Davina's Smart Carbs: a cookbook challenge

Victoria Stewart completes her best cookbook challenge to date with Davina McCall's new cookbook
By Victoria Stewart1 February 2016

That Davina McCall, who graced our screens for years with Big Brother, Comic Relief and other popular TV shows, now has a cookbook out is a bit silly really. The throwaway line is: well anyone can have a cookbook these days, can’t they? And indeed, when you come across ones like At My Table by Sir Paul McCartney’s photographer daughter Mary, which barely contain anything worth cooking whatsoever, that claim almost stands up.

Yet I remain hopeful that publishing directors will continue to strive for good ideas and new talent. Oh, and I love Davina McCall by the way. I don’t love her TV shows – although her Long Lost Family series brings tears to my eyes – but I admire her seemingly unstarry, gung-ho attitude to life – or to presenting, anyway. And let’s not forget she’s a bit of an iron woman, what with her massively successful line of fitness DVDs – which some of my friends swear by – and having completed seven days of swimming, running and cycling across the UK for Sport Relief in 2014. I’ve always thought that if for some reason you wound up beside Davs in, say, the middle of the sea in dire straits, or weakening half way through a marathon, she’d give you a great big hug and whisper useful words of encouragement to see you through. Plus, she smiles a lot and she’s ruddy gorgeous – and not in a stick insect way – so what’s not to like?

Anyway, with a dearth of actual cookbooks out this month – everything else on the January market suggested I might like to ‘juice my life away,’ ‘gluten-free-up my kitchen,’ or ‘eat clean with no fuss’ – McAll’s new one, Smart Carbs, seemed like a viable option. At least it contains the word carbs, which is a start for those of us who don’t feel the need to give everything up in order to start a new year.

I should have hated this cookbook challenge. The first chapter is called ‘loving the smart carbs,’ the first word is OMG, and there’s even an illustrated heart in the first paragraph, for hell’s sake. But McCall speaks so chirpily, in a way that makes her sound so normal, that I feel like I’ve got a mate telling me they’ve just found a way to eat loads of chocolate by just continuing to eat chocolate, or something.

Impressive: Davina's Spinach and egg curry

The premise is that having written her ‘sugar free’ book, also with the help of a nutritionist, McCall realised that most people hadn’t really understood carbohydrates, so it seemed like a good idea to explain them. The whole thing starts with a Q&A on the carb ‘low down’ and she also offers this idea of ‘smart swaps’ i.e. having an oatcake instead of a cream cracker means you’re swapping bad for good carbs. It’s all stuff that I’ve read before, but it’s friendlier here. So far it seems like a cross between a chatty Jamie Oliver tome and an instructional Weight Watchers manual, perhaps with the lovely simplicity of A Girl Called Jack or Sophie Wright’s various books too – casual, accessible, promising.

I should mention that the main point of this book, other than to get us to eat good carbs, is also to follow McCall and her nutritionist’s five-week eating plan, where you can ‘eat smart and lose weight.’ However my real focus was to see if the recipes are worth trying – and they were.

Victoria version of Davina's cauliflower cheese soup
Victoria Stewart

At the start of each chapter is a list of ‘my faves’ – a nice touch. In ‘brunch and light bites’ I’m drawn to pretty much everything, from ‘pastryless quiches,’ ‘to bubble and squeak,’ veggie shakshuka and fritters. Some ricotta dumplings need chilling for eight hours so aren’t hugely practical for normal working life, and I’m not convinced by quinoa sushi. But I do like the short ingredients lists and the useful ‘F for freezable afterwards’ sign. There are also calorie counts for anyone who wants them.

In ‘soups’ I bookmark ‘cauliflower cheese soup’ while I could happily eat the lamb and barley one immediately. There are nice-looking salads, too and, in ‘veggie and fish’, spinach and egg curry, veggie quinoa risotto and roasted fish with braised cabbage and bacon are all appealing. She describes her ‘Davina’s Special Lasagne using tortilla wraps - cue all Italians shaking their heads in horror - as ‘crazy amazing.’ ‘Chicken crumble’ from ‘poultry and meat’ looks divine, but knowing my local supermarkets don’t stock spelt flour, this should hardly be billed as a family supper. However the lamb and aubergine casserole looks thick and richly spiced. In ‘sides and snacks’, there are tonnes of things I spend money on that I’d rather bake, like crackers, oatcakes, dips and popcorn.

Great success: Victoria makes Davina's ricotta lasagne
Victoria Stewart

My challenge starts with cauliflower cheese soup, whipped up in almost an instant. I’m sure the cheese outweighs the goodness of the veg, but who cares when it’s thick and comforting and reminds me of mum’s gorgeous oven version. Longer to prepare but still dazzlingly simple – do I sound like Davina now?! - is McCall’s magic lasagne, made without pasta and yet more cheese. It’s hugely delicious, rich with tomato and ricotta cheese, laced with spinach and mozzarella and lighter than I expected. A friend staying says she doesn’t believe you could eat stuff like this and lose weight, and I’m not convinced either. But I’m here for the flavour – and it’s good. Later that evening, my flatmate and I make the egg and spinach curry and are impressed. It’s lightly spicy, creamy from the coconut milk, and satisfying - I’m looking forward to leftovers. Sadly my plans of making homemade oatcakes are dashed because nowhere nearby sells oatmeal, so instead a make a kind of homemade version of Nutella, mixing peanut butter with maple syrup and cocoa powder. It’s dark, rich and certainly not good for me – so obviously my NBF Davina says I can only eat a teaspoonful. (I eat three teaspoonfuls).

2016 cookbooks

1/11

Largely my experience with Smart Carbs has been easy and enjoyable; I’ve now got a freezer full of things I’ll either eat myself or serve to friends arriving spontaneously - and I’m not fazed by the idea of plunging back in to try the rest of the book. Unlike most cooking tomes on the shelves these days, there’s nothing seasonal about any of the recipes. But then the book’s aimed at an audience of convenience supermarket shoppers i.e. most of us, who either have families to feed, weight loss goals, or a simple, cheapish way to shake up the kitchen. I’m the latter, and I’ve enjoyed the ride.

Best challenge yet.

Davina's Smart Carbs is out now, published by Orion.

Follow Victoria on Twitter @vicstewart

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