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!

The Ultimate Caesar Salad

I found this recipe in Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals book. Granted, it will not take you 15 minutes to make - I would say 30 minutes minimum but nevertheless, it's certainly worth it. The succulent chicken combined with the crispy bacon and the crunchy ciabatta croutons makes for the perfect Caesar salad. What makes this salad however, is the beautiful dressing. It's without a doubt the best salad dressing I've had in a long time and compliments the dish perfectly. If you have time, why not go all out and show off to your friends by making your own ciabatta bread?!

Ingredients

For the chicken

2x200g skinless chicken breasts

½ tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp polenta

Salt & pepper

olive oil

For the salad

1 loaf of bread ciabatta bread

4 slices bacon

Lettuce

10 cherry tomatoes

2 large jarred red peppers

Alfalfa sprouts

For the dressing

2 tsp garlic-infused olive oil or 1/4 clove of garlic, peeled

2 lemons

40g parmesan cheese

4 anchovy filets

4 tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp red vinegar

1 tsp mustard

½ bunch fresh coriander

Method

For the chicken

- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally and coat with the other ingredients except the oil.

-Heat the oil in a pan and fry the breasts for 3-4 minutes on either side and remove from the heat.

For the dressing

Squeeze the juice from the lemons and place everything in a food processor and process.

For the salad

Wash and break up the lettuce and place on a large platter.
Halve the tomatoes and scatter on top.
Slice up the red peppers and layer on top.
Slice the chicken and spread about on the salad.
Fry the bacon and slice up and scatter on the salad.
Sprinkle the top with the sprouts.
Drizzle over the dressing.

Enjoy!

Ciabatta Bread

There's nothing more satisfying than walking into a house with the smell of freshly baked bread lingering in the air. Ciabatta bread is fantastic because it's hugely versatile. Whether you want to enjoy it with a Caesar salad, for a picnic lunch with a selection of meats or use it as a dipping devise to enjoy some homemade hummus, it is the bread to make. As a student, making my own bread isn't something I would normally consider doing when the local supermarket is just around the corner. However, this ciabatta bread is pretty much made for you before you've even started making it, and the sense of achievement when it's baked is certainly worth the wait! I chose to use Wrights ciabatta bread mix which can be found in your local supermarket because all you need to add are two ingredients: water and olive oil! It's so simple to make and only requires a little bit of patients for the bread to rise.

Makes 2 loaves 

1 pack of Wrights ciabatta bread mix

320ml lukewarm water

15ml (1tbsp) olive oil

Method

- Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F) or 210°C (410°F) for fan assisted ovens or Gas Mark 8.

- Place mix in a bowl or food mixer, Add water and mix together for 5 minutes to form a ball of dough. Add 15ml (1 tbsp) of olive oil and mix for 1 more minute. 

- Place the dough on a floured surface and press out to a 30 x 15cm (12 x 6") rectangle and leave to rest for 10 minutes. 

- Divide the dough into 2 length-ways and place on a greased baking tray. Dust the tops with flour and cover with damp cloth or clingfilm and leave to rise in warm place until the dough has doubled in size for 25-30 minutes. 

 - Uncover and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes for 2 loaves, until golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the base. Turn out and cool on a wire rack. 

Enjoy!