View this post on Instagram

A post shared by delicious. magazine UK (@deliciousmag)

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 14 oz fish pie mix 
• 1.5 pounds of potatoes
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• 1 cup single cream
• 1 cup veg stock

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BBC Food (@bbcfood)

Instructions:

1. If your fish pie mix is frozen, defrost it. 
2. Preheat your oven to 350 ℉.
3. Chop the potatoes and add to a large pot of salted water.
4. Place this on the heat and bring to a boil. 
5. Meanwhile, add the frozen peas and sweet corn to a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook these for roughly 5 minutes and then drain.
6. Cook the potatoes for 15-20 mins, until soft, and then drain. 
7. Add some butter and a splash of milk to the potatoes and then mash them until smooth. 
8. In a large oven-proof dish, place the fish pie mix. Pour over the cream and the veg stock, and then add the spinach and the cooked peas and sweetcorn. 
9. Stir this all through, ensuring it’s mixed well.
10. Add the mashed potato on top in an even layer.
11. Sprinkle the grated cheese over and cover with foil.
12. Pop in the oven for 30 minutes.
13. Remove the foil and cook for another 10-20 minutes, until the cheese is browned.
14. Serve with some steamed veggies of your choice. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sainsbury's magazine (@sainsburysmag)

The post Simple Homemade Fish Pie appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

The Bare Minimum

In all the different things we do in life, a person is given a choice. Are they going to do the bare minimum, or are they going to go above and beyond? The spirit behind doing the bare minimum means that a person followed the rules. They did everything they were supposed to do, right? No one can fault a person for doing the bare minimum, because they can always point to the rulebook, or the recipe book, and claim that they did their job.

Going Above and Beyond

However, while doing the bare minimum can technically produce good results, these results are fake and devoid of love and passion. When you do a task out of love and not out of requirement, you go above and beyond. You take an interest in the little things. You put in the extra hours to ensure that the final result is exactly how you want it to be. In conclusion, putting love into a recipe isn’t something that can be quantifiably measured—and yet it’s also the very thing that makes a good recipe great.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kateryna B. (@katerynascafe)

The post What Does it Mean to Put Love Into Your Cooking? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Cookies

Even if you think that your cookies are already perfect, baking them on a pizza stone can make a real difference because they will be crispy and evenly baked every single time.

Chicken

Roasting chicken on a pizza stone is a genius way to put this kitchen tool to some good use. The chicken will taste so much better if you try making it on a pizza stone because it’ll be crispier and more flavorful.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Erin | Food & Wine (@platingsandpairings)

Quesadillas

Even some simple dishes such as quesadillas will taste so much better if prepared on a pizza stone because they will be perfectly crispy and juicy.

Bread

People who enjoy baking homemade bread could also benefit from buying a good pizza stone because this simple thing will elevate your homemade bread to a whole new level.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ᴄɪᴀᴏ! ᴋɪᴛᴄʜᴇɴ 巧兒灶咖 (@ciao_kitchen)

The post Surprising Foods That You Can Bake On Your Pizza Stone appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

As it turns out, Mrs. Beckham has a pretty simple taste in food. Beckham recently appeared on River Café’s Table 4 podcast where she said “This is where I sound even more boring—in the food department. OK, what do I like? I like whole-grain toast with salt on it.”

She often orders steamed vegetables and balsamic vinegar. She enjoys foods that are cooked in a simple way and is not a fan of oils, butter, and sauces. Beckham doesn’t follow a strict diet and allows herself an occasional carb meal. She’ll typically refuse dessert, though. “This is where I sound even more boring in the food department. I like whole-grain toast with salt on it. It’s that carbohydrate that makes you feel comforted, and I love salt,” she said.

The post This is Victoria Beckham’s Favorite Meal appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Luckily there are alternatives, and today you can order takeaway deliveries from restaurants quickly and easily. 

So how to order a delivery from a restaurant like a pro?

First of all, choose a restaurant that has received a high rating on a reliable online site. Check that its delivery hours are right for you.

Consider whether the dish you want to order will survive the delivery. Not every dish is suitable for deliveries. If in doubt, consult the restaurant by phone.

If you are ordering food for the next few days, make sure the dishes can be heated at home, and if special preparation instructions from the restaurant are needed.

Make an effort not to order from restaurants that use non-perishable plastic packaging. Environmental pollution is a real problem, and you should try and avoid using disposable utensils. Some restaurants offer reusable utensil deliveries in exchange for a small deposit that will be refunded to you upon returning the utensils to the restaurant.

The post Order Takeaway Like a Pro appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Dental Floss

Unflavored dental floss is perfect for cutting all kinds of soft foods without risking smashing them. It’s great for cakes and soft cheeses, for example.

Roasted Sunflower Seeds

They are so much more versatile than you’d think! You can add them to bread you’re baking, salads, sauteed veggies, sandwiches, and many other foods that need an extra crunchy texture.

Chocolate Bars

As long as you can resist not eating them all in one sitting, keep a few chocolate bars in your pantry for when you want to whip up a quick dessert.

Coconut Oil

You can cook and fry with it, but you can also use it for homemade beauty products. Coconut oil is believed to have many health benefits and we already know that it comes with amazing flavor.

The post Items You Should Always Have in Your Pantry appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

It’s not surprising that cheap and delicious processed foods are one of the biggest obesity factors today. We all know we shouldn’t eat them, but that’s easier said than done. The fact they are so tasty surely doesn’t help, but did you ever stop and think that they were designed like that on purpose?

Not all foods are the same. It’s difficult to overeat a salad, but it’s practically guaranteed you’ll overeat if you have a big bag of chips in front of you. No natural foods are as addicting as those made by humans, and it’s the synergy among their key ingredients that makes them like that. 

Foods that have the right proportions of sugar, salt, fat, and carbs — at least two of those groups — activate the parts of your brain responsible for pleasure and basically act like some drugs. They keep your brain wanting more, which is just what the manufacturers want so you’ll keep buying their products. Companies invest huge amounts of money to find just the right formulas, and you should know it’s not completely your fault that you can’t stop eating certain foods.

The post Some Foods Are Designed to Keep You Wanting More appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Energy Levels

Given that food is fuel, you can expect your blood sugar and energy levels to drop when you don’t eat for hours an end. Skipping a meal makes your body run low on glucose, which is why you may feel a sudden craving to eat something sweet. The funny thing is that you can eat anything, not just sweet or carb-filled foods, to fight this feeling.

Unhealthy Food

When you’re starving, it can be difficult to make healthy food choices. Not only your body will crave simple carbs and processed foods, but it’s also more convenient to just unpack a snack than to take time to prepare a healthy meal. Once you snack on something processed and convenient, your blood sugar levels will spike and then drop soon, leaving you hungry and unsatisfied.

The post Here’s What Happens to Your Body When You Skip a Meals appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

If you want a good place to start, this guide should make things a lot easier.

Temperature

The temperature of your food actually really does change the way you digest it. Foods that are already cooked are usually digested easier because they are already warmed up, your body does not have to use as much energy to break them down. But, if you already eat all your meals hot, try adding some raw foods to your diet.

Water

Water is a super underestimated agent for good digestion. Not only does your entire body work better with water in it, but the kind of water you drink affects your body as well! Instead of drinking cold water with a meal, change it to lukewarm, and you’ll have a much easier time digesting. And, the best thing to do after a meal is to simply sip on warm or hot water to help break down your food.

The post If Your Digestion Needs Some Help, Here are Some Diet Changes That Might Make a Difference! appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Tomatoes

You’ve probably been keeping tomatoes wrong your whole life. These delicious fruits will lose all their flavor if you put them in the fridge. There is no bigger crime than taking away the taste from something you bought. That’s why you should find a dark and colder place in your home to store tomatoes there.

Potatoes

Another food that you should avoid storing in the fridge. Cold temperatures have the ability to break down the starches in potatoes. This makes them unpleasant and overly-sweet and gritty. Instead, find a dark spot where you will keep them from now on.

Basil

Your favorite leafy green should stay away from the cold as well. The best way to store it is to put it in a glass of water. For long-term storage, you can blanch the leaves and then freeze the basil.

Honey

You can use a jar of honey for as long as you want, the only thing you have to avoid is keeping it in the fridge. Honey will crystalize because of the cold temperatures, so anything other than that works just fine.

The post Four Foods You Shouldn’t Keep in the Fridge appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by delicious. magazine UK (@deliciousmag)

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 14 oz fish pie mix 
• 1.5 pounds of potatoes
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• 1 cup single cream
• 1 cup veg stock

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BBC Food (@bbcfood)

Instructions:

1. If your fish pie mix is frozen, defrost it. 
2. Preheat your oven to 350 ℉.
3. Chop the potatoes and add to a large pot of salted water.
4. Place this on the heat and bring to a boil. 
5. Meanwhile, add the frozen peas and sweet corn to a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook these for roughly 5 minutes and then drain.
6. Cook the potatoes for 15-20 mins, until soft, and then drain. 
7. Add some butter and a splash of milk to the potatoes and then mash them until smooth. 
8. In a large oven-proof dish, place the fish pie mix. Pour over the cream and the veg stock, and then add the spinach and the cooked peas and sweetcorn. 
9. Stir this all through, ensuring it’s mixed well.
10. Add the mashed potato on top in an even layer.
11. Sprinkle the grated cheese over and cover with foil.
12. Pop in the oven for 30 minutes.
13. Remove the foil and cook for another 10-20 minutes, until the cheese is browned.
14. Serve with some steamed veggies of your choice. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sainsbury's magazine (@sainsburysmag)

The post Simple Homemade Fish Pie appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

The Bare Minimum

In all the different things we do in life, a person is given a choice. Are they going to do the bare minimum, or are they going to go above and beyond? The spirit behind doing the bare minimum means that a person followed the rules. They did everything they were supposed to do, right? No one can fault a person for doing the bare minimum, because they can always point to the rulebook, or the recipe book, and claim that they did their job.

Going Above and Beyond

However, while doing the bare minimum can technically produce good results, these results are fake and devoid of love and passion. When you do a task out of love and not out of requirement, you go above and beyond. You take an interest in the little things. You put in the extra hours to ensure that the final result is exactly how you want it to be. In conclusion, putting love into a recipe isn’t something that can be quantifiably measured—and yet it’s also the very thing that makes a good recipe great.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kateryna B. (@katerynascafe)

The post What Does it Mean to Put Love Into Your Cooking? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Cookies

Even if you think that your cookies are already perfect, baking them on a pizza stone can make a real difference because they will be crispy and evenly baked every single time.

Chicken

Roasting chicken on a pizza stone is a genius way to put this kitchen tool to some good use. The chicken will taste so much better if you try making it on a pizza stone because it’ll be crispier and more flavorful.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Erin | Food & Wine (@platingsandpairings)

Quesadillas

Even some simple dishes such as quesadillas will taste so much better if prepared on a pizza stone because they will be perfectly crispy and juicy.

Bread

People who enjoy baking homemade bread could also benefit from buying a good pizza stone because this simple thing will elevate your homemade bread to a whole new level.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ᴄɪᴀᴏ! ᴋɪᴛᴄʜᴇɴ 巧兒灶咖 (@ciao_kitchen)

The post Surprising Foods That You Can Bake On Your Pizza Stone appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

As it turns out, Mrs. Beckham has a pretty simple taste in food. Beckham recently appeared on River Café’s Table 4 podcast where she said “This is where I sound even more boring—in the food department. OK, what do I like? I like whole-grain toast with salt on it.”

She often orders steamed vegetables and balsamic vinegar. She enjoys foods that are cooked in a simple way and is not a fan of oils, butter, and sauces. Beckham doesn’t follow a strict diet and allows herself an occasional carb meal. She’ll typically refuse dessert, though. “This is where I sound even more boring in the food department. I like whole-grain toast with salt on it. It’s that carbohydrate that makes you feel comforted, and I love salt,” she said.

The post This is Victoria Beckham’s Favorite Meal appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Luckily there are alternatives, and today you can order takeaway deliveries from restaurants quickly and easily. 

So how to order a delivery from a restaurant like a pro?

First of all, choose a restaurant that has received a high rating on a reliable online site. Check that its delivery hours are right for you.

Consider whether the dish you want to order will survive the delivery. Not every dish is suitable for deliveries. If in doubt, consult the restaurant by phone.

If you are ordering food for the next few days, make sure the dishes can be heated at home, and if special preparation instructions from the restaurant are needed.

Make an effort not to order from restaurants that use non-perishable plastic packaging. Environmental pollution is a real problem, and you should try and avoid using disposable utensils. Some restaurants offer reusable utensil deliveries in exchange for a small deposit that will be refunded to you upon returning the utensils to the restaurant.

The post Order Takeaway Like a Pro appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Dental Floss

Unflavored dental floss is perfect for cutting all kinds of soft foods without risking smashing them. It’s great for cakes and soft cheeses, for example.

Roasted Sunflower Seeds

They are so much more versatile than you’d think! You can add them to bread you’re baking, salads, sauteed veggies, sandwiches, and many other foods that need an extra crunchy texture.

Chocolate Bars

As long as you can resist not eating them all in one sitting, keep a few chocolate bars in your pantry for when you want to whip up a quick dessert.

Coconut Oil

You can cook and fry with it, but you can also use it for homemade beauty products. Coconut oil is believed to have many health benefits and we already know that it comes with amazing flavor.

The post Items You Should Always Have in Your Pantry appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

It’s not surprising that cheap and delicious processed foods are one of the biggest obesity factors today. We all know we shouldn’t eat them, but that’s easier said than done. The fact they are so tasty surely doesn’t help, but did you ever stop and think that they were designed like that on purpose?

Not all foods are the same. It’s difficult to overeat a salad, but it’s practically guaranteed you’ll overeat if you have a big bag of chips in front of you. No natural foods are as addicting as those made by humans, and it’s the synergy among their key ingredients that makes them like that. 

Foods that have the right proportions of sugar, salt, fat, and carbs — at least two of those groups — activate the parts of your brain responsible for pleasure and basically act like some drugs. They keep your brain wanting more, which is just what the manufacturers want so you’ll keep buying their products. Companies invest huge amounts of money to find just the right formulas, and you should know it’s not completely your fault that you can’t stop eating certain foods.

The post Some Foods Are Designed to Keep You Wanting More appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Energy Levels

Given that food is fuel, you can expect your blood sugar and energy levels to drop when you don’t eat for hours an end. Skipping a meal makes your body run low on glucose, which is why you may feel a sudden craving to eat something sweet. The funny thing is that you can eat anything, not just sweet or carb-filled foods, to fight this feeling.

Unhealthy Food

When you’re starving, it can be difficult to make healthy food choices. Not only your body will crave simple carbs and processed foods, but it’s also more convenient to just unpack a snack than to take time to prepare a healthy meal. Once you snack on something processed and convenient, your blood sugar levels will spike and then drop soon, leaving you hungry and unsatisfied.

The post Here’s What Happens to Your Body When You Skip a Meals appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

If you want a good place to start, this guide should make things a lot easier.

Temperature

The temperature of your food actually really does change the way you digest it. Foods that are already cooked are usually digested easier because they are already warmed up, your body does not have to use as much energy to break them down. But, if you already eat all your meals hot, try adding some raw foods to your diet.

Water

Water is a super underestimated agent for good digestion. Not only does your entire body work better with water in it, but the kind of water you drink affects your body as well! Instead of drinking cold water with a meal, change it to lukewarm, and you’ll have a much easier time digesting. And, the best thing to do after a meal is to simply sip on warm or hot water to help break down your food.

The post If Your Digestion Needs Some Help, Here are Some Diet Changes That Might Make a Difference! appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Tomatoes

You’ve probably been keeping tomatoes wrong your whole life. These delicious fruits will lose all their flavor if you put them in the fridge. There is no bigger crime than taking away the taste from something you bought. That’s why you should find a dark and colder place in your home to store tomatoes there.

Potatoes

Another food that you should avoid storing in the fridge. Cold temperatures have the ability to break down the starches in potatoes. This makes them unpleasant and overly-sweet and gritty. Instead, find a dark spot where you will keep them from now on.

Basil

Your favorite leafy green should stay away from the cold as well. The best way to store it is to put it in a glass of water. For long-term storage, you can blanch the leaves and then freeze the basil.

Honey

You can use a jar of honey for as long as you want, the only thing you have to avoid is keeping it in the fridge. Honey will crystalize because of the cold temperatures, so anything other than that works just fine.

The post Four Foods You Shouldn’t Keep in the Fridge appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.