Recipe: Coconut & Carrot Cake

The other week Laura and I made a Carrot and Coconut Paleo cake together (although Laura was more the chef and I sue- chef).  As most of my friends know Laura and I are major health advocates.  So rest assure, although this is still a cake, there are a few health bonus's to eating this baby. 

Super moist, googey and yummy.  What you can see inside the cake is coconut flakes, grated carrot, raisons, and walnuts.  This cake tasted like the regular carrot cake, but less sweet and with a different coconuty icing.  

Find Laura's recipe here.

Recipe: A Creamy Crunchy Avocado Parsley Salad

This is the best.  So easy to make, and super healthy.

I n g r e d i e n t s

s a l a d:

1 avocado (ripe)

150g sweetcorn

1 celery (with lots of sticks)

One large handful of parsley

d r e s s i n g

2 tbs of cold pressed rape seed oil

1 tbs dijon mustard

Garlic (granules, squeezy, or fresh- fresh will be potent thought)

juice of 1 juicy lemon

salt

lemon pepper

tbs of garlic-y humus

6 chopped small pickled onions

2 tsp of pickled onion vinegar

D o: 

1) Chop everything up into a large bowl; 

a) Slice avo in half and dice both sides. Squidge out any of the lovely darker green avo in the mixing bowl (this mixes with the dressing and makes it more creamy).

b) Slice the celery sticks. 

c) Chop the parsley (the smaller the better).  Parsley is quite a strong herb so a large leaf of it isn't always the best. 

d) Whack your sweetcorn in the bowl too. 

2) Chop your small pickled onions into little tiny pieces and put in a smaller bowl. 

3) Add other dressing ingredients with your shallots and stir.  Add more of any of the ingredients to your taste and stir again. 

4) Pour dressing over salad and mix well.

5) Serve immediately

N u t r i t i o n

Recipe: Broccoli Bean Mint Fritatta

So yesterday I had a late lunch, and when it got to the designated dinner time (7.30) I really wasn't that hungry.  Instead of having a jumbled inadequate meal of random yummies, I decided to make the light meal of a fritatta.  A fritatta is meant to be the healthy version of a quiche: pastry free egg concoction. A fritatta is also meant to have potato or some similar root vegetable in it. But as I follow a paleo diet and also the fact that those veggies generally take a while to cook without a microwave, I left them out.  So essentially, here you have a baked omelet.

This particular one is a roasted broccoli, green bean and mint one. 

NUTRITION: 

Broccoli is a nutrient- dense wonder vegetable.  It is high in Vitamin A and C: both vitamins do wonderful thing to your skin and also your immune system among other things. Broccoli is also high in folic acid, calcium and fiber.  

Green beans (or french beans), like brocoli is also high in vitamin A and C, fibre and calcium. Beans also have quite a high amont of protein in them for a vegetable.  So if you are a veggie, go wild on these little strips of green.

Not only does mint taste delicious and fresh, it is great for digestion. It is anti-inflammatory and settles the stomach.  That is why a fresh mint tea is fantastic to have after a big meal. Mint can also help with nausea, headaches and coughs.

Eggs are a wonderful food full of protein, healthy fats, all your amino acids, b vitamins, iron, you get the idea.- They are just fabulous for you.

So not only are you eating a yummy meal, you are making yourself more beautiful, healthier and intelligent.

Figgy and Sprout: Raw Almond Yoghurt

Figgy and Sprout is one of those enviable foodie blogs with a 'clean' design, gorgeous photography and lovely, educational and inspiring words.  Hats off to Katie who is the blogger behind this website as there are plenty a healthy recipe that I am running to the kitchen to try out-  if only I had one of those beautiful kitchens with dark wood, cute plates and convenient lighting. 

This recipe caught my eye as I am an absolute yoghurt obsessive, health freak and lover of Almonds. I bring to you Figgy and Sprouts 

RAW  ALMOND  YOGHURT

nom nom nom

This recipe is Vegan friendly and gluten free. 

Probiotics have always had a positive review.  Here is what Katie (from Figgy and Sprout) says about Probiotics. 

"Probiotics are getting a big publicity boost in mainstream media these days. They have always been good for us, but now people seem to be talking about them more, which is a good thing. Acidophilus provides the health benefits of fermentation, the largest of which is the introduction of probiotics into our system. A balance of good bacteria is necessary for optimal immune system functioning and intestinal health. In addition, fermented foods aid our bodies in absorbing vitamins (particularly vitamins C and B12), minerals and omega-3 fatty acids from food."

So Im off to order my probiotic powder... buy yours from Amazon.

GOOP: Make: Winter Greens, Kabocha Squash & Peeled Pear Salad

Another beautiful post by Gwyneth Paltrow/ her team at GOOP. As I have previously stated, I love this blog and I also love Gwyneth. This 'Greens, Squash and Pear Salad' looked amazing. Lunch anyone? 

VOILE! All done. Im hungry now. 

Banana Pancakes

Pancake day... ahem.. I mean Shrove Tuesday.. is around the corner (its next week). As I have been brought up going to Christian schools, but in a family and society that is pretty much atheist  Shrove Tuesday has always been celebrated, but celebrated for the fun of making pancakes.  

As a lover of all things healthy I have adopted this pancake recipe as my go-to breakfast. The average joe who is not bothered about eating healthy often looks at me in disbelief when I say I mash egg and banana together to make my pancake mixture.  But what is so nice about fried flour and milk I ask?  The sweetness of banana and flavour of egg goes together like Catharine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas; unconventional, unexpected, they look wrong together but they make a rather sweet and successful couple... so give it a go!  Why don't cha?!

Banana Pancakes: Makes 1 pancake

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 banana
baking powder
coconut oil
linseeds


Instructions:
1) Mash banana, whisk egg with a sprinkle of baking powder all in one bowl
2) Grease frying pan with coconut oil. Sprinkle pan with linseeds.  This is for added fibre and omega threes but also gives a nice crunch and helps with the non stick business.
3) Heat pan until hot then pour eggy mixture in the pan. Cook. Flip the pancake when you can see that it is mostly cooked and when you give the pan a jiggle the pancake moves in its form. So flip it then cook it for about 20 seconds more then serve on a plate.

Topping Suggestions: 
Drizzle of coconut oil
Drizzle of honey
Cocoa nibs
Peanut Butter
Berries
More banana
Greek Yoghurt
Ricotta Cheese
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Chopped roasted nuts
Seeds

... the possibilities are endless


NB:  They are not very filling so if you are not going over board with the toppings then you might want two... just saying...

Toasted Coconut

Toasted coconut is one of my favourite treats.  I first had this in Kenya when we went over to a friends house for dinner. Whilst we were all sipping on cold coke’s, ginger ale’s and beers, Suzi brought out a bowl of this healthy snack. Coconut, sun, a cold bevi and the beautiful scenery of the Kenyan beach, we were really in luxury.  Not only is this snack healthy full of good fats, it is very easy to make.

Thinly slice fresh coconut (the best), or coconut chunks which you can buy at any good supermarket (I know Waitrose in England does this). 

Once all your coconut is sliced nicely, place on a tray with foil.

Sprinkle/ grind some sea salt on your coconut.  Place your tray of salted sliced coconut under the grill. Toast for five minutes until the coconut is lightly brown. Turn the slices over and toast for a further two minutes. 

And voile la! You have your toasted coconut treat. Put in a bowl and serve.  This tastes surprisingly like popcorn.  Although this treat is healthy, it is high in healthy fats. So eat in moderation- like everything I guess.   It is for this reason you will get very full quite quickly from this treat.