Lake District Dairy's Quark. All the taste, none of the guilt!

It's smooth, it's creamy and it tastes absolutely delicious, but it is really and truly fat free and low in both sugar and salt!

It comes in three flavours, Original, Lemon and Vanilla and is great for cooking, mixing and baking. (It's also good for just eating with a spoon, so long as nobody is looking!)

It makes a healthy and delicious replacement for cream cheese, creme fraiche, mascarpone, ricotta, Greek yoghurt, fromage frais, double cream and even soured cream.

This evening we spread it on freshly baked bread rolls hot from the oven and on fruited scones.

As we are -for a variety of rather tedious reasons- a day late with our Shrove Tuesday celebrations, we intend to serve Quark on our pancakes, tomorrow.

When you use Quark your usual naughty but nice desert suddenly becomes substantially less naughty.

For example should you replace cream cheese in your cheesecake with Lakeland Dairy Quark, the fat and calorie contents takes a bit of a nosedive, yet the flavour is every bit as scrummy!

It's reported that a strawberry cheesecake using Quark rather than cream cheese will have 292 calories per 339 gramme serving, as against 180 calories more for4 the cream cheese version.

So using Quark has got to make sense, hasn't it?

Tomorrow evening we intend to make some pancakes to a delicious recipe passed down through generations of my wife's Indian family and rather than using dollops of cream on them, we will, instead, use dollops of Quark.

Where can you get Lake District Dairy Quark? Most major supermarkets including morrisons should have it in their chiller cabinets.

Independent Nutritionist Fiona Hunter said: "Using Quark in everyday cooking or baking is a simple way to help make family meals more nutritious and healthier without having to sacrifice on flavour."

For recipes and further details please visit www.LakeDistrictQuark.co.uk.

By the way, a 250 gramme pot costs a remarkably reasonable £1.25.

Golden Syrup Days are here again on Shrove Tuesday

Usually we would have pancakes at home served with freshly squeezed orange juice and some sugar.

But for a special treat we would sometimes be allowed to use Lyle's Golden Syrup on our pancakes. 

But now such decadent luxury is available to all, especially with the cunning advent of the Lyle's Golden Syrup squeezy bottles of Lyle's Golden Syrup special pancake syrup!

Now, my wife and I thought long and hard about this fantastic innovation, available in golden syrup flavour and also in new maple syrup flavour. 

Should we keep this news to ourselves? Or should we spread the magic and tell you, our readers, about this fantastic duo of top tasting sauces?

We have decided on the latter, more honourable, course of action.

They are both equally delicious, though if you hanker after the taste of maple syrup, I know which one I would prefer. 

So, make the pancakes, perhaps even put lemon juice or orange juice onto your pancake and instead of reaching for a spoon filled with sugar, why not reach for the Lyle's Golden Syrup bottle and squeeze it a little or perhaps a lottle?

PLJ can help you get perfect pancakes

With Shrove Tuesday (17th February) here, our thoughts turn to creating that perfect pancake to help celebrate Pancake Day the traditional way.

So to help you make this year’s batch the tastiest yet, classic British drinks brand PLj Lemon Juice has created a few tips to help you make this year’s event the tastiest yet:

PLj’s Perfect Pancake Tips:

Cast it with iron - Using a shallow cast iron frying pan is traditionally the best method for achieving a perfectly round, flat pancake.  While they are heavier than modern non-stick pans – you’ll need to use two hands to toss – cast iron pans distribute heat more evenly to create a better pancake.

Whisk, whisk and whisk the pancake mixture – doing so will add air to the batter, creating a lighter and fluffier consistency.

Butter up - Always use butter rather than oil in the pan, as it gives a better, creamier flavour.

Keep it hot – heat your chosen pan for two to three minutes before adding the butter to the pan.  Once the butter has melted, you can then add your batter mix.

Thin and crispy - For a thin, crepe-style pancake, pop two tablespoons of batter mix into the pan and swirl with a spatula to spread evenly around the pan.

Time out - Cook for about 30 seconds on each side of the pancake.  Flip at least once, but twice or more will give a better result if you are feeling extra enthusiastic and confident!

Enjoy! Drizzle each pancake with PLj Lemon Juice (an easy and convenient alternative to squeezing lemons) and dust with sugar for a traditional favourite.

Ingredients for the perfect pancake (makes 6-8 pancakes in an 18cm pan)

110g sifted flour

1 egg

100ml milk and 50ml water

50g butter, for frying

To serve: PLj Lemon Juice and a sprinkling of sugar

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.  Make a well in the centre of the mixture and break the egg into it.  Whisk the egg together with the flour, and while continuing to whisk gradually add the milk and water until you have created a smooth batter.

Add 2tbsp of the batter to your hot pan, evenly spread and cook for 30 seconds on each side.  For a traditional taste, add a splash of PLj Lemon Juice, a sprinkle of sugar and enjoy!

An invigorating support to calorie-controlled diets, PLj is a blend of lemon juice and is rich in vitamin C – a 25ml serving contains at least 75% of the recommended daily intake and just 9 kcals – yet is free from all artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners.

With approximately 20 servings per bottle, PLj is the easy way to enjoy real lemon juice, but without the mess or hassle of chopping and squeezing. PLj is available from Tesco priced £2.49 RRP for 500ml.

A few facts about Pancake Day

·         Pancake Day is known as ‘Shrove Tuesday’ in the UK, and falls on the day before Ash Wednesday, or the first day of Lent

·         The day is known as Pancake Day because pancake recipes were traditionally made to use up stocks of flour, milk and eggs, which were forbidden during the abstinence of Lent

·         The word ‘Shrove’ is derived from the Old English ‘shrive’, meaning to ‘confess all sins’.  On Shrove Tuesday, people would go to church and be ‘shriven’ ahead of the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday

·         In the UK, the term ‘shroving’ was a custom in which children sang or recited poetry in exchange for food or money

·         Meanwhile, ‘Lent Crocking’ was a term used to describe a custom whereby children would knock on doors asking for pancakes – and throw broken crockery at the doors of those who declined their requests!

·         Pancake races are held around the UK on Pancake Day.  One of the most famous takes place in Olney, where according to local folklore, in 1445 a woman of Olney heard the shriving bell while she was making pancakes and rushed to the church, frying pan in hand.  Participants of the now world-famous Olney Pancake Race must be local housewives and wear an apron and hat or scarf when taking part!

·         Pancake Day is celebrated differently around the world. In Brazil, Pancake Day is known as Terca-feira gorda and is the final day of the carnival in Rio De Janeiro while in New Orleans the day is marked by the Mardi Gras carnival

Will they apologise for their bogus "dangerous" fat advice?

Well, the cat is well and truly out of the bag. That advice they gave us, 30 years ago? You know, when they told us to give up real foods like butter and cheese and directed us to eat "healthy margarines and low fat spreads," instead?

It turns out that advice was not only wrong, but potentially unhealthy, too.

Here's what Xynergy Superfoodist Rick Hay has to say on this hot topic: You may have seen news on a report this week regarding past 'fat guidelines' issued in the 1980s that are now being called into question.

"The report released stated that the dietary advice warning people to avoid eating fatty foods such as butter and cheese "should never have been introduced," (according to new research).

February is National Heart Month so the timing is apt for such news, when it appeared on the online journal 'Open Heart'.

Figures show that 1 person dies every 7 minutes from pulmonary heart disease, thats 200 a day, or 73,000 p.a. (this is down from 178,000 in the 1980s though). "

Xynergy Superfoodist Rick Hay appeared on Sky News recently to discuss just this, saying that we shouldn't make a simplistic analysis, as people have now turned to a higher card diet, resulting in the crisis we see today.

He recommends that we simply eat sensibly, that we do not disregard any food group, (though we should avoid transfat).

He went on to say: "Eating a healthy diet that is as close to nature as possible should really help us on our way, and it is this philosophy that brought about Rick writing the Anti Ageing Food & Fitness Plan. Featuring easy to follow healthy recipes, choosing organic where possible, the right mix of protein, carbs & good fats plus including the right supplements to assist you in your health goals. The plan features such products from Xynergy Health Products."

Nutrient density is the key he says, and always include super foods in your daily diet regime.

So, what do we do? My wife and I no longer eat margarines. Incidentally this coincided with a decrease in eczema for my wife, so there already seems to be a health boost as far as we can determine.

So, will they apologise for their bogus "dangerous" fat advice? Probably not.

You can order your favourite foods from That's Food and Drink

Yes, it's true! That's Food and Drink runs a special food and drink shop where you can buy the best of the world's food and drinks from the comfort of your own home or from your tablet or smartphone wherever you happen to be.

The shop is powered by Amazon and is reachable via the link on the right hand side of That's Food and Drink.

Try some Clark's magic on your pancakes

Why not try some Clark's magic on your pancakes this Shrove Tuesday?

Clarks Original Maple Syrup, is the UK’s top retailing maple syrup.

What's different about it? Well, it is a special lower sugar alternative to traditional syrups.

It can be used in cooking, used in making really delicious smoothies, adding to your morning porridge and dripped and drizzled all over your pancakes.

It is a clever blend of pure maple syrup (No.1 medium) from Quebec, Canada, plus carob fruit syrup from the Mediterranean.

Why? Because carob fruit syrup has a low glycemic index, and this Clarks Original blend product has  an impressive 45% less sugar per 100g than white sugar (RRP £1.98, 180ml).

 It’s available in major supermarkets like Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's.

For those who are not needing to keep a close eye on their glycemic index or blood sugar levels, there is still Clarks No.1 Medium Maple Syrup, which is harvested from the start of the second half of the season, this pure premium blend is considered the ‘King’ of maple syrup.

It's perfect for pouring over pancakes, bacon or cereal. It should cost you £3.40, fror 180ml in Sainsbury's. Also available in 500ml containers.

Luscombe Drinks when taste, quality and your values matter

Everyone wants a good, tasty drink. And if you are the kind of person who cares about things like what you put into your body and the bodies of your family members and the ethics of how they are produced, you will undoubtedly do some research and find drinks (and foods, too!) that are not only pleasing to the palate but also ethically produced, too.

One such producer of drinks that you will want to try for yourselves is Luscombe Drinks of Devon.

I suppose that technically speaking they should be called 'soft' drinks, but that does tend to do them something of an injustice because whilst they may be free from alcohol they are most certainly strong on taste.

It is a family owned and family operated business and they have been producing their most excellent range of drinks since 1975, so that's an unenviable unbroken record of 40 years of providing delicious beverages to people like yourself, people who care about what they consume.

As they themselves say: "Welcome to Luscombe, where we've been making beautiful drinks since 1975. Based on a farm in deepest Devon, all of our drinks are crafted with exceptional care and integrity. Gabriel David, the head of our family-owned business, sources the ingredients direct from growers he trusts. There are no compromises, only the best goes in the bottle."

What drinks are available? There's Pure Devon apple juice, English Apple Juice, Apple and Pear Juice, Apple Juice with Elderflower, Apple Juice with Ginger, Apple and Apricot Juice, Orange Juice, Carrot and Orange Juice.

As well as the juices there's also a range of soft drinks, too: There's Damascene Rose Bubbly, Madagascan Vanilla Soda, Strawberry Crush, Blueberry Crush, Sicilian Lemonade, Lime Crush, St Clements, Raspberry Crush, Cranberry Crush, Elderflower Bubbly, Cool Ginger Beer, Hot Ginger Beer and Passionate Ginger Beer. (The latter is ginger beer with the added little extra twist of passionfruit for a slightly different an even more uplifting flavour.)

And for those who look for a little bit of an extra kick with their drink, there is also a most excellent traditionally made Devon Cider, with no added Sulphur Dioxide, so this cider does make a refreshing change, in more ways than one.

The That's Food and Drink Taste Team had nothing but kind words for the entire range of Luscombe drinks that they sampled.

They liked all the drinks they sampled, but some they liked more than others. "As one taster commented: "All of the drinks are really, really good. So good that's its a bit hard to state a preference. But in my case, the Elderflower Bubbly scores very highly. It's just like our family's traditional recipe!"

Another taste tester favoured the Madagascan Vanilla Soda.

Taste team members also liked the fact that the drinks are organic and come from a producer which is big enough to cope with high demands for their excellent products, yet who are small enough to care.

(EDITOR: My favourites were the Damascan Rose Bubbly, the Strawberry Crush and the Elderflower Bubbly.)

So a toast to Luscombe Drinks! To learn more visit http://www.luscombe.co.uk.