By Christine Salins.
With the pandemic threatening so many aspects of our lives over the past year, many people took to creating, cooking and baking, to reignite a sense of community and connection.
The process of creating, sharing, making a mess, and then starting all over again is good for the soul, says Lucy Lord, originally from the UK but now settled in Australia. In a world where convenience is king and people are encouraged to spend on bland takeaways and calorie-controlled salads, Lucy wants to make us fall back in love with cooking and eating.
She deliberately keeps things simple in her debut cookbook, Food For The Soul, published by HarperCollins (RRP $29.99). If you’re looking for cheesecake made from 0% Greek yogurt, protein powder and stevia, you’re unlikely to find it in Lucy’s recipes. Instead, you’ll find real cheesecake, made with real fruit and real sugar that doesn’t promote a lifestyle of restriction but rather one of mindfulness, choice and living well. Her philosophy is simple: if it makes you happy, you should eat it.
Happiness really is homemade, says Lucy, who admits to being a self-taught home cook who couldn’t scramble much together, aside from an omelette, until well into her 20s. Now with a huge following on Instagram under the name @LordLucy, she creates deliciously healthy recipes packed with fresh ingredients and full of flavour, yet accessible for the average office worker or busy family.
Food for the Soul has over 80 recipes from sweet to savoury. Showing us how to get the most from ingredients, our time and budgets, the recipes are full of creativity and passion. From a two-minute-smoothie in the morning to get you going before work, or a thick slice of banana bread on a lazy weekend catch-up with friends, the book’s simple but special recipes include chapters on salads, breakfasts and brunches, dips and dressings, mains, smoothies, cocktails, and baking.
Lucy shows us how to reconsider leftovers and make convenience work for us; enjoy lingering over a new dish to share with loved ones; indulge in sweet treats without counting calories; and satisfy any health-conscious foodie with flavour and fresh ingredients.
“I believe when you put in the time to make your food and know what goes in, you’re less inclined to throw it back mindlessly,” she says.
Mixed tomato, gouda and pesto tart
Serves 6
375g sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
3 tbsp tomato purée
125g gouda, sliced
50g sundried tomatoes
2 large tomatoes, sliced
80g cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp pesto
Fresh basil leaves, to garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
If you are using frozen puff pastry, defrost it overnight in the fridge or at room temperature 1 to 2 hours before you start cooking, but don’t unroll it until you’re ready to use it. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan.
Unroll the puff pastry on to a large, flat oven tray lined with a non-stick baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to gently score a two finger-widths, border around the edge of the pastry. This will puff up into a beautiful, flaky crust.
Spread the tomato purée over the base of the pastry, keeping within the scored border. Top with the gouda, followed by the mixed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Use a pastry brush or your fingers to paint the beaten egg all over the pastry border; this gives it a shiny, golden finish. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden and the base is cooked.
Once baked and still warm, dot the pesto over the top and scatter with fresh basil leaves. Serve with a simple side salad such as rocket with a balsamic dressing.
Note: This is best served fresh from the oven but it will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Store on folded kitchen paper to prevent the bottom from going soggy. Can be eaten warm or at room temperature. You can even warm it up in a microwave – the pastry will lose its crispiness but it is still delicious, making it a great lunchbox option.
Recipe and image from Food For The Soul, by Lucy Lord, published by HarperCollins, $29.99.
