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Beautiful Italian and Romanian editions of How to Save a Life

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I love seeing new editions of my books in different languages - and especially seeing the differences in design. Look at these two beauties - the Italian and Romanian editions of How to Save a Life.

Il Bacio della Vita means ‘The Kiss of Life’ - and this cover, from Mondadori, is a fab minimalist take on the UK cover.

The Romanian edition is SO different - the heart motif rendered in blossom with such gorgeous colours. I think the novel is romantic as well as gritty in places so this is a great image.

Which do you like best?

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September soup: Cauliflower & mustard with cheese, 53-101 cals

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Cauliflower and Mustard Soup with Melted Cheese Crispy Crumbs 53-71 calories + topping 30 calories

This soup recipe always makes me feel warm inside – cauliflower cheese is such a comfort food, and this soup gives you all the comfort with hardly any of the calories. If you’re not fasting, just add more cheese and crumbs, or… if you fancy a really satisfying supper, serve with sourdough bread topped with the rarebit from the Rarebit Mushrooms recipe!

For a vegan version, use ‘Nooch’ – nutritional yeast – which has bags of savoury ‘umami’ flavour -and if you’re a fan of mustard, increase the amount to taste. #

Makes 4 servings

Calories per serving: 53 made with almond milk; 71 made with semi-skimmed milk, plus 30 with topping

Preparation time: 8 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

 Ingredients:

½ tsp butter or olive oil 19–23 cals

1 white onion 38 cals

1 medium cauliflower, florets only 100 cals

600ml homemade vegetable stock 15 cals or water and 2 tsp Marigold bouillon 24 cals

2–3 tsp Dijon mustard 15–30 cals

200ml almond milk 26 cals or semi-skimmed milk 98 cals 

30g reduced-fat mature cheddar cheese 65 cals

20g breadcrumbs 55 cals

salt and pepper

 1.     Add the butter or oil to a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes then add the cauliflower and let it brown lightly for 3 minutes.

2.     Add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 18–20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft enough to blend.

3.     Add 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard and the almond or semi-skimmed milk and blend, using a stick blender or move the mixture to a blender goblet to blend, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you like more mustard, add it now.

4.     To serve, preheat the grill to medium. Divide the soup between heatproof bowls. Gently sprinkle over the cheese and breadcrumbs so they don’t sink. Place the bowls under the grill and let cook until the crumbs are brown and the cheese has melted.

More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen This soup freezes well (but without the cheese and crumb topping). Defrost and reheat, then add topping. Try blue cheese in place of cheddar in the cheese crumb topping. Or use wholegrain mustard in an alternative topping: simply mix together 1 level tablespoon 0% fat crème fraîche (6 calories) and 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard (8 calories) and swirl into each portion just before serving.

Freezes well before adding the topping.

From The 5:2 Good Food Kitchen - buy here.

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How to Save a Life on BBC Woman's Hour

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Since How to Save a Life was published, I’ve been on a real mission to spread the word about learning CPR – it was a privilege to talk to Emma Barnett on Woman’s Hour – she’s a brilliant interviewer and I would love to share the link with you – you can listen anywhere in the world:

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Rarebit mushrooms - gorgeous supper dish, 280 calories

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Portobello Mushroom Rarebit with Oven-Baked Tomatoes

280 calories, 16g protein, 2 portions of veg

This is a delicious dish for suppertime - or anytime. The rarebit mix keeps in the fridge in a covered container for up to two days, so you can use it on anything else you fancy. It’s great directly on toast or on top of a pre-cooked fillet of smoked fish, like haddock, finished off under the grill. Also great on sourdough served with the Cauliflower & Mustard soup.

Serves 4 as a main

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 14– 18 minutes

8 medium portobello mushrooms (around 50g each)

400g cherry or baby plum tomatoes

1 tsp oil

For the rarebit mix:

2 eggs

80g mature Lancashire cheese, finely crumbled or grated

2 tbsp stout or semi-skimmed milk

2 tsp English mustard

1 small red onion, finely chopped

To serve:

4 x 50g slices sourdough or gluten-free bread

50g rocket or dark leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas mark 6. Wipe the mushrooms and remove very woody stalks. Halve the cherry tomatoes and place cut side up in an ovenproof dish, then put the mushrooms on top, gill-side up. Brush with a little oil and bake till the mushrooms have just softened (the biggest mushrooms may take a little longer), around 8–10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the rarebit mix. Beat the eggs with a fork in a small bowl. Add the cheese followed by the stout/milk, mustard and onion and mix well. Season well.

3. Spoon the egg mixture on top of the mushrooms (if they’ve released a lot of liquid, pour this off the baking tray first). Place back in the oven for 6–8 minutes, until the cheese mixture puffs up and browns, but don’t let it burn.

4. Toast the bread and serve the mushrooms on top, garnished with the salad leaves. VARIATION: You could use pesto instead of mustard (1 tsp of shop-bought pesto is around 23 calories, depending on the brand).

From: The Dirty Diet: Ditch the guilt, love your food


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Baked avocado, 209 calories

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BAKED AVOCADO STUFFED WITH BEANS AND SMOKED CHEESE, 209 calories

This is one of my favourite dishes of all time: eating a version of this when I was 18, way before avocados were trendy, made me realise how exciting veggie food could be. The flavour of avocados becomes nuttier and richer when they are gently baked. I’ve added beans here (you don’t need many, use whatever you have), paprika and smoked cheese. One tip: use ripe but not squishy avocados, as the older ones become stringy and brown when baked.

Serves 1

Preparation time: 8 minutes

Cooking time: 10–12 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small avocado, 100–120 calories depending on size

30g cooked, drained beans, such as borlotti, 28

1/2 teaspoon paprika, 3

1 spring onion, finely sliced, 2

10g smoked cheese, 38

Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

To serve

1 dessertspoon half-fat crème fraiche, 18

5 cherry tomatoes, 15–25

2 small wedges cut from an iceberg lettuce, 5

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

2. Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Lightly crush the beans with the paprika and mix with the sliced spring onion.

3. Place the avocado on a baking tray and pile the bean mix into its centre, to cover. Slice the cheese very thinly to cover the beans and as much flesh as possible. Bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes.

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4. Season and serve with the crème fraiche, plus the cherry tomatoes and

lettuce wedges – these are great for scooping up the hot filling.

P. S. The same technique works well with cream cheese or a blue cheese like Stilton, with a topping of walnuts on a non-Fast Day. For a vegan version, top the beans with mixed seeds and a good sprinkling of nutritional yeast.

For more recipes like this, try my recipe book 5:2 Veggie & Vegan.

It includes tips, recipes and a complete guide to intermittent fasting, veggie style.

How to Save a Life ebook just 99p

This week, the e-book and audiobook of How to Save a Life have been published in the UK! It's a joyful but also slightly unreal experience for me as the hardback isn't out for another month so I haven’t yet held a ‘real life’ copy in my hands. But I'm excited that the story - and the CPR message it includes - is out!

I’m thrilled with the quotes and reviews so far - and if you’d like to be one of the first to read this epic story, it’s now priced at just 99p on Amazon, iBooks or wherever you get your e-books from.

“By the time I finished this book I felt completely drained but also so uplifted and happy. I’m going to re read it again soon, I did rush it somewhat as I just had to know how it would all work out.
This book deserves to stay on the best seller list forever, a total gripping read.”
— Amazon reviewer
“Well written, realistic characters and an engaging and interesting plot, this would make a great tv series or film. It would also be a fantastic Book Club pick due to the many moral conundrums it throws up throughout.

I’ve read a lot of books in lockdown but this has to be my favourite to date. I can’t recommend it enough.”
— Waterstones reviewer

That’s right - for 99p you’ll get a gripping love story AND discover much more about the chain of survival that could help YOU save a life…

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Plus, the audiobook is something special, with the roles taken by three fantastic narrators: Yolanda Kettle, Joshua Akehurst and Thomas Judd. And you’ll even hear from me as I recorded my author message at the very end too.

I am nervous but oh so excited now that the book of my heart is out in the world…

Learn How to Save a Life, wherever you live

I know how to save a life – you can learn too

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In 2013 my partner’s heart stopped, and I had to do CPR. His chance of survival was under 10% but he was one of the lucky ones.

Our experiences inspired me to write How to Save a Life – and they’ve also made me passionate about the importance of learning CPR. So you’re in the right place if you want to learn the basics…

Play this interactive game to learn the basics:

Even in non-pandemic times, it can be tricky to find courses available at short notice. It’s still best to learn first aid face-to-face if possible, but this video really does make you feel more confident in some of the decisions any of us could face if someone has a medical emergency.

Lifesaver is an interactive game developed by Resuscitation Council UK - I’ve recommended it to everyone I know as a brilliant start in understanding CPR and the Chain of Survival which can increase the chances of cardiac arrest patients.  

Discover hands-only CPR

This short video gives an update on the safest approach to CPR during the current pandemic.

Find courses in your country or region:

These links either take you to national societies or government advice on first aid training OR the local resuscitation council for your area. You can also learn about the annual Restart a Heart day, which happens every October worldwide.

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