Oat & Poppy Seed Cake Pops

Listening to Kwabs

 

 

 

Think gospel, soul and an electrifying voice that is intensely beautiful. 

 

Finally I have succumbed to the very cute and now outdated cake pop. I totally disagree with crumbling cake then binding it again with buttercream and every other step that add calorific content to each tiny ball. When I spotted a special cake pop baking tray, I knew this would be a creative move. No I won't follow what and how cake pops are supposed to be assembled, I will work my own magic.

 

This was a test batch which turned out beautifully....

 

Oats and poppy seeds as well as almond essence in this really light sponge.

 

Covered in dark chocolate, Special K flakes and dried mango flakes.



The others were covered in chopped hazelnuts and desiccated coconut.

 

More adventurous themes with cake pop design coming soon, hopefully themed around that LOVEly time of year.

 

 

 



Baked Berries with Sweet Couscous



♬ 'True' by Avicii

This album is perfect for training at ridiculous o'clock in the morning! These cold miserable days mean power music and good beats to keep yourself motivated to kick start your day. I'm still jumping through Sean T's insanity workout which always gets better when he decides to take his top off! Ah the joys of fit men making you fitter.

On days of recovering I'm researching alternative ingredients to use instead of butter, sugar and salt. Trying to steer away from naughty treats and revamp classics.

 

Yesterday I was going to make a standard crumble, but then eyed up a packet of couscous and started to flavour it with oranges and lemons.

 I think couscous has been shoved in the corner by quinoa and bulgur wheat, yes the latter seem to be more filling and dubbed super healthy but couscous can be cool too!

 

In this strange twist I've cooked it, covered it in orange juice and added raisins for a healthy topping on baked berries.

 

Enjoy and let me know if this works for you, or is a tad too crazy...

 

For two.
You will need:

 

Two small pudding tins

50g couscous

Orange juice

Lemon zest

10g raisins

1 tsp brown sugar

 

10 blueberries

10 blackberries

1 tsp maple syrup

 

▶ Preheat oven 150° c

Firstly cover berries in maple syrup and divide equally between pudding tins.

Keep to one side.

Pour 120ml of boiling water over couscous until it has soaked up all the water - this should take ten minutes.

Pour two tablespoons of orange juice over couscous and a teaspoon of lemon juice.

Stir through raisins and sugar.

Spoon on each pudding tin.

Pierce a few holes through couscous to enable bubbling of berries.

Bake on the middle shelf for fifteen minutes.

 

Enjoy orange tones through the couscous with sweet warm berries.
 

 

 Here's another cute photo of the finished pudding...

 

Super Banana & Pear Cake

♬ ' Common Decency' by Hackney Colliery Band.

 

Oh.wow.

 

 I saw these guys performing tonight, and when they did their cover of 'all of the lights' originally by Kanye West - goosebumps all over my arms.

 

No joke. No lie. Not being dramatic about how fantastically uplifting this band is at all. Do not believe I forgot to take this cake in for them. I'm eating two slices out of regret and guilt as I type. Check them out and please support talent in Hackney!

 

http://www.hackneycollieryband.co.uk/

 

 



Now back to this wholesome, hearty and damn right delicious cake.



Ingredients to serve 10.

 

3 small over ripe bananas

1 large pear grated
Zest from small orange (keep juice to one side)

100g caster sugar

150g self raising flour

50g oats

20g dessicated coconut

1 tsp cinnamon

30g raisins

10g poppy seeds

1 tsp baking powder

1 large egg

 

Method:

 Preheat oven 180° C
 

Line a 2lb/900g loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
 

Whisk butter, sugar and egg until smooth.

Add bananas, cinnamon and mash well.
Fold in everything else.
Bake for 40 minutes

When completely cool, stir 200g of icing sugar with drops of fresh orange juice until it's runny but quite thick.
Drizzle over loaf and serve with a big mug of tea.

 

 

Full of super delicious ingredients which compliment each other beautifully.

 

My Favourite Things

 

1. My mums turkey samosas.

 

Made with turkey mince, spices and potatoes. I have no limit to how many I can consume in half an hour! Beautiful with cucumber raitu, mango chutney and salsa.

 

 

 

2. Vita Coco

 

When I practised Bikram yoga I lived off coconut water. Water itself didn't replenish lost electrolytes, this drink is boss. There are quite a few coconut water companies on the market, and personally they all taste a bit strange. I really do feel like I'm sticking a straw in a coconut and lying in a hammock when drinking this bad boy. 

 

 

3. SEA SALT CHOCOLATE

 

I keep a few chocolate bars as a secret stash for late nights or good movies, and I can eat them all in a flash, but with G&B's sea salt I can only handle one little piece at a time. In each block there is the PERFECT amount of sea salt, and when it hits your tongue - oh boy. See how unprofessional I am...most of this bar has gone!

You have to experience the magic.

 

 

4. Carrot, Parsley, Pear & Orange juice.

 

I know exactly what you just did - turned your nose up at the sound of parsley! Give this flat leaf herb a chance and see how amazing you will feel after. Having a fresh juice every morning is working wonders on my skin and energy levels. If you need a pick up, definitely get into juicing.

Benefits of juicing parsley?

Juicing it is actually better that eating it, you will absorb more of its powerhouse nutrients.

A great breath freshener if you stress about smelling of garlic or onion.

More info here:

http://juicing-for-health.com/basic-nutrition/healing-vegetables/health-benefits-of-parsley.html

 

 

 

 

 

5. London Grammar

 

When I came across 'help me lose my mind' by Disclosure featuring London Grammar, I quickly became obsessed with the talented trio. Most of their songs are not exactly uplifting or energetic, mainly injected with deeper messages that left me engrossed in Hannah Reid's voice.

 

 

 

Eat, drink and listen!

 

M.x

 

 

Raspberry & Oat Pancakes

♬ 'Tribute' by John Newman

Ingredients that used to bless my morning pancakes were sugar, lemon and nutella, these have now been replaced with honey, oats and raspberries! Pancakes don't have to be a guilty treat or covered in chocolate, time to make them red and beautiful. 

Healthy pancakes full of slim ingredients and well tasty. Fluffy, fun and good looking.

Ingredients:

120g Doves gluten free plain flour
10 raspberries

30g rolled oats

20g oatbran

2 tsp caster sugar

130ml skimmed milk

1 large egg

10 raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1 tsp butter

To serve:

Agave nectar or Manuka honey

Fresh raspberries

Method:

Whisk egg with milk and leave to one side.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, oats and oatbran in a bowl.
Add milk mixture, whisk well and let it stand for 5 minutes. It should be thick when you're ready to fry.
Stir through raspberries, being careful to not crush any.
In a large frying pan melt butter until sizzling hot then use a ladle to pour out four small pancakes.
Cook until light brown on each side.
Serve with agave nectar, fresh raspberries and a fresh juice.

Why wait until pancake day? 
Mix it cook it....and flip it.

X

Spiced Turkey Burger

 

♬ 'Tribute' by John Newman

 

I think this is the healthiest burger I've ever made. No yellow cheese slices in sight, no ketchup (I'm still in shock) and still tastes great.

I used to think eating turkey was only during the month of December, until my mum went a bit crazy and stocked up on loads of birds after seeing a price reduction at Waitrose. I never seem to get to the supermarket on time to get to the bargains! My brother is boss of anything reduced, I swear Waitrose spot him a mile off and they hide all their reduction guns. His freezer is stacked with so much meat and fish, probably coming to a grand total of £1. Saying that I did buy five bags of carrots for 40p each from Tesco, two of which have been juiced and given me a slight Sunny D tint to my skin.

 

Back to turkey talk. This bird has protein, and a sufficient amount of it. Next to chicken, tuna and egg whites, turkey should be in your diet plan especially if you exercise regularly.

 

I made this turkey burger because:

1.I did day one of Insanity work out and needed something that looked naughty but was actually healthy.

2. I wanted to spice things up a bit.

 

My mum gave me a pot of green masala, consisting of garlic, green chilli's and ginger. I've mentioned this paste quite a few times, it's the base we always use for any curry back home. Last Christmas my mum made turkey spiced meatballs for my grandma who isn't partial to bland food. I thought I would do exactly the same and make a burger shape instead.

 

Ingredients for two burgers:

 

2 cloves of garlic, 1 small green chilli, 1cm chunk of ginger peeled.

100g turkey mince

Half tsp turmeric

Half tsp chilli powder

Half tsp garam masala

1tbsp canola oil

 

Fresh spinach leaves

Coriander

1 Large carrot, grated

Mango chutney

2 Wholemeal buns

Low fat cottage cheese

 

Method:

 

Blend garlic, chilli, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder and half tbsp of canola oil.

 

Use your hands and rub this into turkey mince. Shape into burgers and cover with cling film until ready to fry.

 

Brush a small frying pan with remainder of canola oil, and then you can fry each burger for 10 minutes. Five minutes on each side, medium heat.

 

Layer burgers whichever way you like, maybe serve with some sweet potato wedges.

 

There you have it, a burger which isn't dripping with fat and contains ingredients that act as body fuel.

 

 Now get dancing to John Newman!

Banana, Bran, Chocolate & Ginger Muffins

 SKINNY AND HEALTHY

204 CALORIES EACH

 

♬ 'Devotion' by Jessie Ware

 I was completely hooked on last weekends culinary pull out from The Times magazine, with loads of colourful recipes springing us back into a healthy start to the year, my eyes focused on healthy baked treats. Let's not stop eating cake! Treats are great and well deserved, the trick is to find a good recipe without loads of sugar or fat.

 Here's an altered recipe of Jacqueline WhiteHart's blueberry bran muffins. I've made these for a chef at Shoreditch House who always inspires and teaches me to be better when baking.

Makes 10 large muffins

Ingredients:

200ml Flora pro active skimmed milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

150g Doves farm gluten free plain flour

100g Doves farm gluten free self raising flour

1 tbsp oat bran

2 tsp baking powder

Half a tsp bicarbonate of soda

Pinch of sea salt

30g light brown sugar

1 tbsp Manuka honey

1 large egg

50g Green & Blacks white chocolate chopped into chunks

50g Green & Blacks dark chocolate also chopped.

1 large banana

2 tsp cinnamon

1cm ginger finely grated.

Method:

▶ Preheat oven 180°c.
Combine milk and lemon juice in a jug, and let it curdle for a few minutes.
Mix together all the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, raising agents, oats, cinnamon, salt).
Whisk egg with honey then pour onto dry ingredients and stir with a butter knife.
Mash up the banana and add to batter with grated ginger.
Scoop generous amounts into muffin cases and sprinkle dark and white chocolate equally on top.
Bake for 20 minutes until sponge is light brown and chocolate has melted into the muffins.

Eating them when warm is a fabulous idea, do it.

FEATURED ON WWW.52RECIPES.CO.UK 

http://www.52recipes.co.uk/2014/01/09/chocolate-ginger-muffins/



Randomly leaving you with the opening verse from my favourite song 'Wildest Moments'.
Full volume, fairy lights on and dance with someone..

"You and I, blurred lines,
We come together every time
Too wrongs, no rights,
We lose ourselves at night."

M

My Favourite Things

Every week for as long as I can, there will be a few of my favourite things linked to food and music. This post is also inspired by Julie Andrews, read on to find out why.

 Let's get straight into it...

1

The joy this gorgeous pot brings into my life is beyond words. It is my equivalent to ice cream, yes that's right, on a ladies night in you will see me spooning straight out of the tub when everyone else will probably opt for Ben & Jerry's.

AMAZING WITH:

Chopped bananas and Swiss muesli with a dash of skimmed milk.

Chocolate cake

Apple crumble

In a smoothie with banana, spinach and berries.

2

Five beans rock. They rock so hard that if they were in a band, all other cans of beans would be knocked off the stage and hail to five glory. This is how crazy I am about them and you should be too. Five bean power.

TRY THEM:

With your full English breakfast.

On toast with melted cheese

As a veggie chilli by adding spices and serving with rice.

On a jacket potato.

In a tortilla wrap with rocket and sausage.

Basically anything you would have with your average baked beans.

3.

Carrot, cucumber and ginger juice.

I'm trying to incorporate more fresh juices in my diet, which one will definitely be for breakfast. There maybe some smoothies getting involved to ensure I get my fibre, but I'm excited about trying new concoctions. 

Having a juice first thing in the morning feels so flipping good I can't look at cereal anymore. Juicing is a great way to use up apples, carrots, celery and loads more ingredients which will make you feel fresh eyed and awake.

Loads more juices coming up, so start setting up or buy one now!

 4.

I love you oats. Normally after a long run I like to make a small bowl of oatmeal with skimmed milk, one chopped banana and a drizzle of manuka honey. Oats are known to keep you fuller for longer and I crave lunch until after a healthy few hours.

Using oats in smoothies and in everyday meals will inject great benefits to your health. Check out this link if you have a few minutes:

http://www.eatmoreoats.com/health.html

TRY:

Adding a tablespoon to any smoothie you make.

Sprinkling oats on top of muffins before you bake them.

Stirring through a handful of oats in a crumble mixture.

Cover mackerel in seasoned oats and lightly fry.

Make your own granola, mainly oat based and top with yoghurt.

5.

 Julie Andrews

She is and always will be magical in every way. I recently watched Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music in one sitting (the benefits of Christmas holidays) and was mesmerised by how happy I was after those golden hours of witnessing so many people being lifted by Julie's charm and voice. This is why I want to do a weekly list of my favourite things, this is what most people should do to remind themselves of the simple pleasures in life.

God bless you Julie.

6.

Beyoncé looking beautiful even with a fork in her mouth.

When B and Jay-Z went vegan for 22 days the whole world was in awe and of course another new diet, paired with the recent fasting diet, Paleo and vegan before 6pm came into light.

I'm sorry B, your the hottest lady around but there is no way on earth I'm giving up eggs or honey. Her new album and videos are great to watch, is there anything this woman can't do? My favourite video is definitely 'Grown Woman'.

Intrigued about a plant based diet?

http://www.22daysnutrition.com/

I know it's January and everyone is feeling fat but in all seriousness, if you are wanting to lose weight make sure its for you, celebs like Beyoncé, Abby Clancy, Miranda Kerr and other models who look so fit it makes me cry, all HAVE to look that way.

Eat, drink and exercise in moderation.

Like what you have and make the most of it.

M

Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.

 

2013 was a bit of an odd year for me and this blog.

 

Here's a sweet little poem a friend wrote for me at work, bless her cotton socks the talented Miss Sharon Kaur...

 

Mita can cook and she can bake you to shame,

When she's mixing and cooking in the kitchen,

she's living life in the fast lane!

 

Cook sexy mama COOK!

 

I'm hoping to reach a big goal by the end of the year so don't take your eyes off this page, well not for too long anyway.

And for bakes sake make sure you become a goal digger.

M.x