Summerberry Scrunch

This recipe is a super healthy, delicious mix of soft greek yogurt, summer fruits and crumbly oat topping. The oaty topping is full of protein rich nuts and seeds and uses margarine to help reduce 'bad' cholesterol by lowering the amount of LDLs (low density lipoproteins) in the blood. The use of honey and Agave syrup with minimal muscovado sugar provide sweetness in the most natural way possible. Omitting double cream and using greek yoghurt gives a healthy creamy contrast to the sharpness of the summer fruits.

Diet? What Diet?! 2 Ingredient Banana Pancakes

I just have to share these insane pancakes. They're the healthiest, tastiest pancakes around and best of all they're made from just two ingredients.

Aubergine cannellini bean bake

I think I've mentioned before in previous posts that aubergine is somewhat my nemesis. I never seem able to cook it properly - the skin always ends up really tough while the soft middle goes stringy. Luckily those days are finally over as BBC Good Food has the perfect way of cooking it. 

This recipe for baked aubergine in a tomato and cannellini sauce is a perfect weekday dinner and exceptionally healthy - low in calories and high protein from the cannellini beans. 

To make enough to feed 2, you will need

2 aubergines

1 tin of cannellini beans, drained

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp tomato puree 

1 tsp sugar

extra virgin olive oil

Parmesan 

1. Start by preheating the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

2. Cut the aubergine in half length ways (keeping the stalk intact) and slash the flesh.

3. Place in a snug oven proof dish and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 30 minutes or until the flesh is soft.

4. In the meantime, fry off the onion and garlic in a little olive oil over a low heat for approximately 5 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, mixed herbs and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Half fill the tomato can with water and add this too. Finally, add the cannellini beans. 

6. Cook over a medium heat for around ten minutes or until the sauce has nicely thickened.

7. Remove the aubergine from the oven dish, pour in the sauce and replace the aubergine. 

8. Grate some parmesan over the top and return to the oven for 5 minutes or until the parmesan is nice and bubbly.

9. Serve with a crisp green salad.

What's your favourite way of cooking aubergine? 

Food: A vegetarian week

I don't eat an awful lot of meat, but I'm a bit of a sucker for really awful processed meat like sausages and bacon (they're just too tasty). So this week, I've been trying to eat far more vegetarian food. Veggie food tends to be healthy and pretty inexpensive so win win all round.

On Sunday, I followed one of Jamie's 15 minute meal's recipe and made a very healthy falafel and wholemeal wrap complete with homemade salsa. The falafel was practically dry fried which makes it far healthier than its deep fried alternative.

Falafel - makes 8
1 large tin of chickpeas
1 large tin of mixed bean
1 tsp all spice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp Harissa
1 tbsp plain flour
stalks of a bunch of fresh coriander (use the leaves to make a salsa; recipe below)
vegetable oil

Restaurant Review: The Beano - Guildford Institute

The Beano - Guildford Institute

Martin and I were going to a party in Guildford last Saturday night and we were super happy about it, because it meant one thing, another visit to Beano - Guildford's best kept secret.

Food: recent eats

praline meringue cupcakes

It's safe to say that it has been a very greedy week so far. I've tried to balance it slightly with gym visits and yoga, but not sure I've cancelled out all the food. I just thought I'd share some pics of what I've been munching on.