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Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nI<\/span>t really happened! I was sitting at the desk where I am now, and I stood up. I was rummaging through the books at the back of the shelves and there was just this loud clunk,\u201d says Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, remembering the day she wrote the introduction to her new cookbook, The Fast 800 Favourites<\/em>.<\/p>\n\u201cIt was one of the chocolate bars he\u2019d asked me to hide. It was a message from another world, really.\u201d<\/p>\n
She is talking about her late husband, the celebrated TV presenter, 5:2 diet and fasting pioneer and science writer Michael Mosley, who might have been committed to improving the nation\u2019s metabolic health, but also had quite the sweet tooth.<\/p>\n
Michael, 67, died on the Greek island of Symi in June 2024, after succumbing to heat stroke while on holiday with his family. Mosley\u2019s love for her husband of 37 years is felt on every page of The Fast 800 Favourites<\/em>, which brings together dishes from the pair\u2019s own kitchen, and from the series of Fast 800 books they co-created.<\/p>\n\u201cReally, it\u2019s a tribute to Michael and the lovely recipes we put together over the years,\u201d says Mosley, 64, who, the morning we speak, has spent \u201ca ridiculous amount of time\u201d going through their \u201creally nostalgic\u201d shared meals.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got absorbed in them. There\u2019s something about recipes that are so personal, and you often remember them, and they have a feel to them,\u201d she says thoughtfully. \u201cI\u2019m sitting here looking at Michael\u2019s favourite breakfast, which was chorizo omelette. That\u2019s one he used to cook. I would come down and it would be there, ready for breakfast, which was such a treat. He didn\u2019t do that much of the cooking, but he absolutely mastered that one.\u201d<\/p>\n
She says it\u2019s a recipe that defines the way they ate: \u201cNot too starchy [or] sweet, but plenty of protein, plenty of fibre, and [a] healthy meal that keeps you full for longer.\u201d It is how she\u2019s almost always eaten, especially \u201conce the children were a bit older and no longer living on chicken nuggets,\u201d she says wryly of their four kids, now all grown up. \u201cMichael, in the early days, liked his chicken nuggets too,\u201d she adds with a laugh.<\/p>\n
It is also how she still cooks, even when she\u2019s cooking for one. \u201cI did go through a short period of buying lots of takeaways, and then I got really fed up,\u201d she admits, which is understandable, as grief can so easily make cooking for yourself seem utterly pointless.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Mosley has spent months revisiting the meals that shaped life with Michael (Lezli+Rose)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cI could see people in the supermarket looking at my trolley sometimes, and it had completely, radically changed,\u201d she says, but Mosley found her way back to cooking from scratch. \u201cI feel better having eaten well. It\u2019s been one of the things that has really kept me resilient. It\u2019s so easy to have a glass of wine with your supper, or two glasses, and to just grab food as you pass, because why not? And this isn\u2019t a moral thing. It\u2019s a practical thing. When you\u2019re not really paying attention to it, you\u2019re not feeding your body and your brain as well as you could do, and it\u2019s a time when you need every [bit of] resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Fast 800 Favourites<\/em> is Mosley\u2019s second recipe collection to be published this autumn, following September\u2019s Eating Together<\/em>, which focuses on healthy meals the whole family can sit down to eat as a clan.<\/p>\n\u201cThere is that irony after Eating Together<\/em>, that I\u2019m not eating together, so to speak,\u201d muses Mosley, but notes: \u201cI have a lot of people who come through the house, which is really nice, family come and stay. People come for supper.<\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019m a big fan of promoting getting children and families around the table,\u201d continues the retired GP, noting the many physical and psychological benefits of having dinner as a unit. \u201cWe did it as children. Michael did it with his family. And I think for us, it held us together. It was our core cement in the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
After Michael\u2019s death, Mosley and their children made a pact to remember him by eating together, as they did the day he disappeared. \u201cYes, it\u2019s very emotional,\u201d she says quietly. \u201cOn the other side of it, we, the family, I think, are much closer in many ways since then, but we miss him hugely.\u201d<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\u2018The Fast 800 Favourites\u2019 brings together the dishes that defined the Mosleys\u2019 table (Short Books)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWorking on two books in such quick succession and staying busy has seemingly helped Mosley tether herself. \u201cIt\u2019s a difficult one when you are in bereavement, you never quite get the balance right,\u201d she says. \u201cTo be honest, I have really enjoyed working. People have said, \u2018It\u2019ll catch up with you,\u2019 and it might do, and it does at times, but I\u2019ve had a lot of support.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael was dedicated to boosting people\u2019s metabolic health \u2013 which, when poor, can lead to chronic conditions, such as diabetes, non-alcoholic liver disease and sleep apnoea \u2013 mainly through diet and rapid weight loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about how your body processes energy from food,\u201d explains Mosley, hence the Fast 800 books, which contain healthy, balanced recipes that are low in starchy carbs, revolve around a Mediterranean-style diet, and \u201cfast days\u201d where you consume 800-1,000 calories, \u201cwhich is plenty for you to go into fat burning and lose weight, but also have some bright nutrients\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Mosley family, in honour of Michael, have partnered with King\u2019s College London and the Chronic Disease Research Foundation to advance research in this area, to help people live longer and more healthily. It\u2019s the importance of continuing \u201cMichael\u2019s amazing legacy\u201d that drives Mosley on.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was really passionate about his work and improving the nation\u2019s health. It felt important to do. I\u2019m really pleased, and I feel very privileged to be carrying on his legacy, because he had such a huge impact. We had not realised quite how much an impact he had been making over the years,\u201d she says. \u201cThe response [from people when he died] was so incredibly touching. It really did make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chorizo omelette<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>A reminder of Michael\u2019s love for simple, protein-packed breakfasts (Smith & Gilmour)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cThis was one of Michael\u2019s go-to omelettes, which he cooked to perfection,\u201d says Mosley. \u201cIt has fabulous Spanish flavours, is high in protein and is easy to make. It\u2019s even better topped with fermented veg, like sauerkraut which adds a delicious sweet, salty and tangy flavour, and is so beneficial to your health that you don\u2019t need to count the calories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Serves<\/strong>: 2<\/p>\nPrep time<\/strong>: 5 minutes | Cook time<\/strong>: 7 minutes<\/p>\nPer serving<\/strong>: 269 cals | Protein 19.4g | Carbs 2.8g<\/p>\nIngredients<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\u00bd tbsp olive oil<\/em><\/p>\n\u00bd small onion, diced<\/em><\/p>\n4 medium free-range eggs<\/em><\/p>\n3cm piece cured chorizo, sliced and quartered<\/em><\/p>\n30g mature Cheddar, grated<\/em><\/p>\n60g cooked or leftover greens<\/em><\/p>\n\u00bd tsp crushed dried chilli flakes (optional)<\/em><\/p>\nMethod<\/strong>:<\/p>\n1. Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and onion and sweat for two minutes.<\/p>\n
2. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk with a fork. Season well with freshly ground black pepper, then pour over the onion. Leave for 30 seconds to start to set, then use a spatula or wooden spoon to pull the egg into the centre of the pan, allowing the runny mixture to flow out into the empty space. Do this four or five times, working quite quickly.<\/p>\n
3. When the omelette has started to set, add the chorizo, cheese and greens. Cook for another two minutes, then scatter over the chilli flakes, if using. Fold one half of the omelette over the other and slide onto a plate to serve.<\/p>\n
Spicy salmon and butternut squash traybake<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Healthy, no-fuss cooking that kept the family gathered around the table (Smith & Gilmour)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nMosley calls this a \u201ca lovely lunch dish\u201d. \u201cI\u2019m a big fan of tray bakes because they\u2019re so easy. You can expand them really easily. And we have a lot of people come through the house, and we just add to it,\u201d says the food writer and former GP.<\/p>\n
\u201c[This has] lots of lovely fibre in it, nice and spicy. It\u2019s got lots of lovely omega-3 in the salmon, and lots of protein. And again, it\u2019s really filling. Keeps you full well into the day, and it tastes fabulous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all love traybakes \u2013 throw in the ingredients, let the oven do its bit, and hey presto. Here the mildly curried veg contrasts with the salmon in its creamy, spiced coconut sauce. This fabulous traybake includes many of Michael\u2019s favourite ingredients, as well as having lots of protein.\u201d<\/p>\n
Serves<\/strong>: 2<\/p>\nPrep time<\/strong>: 20 minutes | Cook time<\/strong>: 25 minutes<\/p>\nPer serving<\/strong>: 512 cals | Protein 31.1g | Carbs 17.4g<\/p>\nIngredients<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\u00bd onion, sliced into wedges about 1cm thick<\/em><\/p>\n200g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1cm dice<\/em><\/p>\n1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced<\/em><\/p>\n1 tsp medium curry powder<\/em><\/p>\n1 tbsp olive oil<\/em><\/p>\n\u00bc \u00d7 400ml can full-fat coconut milk<\/em><\/p>\n1 large garlic clove, finely chopped<\/em><\/p>\n1 tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger<\/em><\/p>\n2 salmon fillets (around 130g each)<\/em><\/p>\n2 tsp Thai fish sauce<\/em><\/p>\nMethod<\/strong>:<\/p>\n1. Preheat the oven to 200C\/fan 180C\/Gas 6.<\/p>\n
2. Place the onion, squash and red pepper in a baking dish or roasting tin and sprinkle the curry powder over the top. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat. Roast the veg in the oven for 15 minutes.<\/p>\n
3. Remove the tray from the oven and gently stir in the coconut milk, garlic and ginger. Place the salmon fillets on top, drizzle with the fish sauce and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through.<\/p>\n
Air-fryer tip<\/strong>: Preheat the air fryer to 180C, if needed. Prepare the vegetables as Step 2. Place the vegetables in the air fryer in an even layer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the air fryer basket and gently stir in the coconut milk, garlic and ginger. Place the salmon on top, drizzle with the fish sauce and season. Air fry for another eight minutes until the salmon is cooked through.<\/p>\n
Clare Mosley\u2019s Persian love cake<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Mosley\u2019s \u2018healthy bake off\u2019 moment \u2013 a sweet treat grounded in her ethos (Smith & Gilmour)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nOf this lovely cake, Mosley says: \u201cIt looks absolutely magnificent. It\u2019s got a fabulous texture and zinginess to it and a slightly exotic flavour. It does look like it has a lot of ingredients, but actually they\u2019re all quick and easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The retired GP admits, \u201cI\u2019m not a master cake baker. I keep it very simple. I\u2019m not going to be on Bake Off anytime soon. Healthy bake off, maybe\u2026\u201d but adds that \u201cyou need to have sweet treats. And all the difference is that you\u2019re not using white flour, you\u2019re not using white sugar. The sweetness [in this] comes from fruit and it has lots of nutrients, and there\u2019s more fibre, it\u2019s not sending your sugars soaring.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor lovely Michael, this enchantingly exotic concoction lives up to its name. Not sure I do it justice, but it certainly goes down well, with its tangy, orange-flavoured topping, and rich, nutty base. High in protein and nutrients, it has no added sugar, is low-carb and feels like a real treat\u2026 Enjoy!\u201d<\/p>\n
Serves<\/strong>: 8<\/p>\nPrep time<\/strong>: 30 minutes | Cook time<\/strong>: 30 minutes<\/p>\nPer serving<\/strong>: 273 cals | Protein 8g | Carbs 9.8g | Sugar 10.5g<\/p>\nIngredients<\/strong>:<\/p>\n100g dried figs, finely chopped<\/em><\/p>\n60g coconut oil or butter<\/em><\/p>\n2 medium free-range eggs<\/em><\/p>\n60g shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped<\/em><\/p>\nFinely grated zest and juice of 2 oranges<\/em><\/p>\n100g ground almonds<\/em><\/p>\n1 tsp ground cinnamon<\/em><\/p>\n1 tsp ground cardamom<\/em><\/p>\n1 tsp bicarbonate of soda<\/em><\/p>\n2 tbsp freeze-dried raspberries<\/em><\/p>\n1 tbsp apple cider vinegar<\/em><\/p>\nFor the icing<\/strong>:<\/p>\n60g full-fat cream cheese<\/em><\/p>\n1 tsp honey<\/em><\/p>\n1 tsp finely grated lemon zest<\/em><\/p>\nMethod<\/strong>:<\/p>\n1. Preheat the oven to 180C\/fan 160C\/gas 4. Line the base of a 20 \u00d7 10cm loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.<\/p>\n
2. Place the figs, coconut oil or butter and eggs in a bowl and blitz with a stick blender for about one minute, until creamy but retaining some texture.<\/p>\n
3. Stir in 40g of the pistachios, half the orange zest, the orange juice, ground almonds, cinnamon, cardamom, bicarbonate of soda, half the dried raspberries and a generous pinch of salt. Mix well, then add the cider vinegar and mix again.<\/p>\n
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for about 30 minutes, until cooked through and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out of the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.<\/p>\n
5. To make the topping, mix the remaining orange zest with the cream cheese, honey and lemon zest in a small bowl. Spread it on to the cooled cake, then sprinkle the remaining chopped pistachios and dried raspberries on top.<\/p>\n
Tip<\/strong>: This freezes well (so you don\u2019t need to eat it all at once, as Michael was frequently tempted to do). You could use a loaf tin liner if you have one.<\/p>\n\u2018The Fast 800 Favourites\u2019 by Dr Clare Bailey Mosley (Short Books, \u00a326).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more It really happened! I was sitting at the desk where I am now, and I stood up. I was rummaging through the books at the back of the shelves and there was just this loud clunk,\u201d says Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, remembering the day she wrote the introduction to her new cookbook, The Fast 800 Favourites. \u201cIt was one of the chocolate bars he\u2019d asked me to hide. It was a message from another world, really.\u201d She is talking about her late husband, the celebrated TV presenter, 5:2 diet and fasting pioneer and science writer Michael Mosley, who might have been committed to improving the nation\u2019s metabolic health, but also had quite the sweet tooth. Michael, 67, died on the Greek island of Symi in June 2024, after succumbing to heat stroke while on holiday with his family. Mosley\u2019s love for her husband of 37 years is felt on every page of The Fast 800 Favourites, which brings together dishes from the pair\u2019s own kitchen, and from the series of Fast 800 books they co-created. \u201cReally, it\u2019s a tribute to Michael and the lovely recipes …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8951,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8950"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8950\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}