All posts filed under: Latest Posts

Spooky Pumpkin Pancakes

These babies are so light, so fluffy and so good they will have you howling for more Awooooooo! Ingredients 6 tbls pumpkin puree 1 1/2 cup of spelt flour 1 cup milk 2 tbls maple syrup 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg pinch of salt 2 tbls melted butter maple syrup to serve Method Whizz the pumpkin flash to a puree consistency making sure you don’t add any pips in.  In one bowl mix the flour, spices, salt and baking powder.  I another bowl whisk together milk, pumpkin, butter, egg, and maple syrup. Fold the mixture into the dry ingredients.  Grease a flat pan over a medium heat and pour about 1/4 cups of batter to make each pancake.  Cook about 2-3 minutes on each side and serve with maple syrup:))))

Nutty Bites

I don’t know about you but in the winter I need even more energy.  I literally need someone to kick me out of my bed!  I kind of want to eat more, do less and drink more!  So I find that rather than getting into some internal struggle called ‘guilt’… feed into it (within reason).  So I came up with this recipe, theses mini mouthfuls that satisfy a sweet craving and a great little energy boost, the kids love it too. So when your bodies craving warmth and a sweet fix…pop one of these in your mouth and put a hat on! Ingredients 100g walnuts 100g pistachio 100g almonds 100g hazelnuts 100g cashews nuts 50g sunflower seeds 50g melon seeds 25g of grated coconut Method Place all the nuts minus the coconut into a blender and blitz to a coarse consistency.  Depending on your blender you may need to split the nut mixture in half. Get a large frying pan and place it on a high heat, add the nuts that have been blitzed and …

Oven cooked masala lamb chops

Omg a serious flavor explosion with no added oil, this totally hits the spot on the weekend with an ice cold beer! Lamb is a great source of iron and this is finger licking good! INGREDIENTS Ready in 1 hour 10 min Serves 5-6 12 lamb cutlets 250g yogurt ½ a lemon juiced tsp garam masala ½ tsp turmeric 1 heaped tsp salt ½ lemon, juiced 1 ½ inches of ginger 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled 3-4 chilies, depending on your level for heat! METHOD To the yogurt add the garam masala, turmeric, salt and squeeze 1/2 a lemon. In a food processor add the ginger, garlic and chilli’s and whizz, add this to the yogurt mixture. Mix in about 12 lamb chops and marinate for 4hrs or overnight. Before cooking bring the meat to room tempreture to avoid chewy lamb. Place the lamb on a flat on baking tray and place in a pre-heated oven at 200c for 10min then lower to 150c for further 50 min. Add a healthy sprinkle of coriander and enjoy x

Hand made Pappardelle Pasta with Buckwheat and Pesto

Okay so this is not your weekday cooking…rather a labour of love.  Its when cooking takes on a whole other level of artistry. I find its a way of zoning out of everything and to be completely immersed in the art of cooking, very therapeutic! So after returning from my Italian adventures I was left with that lingering poetic beauty of all things Italian.  The turquoise water, the most lemony lemons and and the sheer unadulterated, unashamed love of food. Once back I was keen to get a little bit of Italy in my kitchen.  I had this vision of doing something with Pasta.  How could I keep it authentic but get a little more goodness in?  So I tried several versions but this version of adding in Buckwheat turned out ‘molto bene’. I don’t have a pasta maker, but with a little muscle and a lot of love I was shouting out ‘mama mia’ whilst shrugging my shoulders and throwing my hands up in the air! Buckwheat Pasta Serves 4-6 3 cups of all-purpose …

Caramelised Pear and Buckwheat cake

Cakes I believe are for pleasure, but how amazing is it when you can still get a little goodness in.  This cake has that comforting factor, not too sweet but sweet enough.  There is something so satisfying about caramelised pears, its like pears were meant to be caramelised!   Simple to make and gets in one of your five a day.  I have used buckwheat which is great for baking and a great source of protein…now thats what I call a ‘win win’. x Ingredients For the Pears 3 conference pears 25g butter 2 cardamon pods 2 tblsp of maple syrup   For the cake 150g butter, softened 2 large eggs 80g buckwheat flour, sifted 75g finely ground almonds Pinch of ground cinnamon ½ tsp baking powder 125g maple syrup Pre- heat the oven to 170 c Start with the pears…peel, quarter and core.  You can use either a pestle and mortar or a coffee grinder to grind into powder.  To a frying pan add your butter, careful not to burn and keep on a …

Flaky Cod with Ginger and Quinoa

  Love ‘one pot cooking…no mess, no stress and tastes great! There are times when pottering around  your kitchen with a glass of vino and your favourite  play list is just what you need and there are times you want minimum fuss and maximum pleasure! For the times you don’t want to potter around in the kitchen.  This one is ready in 20min :)))   INGREDIENTS Cooking time 20min Serves 3-4 1 cup of quinoa to two cups water 400g cod (4 medium fillets) 1 inch of ginger grated 1 heaped tsp of salt ½ tin of plum tomatoes 1-2 green chilies (finely chopped, to taste) ½ tsp garam masala ½ a lemon large handful of spinach Method Add a cup of quinoa to a saucepan and double the amount of cold water.  Add the salt, garam masala, chilies and finely grated ginger and bring to the boil then simmer on a low heat with the lid on.  The quinoa should take about 15-20 minutes to cook.  If you have frozen cod fillets then add after 5 minutes, if …

Jazzed up roast chicken

It was a wet and grey Sunday and I wanted some sunshine in my roast… So I  jazzed up my roast chicken with Autumn veggies with a burst of mediterrananean sunshine and a double helping of Miles Davies. Once cooked, a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds…brightened up this rainy evening. Better still Jai said its ‘the best chicken I’ve ever eaten’! INGREDIENTS Prep time 20min Cook time 1 hour 45 minutes Serves 4-5 2kg whole chicken 1kg of sweet potatoes, scrubbed and roughly cut 250g parsnips, peeled and quartered long ways 200g carrots, scrubbed and quartered long ways 200g mixed olives (I use jarred, its cheaper!) ½ a pommegrante, seeded fresh rosemary sprigs and thyme, handful 2 lemons, unwaxed 1 bulb of garlic, broken into cloves with skin on olive oil maple syrup (optional) salt and pepper METHOD Preheat oven to 190c. Rub the chicken with olive oil a generous amount of salt, freshly ground pepper and half of the rosemary. Avoid cooking the chicken when you have just taken it out the fridge as this …

Post hot flow yoga quick fix

I kind of fell into this recipe rather than taking time to create it. To be fair there isn’t much cooking going on, rather assembling ingredients together. So it was my Tuesday morning session with Patricia. Patricia is smiley super fit Brazilian yoga teacher, who runs a fusion class…something between yoga and insanity. As I stagger out I feel like need to feed my muscles, asap! This recipe is great for post work out… quick, high in protein and seriously satisfying, if you are just cooking for yourself half the ingredients and you can keep half in the fridge for later or the next day. INGREDIENTS Ready in 15min Serves 3-4 200g couscous 200ml boiling water ½ tsp ground cumin 240g tuna (two small tins) 240g chickpeas (1 tin) ¼ tsp mustard (I like English) ½ lemon, squeezed 2 tomatoes, quartered coriander, handful salt and pepper to taste METHOD Place the couscous in a shallow dish then pour over the boiling water. Cover the dish with cling film, and allow the couscous to swell up and all the water should be absorbed. …

Oaty morning smoothie

I love making this up when I have those early morning ‘breakfast meetings’ where contrary to the name there is no breakfast there.  Worry not, help is at hand with this sunshine in a glass.  I like to use a cute jar/style mug and a straw that reminds me of the fairground…it makes me smile! Oats are a wholegrain powerhouse, a slow digesting carbohydrate that’s great for your muscles and energy levels. *Warning this glass of goodness my cause you to kick some ass in the boardroom!   INGREDIENTS (serves 2-3) ½ banana 2 heaped tblsp oats 4-5 dates 1 pear (peeled and chopped) Top up with milk of choice METHOD Chop up banana add oats, deseeded dates and pear to your juicer.  Add a tsp raw cacao powder and top up with milk and wiz up.

Buckwheat Pancakes with Summer Fruits Compote

These pancakes ooze the feel good factor, especially good for when the weather or any other external factors dampen your mood… cook a batch of these babies and shine! Buckwheat is a high quality protein containing 8 essential amino acids, helps fight disease and great for your cardiovascular system… making you awesome in more ways than one! INGREDIENTS Batter 225g buckwheat 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp cinnamon pinch of salt 275ml milk 1 egg Compote ½ a table spn of coconut oil 175g of blueberries 4-5 srawberries 2 pears maple syrup for serving METHOD For the batter Add 225g buckwheat 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Measure 275ml milk and whisk in one medium sz egg. Add the milk gradually to the flour mixture, whisking in until you have a smooth batter consistency which is loose enough to pour. For the compote Add ½ a table spn of coconut oil to a medium sz pan on a medium-low heat. Add 175g of blueberries, strawberries (quartered), …