World-renowned beauty and make-up expert Wendy Rowe has released a cookbook that promotes looking after our skin through the power of super star ingredients. But want to know it’s like cooking from her book, Eat Beautiful, before you buy it? We’re here to help! A team of Happy Foodies has been testing out recipes below.
Who: Caroline Butler, Senior Marketing Manager
What I made: Fig Salad
What I thought: Anyone that works with me knows I cannot resist something sweet. And anyone that works in publishing knows that it is awash with cakes and treats. I also try and bring my own lunch every day to work and I’m always on the look out for something I can throw together for a tasty lunch. This really couldn’t be any simpler to make as you just toss the ingredients together and add some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It is a classic pairing – figs and mozzarella and for good reason, they accompany each other so well. If this helps me stay off the demon sugar and prevent a few wrinkles as well then it is a hit with me!
Who: Louise Mckeever, Illustrated Editor
What I made: Salmon with asparagus and fennel, Chicken satay
What I thought: I made the salmon with asparagus and fennel and it was amazing. The dish was full of flavour and required such little effort. I made it for a dinner party, so doubled the recipe and marinated the salmon for longer (no bad thing) – it was the perfect food to serve, as it was comforting yet extremely light. And it was great to be able to say that it was good for you too! It really couldn’t have been simpler and I knew it had turned out well as everyone asked me for the recipe afterwards.
From the book
Eat Beautiful
Expert guidance on nutrition and skincare
Nourishing recipes for every season
Delicious yet virtuous bakes and treats
And the chicken satay… I had planned to make these on the bbq but of course the great British weather conspired against me and I was left to cook these in my oven… They were still absolutely delicious, but slightly less charred than I had hoped for! The marinade was really quick and simple; I made both the marinade and the sauce the night before and just left the chicken marinating in the fridge overnight. As I am not a huge fan of peanuts, I made the satay sauce using cashews instead and it was still really tasty, just slightly paler! It is so wonderful to have such a simple and fragrant marinade and sauce up my sleeve for the next time the sun deigns to come out – fingers crossed it will be soon!
Who: Clarissa Pabi, Senior Marketing Executive
What I made: Brown Stew Chicken with Black-Eyed Pea Rice
What I thought: Coming from a family where family gatherings are awash with a mixture of Jamaican Ghanaian and English food, I was immediately drawn to Wendy’s Brown Stew Chicken with Black-Eyed Pea Rice. Dishes like this are hard to come by. Perfected through apocryphal nattering’s of mums and dads, nana and granddads and aunts and uncles who can be hard pressed to divulge their secrets and precise details of how to make such incredible meals. Wendy had been able to prize the recipe from her friend Earl, she tells us in the intro to the recipe, with the characteristic warmth and humour that peppers her stunning book – and so as soon as I saw it I had to try it out as I’ve always wanted to cook it!
As the recipe requires time, it’s one I’d recommend making on a weekend, to allow for time but what’s great about it is you have enough to last you a couple days.
Cooking time itself flies by as you busy yourself with prepping and cooking both the stew and the rice and black-eyed peas, I also had time to make Wendy’s recipe for iced white tea which is a great pairing with this dish. As I am working on the marketing campaign for the book, I have tried many of the recipes and this is definitely one of my favourites.
The result is an is absolutely delicious meal, rich with flavour and hearty, perfect for dinner and sharing with friends and family, complimented by the light and refreshing taste of the iced white tea. The scotch bonnet is a great addition but it is solely for decoration purposes at the point of serving it is not to be eaten, however beautiful you think it may look!
To find out more about Eat Beautiful click here. Or to try out some of the recipes for youself check out Wendy’s Kale Soup or her Sardines on Buckwheat Flatbreads.
