will be easy to chew and full of flavor because they make the effort to tenderize the meat.

However, this is not always the case when you purchase inexpensive cuts from supermarkets, which is why it is important to tenderize the meat. The same goes for when it comes to meal kits. Read meal kit reviews to ensure the meat provided is tenderized, if indeed included. If not, it’s your job to do this! Let’s take a look at the different ways you can do this…

Tenderizing Meat with Enzymes

The first method involves using foods that contain enzymes that will break down the muscle tissue in the meat. This includes enzyme-rich foods, such as kiwi, pineapple and ginger, as well as acidic foods, for example, wine, yogurt and vinegar, and also citrus fruits, like limes and lemons.

If you follow this approach you will need to create a marinade, using either one or several of the ingredients that have been mentioned. You should then marinate the meat for anything from two to 24 hours, depending on the strength of the marinade. Another option is to purchase a meat tenderizer to sprinkle on top. These tend to be enzyme based and therefore they have a similar effect.

Of course, be careful with this technique. I once cooked chicken in a pineapple and when I pulled the dish out of the oven, the chicken was mush!

Tenderize Your Meat with Muscle

If you don’t want to follow this process, then you could tenderize the meat by pounding it instead. This works really well with skirt steak, round steak, and flank steak. You should begin by getting rid of the excess fat. Don’t cut it all off, as you will need to leave some for flavor. Once you have done this, pop the meat in the freezer for approximately half an hour. You don’t want the meat to freeze, but you want it to get cold.

After half an hour has passed, take the meat out of the freezer and place it on a chopping board. This is vital to protect your kitchen counter. The last thing you want is to whack your worktop with a steel mallet. Now you can use the mallet to tenderize the meat. Simply pound the meat on both sides until it is nice and tender. This approach is effective because it breaks down the fibers, which will make it much easier to chew.

Tenderizing meat is one of the most important processes for cooking steak effectively, empowering you to enjoy the best, most flavorful meat. These two processes mentioned above are highly effective and you will immediately notice the difference if you do not usually tenderize meat before cooking it.

Tags meat, tenderize

Healthy Living

Taking a Bite Out of Sustainability

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date April 30, 2019

Nearly every time you make a choice to eat something healthy for your dinner, you are making a conscious decision to eat something nutritious. You may think about the calories and the protein of your food, but have you considered how sustainable it is? Here’s some food for thought about sustainability:

It is a scary time in the world at the moment when it comes to how quickly we are burning through our resources. We are using more plastics than ever, and while steps are being taken to combat this, more homeowners and families than ever are working hard to reduce their impact on the planet. The agriculture industry is overinflated in the world, and we need to ask ourselves what we could be doing to cook and eat in a way that will help the planet to slow down this fast train to deterioration.

The good news is that your life doesn’t have to be turned upside down just to eat in a way that’s more sustainable; all it needs is a little awareness. Here are some fantastic ways to help you to bring a little sustainability in the kitchen, from sustainable salmon farmers to checking the produce of the season. Let’s take a look:

Seasonal Produce Is More Sustainable

Sometimes, you crave bananas, but the ones in the supermarket are being sold while unripened. The ones that you can find that are ripened are more expensive, right? Well, there’s an excellent indication that these aren’t the fruit for you. Forced fruits that are grown out of season are not as delicious as the produce that is currently in season, so start expanding your tastebuds now, and you’ll be used to the seasonal flavors.

Take Down Your Meat Nights for Increased Sustainability

You may be a happy omnivore, and that’s okay, but think about how often you eat meat every day and where you buy it from. If you’re buying fish and meat products, think about sustainable farmers and where they get their products. Think about how the meat is treated. Going vegan once a week is going to do more for the planet than you think, so get searching for the best recipes!

Go Fair Trade

When you buy foods with a fair trade label, you’re supporting the farmers that are making those foods. You are supporting the working conditions of the farmers that are harvesting, and you’re purchasing products that have been made without added GMOs. The fair trade products are also organic, which is just a bonus!

Learn To Compost

We are always taught not to waste food, and it’s the correct option. However, you shouldn’t have to keep eating if you’re not feeling hungry anymore. Take a moment to scrape your plate into a compost bin, and you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint as well as the cost of landfill. You can learn about composting here so you can get started.

Your life can be more sustainable right now, no more waiting. Small tweaks can have a significant – and correct – impact on our planet.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags sustainability

Healthy Living Product Reviews

Product Review: Solely Fruit Jerky

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date March 7, 2019

I’ll admit it, when I first heard of Solely Fruit Jerky, I did not have high hopes. I figured it would be some sort of fruit roll, like the ones I had as a kid. They were always a bit too sweet for me — and I have a serious sweet tooth! But I was dead wrong.

About Solely Fruit Jerky

Solely products follow a “Clean Label” philosophy, which means what you see on the label is what you get. Their fruit jerky contains one or two ingredients with no added sugars, additives, colors or flavoring.

They claim to select the ripest fruit at the farm, and it certainly tastes like it.

Currently, Solely makes six flavors of fruit jerky, all of which are available on Amazon.

Organic Banana
Organic Banana with Cacao
Organic Banana with Pecan
Organic Mango
Organic Pineapple
Organic Pineapple with Coconut

What I Liked About Solely Fruit Jerky

They were surprisingly delicious–in fact, so addictively so, I ate all six in one sitting! Yum.

My favorite flavors were the three banana strips, with Organic Pineapple with Coconut coming in second. The Mango and plain Pineapple were a bit too acidic for my palate.

The texture was nice. Not too chewy like so many dried fruit products are, and not as sticky as I remember fruit rolls being.

I really like that what I was eating was basically a piece of fruit. Nothing else was added, and the flavor supported that claim.

I don’t usually say this, but I also like the packaging. They are easy to open–there is a pull strip in the bottom right corner. And the design aesthetically is pleasing.

What I Didn’t Like About Solely Fruit Jerky

I found the pineapple and mango strips too sweet and acidic for my taste. But I could totally see someone else really digging them.

I wish I had known how tasty they would be. I would have hidden some to eat another day. They are deceptively small. I basically ate six pieces of fruit in one sitting! Yikes!

Overall Comments on Solely Fruit Jerky

I would whole heartily recommend this product. They are tasty. They are organic. They don’t have added sugar, additives or fillers. However, I would make sure that they aren’t easily accessible or you might find yourself with a binge eating tummy ache.

What Is Solely Fruit Jerky Good For?

Because they are basically dried fruit, they are great for taking on the road. Put them in your (or your children’s) lunch box. Take them on a road trip. Take them when camping or hiking. They make a great portable, healthy snack.

And, because they are so tasty, you could probably use them for dessert, as well! Hmmm. I wonder if they would taste good with whipped cream?

For More Information Or To Order Some of Your Own

Solely products are available at 365 by Whole Foods Markets nationwide and select Sprouts Farmers Markets. More retailers are being added, so visit their website to find a location near you.

They plan on upcoming promos and giveaways. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to get in on those goodies!

My Video Reaction

Score: 5 out of 5

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NOTE: I received a free copy of this product in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past product reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to buy or not buy this product, even if you disagree with my opinion.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags dried fruit, Fruit, fruit jerky, Soley