There is nothing quite as important as your physical health, at times like these it can be particularly hard to keep up your motivation to cook a healthy meal or to find the right exercises for you at home. The benefits of exercise are never ending, keeping fit will impact not only your physical health but also your mental health, helping you to manage stress better as well as making you more productive. Healthy cooking is partnered to this, with healthier meal plans showing to promote better all round health, as well as to help with weight loss and muscle gain.
On this page we will run you through some top exercise routines you can complete at home, as well as some great cooking sites and youtube channels to help you get creative in the kitchen.
On this page we will run you through some top exercise routines you can complete at home, as well as some great cooking sites and youtube channels to help you get creative in the kitchen.
Fitness challenge: may
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make the most of your daily walkEveryone is allowed one walk a day during self-isolation, as part of their daily exercise. The benefits of just a simple walk are massive but you can improve this further by trying a new route or walking in an area filled with more nature. 
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Female home exercise
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male home exercise
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cooking
Cooking healthy meals is one of the best ways to feel good, you can find loads of great recipes on Cooking on a Bootstrap
Meal of the month
starterprawn cocktaillemon juice, to taste
malt vinegar, to taste 20 x raw tiger prawns, shells on 1 Little Gem lettuce 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves picked cayenne pepper, to serve For the sauce½ lemon, juice only 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 5 tbsp tomato ketchup few drops Tabasco sauce 2 pinches smoked paprika ½ tsp paprika 1 tbsp double cream 4 tbsp mayonnaise 1 pinch cayenne pepper pinch salt 1 tsp cracked black pepper Method Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add a squeeze of lemon and glug of vinegar. Add the whole prawns and cook until they rise to the surface. Drain and chill in ice-cold water. Peel the cooled prawns, leaving one prawn whole per serving (for the garnish). Cut the little Little Gem lettuce in half and place in ice-cold water to crisp it up. For the sauce, mix all the sauce ingredients together. To assemble the cocktails, drain the lettuce and pat dry with kitchen paper. Arrange two-thirds of the leaves in martini glasses or small bowls. Shred the remaining leaves and add to a mixing bowl. Add the peeled prawns and spoonful of sauce. Top with the unpeeled prawn and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper. Official recipe Click Here |
mainvegetable stew1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced 2 leeks, split lengthways up to the root several times, washed under running cold water then sliced thickly 2 carrots, cut into 1cm/½in dice 2 garlic cloves, finely diced 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika ½ tsp dried thyme 2 potatoes, peeled, cut into 1cm/½in dice 600ml/21fl oz vegetable stock ½ head cauliflower, cut into small florets 200g/7oz fine green beans, cut into 2cm/¾in pieces 1 x 400g/14oz tin baked beans 2 tbsp roughly chopped flatleaf parsley crusty bread, to serve salt and freshly ground black pepper MethodHeat a large frying pan or saucepan until medium hot, add the olive oil, onion and leeks and cook gently for 5 minutes until just softened. Add the carrots, garlic, paprika and thyme and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes until the potatoes are just softening then add the cauliflower and simmer for another 5 minutes. By now, all the vegetables should be nearly cooked. Add the green beans and baked beans and cook for 3 minutes then stir in the chopped parsley and season well with salt and pepper. Serve with plenty of crusty bread. Official recipe Click Here |
dessertSticky toffee pudding5 tbsp demerara sugar, for coating the moulds
200g/7oz pitted dates ½ tsp vanilla extract 50g/2oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the moulds 175g/6oz dark muscovado sugar 1½ tsp golden syrup 1½ tsp black treacle 200g/7oz self-raising flour 2 free-range eggs 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda For the toffee sauce500ml/18fl oz double cream 175g/6oz demerara sugar 175g/6oz butter 1 tbsp golden syrup 1 tbsp black treacle MethodPreheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Butter eight small pudding basins (dariole moulds) and sprinkle demerara sugar inside, coating evenly. Shake any excess sugar out of the moulds, and place them on a baking tray. Place the dates with 250ml/9fl oz water into a saucepan and bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir the vanilla extract into the date mixture. Blend with a stick blender until the date mixture is thick and soupy. In a large bowl, beat the butter and muscovado sugar together until smooth. Stir in the syrup and treacle, then the flour, mixing well. Break the eggs one at a time into the bowl, stirring well after each one. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the date mixture, then pour into the flour mixture and beat well to blend. Pour the mixture into the prepared pudding basins, filling them two-thirds full. Put the puddings into the oven immediately, and bake for 20 minutes until well-risen and springy to the touch. For the sauce, gently heat the cream in a saucepan. Add the sugar and butter and whisk until melted. Whisk in the syrup and treacle. To serve, turn the pudding out onto a plate, spoon the sauce over the top and around, then finish with a dollop of ice cream. . Official recipe Click Here |
