Two fasting days until Christmas and purple pussywillow

Above is another of my classic Christmas wreaths. The horrid Brussel sprouts have been replaced with purple, yes purple, pussywillow.

Friday 13th December? it must be the 26th hrscreative's Christmas Party. Just spent about three hours getting ready and the old man's gone out. Story of my life.
One of the most memorable hrs Christmas party's was held in the old library of a posh hotel and we were asked to sing more quietly as we were shaking the chandeliers and frightening the guests downstairs.

A long, long time ago, in foggy London Town, I started Hill Rae Smith Associates Limited (snappy title) in 1987, in Chelsea with Lynne Hill. Then we moved to uber trendy (it wasn't then) Borough Market and decided to let people know what we did. So we traded as HRS graphics. We were both new mums with young babies running a very busy Design Group and the exhausting commute for Lynne plus me being burgled, again, and again meant we decided to leave the Hop Exchange in London and move into the Star Brewery in Lewes. And that's where we stayed until only the spirit was willing...To be continued.


I hope you'll be able to skip to the Christmas Ball by now? Here's a better option before you start hitting those sausage rolls.

Spicy Mexican bean burgers

These cheesy, beany, spicy burgers might not be quite what you’d find on the streets of Acapulco, but they’re so tasty you can forgive them a certain lack of authenticity. You can either enjoy them with all the trimmings, or just with the halloumi for a lower calorie count. The ingredients list is quite long, but they freeze well and are really handy to have on standby for a veggie dinner.

SERVES 4
Calories per serving: 244 with halloumi;
459 with burger bun, halloumi, guacamole and salad
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking time: 20 minutes

1-cal cooking spray
1/2 red onion, peeled and finely chopped 19 cals
4 spring onions, finely sliced 6 cals
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 8 cals
1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 5-10 cals
2 tsp Mexican or Cajun spice mix 10 cals
1 1⁄2 x 400g tins mixed beans, drained and rinsed 360 cals
1 medium egg, beaten 78 cals
50g fresh breadcrumbs 134 cals
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves 10 cals
juice of 1⁄2 lime 6 cals
75g low-fat feta cheese, crumbled 135 cals
80g reduced-fat halloumi cheese 204 cals

OPTIONAL EXTRAS PER BURGER
1 toasted seeded granary burger bun 180 cals per bun
1 tbsp low-fat guacamole 17 cals
10g rocket leaves 2 cals
1 tomato, sliced 16 cals

● Spray a nonstick frying pan with a little 1-cal cooking spray. Add the onion and spring onions, season with salt and pepper and fry over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured.
● Add the garlic, chilli and Cajun spice, then fry for 2-3 minutes. Tip into a bowl, add the beans and roughly mash.
● Leave to cool slightly, then add the egg, breadcrumbs, coriander and lime juice. Season well, then mix to combine. Gently stir in the crumbled feta.
● Wet your hands lightly, then shape the mixture into 4 large patties. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.
● Preheat the grill to medium. Spray a little more cooking spray in a grill-proof frying pan and heat over a medium heat. Add the burgers and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Top each burger with a slice of halloumi, then cook under the grill for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and melted.
● Serve in toasted buns topped with guacamole, rocket leaves and sliced tomato, if desired.

How to freeze
Place the uncooked burgers on a baking sheet lined with nonstick baking paper. Freeze until they are solid, then pack into a freezer-proof plastic container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can cook the burgers from frozen; preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and preheat a baking sheet. Place the burgers on the hot baking sheet and spray with 1-cal cooking spray on both sides. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Preheat the grill to medium. Remove the foil, cover each burger with a slice of cheese and grill for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.




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