Pesto, broccoli and quinoa salad

This salad is heavenly! There are so many flavours in there and it's a great way of using pesto opposed to the usual pesto and pasta combination! The pesto from this recipe could be combined with an abundance of other foods though so definitely try come up with some other inventive pesto recipes! One thing I love about this salad is the combination of hot and cold. The entire dish could be eaten cold if you prefer, or if you have leftovers. 

Shop bought pestos are not very healthy as they are absolutely packed with oil. This pesto recipe only uses 1 tbsp oil for 2 people and absolutely does not compromise on taste. It really is a much healthier option.

Lemon and poppy seed loaf

Lemon always make me think of summer. I guess it is the citrus taste and lovely yellow making me dream of beautiful sunny days. This loaf is so light and fluffy with the lovely citric flavour coming through whilst not being too sharp, and the poppy seeds adding a slight crunch. I know this is a popular flavour of cake to make, and I can see why. These two ingredients really do work well together and compliment each other perfectly. And what's better is that it's a super easy recipe too.

Crispy duck salad

This salad is so full of flavour that you won't realise you are eating a salad. I know that sounds silly, but if you are not a huge salad eater and find it a struggle to get through a salad, then I promise you won't with this one. There are so many different flavours and textures in this, you won't get bored after a couple of mouthfuls. It is also super easy to make despite the amount of ingredients, but the duck does take a long time to cook so make sure you start well before your belly starts rumbling! The best way I would describe this dish is a salad version of crispy duck pancakes!

Soup series 5: Green veggie with homemade croutons

The fifth soup in my six soup series is here! A beautiful green soup, which with every mouthful you just know it is doing your body good. It has that taste which screams healthy and goodness, as well as being bright green! Perfect for a health kick, if you are feeling run down, or as part of a healthy diet! This recipe serves 4 but it keeps well in the fridge so is perfect for taking to work for lunch!

Breaded mushrooms with garlic mayo

These breaded mushrooms make the perfect starter. We all know mushrooms are not very filling and are light, which is exactly what you want in a starter. I could easily eat a big plate of these to myself, and the garlic mayo is a great added kick of flavour. An alternative way to cook these is to deep fat fry them, but I will be cooking mine in the oven to make them a tad healthier.

Soup series 4: Beetroot and sweet potato

The colour of this soup is so vibrant and bright. If your food is this colour, you can bet it has beetroot in (unless it's food dye). It's such a beautiful colour and definitely adds the wow factor! Asides from the colour though, this thick and creamy soup tastes delicious, although probably does turn your insides pink!

Superfoods: Lucuma / ice-cream & smoothie

So today I wanted to do another post on a superfood and I have chosen lucuma. This is one of the cheaper superfood powders out there and is known as natures caramel. Lucuma is a subtropical fruit native to Ecuador, Peru and Chile and has been used as a sweetener and base in Incan food for centuries. It is consequently known as 'gold of the Incas'. The flesh of the fruit is a gorgeous yellow/orange colour, which can be seen on my lucuma packet below. It is turned into a powder so that we, on the other side of the world, can benefit from this amazing fruit. It is dried at low temperatures so that all the nutritional value is retained, and then milled into a superfine powder. 

Chocolate orange cupcakes

These cupcakes are absolutely out of this world. They are bursting with a delicious zesty flavour with the perfect balance of rich dark chocolate in there too. They contain a surprising amount of flavour hidden in there. These are up there with the best cupcakes I have ever made. 

Soup series 3: Chunky Minestone

Here is the third soup from my series, which is chunky minestrone. The others in the series can be found here. A well known soup, which is vegetable packed and so hearty and filling due to the potato and pasta it contains. My version is quite chunky and thick, but you can easily thin it out as I mention later. This comforting soup is full of different textures, and is very low fat! 

American pancakes (plus 3 fruity toppings)

Pancakes are not something I make often, but when I do (usually as a treat) I really enjoy them. One of my all time favourite pancake toppings is lemon juice and sugar, but today I thought I would be a bit more adventurous and come up with 3 alternative toppings, seeing as Pancake Day (Tuesday 17 February) is creeping up on us.

Butternut squash dip

This dip is a great alternative to hummus. It is much lighter than hummus, and will undoubtedly leave you reaching for more - but that doesn't matter as there is nothing bad which goes into this. It goes great with lightly salted tortilla chips, but can be enjoyed equally as much with numerous other dippers. Whatever you like to eat your hummus with, you will be able to eat this with too.

Soup Series 1: Roasted butternut squash and sweet potato chilli soup

Home-made soup on a cold winters night is so warming, it is the perfect meal. A small portion can be enjoyed as a starter, or you could go for a bigger portion and have it as your dinner. It is such a healthy meal too as you can easily pile in loads of vegetables, and a great way to get kids to eat their veg - they will have no idea what has gone in! So because of this, I have decided to do a soup series. Over the remaining weeks of winter, I will post six soup recipes... 

The Six Soup Series!

This soup's main ingredients are butternut squash and sweet potato, which make it so filling. It is a lovely thick and creamy soup, which is full of flavour with an extra little kick from the chilli.

Nutty Berry Bars

Today I am going to share with you my take on granola bars. Absolutely packed with flavour, they are very substantial and will easily keep the hunger at bay for a few hours. They are a very good alternative to chocolate bars as they have much better nutritional value, are much healthier, and will keep you full for much longer! They really are more tasty too.

Hummus

Today I am going to share with you a basic recipe for hummus. I love hummus, it is a perfect thing to have in the fridge for a snack, or part of a sharing platter. You can dip so many varied things in it, from healthy options such as vegetables, or more carby options like pita bread or tortilla chips. I have to admit, I usually reach for the latter two!

As with a lot of foods, hummus is so much healthier when homemade, which is why I much prefer to make my own. I also think it is much tastier, and you can season it to exactly your taste.