Homemade filled chocolates

Now no matter how healthy you may be, you cannot deny that we all get chocolate cravings from time to time. And here is your solution - home made healthy chocolate. Two of the ingredients are superfoods - cacao butter (contains no sugar or dairy) and cacao powder. I have written a post all about cacao previously, so if you want to find out more be sure to check that out. 

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.

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.

Superfoods: Maca / Raw energy balls

Maca is a root vegetable and belongs to the radish family. It is native to the high Andes of Peru and is commonly known as Peruvian Gingseng. The health benefits of maca have been long valued in Peru, and historically maca was even regarded as 'the food of the gods' by the Incas, one of the oldest civilizations on earth.

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. 

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! 

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.

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.

A Simple Banana Loaf

I'm going to kick off my blog with a really simple, yet really tasty recipe. It is one of my favourites to rustle up in the nick of time as it is so quick and easy to prepare, with minimal mess! What I love about this banana loaf is that it light, yet filling. Whether you are having it for a snack, dessert, or you are having friends over, you can be sure nobody will be left with rumbling bellies.