Nutty Fudge

Oh my goodness. I came across this recipe on Facebook today, and set out to make it right away. I ended up tweaking a few elements and wanted to share my twist with you as it is obscenely good (and painlessly easy to make, ideal for lazy Sunday cooking).

Thank you so much to Kezia from Supernaturally Healthy for the original recipe - if you like the sound of this then definitely check hers out. As I sit here ploughing my way through this batch, it's safe to say you've made my weekend, Kezia!

I used: 

• 150g coconut oil (melted)
• 3 tablespoons smooth cashew butter (I use Meridian)
• 3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter (Again, Meridian)
• 100g pitted dates
• 1 tablespoon honey 
• 1 generous pinch of salt
• Cacao nibs, to sprinkle on top. 

Melt the coconut oil in a pan. In the mean time, chuck everything else bar the cacao nibs into a blender - but don't turn it on. Once the coconut oil has melted, pour into the blender and turn it on, whizzing until everything forms a smooth paste.

I greased a tupperware box with coconut oil, but an oven dish will work here too, and spread your mixture out evenly. Sprinkle with cacao nibs and place on an even surface in the freezer. I kept mine in the freezer for two hours, but I think it would be fine after an hour.

These are a revelation for me; I crave something sweet after every savoury meal and the creamy, fudgey taste of these sweet nut butter squares is a god send.

Wedges & Weights Supper Club @ The Garden, Hale

If there's one thing I like, it's discovering healthy eateries. If there's another thing, it's spending a Thursday evening enjoying amazing food with a group of likeminded, lovely people (and it's always a bonus when the prosecco makes an appearance).

So when personal trainer, health coach and fitness blogger Hannah (aka Wedges and Weights) said she was hosting her supper club at The Garden, you could count me right in.

First thing's first. The food. Although the event was about more than 'just' food, I need to tell you about it because it was fan-bloody-tastic.

The menu theme was appropriately fitness related, and we started off with the 'Warm Up' course - the Power Plate - buckwheat tabbouleh with pomegranate, topped with falafel and beetroot hummus and a fresh lemon dressing. 

As you can see, a hearty portion size (girl after my own heart), and let me tell you - this was one of those dishes you didn't want to end. Perfect for a cold winter evening, the risotto like texture of the buckwheat was the perfect companion for a tangy beetroot hummus - the crispy outside of the falafel giving way to a fusion of warm spices (dramatic description, I'm aware, but it was so.good.).

Onto the main course - the 'Workout', if you will - Immunity Booster: chicken & sweet potato Thai yellow curry, served with cauliflower rice, spring greens & sauerkraut.

If you've read the post I wrote on my top five Thai dishes, you'll know that curry is one of my faves, so I was expecting great things. Needless to say I wasn't disappointed. The chicken was so succulent, and I would never have thought to put sauerkraut in a curry but it worked very well! The sauce was creamy and rich with a little kick, perfect for mopping up with cauli rice... and all of us round the table bonded over horror stories attempting to make cauliflower rice ourselves (I'd stunk my flat out for a weekend once using two tea towels to absorb the excess water.. and forgetting that they were sat soggy and unwashed in the washing machine - one of the worst smells imaginable...).

They say save the best till last and it was definitely the case for our 'Cool Down' course; Raw Indulgence - raw chocolate orange cheesecake topped with raspberries, drizzled in a homemade chocolate sauce (dairy and gluten free).

So everyone went absolutely crazy for this dish, you could see everyone's eyes lighting up as the staff teasingly brought each gigantic slab out one by one... politely smiling and chatting away as we patiently waited to start until all the table had had theirs, but inner monologues screaming 'PICK UP THAT SPOON AND GET IT IN YOUR MOUTH!'

I think that sums up how good it was. If not, just think rich, dense chocolate cream on a sweet, nutty base. God it was good.

Although the food was fantastic, we were also there to be wooed by words of wisdom from Hannah herself, who took us through her top tips on staying healthy over the festive period. It was refreshing, reassuring (and in my case, very realistic) to hear that balance and indulgence were two nuggets of advice, along with upping your daily water intake (especially with the extreme likelihood of a boozy month) and keeping to a routine as best you can; be it committing to a 20 minute home HIIT workout if you can't get to your gym over the holidays, or adapting to fit in with your surroundings, like getting out for long winter walks.

My favourite element of the evening though was being surrounded by a room full of funny, outgoing and really friendly girls - some I've known for a while now and others I'd only met that night, but regardless, the conversation flowed all night.

Vicki, Pam & I... Thanks for the pic Vic ;) (@vickimellard_pt)

There are loads of tweets, pictures and people's thoughts on the evening on the hashtag #WWGARDENSUPPER, so if you're a fan of screen-drooling over raw chocolate cheesecake, give it a click.

Massive thank you to Han for hosting such a fabulous evening (and for giving out an amazing goody bag!), to The Garden for having me, and to all the girls I chatted with - it was a pleasure!

Healthy Restaurants in Spinningfields

The Supergreen Juice from Wholesome & Raw

I was walking through Spinningfields the other day, and it suddenly occurred to me how many healthy restaurants there are clustered around each other. It's great!

I've tried most of them and thought I'd give a whirlwind review of my favourites.

First up, Wahu.

I went to Wahu for the first time for pancakes with the one and only SpamellaB, and have been back god knows how many time for their infamous lunches. The atmosphere is chilled and friendly, and despite the queues backing out the door on weekday lunchtimes, I've always found a place to sit. The addition of the outdoor seating (and the sturdy awning for when it occasionally rains) is a massive bonus.

Must try: Salmon teriyaki with rice, broccoli and peas (sauce on the side).

Wholesome & Raw

Nestled in the Kitchens area of Spinningfields, Wholesome & Raw is a great place to pop in to on a lunch break to grab a quick juice and an energy ball. The staff are always so friendly, and their juices are massive, so you don't feel like you're being mugged off paying nearly £5 for one. I keep meaning to try their raw pad thai, too...

Must try: their super green juice hits the spot just right (wheatgrass, spirulina, avocado, kale, spinach, apple, pineapple, celery, ginger and lemon).

Rust & Stone

Rust and Stone sits next to The Lawn Club and attracts a business clientele, think women in sharp suits, blokes on business meetings and friends out to enjoy a delicious, 'consciously healthy' lunch. It reminds me of a clean Philpotts; when you walk in you're made to feel special, which is always nice.

I absolutely love it here, although there aren't too many seats indoors - so get there early!

Must have: their salad bar changes a lot but if I were you I'd ask for a little bit of everything to sample it all. Oh, and the maple carrot detox juice is bloody lovely (carrot, ginger, lemon, turmeric & maple syrup).

Salad bar on @rustandstone Instagram

Juices on @rustandstonemcr Instagram

There's also Giraffe - their halloumi starter is lush, and their bunless burger is good, as well as good old Pret, your best friend in the morning if you want an egg & spinach protein pot along with your caffeine fix!

Review: Bosu Body Bar, Chorlton

I am not ashamed to say that when Bosu opened last month, I was told I was technically their first paying customer; running in after work on their opening day to grab a Chorlton Green juice. I know, keen much?? Anyway. Since then, I've been back a handful of times and loved it! 

If you haven't been yet, hopefully this post will inspire you to get involved, you won't regret it...

That's the chicken protein box. Soo filling - the chicken is sitting on an array of delicious sides, from memory they were: rocket, home made 'baked beans' (my favourite), quinoa salad, sweet potato mash, honey roast vegetables, hummus, home made slaw and tomatoes with a little bit of peri peri sauce...

The mixture of flavours is spot on and everything works really well together.

Juice wise, I went for the Chorlton Green (kale, spinach, broccoli, cucumber, apple, fennel, ginger & lemon), and James had an Indian Summer (fennel, carrot, orange, ruby grapefruit, ginger, pineapple, turmeric).

We also got some deelicious protein balls for pudding - nutty, chocolatey, goey, crunchy, they were just what we needed after a savoury feast.

A few weeks before that, I went with the lovely Pamela, and I devoured the halloumi protein box; same amazing sides, just swapped out chicken for halloumi:

and, ohmygod, the best smoothie - a Muscle Up (peanut butter, almond milk, flax seeds, honey, banana & vanilla). It was divine.

There's seating available inside or outside, and they're open till 8pm most nights so if you can't be bothered to cook dinner after work it's a great option!

(I love the addition of workouts on the table, such a nice touch!)

I'm so pleased Bosu has come to Chorlton, and I wish them every success..

In Response to This Article

I came across this article on the Guardian this morning and it really struck a chord with me. I loved it, agreed with it, laughed with it, scoffed at it, had moments of cringing self-realisation, felt angry and sad and also empowered, all in the space of a few paragraphs.


The article raises important issues surrounding the 'eatclean' and 'healthy' 'fitspo' realm, and rather than me summarise it, I'd suggest you give it a read yourself.

What I want to do here is share what, for me, 'health' is about.

Health for me is standing up to the food giants and supermarkets with their misleading advertising and hoodwinking marketing campaigns we as consumers are bombarded with to make us eat shit. 

Health in my eyes doesn't dictate that a photo with over 100 likes on Instagram is the 'correct' way to eat, it isn't about being a size 8, being able to deadlift or sprint or curl. It isn't about calorie counting or fad diets or deprivation.

It is having faith and belief in ourselves that we can look after us, number one, from the inside out. 

It's teaching people that processed food is incredibly, horrendously bad for us and it's only looked upon as extreme if you don't eat it as processed foods have become so engrained in our lives. It's about educating people that food is fuel - not macros necessarily, although I do track these loosely in an attempt to get leaner; a personal choice and goal of mine. 

It isn't about being branded not 'clean' if you aren't a vegan. It isn't about pursing your lips if one of your 'healthy' Instagram buddies posts a picture of a bottle of prosecco and pizza...

Instagram, when used in the right way, can connect, strengthen and unite a community of people who want to live better and don't want to settle for what huge food companies stuff down our throats (literally). But when used in the wrong way it's a dangerous tool that's essentially a breeding ground for low self-esteem and disordered eating. It can mess up your relationship with food even more. 

Health is personal to everyone. Everyone has different goals, aspirations, medical conditions. But ultimately what the majority of people need, I think, are lessons in how to eat, what to eat, and why. Yep, back to school for all of us.

I'd suggest reading 'Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us' by Michael Moss, as a starting point- it's insightful and shocking and changed how I viewed food completely. Secondly, read Kris Carr's book Crazy Sexy Diet - it was the first health book I ever read and is one of my all time favourite books: truthful, inspirational, memorable. 

To me being healthy offers a sense of empowerment - choosing what to put in your body ("you're either feeding disease or fighting it.."), and that's what I love about the movement into mainstream.

Yes, I may be sipping on a vegan protein shake post-gym as we speak (pea protein, cacao powder, almond milk and date syrup FYI instagrammers), but I'm also heading out for Turkish food tomorrow and then have a long weekend in the South of France where I plan to drink lots of wine, eat cheese and be happy (and run the Nice 10k). For me, my health is all about balance. Namaste. 

[images: Shutterstock]

Spicy Vegan Chilli

 

Chilli con carne has always been, and remains, an absolute favourite dish of mine - I get cravings for its spiciness and loove how hearty it is. I'm having it tonight, as it happens. Rather ironically, I'm also posting a recipe for a vegan chilli as we speak...

I've become a lot more meat conscious in recent weeks, I haven't cut it out of my diet (clearly) but am making an effort to opt for vegetarian choices when I can and want to, especially for weekday lunches. Meat has become something I now don't feel I 'need' as a staple in a meal every day, and I've found it's made me a lot more adventurous in the kitchen!

This recipe is incredibly flavoursome, and the mixture of beans and peppers gives it a variety of texture.

To make around 3 - 5 servings (depending on if you're having this on its own or with a decent helping of sides) you'll need:

1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tin kidney beans
1 tin black eye beans
(any beans work here really, butter beans are an especially good addition as they're big and chewy, but I didn't have any. As long as you've got kidney beans in there somewhere you're good!)
1 tub passata
Squeeze of tomato puree
Hot chilli powder to season (or mild if you prefer!), I used about 3 tablespoons to make it really hot
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon tahini
Pinch of salt
Black pepper to season

(I don't think you can make chilli look too pretty, so apologies for this pic!)

Fry off your onion and garlic before adding in the peppers. Once the onion is browned, add in your passata. Stir so that nothing sticks to the pan and add in your beans, chilli powder, paprika and salt. Keep mixing to ensure the seasoning is distributed evenly. After ten minutes, add in your tahini and stir this in very well (it has a tendency to stick together in a big lump).

Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy or freeze for lunches / dinner throughout the week.

Sweet potato is an obvious choice as a side with these, as is brown rice and veg, and last week I had it for lunch with mixed quinoa and peas, spinach and avocado - it was d-liiish.

The Easiest Healthy Dessert?!

I'd heard banana icecream reviews before as I'm sure you have, but in all honesty never got what the fuss was about. But, never knocking something 'till I've tried it, I gave it a go a few weeks ago and OH yeah, it's good. Believe the hype.

It's probably one of the easiest things to make. You just need a food processor (if you don't have one I promise it'll be one of the best investments you'll make; go and buy one), and 1 banana (or 2, depending on how much you want).

Slice your banana and freeze it. After a few hours, or over night, take it out of the freezer and blend it until it's smooth and creamy. Don't worry, there will be a point during blending where you're like, umm, this looks like weird rice, but stick with it. It works.

This time I've topped mine with almond butter and blueberries but there are about a dozen other combinations that would be bliiiiss, like cacao powder and maple syrup, raspberry and cashew butter, you get the idea.

With a bit of vanilla essence, this would be flawless. It's creamy, silky and thick just like ice-cream.

I've started freezing individual sliced banana portions in sandwich bags so I can whip it up in a matter of minutes.. let me know your favourite 'nice-cream' recipes!

Lemon Quinoa

It's funny the effect two sunny days (read: not raining in Manchester) has on my recipe inspiration. Today's recipe is Lemon Vegetable Quinoa, which has a fresh spring time feel to it.

Pair it with a salmon fillet or just eat it on its own ala risotto... I made this batch and had it a few times during the week for my lunch. The ingredients keep well together and the lemon juice keeps all the flavours 'alive', so it's a great food prep idea.

To make roughly 4 servings (or 3 if you're having this as a main dish), you'll need:

1 courgette
1 red onion
1 green pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
100g quinoa
100g peas
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
1 handful pumpkin seeds per portion (to sprinkle on top)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon dried basil (or a few fresh leaves)

Cook your quinoa as you would rice, but add in three quarters of your lemon juice, so the 'zesty' flavour is absorbed by the seeds as they cook.

Whilst this is bubbling away, chop your veg and heat a large frying pan.

Add your onion, courgette and pepper. Mix in the cumin and basil and a few minutes before the quinoa is ready, add the tomatoes and peas along with your remaining lemon juice.

Stir the tahini through the quinoa before adding it to the saucepan and mixing well.

Either eat right away or allow it to cool before storing in the fridge - and don't forget to sprinkle your pumpkin seeds on top before you eat!

The dish has a really fresh, light appeal, and I can't wait to have it as a side at a BBQ!!

Three T Rice

This little beauty is ultimate comfort food packed with plant based, whole food goodness to refuel after a gruelling gym session or a much needed hearty lunch.

It's so easy to cook and you can make it with pretty much any veg you've got hanging around.

Ideal hot or cold, it makes a lovely warming dinner or winning lunch box eaten cold the day after.

I've called this recipe 'Three T Rice' because three of the most essential ingredients begin with that letter (genius, aren't I). They are...

Turmeric. Tahini. Tamari.

Turmeric has looong been known for its amazing anti-inflammatory and medicinal properties and boasts a load of manganese and iron in just a 4g serving (17% and 10% respectively).

Health foodie queen Deliciously Ella introduced me to Tahini and now I always have a jar of it in the cupboards to mix into sauces, chilli dishes and to make marinades with. It's got a nutty flavour, and is essentially just ground sesame seeds. It's a great source of calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron, as well as vitamin E and a whole handful of B-vitamins. It's nutritional profile also offers 20% complete protein, so it's a good veggie protein source.

Tamari is basically a wheat-free soy sauce and instantly gives any dish an a-miso-ing kick (sorry). It works perfectly in this dish to cut through the tahini and give the rice an abundance of flavour.

You will need:

100g brown rice (when cooked)
1 heaped tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons tamari
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
Half a courgette, sliced
Half a red pepper, sliced
Small handful chopped mushrooms
Half a head of broccoli
...Or any other combination of veg you have in the house

Method:

Cook your rice according to packet instructions. Whilst this is cooking, chop your veg and lightly sauté (I used a tablespoon coconut oil to fry my veg in), mixing in your turmeric.

Once the veg has been cooking for five - ten minutes, mix in a tablespoon of tahini and stir in well so that all the veg is coated equally. Tahini can be quite dense and sticky so you might have to mix it around for a minute or so.

Once the rice has cooked, drain any excess water and add the tamari, mixing around so all the rice is covered.

Then, mix the rice in with your veg and serve, or leave to cool and store in an air tight container.

Buckwheat Pancakes

These pancakes are the real deal, eat your heart out David Dickinson kind of Real Deal.

They crisp up perfectly and crunch just like 'traditional' pancakes (especially around the edges), and yet the soft, squidgy texture retains gooey syrup giving you a pancake fix that is spot on.

Makes 3 - 4 pancakes (depending on your pan and ladle size)

100g buckwheat flour
1 egg
1 heaped tablespoon Indigo Herbs banana powder*
1/2 cup almond / soy / oat / whatever milk

Toppings
Whatever you like!
I used; 
Frozen raspberries
1/2 banana
85% dark chocolate, broken into pieces
Dessicated coconut
+
100% maple syrup
Lemon juice

Mix your flour and eggs together, and once whisked, slowly add in your milk. If the mixture isn't whipping into a thin, liquid like form, add some water and beat until you've got a loose mix, like traditional pancake batter.

Heat up a pan with some coconut oil, and when smoking hot, ladle away!
Flip it once or twice, making sure it's cooked (it should need about 1 - 2 minutes each side).

ENJOY! X

*You might have seen from this post on my Instagram - the guys at Indigo Herbs sent me an amazing sports supplement package including hemp protein, beetroot powder, banana powder, spirulina and other things, so look out for a few more posts featuring these products! These were sent to me to review, so you'll get my honest opinion. Banana powder = so far, so good; tastes lush!

Top 3 Food Prep Tips

Without a doubt prepping your meals in advance is one of, if not the, easiest ways to maintain a healthy diet throughout the week.

Here are my top three food prep tips that get my tupperware in a tizz each week....

Time

There's nothing worse than trying to squeeze something else into your already crammed regime, so finding the time for food prep can be hard, but it's so worth the commitment.

If you can, try and dedicate half an afternoon, a morning, an hour- whatever you can, to preparing your food for the week or next few days ahead.

I'll always try and dedicate a couple of hours on a Sunday to making the majority of my food for the week ahead. Usually, I'll make a huge mixed vegetable quinoa risotto (or some carb-based affair that I can have with either fish, meat (occasionally), or feta for lunch). I'll also cook things like salmon fillets in bulk and store them in the fridge for the week ahead, or a veggie chilli that I can then freeze and take out as and when I need it.

I'll also make breakfast granola, raw energy balls, oat tray bakes and hummus etc. These are well easy to make as you just literally chuck everything in an oven or food processor and get on with something else for 10 - 20 minutes.

If I don't have the time on a Sunday, I'll prep for the next day as I cook my dinner. So, I'll cook double the salmon and keep half for lunch, and team it with leftover brown rice, avocado and spinach. Or, just juggle two pans and make something different - as long as it takes a similar time to cook as my tea, I'm happy.

Bulk-Cook

It's often cheaper to buy things like a whole chicken, a huge salmon fillet (which you can then slice into lunch-time fillets) etc to cook for the week ahead rather than buying one or two fillets. To team with these, like I said above I'll make a huge concoction of quinoa and veg, brown rice and veg, buckwheat pasta, a bulgur wheat or pearl barley risotto and split it up into portions for the next few days.

Don't scrimp 

I used to hurriedly throw my lunch together the night before, hastily chucking in a handful of salad leaves, a few cherry tomatoes, a tin of dry tuna and some avocado (if I was lucky), and smugly congratulate myself on making such a healthy lunch.. even though I knew full well at the time it wouldn't satisfy me! It meant that nine times out of ten I'd nip out to the shops to buy something (usually unhealthy) to help fill me up. Nicht good.

Always prepare your food with time and thought - it will make it so much nicer for future you the next day! Spice things up with home-made dressings, spices, herbs and most importantly, don't scrimp on portion sizes! Be realistic about how hungry you're going to be come 1pm, and remember to take plenty of nuts / fruit / homemade snacks to keep you going through the day.

• Make time
• Bulk cook
• Don't scrimp on taste, portion size or quality

I hope you've found these tips useful, let me know if you've got a food prep essential you swear by!

Image credits:
http://www.capriciousreader.com/?p=11877
https://bellaforzafitness.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/tips-on-how-to-meal-prep/

Homemade Granola

If you're anything like me, you'll agree that there's arguably no better breakfast than a chunky, crunchy Granola. If you're also *that way* inclined (that way being a health conscious eater), you'll know how rammed full of sugar, hydrogenated oils and processed crap can be found in shop bought varieties.

Here's my clean, homemade version - it's sweet, crunchy, nutty, fruity and so filling... and ridiculously easy to make!! It's perfect food prep as you can make a huge batch, keep it in an airtight container and dip into it every day for a quick and easy breakfast.

This makes about 6 or 7 servings (depending on your portion size preference!)

You'll need....

100g organic oats
100g almonds
50g walnuts / pecans / cashews (whatever you fancy)
50g goji berries
100g raisins
30g chia seeds
50g pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons raw coconut oil
2 or 3 tablespoons 100% maple syrup (agave syrup or honey would work too).

Put the oven on 180. Wash your hands and place all the ingredients (except the coconut oil and the maple syrup), in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, rub in the coconut oil and pour the syrup over the oats and nuts - it's sticky and gooey (but secretly really fun!), and once you're happy that the mixture has been thoroughly mixed up and coated in oil, transfer to an oven dish and bake for fifteen minutes, until the granola is golden brown and crisp. You might want to take it out a couple of times and stir the mixture about...

It's lush with almond / soy milk, but equally as nice with Greek yoghurt, fresh blueberries and a sprinkling of cinnamon.