thelifeofthefuneral

If you've ever been lucky enough to sample this Vietnamese noodle soup, you'll know the experience is one that quickly becomes a sense-memory.  The deep, sweet, savoury aroma is enough to throw me back to a lovely day in Greenwich with my wife, when I first tried Pho.  I would one day like to augment that memory with an additional, more authentic experience in Vietnam.  After lockdown, perhaps :) Pho might be my number 1 food - once I get the craving, it's all over - it's pho or bust! It has everything: flavour, skill in cooking, and passion to spend so long bringing it together. This is my recipe for Pho - it's a dish I am truly passionate about and getting it right (or what I feel is right for me!) took a lot of research, and trial and error. Be warned, this is a long cook - 6-7 hours - though most of the time is spent tending the broth rather than anything else, and it generally comes together very quickly at the end if you do your prep in advance. ...

This is a simple recipe that allows for some experimentation and tailoring to your personal tastes.  The vast majority is also available in Lidl so doesn't require 8 specialist shops! Main Ingredients: Salmon Fillets (1 per person) (Lidl - £2.85/pair) Rice Noodles - these 5mm ones are my preference  (Morrisons - £1.40) Edamame Stir Fry (Lidl - 89p) Mange Tout (Lidl - 89p) Mushrooms - your preference on type! The following spices are worth the trip to various shops to stock up on... Spices: Black Cardamom Pod Sea Salt - The Cornish Sea Salt Co Flakes are my favourite! Pepper Sichuan Peppercorns - this is actually a little citrus thing.  Tastes like strong lemon and makes your tongue tingle! Korean Chili Powder - Course (Type for Kimchi!) Sesame Seeds Cashew Nuts - (unsalted) Sriracha Sauce Soy Sauce Cooking Oil - Olive or Rapeseed This is a mostly vegan dish, and if you replace the salmon with tofu, it's completely vegan! I leave it up to you t...

Another Asian-inspired dish, this is healthy comfort food and great for your diet and soul!  One portion will come in around 650 calories, though the miso can be a little high in sodium so bear this in mind if you have heart problems and search out a low-salt alternative such as this This is a very easy dish to prep and can be cooked in one large flat-bottomed frying pan, minimising washing-up duties! Measures below will serve two. Ingredients: 2x Chicken Breast 200g Udon Noodles (Wet) 2x Spring Onion 100g Chestnut Mushrooms  100g Green Beans Miso Paste Yutaka Dried Miso Soup (Morrisons World Food Section) Sesame Oil Toasted Sesame Seeds Chilli Flakes Cornish Sea Salt Pepper Fish Sauce Light Soy Sauce Granulated Garlic Step 1: Prep Finely chop spring onion, slice the mushrooms around 1/4" thick and the green beans to about 1/2" thick. Toast the sesame seeds in small, dry frying pan and put them t...

I was lucky enough whilst in Amsterdam recently to visit a little restaurant called "Soup En Zo" on Jodenbreestraat - well worth the visit!  I had the above soup, which was fantastic. Upon returning home I attempted to replicate this soup myself and, according to my other half, it might be the best thing I have ever cooked her, so here goes... (Serves 2) Ingredients: Half an onion Hot Smoked Paprika Cumin Seeds Tomato Pasata  1x Red Pepper 100g Green Lentils 50g Chopped Chorizo Vegetable Stock - Roughly half a litre 1x Carrot 1: Heat up olive oil in a saucepan and add in finely chopped onion and   Add cumin seeds and ground pepper and chopped carrot (shop into small 1cm cubes). 2: Add chopped red pepper and lightly fry off the chopped chorizo 3: Add boiling water to vegetable stock (I like the Knorr stock pots) and then add roughly a qtr pint to the onions and peppers. ...

Does anyone else wake up and feel exhausted? Like you ran a midnight marathon... I generally turn in around 11pm - not ridiculously early; I have shit to do, but I am by no means a night owl any more (being 30 is knackering!)! I wake up around 7am and normally get up 30 mins later - God bless the snooze button! So I am getting around 8 hours a night, so why do I feel knackered before I am even in work? I started to suspect this tiredness, and the resulting foul mood that lasted all day, was nothing to do with the amount of sleep I was getting (quality of sleep is a different subject!) but was rooted elsewhere. A few months ago I actually sat down and made a record of what I was eating.  What we fuel our bodies with has a huge effect on everything: mood, energy, happiness, stool consistency! The result: I was completely reversing any gains or progress I made in the gym, and worsening how I felt.  It wasn't awful - the odd KFC, or pizza, but it was devoi...