Midlife in the Kitchen: Tight Jeans and Fresh Starts
A recipe for batch-cooked shakshuka, a broccoli fry-up, and thoughts on cooking to the changing seasons of life
Recently, each day that I rise, there is a familiar kink in my back, a subtle reminder that I'm getting older. I'm not the young cook who once flipped pancakes with reckless abandon. The jeans that fit perfectly last September now feel slightly restrictive around my waist! I caught a glimpse of myself in the barber's mirror, tried to push my tongue up to the top of my mouth to hide the weight around my neck, and wondered when that happened. The long hours at the computer, or maybe just the comfort eating that accompanies the darker months over Winter.
As the spring equinox passes, I sense a shift in my mood, a stirring to do better, move more. The van needs washing to remove winter's grimy signature. The lawn (more accurately described as a collection of moss at this point) requires attention. The fruit trees purchased just before lockdown as root stock have been silently requesting pruning. Perhaps I should have done it last year, and then I read it's better to catch them in the growth period so as not to cause disease. The north-facing back door shows the battle scars of another Scottish winter, and there is a painting job to do. Free and worthwhile movement as the days grow longer, and a chance to get mobile again.
It dawns on me that we've entered a new quarter. In my previous working life in the business world, I'd have approached this with structured enthusiasm, closing one twelve-week year, beginning another. I'm not where I want to be, yet I'm exactly where my actions and habits have led me. The kitchen, once my creative escape from corporate responsibilities, for the moment, has now become the arena where my next chapter will unfold!
There comes a point in every cook's journey when the body starts sending different signals than it did in our twenties. The realisation that perhaps those second helpings of chocolate puddle pudding might need balancing out with something a little healthier.
This isn't a diet post, though whenever we discuss eating with intention, that loaded word inevitably surfaces. Our diet is simply what we eat, we're always "on" one, which makes the phrase "going on a diet" rather curious. Distilling it down, what it really means is restricting or removing certain elements to achieve a specific outcome. I don't want to restrict myself, but I do want to be mindful, and I'm keen to have a balanced, healthy diet.
I recently listened to a fascinating BBC Radio 4 Food Programme about exercise and weight management (an episode I've now listened to three times, first drifting in and out of sleep with my bedside radio, again in January when discussion of diets feels most relevant and wrong given it's winter, and finally in the car last weekend thinking my wife might appreciate its insights). It articulates something profound: exercise and weight loss aren't the symbiotic partners we've been led to believe. They're separate journeys that occasionally intersect.
We need movement for countless health benefits, but remarkably, we burn roughly the same calories daily regardless of activity levels. The programme reveals that sedentary office workers burn the same number of calories as the Hadza hunter-gatherers, despite walking 10+ miles daily. The true difference lies in what we consume and how our bodies process it.
As I try to work on the "Health and Happiness" section of my slow productivity master piece of a book, I'm realising it represents more than just kitchen wisdom accumulated over decades. It's becoming a manifesto of sorts for me, one that recognises how simple acts of cooking and mindfully choosing what we prepare can make profound differences to our health, happiness, and the world around us.
I find myself drawn toward a more flexitarian approach, which I've discussed previously, not abandoning meat entirely but embracing a more plant-forward way of eating. With twenty-one meal opportunities each week, there's ample room to experiment and evolve!
It's easier said than done, this last month we've had a full house, my eldest son returning from university and with his brother, the gym bro's, the constant need for protein that no amount of pulses will satiate their appetites. Along with trying to keep to a schedule where we all eat a meal at the table once a day. The battle is constant, a full meal the other day, was concluded with a ‘can I have some toast to finish off?’!
In the midst of family chaos, I sometimes lose sight of how our kitchen table remains our constant point of connection. These seasons change quickly, soon he'll be back at university, and we'll find ourselves missing these noisy, demanding moments and the unity of having the four of us at the table. I'm trying to strike a balance between cooking for the gym bros and shaping our diet to better serve what my wife and I need now and for our future selves. Meals that support our wellbeing, help us stay active, and embrace the joyful balance that comes with my cooking experience over the years.
This week I've been tucking into a couple of recipes from the Fast 800 Cookbook1 for my lunch, the one place I can make changes without fear of retribution! Shakshuka adaptation below, and a Bacon, Broccoli, tomato and mushroom fry up. With a view to changing my lunch time intake away from the soup or salad with a ‘cheese toastie on the side’! I need to stop hoovering up the crust ends that nobody wants under the pretence that the ends don't count! This is my attempt to try and turn back time!
With that in mind, here are a couple of the recipes I've leaned into this week:
Batch Cook Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a brilliantly versatile dish where eggs are gently poached in a richly spiced tomato and pepper sauce. The eggs cook directly in the aromatic base for 3-4 minutes, but the base itself takes 20 mins or so to pull together and isn't something I'd like to do every day. So bulking this up gives multiple quick, nutritious meals throughout the week; you only need to bring it to a bubbling temperature and add a couple of eggs when
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large red onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 peppers (any colours), deseeded and thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1-2 tsp hot smoked paprika (adjust to taste)
2 × 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 × 400g tin mixed pulses, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp tomato purée
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Per Serving (add when ready to eat)
2 medium eggs ....so 8 eggs if you eat this over the next 4 days!
Small handful fresh coriander or flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped (optional)
Method
Heat the oil in a large deep sauté pan or shallow casserole. Add the onions and peppers and gently fry for 5-10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, cumin and paprika and cook for 30-40 seconds, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
Pour the tomatoes into the pan, add the tomato purée, a good pinch of sea salt and plenty of black pepper.
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the drained mixed pulses and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and the pulses are heated through.
For immediate serving (one portion): Transfer about a quarter of the vegetable mixture to a small lidded frying pan. Bring to a steady bubble and then make two holes in the mixture, break an egg into each one. Cover with a lid and cook gently for 3-5 minutes, or until the egg whites are set but the yolks remain runny.
For batch cooking: Allow the remaining mixture to cool completely. Divide into three equal portions and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
To serve a stored portion:
Heat a portion of the tomato and pulse base in a small frying pan until simmering.
Make two holes in the mixture and break an egg into each one.
Cover with a lid and cook gently for 3-5 minutes until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs before serving if desired.
Serving suggestions:
Serve with toasted sourdough or pitta bread for dipping
Add crumbled feta cheese on top for extra richness
Include a dollop of Greek yoghurt on the side
For extra heat, add a sprinkle of chilli flakes or a drizzle of hot sauce
Purple Sprouting Broccoli Sauté for One
A speedy breakfast, brunch or lunch that celebrates seasonal purple sprouting broccoli. This hearty dish makes good use of the entire vegetable - stems, leaves and all - paired with chickpeas for added protein and fibre.
Ingredients (Serves 1)
100g purple sprouting broccoli, chopped (stems, leaves and all)
1⁄2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
2 rashers smoked back bacon, trimmed of fat and cut into pieces
50g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1⁄2 tin chickpeas (approximately 120g), drained and rinsed
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
Prepare the broccoli using one of these methods:
Using a steamer: Set up a steamer or place a steamer basket in a saucepan with a small amount of water. Bring to the boil. Add the chopped purple sprouting broccoli and steam for 3 minutes.
Without a steamer: Fill a saucepan with about 2cm of water and bring to a simmer. Add the broccoli, cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Drain well.
Quick microwave method: Place the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl with 1 tablespoon of water, cover with a plate and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes until just tender.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry for 1 minute or so.
Add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the pan and cook for another minute, or until the mushrooms begin to brown.
Add the cooked broccoli and drained chickpeas to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, stirring gently to combine all ingredients while heating the chickpeas through.
Transfer to a plate, season with freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.
Variations:
For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and add a sprinkle of smoked paprika for a similar flavour profile
A poached or fried egg on top makes this even more substantial
Add a pinch of chilli flakes for a morning kick
In autumn, substitute purple sprouting broccoli with cavolo nero or kale
This dish takes advantage of purple sprouting broccoli when it's at its seasonal best, typically from late winter through early spring in the UK.
What I’m Reading/Listening to this week:
This is Happiness, Niall Williams: A beautifully written tale that will take you back in time just as electricity is brought to a small remote village in Ireland. Evocative fiction. Good Reads Link
How to Eat, Dr Andrew Jenkinson: Off the back of the Radio 4 podcast, one of the experts brought in to explain what was happening around the weight loss piece. I’m continuing my knowledge gather. Good Reads Link
Nights Out at Home, Jay Ranor: Long overdue read from my Christmas pile, funny anecdotes around re-engineered restaurant favourites to make at home. Unless you have a small brigade of folk! Good Reads Link
Shout Outs:
A couple of shoutouts this week for
, and Melissa - who inspired me to ship and carry on posting!The Fast 800 Cookbook - Dr Clare Bailey - Great selection of recipes
never had shakshuka before! need to try
This one really resonated with me Alex (esp the tight jeans bit 😊). Thanks also for sharing the link to the BBC programme—sounds like a great listen. And those eggs!