Vegetable Soup

Peel and cut into very small pieces three onions, three turnips, one carrot and four potatoes, put them into a pan with 100g of butter, 150g of ham and a bunch of parsley; pass them ten minutes over a sharp fire, then add a spoonful of flour, mix well; add 2 litres of broth and 0.5 litre of boiling milk; boil up, keeping it stirred; skim it; add a little salt and sugar and run it through a sieve into another pan; boil again and serve with fried bread in it.

Stewed Beef and Pork

Put into a saucepan about 800g of beef cut into 8 pieces; 200g of pork cut into 2 pieces; six table spoonfuls of rice; 4 middle sized onions peeled and sliced; a table spoonful of sugar; a little pepper and salt; add 2 litres of water; simmer gently for three hours; remove the fat from top and serve.

Home Made Cake

250g of flour; 250g of castor sugar; 250g of seedless raisins; 50g of chopped almonds; 50g of preserved cherries; 170g of butter; 4 eggs; pinch of soda. Sieve the flour, sugar and soda together into a basin, add the prepared fruit-chopped cherries and almond. Add eggs and butter. Mix it thoroughly. Place in a tin lined with greaseproof paper and brush with some melted butter. Bake in a slow oven for 2 hours. Leave for 5 minutes in a tin, then turn it out and cool.

Text 2

British Meals

British people usually eat three meals a day – breakfast, lunch and the evening meal. There are numerous myths about the traditional English breakfast. Many foreigners believe we eat a huge plateful of fried eggs, bacon, sausages and goodness knows what else. No doubt they have this idea because many of them stay at hotels or bed and breakfasts, where they do get offered such a meal. But normally we don’t eat this sort of thing.

Instead of that huge fry-up, the vast majority of British people eat a healthy breakfast. The most popular item is a bowl of cereal, for example Corn Flakes, with cold milk. After our bowl of cereal we’ll often have some toast. And the traditional thing to put on your toast at breakfast time is marmalade.

In the past, lunch, traditionally eaten at one o’clock, was the main meal of the day. In the fifties and sixties, when it was normal for shops and businesses to close for lunch, my grandfather used to leave his office and go and eat at home.

But since the 1980s very few businesses have closed for lunch, and today, if they have a lunch break, most working people grab a chicken tikka masala sandwich from a kiosk or have a quick Greek salad in a lunch bar. And of course most wives go out to work as well. But working lunches at a restaurant, where business will be discussed, are very common. These occasions are sometimes known by the formal title of “luncheon”. Schools usually have a one-hour break for lunch.

The more traditional or formal lunch will be composed of two or three courses. A two-course meal – the more popular but less formal variation – consists of a main course and pudding. A three-course meal usually consists of soup, the main course then pudding, which may be given its more formal name of “dessert”.

Nowadays the evening meal is often the main meal of the day. Popular meals are spaghetti Bolognese, lasagna or similar pasta dishes, chillis and curries, which may also be served for lunch. Puddings may be eaten in the evening too, especially if you’ve got guests. In this case the evening meal is not called supper, but rather “dinner”, a more formal name which derives from the verb “to dine”, meaning “to eat a meal”.

Text 3

Foods To Help Keep You Healthy

Do you feel weak and worn out halfway through your daily routine? Eating right can help boost your energy and make you feel stronger.

Food is what makes your body perform to its fullest. There are many foods that give you a quick burst of energy including candy bars, cakes and ice-cream. These foods do not provide a constant energy source, and give no lasting power. Foods that are high in sugar give you a high that lasts about an hour and then takes two hours of exercise to burn off its calories. There are other foods that give you energy that continues for hours at a higher level. These are carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are an important energy source that can be stored until needed by the body. Carbohydrate is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. When the body needs energy, it breaks off pieces of glycogen and releases it into the blood stream. The saying “If it tastes good, then it is not good for you” is not always true. Here are some foods that are healthy, renew our energy and taste good too.

Bagels are a great source of complex carbohydrates. These carbohydrates can be stored and keep your body running at an even level for hours. Bagels are an excellent quick, energy snack. You can bring a bagel anywhere and eat it when you get hungry or tired.

Tuna fish is loaded with proteins, which are necessary to keep you feeling alert. Too many carbohydrates without protein will leave you without energy. Tuna contains an amino acid that helps produce brain neuro-transmitters. These bring your brain to full attention and allow you to think clearly.

Fruits are a great source of energy also. The energy in fruits is in the form of complex carbohydrates. Strawberries are an especially rich source of Vitamin C. Bananas supply a large dose of potassium that helps maintain muscle and nerve functions and helps prevent overheating. The sugars in fruits are easily digested in the form of carbohydrates.

A balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, fish and grains will keep you healthy, energetic, and alert during your daily routine.

It is recommended you exercise at least thirty to sixty minutes each day. Most daily activities are aerobic since they require little power and occur over prolonged periods. Aerobic exercise can include any combination of running, swimming, canoeing, walking or even raking and mowing the lawn. Aerobic exercise increases your stamina and keeps your body healthy.

Next time you reach for a candy bar as a source of quick energy, try having a bagel or fruit instead. Eating these foods, other carbohydrates, and protein-filled foods, you will feel a difference in your overall performance in a few days.

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