now wow their guests with picture-perfect platters crazy for ‘GRAZING’
THE PRETTY WAY TO STICK TO THAT DIET
FRESH, delicious, artistically arranged platters — assembled just for you. Laura Billington set up Graze Cheshire last year and her new book, Inspired Grazing, shows you how to create grazing plates that are as much a feast for the eyes as they are for the tastebuds.
Laura, 43, a mother of three, started experimenting with grazing boards and plates in July 2020 and, thanks to high demand for her plates, which start from £40, has now quit her job in law to focus on it full time.
Here, with the help of nutritionist Amanda Hamilton, she has put together five plates for whatever diet you’re following — plus one cheat plate for when you’re having a bad day and the diet’s gone out of the window.
500 CALORIES PLATE
FOR those doing an intermittent fasting diet, everything on this plate adds up to 500 calories for you to graze on
Inspirational: laura: throughout the day. ‘When constructing a grazing plate, start with the biggest objects and work down to the smallest,’ says Laura. ‘Always begin by placing your dipping pots on the plate, then artfully arrange everything else around them.’
YOU’LL NEED: 200g pot of tzatziki at 120 calories (such as M&S), 3 small carrots, 3 stalks celery, 100g blueberries threaded on to skewers, 1 little gem lettuce, half cucumber in ribbons and batons, 2 rice cakes in quarters, 3 slices watermelon, 100g sugar snaps.
All above plates use edible flowers (available at Waitrose and M&S) to garnish.
ANTI-AGEING
THE focus is on antioxidants and polyphenols found in plants that help protect the body from the ageing effects of oxidative stress from free radicals and toxins.
YOU’LL NEED: 1 cooked chicken breast sliced, 1 red pepper, 100g blueberries, 200g black grapes, 100g pickled red cabbage, 100g silverskin onions, small bar of high-quality dark chocolate, half a sweet potato and quarter of butternut squash roasted in olive oil for 45 mins then cubed. Thyme and flowers to garnish.
KETO
THOSE who follow a Keto diet (designed to help your body burn fat for fuel and aid weight loss) need a plate that is high in good fats, has moderate protein and low carbs.
YOU’LL NEED: Bresaola rolled and secured with cocktail stick, half head of cauliflower roasted for 45 mins, half head broccoli roasted for 20 mins, baby spinach, pistachios, walnuts, 2 boiled eggs quartered, half a green and red pepper, 80g large green olives, 6 slices of goat’s cheese.
MENOPAUSE
THIS plate is a mixture of phytoestrogen-rich foods to help balance hormone levels, fibre to balance blood sugars, calcium for bone strength, omega 3s to lubricate the joints and turmeric for inflammation.
YOU’LL NEED: Edamame beans, two types of cheese, oat cakes, sliced cucumber and celery, celery leaves, almonds, walnuts, fresh salmon, turmeric hummus (shop-bought or use the recipe below) and mint.
To make the hummus, drain and rinse 2 tins of chickpeas (leaving some aside for decoration). Put in a food processor along with 2 cloves of peeled garlic, 6tbsp tahini, 6tbsp olive oil, the zest and juice of a lemon, 1 tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp ground nutmeg and pinch of salt. Whiz together.
TEN-A-DAY
FORGET five-a-day — research now suggests eating ten-a-day is the best way to live longer.
YOU’LL NEED: 2 carrots cut into batons, 8 cherry tomatoes, 2 kiwi fruit, red/green peppers, 10 strawberries, 1 stick celery chopped, 40g spinach, cucumber in rounds and batons, guacomole and beetroot hummus (whiz cooked beetroot in a blender with 2 tins of chickpeas, 2 cloves garlic, 6 tbsp tahini, 6tbsp olive oil, juice and zest of 1 lemon and pinch of salt).
BLOW-THE-DIET
‘THESE are great for movie nights,’ says Laura. ‘You need a mix of snacks in co-ordinating and complementary colours.’
YOU’LL NEED: Strawberry bon bons, pink fudge, lemon drizzle biscuits, pear drops, strawberry and cream truffles, chocolate pretzels, cupcakes, chocolate buttons, milky bar Cookies ‘N Cream Bites, pink and yellow Squashies and marshmallows. grazecheshire.co.uk