Deliciously Dark & Decadent Chocolate Cake

Hi Foodies!

Yes, it was always going to come.
It was inevitable.
This blog was always destined for a naughty chocolate cake post - and here it is....

The most delicious, dark and decadent chocolate cake I could make of an afternoon in an attempt to avoid revision! 

Yes - it is a whopper of a gateau. 

This rich cake is gorgeous, and very dark so not one for the chocolatey faint- hearted. It is inspired from glamourous, female chef (the best chocolate cakes always are) Lorraine Pascale (see her original recipe and pictures here) and her aptly named 'I can't believe you made that cake' cake.

The only alteration I really made was a slightly simpler decoration and a little less icing but other than that this is Lorraine's cake down to the last spread of gorgeous buttercream.

This would make a great celebration cake for any chocolate lover!

Ingredients 

200g softened butter
200g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
140g plain flour
60g dark cocoa powder (more if desired)
Pinch of salt
2 tsp baking powder

For the buttercream icing:

250g softened butter
400g icing sugar
80g good quality dark chocolate, melted
Grated dark chocolate for decoration (optional)
A splash of milk

1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and line 2 cake tins with some baking paper.

2) Cream together the butter and sugar until creamy and pale. Add half the eggs and half the flour - mix well. Add the rest of the egg, flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and beat well for a minute or two until mix is uniform.

3) Dollop into the tins evenly (if you wish to cook in one large tin, feel free just cook for ten minutes longer or until cooked) and bake for around 30 minutes. To check if cook - insert a skewer and if it removes cleanly, you are done! Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then remove, cooling on a wire rack.

4) To make the butter cream, simply beat together the icing sugar, butter and a splash or two of milk until the mixture is a thick yet spreadable consistency. If you wish to make your icing firmer, add more icing sugar and for a runnier mixture, add more milk - a little at a time. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix in for another minute or two until texture is uniform and fluffy! Adding more chocolate will simply make a more intense chocolate flavour -so add away if you wish.

5) Once the cake is completely cool, simply decorate however you wish! I added a little cherry jam within the layer as I like the taste, but I think it also keeps the cake moist and fresh tasting for longer. I also spread icing between the layers and then generously topped off the cake with another generous layering. I also used more dark chocolate, grated finely, to finish the decoration off.

This is an impressive cake, both in looks and taste. Fresh fruit like strawberries would produce a gorgeous, fruity flavour combination and I think decorating with fresh flowers for a wedding or Christening would look stunning!

Very simple, yet very delectable - this cake is a winner all round - and so simple! 

A slice is big though, so get ready to get a good old chocolate hit :) 

A challenge I think most of us would be very prepared to take on!!

You might also like: Delicious Yet Simple Chocolate Mousse , Banana and Honey Tea-loaf & Guilt Free Snacking. 

Simple & Wholesome - Leek & Potato Tart

Hi Foodies!


Tried out a simple recipe this week for a lovely veggie tart with a seed and nut based pastry.

While it may not be the most photogenic of dishes - it does taste fab! I used leek, a little cabbage and new potatoes for mine, but the recipe is such that really you could be as inventive as you like and throw your favourite veg in there. 

Ingredients 

175 g wholemeal flour (or half wholemeal, half plain)

50 g  rolled oats

50s sesame seeds

50 g  mixed nuts, chopped

150 g butter, diced

80 g cheddar cheese, grated

250  g new potatoes, boiled and cut into small chunks

2 large leeks

300 ml milk

Salt/pepper

1 egg

1) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place 150g of the flour, the oats, sesame seeds and the nuts in a bowl and rub in 100 g of the butter. Stir through 50 g of the cheese and press the mixture into a tin or baking dish around 23 CM deep. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden.

2) Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry the cooked potatoes until they turn golden and crispy, remove and keep warm. In the same pan, melt the rest of the butter and cook the leeks for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the rest of the flour and stir in for 5 minutes. Add the milk a little at a time and stir in well each time. The mixture should thicken nicely. Remove from the heat and season to taste. Beat in the egg.

3) Pour the mix onto the cooked base and then scatter the potatoes evenly over the top. Press them level. Sprinkle over the remaining the cheese and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tart is brown and bubbling!

And that is it - this tart is really simple and would be great for a summer evening meal. 

I think the pastry is really unique, mix and match the nuts and seeds to your preference but I found pine nuts combined with a few walnuts and sunflower seeds gives a really lovely texture and taste. 

Not being a 'typical' pastry it is crumbly so you have to show this tart who is boss when it comes to cutting it :)

Also - this blog now has a Twitter! So if you fancy regular updates on what I am up to, news on new posts and if you want to ask me a question - feel free to follow me!
Follow @GeorgiaEliza20

Some Seriously Guilt Free Snacking!

Hi Foodies!

O.K. guys, please tell me I am not the only one who loves/needs a nibble when watching a film of an evening or perhaps while revising? As much as I try to beat my cravings, my hand always seems to creep away from the T.V remote or laptop and finds it's way to the kitchen cupboard.

Now, for those people who seem to have a will of steel and don't feel the need to gorge now and then on a sweet or salty treat, first of all  I am very jealous, but second then your hand creeping is obviously fine. I dare say you steely ones have half a bar of chocolate left over from last week when you were 'just too full' to finish it! But for little old me, if I treat myself to a tub of ice cream or a large chocolate bar, I can guarantee you this will not last till the next morning. I know, I know it is awful and not healthy so I am always trying to overcome this.

I have been getting much better actually and can resist a lot more easily than ever before but sometimes a gal just has to have a nibble or 10! So, I have scoured the internet to find the EASIEST and least naughty treats I can find in order to have my 'cake' and eat it so to speak without feeling like a ball of lard the next day!

Now, these are obviously not entirely 'calorie free' yet they are the least damaging of goodies out there apart from fruit and veggies obviously. I would much rather eat a whole batch of one of these babies - for example if I gorged on the whole bowlful of my Frozen Greek Yogurt Drops - I would have only eaten a bunch of natural yogurt and a little honey! Check out my Dark Chocolate Trail Mix Bites for  a mid afternoon energy boost and my Parsnip Crisps with a Kick will punch up any boring movie night! 

1) Frozen Greek Yogurt Drops

These are so simple and inexpensive to make - inspired from here :) You know those days when you need some Ben and Jerry in your life? Well, if you don't fancy consuming a whole tub and can't see another way out, try out these. Yes, they won't replace Ben or even Jerry, yet they do a pretty nice job as a frozen and sweet treat! You can add any flavouring you like too which is what makes these little drops of yumminess so great .

Ingredients 

100% natural greek yogurt 

1 tbsp of honey (optional) 

1 drop of food colouring (optional)

1) Mix your greek yogurt in a bowl along with your chosen flavouring (If you want to! You could keep plain if you fancied). I added honey for a little natural sweetness along with a drop of food colouring just to make them a little prettier :) Of course, this step too is optional but imagine how gorgeous a platter of rainbow drops would look!

2) Using a food bag, drop the yogurt mixture in this. I placed my bag within a large cup to make pouring easier. I then used it like an icing bag and cut a tiny hole in the bottom through which I carefully squeezed little drops out. This can be a little tricky to make perfectly formed shapes! But as long as they taste good, any shape you produce will work!

3) Do this on baking parchment to avoid any sticking and then freeze for at least 2 hours and they are then done!!!! When you remove from the freezer they have to be eaten then as they melt quite quickly. These are so addictive!!

You may also like: Guilt Free Frozen Yogurt , Frozen, Banana and Chocolate Bites , Lemon and Lime, The Natural Cleanser  or  100% Natural Pancakes.

2) Dark Chocolate Trail Mix Bites

These might be my favourite 'healthier' snack of all as they combine chocolate, almonds and dried fruit, which let's face it - is a stellar combo!! These are inspired from here (check this site out-it is fab!) and are again, so simple yet gorgeous and again, you can really add any toppings you fancy. 

I went for the 'traditional' trail mix ingredients you may find, almonds, cranberries and raisons as these are some of my favourite things to nibble on. These are great for some energy, the dark chocolate combined with the cranberries offers tons of nutrients and anti-oxidents and the few I have tried have really helped keep my sweet tooth under control! Now I just have to try and save some! Check out my Revision Provisions post for more easy energy ideas.

Ingredients 

Dark chocolate (I used around 2 medium sized bars)

Any toppings of your choice but some examples:

Raisons

Almonds

Cranberries

Seeds

1) Gently melt your dark chocolate either in a microwave or over boiling water. I prefer the gentle melting over boiling water as the melting is slower and easier to control any possible burning etc.

2) On baking paper drop the chocolate in fairly thick circles (thick enough to hold all the glorious toppings!) and then top with whatever ingredients you have chosen.

3) Leave to cool in the fridge for around an hour and  half and you are done!!! YUM.

These are great just kept in the fridge and nibbled on as and when needed. I think these would make  nice pressie for someone as they look pretty, and you could top them with the receivers fave ingredients and bag them up to look lovely.

You may also like:  The 2 Ingredient Super Cookie , The Easiest Chocolate Mousse Ever , Simple Madeleines  or  Banana and Honey Tea Loaf.

3) Parsnip  Crisps with a Kick

I feel I am a little late on the 'baked vegetable crisp' train however I had to try some out. Rather than go for the traditional curly kale crisps which you can find on practically any health food blog anywhere, I chose parsnips as I thought the sweetness of this golden veggie would combine beautifully with some chill and salt. And it worked well! 

These are soooo yummy, and again you can add any flavouring you fancy. I added chilli for a kick. I have known myself to eat a whole large bag or 'normal' sweet chilli crisps before, so following the theme of this post I wanted to make a 'healthier' version of this favoured snack!

They taste better a little 'crispy' I promise! 

Ingredients for 1 large portion

1 very large parsnip or 2 regular 

Olive Oil

Salt (chunky sea salt would be ideal)

Pepper

Chilli (optional)

1) Wash and peel the parsnip. Slice the parsnip into thin slices, as thin as you can safely do! The thinner the better here, and as even as possible. 

2) In a large bowl mix with some oil, seasoning and chilli. Make sure each crisp is evenly coated and then spread out on a baking tray. Make sure they are spread well, with no crisp touching another to avoid any 'soggy' crisp.

3) Leave in a pre-heated over (around 200 Degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes or until crispy and brown. You should flip them half way in order to get each crisp to optimum crispness!! 

And that is it! You may want to leave them for a while to cool and then all you need to do is get munching my friend!!!

You may also like: Chickpea Falafel Burgers , Spicy Parsnip Soup , Vegetarian Lasagne or Buckwheat Pancakes. 

So, that is it for today guys! 

HAPPY SNACKING :)

A Moment to Reflect...

No, nothing too serious in this post... apart from some serious deliciousness....
Can we all just reflect a moment on how good these chocolate banana bites look?! 

I need to try out making these soon for revision goodies.... and how simple!!? 

YUM. 

Source

I found these heavenly little bites on this fantastic site called notenoughcinnamon.com. 

I urge you to check it out ASAP! From 'healthy' yogurt chocolate cake to homemade granola, this site is too tempting for words! Definitely my new favourite.

If you are a fan of PB and chocolate as a combo (I am perhaps one of the biggest fans!) check out my peanut butter and white chocolate blondes here :)

Banana, chocolate and peanut butter... I am now in foodie heaven. 

On another note, have you guys ever watched the documentary Food Matters? 

I have just watched this and have been so inspired by it I had to update this post to let you guys know about it! I love food and health documentaries like 'Super Size Me' or 'Food inc.' but this film was quite different, stressing the importance of food as medicine rather than focussing on weight issues or the meat industry, which I grant you are extremely important issues, but this touched on a topic I had never really looked into before. 

The film's overall message is that bio-medicine and drug based medicine today really only 'helps' once we have an illness. Even then the pharmaceutical industry uses our illnesses along with the entrenched message we have been taught, to trust the medical industry above anything else, to make money while helping ease our pain, not really getting to the route of the problem- poor nutrition. 

The film claims we can prevent the majority of illnesses purely by what food we put into our mouths. We have the power to be our own best nutritionist. It has really made me rethink exactly the effect what we eat can have, regardless of weight or skin etc. but those serious issues we could prevent before it is too late. That is a very simple sum up of course, the  film is a lot more in-depth, so I really recommend you guys to watch it if you are interested in the power of vitamins and nutrition :)

Other than that....

 Happy Eating and have a lovely rest of your week!

Simplest Thai Salmon Burgers - No Bread or Egg Involved!

Hi Foodies! 

This week, amongst being very busy with work experience and essays, I have also enjoyed these gorgeous burgers I found here. 

These are incredibly simple, with no egg or bread, and are practically pure fish!! These are thai inspired but you could use a different combination of flavours to achieve any simple and instant fish cake you fancied, perhaps parsley? 

Check out my other popular recipe for breadless, salmon fishcakes here.

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Ingredients for 4 large burgers

4 cooked, boneless salmon fillets, chopped into chunks

2 tbsp. of thai curry paste

Thumb size portion of ginger

1 tsp of soy sauce (I used light soy for a more subtle flavour)

1 small bunch of chopped coriander

Veg. oil

Lemon to serve (optional)

1) Either in a food processor or also is do-able with just a bowl and a fork, mash together the salmon, paste, soy, ginger, coriander, until well minced. 

2) Tip out the minced mixture and shaped into burger size balls, flatten slightly. You can if you like sprinkle lightly with some flour to make frying a little easier - but I would recommend using a non-stick pan. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a hot pan and then fry each burger for around 4-5 minutes on each side till golden brown. 

N.B-  I can almost hear you cry 'but Georgia how will these burgers hold together with no egg or bread?' Well, it is true they will not hold together as well as usual burgers do but with careful handling they are fine. When I cooked mine they mostly behaved- they just a need a little coaxing and a tender, loving hand while frying! When flipping your burgers, use a fish slice and turn gently and then you can always reshape in the pan.

3) Once golden, remove from the heat and leave to sit for a minute or two. These would be gorgeous with salad as I had them or in a burger bun with a little chilli sauce!

These are really lovely - and worth the little 'holding together' I think for the much reduced usual salmon burger ingredient list! 

Well, that's it for now guys, have a lovely rest of your week!

Easter Feasting, Essay Mayhem & A Mini Break!

Happy Easter Guys!

Hope you have all had a lovely day, and if you don't celebrate Easter I still hope you had a fabulous weekend!! 

I have had a rather food and fun packed Easter holiday this year - with 5 weeks off University I am trying to cram it all in despite having a ton of assessed Uni work to do! 

Here is my Easter so far in pics... 

From lefts to rights - home made hot cross buns, home made Simnel cake, delicious breakfasts from mini-break Scandinavian cafe we found (see below for more info),  delicious and simplest chocolate mousse ever - recipe, Easter Bunny was very kind, me eating (of course) the Scandinavian feast of cheesy, rye bread delight, Mother's hot cross bun inspired Easter loaf with apricot jam, more hot cross buns, Scandinavian delicious skolbrod and coffee , Easter biscuits, homemade apple tarte tatin, more Scandinavian delights.

As you can see we have rather feasted during this holiday period - especially with my Mother's current baking obsession (I blame Paul Hollywood) but rest assured all this eating has taken place over a period of a few weeks not just this Easter weekend!!! But I do feel I may need to take it a little easy over the next week or so to recover from so much exciting grub!

The cafe mentioned below the photos above (pictures on the left) was a gorgeous cafe we discovered while on a mini-break in Harrogate in Yorkshire. There website is here and the cafe is called Baltzersens which describes itself as producing 'Scandinavian inspired food with the best Yorkshire sourced ingredients'. I loved this place! Not only is it so cosy and lovely to be in, all wooden furniture with a cosy fire, warm blankets on the radiator and even cardigans decorating the wall, the food is gorgeous. It was all right up my street. The breakfast of cheeses with rye bread was to die for, but my favourite item was the skolbrod which reminds me of a doughnut pastry, but a lot lighter, with gorgeous cardamon flavoured custard in the centre topped off with coconut - ah my mouth waters just thinking about it. If you ever visit Harrogate you must check this place out! 

Phew. So much food! Luckily it all makes my other Easter task of essays and more essays seem a little more bearable even though I may be a little heavier going back to Uni than I was leaving!

That's it for now - if you want to check out what a traditional British Easter is -see my post here.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend :)

7 Facts Of A Blogger! Blogging Awards

This week the fabulous Laura from KeepingHealthyGettingStylish nominated for a couple of blog awards! 

(Check out her blog - it's fab!)

I have often seen these nomination posts on people's blogs and love the fact they not only encourage bloggers to share some interesting facts about themselves but means you can find some great new blogs!

The rules for these are to link back to the blogger that nominated you and the nominate 7 more blogs you love! You also need to share 7 interesting facts about yourself... so let's get digging!

1) I worked as an au pair during my gap year before University! I worked for a young family with two children in London and lived with them for 3 months. It was an EXHAUSTING but good experience. I can't say I am the biggest fan of London, I know - sorry to all the Londoner's out there! But, I did go recently again for a food tour with a friend of mine which was a much more pleasant experience - check it out here. Such big cities though generally get me a little stressed out but for a few months it was fine. Like I say, a rewarding but tiring experience - props to any other au pairs out there!

2) I am a qualified TEFL teacher! This means I am qualified to teach English as a foreign language :) I did an intensive course with the Oxford School in Prague during my gap year! The course was very hard, we started teaching full classes of mixed ability adults within 2 days while being assessed, and then non stop for 4 weeks until the final exams. It was really good though and helped me realise I like teaching, I would recommend it to anyone, especially Prague, which is my fave city I think. It is nice to think now I have such a good qualification under my belt. 

3) I have been working in a vintage tea shop during my second year at University which is an experience! We serve loose tea in china tea pots with fresh cakes and afternoon teas! It is a nice place to work as cafes go - especially for a tea and coffee lover. And when the left over cake goes around! We have a red velvet which is to die for....I wrote a post last year about a tea tasting workshop we put on :)

4) I think I am getting increasingly more obsessed with coffee. I got a coffee machine for Christmas last year which I LOVE! It is a Nespresso machine and uses the pods - it produces the most lovely coffee. I wrote a post about my Christmas goodies here. I know other people like coffee but I am getting a little worried about my love! I try and limit myself to 2 a day, and after that I use decaf. But I really would suggest this machine to any people considering one - the coffee is delicious. 

5) I have lived in over 5 countries including Germany, Hong Kong and Australia during my life due to my Dad's job. I went to school in Germany for Primary School and then boarding school in England for most of my 'middle' school experience and then I did my A levels at an International School in Belgium! I have really enjoyed living abroad overall, but now I cannot imagine living in one place for more than 2 years!!! As much as I have lived abroad though, embarrassingly I cannot speak any other language!! My excuse is that the schools I went to were international so only taught in English and I am just not a linguist at all!

6) I am an absolute stickler for timings. If you tell me 'be ready for 9 AM'  - I will be ready at 9 AM. Not 2 minutes before, not 2 minutes after! I don't know why but I have to stick to times 100% and when others do not it sends me crazy!! I just do not understand how people can be so relaxed about times, especially meeting times! If I say let's meet at 6 PM I mean 6 PM!! Ok Georgia... breathe. Anyone else like me? I know when my watch needed the battery changing recently I almost went a little stir crazy. But, it's fixed now! Phew...

7) I am currently in my 2nd year at University and I study History and Sociology - the two subjects I did best in at school :) We are at the moment doing 'long' essays and projects (see depressing pic) which is stressful and then in a few weeks I will have to start revision - joy!  This year I was also on the exec. team for our UNICEF society!

So there we go! Not the most juicy of facts but when you try and think of facts about yourself I think it is harder than you think!! 

I nominate:

1: Ella at Ellalogy

2: The Chubby Vegetarian - blogspot

3: Brandi at Cupcakes and Curves

4: Marlena at Simply Marlena

5: Jenny at Chocolate Chunky Munkie

6: Chelsea at the Dauphine 

7: Mindy at Broken Eggshells 

Thoughts On Flour

I don't know about you guys but it seems you can't avoid all the talk out there at the moment concerning gluten, wheat and it's most common source - white flour. With the likes of celebs like Miley Cyrus explaining her sudden weight loss by singing the praises of a gluten free lifestyle - it has got me thinking - is gluten, and the foods containing it like flour, all that bad?!

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In my family, we love bread. My mother has made bread since I can remember, but recently my intake especially seems to  have been on the rise, especially with the likes of Paul Hollywood taking over our television screens making me crave a floury loaf of an evening- say I can not the only one please!  Shows like Paul's and the 'Great British Bake Off' - has made us as a family crave and also appreciate our bread a lot more, moving from using our well loved bread machine to now being lucky enough to enjoy beautiful home made, proved, risen and baked bread more and more! 

Now, let's talk flour. As we have discovered there are many members of the flour family, ranging from the soft and floury white to the organic and whole grain rye. In Britain, I know much of the store bought 'ready-made' bread is made from white flour, containing gluten, and I don't know about you but I am fond of a white loaf - peanut butter on toast anyone? Yet, recently I have heard more and more about how this white flour is the devil lurking in our daily sarnie. 

So, what is in it that is so bad?

Refined white flour is made from whole wheat grains and is chemically bleached. Bleaching chemicals makes flour white by oxidising flour particle surfaces. These chemical processes leave a residue which forms gluten which is what so many of us seem to be turning against. Found in any starchy white foods like pizza, rolls, it seems it is everywhere! And not just in bread, things like Bran Flakes also hide this little trickster. According to Women's Health - reducing your gluten intake, regardless of whether or not you are gluten intolerant, can help reduce feeling tired, bloating and even fertility. 

I am not a nutritionist yet I can see that eating food with white flour and thus gluten does have an effect on me - pasta for example makes me feel sluggish and bloated so maybe there is something in this? But what about bread!! While I want to see in the long run if reducing my gluten intake will have an effect I don't want to give up my bready habit....

Alternatives to traditional white bread flour you may wish to try include:

rice flour

buckwheat flour

gluten free white flour (check out here)

A quick recipe using buckwheat flour I tried out this week was gluten free buckwheat pancakes. Buckwheat flour is gluten free but not lacking in any taste -with a strong, slightly nutty taste and is significantly lower in calories than regular flour. Check out my recipe for these pancakes which were a hit in my family served with my regular dahl - these make a great, slightly lighter gluten- free alternative to naan bread. 

Gluten - Free, Buckwheat Pancakes 

Ingredients 

1 beaten egg

1 cup buckwheat flour

 1 cup of milk 

A little salt and pepper

One very finely diced clove of garlic

A teaspoon of chilli powder

A teaspoon of turmeric 

1) Mix all the ingredients together - beat well. It should be the texture of double cream.

2) Pre-heat the pan with a little oil or butter and then drop in a ladle full of the mixture leaving to cook for around 4 minutes each side and flip! They should be golden brown.

These are so simple and inexpensive! You could really add any flavours you wish and make as thin or thick as you felt. If you wanted to try out a white flour alternative I can strongly recommend these. 

So

In terms of flour, I know I would like to explore some alternatives, not only to explore the different breads out there but to see if maybe I notice any possible difference in weight or in how I feel. 

But of course the key is, as with all things, balance. 

While I am intrigued by the sudden interest in the white beast - I am also aware that the strong, white loaf has been treating us very well since the dawn of time and if I am out at a restaurant and get presented with a few slices of a fluffy loaf, I can't say I will hesitate in digging in!

Unless of course you suffer from an intolerance, I cannot image that as a healthy eating person, white flour with gluten is going to be that harmful, and I don't think it is worth freaking out over! Yet, I am not saying everyone should eat it, especially if it may make you feel bad - if it does have a negative effect on you just don't eat it! It is all about judging your body. YOUR body over a celeb's body that is! Like I say, I am not sure of it's effects on me, so I am prepared to explore the alternatives out there and see if I feel any more sprightly... really this is just an excuse to try more breads!

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What are you thoughts on the white flour debate? 

What Food Makes A Traditional British Easter?

Hi Foodies!

I love Spring -  the thawing weather (although not so much at the moment in the UK sadly), the green shoots of summer flowers beginning to peek through the soil, adorable lamps leaping across fields, and most of all...Easter!

Not only do I like what Easter represents- fresh starts, the end of winter, re-birth - but my favourite thing is of course the food! A traditional Easter spread is basically the same all over Britain and involves a crazy amount of baking and cooking over the weekend for the family, culminating in copious amounts of chocolate eggs! Or is that just my house?!

Images courtesy of here & here

Generally the first Easter goodie one can look forward to are hot cross buns. These spiced, sweet buns are made with currents or raisins and are traditionally marked with a cross to represent the symbol of crucifixion. These are eaten on the Friday before Easter Sunday  - although often throughout the week before - and folk law states if you share these with a friend your friendship will survive the following year! And not only that - they taste fab! Warm with a little butter = heaven.

The simnel cake is a fruit cake traditionally made to represent the end of lent. Originally this was made on Mother's Day in the days when servant girls would go home to visit their Mothers. The marzipan balls began to emerge and they represent the disciples! Another baked good popular in Britain are easter biscuits (check out a good recipe here) and these were in the past often given as gifts on Easter Sunday. Now, in my family, we make these early and eat during the week beforehand normally! For Easter lunch, for meat eaters, lamb is the most popular. This is often simply roasted served with roasted veg. and stuffed with herbs! Even as a non meat eater this does smell fantastic. I will be having roasted salmon topped with crusted pesto this Easter :)

And we can't forget Eggs of course! From chocolate to boiled - eggs symbolise Easter representing new beginnings. Since the middle ages it became popular to paint eggs pretty colours and over time this gradually developed into chocolate eggs! In Britain today it is typical for children to receive a chocolate egg, the choice of brand and chocolate is endless, and Easter egg hunts are great fun... I for one get very excited!

For a traditional British simnel cake recipe check out this video from Waitrose. Although, you can always buy a fantastic one these days ... I won't tell anyone!

If you celebrate Easter- I would love to know from any of you guys do it any differently around the world! If you are celebrating - I hope you have a delicious one!

The Easiest Yet Most Delicious Chocolate Mousse Ever?!

Hi Foodies!

Fancy something sweet this weekend? This week I have the perfect recipe for a simple weekend treat or even the ideal stress-free Easter dessert.

A favourite recipe among my family is the ever so easy, yet ever so yummy 'Instant Chocolate Mousse' from Nigella Lawson (check out her recipe page here) and I am not joking when I say it is easy- yet don't be fooled! This is a fantastically decadent dessert, and the great part is it contains absolutely no eggs whatsoever which makes the recipe list even shorter as well as meaning people who wish to avoid raw egg can grab a spoon too!

Can you tell I am in an Easter mood?

Ingredients 

150 grams of chopped up marshmallow

50 grams of soft butter

250 grams good quality dark chocolate chopped

60 ml hot water

284 ml double cream

1 tsp of vanilla extract 

1) Gently melt the marshmallow, butter and chocolate in a heavy based saucepan. Stir often - this should take around ten minutes on a low heat.

2) Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes while you whip the cream till thick and add the vanilla extract. 

3) Fold the cream into the chocolate gently until you have a smooth and thick, creamy mixture. Resist eating!

4) Pour into dishes or whatever containers you wish to use, the more adorable the better I think, and chill until firm. Should take only a couple of hours. 

This mousse is absolutely beautiful - and really is so simple. I think if you wished to jazz it up a little,  not that it needs it, you could add anything you fancy, perhaps a little lime zest for a citrus twist or even a little almond liquor! The choice is endless and I am sure would always be gorgeous. 

I want to try white chocolate next time!

I think a Nigella recipe is always a win from my experience - but this may be up in my top 5!

Have a yummy weekend! 

Chickpea Falafel Burgers

Hi Foodies!

Been a few weeks since a post from me  as I have simply not discovered any inspiring recipes lately that have lit my pesecetarian fire - however I am now back with a vengeance - armed with chickpeas!

I love burgers, always have, meat, fish or otherwise. Since I put a halt to eating meat I feel I have tasted so many veggie 'burgers' over these past couple of years, with the majority being fairly under-whelming to be honest.  I have also completely gone off the 'fake meat' burgers as I now personally think there must be something better than a burger that resembles something a scientist could have produced in a lab...

However, due to my weird craving of chickpeas recently, which I put down to my body wanting more protein, I decided to find the PERFECT chickpea burger recipe. And, I think this one is pretty damn good -  inspired from here! These are fairly simple, and could be altered to suit anyone's taste but will fulfil any one's craving for a good bite of  burger! Does anyone else get those cravings or is it just me?!

Ingredients (for 4 large burgers)

2 spring onions

80g mushrooms

1 400g tin of chickpeas  (drained and washed)

Small handful of chopped parsley

1 teaspoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon of curry powder

60 g breadcrumbs (stale if poss.)

1 egg whites

3 cloves of garlic

Olive oil

1) Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the chopped onion and diced mushrooms. and cook for 2 minutes stirring often.

2) Combine the chickpeas with the garlic cloves in a blender or with a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and combine with the onions and mushrooms. 

3) Mix in the parsley, turmeric and curry powder. Add the bread crumbs, some salt and pepper to taste, and egg whites and mix until blended. I think at this point it is nice to let the mix sit for a while in the fridge if you can , so the flavours can 'get friendly', for an hour or so. But you could of course carry on straight away if you wished.

4) Heat enough oil to lightly cover the pan and form the mix into 4 (or smaller if you want more) balls. Place in the pan when hot enough to sizzle and flatten slightly. Fry these for about 5 minutes each side until golden brown!

And that is it! I served with veg and hummus - which was a great combination. 

These are very simple yet really filling and flavoursome. 

I think when I make them next I will add a little lemon juice to 'zing' these up a little, and serve with salsa or guacamole in a lovely seeded roll :)

For more burger fun check out this fab quinoa burger I had in London' Borough Market here ...
For my salmon fish cakes (kind of similar to a burger!) check out this!

& while we are on the subject of chickpeas, check out some of the fantastic health benefits you can get from these little beauties:

More info here: blessedmom.hubpages.com

The 2 Ingredient Super Cookie!

Hi Foodies!

Yes, this is for real - cookies made of 2 ingredients!

Yes, you can add in any extras you fancy but essentially there are only 2 base ingredients needed for these little beauties. I came across the recipe when trying to find a healthy biscuit for afternoon snacking or perhaps even for breakfast. However, it seems all the 'healthy' recipes out there for such a biscuit involve flour, eggs, apple sauce, extra sugar- you name it and I thought nooooo there must be something else that is truly, 100% healthy. And there is!!

Check out the extensive ingredient list:

2 ripe bananas

1-2 cups of oats 

1) Mash up the bananas and then chuck in the oats, as the size of bananas vary you may need to add more oats if the mixture is too loose. The mixture should be fairly sticky but strong enough to more or less roll into a shape when you mould it into a cookie form. 

2) You add anything you fancy! I added a little cinnamon and a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. I wanted to make them fairly savoury tasting for breakfasts :)

Walnuts would be gorgeous or some dark chocolate chunks! Really the choice is yours and it is endless! I think next time I will try a little honey and raisins for a sweeter flavour. 

3) Divide the mixture into around 8-10 large cookies, flatten them slightly, and spread on a baking tray (with grease proof paper). Cook on high, arond 230 degrees Celsius for around 15-20 minutes until you can feel they are firm to the touch and the oats are golden brown. 

And that is it! They are very chunky and filling and GORGEOUS. If your used to sweet cookies, as let's face it most of us are, these may taste a little plain to start with as they literally have no added sugars whatsoever depending on what your adding, but if you fancy a healthy snack or exciting breakfast why not give these a try!

Great with a cup of tea! 

For another super simple and healthy recipe involving bananas, check out my 2 ingredient- 100% natural pancakes!

Healthy Mac & Cheese?!

Hi Foodies!

While doing my usual recipe perusing online this week I stumbled upon a the fantastic monimeals.com - check it out guys! So many great, simple and healthy recipes, and even though converting American cups into grams always freaks me out a little, but I got though it!

And I am glad I did! This week I tried out a new recipe for me, 'Healthy and Easy Mac n Cheese' which seems to be the most popular recipe on her site, and no wonder! What makes it healthy you ask? Well, my new fave ingredient - quinoa.

While not the most photogenic of dishes this is packed with a nutritional punch and gives you tons of protein. Quinoa is a seed, yup not a grain, and is such a benefit to a non-meat eating pantry. I dislike pasta somewhat as it makes me feel heavy and sluggish but I do love the idea of mac and cheese so I jumped at the chance to make a healthier version with this nutty tasting bundle of goodness!

This is very simple, has easy and inexpensive ingredients but is so, so filling it is perfect for a weekly batch of dinners. Even though it fills you up you do not get that 'I just ate a large bowl of pasta' feeling for the rest of the day which I love, and you can alter it as you wish! More or less cheese for example and really any veg you wish to chuck in!

Ingredients 

1 small leek chopped up into small chunks

1 tomato chopped

1 1/2 cups of quinoa

2 cloves of minced garlic

3 cups of water lightly mixed with stock

1 large whisked egg

1 cup of milk (any type you like) 

1 cup of strong grated cheese

Optional (a little spicy pepper, mustard, lemon etc)

( for weight equivalents check out this site)

1) Gently cook the leeks and tomato in a little hot oil for around 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in the washed and drained quinoa and cook along with the veg for around another 5 mins. They will not be fully cooked yet.

2) Add three cups of hot water with a little stock in and season (careful with salt here if your stock is salted). Cover and reduce heat allowing mix to gently cook for around 20 mins. All the liquid should be soaked up and the mix fairly dry. Remove from the heat and stand for 5 mins to soak up any excess liquid. 

3) By now you should have a  pre-hated oven of around 350F (180-200 degrees Celsius) . In a large baking dish (around 13x10 inches) drop in the quinoa mix which you should have mixed in with the cheese and milk. I also added a little mustard here and some chilli flakes.  

4) Top with bread crumbs and bake! This should take around 25-30 mins, so the mix is lightly brown and crispy. And that is it, so simple! Remove from the oven and perhaps leave to stand for 5 minutes- it will be very hot!

Serve with veg and a smile :)

  Some crunchy brown bread on the side with sour cream would work well I think. If you wanted to make this even lighter, you could easily lessen the cheese - I will bel next time as with a strong cheddar for example, you do not need so much. 

I LOVE this recipe!! So easy and inexpensive and you could literally add any veg you like! 

Lemon & Lime - The Natural Cleanser

Hi Foodies!

This may not be the most exciting or decadent post of mine ever - however I have recently began drinking lemon and lime water for a few extra nutrients in this cold weather. I first came upon this idea from Taralynn at undressedskeleton.tumblr and I love it - I feel so much more energetic once I have downed a large glassful - which is a nice change as I have been feeling super sluggish lately.  I really recommend this to anyone wanting to have a natural boost!

Into one large glass of water, I mix the juice of one entire lime and half a large lemon. You could alternatively make a larger batch and leave to cool in the fridge while drinking though out the day. I use chilled water although many reports say using slightly warm water is better in terms of weight loss, but seeing as I am drinking this mainly for the nutrients I will stick with cold which I prefer :) This will be a great summer drink!

The best thing I like about this combo is that the lemon and lime work together as a kind of natural antiseptic - literally cleaning you from the inside out! I think this could be perhaps the most natural way of detoxifying, forget all those crazy juice cleanses. I am aiming to eat clean, healthy food with one, large glass of this everyday for added fibre and these great, cleansing properties. My main aim is to boost my immune system as I swear I am always surrounded by sick people at University and I don't want to be one of them! 

Check out some other great health benefits from this cooling drink:

1) Aids digestion
2) Freshens breath
3) Clears pores
4) Full of antioxidants
5) Helps prevent heart disease
6) Promotes immunity- great for the season!
7) Aids in liver health
8) Helps oxygenate the body

Savvy Student Food Shopping!

Hi Foodies!

As a food loving student myself, I know how sometimes one's enthusiasm for ingredient exploration can clash with a generally meagre student budget! 

The average student seems to me to spend around £25-30 on food a week which is for most of us a large proportion of our weekly budget. Therefore, as my student life has progressed I have strongly come to believe that it is so important to spend this money wisely so you can eat yummy food and really get the most our of your weekly food haul! It is so easy to waste money on food - think how much you could save for fun things if you are food savvy!



Check out my tips: 

1) Substitute meats 

This is speaking to any meat eaters out there - meat is generally the most expensive thing you can buy in a super market but it is possible to substitute some of your weekly meat and save dough!

Consider buying pork mince as this is the cheapest meat compared to others like beef.

Use meat like food items! If you can get used to them, things like Qourn are a great way to save money on meat - they go a lot further and are a lot cheaper. You don't even have to get rid of all your meat, even substituting half a Shepherd's pie with Qourn mince rather than meat you can save £s as well as fat. It's really a win - win!

2) Find your cheapest supermarket

In the UK at least we certainly have supermarkets which seem to aim at different people. 'Waitrose' for example is often thought to favoured by middle-class, older customers with a little more disposable income whereas 'Tesco' and 'Asda' for example seem to price their items a little lower, with generally a lot more of a focus on 'deals' which, if treated with caution, can be great for students!

Source

Why not use a price comparison website like mysupermarket to scout out the stores in your local area. I personally would always recommend shopping generally in one, cheap store rather than shopping around. This way you can keep an eye on your budget more easily as you are spending it in one go. Also, avoid local corner shops!! These places are very, very pricey as they know you are going there for convenience - don't give in!!




3) Know your (natural) nutrients 

This applies to everyone but especially those with a 'special' diet like no meat, fish, vegan etc. Rather than buying tons of food you think you will want and need, research what your body actually will be needing that week. I believe you do not need to be buying expensive 'super foods' or pricey vitamins - just your bog standard healthy grub can give you all your body craves.

It can also be super cheap and simple once you have an idea what contains what - for example did you know one hard boiled egg contains only around 70 cals but tons of nutrients and iron and the best part - 6 grams of protein! So, if you research natural sources of nutrients and protein you won't need to spend triple the price on fancy 'protein' bars. I think the rule is simple, eat clean and natural and you will be getting all the natural nutrients you need and if you can't afford the 'super' foods like avacado, blueberries etc - research what you can afford. A simple apple will give you plenty of good stuff and will leave you a LOT fuller than an 'energy' bar - I guarantee it.


4) Buy own brand when you can 

If you shift from branded food to a supermarkets 'own' food you can save up to 34%  on average on your shop. I swear I can generally never taste the difference on most things - especially pulses, nuts and seeds and teas.

5) Be careful with offers

We have all done it, giving into an attractive 'buy one get two free' - but think, is this really a bargain if it is just going to rot in your fridge? These offers may seem attractive but consider if you really need that food and how much they cost before the offer. It is no bargain if you are buying 3 bags of lrage potatoes just because they are on 'sale' - you will never get through them just by yourself! Just stick to a list and use some common sense here. Shops would never put 'sales' on if it wasn't to benefit themselves at the end of the day...

Source

6) Plan, plan and plan again!

I cannot stress my favourite point enough - always plan your weeks meals before hand! I always do this, not just because I enjoy being a little bit of a list nerd, but because it REALLY does help. I plan what I am going eat for breakfasts, lunches and dinners and how I can buy food that combines easily together so I waste nothing. This takes a little practice but is well worth it I promise you. You could even stick that up on your fridge to so you stick to it throughout the week. I think I save around £5 worth in food when I plan it before hand. Then stick to your list in the store - don't get too excited at the prospect of filling your basket! Just stay strong and keep with the plan. This helps if you NEVER go shopping on an empty stomach as a hungry tummy will play tricks with your mind and make you feel you need those half price Pringles... eat before hand.  Also, perhaps plan with friends to cook for one another- maybe once a week?

7) Student discount? Point scheme? 

Always ask if they do a discount for students! 'Somerfield' in the UK for example does a discount of 5% for students. Ask around as you never know. 'Tesco' also has a reward scheme where you can build up points and use these either on food or fun trips and things like the cinema. These points take a while to build up but most certainly worth it in the long run!

Source

So there are my 7 main points for saving some cash when food shopping. Stay smart out there, save cash and enjoy your food! 

I have found the more you learn to use 'simpler' ingredients, the better you get at thinking how to use them all up and the less you feel the need to splash out on unessaries. Of course I encourage you to treat yourself though! I am planning on making a new and 'exciting' recipe 2 or 3 times a month where I can test out new ingredients and perhaps spend a little more on 'fancy' ingredients.

Check out some of my more inexpensive 'student' meals here:
100% Natural Pancakes - 2 ingredients!
Red Lentil Dahl
Simple Quinoa
Leek and Celery Soup
Overnight Oats
Warming Vegetable Stew
Kippers and Crushed New Potatoes
Ramen Noodles from Scratch!

Have you got any tips?