I'VE MOVED!

Hello!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for everyone's amazing support of me writing this blog. I've enjoyed writing it so so much and have learnt a lot too. Since doing some work experience in London, I came up a new and even more exciting idea that I hope you will love too. As you know, I'm a student in Bristol and passionate about restaurants and food, so I have decided to set up an online magazine called...

T I M E  T O  B R I S T O L. 

Please visit: www.timetobristol.com 

Twitter: @TimeToBristol

The idea behind the magazine is to create a place that gives Bristolians and visitors, inspiration and ideas about things to try and experience in Bristol and beyond. I find many websites that give advice on things to do and places to visit in Bristol contain too much information and so are extremely time consuming to visit. Time To Bristol is for when time is short and you want to be told of a good place to eat or something fun to do in a short and concise way.  You may not always agree with my advice, but it will be from my personal experience and I shall only give my honest opinion.

If you want focused advice on great restaurants, places to drink and new things to experience in Bristol, then this is the site for you. And what's more, the magazine isn't just limited to Bristol. In the EXPLORE section, I will primarily be looking at places to eat and drink in LONDON.

Time To Bristol will be 80% food based with every café/restaurant hand picked by myself, so that you can visit the very best that Bristol has to offer. The aim is to save you time, trawling through numerous 'average' and 'poor' reviews as these places simply wont make the cut! On every restaurant review there is also a TIME TO eat section so that the indecisive types among you can simply follow my advice! 

I hope you will enjoy reading Time To Bristol and I would love to hear your opinions on the new website. 

Thank you, 

Amelia x

Gym - 10th August

Interval workout:

Treadmill

15 minutes interval running - 3mins speed 10, 2mins speed 13.5 - repeat

5 minute rest

15 minutes interval running again - same as above.

Spinning

35 minute interval spinning - 'hard' level. 20.6K. 

Weights

All 3 sets, 10 reps

- leg press - bicep curls - weighted arm abduction and adductions

Coconut Energy Balls

When I was shopping in Whole Foods Market,  a company called Bounce Energy Balls were promoting their energising balls. I tasted two varieties of their balls and to my surprise, my friend and I didn't enjoy them at all. Although they were flavoursome, they tasted quite dry and were seriously overpriced at £19.45 for a pack of 12 or £1.49 each, which seems ridiculous given their size and not certainly not a price a penniless student will be willing to pay! I wanted to experiment by making my own energy balls. They're simply delicious and because they're homemade you know exactly what you're putting in them. I made them as a sweet, healthy snack or as a pre-workout energy booster. I let my grandmother try one and I've literally had to hide them at the top of the fridge to stop her from scoffing the lot! They really are that good. The best part is that once they've set, you can keep them in the fridge to have whenever you want and they should keep for up to three weeks.

Makes 12 balls

8 medjool dates

1 tbsp of coconut oil 

3 heaped tbsp of desiccated coconut

2 tbsp of chai seeds

2 tbsp of milled flaxseeds

1 tbsp of almond butter (or peanut butter)

1/2 a cup of nut, fruit and seed mix (or almonds/any nutty mix)

Method

- Ensure the medjool dates are pitted.

- First, blend the nut, fruit and seed mix (or almonds) in a food processor for about 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until sticky and smooth.

- Roll up 12 balls, place onto a plate and freeze for 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and store in the fridge. 

Enjoy!

Bone Daddies - Review

My rating out of 5: 5

The best ramen in London. Goodbye Wagamama and hello Bone Daddies. For me, there is always a mental foody benchmark with which other versions are compared.  Burgers are either better or worse than McDonalds. Pizzas are in competition with Pizza Express and the humble sandwich either falls short of or exceeds the Pret Normal. Ramen for me has to exceed the student holy grail named Wagamama, that place where your treated like school children and forced to sit on a long bench packed with strangers. That place where they scribble your order onto your placemat incase you change your mind when it arrives and where "your food could come at different times because it cooks at different speeds." We know food cooks at different speeds, so why not do what most restaurants do and devise ingenious strategies for coping with this small issue?!

Soft Shell Crab with Chilli Ginger Sauce

Thankfully, Bone Daddies has got it all right. It's officially my go-to place with a group of friends when we're walking around Soho and want a guaranteed delicious, fulfilling and all round great place to eat. Situated on 31 St Peter Street, you'll see a black fabric covered entrance which sometimes has a long queue outside, full of hungry diners awaiting their ramen feast. Upon entrance, you're greeted by a friendly, outgoing member of the waiter staff who will see you to your seat straight away. Amongst the loud music, the atmosphere is buzzing with young, enthusiastic people passionate about great food. The attention to detail is fabulous; on the table, you're presented with a white, plastic Bone Daddies bib for the messy pups among us. What makes me laugh every time are the black hair ties presented in a little glass jar, so the ladies can release their inner cavewoman and not worry about getting their hair being covered in the delicious ramen juices. 

First things first, drinks! The drinks menu is fantastic ranging from soft drinks to 'hard' cocktails and 'harder' spirits. I've never been disappointed with the drinks so will recommend the ones I've tried before as I simply can not choose the best. I've had the delicious mango and passionfruit Chuhai 2.0 cocktail (£8.20), the Tokyo Mule which contains rum, yuzu, shochu, ginger beer and bitters (£8.50) and the Prosecco Brut Zonin (£5 a glass) - not all in one sitting mind! But chose what you fancy as you really can't go wrong. I would say not to order the green tea however because at £3, it isn't worth it and you may as well spent another couple of pounds on something more special. 

Let's move onto the starters or so-called 'snacks'. I'm going to recommend three of my favourite snack dishes which are great for sharing. The soft shell crab served with a green chilli ginger sauce (£8.50), the gorgeous tenderstem broccoli with yuzu kosho mayo (£4.50) and finally the sweet spicy pig bones (£8) which is my friends and my personal favourite and can be found on the specials menu on the wall. 

Sweet Spicy Pig Bones

OK, ramen time! Now, I am a massive chicken lover and the first time I came to this ramen bar, I had the Tantanmen 2 which was very delicious, but having tried a couple of the pork dishes, I really do believe they're the ones to get. I am yet to try the seafood Kimchee ramen, but every time I've had the perfectly tender pork it's been fantastic. The noodles are hands down the best I've ever tasted and the flavours are clean and punchy served with an abundance of energy. No matter how many times I've said to my friends 'you'll have to help me finish this,' I always manage to finish it with absolutely no help at all. It's just too good! The only disappointment about this bar is the confusing opening and closing times:

Mon 12pm-3pm & 5.30pm-10pm
Tues & Weds 12pm-3pm & 5.30pm-11pm
Thurs, Fri & Sat 12pm-12am
Sun 12pm-9.30pm

You can understand my confusion when I went with a couple of girl friends on a Monday evening and by 10pm, the lights were on, the bill was on our table and we were given all the signals possible to politely ask us to leave. I guess it's my fault for not looking at the closing times beforehand but either way, the waiting staff were very up beat and happy to have us and a few more diners, even though we overstayed our welcome by 30 minutes (sorry!). All in all, Bone Daddies is a fantastic place to eat. The waiting staff are fun and efficient, the atmosphere it buzzing and the ramen is the best you'll find with a price that won't give you a minor heart attack when the bill arrives to the table. No doubt I'll be back again very soon!

Bone Daddies: 31 Peter St, London W1F 0AR

The Good Life Eatery - Review

My rating out of 5: 4.5

I think it's safe to say that this new healthy eating craze has hit London hard. It's not uncommon to be confronted by a paparazzi shot of a trendy celeb sipping from the straw of an ultra green hulk-like coloured smoothie as they walk to the gym. Just a quick trip to M&S will further this newfound health craze where you can easily grab a bag of salt and pepper kale or vinaigrette and beetroot crisps. Am I complaining? Absolutely not, I love it! Forget about Crocs and UGG boots, this is the best trend that has hit the UK in a very long time.

 Situated on 59 Sloane Avenue, The Good Life Eatery is a little gem bursting full of health and happiness. After walking through the tiny entrance, you're instantly hit by the overwhelming popularity of the place. This little eatery is buzzing with young energy and enthusiasm about all things healthy. Everywhere you look, there are beautiful, young (monied) ladies filling up the limited 25 seats, having their weekly gossip or planning which exotic holiday they intend to experience next. Funnily enough, on the table next to me, there sat a well dressed French male catching up with a slender American lady who (of course) came with her overly spoilt precious pooch which sat quietly beneath the table.

Entering the café, it wasn't clear at all if you're meant to find your own table, order your own food straight away or whether someone is meant to come to you. This was a little confusing at first, but in no way spoilt our overall experience of the eatery. Yet, for future reference, do try and find your own seat, go up to the till and see the menu to order your food and drinks. 

The sense of 'organicness' runs throughout this café. From the earthly wooden entrance sign, to the nutshell interior with exposed brick walls, ricketty wooden tables and metal stools. This organic feel is accomplished terrifically and is only the tip of the iceberg of what this eatery has to offer. Now onto the important bit - the food and drinks.

It serves delicious food which leaves you filling perfectly satisfied, guilt-free and not bloated. The lunch menu is scribbled in a school-like manner on a blackboard behind the counter and consists of a mixture of salads, sandwiches and smaller plates such as avocado chilli toast.  The salad prices range from £10.50-£11.25 and the sandwiches from £7.10-£9.00 (plus a little more £'s for optional 'extra protein.')My friend Annabel and myself wanted to have a protein shake and a lighter dish for lunch and trust me, it was incredibly fulfilling. I had the beautiful sweet potato and dukkah dip (£3.75) with spelt crispbread and Annabel had the avocado chilli (wheat free) toast (£5.50). Both were absolutely delicious, the generous serving of sweet potato dip was seductively smooth with a hint of spice and worked terrifically with the crunchy crispbread pieces. I would have preferred it being served warm rather than fridge cool, but that's just me being picky! Annabel's avocado dish both looked and tasted amazing. The avocado was the perfectly ripe and the eatery was not stingy on its portion sizes.  I recommend that if you visit this eatery, you can not leave without trying one of their raw pressed juices or superfood protein shakes. At £6.55 each, they aren't cheap but they're totally worth it! If you're the tropical type, why not try the Coco Verde or the Pineapple Immunity pressed juice but if you're into the green health kick, the Drink Your Salad looks like the juice to get. However, the crème de la crème was the superfood protein shakes. There are four mouth-watering shakes to choose from and each one is contains 15g of protein powder plus the added protein from the nutritious ingredients. I have listed below the shakes so that you can have an idea of their incredible nutritious qualities.

Incredible Hulk

Sun Warrior Vegan Brown Rice Protein, Wheatgrass, Spirulina, Raw Almonds, Coconut milk, Pineapple, Banana, Madagascar vanilla, Fresh Basil GF/DF

Berry Sunrise

Sun Warrior Vegan Brown Rice Protein, Blackberry, Blueberry, Banana, Almond, Milk, Raw Almonds, Honey GF/DF *high in anti-oxidants*

Choc Norris

Sun Warrior Vegan Brown Rice Protein, Almond/Hazelnut Milk, Avocado, Cacao, Cacao Nibs, Maca Powder, Banana GF/DF

Ninja Turtle

Sun Warrior Vegan Brown Rice Protein, Kale, Spinach, Coriander, Avocado, Cucumber, Ginger, Vanilla, Lime, Almond Milk, Chia Seeds GF/DF/SF

It was not an easy decision, but I had the Choc Norris after a recommendation from a regular standing in the queue. Annabel had the gorgeous Berry Sunrise. Both smoothies were absolutely delicious and really did keep us full throughout the afternoon. When (not if) I go again, I think I'll give the Incredible Hulk a try as that was another recommendation and one of their most popular shakes. 

All in all The Good Life Eatery is a fantastic place to visit for that on-the-go smoothie/juice or a fantastic health kick lunch. The eatery closes at 8pm on weekdays so if you're wanting to visit for dinner, then go at at least 6:30/7 to avoid disappointment. The lack in space and confusion of what to do upon arrival was the only reason for my 0.5 rating drop, but given it's popularity, no doubt it'll be upscaling or have some new larger eateries popping up some time in the near future. I simply can not wait to visit again.

2-in-1 Banana Breakfast

Ever feel like indulging upon a kingly guilt-free breakfast but simply don't have more than 20 minutes until you have to leave before the rush hour traffic or to that 9am lecture? Then this is the breakfast for you. The amazing thing about this breakfast is that you can use the same mixture for both the smoothie and pancakes! There's no need to worry about eating raw eggs in the smoothie because it's egg free and therefore vegan too.

 I love this breakfast because you can eat the pancakes with your friends or the family at the table then put the smoothie in a jam jar or sealed bottle to enjoy on-the-go. It will make all your work collegues or fellow students jealous, guaranteed. I really don't think anyone needs to worry about 'over eating' at breakfast because considering you're eating the right things, it's the only time of the day when you're allowed to eat like a king!

In my recent chai seed pudding post, I raved about the amazing properties of chai seeds, so guess what features in these beautiful breakfast? You guessed it - chai seeds. There is nothing different between the ingredients in the two mixtures apart from a little added dash of milk or water in the smoothie mixture to make it more drinkable. This breakfast truly is delicious and really worth giving a go! 

Makes 4 pancakes & 1 smoothie (serves 1 king) 

1 1/2 frozen bananas 

1/2 cup of rolled oats 

2 dessert spoons of chai seeds 

2 dessert spoons of milled flaxseed 

1/2 cup of water 

2 dessert spoons of natural yoghurt

1 tsp of cinnamon 

4 prunes 

a knob of butter or coconut oil to grease the pan

1 dessert spoon of pure maple syrup (smoothie addition) 

1/4 cup/a dash of water or milk (smoothie addition)

Method 

- Simply put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. 

- For the pancakes, put a large pan over high heat and add the butter or coconut oil to grease the pan. Turn down the temperature to a medium heat and add the mixture to the pan forming 4 pancake shapes using a dessert spoon. You may have to do this in two batches. 

- Flip after 1:30-2 minutes or until the side is golden and cooked. Turn off the heat and layer the pancakes with a fruit if your desired choice and serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt and a sprinkling of cinnamon or chai seeds (or both!). 

- Using the left over mixture, add the extra dash of water and some maple syrup of you have a sweet tooth! If you like your smoothies thick, then don't worry about the water addition. Pour the smoothie mixture into a drinks container of yor choice and sip away!

Enjoy!

Gym - 6th August

So, I've been doing long runs to keep my cardiovascular endurance up for a while now and I think it's about time for a change. I'm starting to incorporate interval training into my workouts. Interval training involves short bursts of intense exercise, with recovery periods in between. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is an extremely effective form of exercise that makes your body work hard and burns calories quick. In fact, researchers at the McMaster University in Canada found that three 20 minute sessions of HIIT a week provided the same benefits as 10 hours of steady exercise over a two week period!

Workout

Interval run: 6.01K - 31:06 minutes - Steady speed 10 for 3 minutes, high speed 14 for 2 minutes. Keep on switching between the two intensities for the workout duration. 

Bike: 6.06K - 16:45 minutes - Resistance setting 15.

Bicep curls: 10kg, 3 sets of 10 reps.

4 minute light jog home and stretch. 

Basic Lemon Infused Sweet Potato Dip

My friend and I recently went to eat at The Good Life Eatery on 59 Sloane Avenue in London for lunch and I had their sweet potato dip. It was obviously so simple to make but tasted absolutely d e v i n e! I wanted to make my own so I've started by making a basic recipe which only requires a few ingredients. I've said it before and I'm not ashamed to say again that I'm completely obsessed with sweet potatoes and I'll choose them over ordinary potatoes any day of the week. This dip is perfect appetizer for dinner parties or a fantastic addition to any healthy lunch or salad.

Sweet potatoes: eating your ABC's as easy as 1,2,3. What on earth is she on about you may ask?! Well, just one cup of sweet potato packs an incredible 769% of your daily needs of vitamin A, along with fantastic doses of vitamins C and B, especially B6. These orange beauties are also a complex carb, which means they take longer to be broken down into glucose into your blood, making them a prolonged energy source that will stabilise your blood sugar levels without you craving highly sugary foods. 

Makes 1 small bowl (as pictured)

1 medium sweet potato

1/2 a fresh lemon

a pinch of salt 

paprika or chilli flakes to serve

chopped coriander to decorate

Method

- Peel then chop the sweet potato into small pieces. Steam for about 15/20 minutes or until really soft so you can mash with a fork. 

- Remove the sweet potatoes from the steamer, add the salt and lemon juice into the sweet potato and mash with a fork or a potato masher until smooth. Put into a presentable bowl and serve warm or cold with a sprinkling of paprika or chilli flakes. 

Quick. Simple. Delicious.

Overnight Chai Seed Pudding & A Little Confession...

I've got a confession to make. I said that everything on this blog will be available from the supermarket.. yes, this is true apart from one tiny weeny ingredient, chai seeds. Until recently, I didn't even know they existed, but I must confess that I try to have them as part of my diet every day now! They are the one superfood I highly recommend you add to your food cabinet ASAP and I will explain to you in 6 bullet points why they're so amazing..

• They're a great source of cell-strengthening omega-3 fatty acids that reduce skin inflammation and protect the skin from sun damage. 
• The omega-3 fatty acids keep your heart healthy, lower blood cholesterol and pressure, which work to reduce your risk of cardiovascular and heart disease. 
• Just two tablespoons of these little gems give you an amazing 10g of fibre which is almost half of your daily dietary requirements. Fibre keeps you feeling fuller for longer and will make you excrete waste of toxins and waste from the body more often. 
• Chai seeds ability to keep you feeling full and to stop unhealthy cravings is possible because they can absorb up to 10 times their weight in liquid once eaten, which is incredible!
• Chai seeds are a complete protein. So what is a 'complete protein?' It's a source of protein that contains all of the nine essential amino acids necessary for our dietary needs. 
• B E Y O N C É eats chai seed puddings…need I say more?

They also reduce depression levels, improve cognitive function and promote healthy skin, hair and nails making you happier, smarter and prettier - simply marvellous.  If that can't tempt you to get these bad boys then nothing will! They're not overly expensive as I bought 450g of the unprocessed seeds  from Whole Foods Market on Kensington High Street for £9.99 and I'm sure that if you hunt around online, you'll find them for cheaper.

I mentioned above that they can absorb up to 10 times their weight in liquid once eaten. Therefore, when you put them in water or milk, they expand to form a gel-like texture. I have to admit, when I made this recipe for the first time, I thought it looked a little like frogs spawn. Sorry, I probably am making it sound really unappetising BUT I'm just being honest with you. Regardless of its bazaar look, it's extremely good and the perfect way to add chai seeds to your diet.

This recipe is arguably the simplest breakfast or pudding to make in the world. It's nothing more than chai seeds, milk, banana, cinnamon, vanilla extract and (optional) oats all mixed up. 

Serves 1 

3 dessert spoons of chai seeds

1 ripe banana

1 dessert spoon of oats (optional)

1 level teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of milk (normal, almond, coconut)

1/4 cup of water

Toppings

Fresh fruit - banana, blueberries, strawberries

Cinnamon

Yoghurt

Desiccated coconut

Maple Syrup

Pistachios 

Method

- Mash up the banana with a fork in a medium sized breakfast bowl. Stir in all of the other ingredients, cover with cling film and leave in the refrigerator over night or for at least 4 hours. 

- Apply desired toppings and enjoy!

Blueberry & Cinnamon Smoothie

This thick, creamy smoothie is fulfilling, satisfying and energising so therefore the perfect way to start the day. In about 5 minutes you will have a cup full of delicious goodness ready to sip on-the-go or to enjoy sat with your feet up reading The Sunday Telegraph. It really is that quick to make and will fill you up better than any bland bowl of plain porridge. All the ingredients I use should be available in your local supermarket as that's where I found mine, so there's no need to go to the local overpriced health shop. This smoothie is packed with goodness from the banana and blueberries. Blueberries are in fact the best foods to eat for good skin due to their high number of anti-oxidants! This smoothie contains no milk as I used my favourite alpro soya yoghurt and water instead. Surprisingly, I found that although I used water, the beautiful thick, creamy texture wasn't effected due to the natural sweetness of banana and the thickness of the oats. If you prefer your smoothies being slightly sweeter than this one, I recommend you either add 2 medjool dates or one dessert spoon of pure maple syrup. Ingredients to hand, blender at the ready, let's go!

Makes 1 large glass or 2 medium glasses

1 sliced frozen banana

2 oz. (about 1 handful) of blueberries 

3 dessert spoons of milled flaxseed

2 dessert spoons of fat free natural yoghurt

1 dessert spoon of cinnamon (I love cinnamon so put lots in!)

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of organic oats

2 medjool dates or 1 dessert spoon of pure maple syrup (optional)

Method

- Simply blend all the ingredients together until smooth. If you prefer your smoothies a little runnier, just add a dash of milk or water! 

Have a beautiful day.

Crispy Polenta Chicken with Sweet Potato Mash

Chicken is one of my favourite meats, and after the success of the crispy polenta chicken in my the caesar salad, I just had to make it again. I wanted to make a delicious post-workout meal that would satisfy my hunger cravings and be healthy and nutritious. This meal combines all of my favourite ingredients that I'm loving at the moment. It's full of incredibly nourishing ingredients that work together to boost your health. The creamy, smooth sweet potato mash blends perfectly with the steamed kale and courgettes. They all perfectly combine together to compliment the succulent chicken with a delicious polenta coated crispy outer that has a fantastic paprika kick. 

Serves 4 

4 organic chicken breasts

1 1/2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & diced

dash of milk

4 handfuls of kale

1 courgette, sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp of polenta 

2 tsp paprika 

salt & pepper

2 spring onions

Method

- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Boil a full kettle and cover the sweet potatoes with boiling water in a large pan.  Leave for about 7 minutes, then add the kale on top to steam. 

- Whilst the sweet potatoes are cooking, cover the chicken breast in the polenta and paprika and season well. You should add the kale to steam about now. Put the chicken into a frying pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil, turning after 4-5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. 

- After you've turned the chicken, add the sliced courgettes to the kale and steam until the chicken is cooked. Take off the heat.

- Strain the sweet potatoes, add a dash of milk, season well and mash until smooth. Then add a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning to the kale and courgettes. Slice the spring onions. Put the mash, courgette & kale mix and spring onions onto a plate then add the chicken on top to serve. 

Top tip: To ensure the chicken is cooked properly, pierce a hole into the thickest part of one of the breasts and make sure it's white all the way through and any juices run clear. 

Enjoy!

Gym - 2nd August

Workout

1hr bike - resistance 15 - 20km (av. heart rate, 136bmp)

20 minute treadmill run - 3.68km (av. heart rate, 158bpm)

Weights

Bicep curls - 10kg - 3 sets, 12 reps

Deltoid abduction - 20lbs - 3 sets, 10 reps

Bench press - the bar - 3 sets, 10 reps

Blueberry Pancakes

I think it's fair to say that I am a huge pancake lover. They are the perfect weekend guilt-free treat that will keep you going throughout the morning. I've been wanting to make blueberry pancakes for a while now, but every time I buy them, they're the first item I pick out of the shopping bag to snack on and before I know it, they're all gone. This week, I resisted the temptation and was able to make these little pancake beauties.  Blueberries  have one of the highest antioxidant levels of any food on the planet which are essential for good health and supporting your nervous system. They also have a low glycaemic index (G.I), which helps to maintain balanced blood sugar levels. They've also been proven to lower fat levels and just one serving contains 25% of your daily required vitamin C intake. 

The blend of the bananas with the oats and flax makes each pancake deliciously thick and squishy in the middle. Every now and then you'll get a blueberry explode with its juicy goodness in your mouth that combines beautifully with the warm cinnamon and the sweet maple syrup. They're quick and super easy to make and topped with a generous dollop of natural yoghurt, they'll be devoured in minutes.

Makes 1 batch of 5 pancakes

1/2 cup of organic oats

2 heaped dessert spoons of milled flaxseed

1 ripe banana

1 handful of blueberries

1/4 cup water 

1/4 cup milk 

1 dessert spoon of pure maple syrup 

1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon

small knob of butter (or coconut oil) for frying

Toppings

Natural yoghurt (I like alpro soya) 

Handful of blueberries

Pure maple syrup

Sliced strawberries

Sliced Banana

Method 

- Put all the ingredients apart from the blueberries into a blender and blend until smooth.

- Once the mixture is smooth, stir in the blueberries. The mixture should turn out thick, not too runny. Add a dash of water if it's too thick. 

- Place a large saucepan onto the heath for a minute of two until really hot then grease with the butter. 

- Then place 5 heaped dessert spoons of the mix into the pan in pancake shapes, using the spoon to shape them. After about a minute, check the bottom of the pancake, if it has turned brown, flip it over and allow the other side to cook for another minute. If your pan isn't large enough to do them all at once, just cook them separately.

- Stack the pancakes with some blueberries in between each layer.

Have a wonderful day!

Salmon with Summer Veg

Delicious simplicity. This salmon dish is just about as healthy as you're going to get and what's better, it only takes 15 minutes to make. I'm obsessed with kale and courgettes at the moment. I've had them nearly every day this week because they go so well together and are also quick to make as you can steam them together to save time. In my steamy salad recipe, I talked about the amazing health benefits of kale and it really does blow me away! It contains more iron than beef and more calcium than milk per calorie. Just one cup of kale gives more than 1,000% of your daily intake of vitamin K which supports good blood regulation. It also contains nearly four times your recommended intake of vitamin A and 100% of your vitamin C that together support bone and skin health and strengthen the immune system. Courgettes are also super healthy too! Not only are they low in calories, but they're rich in nutrients like magnesium and potassium which help to normalise blood pressure. The vitamin C content along with carotenoids stops the oxidation of bad cholesterol in the blood, thus preventing the occurrence of strokes and heart attacks. This is quick and cheap to make with a high nutritional value, so really is the perfect student meal to make. 

Serves 2

2 salmon fillets

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 pepper

1/2 tin chopped tomatoes

1 spring onion, finely chopped

2 handfuls of kale

1/2 a large courgette, sliced

1/2 onion, diced

salt & pepper to taste

Method

- Put a large frying pan on over a high heat and add the olive oil and the diced onion and fry for 6 minutes. 

- Put a pan on half filled with water and bring to the boil. Steam the kale for 5 minutes then add the sliced courgettes and steam for a further 3 minutes.

- Add the sliced pepper to the onions and fry for 3 minutes. Season the salmon and add to the same frying pan and fry for 2 minutes each side or until a pale pink throughout with a golden, crisp outer. Once the salmon is cooked remove from the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes and seasoning to the frying pan and stir for a couple of minutes until the tomato starts to boil. Then add the salmon again.

- Put the tomato sauce onto a plate then add the courgette and kale on top (as above) and season well. Place the salmon on top and scatter the chopped spring onions over the salmon. Drizzle with olive oil and enjoy!