Protein Punch Pancakes

I like to enjoy pancakes all year round, but with Shrove Tuesday coming up it seemed appropriate to share my favourite recipe.

I always feel like a little treat for breakfast when it comes to the weekend. Aside from a cheeky lie in, a super tasty breakfast is what I look forward to with a little more time to make something special.

I have been slowly weaning myself off the usual bowl of porridge favouring a savoury protein hit in the morning. This makes the sweetness of pancakes just like having dessert for breakfast!. They are still full of goodness and (virtually) guilt free.
Like most pancakes, the mixture doesn't pack too much flavour making them super versatile. Top them with whatever you fancy/ need to use up in the fridge!

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/3 cup oats
2 tbsps Greek yogurt or quark
dash of almond milk
1/2 banana (use the other half to top!)

Topping ideas:
Berry compote- blend together a handful of berries! (add a drop of honey or maple syrup for a sweet tooth)
Sliced banana, nut butter and dark chocolate
Apple sauce and cinnamon (add raisins to the mix to complete this combo)
Greek yogurt and berries

• Combine all the batter ingredients in a blender until smooth
• Pour dollops of mixture onto a preheated non-stick frying pan
• When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip the pancakes using a spatula
• After another minute (or when of desired colour) pop on a plate
• Continue to do this until you have used all the batter
• Stack up the pancakes, pile on your craved toppings and enjoy!

Not so Naughty Pecan Pie

When I saw "Christmas pecans" heavily reduced in Tesco, my thrifty self couldn't resist. Each year my Granny gets a huge package of pecans sent from cousins in America and makes the scrummiest pecan pie.
With new years resolutions, I decided to mix up the recipe and create a lighter, healthier, "January approved" edition. Free from refined sugar, gluten, grains and potentially dairy, this is the perfect treat that is no where near as naughty as it tastes.

Adapting Hemsley and Hemsley's mince pie pastry and using a filling of natural store cupboard ingredients you can have guilt free indulgence!

Ingredients:

Almond crust: 

• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 tsp of sea salt 
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3/4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp butter, room temperature (sub for coconut oil for vegan option)
• 1 egg

Pecan filling:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 cups pecans
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 180oC and grease a 24cm tart tin 
• Put all the pastry ingredients in a food processor, mix until well combined and a doughy texture.
• Wrap the ball of dough in cling film and place in the fridge while you make the filling.
• Put all the filling ingredients apart from the pecans in a bowl and whisk to combine.
• Break the pecans into pieces, add to the mixture (I left half a cup for decoration) and stir.
• Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper until a few millimetres thick, or large enough for the tin with a bit of overhang.
• Blind bake the case for about 15 minutes using baking paper and baking beans (or rice)
• Take off the baking paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes
• Pour in the filling (and decorate with reserved pecans)
• Bake for a further 25-30 minutes until firm. 

*** Best served warm with banana ice cream or greek yogurt ***

Nutty Chocolate Energy Balls

During my vegan week I decided to find something to kick my chocolate cravings without actually eating chocolate.
Energy balls are the perfect solution and now that I have my nutribullet with me in Germany, super easy to make!
They are also really versatile and you can add dried fruits/ nuts/ seeds to your taste. I was inspired by a Deliciously Ella recipe, but changed the ratio of nuts to dates for a more nutty consistency.

Using peanut butter rather than almond butter makes it that much more tasty (and budget friendly) and just cause peanut butter is 💜

Ingredients:
150g dates
150g almonds
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp peanut butter
1-2 tbsp cocoa (depending on how chocolatey you want them)

1. Place the almonds in a food processor (or nutribullet) and grind to form a course flour
2. Add the other ingredients and continue processing until the ingredients are evenly distributed and all sticking nicer together.
3. Break off small sections and roll into balls.
4. Refrigerate for 1 hour (if you can wait that long)

Store in the fridge

Since my vegan week I have been experimenting with ingredients and my obsession with Nutella has lead to creating hazelnut chocolate truffles. So scrummy and the perfect evening snack for those post-dinner sugar cravings.

Ingredients:
200g hazelnuts
150g dates
1 tbsp chia seeds
1-2 tbsp cocoa (depending on how chocolatey you want them)
1 tbsp peanut butter
A splash of nut milk

1. Roast the hazelnuts until their skins start to fall off and they smell divine

2. Leave to cool and then rub off the skins with a tea towel
3. Pulse in a food processor (or nutribullet) until the oils start to be released and just before it completely turns to nut butter.

4. Add the other ingredients and continue to process.
5. When all the ingredients are nicely mushed together break off small sections and roll into balls

☆☆ For extra texture and flavour, roll the balls in chopped nuts or coconut before refrigerating☆☆

Vegan week

So today marks the end of my week of veganism.
It's so easy to get stuck into a routine of the same or similar recipes, uninspiringly focused around a piece of meat. For me this was particularly due to the high protein diet I had been trying to achieve.
Now that I am working, with much less time to workout, protein should be less of a priority.
To remove myself from the macro mindset I have become so used to I set myself the small challenge of going vegan for one week.
This was a great way to test out some new recipes with new flavours and new influences!

My favourite part.. eating porridge again!

When looking for recipes for the week a great website that somewhat surprised me was Jamie Oliver. He has some really great, tasty vegan recipes that also have the perfect concentration on healthy, wholesome food.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/special-diets/vegan/

I started the week on an absolute high with a super filling, warming, comfort food - chilli con veggie
Many of the ingredients are simple store cupboard staples - lentils, beans, chopped toms and some easy spices. Its just like a big blanket in a bowl and I can't recommend it enough as winter kicks in.

Next up was a recipe I haven't used in so long but is perfect for the season- Butternut squash soup!
Its so sweetly satisfying for a speedy dinner after work - for an added crunch I roast the seeds for 10 minutes while the soup is cooking.


One of my favourite vegan curry recipes is by Deliciously Ella. It has the perfect combination of spices and coconut milk for a creamy, yet wholesome meal. I adapted this recipe to incorporate a larger variety of veg providing the perfect one-pot meal, with leftovers for lunch :) My housemates will vouch for me- the smells in the kitchen that day were just too good!



A couple of weeks ago a vegetarian friend from work introduced me to tofu. I have used it before, but was disappointed with the lack of flavour and texture. Apparently I had just picked up entirely the wrong sort! Smoked tofu ( or Räucher tofu ) is super delicious and a great meat substitute to bulk out some vegan meals.
I decided to use it during this week in one of my go-to, speedy, after work meals- stir fry!
Here I used many of the veggies that typically are in my fridge- peppers, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, spinach.
Sticking with tradition I cooked it in sesame oil which brings such a delicious aroma when heated (something I have grown up associating with stir fry). Simply adding in a splash of soy sauce at the end to bring all the flavours together.



Risotto was one of the meals that really caused me to develop a love of cooking. I have gradually got more and more confident with different combinations that I now rarely use risotto rice at all, favouring more whole grains. This week I decided to use quinoa to make my spinach and mushroom risotto. Again, a really simple recipe with a secret ingredient to add that signature creaminess, without sacrificing veganism- coconut milk! A couple of tablespoons added towards the end brings the dish together and makes it all that much more filling.







I hadn't really planned a meal for Saturday night- very unlike me! But was able to quickly whip something up with the ingredients I had left over. After a quick peruse back through Jamie Oliver's recipes and, using this, came up with a super delicious ratatouille simply served with white beans and extra basil.












For snacks throughout the week I decided to deviate away from the usual ryvitas with peanut butter in favour of something slightly more adventurous - energy balls!
They were so scrummy I'm not even sure how I managed to make them last most of the week! I took inspiration from Deliciously Ella - a family favourite recipe, but reduced the ingredients to 100g almonds, 100g dates, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 3 tbsps cocoa, 2 tbsps of peanut butter- marginally more budget friendly and a reduced sugar content. Surprisingly, they didn't crumble at all and the peanut butter flavour came through perfectly combined with the cocoa.
An ideal healthy sweet treat for naughty chocolate cravings.



One of my favourite recipes developed this week was fruit compote. I was getting bored of having the same fruit on/ in my porridge each day and decided to mix it up a little. By simply stewing apples with frozen mixed berries, a delicious sweet sauce was created. It also provides the perfect base for apple crumble ;) . Stored in a jar and providing enough topping for a couple bowls of morning porridge. A great use of those autumnal apples

The past week has been a great experience and I definitely recommend it- perfect for when you are just getting bored of the same meals, forcing yourself to think outside of the box and deviate away from the normal meat and 3 veg. I'm happy to be having omelettes again and the odd roast chicken but without a doubt there will be many more plant-based meal discoveries to come.

Apple and cinnamon breakfast bars

These bars/ cookies are the perfect grab and go breakfast. Adapted from my apple, cinnamon and raisin flapjacks for the very limited ingredients I have in my cupboard and for a slightly different nutritional content.
I like them best as an energy boost mid-afternoon and pre-workout.

I created both vegan and non vegan versions both of which are easily adaptable to tastes and cravings!

Vegan bars Ingredients: 

• 1 generous cup of oats
• 1 large super ripe banana (mashed)
• 2 tbsps apple purée
• A handful of chopped nuts
• 1/2 apple chopped into small pieces
• Generous sprinkle of cinnamon (about 2 tsps)

Non-vegan bars:

• 1 generous cup oats
• 3 tbsps Apple purée
• 1 egg
• A handful of chopped nuts
• 1/2 an apple chopped into small pieces
• Generous sprinkle of cinnamon 
• *half a banana for extra sweetness* optional

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a small baking tin with baking paper
• Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine
• Transfer the mix to the baking tin and pat down to compact
• Alternatively roll the mixture into balls (this can get messy) and place on a baking tray
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until starting to golden and firm to touch. 
• Best warm out of the oven but also good up to 3 days later stored in the fridge. 

***change the nuts for raisins or chocolate chips and add a tbsp of honey if you are craving an even sweeter taste. Sub the apple pieces for strawberry for a berry burst***

Tuna Burgers

Yay! My first recipe from Munich!

For the next year I will be working full time as part of my degree.
Which means much more of a focus on quick meals to make in the evening and plenty of meal prep!
In addition to this my internship is in Munich. Lots of new foods around and struggles to find my staples has made food shopping and meal planning a weekly struggle. However, I am learning when and where to go for what and more importantly, the name of all my favourite foods in German!

And so... here comes my first super quick, super tasty and entirely spontaneous recipe from Munich.
Made with ingredients available pretty much anywhere and easily adaptable to preference.
The leftovers are also perfect for lunch the next day!

Ingredients:

• 1 can tuna in water
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1/4 cup grated courgette
• sprinkle of mixed herbs
• 1 egg

Method:

• Drain the tuna (the less liquid the better), chop the onion 
• Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix together 
• Shape into patties (this can get a little messy)
• Add to frying pan with a little oil and fry for a couple of minutes on each side
• Serve with salad, lentils, veg, or in a wholegrain bap.

*** Alternatively, bake in the oven at 180oC for 20 minutes, turning halfway through ***

Crowd Pleaser ~ Healthy Fajitas

Fajitas are quite a new thing to me. I have to admit Mexican isn't something I had really ventured into. I had always thought it was so unhealthy... Until now!
These fajitas are full of natural, metabolism-boosting, nutritious ingredients. Simple, easy substitutions remove the unnecessary added sugars in packet salsa and spice mixes. Using wholemeal tortillas instead of white ups the fiber and reduces the GI. For a lighter option skip the tortillas completely and serve with greens or salad wraps.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4):

500g chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 pack of wholemeal tortillas
2 large peppers, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
spinach to serve

Spice mix:
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika
pinch of salt and pepper

Salsa:
2 large tomatoes
1/4 onion
2 garlic cloves
bunch of basil (optional)

Method:

• Heat 1tbsp oil in a large frying pan or wok and add the chicken
• Stir fry until sealed.
• Whilst the chicken is cooking, chop up the tomatoes and onion finely and add to the crushed garlic and basil. Blitz with a hand blender for a smoother consistency. Transfer to a bowl to serve. 
• Add the pepper red onion to the chicken and continue to stir fry until cooked through
• Add the spice mix and stir to combine
• Warm the tortillas in a microwave for 1 minute
• Serve directly from the wok with your choice of guac, sour cream or cheese and of course the salsa!