My piece last week resonated with many of you. I am heartened that you appreciated what I had to say and I’ve had some requests for a few more simple favourites. Sometimes I receive odd requests which I cannot fulfil for various reasons, but in general I like to please Thursday Food readers. These were the most popular side dishes I was asked to prepare: good old macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, and cookies; notably oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip. It seems many of you are back in the kitchens trying to master comforting foods. This is absolutely brilliant.

A lot of you also wanted updated or less fattening versions of these classics. In essence, taste, without compromising your calorie intake. For today’s recipes, in the macaroni and cheese I used low-fat milk and vegetarian cheddar, sometimes you will also see low-fat cheddar and with the coleslaw I used a low-fat plain yoghurt base instead of a mayonnaise one; but remember, if you prefer a creamier version, there are fat-free and low-fat versions of mayonnaise on the market. You can skip a creamy dressing altogether and just make a simple vinegar-based one.

This week’s sweet indulgence is not exactly diet-friendly, I’m afraid, but it does contain whole grains (oats) and with discipline you can have one or two. Instead of chocolate chip, which I’ve done in the past, I opted to do oatmeal and raisin cookies which I think are so fragrant in their cinnamon spiciness and so delicious. Many households have oats in stock, plus I have leftover raisins from my rum and raisin cake last week, which leads me to the next point. In last week’s recipe for my rum and raisin cake, I had 450g of flour. It should have been 250g. I apologise for the error.

I love baking. Lately I have been trying to get back in the groove and re-build my relationship with the oven. As a matter of fact, my love of the kitchen began with baking before I segued into the more culinary side of things. Some of you are beginning to prepare for Christmas and already soaking your dried fruits in rum for your cakes. I confess I’m not a big fan of the traditional Christmas cake, but can appreciate there are some excellent ones out there in terms of technique and getting the right balance of moisture.

In ending today’s column, I am going to go completely off tangent and recognise Breast Cancer Month. I have been personally affected in that it has touched those I love deeply and it is something I am personally paranoid about. I have lost four good friends to this disease, all young women in their 20s and 30s. I have had a few requests to write about this subject, but at this time it’s too emotionally raw for me to do so, but I will urge all women to do a monthly check and to consume a lot of cancer-fighting foods.

Here is a brief list: avocados, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, callaloo (spinach), garlic, tomatoes, pumpkin, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots, papayas, apples, pineapples, rosemary, turmeric, tofu, and green and black teas. Berries are also great, so if you can afford them, buy the frozen kind since fresh are often very expensive since they are imported.

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Macaroni and Cheese

This classic can be had as a side dish or enjoyed on its own. This is one of those recipes that both adults and children equally love. I’ve put the lowercalorie substitutions in brackets, remember the flavour profile may change slightly because of this.

Ingredients:

100g cheddar cheese (or low fat or vegetarian), shredded, plus extra for topping

250g macaroni, prepare according to packet directions until al dente

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsps butter (or low fat butter spread)

2 tbsps flour

500ml low-fat milk (substitute with non-dairy soy or nut milk)

1 tbsp mustard

Breadcrumbs

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F

In a small saucepan, sauté onion in butter, then add flour to make a roux.

Pour in the milk, keep stirring until the sauce gets thick.

Add mustard and cheddar, mix well until the cheese melts.

Add prepared macaroni into sauce and mix to coat.

Pour into a baking dish and top with enough extra shredded cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes until the topping is nice and golden brown. 

Chewy Oatmeal and Raisin Cookies

I love the grainy, chewy texture and cinnamon spiciness of these cookies.

This recipe yields 24 cookies. The dough can be frozen for up to a month.

I like to make big batches of dough, but you can cut this recipe by half if you want to make less. Try not to overbake, even if it looks like it’s not ready. The outside should be crisp and the inside soft and chewy. Great snack with a cup of coffee or for your tea or after-dinner sweet treat.

Ingredients:

180g oatmeal

250g flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

250g raisins

350g brown sugar

230g butter

2 eggs

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Prepare two baking trays with parchment paper

In a mixer, mix the butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth.

Add eggs and mix well.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together.

Add sifted flour mix to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.

Stir in oatmeal and raisins until incorporated.

Use a tablespoon to scoop mixture and place on baking tray, repeat

making sure to leave spaces in between cookie dough.

Bake cookies for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Multi-Coloured Coleslaw

There is a glut of cabbage and sweet peppers on the market, so I have decided to add the latter to the traditional cabbage and carrot only. It’s bright, beautiful and healthy.

Ingredients:

1 small white cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 purple cabbage, thinly sliced

2 small carrots, grated

2 sweet peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), julienned

Handful of dried cranberries (optional)

100g plain yoghurt

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsps apple cider vinegar or white cane vinegar

Method:

In a large salad bowl, mix together yoghurt, vinegar and honey.

Add vegetables and cranberries, mix well.

Leave for at least an hour before serving.

Contact me at info@juicychef.com

Bon Appétit!