I have previously mentioned about reducing sugar in the things I bake and these biscuits only contain maple syrup and raisins for sweetness. They are quite plain but this make me realise how much added sugar is in processed products. These biscuits are quite dry so they would be perfect for dipping into your tea!!
Recipe: Mini Oat raisin Biscuits (makes 12)
Ingredients
50g oats
50g plain flour
1/2 baking powder
Pinch of cinnamon
20g raisins
20g butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp milk or milk alternative
Method
Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Melt the butter, syrup and 3 tablespoons of milk together, pour into the bowl and mix together until a dough forms.
The dough might be a little stiff so you could add a little more milk, otherwise roll out onto a lightly floured surface and use a cutter to cut out the biscuit shapes.
Place on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes and leave to cool on a wire rack before eating.
With the winter season officially being in full effect for a while now, homemade pasta is definitely a winner for most people. Something filling and warming on those really cold and rainy days. I’ve included a range of vegetables to keep it healthy and nutritious. For a healthier version you could swap to wholewheat pasta, mozzarella instead of cheddar and reduced salt/sugar pasta sauce.
Recipe: Oven Pasta Bake (serves 2-3)
Ingredients
150g fusilli
100g sweetcorn
1 tin tuna
1/4 onion, finely diced
50g kale, roughly chopped
1 carrot, grated
440g pasta sauce
3 slices of cheese
Method
Cook the pasta a few minutes less according to the packet.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to gas mark 6.
Prepare all of the ingredients and place into a large bowl, except the cheese slices.
Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the bowl and mix everything well.
Place the pasta mix into an oven dish and break the cheese pieces over the top.
Today’s post is all about these delicious cake slices. I’m trying to create recipes that are slightly healthier but still taste good. I decided to use a dark chocolate with a cocoa percentage higher than 70% because it contains less sugar and is much healthier. Dark chocolate is also a great source of antioxidants providing health benefits to the body. It is important to check the ingredients when buying dark chocolate because most products sold are not what they claim. Oats are linked to a feeling of fullness and provide digestive benefits. Oats are also nutrient dense and contain good sources of fibre, carbohydrates and manganese. These cake slices tasted so good and I would recommend eating it freshly baked and warm straight from the oven.
Recipe: Dark Chocolate Oat Cake Slices (5 slices)
Ingredients
60g butter
60g sugar
1 egg
50g self raising flour
25g oats
2 blocks dark chocolate, grated
Method
Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl and mix in the egg.
Next add the flour, oats and grated chocolate.
Combine everything in a bowl and place in the tin, bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until fully cooked. Leave to cool before serving.
Today I made these really delicious fritters, using saltfish, spring onion and kale, which can easily be substituted with spinach or callaloo. Jamaican Fritters can vary in ingredients and are really easy to make, after combining the ingredients into the flour to make a batter, they are fried until golden. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside is the most perfect combination. They can be quite oily so they make the perfect side dish and as you can see I ate it with a little salad and broccoli. The golden colour is achieved through frying but also from the turmeric which is a great antioxidant and has many anti inflammatory properties. In the recipe the saltfish is boiled and rinsed with water only once therefore it still remains slightly salty, this allows the fritters to have a nice balance of salt, spice and herbs.
The salted fish is of course high in salt and could increase the chances of high blood pressure which is why it is boiled and rinsed to reduce the intake of salt. On the positive side, saltfish is a high source of protein, sugar free and low in fat. Kale, which is one of my favourite vegetables, is low in calories and has minimal carbohydrate content making is great for weight loss recipes, as long as it is cooked with little fat, sugar and salt. Kale is from the cabbage family and one of the most nutrient dense foods eaten today, it is also very high in vitamin C, vitamin K and a range of powerful antioxidants.
Recipe: Saltfish and kale fritters
Ingredients
Self raising flour
80g saltfish
Handful of kale
1/2 spring onion, finely sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli sauce
1 sprig of dried thyme
Water
Method
Firstly, heat some oil in a dutch pot.
Prepare all of the ingredients and combine together in a large bowl.
Slowly add the water stirring consistently until it makes a loose dough with a dropping consistency.
Once the oil is hot enough, use a tablespoon to add the mixture into the pot.
Cook for 5 minutes on each side. preheat the oven to gas mark 4.
Place kitchen paper on a tray and place each fritter on top so that the oil can be soaked up.
Place the cooked fritters into the oven to keep warm whilst the others are cooking.
Hello everyone and Happy New Year!! I hope this week has been treating you well so far. Last year was quite tough for many of us so I wish you all a wonderful 2021, onwards and upwards only 🙂
For anyone looking for a quick-ish breakfast recipe this is perfect for you. Only just a few ingredients that most people have in their kitchen cupboards and it requires minimal effort. I have used a nice, thick slice of bread to allow the egg to be soaked up and maple syrup which is commonly known as a natural sweetener and healthier than sugar. Although maple syrup contains some vitamins and minerals, it is very high in sugar and should be consumed in low quantities. Eggs are a great breakfast source because they contain lots of protein which helps to repair and maintain the body, as well as being a long lasting source of energy.
Recipe: French toast and maple syrup (serves 1)
Ingredients
1 slice of bread
1 egg
Oil, for frying
Maple syrup
Method
Heat oil in a frying pan on a low heat.
Slice the bread in half and crack the egg into a bowl.
Place the bread in the bowl and leave to soak up the egg for a couple of minutes, coating both sides.
Once the oil is hot, place both pieces of eggy bread into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on both sides.
Once done, drizzle with a little maple syrup and serve.
