Parma Ham, Fig & Mozzarella wrapped broccoli

When I was younger, I really hated broccoli. I thought it was foul tasting, awkward to eat and the thing I'd always try and leave on my plate. So, if younger me found out that I was actually going to base a recipe around this veg, they'd probably disown me.

For the record, broccoli is now a key staple in my diet, I steam it and eat it a few times a week at least, and now genuinely like eating it (plus, who doesn't like it when Joe Wicks goes on about his beloved midget trees so often?!). So, when Tenderstem got in touch and asked me to create a recipe with broccoli at the centre stage, I knew that simple and steamed wouldn't do.

I've tried to put a twist on this dish that's ordinarily associated with chicken. It makes a really nice light starter, or you could have it with a roast chicken breast and rice for a main. 

To make 4 servings, you'll need:

1 pack Tenderstem broccoli 

2 large figs

1 ball mozzarella 

1 pack parma ham

First, lay out one big stem (or two) of broccoli per person. Next, drain the water from the packet in your mozzarella and slice into eight pieces. 

Lay the mozzarella on top of the broccoli. Then chop your figs in to thin slices and place on top. Open your parma ham and wrap a slice (or two) around the broccoli, mozzarella and fig. This isn't graceful, and figs will fall, so be prepared to 'juj' the ham until you're happy that everything is enveloped. 

Then, place these on grease-baking paper and put in a tray, into the oven at 180 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 

The ham should have crisped up, the mozzarella melted (don't worry if you've got some excess water from the cheese, just carefully drain this before taking off the baking tray), and the broccoli dark green and tender. 

Carefully place each wrap (you might need to use fingers to hold it together) on a plate, and serve!

It's a great way to spice up a really bog standard veg. 

Sushi @ Sapporo Teppanyaki

You’ll find Sapporo Teppanyaki just down the road from Beetham Tower on Liverpool Road, not far after the MOSI.

I’ve eaten there before and would highly recommend the “experiential” restaurant to anyone. If you haven’t been before, or aren’t sure of the context, the premise is that you sit around a large square open kitchen, and the chefs chop and fry and season and sizzle your food right in front of you. The flames are explosive and the atmosphere is lively and really, really fun. It’s the perfect place to go with a big group of people for a birthday / leaving do (but maybe that’s because that’s the only capacity I’d visited it in, until last week…)

But if you don’t fancy catching potato pieces tossed to you by the chef, don’t panic! Last week, I was invited to try their summer cocktail and sushi menu. This suited me perfectly; I’d eaten out all weekend and have a few more meals out planned this week (it’s a tough life), so to try something light and semi-healthy was a winner.

First up, we were taken to the lounge, which I’d previously thought was just an area for drinks. It was a lovely, light part of the restaurant, and the back wall is all floor to ceiling glass. James Bay was playing in Castlefield Bowl behind us, so we pretty much got free seats to the gig! The only thing about sitting here was that you did slightly lose the upbeat vibe from the open grill, but actually, it was nice to be able to watch the madness from afar!

We kicked off with cocktails; I went for the Vanilla & Lychee Martini and James chose a Suntory Old Fashioned. His cocktail literally couldn’t have been better suited to him - oaky, tart and strong, it was exactly what he’d go for in a cocktail (i.e. it wasn't overtly girly with a floral garnish): whiskey with Cointreau, aloe vera, agave and orange. My martini (lychee, Cointreau, vanilla vodka with lemon and cherry) was great. Citrusy and a little bit sweet, I’d recommend this one to start your night.

Now, sushi is the type of food I always worry about when ordering, for fear of there not being enough. I don’t know if you’re like me but I always worry that I’ll still be hungry, and usually panic order loads. I always seem to forget that it’s *really* filling. With that in mind, we ordered…

• Special Sapporo Sushi (nigiri, maki, California rolls and sashimi)
• Chef's selection of Sashimi (tuna, salmon and sea bass with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce)
• Edamame beans
• Duck rolls
• ...and barbecue spare ribs, because James loves them

I’m not a huge fan of ribs and granted it didn’t really go with the raw fish kind of vibe, but in fairness, I tried two and they were very meaty and the sauce was lovely, not slimy and fatty like I usually assume.

Needless to say, they weren’t the most photogenic of dishes, so I didn’t spend much time trying to get the perfect shot of these…

My favourites from the Special Sushi platter have to be the salmon nigiri (a classic but a goodie) and the California rolls.

The portions with the sashimi were very generous; huge hunks of salmon, tuna and seabass served with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce. It was delicious. Cold, fresh and packed an absolute punch in taste sensations with a big hit of wasabi.

The duck rolls (duck breast wrapped in a pancake with mixed veg served with a raspberry coulis), were good, but really not what I was expecting. I was expecting what I traditionally assume duck pancakes are in an Asian restaurant - a light pancake with shredded meat. The pancake here was quite thick. The meat was lovely, but the raspberry coulis and thick pancake didn’t quite do it for me this time around.

The edamame beans deserve a shout out of their own because there were so many of them! Thick rock salt was crumbled atop the mountain of beans, making them a delicious interlude between fish dishes. I find it so satisfying popping the beans out of the shell!

What do you do when you're absolutely stuffed with sushi? Order another cocktail and have a look at the dessert menu, of course!

This time, I went for a Japanese Slipper (Midori, Cointreau and lemon juice), and James opted for an espresso martini. Mine literally tasted of holiday, but in a non-sickly sweet way. It was lush!

We definitely didn’t need dessert, but I saw the word ‘legendary’ on the description of the chocolate spring rolls, so we ordered that.. (legendary milk and white chocolate spring rolls served with homemade vanilla icecream) - Ooops!

Getting the fruit in focus to make it look healthy...ish

This was great. The chocolate oozed out from the crispy shell once we'd cracked it open, and ran all over the icecream, which we gladly mopped up. It was well worth it!

I was really impressed with the food, in particular the sashimi and California rolls, and I'd go back in a heartbeat. Thanks for having me, Sapporo Teppanyaki!

Sapporo Teppanyaki kindly paid for my food and drinks but as ever, all opinions are my own - you should definitely go here for dinner :)

MET-Rx Protein Pack Giveaway

I've got something a little bit different for you today. It's been a really hectic few weeks, and with a holiday in the middle of everything too, it's thrown me out of sorts a little. But I'm back. And there's loads more to come.

Anyway. I digress. I hadn't heard of MET-Rx until about three months ago, when, on one of my lunchtime 'powerwalks' (it's *so* bad for my bank account working in the city centre - and let me tell you, I've had some of my most intense, heart rate rising powerwalks trying to nail Zara, H&M and Boots in one go)... I stumbled across their shop in the Arndale. Intrigued, and in need of a post-lunch pick me up, I went in to treat myself a protein bar (wild).

A few weeks later I got an email from their team letting me know that they've just recently launched as a new sports nutrition website - http://www.metrx.co.uk/ - and to celebrate, they've given me some of their favourite protein products to giveaway!

The Protein Pack I'm giving away will contain a selection of protein essentials such as;

• A MET-Rx Shaker 
• MET-Rx Complete 4-in-1 Powder Strawberry (908g)
• MET-Rx Supreme pre-workout powder in fruit punch (510g)
• MET-Rx Xtreme Thermo Crush capsules
• MET-Rx Supreme Whey Vanilla 
• MET-Rx EFAS Triple Omega 60 Soft gel capsules

So it's ideal if you're short on essential protein supplies. I've never actually had any of their protein before, so dear winner, I'd love you to let me know what you think!

To enter, just follow these really easy steps below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The competition runs from today until the 23rd July, and I'll announce the winner on social! I'll also post out your pack to you :)

Good luck! xx

My Favourite Health + Fitness Bloggers in Manchester

There's no doubt that the health and fitness arena is booming but the London scene seems to dominate my timelines so I wanted to highlight the bloggers I follow from Manchester - there are a load of them - in a round up post, so you can add some Northern soul to your social scroll.

I've rounded up some of my favourite health and fitness bloggers in Manchester as I love finding new blogs and people to follow who are on a similar ~vibe~ to me.

Spamella B - 

Twitter brought Spam & I together and we met "IRL" in early 2015. Since then, we've become good friends and are actually going on holiday together soon, with three other health/foodie friends (Sophie, Sophia and Vicki - who all met because of blogging and who, coincidentally all feature in this post..)

I always head over to Pam's blog if my sweet tooth calls - her recipes are really easy to follow and I'm always really impressed with not only how nice they look, but how nice each creation tastes, too.

BBC Good Food have also named her as one of six health bloggers you should follow in 2016, which is amazing.

Vicki Mellard - 

Vicki is a qualified PT at The Gym group in Manchester city centre, and she's recently started doing office PT classes, bringing circuits to your desk, so watch this space... I love her weekly newsletters that always include a cheeky recipe and workout for you to add into your training mix. 

Sophie's Scran - 

Soph has such a refreshing, down to earth approach to gourmet style, easy home cooking and reading her blog is like having a chat with a good mate. Posts like her 'food at the cabin' blog encapsulate everything I love about how food can bring people together - and reminds me of similar posts I've written, such as my weekend away in Dartmouth and an early Christmas in north France with my closest friends. 

Sophia Hall - Nalu Active

Sophia is currently undergoing a major revamp to an amazing new fitness brand, Nalu Active - combining wellness coaching, PT & nutrition packages. Her website isn't live yet but will link to it when it is. In the meantime, feast your eyes on her amazing insta, full of gorgeously glam, strong selfies, easy to recreate recipes and fitness motivation. 

Wedges & Weights 

Hannah was one of the first bloggers I started watching on YouTube. She's got such a 'real life' approach to living a healthy lifestyle and keeps coming back to the word balance. I love how motivating and positive she is on social - scrolling through my newsfeed at 6am on a Monday morning is always made so much better when I've seen a "you got this" memo from this beaut.

Towards the end of last year Hannah ran a lush supper club at The Garden, Hale where she helped create the most delicious three course meal.. I couldn't stop thinking about that chocolate cheesecake for weeks on end. Her infectious laugh and positivity are winners with me...

Vic Spence

One third of the #GirlGains movement; the blonde beauty that truly embodies the fact that the #girlgains clan is most definitely a national thing. Vic's instagram and snapchat are perfect places to go for fitness motivation and inspiration.

I had the 'pleasure' of letting Vic teach me in a HIIT class once, and let me tell you, it was not pretty... she worked us all damn hard! After the HIIT session at the event, all of us girls had a good old chin wag, and it was really refreshing to sit around and talk about 'gal' things, and get away from filters and hashtags. Fair play to MyProtein for organising such a fab event.

That Squat Bot

"Run fast, lift heavy, eat hard." Three phrases I more than wholeheartedly agree with, and it just so happens, the tag line of Sarah's blog. One thing I love about Sarah's blogs are the edgy backdrops for photoshoots she always seems to find, and she's got amazing strength - she's a real inspiration. 

I also remember reading about the importance of washing gym kit with sports detergent on Sarah's blog, to keep your activewear in tip top condition... I'm still yet to invest (it's one of those items that's always 'on the list'), but for more practical tips (and great crossfit vids on Insta) head over to her website and social channels pronto.

Sequin This

Sequins is a firm favourite in my eyes; mingled in with her beauty best buys, restaurant reviews + renovation posts, you'll find a taste of fitness as she dips her toe in the world of healthy living. Sarah's one of those girls who could eat chocolate until the cow's came home and still be trim, but maybe staying slim is down to the fact she always seems to be jetting off to the alps to explore (she's off to review what the Austrian alps is like in the summer in a few days, so keep your eyes peeled...)

Clean Nosh

Rebecca's someone I like for her honest approach to clean eating. She gives truthful appraisals on how she previously struggled with her weight and swears that clean eating changed her life. Her instagram is great for any brides to be looking to get fit for their big day, as she ties the knot in a few months!

These are my fave healthy lifestyle and fitness blogs from Manchester at the moment, there are so many more - I'm tempted to do a follow up post...  if you've got any favourites pleeease send them my way as I love finding new people to follow! x