Month: May 2015

Mozzarella, Parma Ham & Mango Salad

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I’ve been making this salad for a while now and I’m so pleased its become a family favourite. Its the easiest salad to put together and is really packed full of delicious flavours. This is one of those recipes that look like you’ve spent ages in the kitchen but with a few great ingredients you can serve something amazing really quickly! I find a good plateful of the salad is enough for me but would usually serve it with a big bowl of pesto pasta to fill up the family!  It would also make a perfect summer lunch served with crusty bread or a good gluten free alternative such as a herby quinoa salad. I’ve chosen to use Parma ham but any other Prosciutto (Italian cured air-dried ham) would be great too. I’ve used one of my favourite ingredients, dried chilli flakes, in this recipe, I find the children enjoy a small amount but you could just sprinkle half the salad with chilli and let them tuck into the the chilli free half! You can vary the quantities depending …

Skinny Witch and Parmesan Crisps

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Whether you’re celebrating the fact it’s a Bank Holiday weekend, school half term, that we’re half way through GCSE exams or just that its Friday I think it’s time for a treat!  I’ve been enjoying this drink for a long time, its so refreshing but with a great kick!!  I only found out the other day that its called a Skinny Witch, probably because it doesn’t have any added sugar in it! Another one of my big weaknesses is savoury snacks, and these parmesan crisps are great with a drink and so quick and easy to make. They’re also quite rich so you don’t need to eat too many! Have a great weekend! Skinny Witch I’m not going to give quantities as everyone probably likes a their drink a different strength drink so I’ll just talk you through how I make mine. Squeeze the juice from a lime and add to a long glass with 3 or 4 ice cubes, add a good measure of vodka and top with sparkling mineral water. I then add another chunk of …

Sweet & Salty Vanilla Popcorn

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Popcorn is a perfect healthy snack and seems to be making a huge revival. In fact it may be as popular as ever with so many different flavours, sweet and savoury, appearing in the shops. If you choose a brand thats selling proper popcorn these are generally good but check the ingredients list carefully as some can be packed full of fat and sugar which make it pretty unhealthy and dare I say it, microwave popcorn is not a great option! In the quest for a healthier revision snack I’ve started making popcorn for my children to eat as they study. I knew a sweet popcorn would be favourite, so I’ve used coconut nectar as a sugar alternative, it has an amazing caramel flavour is natural and unrefined. It also has a lower Glycemic Index compared to regular sugar which means it shouldn’t peak blood sugar levels and therefore keeps energy even, helping avoid the sugar highs and lows which can affect concentration. Coconut sugar may also retain some of the nutrients found in the coconut palm. Cooking in coconut oil as well as …

Quinoa

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For my first ingredients post I’ve decided to write about Quinoa. Now the first time I tried this I really wasn’t too keen but now I’m a complete convert! Apparently quinoa is not a true grain, in fact its the seeds that we actually eat!  Over recent years its become increasingly popular because its a ‘complete’ plant based food, packed full of protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre as well as enzymes, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Which all sounds great but what does it mean?! Basically its just so good for you! Its very unusual for a plant to contain so much protein and all the essential amino acids to support a healthy body so quinoa is obviously perfect for vegetarians. But it doesn’t mean its not for non vegetarians as being nutrient dense it makes a cheap and incredibly healthy addition to the diet. Its also low in carbohydrates which means it won’t spike your blood sugar levels and releases its energy slowly into the body. Quinoa is available three varieties, white, red and black. These are …

Quinoa, Feta & Pomegranate Salad

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This has quickly become my go to salad!!  I love it.  Although I have to admit that I wasn’t too keen the first time I  cooked quinoa, but with some experimenting I discovered a great way to cook it and how to pack lots of flavour into it!  This recipe really ticks every box, it’s packed with protein, bursting with flavour and with the sparkly red pomegranate seeds, is gorgeous to look at!  A healthy substantial meal, perfect all year round. I’ve always loved roasting vegetables, it brings out the natural sweetness and intensifies their flavour.  The ingredients list may look long but this is one of those recipes where you can play around with the flavours a little and substitute the vegetables you like, whats in season or what you have available in the fridge or garden. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do! If you’re in a real hurry there are some ready cooked pouches of quinoa available in the supermarkets, but check the ingredients as they can have a lot …

Minted Pineapple with ‘Bounty’ Yogurt!

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This recipe was a very happy discovery one evening whilst having dinner with the family and it’s so easy and so delicious I had to share it with you! I had a lovely fresh pineapple I wanted to use, but decided I needed to make a little more effort than just slicing it up!  Mint makes a perfect partner, so the thinly sliced pineapple was jazzed up with a sprinkling of chopped fresh mint!  Delicious!  Coconut and pineapple are also great match, so with a spoonful of coconut yogurt on the side, there it was, an instant fresh and delicious dessert!  The chocolate shavings were a later addition as I recreated it for a quick dessert when family visited at the weekend.  It was perfect after a Sunday roast! It has to be one of the quickest, freshest, most delicious desserts ever and it really is so easy to make. Perfect after a heavier meal or a summer barbecue and it would make a great mid morning snack.  If you’re trying to be good and not succumb to chocolate then it is still a deliciously …