The Discovery of a Lifetime: Add Spice to Your Meals!

Stuck for cooking ideas? Low on time? Read on…

So you’re a student. You’re sat there right now with certain things running through your mind. Is one of them food, by any chance? I thought as much. ‘What to cook for dinner?’ Sounds about right. Problem is, you’re hungry. Really hungry. You don’t want to spend a long time cooking, because you want to eat NOW…or at least within 15 minutes or so.

Image Credit: pettywood.co.uk

Well, look no further than Discovery. Heard of them? Yes that’s right – The Mexican food. Think about it now – imagine yourself digging into a perfectly seasoned fajita and your hunger just melting away…

But what could you possibly do?

Well, Discovery has a wealth of products available, from wraps and tortillas to sauces, to seasoning mixes and more! The other day, I tried one of their Mexican BBQ fajitas, with mild seasoning, soured cream sauce and jalapeño salsa, and can honestly say it was delicious. Even the chopped jalapeños I also had were a delight (though maybe refrain from popping too many in your mouth in one go!).

It was the sachet of fajita seasoning that really stood out as being the jewel in Discovery’s crown – perfectly balanced spices, in several varieties, that transformed the diced chicken fillets into something magical. Combined then with the condiments, the tightly packed fajitas were both satisfying and filling and yet somehow made me want more on top of that. One tip though – be modest with your packing. The perfect fajita is made with care, and overflowing tortillas can be a nightmare!

Image Credit: fdin.co.uk

But the best part of it all? It’s quick. It’ll only take as long as it takes for your chicken (or similar) to fry, so you don’t have to go wanting! Fast preparation, and dynamite results – what more could you want from a product? Luckily for you, Discovery products are very easy to find in most supermarkets, so what are you waiting for? Not convinced yet? Well, for those of you who might be arriving at Exeter University for the first time in September, there may be a Discovery-based surprise in your welcome packs that may spice up your first few meals at University… But more on that closer to the time.

Have you tried Discovery recently? Maybe you have some wacky recipe ideas you would like to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Ben Gilbert, Online Lifestyle Editor

Rice Cooker: The Perfect Student Food Fix.

By the eighth week of second term, many students’ appreciation of catered halls has waned considerably: draconian rules related to the number of items one can take, chocolate pizza and other disastrous menu experiments, long queues, and very early opening hours. Everyone has a different solution – skipping breakfast for cereal, dodging dinner for Domino’s, or stockpiling the fridge with microwave meals. But in the long run, it’s unhealthy and the costs add up – especially after upgrading the microwave meals to the pricier variety containing less horse.

 

An easy solution is the rice cooker, which costs about £20. Besides rice, I have been able to make fried and scrambled eggs, French toast, pasta, soup noodles, fish, and steamed vegetables. Rice cookers are halls-friendly, being easy to use and easy to clean, and having a lid that keeps the smell in and away from fire alarms. I share some recipe ideas below.

 

Scrambled Eggs – 10 minutes.

Ingredients

Eggs (as many as desired)

Oil or butter

Milk

Salt

Directions

1. Heat the rice cooker (most just have one button that you push to turn on).

2. Crack eggs and add with a pinch of salt and milk to a bowl. Whisk with a fork.

3. Add oil or butter to lubricate the cooking surface.

4. Pour the egg mixture into the pot.

5. Once the egg mixture starts to solidify at the edges, put the cooked part into the middle, letting the raw mixture flow to the edges.

6. When there is very little uncooked egg mixture left, start to stir everything together until there is no more liquid.

7. Remove eggs, plate up and enjoy!

 

French Toast – 25 minutes.

Ingredients

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 thick slices of old, slightly stale bread

Butter

Maple syrup

Directions

1. Heat the rice cooker.

2. Whisk eggs, milk, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

3. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, letting it soak in the liquid.

4. Melt butter in the pot.

5. Fry the bread until it is brown both sides, flipping when necessary.

6. Remove and Eat!

 

Rice with vegetables and fish – 40 minutes.

Ingredients  

1-2 cups rice (white or brown)

Vegetables (cabbage, Chinese cabbage, kale, etc.)

Raw fish (whole or filleted)

Directions

1. Wash the rice in cold water.

2. Once washed, add cold water and start to cook.

3. After about 20 minutes most of the water will have been absorbed by the rice. At this time, add in the raw fish and vegetables, then close the lid again.

4. Wait until the rice cooker’s timer ends/it switches to the “keep warm” setting.

5. Remove from cooker, eat and enjoy!

 

By Cameron Ho.

All images by Cameron.

Valentine's Recipes for the Lazy Lover

Looking to impress that special someone this Valentine’s Day? Can’t be arsed to put in too much effort? Here’s a perfect three-course menu that requires a minimal amount of effort, and you’ll be beating off the suitors with a rolling pin faster than you can say “but it only came from a can”.

‘Slutty Brownies’
Photo by Kate Gray.

First course:

Pastry-wrapped, oven-baked Brie

Firstly, let’s clear up that puddle of drool on the floor. You might slip.
Down to business. You’ll need three things:
1. A round of Brie
2. Apricot jam
3. Ready-to-roll dough (croissant dough, if you can get it)

It’s really this easy:

Roll out the dough.Spread the jam over it. Put the Brie in the middle.Wrap it up.Bake at 170 C or gas mark 4 for 15 minutes. Eat.

Second course:

Prawn, rocket & chilli linguine

This one used to be one of my absolute favourites until I developed an allergy to shellfish. Seriously. But you lucky people can still enjoy it at my expense, because it’s amazing, easy and fairly impressive once plated up.

You’ll need:
400g tiger prawns, peeled
1 garlic clove
30ml olive oil
Half a lemon
1 chilli, de-seeded and thinly sliced
40g rocket leaves
175g linguine
Fresh parsley to decorate
(optional)

Add prawns, garlic and 1tsp of the oil to a bowl. Cover and let marinade for 15 minutes (while you’re eating the Brie, maybe…).
Zest the lemon (you can use a peeler for this, then chop the rind up). Juice the lemon.
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, following the directions on the pack.
Cook the prawns in a heated frying pan for 5 minutes.
Add the chilli and the lemon zest to the pan.
Remove from the heat, and add the pasta, the rocket and the parsley… If you bought any.
Drizzle over the oil and lemon juice (and salt and pepper, if you like).
Serve!

Dessert:
Slutty brownies

So named because they’re filthy, devilishly bad for you, incredibly easy and because you can’t have just one (also I heard rumours that
they give out sexual favours behind the bike shed, but you didn’t hear that from me), slutty brownies are the zenith of lazy-yet-awesome baking. They might even rival the 5-minute microwave mug cake for the laziness/tastiness ratio.

Here’s what you’ll need:
Box mix of cookie dough
Box mix of brownies
One pack of Oreos
Eggs
Oil

For this one, all you need to do is follow the instructions on the box (but add a splash more oil/water to the cookie dough mix to make sure it won’t burn!). Squidge cookie dough into the bottom of a greased deep dish tray. Layer the Oreos on top. Top with the brownie mixture.
Bake at 180 C, or gas mark 4, for 30 minutes.
Serve with ice cream.
Die of happiness.

By Kate Gray.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

Exepose interviews the inspirational Anna Atkins, founder of LemonSqueezy.eu, about the motivation behind her cooking and her website.

Image from Lemon Squeezy Image Bank.

Anna set up Lemon Squeezy after leaving her job in the city, wanting to share the secrets of her “unfussy but fabulous” style of cooking. A native of Puglia, Anna says “As an Italian, good food is a key part of everyday life: this means using quality ingredients and keeping the cooking simple to fit around all the other demands competing on my time. Lemon Squeezy is a new website for people with busy lives who care about what they eat. It enables people to make quality food on any budget or cooking skills, supported by expert advice on how to make food work for you to ensure that you feel, look and perform at your best.”

If this sounds perfect for a student such as yourself, that’s because Anna’s own daughters- both recent graduates- helped inspire her to launch a website that went beyond simple recipe sharing. From store cupboard staples to an “A-Z of Terms and Techniques” (which includes everything from a definition of what boiling water is, to how to debeard a mussel), LemonSqueezy.eu is a one-stop website for cooking inspiration. I for one have been saved and inspired by this website on many occasion- who knew broccoli and spaghetti could taste so good together?!

When it comes to winter, Anna says  “To me winter is all about comforting food, that is good for your body and soul.  Steaming soups, satisfying stews, creamy mashes and baking.  There is no better way to spend rainy Sunday afternoon than filling your kitchen with the aroma of a cake or a batch of biscuits baking in the oven.”

Here are some of Anna’s top tips, for cooking…

• Never shop for food when you are starving, that’s the quickest way to overestimate the amount of food you actually need hence wasting food and money!
• Plan you weekly meals taking into account when you are actually going to be around to eat.
• Get into the habit of making a meal planner and shopping list, that way you will know exactly what you are going to eat each day and it will be less likely to fall into the takeaway trap, always a very seductive option at the end of a long day at uni and the prospect of an empty fridge staring at you at home.
• Have a few storecupboard staples handy at all time, so you are never more than 15 minutes away from a good meal, even when you have had no time or money to shop for food.  Take a look at our Essential Storecupboard for inspiration.

And for creating a business…

• Choose something you are really passionate about; that will see you through the highs and lows of setting up a business. Be clear about what your ambitions are for the business and put the right model in place that will support growth.
• Coming from a big corporate environment, the biggest challenge for me has been learning to work without the huge support network and resources that a large multinational provides. Setting up my own business was tougher than I ever imagined – and it takes the meaning of multi-tasking to a completely new level! There never seem to be enough hours in the day but, at the same time, it is hugely rewarding.

(Source for business tips: Anna’s interview with thegoodwebguide.co.uk, October 2012)

We asked Anna to recommend some ‘Winter Warmer’ recipes from Lemon Squeezy for Exepose readers to try, and she suggested we “Make more use of pulses.  They are cheap, nutritious and extremely versatile. They are fantastic in salads, hearty soups, warming stews, and are a great source of protein and fibre.  Our Moroccan butternut squash and chickpeas stew, winter minestrone and pasta e fagioli are all quick, easy, cheap and nutritious winter warmers.”

See below for Anna’s Roasted root vegetable and sausage try bake, and visit lemonsqueezy.eu for more “unfussy and fabulous” recipes and cooking ideas!

Roasted root vegetable and sausage tray bake.

A crowd-pleasing one-pot for cold days

Image from LemonSqueezy.eu

Ingredients:

8 free range Cumberland pork sausages

2 sweet potatoes

450g carrots

3 parsnips

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp olive oil

Sea salt

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 200C

2. Peel the sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots and cut into large chunks. Rinse under running water.

Mix the mustard, olive oil, honey and sea salt to form a paste.

Put the vegetable in a roasting tray, combine with the paste and bake for 25 mins, stirring halfway through cooking.

Turn the temperature down to 180C and place the sausages over the vegetables, cooking for a further 20-25 minutes and stirring occasionally. By Megan Train.

December New Releases

It’s that time of year again when the fires are lit, turkeys are roasted and people everywhere come together to celebrate, be merry and relax after a hard year’s work. That is, unless you’re a student with looming January exams. But if you do find a spare moment to kick up your feet with a good book, December has a diverse range of escapist offerings.

Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney come together once more to give fans of the Jack Ryan series the next installment. This time, Threat Vector (6 Dec) raises the bar. For those who had become tired of Clancy’s perhaps predictable and slightly unfashionable style, the story is updated and rejuvenated as an exciting new plot line fails to disappoint. Whilst tales of international conflict are easy to find, this novel offers cyberspace as a new battle arena leading the reader to consider how much they really know about their country and become lost in questions of “what if?”

Ketchup Clouds (27 Dec) by Annabel Pitcher follows the letters of fifteen-year-old Zoe who begins writing to Stuart Harris. However these are not ordinary letters; Stuart is awaiting his death sentence in Texas and Zoe reveals that she too is guilty of the crime of murder. Touching and funny in equal measures, the book is intended for teens and young adults but provided that you’re willing to rewind a few years and remind yourself of the unsavoury experience that is adolescence, you should be able to lose yourself in the angst, first love and poor behavioural choices that accompany this transitory life stage.

Next, Tangle of Need (13 Dec) is the next stage for all of those who loved Twilight and Fifty Shades (definitely not me…) The list of books already published in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling Series is as extensive as the character list, offering the reader a real chance for getting lost in an intricate other world. Not for the prudish or faint-hearted, the story centres around lust. The sex scenes make Fifty Shades look like the chaste first Twilight books so if E.L James’ offerings weren’t quite hitting your spot, maybe you’ll be better, uh, pleased by this tangle of fantasy and wolf relationships. Whilst the content might be geared towards an older Twilight-fan, don’t expect a literary masterpiece but this is definitely one for fans of Jacob and Christian.

Now as sceptical as I am about the savoury value of any meal that claims to be low-fat, the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (21 Dec) may be the one to finally drag me away from Nigella’s lard-soaked recipes. Conveniently released just before Christmas, this brightly coloured tome will wait patiently on your shelf during the festive consuming before easing you into a January diet which will be altogether rather more pleasant than expected. For me, a dubious dip into the easy-to-follow pages turned into an engrossed study of the plentiful recipes and delicious accompanying photographs. It even has additional health tips to accompany meals and with sections catering to all of your gastronomic needs from basics to brunches, starters to cakes and beef to vegetarian, this can’t fail to please anyone, dieting or not.

Finally, Graham Hurley’s Western Approaches (27 Dec) is a great read for any Exeter resident. Even if you’re not normally one for crime novels, the Devon location makes this story easy to imagine and fantastic for these cold winter nights. This is the first in the Jimmy Suttle series meaning that anyone can pick it up without having to worry about missing important elements of the plot. Although it isn’t set in our city, Exeter does get mentioned (a grand total of 34 times, I might add) and anyone who has ventured onto the lonely plains of Dartmoor and Exmoor will be able to recognise the haunting atmosphere of our timeless countryside as Suttle begins to wonder if he’s reached his limit.

By Lucy Porter – New Releases Reporter
Ed. by Georgina Holland – Exeposé Online Books Editor