Actor, broadcaster and winner of Strictly Come Dancing Ore Oduba admits “I am a big foodie, in fact at one time eating was my hobby”.

But a year ago all changed when Ore took on a new healthier eating regime “I was touring with the musical Pretty Woman and I kept getting minor injuries. So I decided to look at my fitness and get stronger and healthier.”

To achieve this Ore read up about various health choices and decided to alter his diet to get stronger.

“I stopped having sugar regularly and now just have it occasionally along with honey. I gave up processed foods and don’t eat much red meat.”

“My diet now includes lots of protein and anything that is green I just hoover up and guess what I feel massively stronger”
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Ore loves to cook and regards it as ‘therapeutic’ and ‘relaxing’.

“I feel at home and relaxed when I am in the kitchen – I even put music on. I am well organised when cooking and always wash up as I go along”

His love and fascination with cooking goes right back to his childhood.
“I used to love to watch programmes about cooking on T.V. especially those with the celebrity chefs like Lloyd Grossman.

Ore started cooking for himself when he went to University. “Before I went I asked my mum for a couple of recipes. She gave me one for the staple African dish of Jollof Rice with tomatoes and spices”.

“I also asked for her recipe for lasagne as she makes the best lasagne ever and I wanted to replicate it and that was the start of me developing my love of cookery and the skills”.

Ore loves all kinds of foods but mention Bakewell Tart and he admits it makes’ him cry’.

“It was one of the regular sweets at primary school. I used to sprint to the canteen to make sure I got some before it ran out. I still have the vision of the jam running through the middle of the cake”.

In fact the humble Bakewell Tart was the highlight of his most memorable meal ever.
“I was doing Celebrity SAS on Channel 4 and it was one hundred per cent harder than you could ever imagine. Every night you go to bed cold, wet and miserable and you are served a kind of gruel with boiled cabbage and potatoes.

“As time progresses you become more exhausted but the food gets better. In the last episode there is an escape and evade section where you have to try to outrun your captor. The night before this you are given a sort of last supper meal. This consisted of a roast dinner and the dessert was Bakewell Tart. I was overwhelmed. I cried as I ate it I was so overcome with emotion it brought all my childhood memories of the sweet back again.”

Ore is on tour at the moment with the new stage adaptation of Peter James best selling thriller Picture You dead.

With a different venue every week touring requires lots of stamina and takes a lot of energy.

To keep his energy levels up Ore starts his day with a brunch of three scrambled eggs on multigrain toast with avocado and smoked salmon. “It’s protein, with omega and green energy.

For his next meal he makes a roast chicken salad. “ I use chicken thighs and add sweet corn for flavour plus grain, nuts, sultanas, tomatoes, avocado and dressing. I lay it all out on a very large plate and it really looks massive”.

Post show Ore will tuck into some fruit and “it has to be a Jazz Apple my number one choice in fruit. They are a cross between a Braeburn and Royal Gala and are crisp and tart.“

Sticky Soy Pork Belly

Ingredients:
Serves 4
1 Onion
2 Spring Onions
3 cm Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic
500 g Pork Belly
1 L Water
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
3 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Bulbs Pak Choi
To serve Rice Olive Oil
Step 1. Slice your onions, spring onions, ginger and garlic. Cut the pork belly into roughly 1-inch cubes.
Step 2.
Bring 1 litre of water to a boil. Once it’s simmering, add the pork, spring onion, onion, ginger, and garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the pork and aromatics from the pan and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.
Step 3.
Clean and dry the pot, then return it to high heat and add the olive oil. Return the pork to the pan and cook until browned. The oil may pop and splatter, so be careful.
Step 4.
Add the brown sugar, then reduce the heat to low. Stir continuously until the sugar has melted and the pork is evenly coated in a sticky caramel. Immediately add the soy sauces and rice wine, stirring continuously for about 10 minutes more, or until the liquid has reduced to a thick glaze.
Step 5.
Add the remaining 250ml of water. Stir and simmer for about 45 minutes. Make sure the mixture is at a low simmer, not boiling. Stir every 10 minutes or so, adding more water if the pot is getting dry.
Step 6.
Meanwhile, cut the end off the pak choi to separate your leaves. Steam pak choi for 5-6 minutes so the leaves are wilted but the stalk retains its crunch.
Step 7.
Lift the lid off the pork - the sauce should coat the pork in a very thick glaze. If it is too runny, continue to stir, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced and thickened.
Step 8.
Serve pork immediately over a bowl of rice and sprinkle with spring onions. Lay your pak choi leaves on the side and eat up.

Picture You Dead is at The Alhambra Theatre Bradford 8-12 July

Read Sarah crown's review when Picture you Dead was at Sheffield Picture You Dead