Seasonal Ingredients: Autumn

 

 

Read up on the best of the seasonal ingredients and discover deliciously different ways to cook and enjoy them... A slight nip in the air reminds us that autumn is here, so look forward to all the tasty treats on offer.

Tastes of the Season
Fresh fruits and vegetables are in abundance, and locally grown vegetables - carrots, parsnips and main crop potatoes, along with onions, cauliflowers, broccoli, cabbages, tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and aubergines - are at their best. Home-grown apples, plums and pears are in season too and you'll be able to buy some of the best peaches right now, so make the most of them in your recipes. There's the usual variety of fresh meats and poultry, and a huge choice of fresh fish and seafood. Fresh herring (cheap to buy and so good for you) is at its best in autumn and mussels are a real treat for seafood lovers.

Create These Easy Ideas
When you're trying to lose weight, it's vital to keep interested in the food you eat - so don't get stuck in a rut! Try these seasonal ideas to add variety to your menus - then you'll be more likely to stay on track. Just to inspire you, here are six simple recipe ideas to make the most of autumn's abundance.

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Grilled Herrings with Apple & Onion Relish
Thinly slice 1 onion and 1 eating apple and cook in a little low fat cooking spray in a non-stick frying pan until browned. Season and add a pinch of ground nutmeg and a splash of stock or water and a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Cook over a low heat for a few minutes. Slice two herrings along their belly and open them out, then remove the backbones �?or ask your fishmonger to do this for you. Season. Soak 25g couscous in a little hot water until swollen, then sprinkle this over the opened out fish. Spray with low fat cooking spray and grill for about 5 minutes, until the fish is cooked. Serve with lightly cooked broccoli and the apple and onion relish. Serves 2.

Mussels with Tomatoes & Thyme
Finely chop one small onion and put it into a large saucepan with 3 peeled and chopped tomatoes. Add 150ml (1/4 pint) vegetable stock and 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, then add 500g mussels (remove any that are damaged). Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until all the mussels have opened (discard any that remain shut). Ladle into 2 large bowls with the cooking liquor and serve at once. Serves 2.

Roast Carrots, Peppers and Parsnips with Cumin
Everyone seems to love roasted vegetables �?so why not try these? The concentrated flavour of the carrots, peppers and parsnips really seems to satisfy the urge for something sweet. Simply preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/Gas Mark 6. Scrub some carrots and parsnips (no need to peel) and slice them lengthways into quarters. Add a couple of sliced red peppers and tip into a roasting tin. Spray with low fat cooking spray and sprinkle with 1 tsp cumin seeds. Season, then roast for 30-35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Parma-Wrapped Figs
Fresh figs come into season in late autumn. They taste great added to salads �?and they are sensational in this hot starter. For each person, take 1 fig and cut a deep cross into the top. Stuff 10g reduced fat mozzarella into this cut, then close the fig and wrap in one very thin slice of Parma ham. Bake at 180°C/fan oven 160°C/Gas Mark 4 for about 10-15 minutes. Serve on mixed salad leaves, drizzled with a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Grilled Peaches
For each person halve one fresh peach, removing the stone. Pop a tiny macaroon biscuit into each hollow where the stone was removed, then drizzle 1 tsp of Marsala or sweet sherry over each biscuit. Cook under a hot grill for 3-4 minutes, then serve with a dollop of low fat fromage frais, flavoured with a drop or two of vanilla extract, if you like.

Plum & Apple Marzipan Crunch
Peel, core and chop 500g baking apples and mix with 250g sliced pitted plums. Mix with 4 tbsp sweetener and 6 tbsp water. Simmer until just tender, then tip into a baking dish. Mix together 100g no-sugar muesli with 25g grated marzipan. Sprinkle over the fruit, spray with low fat cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes at 180°C/fan oven 160°C/Gas Mark 4. Serve with low fat plain yogurt for a deliciously fruity finish.