Home-made Peanut Butter

At the moment, I am living in Spain (Viva Espana!) on my Erasmus year abroad. 

Now the food out here is great and I can find most things out here that I want or need. Although there are a few exceptions..... 

When I went back to the UK for christmas, I came back to Spain with a jar of Marmite (of course), a bumper pack of noodles, chilli flakes, 3 jars of curry paste, my all time favourite muslie, and a big jar of peanut butter. Consequently, you can see that in the everyday supermarkets, they do not sell anything with a bit of spice, or anything that may seem just that little bit international. The Spanish really do just eat the well-known 'Mediterranean Diet'! A month on, and all my 'peany-b' is gone.... Que Desastre!

Whilst there is just the one brand of peanut butter available in my local supermarket (Mercadona), I have no desire to buy it: I love 'chunky', 'crunchy' and 'nutty' peanut butter, rather than the 'smooth' stuff. This peanut butter also contained a lot of added sugars, additives and palm oil. 

No. Thank. You. 

So...... I set myself the challenge of creating my own home-made peanut butter!!!

Other than tasting just great, I love the fact that I know exactly what has gone in it..... What's more, I spent 1 euro on 250g peanuts, making my jar of peanut butter a lot cheaper than the 2.79 euro jar sat on Mercadona's shelves! I'll definitely be making it again- I'm already half way down the jar! So, what are you waiting for guys- give it a go! 

Ingredients:

250g Raw Peanuts

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon (optional)

2 tbsp greek yoghurt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Water

Directions:

Set your oven to about 180 degrees. Spread your peanuts onto a baking tray, and roast for about 10 minutes until slightly golden.

I didn't worry about pealing my peanuts as the skins give extra fibre, a bit more colour and character to your peanut butter... and it's a slightly fiddly process. However if you would prefer to peal them, now is the time to do it. They should come off relatively easy, especially now they are slightly roasted.

In a food processor, (I used a hand whizzer which is also ok to use! Unfortunately I don't have a food processor out here!) begin to blend your peanuts into a crumb-like consistency. Obviously, the 'chunkier' you want your peanut butter, the less you blend! Add your cinnamon and salt.

Whiz again so it is all mixed. Blend until you have your preferred 'chunkiness' of the peanuts. It should almost be like a nutty flour!!

Add your greek yoghurt and oil, and blend again. The crumbs should start to come together to form your peanut butter. Add little dribbles of water to continue loosening up your peanut paste until you form your desired consistency. You may want to do this in a bowl with a teaspoon to beat it, as the food processor may get a bit sticky and clumpy. If you would like it to be a bit sweeter, add some honey!

Transfer your peanut butter paste into a jar or storage container! Et Voila! You have your home-made peanut butter!

Things you may want to have it with....

Toast + honey

On top of pancakes

With cut up apple/pear pieces as an afternoon snack

Celery dipped in peanut butter (it really is the best!)

Cooked with chicken to make a home-made satay sauce (you may need to add some oil to the peanut butter to loosen it up slightly)

Just out the jar on its own is also just great!!

Here, I had it on some toast with honey and cinnamon on top... mmm mmm!

Simple Tomato Guacamole Salad

This is a scrummy accompaniment, probably more suited for a summer meal, but none-the-less it is tasty! The Cumin and Cayenne Pepper give it a little kick, whilst the lemon and Coriander give a fresh flavour on the palet, all tied together with the creaminess of the Avocado.

Here's a little information about some of the super foods you will be consuming!

Avocado- Avocado is considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet with it being packed full of 25 essential nutrients. It should be mentioned that avocado is quite calorie dense, being high in fats; however, these fats are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (also known as Omega-3's), both of which improve the functioning of the body. Avocados also contain some fibre, protein and phytochemicals which help protect against various illnesses and diseases. Overall the consumption of avocados..... Helps to maintain a healthy heart, helps to lower blood cholesterol, controls blood pressure, has anti-aging properties, anti-inflammatory properties, and is rich in antioxidants helping to fight against free radicals. So gobble-up guys! 

Cayenne Pepper- Known for it's anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, cayenne pepper can help your body to fight many ailments. It is also a digestive aid through it's influence within the body to increase the production of gastic juices and enzymes within the digestive tract. This helps to speed up metabolism.

Cumin- traditionally used in herbal medicines as a digestive aid as well as an antiseptic of sorts. This means it may help your body with problems such as nausea, diarrhea, and indigestion, along with its antiseptic properties helping your body to fight any illness and boost your immune system.

Lemon Juice- naturally high in Vitamin C, lemon juice will again boost your immune system and fight against infection. Although acidic tasting, lemons are extremely alkalis and aid in keeping the ph balance of your body neutral at around 7.4. It is a blood-purifier, and aids in detoxing the body. 

Ingredients Will make one large bowl (serve approximately 8 as a side salad)

2 avocados

1 large bunch of Coriander, washed thoroughly (adding texture to a dish is great but the crunch of any grit left in between the leaves of Coriander... No thank you!) 

500 g cherry tomatoes

Juice of 2 lemons

1 red pepper

2 Courgettes

1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Paprika

Cajun Spice shake

NOTE!!!   You may want to add more or less Cayenne Pepper and Paprika to the dish depending on your preferred level of spice! Both of these are types of chillies, with Paprika being a lot more mild than most varieties of chilli. Also depending on what brand of Cajun spice mix you may use, the spice of the dish will vary!!

Directions

To make this salad it is just as easy as dicing everything up and throwing it in a large salad bowl. Half the tomatoes, cube the courgette, chop the Coriander up finely and slice the red pepper into rough small squares. Throw it all in the bowl and squeeze over the lemon juice and shake over all the spices. 

Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!

Chunky vegetable curry

This is a delicious recipe which I will always whip up on a 'curry night'. The chunky vegetables are coated in a thick lentil sauce which is bursting full of those delicious curry flavours.  What's more, like most currys, the longer they hang around, the better they get! 

Lentils are just great. They are super cheap, taste great and count as one of your five a day!  These little guys are full of fibre and when cooked are about 27% protein, all in all helping to keep you fuller for longer. The complex carbohydrate keeps your energy levels balanced (low GI or Glycemic Index, keeping blood sugar levels balanced within the body) along with the added bonus of them containing many minerals and Vitamins that most carbohydrates don't! There are thousands of lentil varieties out there; I decided to use red lentils for this dish simply because of the way they cook down helping to thicken the sauce, trapping all of those fab flavours!

Now I have a confession to make... I did use a little helping hand from the lovely 'Mr Patak' (Curry paste manufacturer) with their 'Biryani Paste'. These jars contain tens of different spices with all of them having been infused in the sunflower oil, ready and rocking to go in your curry! They taste great and are so easy to use, but yes, cheating a little bit I know.....

Ingredients

2 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 red chilli, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
3 Leeks, washed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 Cups red lentils
1/2 Litre vegetable stock
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 chunks
1 cauliflower, chopped in to little florets
2 courgettes, washed and sliced into half moon shapes
1 aubergine, washed and cubed
1 apple, washed and diced into small pieces
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purree
4 tbsp Biryani paste
2 cups natural yoghurt/ quark/ fomage frais/ greek yoghurt
Seasoning
Coriander for garnish


Directions

Prepare all of your veg and make up your vegetable stock. 
In a pan, add the sesame oil, and stir fry your chilli, garlic and leeks for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the lentils and immediately pour over your stock. Add the Biryani paste and stir until everything is combined well. Turn the heat down to low so it is gently simmering away. You don't want any lentils burning on the bottom of the pan!

After about 5 minutes, add all of your prepared veg (this includes your apple), and your can of chopped tomatoes. Stir well so everything mixes together. If you feel it needs more liquid by all means add some more but the vegetables should cook down giving off some liquid in the process. This is roughly what mine looked like after a further 10-15 minutes of simmering....

Leave to very gently simmer for half an hour or so, giving it a stir every so often. When your veggies are soft, and your lentils are cooked through (may take more or less time than half an hour!), stir in your natural yogurt, This 'creams' everything up a bit... 2 cups is a rough estimation, so do a Jamie Oliver and just 'whack it in'!

Now is the time to season and do a taste test. If you want it slightly sweeter, add some chutney; more salty, another vegetable stock cube; more curry flavour, another tbsp of curry paste; less thick, more water or yoghurt; less watery, more lentils... you get the idea!

This should be ready to serve! I simply added a sprig of Coriander to garnish and serve but below I've listed a few suggestions for accompaniments! 

Suggestions for accompaniments that go fabulously with this dish are:

Any of the famous curry condiments: banana, coconut slices, raisins, chilli flakes, chopped onion... you name it!

More starchy compliments: Chapati's, Naan breads, Poppadoms, Rice

Protein compliments: Diced chicken, grilled white fish, turkey, tofu, Quorn....

Any other curry you may be making... curry + curry = even better curry!

You guys choose, these are only a few suggestions :-)

My sister Sarah enjoying her little bowl of veggie curry! xx

Good morning Everyone!

I thought I would share with you my yummy breakfast this morning!

Simple, wholesome and utterly delicious......

Yoghurt, grape nuts, linseeds, cacao nibs and an array of fruits with my all time favourite fruit Persimmon....

Persimmons are not the most easily found fruit in the UK, but if you do ever see it at the green grocers or supermarkets, I cannot recommend it more! They go fab in fruit salads, on top of banana pancakes, or simply just to have a good munch on their own! It looks most like a large orange tomato; it has a firm texture and a sweet flavour, which I sometimes think is a bit like honey!

Greek yoghurt is surprisingly high in protein, helping to keep you fuller for longer compared to normal yoghurts. If you like a creamy flavour, by all means go for the 'full-fat' option; this too will help to keep you fuller as it takes the body longer to break down the fats within the body. Greek yoghurt tends to be quite thick which is one of the reasons it is so satisfying!

Despite what you may think, Greek yoghurt contains more of those 'good bacteria' that we get told to eat by those 'Activia' adverts on the tele, than regular yoghurt. Greek yoghurt is said to contain up to six strands of these probiotics with regular yoghurt only containing about two; and these probiotics really do help if consumed in the right quantities!! In your digestive tract, your  body contains over 200 types of bacteria; the consumption of these probiotics helps your body to keep a healthy balance of this bacteria consequently improving your immunity, aiding in the body's digestion, as well as notably reducing the likelihood of yeast infections in women. So when next in the supermarket staring down at the yoghurt isle for inspiration: look to Greece.

For the crunchy toppings I went for a generous sprinkle of crunchy Grape Nuts, Golden linseeds and Cacao nibs. Grape nuts have grown in popularity in the UK and can be found in most well-stocked supermarkets! They are super crunchy giving any bowl of cereal or yoghurt a bit of texture, not to mention a bit of fibre! They are a slow-release carbohydrate, again being a great option to add to your breakfast routine to keep you going 'til lunch. Golden linseeds are too a great source of fibre as well as those all-important Omega-3's and essential fatty acids to keep our bodys functioning to their optimum. I finished it all off by scattering some Cacao nibs on top. These are almost like little dark chocolate chips, giving your bowl a hint of chocolate flavour; What's more, they are packed full of antioxidants and flavonoids to help keep your insides healthy!

Ingredients:

1/2 pear

handful of raspberries

1/2 persimmon

handful of blueberries

Greek yoghurt

Grape nuts cereal

Golden Linseeds

Cacao nibs

Directions:

Put a few large tablespoons of greek yoghurt in a small bowl.
Chop your pear and persimmon up into small cubes.
Sprinkle on top of the yoghurt with your blueberries and raspberries.
Pour over some Grape nuts, golden linseeds and cacao nibs and serve!

Enjoy!!

Roasty-Toasty Tasty Coconut

So this is one of the best, slightly exotic tasty snacks to munch on, helping you to fill your hungry belly with all of the 'right' fats and fibre; not to mention absolutely scrummy! When I first tried this, I was on the gorgeous coastline of Kenya enjoying a cold bevy with friends and family. A small wooden bowl of this delightful snack arrived where it had just been prepared then-and-there over a authentic wood-fire grill.... And my golly was it delicious. 
The flavour can best be described as an almost popcorn flavour.  The more grilled pieces give off a slight crunch, and all in all a mouth watering result. Yum!

Coconut oil is one of the healthiest fats known to mankind, giving the body all sorts of health kicks. Famous celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Miranda Kerr, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie are all on what's known as the coconut oil diet where by they simply include this healthy fat religiously into their daily diet. But why? Coconut Oil is comprised of what we call 'Medium Chain Fatty Acids'. These are powerful agents that boost the body's  metabolism, producing energy; help to fight against bacteria, fungal infection and viruses; as well as help improve the condition of your skin, hair and nails. In researching this topic, I found a HUGE list of why we humans should consume more of this superfood.  If you want to find out more about the benefits of coconut, follow this link: www.coconutresearchcenter.org

Ingredients:

1 Fresh Coconut
Sea Salt
Cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Turn on the grill.  Crack your coconut open. The way I normally do this is to drill into the three top holes in the Coconut and drain out all of the water. Save this as, this too has thousands of fabulous health kicks and is great to add to sauces also!  

Chop the nut into thin slices.

Scatter onto a large baking tray. Sprinkle with Sea salt and Cinnamon if you desire. I decided to do 'half and half'- salt and cinnamon. 

Put it under the grill. Keep checking every five minutes. They should be done when it's all golden brown. 

Put in a bowl, serve and enjoy!

SuperFood Maca and Cinnamon Banana pancakes

As it's pancake day, it is the PERFECT time of year to post my favourite pancakes! Anyone who knows me well enough, will know I will probably have some version of this pancake every other day for breakfast; so it is about time I post them on here!  

These pancakes are super easy to make and are great healthy treat to begin your day. They are high in protein, helping to keep you fuller for longer, and provide you with bunches of energy to keep you going all day long! 

Both Maca and Cinnamon are extremely beneficial in their consumption, not to mention give the flavour of the pancakes a little something extra...

Cinnamon is a great digestive aid and works with insulin in the body to metabolize sugar. It has antiseptic properties, and is beneficial to the kidneys, lungs and heart. 

Maca is a super food that has been around for around 3,000 years, and has been used medicinally in South America for centuries. Grown in the most harshest conditions in the peruvian Andes, Maca contains an abundance of minerals, vitamins, amino acids, polynutrients and essential fatty acids. Maca is an 'adoptogen', meaning in the most simplistic terms that it helps the body to adapt to changes and stress. 

Maca bought from the shops, starts as a root, is then dried and turned into powder. It is said to have the ability to increase energy and stamina, increase libido, help oxygenate the blood, balance hormonal production, and support neurotransmitter production. The flavour of Maca is sort of sweet, with a hint of malt flavouring; some describe it to be a bit like butterscotch but in large quantities it can be quite overpowering! As suggested on the back of the packet, Maca should be consumed, like anything, in moderation; they suggest 1-2 teaspoons a day. You should be able to find it in most health food stores and can easily be bought online.... even EBAY sell it!! Note, try to buy it organic, also check it is pure Maca root as some are sold with other ingredients added!

The riper the bananas, the better......as this gives them a sweeter more banana-ry flavour!!

It should be said that if you cannot find the Maca root powder, these banana pancakes are just as good without... you'll just be missing out on all of those fab health benefits mentioned above!! I do appreciate it is an ingredient that is not the most readily available.... 

I normally vary my toppings on these pancakes. Today, I simply went for what yummy things I had in my fridge: Strawberries, natural yoghurt, a Clementine, cocoa nibs (another great super food!), lemon juice and some pumpkin seeds. This tends to change most times I make these, depending on what I have to offer in the fridge. Below I have listed a few things that really do go great!

Ingredients: 

(makes 2 medium sized pancakes)

2 whole eggs

1 egg white

1 medium rip banana

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp Maca

Tbsp linseeds

Toppings suggestions:

Any fruit

lemon juice

natural/greek yoghurt

grated dark chocolate

honey

seeds

peanut butter

chocolate spread

Maple syrup

Ice cream

Directions:

In a bowl add all of your ingredients.

Begin to mash your banana with a fork. You can either do this before you add the eggs etc or after, either way is fine! Whisk all the ingredients well! The more you whisk, the 'fluffier' they will be. The extra egg white helps to give them a 'less dense' texture. Eventually you want to get quite a liquid mixture, but any banana chunks isn't such a problem. I took a photo of my mixture so you can see what it's like. Ultimately, the banana chunks with cook within the mixture and soften... you won't notice at all!

In a non-stick pan, wipe round some oil with kitchen paper, and sprinkle in some linseeds. 

Turn the hob onto a medium heat and pour in half of you mixture. 

Wait until it is completely set before flipping. It really is a waiting game.... It should only take a few minutes.  Flip and cook for another few 30 seconds and serve on your plate!! Repeat this step for the second pancake.

Nows the time to fill up on all your toppings! Go wild guys! Below are some photos of what I ended up with... 

Strawberries, natural yoghurt, 1 clementine, and cacao nibs....

Squeeze over a wedge of lemon.....

And finally, I sprinkled over some toasted pumpkin seeds...... Yum!

Dark Chocolate 'Hot Dates' and Figs

Here is a great little snack to feed all of your sugar desires in a healthy way! 

A portion (a small handful) of dried fruit is considered one of your five a day and it's a great way to get your daily fibre! These dried fruits contain both soluble and insoluble fibre, helping to improve bowel function, keeping blood sugars stable and blood cholesterol low; consequently lowering your risk to chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. In terms of those all important nutrients we want to be consuming, both figs and dates are great sources of calcium (who would'ave thought?!), iron and potassium. However it should be mentioned that they are quite calorie dense therefore should be eaten in moderation, but equally are great if you feel you need a healthy energy fix!

Need anymore persuasion to eat figs and dates? .... try adding some slightly spiced, rich dark chocolate on top!  

Dark chocolate follows the very cringe expression of 'once you go black, you never go back'.. and in my experience, it most definitely is true: other chocolate bars may seem to taste more processed; like a sugar fix rather than a chocolate fix! 
Dark chocolate has a much stronger 'chocolatey flavour', sometimes an almost an earthy- bitter flavour, mainly thanks to it's high cocoa content. Cocoa has recently been hailed for being a nutrient power house, containing many flavonoids which are useful in the body as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous and anti-allergic activities. It is also famous for improving your cardiovascular system, subsequently reducing heart disease and other cardiovascular-related diseases.  Does this mean we can gobble up all the chocolate bars we like? As your mum always says, 'everything in moderation...' but generally speaking, chocolate higher in cocoa will be higher in those micro-nutrients and therefore more beneficial to eat...

In my eyes.... the more cocoa the chocolate contains, the more nutrients you will be consuming, the more 'bitter' the flavour, and the better the chocolate tastes!

Ingredients

75g good quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)

handful of dried figs and dates

chilli flakes

Optional Toppings:

Icing sugar

sea salt

linseeds

cocoa powder

fine ground chilli powder

Sprinkles

Directions:

In a small bowl, break your dark chocolate up into small pieces and melt.... You can either do this the 'old-fashioned' way and boil some water in a pan and sit your bowl of chocolate over the top. Or you could put it in the microwave for about 50 secs in a 800 W, take out a stir and put it back in for a few more seconds to melt the last few bits. However- be careful you dont burn the chocolate if you are doing it this way!! It's very easy to do!

Once melted, sprinkle in your chilli flakes. I haven't put any measurements because everyone's chilli tolerance is different. I reckon I went for about a tsp? Stir to make your very own 'chilli chocolate'!

Throw your dried fruit in the bowl of chocolate, and mix to ensure they are covered. With a teaspoon, fish them out and place on a sheet of foil or baking parchment.

 

You can leave them plain, or you can experiment with a few sprinklings!

I went for a few linseeds, finely powdered chilli powder and a little sprinkling of sea salt (note: sea salt is great to bring out the bitter deliciousness of dark chocolate but too much will ruin it! Less is more.... !)

Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes for them to harden.

They are fab on their own but I can also recommend them chopped up onto some natural yoghurt, or a bowl of cereal. Yum. Yum. Yum.