Guest Interview: Madeleine Butler + Cauliflower Couscous Recipe

I am so excited to present to you all my first ever gorgeous guest, Madeleine Butler.
I have been fortunate enough to be close friends with Maddy since birth. Some of my fondest childhood memories include Maddy and I cooking meals together and talking about how we were going to start up a café called the M&M café, when we were older.
One thing I always loved about Maddy was that she knew from a very young age that she wanted to be an actor, writer and director and she never let anything get in the way of pursuing that dream. Not even being diagnosed with type one diabetes, which (despite what she may say) she handles tremendously.
Maddy has just released a web series called In Transit which she co-wrote and acted in (I also got to play a small role) and I know it is just the first of many wonderful projects to come. Check out the In Transit website here.

So here is a little bit more about Maddy along with an amazing cauliflower couscous recipe which I cannot wait to try!

So tell us a little bit about yourself, who you are, what are you passionate about?
I’m a writer/actor. Although most of the time I complain about writing, I couldn’t live without it! I’ve also always been passionate about what I perceive to be important issues and lately my main concern has become climate change.

How do you manage your meals when you are eating out, on set or travelling?
Good question… how about: I don’t! It’s pretty difficult and often, when on set or travelling, I take my own meals. When eating out I try to stick to foods that I’m familiar with, so I have more of an idea how to manage the meal. Sometimes, though, I just like to be adventurous and eat something different, but often I pay the price!

I imagine co-writing a web series and acting in it can get quite stressful, what do you do to help yourself relax?
Exercise always helps. I skip rope three times a week, for 30 minutes and that always calms me. Sometimes I try to look at the bigger picture to put things into perspective, reminding myself that whatever’s happening is not the end of the world. I think I need to improve that technique though, and use it more often!

What advice do you wish had been given to you when you were first diagnosed with Diabetes?
To trust myself and not be too hard on myself – it’s incredibly difficult to live with and everyday is a challenge.

What is (one of) your favourite:
Movies: The Court Jester
Books: The Book Thief
Blogs: HuffPost Green
Foods: Pumpkin

What is the recipe you would like to share today?

Cauliflower Couscous with Pumpkin and Goats Cheese

In a bid to avoid the bloodsugar spikes that couscous sometimes gives me, I took to this recipe which replaces the couscous with grated cauliflower. Inspired by Jules’s recipe from Stonesoup, this simple recipe contains some of my favourite ingredients and can be tweaked here and there to fit your preferences.

Ingredients

½ head cauliflower
A large chunk of pumpkin
1-2 brown onions
Goats cheese
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
White wine vinegar
Chilli flakes
Herbs

Method

1. Cut the pumpkin into 2-3cm pieces and roast in the oven at 180°C.

2. Chop up your onion and throw it into a non-stick frypan.

3. Grate the cauliflower using the large hole shredder side of a grater. When the onion is soft, add the cauliflower and stir it around every few minutes. The duration depends on your taste, I like the cauliflower still quite raw, so I leave it in for about 10 minutes. (There’s a lot of cauliflower, so it can take some time to all cook through.)

4. Once ready, place the cauliflower and onion in a large bowl. Cut up the goats cheese and stir it through. It will melt into the dish, leaving a lovely creamy taste.

5. When the pumpkin is cooked, add it to the bowl and mix. Pour over the lemon juice and a few dashes of the vinegar. Sprinkle over some chilli flakes and herbs (fresh herbs such as basil are best if possible).