Healthy Diet Recipes

Wines are named in a number of different ways such as regional, where the wine is named after the area it was produced (Fuisse, Pouilly, Champagne etc), varietal, where the wine is named after the grape variety it is produced from (Burgundy, Chablis, Pinot Noir etc) and also proprietary, which is where the wine is named purely for marketing reasons and this gives us famous brand names such as Blue Nun, Mateus and Opus 1.

It is this last way of naming wines that also gives us some of the strangest names in the business, as in an effort to stand out from the crowd many wineries are taking to naming their wines by some very wacky names such as:

Fat Bastard (Vin du pay D’Oc ) – this chardonnay from the South of France shocked a lot of people in the wine business when it first came out with its rather cheeky name, but absolutely flew off the shelves to become one of the best selling of all the French wines available in the USA.

Scraping the Barrel – this Spanish Tempranillo wine took a risk with the rather negative sounding name, but it is in fact a very tasty table wine that has some very sensible advice for drinkers in the UK – it goes well with chips and gravy!

Bloody Good White (Ca’ del Solo) – another risky name that sits very close to the line of what is expectable in polite society, this while is nevertheless a popular choice and is apparently named after the notes scrawled by in the owners tasting notes, describing is as ‘bloody good’.
The Unpronounceable Grape – this Hungarian wine has an amusing title, and yes, the grape really is a bit unpronounceable, ‘Gewurtztraminer’. A spicy fresh little number that is great value for money.

To find even more amusing and strange wine names you can take a look at Yapp Wine Merchants, which is a company specialising in searching out the most distinctive and delicious wines the world has to offer, and as well as selling these wines in their shop and online store, Yapp Brothers also provides cellaring and general buying advice to their customers and hosts a wide range of tastings & dinners across the country.

If you have a busy life, full of work and family commitments then you may often feel run down and find it difficult to find the enthusiasm to go to the gym or socialise at the end of a long day. You may already find stimulating drinks like coffee, cola and sports energy drinks helpful in boosting your energy during times when you are feeling tired and lacking in concentration, but these drinks are often associated with over stimulation and although they do give you a short period of alertness, this can then be followed by an energy dip as the caffeine and other stimulants wear off. Many standard energy drinks are also high in sugar and carbohydrates, which can slow absorption of fluids into the body increasing the possibility of dehydration during exercise.

Mad Dog Energy shots are carefully designed to provide alertness, without the characteristic energy dive of other energy drinks. They are made from a nutritious blend of vitamins, enzymes and herbs, with no added sugar, calories or carbohydrates and the energy boost provided by this combination can last up to six hours. An additional benefit is that Mad Dog Energy shots are compact and do not need to be chilled, so you can conveniently keep them in your bag, desk drawer or locker. Mad Dog also produce Energy Chews that contain a powerful combination of energy boosting ingredients including B vitamins, taurine and caffeine, which give a quick boost of energy in just a few minutes and contains as much energy as a cup of fresh coffee, but without that energy dive afterwards.

You can order Mad Dog Energy shots and Energy Chews directly from their website at http://www.maddogenergyproducts.com/ and you can also find out more about the products, including FAQ pages and testimonials.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes + soaking
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Calories per serving: 860
Not suitable for freezing

Ingredients:

Sultanas (optional), 50 g (2 oz)
Anchovy fillets, 50 g (2 oz)
Haddock, cod or salmon fillet (skinned) 450 g (1 lb)
Garlic cloves, 2
Breadcrumbs, fresh
Pine Nuts, 50 g (2 oz)
Fennel Seeds, 5 ml (1 tsp)
Olive Oil, 100 ml (4 fl oz)
Parsley, flat-leaf chopped 600 ml (4 tsp)
White wine, 100 ml (4 fl oz)
Bay leaf, 1
Peppercorns, 1
Salt and Pepper
Spaghetti, 350 g (12 oz)
Garnish: lemon wedges and flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

1. Anchovies should be drained and the oil kept. The fish should be cut into bite sizes. Take 45 ml of warm water and soak the sultanas for 10 minutes.
2. Prepare crushed garlic. Combine anchovies, garlic, fennel, pine nuts, olive oil and breadcrumbs.
3. Cook till crisp and brown turning occassionally. 200 deg C (400 F) for about 20 minutes. Add parsley and drained sultanas.
4. Combine bay leaf, peppercorns, fish, salt, white wine and water (300 ml, 10 fl oz). Cook in a shallow vessel below the breadcrumb mixture for about 15 minutes, till cooked. Separate the fish from the liquid.
5. Reduce the strained liquid in a pan to about 60 ml (4 tsp). AT the same time cook the spaghetti in salted water (boiling) till tender (10-12 minutes). Sieve the spaghetti and mix with the reduced liquid at high heat for a couple of minutes.
6.To present; Add the fish to the spaghetti. Add the breadcrumbs and garnish with lemon and parsley.

Looking for a tasty fruit smoothie? Make this Strawberry Orange Smoothie in just a few minutes. It’s delicious and really good for you too. If you like strawberries and orange juice then this is a great fruit smoothie to have for breakfast or lunch.
Strawberries and orange juice are healthy and very nutritious so you’ll be getting a health boost when you drink this wonderful smoothie. Just add a little ice and some honey and you’ve got yourself a quick yummy drink.
Strawberry Orange Smoothie

1/2 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup crushed ice
1/4 teaspoon honey

Directions
Combine strawberries, orange juice, ice, and honey in blender. Blend until smooth. Garnish with sliced strawberries.

Finding the energy, motivation and enthusiasm to do the things you love is often difficult at the end of a work day. In this situation most of us either stay in or reach for a drink loaded with sugar and caffeine, without a real understanding of what effect this will have on us.

Drinks such as coffee, and the new swathe of energy drinks, are crammed full of caffeine, and for a short duration they give us the boost we need. The problem, however, is that this is short-lived and after a few minutes we usually feel worse than we originally did, due to what is described as a caffeine crash, or have to go back and drink more, creating a vicious circle. Others may be tempted to raise our blood sugar levels by eating sugary and starchy foods, but this not only brings about a later sugar crash, but also inhibits the absorption of fluids into the bloodstream so, for example, if you are at the gym you are risking dehydration and lengthening your recovery time.

Mad Dog Energy Shots, however, are a new type of energy drink specifically designed for people with an active lifestyle who want a real solution to help them feel more energetic and alive, in fact the energy boost from Mad Dog Energy Shots lasts at least six hours. They contain no added sugars or carbohydrates and come in six tasty flavours.

Mad Dog Energy Shots are designed to fit into your gym bag or even your pocket, so you can get that boost you want whenever you need it.

Mad Dog also produces Energy Chews, which are energy bars that contain 100mg of caffeine, designed to allow you to regulate your energy intake to avoid those caffeine peaks and valleys. The Chews come in a selection of four flavours : Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Tropical Blend, Blueberry Pomegranate, and because of their size they are ultra convenient to carry and eat on the go.

You can learn more about both products, and order them from their site MadDogEnergyProducts.com