Tag: healthy eating

The Green Goddess

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Leafy green veg like kale and chard are some of our favourite winter crops – incredibly easy to grow and brilliantly versatile in the kitchen. There’s a great thrill in gathering an armful of kale on a frosty morning  or heading down to the allotment with a torch to find some chard for dinner! Big armfuls of curly kale and black ‘nero di toscana’ are destined for a batch of kale crisps and a very tasty green juice, our so-called ‘Green Goddess’. Full of homegrown green goodness and a real kickstart to the day….

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and the winner is…

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Big congratulations to one of our FB friends Alethea Mifsud! Your name was first out of the woolly hat and you’ve bagged yourself a copy of our new cookbook, ‘Superfood Breakfasts’. Yay!

Thanks to everyone for your lovely comments and don’t fret if you didn’t win – the book is now available in bookshops and online, plus I’ll be sharing a few sneaky-peek recipes on my blog over the next few weeks, like these Avocado, Nori & Nut Cream Toasts on homemade Quinoa Superseed Loaf! I hope you find some breakfast inspiration to kickstart your days… xx

Superfood Breakfasts: Book Giveaway!

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Very excited indeed to announce that this time next week you’ll be able to buy a copy of our new cookbook, Superfood Breakfasts! Yay… It was a fantastic project to work on with DK and we’re massively proud of of all the tasty recipes and gorgeous pictures.

I’m really hoping you love what we’ve created – 25 healthy and balanced breakfast ideas to kick-start your day, from smoothie bowls & overnight oats to pancakes and breakfast bars to go. Vegetarian, gluten-free and free of refined sugars, the recipes are quick and easy to prepare and very delicious, even if I do say so myself! I loved coming up with the recipes and my family have really enjoyed testing them all… Yum.

To celebrate the launch we’re giving away a copy of the book on Monday 2nd May 2016 to the first person I pull out of my woolly hat (I know it’s April, but it’s still very cold!). All you need to do is leave a comment on this post. Over the coming weeks I’ll post a few recipes to tempt you, so stay tuned and best of luck to you all…

You can pre-order ‘Superfood Breakfasts’ on Amazon or on the DK website. Published by DK on 2 May 2016, £6.99. DK.com with gorgeous photos by Will Heap Photography.

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Chickpea & Celeriac Fish Pie

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A very tasty and simple fish pie with a difference! We’ve swapped traditional potato mash for a healthier and infinitely more colourful combination of celeriac, sweet potato and carrots. Adding chickpeas ups the protein and gives you the chance to make a gluten-free béchamel sauce! For a speedy meal, you could prepare the pie in advance and simply bung it in the oven when you get home. Perfect…

Fish is such a simple way to load up on essential nutrients and omega oils, but make sure it’s responsibly sourced. We use our local fishmonger and completely trust that everything they sell is top-notch in taste, freshness and ethics, which means we enjoy our fish pie even more. Yum!

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‘G’ is for Garlic

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We love garlic and use it pretty much every day in the kitchen, so ‘G’ just had to be garlic in our ‘Allotment A-Z’. Last year we had great success with some very tasty garlic called Spanish Roja (an over-winter hardneck variety that packs a huge flavour punch), so we decided to grow it again this year!

We saved some bulbs and planted out the biggest cloves last autumn and now, here we are in spring, and the garlic is looking good. I’m loving the great circle of life…

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Apple & Beetroot Porridge

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I love beetroots! They’re so easy to grow and are a totally gorgeous colour. We’ve been experimenting with beetroot in our breakfast porridge and this is the result. ‘Ta da’… delicious pink porridge!

I used organic beetroot powder for this one, but have also made it with fresh beetroot juice and both work really well. We all skipped out the door this morning. Yum…

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‘F’ is for French Bean

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Not only do they taste great, French Beans also make a brilliant fruit & veg ‘creature’ for the local village show! They were one of the first things we grew on our allotment and remain one of our superstar favourites – there really was no competition when it came to choosing ‘F’ for our ‘Allotment A-Z’. We love French Beans!

There are loads of fabulous ways to use these beans in your kitchen –  delicious raw in a salad or dipped in houmous, lightly steamed on the side, baked in a slow-cooked stew or juiced for breakfast, the versatile french bean is also a doddle to grow. We’ve grown green ones, yellow ones, mottled ones and a gorgeous purple one that looks amazing, tastes great and stores well. Can’t ask for more than that!

‘F’ is for the fantastically flavoursome French Bean…

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Raw Tropical ‘Cheesecake’

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A friend asked me to create a banana-free ‘cheesecake’ for those that don’t do bananas… so here it is! Just as yummy and just as good for you with a little tropical twist and not a banana in sight. Dairy free, gluten free and with no refined sugars, this is the perfect guilt-free pud that won’t give you or the children a sugar-rush before bed. Yay!

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Runner Bean Chutney

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A homemade and healthier version of an old homegrown favourite! We’re just finishing off the runner bean chutney that we made last summer and are really going to miss it. Especially good with cheese or ham, our chutney is free of refined sugars, very tasty and a fantastic way to make the most of your bountiful runner bean harvests.

I love making chutney in a slow cooker, but this recipe also works brilliantly on the hob. You’ll be dreaming of summer whilst eating your runner bean chutney in the depths of winter. Yay!

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Cashew & Banana Oatmeal

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This breakfast certainly put an extra spring in our step this morning! A little bowl of creamy yumminess with a big nutrient boost – oats will keep you feeling fuller for longer, blueberries are packed with antioxidants, banana has loads of potassium, cashews and nut milk for protein and cacao nibs for extra crunch and ‘zing’! Yay…

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Raw Energy Balls

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A brilliant little mix & match guide for making raw energy balls, from our new cookbook ‘Energy Bites’. These were the first type of energy balls that I ever made and they’re still my favourite snack! Incredibly quick and easy to make, really good for you and very tasty too. Yay!

This guide will get you started on a simple dried fruit and nut version. Choose one ingredient (or a combination of ingredients) from each column and whizz in a food processor until sticky. Shape into balls and roll in yummy stuff like chia seeds, cacao powder, bee pollen or crushed nuts. Firm up in the fridge for 1 hour (if you can wait that long!) and then eat. They freeze really well too. Simple…

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Marinated Halloumi & Beetroot Salad

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This is one of our favourite meals for eating al fresco down at the allotment garden. We marinate our halloumi, get the little allotment stove going, pull up a couple of fresh beets and away we go. Really simple, really good for you and really tasty. Yay!

Fantastic served on the side or as a main, the herbs and spices bring out the amazing earthy flavours, the nuts and seeds add protein and extra crunch, whilst the cheeses are deliciously creamy… and it’s a spectacular colour too!

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‘B’ is for Beetroot

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Two down and twenty-four to go in the ‘A-Z’ of our favourite homegrown fruit and veg! This was a tricky one, because there are so many lovely fruit and veg starting with ‘B’. Broccoli, broad beans, blackberries, brussel sprouts and blueberries to name just a few, but when push came to shove it was beetroot that earned its place in the allotment garden ‘A-Z’. So many different varieties, so easy to grow, so many different ways of eating it, juicing it, grating it, baking it and masses of health benefits too…

‘B’ is for the beautiful, bountiful beetroot!

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Apple and Almond Pudding

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Oh my golly gosh! Delicious. A really simple, seasonal dessert using local apples, that won’t give you or your children a frenzied sugar rush before bed! Woohoo. Dairy free, gluten free and free of refined sugars, this is a traditional pud with a healthy twist!

Very tasty with apples, but works equally well with other fruits – try an autumnal version with pears and plums or a tropical one with mango and peach. Sometimes, you’ve just got to eat cake…

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‘Energy Bites’ – Superfood Granola Balls

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Another deliciously healthy recipe from our newly published book ‘Energy Bites’. We absolutely love these granola balls. The children take them to school, Will takes them to work, they even make a gorgeous gift in a ribbon-tied bag!

You can experiment with different nuts and dried fruit, they’re dairy-free, gluten-free, free of refined sugars and can be baked or eaten raw. Brilliantly versatile and seriously yum…

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‘Energy Bites’ – Tropical Immune Boosters

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Another pre-publication sneak preview recipe of one of our favourite sweet ‘bites’ from our upcoming book ‘Energy Bites’, which is due out tomorrow! Don’t forget that you can win a  copy of the book by simply leaving a comment on the ‘Giveaway’ blog post.

These little balls of sunshine are packed with natural anti-inflamatory turmeric and masses of vitamin C-rich mango, goji berries, lime juice, rosehip and baobab, plus nut protein for vitality. Don’t worry if you can’t lay your hands on any baobab or rosehip powders – they’re a great source of Vitamin-C, but the recipe works just as well without them.

A perfect snack to help ward off the winter blues … in fact they’re a delicious tropical-tasting treat at any time of year! We had such fun creating them and hope you’ll love them as much as we do…

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‘Energy Bites’ – Raw Chocolate Treats

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As promised, here’s a little sneaky-peek pre-publication recipe from our new book ‘Energy Bites’ and what better place to start than with healthy chocolate!

I love raw chocolate, so this recipe just had to be in the book. They’re seriously good – gluten-free, dairy free, raw, easy to make and the best bit, totally free of refined sugar! The only problem is that you’ll want to eat loads of them … they don’t last long in our house.

They also store really well in the freezer. Just take them out 5 minutes before eating and enjoy a little taste of healthy decadence whenever you feel the need! We love them…

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‘Energy Bites’

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Back in those lazy, hazy days of Summer I was approached by a publisher and asked to collaborate with established cookery writer, Annie Nichols, on a little cookbook of super-healthy and delicious snacks – the sort of thing that I’ve been putting in my kids lunch boxes and taking to our allotment garden for years.

My blog and Instagram were put on hold as I focused on creating, testing and writing recipes and here is the result of all that hard work – ‘Energy Bites’ … with a mega-bright cover! Packed full of sweet and savoury, great tasting, high energy snacks that are incredibly good for you – vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy free and totally free of refined sugar.

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Quinoa Kedgeree

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We were back late this evening after a hectic day and threw together this amazingly quick and delicious meal! Nipped down to the allotment to gather some fresh homegrown veg (peas, spinach and onions), collected the eggs and then felt inspired by the pretty jar of tri-coloured quinoa on the kitchen shelf! Quinoa is quicker to cook than brown basmati rice and a serious powerhouse in the protein department. Perfect….

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Super-charged protein pancakes

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I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for ages, as it’s one of our favourite family breakfasts and such a brilliant way to start the day. They’re our ‘secret weapon’ protein-packed pancakes – perfect for that extra boost when there’s digging to be done on the allotment or before we head out orienteering(!) In fact we don’t need an excuse – they’re awesome any time.

Deliciously thick and super tasty, these pancakes have some pretty unusual ingredients and they’re gluten free, with no added refined sugar to boot! Breakfast will never be the same again….

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Raw Chocolate Fudge

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If you feel the need for a bit of extra ‘zing’ in your life, then this super tasty, raw and healthy treat will really hit the spot! It has that slightly naughty, decadent taste of fudge and a definite fudgy texture, but none of the unhealthy ingredients. No refined sugar, no dairy and absolutely deeeelicious. How perfect is that!

Right now, springtime gardening is fabulously full-on, home-schooling is wonderfully all-consuming and keeping the family happy and healthy is a joyful juggling act. Life is crazily busy, but great!

Bring on the healthy fudge…

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Asparagus and Fennel Soup

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I love using seasonal organically grown veg wherever possible, so it’s fantastic to be cooking with freshly picked asparagus and I absolutely love fennel, so that had to go in too! Asparagus and fennel are both great for your digestion, whilst the pumpkin seeds add some protein and essential fatty acids, plus a bit of crunch! Served with our homemade rye sourdough bread, this was a big winner at the table last night. Yay!

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