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.

Jaffa cakes

If you are a fan of jaffa cakes, you have to make these. They are spot on and yes, definitely better - but what isn't better home made? I have added a slight twist to the standard jaffa cake and came up with lemon jaffa cakes! But don't worry, if lemon doesn't appeal, I have also included the usual orange version!

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.

Beetroot hummus

Adding beetroot to your hummus not only turns it this fantastic pink colour, but it also gives the hummus a slightly different flavour. It's also a tasty way to get some beetroot into you diet, without it's taste being overpowering. The type of beetroot most people will be familiar with and enjoy is the stuff you buy from supermarkets in jars. What most people do not realise is that this has been cooked and pickled! When you buy beetroot in vacuum packed form or in a plastic container found in the salad aisle, this is cooked. Beetroot is actually a root vegetable (hence the name beetroot...) and when purchased in it's raw form will usually still have it's root and leaves attached (which can also be eaten). Beetroot is known to improve blood flow and lower blood pressure.

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!

Giant half baked cookie

This recipe is absolutely heavenly. I was actually aiming to recreate the cookie dough dessert that Pizza Hut do. If you haven't had it before, it is a big cookie that is half baked and is all gooey inside. I haven't had one in years and years as I never go there anymore, but I had a weird craving for one the other day so I got in the kitchen and attempted making it. I must say, I was so pleased with the result, it turned out much better than expected so I had to share it with you guys. It will leave your sweet tooth satisfied for sure.

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. 

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.

[Coconut] Cakepops

It's Valentines day this Saturday (14 February), so I wanted to post something that you could make your loved one as a special treat, or perhaps you are having a night in with your friends, in which case, these would be great fun to all make and decorate together. Although of course, they can be made for any occasion. The mould I have actually contains 4 different shapes, one of them being a heart, which made them perfect for Valentines day, but any mould shape is fine - it is all in the decoration!

Superfoods: Cacao / Smoothie

'Superfoods' I am sure is not a new term to many of you. But if it is, then it just means a nutrient-rich food, which is highly beneficial to your health. These seem to be a bit of a craze at the minute, and I can see why.

Now I am not talking about your super healthy fruit and veg; blueberries, goji berries, beetroot and spinach to name a few. Don't get me wrong, these have exceptional nutritional value and are classed as superfoods. But what I am talking about are the ones you are less likely to have heard of; cacao, chia seeds, moringa, baobab, lucuma, spirulina, wheatgrass, maca, and many more.

All the ones I have mentioned come in powder form, which makes it super easy to get them into your diet. Due to the exceptional nutrient count they have, you have to be careful not to consume too much of some of them. If there is a daily limit, it will say so on the packet.

I am going to be doing a few posts, each will focus on one superfood powder, and also a recipe to go with it.Today I am starting with cacao, and will be showing you two cacao smoothies. To start with, I am going going to talk about what it is, and its benefits.

Soup Series 2: Chilli chickpea and red lentil soup

This is the second soup recipe in my soup series that I have decided to do over Winter. The first was roasted butternut squash and sweet potato chilli. This is another healthy soup, which is tomato based and thickened by lentils. It's packed full of spice and has a kick from the chilli. If you are not a fan of chilli, you can always leave them out. The flavour of this soup makes me think of Morocco. It's weird because I've never been, but it is exactly what I imagine the local food to be flavoured like. 

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.

Scrambled Egg and Spears

One thing I love about the weekends is being able to spend extra time on my breakfast, rather than just throwing some cereal in a bowl or some bread in the toaster as I run out the door for work. There are endless studies which say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it should also be one of your biggest meals of the day. Whether this is true or not, I think it is fairly obvious that your body needs energy when you wake up, as you have just gone an extended period without food. Breakfast actually means breaking your fast. Your body needs fuel to function, so why deprive yourself of it? There's nothing like a good breakfast to set you up for the day, so that's why at the weekend when I have the time, I always make extra effort with my breakfasts.

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.