Steamy Salad

I love a good salad. It fills you up the perfect amount without leaving you feeling stuffed and sleepy. Salads don't always have to be cold and consist of a handful lettuce leaves. There's nothing more annoying for me when I order a salad in a restaurant and all I get is a bowl full of salad, a few tomatoes, shredded chicken and croutons. Worst of all, it can set you back about £8 and really does not seem worth it when you can make something much more fulfilling and delicious at home. 

This steamy salad is quite literally completely steamed! It takes no longer than 15 minutes to make and it is so delicious simply served with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. This salad is super healthy and packed with health benefits. Best of all, it contains two of my favourite ingredients: sweet potato and avocado. Absolute heaven. Sweet Potatoes are packed with vitamin A, which is essential for strengthening your bodies immunity against infection. By adding the extra virgin olive oil and avocado to the sweet potato, you can get the full health benefits of the antioxidant beta-carotene. I've talked a lot about avocados but they're one of the healthiest foods on the planet containing in excess of 25 nutrients.  Kale leaves are genuinely the kings of nutrition. Did you know it contains more iron than beef and more calcium than milk per calorie?! But it doesn't stop there. 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. I could go on and on, but I wont. It's just amazing and one of the most underrated vegetables on our supermarket shelves today. 

Serves 2 

1 large sweet potato

2 large tomatoes 

1 spring onion

1/2 avocado

1 handfuls of kale

1/2 courgette 

1-2 tsp paprika (to taste)

salt & pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Method 

- Put a large pan of water onto boil then simmer over a medium-low heat. Peel and chop up the sweet potato into medium sized chunks. Steam the sweet potatoes for 7 minutes. Add the kale to the sweet potatoes and steam for a further 4 minutes. Slice the courgette and add to the kale and sweet potatoes steaming further two minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the paprika. 

- Slice the tomatoes, spring onion and avocado. Once the courgette is soft and ready, remove the pan from the heat. Add the tomatoes and spring onion and gently mix in. 

- To serve, add the sliced avocado and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Top tip: Add some feta cheese for added flavour. 

Enjoy! 

Gym - 29th July

I'm now a member of a new gym and it is so good! It's full of enthusiastic people who are highly motivated which has created a really great atmosphere to workout in.

Workout

3K erg (rowing machine)

5.1K run (30 minutes)

11K spinning (20 minutes)

Rainbow Salad

I had absolutely no problem naming this salad, it really is a veggie rainbow of pure deliciousness. The array of beautiful colours not only makes it visually appealing, but it tastes amazing too. You can make this salad with whatever vegetables you happen to have in your fridge - the fresher the better! My homemade paprika hummus really adds to this salad another level of awesomeness. It certainly is a salad that will impress. You can serve it on its own for a healthy light lunch, or as a side to a meaty dish of your choice. It's not often a simple salad can be such a show stopper on a table of amazing foods. The health packed spring onion and red pepper quinoa combines beautifully with the crunchy carrots, creamy avocado, sun-kissed tomatoes and the punchy paprika hummus. I really couldn't recommend this more. It's bursting full of a diverse range of vitamins and minerals that will keep you glowing with health and happiness all day. 

Makes a large bowl (serves 4-5)

2 large carrots (peeled)

3 spring onions

3 jarred roasted red peppers or 1 fresh red pepper

1 ripe avocado

1 iceberg lettuce 

1/2 a large pomegranate 

the best paprika hummus

200g of quinoa

3 cups of water

salt to taste

Method

- Add the 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt to the quinoa in a pan and bring to boil. Then simmer over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 chopped spring onion and 1 sliced roasted red pepper (or 1/4 of a deseeded fresh red pepper) to the quinoa. Then let it simmer for a further 2 minutes. Add a little more water if quinoa has boiled dry.

- Slice the avocado, remaining pepper(s), lettuce, carrots, spring onions and place in the bowl. Add the quinoa once cooked. Place on top a large dollop of the hummus and scatter the pomegranate seeds over the salad to serve.

Enjoy! 

Coconut & Lemon Cake

Oh my gosh, this is just too good. It is the perfect cake to bring along to a summer afternoon tea party and is a fantastic change from the traditional Victoria sponge cake. The tropical blend of the coconut is enhanced by the tangy lemon which gives it a beautiful summery kick. Now I've spoken to people who've said that they either 'can't bake' or that that they haven't tried as it seems 'too difficult.' However, there really isn't anything to be scared of when baking a cake! For this recipe especially, all you have to do is put all the ingredients into a bowl, mix them up, pour into the tins and put them into the oven. Job done! There's nothing challenging and considering you follow the recipe correctly, you really can't go wrong. Let's bake! 

I'm dedicating this cake to my Grandpop, Ronald Jones. It was his 90th Birthday today (28/7/2014) and I made this cake for him to celebrate his special day. Although he wasn't able to eat the cake, he could eat some of the icing which he said 'that's really good icing that.' In the picture below he his holding the painting I did of him to celebrate his amazing life. 

Ingredients

2 lemons

60g desiccated coconut 

175g (6 oz) self raising flour

175g (6 oz) caster sugar 

175g (6 oz) unsalted butter (at room temperature)

3 large eggs

1 tsp of baking powder

1x 50g sachet of Patak's Creamed Coconut Sachet or 2 tbsp of dried coconut milk powder

Icing 

150g icing sugar

50g desiccated coconut

1 large lemon (or 2 small)

2-3 tbsp of lemon and lime marmalade or apricot jam

Method 

- Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3, 170C, 325F. Prepare two 8 inch (20cm) round sponge tins 1 1/2 inches (4cm) deep, greased with butter and the bases lined with silicone paper (parchment). 

- Put all the ingredients into a bowl including the juice and zest of the two lemons and mix until a smooth paste. 

- Divide the mixture into the two tins and place into the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the centres feel springy to touch. Take the cakes out of the oven and allow to cool in their tins for 5 minutes. Then turn out onto a wire rack, removing base the papers to cool completely. The cake must be completely cool before the icing goes on. 

- Grate the zest of the lemon(s). For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add the coconut and juice of 1 lemon. Stir until silky smooth. If the icing is too thick, add a dash of water or some more lemon juice. Once the cake is completely cool, fill the cake with the lemon and lime marmalade. Pop the other half of the cake on top of the marmalade and smooth over the icing with a hot knife. Sprinkle the lemon zest on top.

Enjoy!

The Ultimate Banana & Chai Seed Pancakes

OK, so I've been wanting to post 'the ultimate' breakfast pancake for a while now and I think this is it! I decided upon three key ingredients that are essential to make 'the ultimate' breakfast pancake. These include: oats, bananas and chai seeds. They also had to have the same consistency as the traditional American pancakes which are perfectly thick, warm and squidgy in the middle. Finally, they needed to be very quick and easy to make but also delicious and fulfilling. These banana and chai seed pancakes certainly hit the nail on the head. 

The blend of the rolled oats with the soft almonds and sweet banana creates that thick, squishy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The alluring runny honey or pure maple syrup gives them the added sweetness it needs to make you keep on coming back for more. Topped with a generous dollop of natural yoghurt, fresh strawberries, cinnamon and goji berries, it really does make these pancakes the ultimate breakfast treat. The reason I love these pancakes is not only because they're scrumptious, but they're also super healthy. 

Chai Seeds are a super food which are the perfect addition to any diet. They are in fact the highest plant based source of omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential for a healthy heart, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and reducing your risk to cardiovascular and heart disease. They're a great source of fibre, and release their energy slowly which will keep you feeling full. Their ability to keep you feeling full is heightened by the fact that they can absorb up to ten times their weight in liquid, once eaten. Finally, they are fantastic sources of protein and minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc which are essential for a healthy body. 

Bananas are a great source of energy, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Did you know that just one banana supplies 35% of  your daily vitamin B-6 requirement that is essential for the production of new cells?!

The humble Goji Berry is a nutritional powerhouse. They are unique amongst many other fruits because they contain all essential amino acids and boast the highest concentration of protein of any fruit. They're also loaded with vitamin C, have twenty-one trace minerals, are high in fibre and contain more carotenoids than any other food. If you thought that was impressive, check out their iron content! They contain fifteen times the amount of iron found in spinach, as well as zinc, calcium, selenium and many other important trace minerals. 

The oats and almonds are perfectly fulfilling so that you really can't eat one hundred - although you may want to considering how good they taste! 

Cinnamon has proved effects on lowering blood sugar levels and therefore a great addition to many breakfasts for people with type 2 diabetes as it improves the cells abilities to respond to insulin.

Every ingredient in these pancakes has some sort of nutritional benefit, so you can indulge on these banana beauties without worrying about the consequences.

Makes 2 batches of 5 pancakes:

2 bananas
1 cup of oats 
2/3 of a cup of ground almonds
1 cup of water
1/4 of a cup of ground flaxseed
2 dessert spoons of pure maple syrup or runny honey
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp of chai seeds
a pinch of salt 
a knob of butter or coconut oil for frying

Toppings

1 handful of goji berries
2 tbsp of natural yoghurt
a handful of strawberries
drizzle of pure maple syrup
1 banana, chopped 
2 tsp cinnamon
a handful of blueberries

Method

- Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. The mixture should turn out thick, not too runny. 

- Put a large pan on a low-medium heat, grease with some of the butter and to a trial run with a teaspoon of the mixture to check the heat isn't too hot!

- Then place 5 heaped dessert spoons of the mix into the pan in pancake shapes, using the spoon to shape them (you should have used half the mixture by now). 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. Then remove the first batch of pancakes, add another knob of butter then start on batch el numero dos!

- To serve, put the sliced banana in-between each pancake layer and add the toppings. 

Have a beautiful day!

Gym - 26th July

Workout

45min Run

I started at a steady pace (speed 9.5) for about 20 minutes then upped the speed to 10 for 10 minutes, 10.5 for 10 minutes then sprinted for the final 5minutes (getting to speed 15.4). 

The run totalled 7.52k

25 min Bike 

I set it at resistance 15 for 15 minutes. R16 for 5mins and R17 for 5 minutes. 

Total distance: 7.27k 

Weights

Leg press: 250lbs - 10 reps, 3 sets 

Chest press: 170lbs - 10 reps, 3 sets

Poached Apricots

For me, these beautifully golden orange coloured fruits truly mark the start of summer. Walking into the supermarket or visiting the local market, I can't help but pick up a punnet of the golden orange delights, encasing a smooth and sweet flesh within their velvety outer body. I love them because they're so delicious and can provide numerous health benefits. They're also rich in many plant antioxidants and are extremely low in calories. Unfortunately, I haven't seen many recipes take advantage of these gorgeous fruits. They're great in a crumble or a tarte tatin, but I think they're delicious poached and served with some natural yoghurt for pudding or granola at breakfast. They're perfectly sweet and unbelieveably quick and simple to make. 

Makes 1 large bowl

640g of apricots (I used 2 punnets)

200ml of water 

1 dessert spoon of vanilla extract 

2 tbsp caster sugar or runny honey

Method

- De-stone the apricots by chopping them into halves. 

- Put the apricots, water, vanilla extract and caster sugar into a large pan and leave to simmer over a medium-low heat with the lid on for 8-10 minutes. 

- Put into a large serving bowl. Either serve hot or cover with cling film and put into the fridge once cooled. 

Top tip: If you want to make the apricots slightly 'posher,' add a small splash of Cointreau, the beautiful orange-flavoured liqueur whilst the apricots are simmering and serve with good quality vanilla ice cream. 

Enjoy!

The Best Paprika Hummus

My love for hummus is quite uncontrollable. I may go as far to say that I'm obsessed. It's the ultimate snacking saviour coupled with a crispy carrot or a warm wholemeal pitta. My friends and I discovered the ultimate pitta at our university gym. It consists of falafel, fresh rocket, cherry tomatoes and a overly generous dollop of hummus hidden at the bottom of the wholesome wholemeal pitta. It is simply the best. This pitta does come at a price though, so it's only ever a special treat after a morning of training and lectures. I've since decided to become more self-sufficient and tried making some hummus for myself. This paprika hummus really is the best. I absolutely adore the beautiful blend of the spicy cumin, punchy paprika, tangy lemon, sweet basil leaves and creamy tahini blended with chickpeas, olive oil and water until superbly smooth. As much as I love plain hummus, I think the punchy paprika kick just gives it the edge. 

Making your own hummus is not only a lot cheaper than going to your local supermarket, but it's a lot healthier too. Shop bought hummus is full of funny additives, vegetable oils and a few preservatives. Another great thing about hummus is that it's mainly made out of chickpeas, which are a great vegetarian protein meaning you'll get a lot of energy from it. It's also packed full of fibre which is essential for a healthy, efficient digestive system. Fibre is fantastic because it distends your stomach, making you feel fuller for longer. Why not try treating it as a creamy dressing to enjoy with my avocado chorizo and quinoa summer salad.

Makes 1 bowl

1 cup or 1 400g tin of soaked chickpeas

2.5 tablespoons of olive oil 

2 tablespoons of water

6 basil leaves

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon of tahini

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

2 teaspoons of paprika (to taste)

2 generous pinches of salt

Method

- It's so simple! Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge. 

Enjoy!

Summer Spaghetti with Anchovies & Capers

I was shocked to read that in the UK, adult obesity levels have almost quadrupled in the last twenty five years. One excuse we've heard time and time again is that healthy foods are much more expensive than unhealthy foods. This excuse is completely wrong. You can make healthy meals as cheap as you want them to be! This summer spaghetti is a fantastic example of how you can eat healthy for less. I calculated that this delicious and nutritious meal pictured above costs £1.16 to make and if you have a very large appetite, £2.32. A singular Big Mac from McDonalds would set you back £2.59, not to mention the 24g of fat and 2.1g of salt. I know what I would rather have. I believe the real reason people would opt for the Big Mac is because of it's convenience. If you want to be healthy, it's as simple as having a positive attitude about healthy food and not being lazy. Meals like this take no more then 15 minutes to make and are a million times better for our waistlines. Now I know that my opinion is never going to solve the UK's obesity problems, but I'm just trying to put across my point that healthy eating is not expensive, just requires a tiny little bit more time and effort. 

Anchovies have many nutritional benefits. They're bursting full of vitamin A, which is essential for bone growth, reproduction and cell division. They're also a rich source of vitamin C, that vitamin we're all told about when we're younger that's important for the development of strong bones and teeth. 

Capers are also a great low calorie addition to a meal or dish. They're bursting with flavour and also give this dish a modest nutritional boost with no added fat. 

Serves 2

1 tin chopped tomatoes 

10 anchovy fillets

2 dessert spoons of drained capers

pepper to taste

150g wholeweat spaghetti

Method

- Put the spaghetti into a pan of boiling water and leave the pasta to simmer for 8-10 minutes. 

- Put the chopped tomatoes, pepper, anchovies and capers into a separate pan. Leave to simmer over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

- Drain the pasta and stir into the tomato sauce. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Banana & Chai Seed Smoothie

Before you go to bed tonight I would like you to do one thing: peel and chop up a banana then put it in the freezer. Thank you! You will thank me in the morning, I promise. 

This banana and chai seed smoothie is possibly the most fulfilling smoothie I've ever made! This is because of the clever chai seeds which expand by up to twelve times when eaten. They truly are the perfect addition to stop those oh-so familiar elevenses cravings. It's heavenly creamy, thick, sweet and nutritious. Everything I like about a good smoothie. By freezing the banana chunks the night before, not only does it save you preparation time in the morning but it makes the smoothie wonderfully chilled. It takes literally minutes to make, there's minimal washing up and simply better than any breakfast cereal that you'll ever taste. Let's go! 

Makes one glass 

1 banana

1 dessert spoon of chai seeds

1/4 cup of water

1/4 cup of (oatly) milk

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 cup of organic oats

Method

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

Enjoy

Coriander & Chilli Sweet Potato Cakes

You probably know by now about my worrying obsession with fishcakes, I really do love them. I spent the day craving my fishy fishcakes but there was one tiny problem; I had no fish. Therefore I had to find an alternative way to fulfil my bazaar cravings. This was perfect opportunity to make use one of my favourite orange foods, the sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are packed full of vitamin A which is essential for strengthening your bodies immunity against infection. They also help regulate blood sugar levels and are jam-packed full of fibre, with nearly seven grams per serving - twice the amount of normal potatoes! Not only are they super healthy, but they're wonderfully tasty too. They have a delicious creamy texture and a sweet-spicy flavour which makes them the perfect component to a savoury dish. 

These sweet potato cakes are the perfect replacement to that fishcake craving, with the same mouth-watering crispy outer and squishy inner of my fishy fishcakes. To all you meat eaters out there that scowl at the sight of this vegan dish - stop right there! The chilli kick combined with a good seasoning completely transforms these sweet potatoes and stops you from missing any meat on your plate. Trust me, I'm a meat lover but would have them every day of the week if I could. The crushed coriander seeds and tomato puree brings the cakes to the next level. I like to enjoy these squishy orange delights on a bed of homegrown salad with juicy tomatoes and sliced avocado.

Makes 2 cakes

2 sweet potatoes

1 tsp hot chilli powder

juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 dessert spoons tomato puree

1 tablespoon quinoa flour (or wholemeal flour/ brown rice flour/buckweat)

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil

Method

- Preheat oven to 200C/ Gas mark 6

- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into equal sized chunks. Steam the chunks for about 10-15 minutes or until they're soft and easily pierced with a fork. 

- In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes with a fork until they're nearly smooth but still a bit lumpy. Grind the coriander seeds with a pestle and mortar. Stir in the crushed coriander, chilli powder, seasoning, juice of 1 lemon and tomato puree. 

- Mould the mixture into 2 even sized cakes. 

- To ensure a crispy outer, dust the cakes with flour, place in a baking tray and cook for about 7 minutes at 200C. Then place them flour side down in a frying pan over a high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Leave for about 5-7 minutes or until brown and crisp. Do the same with the other side and flip the cakes over until brown and crisp. 

Serve on a bed of fresh salad and enjoy!

Gym - 24th July

This morning I watched the Commonwealth Games and saw England's Jodie Stimpson take the triathlon gold. It is an event which involves a 1,500m swim, 40km cycle, 10km run, a hell of a lot of endurance and will power. It was such a remarkable achievement and motivated me to challenge myself in the gym. I did this by starting my workout with a steady 10km run. 

Workout:

10km run

- 16 minutes speed setting 9.5, 14 minutes speed 10.0, 15 minutes speed 10.5, 15 minutes speed 11.

- 1km sprints

Weights 

Chest press: 70lbs - 3 sets, 10 reps 

Row: 70.15lb - 3 sets, 10 reps 

Leg press: 250lbs - 3 sets, 10 reps

Bike (4.04km)

Duration: 14 minutes

Resistance setting: 17

Savoury Pancakes with Avocado & Feta

Like a dog isn't just for Christmas, a pancake isn't just for pancake day. It was one of those days, when you look into the fridge and get that despaired feeling - how on earth am I going to make dinner with any of this? I always have plenty of eggs from my chickens and in the fridge I managed to find an avocado, one spring onion, some feta and a pint of milk. Great, so now what -  Scrambled egg? Omelette? In the larder, I found two more ingredients: flour and a large pot of sun dried tomatoes. Hey presto, savoury pancakes it is!

Savoury pancakes really are the ultimate dish to make when you look into an empty fridge or you simply just want to use up that last knob of cheese or that sad-looking spring onion. They're so fantastically simple and quick to make and best of all, they're so delicious. You can use the pancake mix as a base, then literally add any savoury topping you want. Whether it be ham and cheese, chorizo and onions or feta and avocado, I'll guarantee you it'll be delicious. 

This avocado and feta pancake is super healthy too! Avocados are one of the healthiest foods on the planet as they contain in excess of 25 essential nutrients. They also have some pretty awesome anti-inflammatory properties which have been well documented to help a range of illnesses caused by excess inflammation. On top of this, they help to increase nutrient absorption of other foods, they're high in fibre and provide a great dosage of vitamin K, essential for good blood sugar regulation. Needless to say, just the avocado alone makes these pancakes super heathy!

Feta is a healthy alternative to many other types of cheese, such as cheddar as it's lower in calories and fat. Spring onions naturally contain more plant-derived antioxidants and dietary fibre than onions and shallots. They also are packed with essential vitamins and are in fact one of the richest sources of vitamin K. I could go on for ever about the health benefits of these pancakes but I think it's about time we start cooking!

Makes 1 large pancake 

Pancake mix 

1 free range egg

15g wholemeal flour

15g plain flour 

100ml/3.5 fl.oz of milk

salt & pepper to taste

tiny knob of butter

Topping

50g of greek feta 

5 sun dried tomatoes, sliced

1/2 avocado

1 spring onion, finely sliced

Method

- In a large bowl, beat the egg. Add the flour and beat again. Then add milk and a light seasoning. 

- Put a large frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add the knob of butter and grease the pan to ensure the pancake doesn't stick. Then put the pan over a medium-low heat. Pour the batter mix into the pan and immediately tilt the pan side to side to get a thin, even layer of batter covering the base of the pan.

- Cook for about 30 seconds or until the underside is golden and flip with a palette knife. 

- Immediately add the toppings and fold the pancake in half, then half again. Slide the pancake onto a plate to serve. 

Top tip: If you have a very large pancake and struggle flipping it without breaking it, just leave it for 20-30 seconds longer, add the toppings, fold then serve. I had to do this and it still tasted great!

Enjoy!

Disaronno, Vanilla & Apple Cocktail

This cocktail, seductively sweet and just wow. There's nothing better than sitting outside in the summer sun with great company whist enjoying a sweet, refreshing cocktail. I love cocktails. They stimulate your taste buds and evoke conversation as you try to guess what exactly is in your chosen alcoholic concoction. Every student will sympathise with me when I say there's one fundamental problem with cocktails - their price. One would expect to pay at least £8 for a cocktail. This is fine for the odd special occasion, but not something you can enjoy on a weekly basis. I've decided that homemade cocktails are the solution to this problem. 

This cocktail is simply a blend of all of my favourite flavours. Disarrono is without a doubt my preferred choice of liqueur, with its incredible bittersweet almond taste. The apple juice I used is homemade from the apples we grow in our garden, however any good apple juice will do the trick as it blends effortlessly with the sweet liqueur. The cool mint also combines perfectly with the smooth vanilla extract. What's better is that the fresh mint also contains healing properties which sooth and aid digestion.  The taste is simply heavenly and a perfect reflection of the beautiful weather. 

Serves 2 

(makes 2, small cocktails as photographed)

150ml of fresh apple juice

20ml disaronno 

1/2 freshly squeezed lemon

20ml elderflower cordial

4 fresh mint leaves

10ml vanilla extract

ice cubes

Method

- Pour the apple juice into a large glass (I just use a pint glass). Add the disaronno, squeezed lemon, cordial, vanilla extract, 4-5 cubes of ice and 2 torn mint leaves. 

- Stir well using a long spoon. If you have a cocktail shaker then shake away!

- Using a cocktail strainer (or some sort of straining device), pour into a chilled glass, add a cube of ice, a mint leaf and a slice of lemon on the side to serve. 

***

Top tip - put the glasses into the fridge before you serve the cocktails to keep them cool and refreshing. 

- ensure the apple juice is chilled before use.

- not all of us will have a cocktail strainer to hand, so I just use a tea strainer. But you just want to ensure none of the lemon pips and shredded mint enters into the glass!

Enjoy!