Food blogger Jo, from Jo’s Kitchen, reviews Olive magazine and tries out a recipe for a wholesome blueberry and flax breakfast muffin.
I love cooking and have shelves full of cookbooks to show for my obsession. However cookbooks can take a while to produce and can fall out of fashion quickly, so I love my food related magazines too, as they keep up with current trends in culinary world and offers recipes relating to the current season.
One of my favourite food magazines is Olive. The issue is divided up into sections including ‘Need To Know’, ‘Cook Weekend’, ‘Cook Everyday’ and ‘Eat Explore Enjoy’. The ‘Need To Know’ section includes foodie news, a series called 'Cook Like A Local' showcasing recipes from around the world and 'Supermarket Sweep' showcasing how to make a simple dish after a quick trip to a particular chain of supermarkets.
The ‘Cook Everyday’ section includes recipes for breakfasts, lunches and dinners that can be made without fuss during a busy week, while the ‘Cook Weekend’ section features recipes that you need to take more time over and focuses on what's in season during the month the magazine is published. The Eat Explore Enjoy section takes you all over the world without you ever needing to leave your home. In June's issue, Olive takes you everywhere from Istanbul, Berlin, Glamorgan and reveals the UK's secret food hotspots.
The true test of any food magazine though is the quality and accuracy of their recipes and the best way to discover if they work was to make one of them! Olive promises that every recipe in every issue is triple tested so “you end up with the perfect dish every time”. I am on a bit of a health kick at the moment so went straight to the 'Healthy Choices' part of ‘Cook Every Day’ to choose my recipe to test.
I decided on Blueberry Breakfast Muffins as I am always on the lookout for quick, healthy breakfasts and these used milled flax seed, which is an ingredient I have not used before. The ingredients were easy to find and purchase (I had most of them in the store cupboard already) and the recipe was easy to follow. It made 10 muffins — exactly what the recipe stated — and the nutritional information was provided alongside the recipe, too.
The muffins were tasty, filling and made a very delicious breakfast. I cannot wait for the July issue!
Like the sound of Olive magazine? Get great deals on a subscription here at magazine.co.uk.
