Masterchef winner, Lisa Faulkner with Chef Tony Tobin

This week I was lucky enough to be invited along to the launch of Hotpoint’s Campaign for Cooking Confidence with Lisa Faulkner, which aims to encourage UK households to be more adventurous in the kitchen.

According to research carried out by Hotpoint, 90% of us stick to cooking the same meals over and over again because we lack confidence in the kitchen. Afraid to experiment and short of time, 1 in 4 of us cook what’s on offer in the supermarket and on average we spend only 1.6 hours in the kitchen every day.

Our busy lifestyles and great number of work commitments have lead to nine out of ten people being surveyed saying that they are thoroughly stuck in a creative rut, only cooking the same few meals over and over again. So, what are the top ten most cooked meals in the UK, well according to the survey, they include Jacket Potatoes, Roast Dinner and our number one favourite is Spaghetti Bolognaise.

But what can we do to get out of these culinary ‘ground-hog day’ scenarios? Well Lisa Faulkner, Hotpoint’s Campaign for Cooking Confidence Ambassador and Masterchef 2010 Champion, with her panel of experts, including top chef Tony Tobin, aim to equip us with all of the culinary skills and inspiration to be more confident in the kitchen and adventurous with ingredient and meal ideas.

Lisa said, “I’ve teamed up with Hotpoint and their Campaign for Cooking Confidence, to help give others a helping hand. I learnt the importance of planning ahead and have a grasp on what on flavour combinations work well. This has enabled me to take pride in my cooking and I feel much more at ease in the kitchen – it’s opened up a new world to me!”

Although many of us enjoy spending time in the kitchen, we sometimes struggle when deciding what meals to make and opt for the safest, easiest options – subsequently falling into a rut of repeatedly making the same dishes. At the event Tony showed how by mastering a few skills, going with (and trusting) our own taste combinations, not being afraid to try out new flavours and ingredients, we could open up a whole new world of taste sensations.

Talking leftovers with Chef Tony Tobin

During the demonstration, I asked Tony how practical the skills and recipes where for busy mums. To my delight, he confirmed that everything he was making could be made in batches and frozen, as well as being adaptable to be able to create several diverse dishes – from glitzy dinner party, to weekday family meals.

It was also great to learn that the red pepper sauces and garnishes he’d made could be made from mottled peppers and limp basil, then frozen ready for use whenever required. As both he and Lisa pointed out, absolutely everything in a professional kitchen is used up in stocks, soups and sauces, ensuring no food goes to waste unnecessarily and this was of equal importance to them in the home. Getting the most value from their food and minimizing food waste wherever possible.

As many people already know, not only does lack of confidence in the kitchen hinder our culinary repartee, it also has an adverse on the amount of edible food waste that goes in our bins. Unsure of what to do with leftovers, many people throw them away instead of making another meal from them. But as Lisa, who ‘absolutely hates’ throwing food away, has now found out, just by adding a little bit of creative flair you can rustle up another tasty, nutritious meal – saving not only time, but money and waste.

Tony sharing his passion for food

Tony Tobin, renowned restauranteur and Hotpoint Ambassador, summed it up by saying,

“By following a few simple mantras … planning, a bit of experimentation and a few effortless styling tricks we can all create restaurant quality food at home”

and at just a fraction of the price!

To find out more about the campaign and for more cooking tips from Lisa Faulkner and Hotpoint’s panel of experts, visit www.hotpoint.co.uk/vitalingredient.

Here I am at the East Midlands Food and Drink Festival ready to meet my public. What a weekend, despite the rain, wind, flooding etc, the event was really busy and we got to meet loads of different people, all with a love of good food. Count On It went well, obviously as a brand new product we had to sell the concept, but we had a great conversion rate – for every 2 people we spoke to, one purchased. We also made some good commercial contacts, small local producers who wanted to put Count On It labels onto their product, to encourage repeat purchasem, nursing home managers who wanted to use it in their kitchens and Pampered Chef, who believed it complimented their product range. For all enquiries, contact me at lyndsey@count-on-it.co.uk.