You know how I feel about February: it’s all bills and work and tax returns and Valentine’s drivel. And now Holland has suddenly formed part of the Arctic circle and – as if things could get any worse – this February my passport is off in Paris somewhere being red-taped, which means that I can’t escape even if I manage to salvage the last remaining scrap of cash the government hasn’t swindled off me… Bah humbug.
My body seems to have given up all hope. As if on cue, yesterday my tonsils turned into the craters of the moon’s surface. It wasn’t pretty. I needed vitamin C. And probably a hot toddy.
I started simple: lime juice, honey and ginger in a mug with hot water. Fine, but there’s only so much of it you can drink before your body goes into toxin-deprivation meltdown.
So I started digging out some recipes that involve citrus fruits and other vitamin-rich ingredients. Here’s what I found…
Tuna, blood orange, fennel, carrot and avocado salad: ok, so it’s not exactly winter fare, but it’s certainly jam-packed with the good stuff. Use the leftover orange juice and the fennel tops in the dressing for added healthy loveliness. I stole the idea for this salad from restaurant Marius – thanks chef!
Chicken roasted with orange zest and juice, potatoes, fennel and olives: much more appropriate for a cold evening, and just as delicious. It’s a Jamie recipe, so you can find it online. It’s supposed to be made with guinea fowl, by the way, but traipsing across town looking for exotic poultry seemed to defeat the object of keeping warm and getting better, so I settled for a small chicken.
That accomplished, I’m now on the hunt for the ultimate kill-or-cure hot toddy recipe. Any ideas?
