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Horsemeat scandal: schools caterer suspends all frozen beef products

One of the largest private catering businesses in Britain, which provides food for public services including the armed forces, schools, care homes and prisons, has withdrawn all frozen beef products across most of its business following the discovery of horse DNA in one of the samples it had tested.

Sodexo, which boasts of working on 2,300 sites in the UK and Ireland, declined to name the supplier of the beef product which tested positive for horse DNA and would not say if it was a British or Irish manufacturer. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the Sodexo lines affected included beef burgers, minced beef and halal minced beef.

Birds Eye also announced the "precautionary" withdrawal of three lines on Friday.

The discoveries are likely to stoke the political storm surrounding the horse meat scandal, which shows no sign of abating. Labour has repeatedly expressed concern over the fact that retailers and manufacturers appear to be reporting results more quickly and fully than caterers. The catering at Ascot Racecourse, which hosts Royal Ascot - attended each year by the Queen - is run by Sodexo Prestige, according to the firm's website.

The Department for Education called the incident "a serious and unacceptable breach of trust".

Schools and councils were responsible for their food contracts, it said. "We expect all schools to ensure they have rigorous procurement procedures in place. If headteachers have any concerns they should contact the FSA, their caterers or local authority immediately."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/feb/22/horsemeat-scandal-schools-frozen-beef

Horse Meat Scare - Meat Free Lasagne

What with the current horse meat scare and tested lasagnes containing up to 100% horse meat, this has put many people off their diets, not being sure what they're putting in their mouths.
So why not try a delicious make-your-own meat free lasagne using Quorn mince instead?
As well as being a lot healthier, you are in the knowledge that what you're eating is not horse!

• 300g Quorn mince
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 100g mushrooms, sliced
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbsp red pesto
• 1 tsp oregano
• 3 tbsp red wine
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, shredded
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8-10 lasagne sheets
• 25g butter or margarine
• 25g plain flour
• 300ml milk
• 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated plus extra for topping
• salt and freshly ground black pepper or ground white pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes until softened.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further couple of minutes.
4. Stir in the Quorn mince and then the tomatoes, red pesto, oregano, wine and vegetable stock cube. Increase the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the basil, season to taste then remove from the heat.
6. Make the white sauce by melting the butter, stir in the flour and cook gently for a further minute stirring constantly. Slowly add the milk and reheat until beginning to thicken. At this stage add the cheese, season to taste and simmer gently for a further 2 minutes.
7. Spoon half of the mince mixture over the base of an ovenproof dish, top with lasagne sheets, repeat the layers, then pour over the cheese sauce and scatter with a little grated cheese and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling.
8. Serve immediately with a green salad and garlic bread

Recipe from www.quorn.co.uk

Healthy Breakfast Ideas!

You get up in the morning, you rush to get ready for work, you rush out the door without a breakfast. Perhaps you grab a bagel and cream cheese, perhaps a muffin, perhaps an Egg McMuffin. If you’re lucky, you get a pastry, a hearty breakfast of pancakes and sausage and eggs, or an English fry-up.

Unfortunately, when it comes to being healthy, none of these options is a great way to start your day.

Several readers asked about healthy breakfast ideas, and in truth, it’s a dilemma that many of us face each day. Either we don’t have time for breakfast, or we don’t have many healthy options.

The first problem is a problem, because it means that you start the day with an empty stomach. That means that by the time you are getting into the swing of work, your blood-sugar levels are dangerously low. The result: you need an instant sugar fix, which usually means a donut or pastry or some other unhealthy choice.

The second problem is also a real problem, because traditional breakfasts don’t usually come in healthy flavors. Here are the options that most people think of as breakfast:

• Too sugary or carb-filled. Pancakes, waffles, toast, donuts, pastries, scones, bagels, pies, sugar cereals, breakfast bars, muffins (which, let’s face it, are usually just cake). I’m not anti-carb, but the problem with many breakfasts is that they are low in fat and protein, and nothing but empty carb calories. This starts your day with a high blood-sugar level, which your body will quickly adjust for and drop, and you’ll be on a roller-coaster blood-sugar ride all day.
• Too fatty. Fried eggs, sausages, bacon, cream cheese on your bagels, cheesy omelets, Egg McMuffins, Sausage McMuffins, hash browns, anything English or Scottish.

What does that leave us with? Actually, there are a lot of options. The 10 below are just a few ideas, but I’m sure you can think of many more. Look for protein without too much saturated fat. Look for whole-grain carbs. Look for low-fat dairy or soy options. Look for fiber and nutrients.

But how do you find the time? You make the time. Get up 15 minutes earlier. Pack something to eat on the road or when you first get to work. Prepare it the night before if necessary. I recommend the first option — waking a little earlier — as it’s nice to be able to have a nice cup of tea or coffee with your breakfast, relaxing before the rush of the day starts.

Oatmeal, flaxseed, blueberries & almonds. To me, this is the perfect breakfast. Steel-cut oatmeal is probably the healthier choice, but if you are in a hurry, the instant kind will do fine (it doesn’t have as much fiber, but the other ingredients make up for that). After microwaving the oatmeal, add ground flaxseed, frozen blueberries, sliced almonds. You can add a little cinnamon and honey (not a lot) if you’re using the non-instant oatmeal. That’s four power foods, full of fiber and nutrients and protein and good fats, with only a couple of minutes of prep time. And very tasty!

Kashi Golean Crunch. Actually, any whole-grain, high-fiber cereal is a good choice, but I mention this particular one because it’s a favorite of mine. It has a high amount of protein and fiber, low sugar. Add low-fat milk or soy milk (which has 1/3 the saturated fat of 1% milk), perhaps some berries if you like.

Scrambled tofu. Healthier than scrambled eggs. Add some onions, green peppers or other veggies, some light soy sauce or tamari, maybe some garlic powder, and black pepper, stir-fry with a little olive oil. Eat with whole-grain toast. Fast and delicious.

Fresh berries, yogurt, granola. Get low-fat yogurt (not non-fat, as it often has too much sugar) or soy yogurt, cut up some berries or other fruits, add some healthy cereal. I actually use the Kashi Golean Crunch instead of granola, as many brands of granola have way too much fat and/or sugar.

Grapefruit with whole-wheat toast & almond butter. Add a little sugar on top of the grapefruit, and it’s actually pretty good. The almond butter is healthier than peanut-butter, with lots of good protein to fill you up.

Fresh fruit salad. Cut up some apples, melons, berries, oranges, pears, bananas, grapes … any or all or whatever your favorite fruits are. Add a little bit of lime or lemon juice. Perfect.

Protein shake with extras. I use soy protein powder, but whey works well too. Blend up with low-fat milk or soy milk, some frozen blueberries, and perhaps some almond butter or oatmeal. That may sound weird, but it’s actually pretty good, and pretty filling. A little ground flax seed works well too.

Eggs with peppers. I’m not a fan of eggs, but many people love them. Egg whites are healthier than whole eggs. Scramble with a little olive oil, red and green bell peppers, maybe broccoli, onions, black pepper. Goes well with whole-wheat toast.

Cottage cheese and fruit. Get low-fat cottage cheese. Add any kind of fruit. Apples, citrus, berries.

Gibb’s muffins & jam. While most muffins you buy at a coffee shop or grocery store are just empty carbs with lots of fat (basically, cake), this is a delicious recipe with lots of fiber and nutrition. (Note: the recipe in the link doesn’t mention it, but it’s actually a recipe from Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James — it’s her husband Gibbs’ recipe). Bake them the night before, and they’re perfect in the morning (and for days to come). A little honey or jam makes them perfect.

Written by Leo Babauta (http://zenhabits.net/10-tasty-easy-and-healthy-breakfast-ideas/)