Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl

This week, I am getting all geared up for the Health Blog Awards. Thanks so much to everyone who voted; it really means the world to me! I know my blog really is a small corner of the internet, but I'm so proud of it, so grateful for the love and support, and I am excited about the future for Green+Aquamarine and my own journey into wellness. I would love to know your thoughts -what do you like, what would you like to see more of? In the meantime, I have a delicious chocolatey smoothy bowl, made heavenly with a generous dollop of peanut butter. I used Meridian's coconut peanut butter and it really was like dessert for breakfast, without being insanely high in sugar. Nativa adds a little extra sweetness without the need for extra fruit or honey.

With the unpredictable weather, I find myself switching between summery meals and comfort food frequently. For days when you really don't know what kind of food mood you are in, or for indulgent healthy dessert, this smoothie bowl really fits the bill. It's cooling and uses tropical bananas, yet is rich and comforting in flavour. I've included 1/2 an avocado as an option, but as there is already a bit of fat coming from the peanut butter, you may wish to omit it depending on your diet and goals. The avocado can be replaced with either a scoop of oats or an extra 1/2 banana, if you wish.

Ingredients

• 1 banana, frozen
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp cacao powder
• 1/2 cup nut milk
• 1 tsp Natvia*
• Optional: 1/2 avocado (see alternatives above)
• Optional: handful of spinach

To make, simply blend all the ingredients together. Use more or less liquid as needed to achieve a thick consistency. Pour into a bowl and add your toppings as preferred. I used extra banana, coconut flakes, strawberries, blueberries and chia seeds. Enjoy!

*Denotes PR sample. All thoughts, opinions and work is my own.

Chaga Chai Latte

I've been hearing about the powers of mushroom extracts for a while now (Gwyneth Paltrow's super smoothie anyone?) so was interested to give one of these powders a try. Including mushrooms varieties into our diet (so long as they're edible!) is useful nutritionally, as they contain different compounds and nutrients to other aspects of our diet, being fungi rather than plants. Chaga is thought to be especially rich in health-boosting compounds, being dubbed the "king of mushrooms" in parts of Russia and Siberia where the mushroom has been used for many years. It is found on mature birch trees throughout the Northern Hemisphere, so you can actually go foraging for it. Luckily, it is also widely available in a variety of forms, including powder, which I received from Indigo Nutrition. What I like about Indigo Nutrition's products is that they are from mushrooms harvested in Scotland and Estonia rather than from all four corners of the globe.

I was surprised to find that the chaga extract has a pleasantly malty taste and smell to it; I was expecting something much more pungent. Mixed with nothing but hot water, the chaga "tea" makes a great alternative to a cuppa or a coffee, so I decided to blend it with chai spices for a warming drink that can be enjoyed year-round. To make the chai tea warm, add all the spices to the milk and leave in the fridge at least overnight, and either add the chaga powder to drink cold, or gently heat to just below 40 degrees before drinking.

Chaga Chai Tea - Ingredients

• 1 cup almond or oat milk
• 8 cardamon pods, crushed beneath a knife
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Half a vanilla pod, seeds removed (reserve and use for baking or making almond milk!)
• 1 star anise
• 1/2-1 tsp chaga powder*, to taste
• Optional: honey, maple syrup or other sweetener

Over a low heat, infuse the milk with the spices for between 30 minutes and an hour. When the milk tastes sufficiently spiced, remove or strain out the spices. Whisk in the chaga and serve, adding honey or maple syrup if desired.

*Donotes PR sample. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I will only positively feature or recommend products that I would use myself.

Raw Millionaire's Shortbread

Millionaire's shortbread has long been one of my favourite sweet treats. The buttery, crumbly base, the sticky caramel and the final flourish of chocolate. I've been keen to have a go at making my own healthier version for a while, so when I found myself with a pre-measured packet of raw chocolate* ingredients in my cupboard, I knew what I was going to make. Having all the ingredients for the chocolate measured out is so helpful, and coast effective if you don't use ingredients such as cacao butter often. This packet is from Indigo Herbs, but I've also jotted down a recipe for raw chocolate if required. I based the ingredients for the shortbread on my Easter orange and cashew cream biscuits, which you can find here, swapping the coconut for ground almonds. The dates really help to bind the biscuits. I used a packet of sticky dates for the base and saved the expensive medjool dates for the caramel, where their flavour really shines through.

Saturday was my friend West's birthday, and we decided to brave an extremely early morning to reach the summit of mt. Snowdon for sunrise. Leaving the house when many people were on their way back from nights out was the strangest thing, but standing 1085 meters above sea level at 6am was just incredible. We had been up for nearly 4 hours by that point, so the millionaire's shortbreads got passed around and went down a storm!

Ingredients
For the shortbread base

• 120g ground almonds
• 65g cashews
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 80g dates

For the caramel

• 150g medjool dates
• pinch sea or rock salt
• water

For the topping

• Use one packet of Indigo Nutrition raw chocolate pack* OR
• 100g cacao butter/coconut oil
• 80g cacao powder
• 80g sweetener such as maple syrup or honey

First up, make the shortbread base. Prepare a rectangular tin by lining with cling film. Then blend all the ingredients together in a food processor until finely ground. Check to see if the mix can be pressed together into a solid mass, and add extra ground almonds, coconut oil (or add honey) as required. Tip the mix into the tin and press into a 1-1.5cm thick base.

Next, wipe the food processor clean and tip in all the medjool dates (removing stones if required). Add a tablespoon of water and salt and blend, scraping down as required. Keep blending until you have a smooth paste, then check the consistency. You want the caramel to be thick, but just loose enough to be able to spread over the shortbread, so you may need to add extra water -I used about 4 or 5 tablespoons. Add extra salt to taste. Spread the mixture over the top of the shortbread before moving on to the chocolate.

In a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water, heat the cacao butter until it becomes liquid. Remove from the stove and whisk in the cacao power, followed by the sweetener. Keep whisking until completely smooth and glossy, then pour over the shortbread and date caramel. Use a spatula to smooth out the chocolate topping then pop in the fridge to set for an hour.

Enjoy on the top of a mountain, or in the comfort of your own home as preferred, but use a hot knife to cut through the shortbread to avoid the chocolate cracking.

*Donotes PR sample. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I will only positively feature or recommend products that I would use myself.

Aubergine Power Balls with Courgetti and Tomato Sauce

I was going to call these vegetarian bites aubergine meatballs initially, but instead of giving them a name that conjures up images of bland meat replacements, I've decided to call them power balls. And why not, when these tasty morsels are nutrient power houses? KAP-OW. The fibre-rich aubergines are a source of the antioxidant nasunin, which has been found to protect the fats in brain cell membranes from free radicals. Chickpeas add protein, helping to make this a pretty balanced meal. I'll be having a go at making more falafel-style veggie balls and naming them all power balls, making them the savoury version of the much-loved energy bites (try my apricot and coconut bites here). Embrace the superpowers of your food and give them the epic names they deserve. Boom.

Recently, I have become a complete convert to making tomato sauce properly from scratch, giving it the time it needs to let flavours develop. Onion, garlic and olive oil provide the rich base for this sauce, with added spices adapting the flavour to suit your food. Here, I've added a touch of of smoked paprika. I love smokey flavours paired with aubergine and the way it reminds me of babba ganouch. The trick here is to not let the aubergines over cook. By working in batches and letting the aubergines sit in the pan for a couple of minutes each side stops the vegetable from becoming too soggy when blended up. If you do find that you have let the aubergines cook for too long, or just don't fancy meatball-like food, then just roughly blend the aubergine and chickpeas and stir directly into the tomato sauce and treat like mince.

Ingredients -serves 2 with leftover power balls

• 2 tsp chia or ground flax seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• Smoked paprika
• 1 aubergine
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 1/2 cup spelt or rice flour
• 1 medium courgette
• Juice of half a lemon
• Olive oil

Mix the chia seeds with 6 teaspoons of hot water, stir and set aside to form a binding gel (optional). With a small amount of olive oil, cook half the onion in a pan, adding one clove of the garlic just before tipping in the chopped tomatoes. Add half of the can full of water to the pan. 

Chop the aubergine in half and then into 2cm chunks and heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a frying pan. Cook the aubergine, in batches if needed, for a couple of minutes on each side with the rest of the onion. The aubergine should be just translucent where it has touched the pan, but still fairly solid looking. Add the garlic just before finishing, and remove from the heat when the garlic becomes fragrant without burning. Allow to cool briefly, using a spiraliser or peeler to turn the courgette into noodles in the meantime. Tip the aubergine mix into a food processor alongside the drained chickpeas, mixed dried herbs and ground pepper. Blizt until a smooth puree is formed, adding the flour as needed to form a sticky mixture. 

Return the frying pan to the heat, with a scant amount of oil to stop the power balls from sticking. Using two tablespoons, form ball shapes out of the mix and add to the pan. Allow to cook for roughly a minutes before turning. Repeat until all of the mixture has been cooked into power balls. 

In the food processor blend the tomato sauce until smooth. Share the courgette between two bowls and squeeze over the lemon juice. Add the tomato sauce before topping with the power balls. Keep leftover power balls in an airtight container to add to lunches over the next day or so.

Orange Cashew Cream Biscuits

With the bank holiday weekend now here  the call of sweet treats and hearty meals is a strong one. There's lots of options for dark, raw and vegan cacao Easter eggs and healthier swaps for lunch, so I fancied trying my hand at some of the afternoon snacks that can be so tempting! I had a bit of difficulty trying to name these sweet treats... cheesecake bites, fudge biscuits... they fit somewhere between them.

Honey gives a really lovely flavour, but to let the taste of the orange zest take centre stage, I used Natvia* for a touch of sweetness. Low GI and derived from stevia, using this keeps these biscuits even more innocent. If you don't have any to hand, use honey or date syrup instead.

Ingredients
For the base

• 1 cup dates
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup desiccated coconut

For the orange cashew cream

• 200g cashew butter (about one pot of Meridian cashew butter!!)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tbsp Natvia sweetener*
• Zest of 1/2 orange

Soak the dates in hot water for ten minutes or so to soften them. Drain and blend the dates, cashews and desiccated coconut into a fine consistency. Add a little coconut oil if using a less powerful blender to help the mix to stick. Press a tablespoon of the mix into a silicon cupcake case or cupcake cases. 

Next, blend together the cashew butter, coconut oil, honey and orange zest together before adding a teaspoon of the creamy mix over the the biscuit base. Leave to set in the fridge or freezer. Serve with a little sea salt or extra zest for that mid afternoon pick me up.

*Donotes PR sample. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I will only positively feature or recommend products that I would use myself.

Apricot Coconut Energy Bites

Energy bites are the tastiest way to refuel mid afternoon whilst the hunger pangs come in. As they are so easy to make and last for ages, these little balls of goodness are really having a moment. So long as you have a couple hundred grams of nuts or seeds, dried fruit and some flavourful "superfoods", you're in. There must be so many different recipes out there, covering a whole spectrum of diets, nutrient profiles, flavours...... However, I am pretty keen on my apricot and coconut flavoured bites, particularly good if you ever want a break from basing your healthy snacks on gooey dates (although really, can you?). I heard somewhere, possibly from Ella Woodward at the Oxford Union talk, that freezing energy bites is a good way to keep them out of sight and therefore sightly reduces the amount you eat in a day! With snacks so moreish, this is definitely a tip I'll be taking into account...

I've given in (for breakfasts and raw snacks at least) and started using cup measurements. For proper baking and cooking, I much prefer using actual grams, but for flexible recipes like these, volume measurements are considerably easier. If you don't have dates, you can just use a whole cupful of dried apricots. Medjool dates are best, but if you don't have them, soak whichever dates you do have in warm water for ten minutes.


Apricot and Coconut Energy Bites

• 2/3 cup almonds
• 2/3 cup walnuts
• 3/4 cup apricots
• 1/4 cup dates
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut, plus extra for dusting.
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, softened
• Optional - honey/date syrup, to taste

In a food processor, blend with almonds and walnuts until they form a fine powder. Add the apricots and dates, followed by the desiccated coconut, chia seeds and coconut oil. Add the honey for flavour or to make the mix stickier. The mix should just come together when pressed. Using a tablespoon as a measure, roll the mix into ball, and cover in the desiccated coconut. Allow to both set and then store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

These bites taste so lovely and can be adapted really easily based on what you have. To boost your protein content, add a tablespoon or two of protein powder or hemp powder. I really like the blend of almonds and walnuts (a nice mix of protein and omega-3 and 6) but use whichever nuts you have to hand. Let me know what you think if you give these a go!

Immunity-Boosting Ginger Shots

Ginger is one of the most popular health foods out there at the moment and it isn't hard to see why. A famous anti-inflammatory ingredient, ginger is a great digestive aid, and can settle nausea. My usual routine is to chop up a few slices of ginger to add to my hot lemon water in a morning. However, when I'm getting my juicer out or fancy something a little more potent I will make myself a shot of ginger juice.

To make, simply peel an 5 cm chunk of ginger and feed it into your juice. You may find it helpful to use a small amount of cucumber or similar to flush the ginger out if you don't seem to be getting much juice out.

But how to drink this powerful tonic? You can drink it neat, or with the juice of half a lemon. These two options are very concentrated but also quite strong on the palate. As an alternative, make like some of the juice cleanses out there and create a spicy lemonade. Mix the juice of half a lemon with the ginger juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Top this up with water of coconut water and maple syrup to taste.

Adding ginger to your diet is so good for you at this time of year when the wet and windy weather keeps us inside, increasing the risk of catching bugs. Plus, the spicy flavour, especially when paired with citrus is energising, alkalising and fresh, perfect for if you're feeling sluggish.

Budget Tip: No juicer? No problem! As I mentioned earlier, an infusion of ginger and lemon still is my go-to. It's warming and you still get all the lovely benefits. You can also stir dried ginger into the juice of half a lemon. Ginger in itself is pretty inexpensive and you can also add chopped or grated ginger to a variety of sweet and savoury meals.

Paleo Snacking with Wild Thing

The 4pm slump can be one of the greatest challenges to anyone embarking upon a healthier lifestyle. When the blood sugar levels drop, it can be really difficult to ignore the lure of unhealthy snacks that provide a quick fix. In an ideal world, we would only crave nuts and carrot sticks, or alternatively have a selection of homemade energy balls and treats to turn to. Unfortunately, crudités don't always cut it, and life can get in the way of the making of homemade creations. Luckily, a whole market based around innocent snacking has arisen, saving us from the vending machine temptation.

A new brand that has landed on the shelves on Planet Organic is Wild Thing paleo bars. What caught my eye is that these bars are also organic and vegan. Tick tick. Wild Thing bars, which don't look dissimilar to the popular Nakd bars, aren't specifically a post-workout protein bar, but instead contain a moderate protein content (around 5g), which makes them the perfect light snack. The bars are made with as few ingredients as possible, and the processing time is just 30 minutes before the bar is packaged up.

With a walk in the snow last week, I chucked a couple of bars in my rucksack and cracked them out midway along. Of all the bars, the chocolate and almond bar tastes most like a standard date and nut based bar: simple and tasty. Hands down, my favourite bar was coconut and chia. There was just the perfect amount of coconut flavour, balanced out by blended cashew nuts. Also included in the mix are a berry flavour and the subtle-tasting mixed seeds. Calorifically, each bar clocks in between 100-140 cal, with the seed based bars topping the scale. With up to 12g of sugar per 30g bar, you don't want to be having too many, but for the size this is just enough to perk you up. On top of this, most of the sugar comes from dates, which have a GI of 42, compared to 65 for caster sugar.

Wild Thing bars are a great snack that come with no hidden nasties, making them a really good light snack. Whether or not Wild Thing's push towards a paleo clientele will be enough to make the bars stand out from competitors, is a question, but I personally was really pleased with these slim snacks. Currently available from selected retailers including Planet Organic and Amazon, you will need to plan ahead to buy these bars. However, I look forward to seeing Wild Thing make it's way into more shops, as I would definitely pick up another coconut and chia packet or two!

Three Bean Chilli with Lime Cashew Cream

Let me talk to you about the heavenly, although sometimes fickle, delight that is cashew cream. Oh my. In essence, it is cashew butter with water and a few choice flavourings slowly added to loosen it into a thick, creamy sauce. I initially started making this as an alternative to cream to dollop on breakfasts and desserts by flavouring the cashew butter with vanilla. Then I discovered lime cashew cream. Ahhh.... This zesty sauce just brings savoury dishes to life, injecting sharp flavour into Mexican and South American-inspired dishes. Last week, I drizzled it over vegan enchiladas (recipe from The First Mess; I seriously recommend that you try it, and make the sauce from scratch. Heaven) and this week it has featured on my three bean chilli. As well as adding flavour, a teaspoon or two of cashew cream increases your protein intake (a quarter of a cup of cashews contains 5g protein) without being as high fat as some other nuts and seeds.

I was once told that it wasn't worth making a vegetarian or vegan chilli because the taste and texture would never be able to match up to that of good beef mince. And in general, I have held this to be true, with vegetable chills being rather watery, bland affairs despite all the love and attention put into them. I started playing around with textures, using lentils and grated vegetables to emulate the finely ground meat in traditional chilli con carnes. The lentils worked well, but made the dish a little legume heavy if I wanted beans as well. So, after a little tweaking, I came up with this three bean chilli. Without the cashew cream, this dish is seriously kind on your wallet, costing under £5 for a good 4-6 portions and a side. It is a real store cupboard meal too, so perfect for whipping up at the end of the week, or just before payday.

Apologies for the limited photographs here. The lighting has been seriously poor lately (hello tail end of two hurricanes), even when shooting over two lunchtimes. Boo!

Notes ~ If you prefer dried beans to tinned, 100g of dried beans tends to equate to a 400g tin of cooked beans. If you are scaling this recipe down to serve one or two, use a tin of pre-mixed beans. If you prefer, vegetables can be finely chopped using a food processor. Just don't over process! This gives a very smooth finish if you prefer your chilli to not be chunky.

Lime Cashew Cream

• 250g cashews, unsalted
• 1 lime

Soak the cashews in water, ideally filtered, for two hours. If you are really pressed for time, try at least half an hour of soaking. Drain the cashews, discarding the water, and blend in a food processor under high speed. It should take 5-10 minutes for the nut butter to form. If you are new to cashew butter, don't be alarmed that the butter is quite dry or "chunky" compared to almond or peanut butter. At a slower speed, begin to add (fresh!) water, until you have the consistency of thick double cream. Add the juice from the lime to taste -you shouldn't need the entire lime. As an option, you can also add the zest of the lime to the cream. You are looking for a completely smooth cream, but using a less powerful blender or adding the water too soon can yield a grainy texture. It won't be quite as amazing if this happens, but will still taste delicious. 

Three Bean Chilli Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 1 white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• Fresh chilli or chilli powder, to taste
• 1 tsp paprika (smoked if possible)
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 red pepper/left over veg
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 tbsp pureed tomato concentrate, or 8ish sundried tomatoes, blended
• 2 x 400g tins chopped
• 3 x tins of beans. Suggestions: kidney beans, black beans, haricot beans, bortolli beans.
• olive or coconut oil

Finely chop the onion, and add it to a pan with a tablespoon or so of olive or coconut oil. Pop the lid on to sauté for five minutes until translucent. Meanwhile, prepare the celery and pepper/vegetables by chopping them finely once again. Grate the carrots. 

When the onion is cooked, but not catching, add the onions and spices, turning the heat up slightly. Cook for a further minute or two before adding the celery and pepper. Allowing the vegetables to lightly cook in the oil rather than the chopped tomatoes or water really helps to capture the full flavour of the ingredients. After a further five minutes, add the tomato puree or sundried tomatoes, and then the carrots and chopped tomatoes. Allow to simmer with the lid off for 30-40 minutes, putting the lid back on if the liquid has reduced by more than a half. Rinse the beans out thoroughly and allow to drain. Once the sauce has cooked and reduced, add the beans and cook for a further ten minutes until everything is piping hot.

Serve with rice or wraps, with avocado and lime cashew cream on the side.

Healthy on a Budget: Leek, Potato and Courgette Soup

Forgive me for posting two soup recipes within such a short space of time, but with the glut of autumnal foods and cold weather, these heartening lunches and dinners have been calling to me. This twist on the traditional leek and potato soup is perfect for this time of the year; all three of the main ingredients came in my veg box last week. Being so seasonal, this dish is friendly on your purse and, if you shop the local market, can really help benefit your local economy, and the environment.

The secret to a good soup is letting as many of the ingredients as possible cook in the flavoursome oil before adding stock. The heat of the oil and aromatic spices, if added, enrich the flavour of each ingredient in much the same way as roasting does. If you find yourself strapped for time or prefer to use a soup maker, sauté off some onions or celery and batch freeze them, so that you have little pockets of flavour to add to your cooking.

Ingredients -serves 4

• 1 large leek
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 medium-large cauliflower
• 3-4 medium sized potatoes
• Vegetable stock
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: chilli powder or cayenne pepper

Roughly chop the leek and cauliflower, and peeling and cubing the potatoes. In a large saucepan, heat a generous plug of olive oil over a medium heat, and then add the leek and garlic. Cover, and leave for up to five minutes, making sure that it doesn't catch. If using, add 1/2 tsp of chilli or cayenne before adding the cauliflower, and cooking for a further two minutes. Then add the potatoes and stock and cover for 20 minutes under a simmer. Remove from heat, and use a hand blender to puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crusty, dark bread such a pumpernickel, and squeeze over a quarter of the lemon per portion. Nuts and seeds make a great protein-filled garnish to help keep you full. Toasted almond goes beautifully with cauliflower, but I like omega 3-rich pumpkin seeds for this autumnal dish.

Student or on a budget? Let me know what meals you'd like to see me rework!

Piña Colada Smoothie

I am typing this whilst looking out of the window to a rather gloomy morning. In the UK, it has been a rather changeable summer, with glorious sunshine days being interspersed with deluges of rain and overcast weather. However, summer is at our fingertips in the form of food, so to brighten up your day, I am sharing this recipe for a healthy, Pina colada smoothie. (Alcohol optional!)

The one time I have tried a Pina colada cocktail, I found it a little sickly, but this fresh, creamy smoothie is a world away from that, and all the lovely ingredients are bursting with summer flavour. As pineapple has such a high water content, you need very little additional liquid, making it very much a fuss-free smoothie. I have included quantities as a guideline for one serving, but really, I would recommend chopping up a whole pineapple and a host of bananas to share!

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 100g (a large handful) of chopped pineapple 
• 2 tbsp coconut cream, or the solid part of tinned coconut

Blend up the fruit before adding the coconut. Add either water or nut milk to achieve desired consistency and serve immediately.