BANANA CASHEW MILKSHAKE

This is going to be a very quick post not only because I have an assignment to finish but mainly because this milkshake is ready in 2 minutes for you drink up!

I needed a quick snack that was sweet but also had a protein kick plus some cinnamon to get my blood sugar balanced for longer so that I wouldn't get cravings till dinner.

It was absolutely delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1 Frozen Banana (i slice ripe ones and pop them in individual freezing bag so they are always ready)
1 handful raw cashews
1 tbsp protein powder (I use brown rice protein by Pulsin)
1 tsp coconut oil (I use Lucy Bee)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bee pollen (help immunity and circulation)
1 tbsp ground linseeds (plant source of Omega 3 fats. anti inflammatory, immunity boosting and much more)
1cup Brown Rice Milk (I use Rude Health)

Pop everything in the blender, whizz it up till smooth and drink immediately if not sooner! Yey!x

PS: I just want to remind you that I'm writing the brands I am using not because I get paid to do it but because they work for me and my taste. There are many other brands out there but if you are starting out using these foods, it might help to at least have an idea of what I go for. When I started reading food blogs I was curious to know which brands worked for the bloggers so at least I would have known in which direction to go when I went to the supermarket to look for types of foods I had never heard of before...xxx

Purple Smoothie Delight

School is out and summer is in baby!

I finally did my physiology exam yesterday, preparing for it has been hard and it drained me both mentally and physically even though I loved everything I was learning. So now it's time to recharge my batteries, gain some of the weight I lost from too much uni stress and just relax and focus on myself and everything I love!!!

So let's start with the prettiest purple smoothie recipe. Purple is my favourite colour but this is not the only reason why I love this smoothie...It's really tasty, it's fresh and has proteins, antioxidants and good fats. It's a great way to start your day! Most of all, it's very quick to make which is key for me and why I love smoothies so much, you just pop all the ingredients in your blender (best money I ever spent) and in one minute you're ready to go.

INGREDIENTS

1 handful almonds

1 cup brown rice milk or soy milk ( make sure they are unsweetened, I use Rude Health Brown Rice Milk)

1 cup frozen berries (mine was a mix of blueberries and strawberries)

1 probiotic capsule (open it up and pour the powder in )

1tsp vanilla extract

1tbsp chia seeds

1tbsp coconut oil ( I use Lucy Bee)

1 date ( put in hot water while you prepare the other ingredients, this way it'll be softer and plumper, remember to remove the seed!)

OPTIONAL: add 1 handful of spinach or kale for extra calcium and magnesium.

As I said before, all you have to do is add the ingredients to the blender and whizz for a minute. Enjoy!

Cinnamon, Cacao and Hazelnut Truffolini

I have three weeks off uni before the new semester starts and I'm using this time to do what I love the most but had no time to do because of studying : experimenting in my kitchen..Trying new foods and flavours.
Enter my Truffolini.
They're actually called truffles but they're so tiny and cute I gave them my own nickname.. A couple of days ago I bought my very first dates and I was dying to try them in a recipe.
Healthy truffles sound pretty good to me so I started researching on line and in the end came up with a recipe that includes my favourite things: Cinnamon, Cacao and Hazelnuts.
I find the smell and taste of cinnamon extremely comforting, raw cacao is perfect for my sweet cravings and packs some serious antioxidant power and hazelnuts have protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. On top of that remember that dates are packed with fibre, potassium, zinc, selenium and B vitamins amongst others...
These are the perfect small treats to eat while me and my boy are powering through the whole Harry Potter Box Set. Somehow, every time I watch one of those films I always end up needing something sweet and I'd rather have something delicious that I also know is oh so good for me!
They are perfect to take in to work (1 or 2) to give you a little boost mid afternoon, or as an energy bite after your workout. As with everything though, don't stuff your face with them as dates have more potassium than bananas but also more calories..
So treat yourself but don't overdo it!

4 Medjool dates (soaked in warm water for 5 minutes)
75g Hazelnuts
a handful of almonds (I used some leftover ones)
3 or 4 walnuts (again, they were leftovers in the cupboard)
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1tbsp raw cacao powder
1/2 tbsp cinnamon (plus more to roll the truffolini in)
2tsp chia seeds ( optional)

Place the nuts in your food processor and whiz till they become fine but are still retaining some texture.
Add your coconut oil, cacao and cinnamon and whiz again to mix everything in and slowly add your dates.
Once all the ingredients are nicely blended (about a minute) you can open the food processor and start forming little balls of deliciousness between the palms of your hands, sprinkle some cinnamon on a plate and roll the truffolini in it.
Place them on a tray and pop them in the refrigerator for at least half hour before eating them.
If you can actually manage to wait that long.. xxx

The Best Green Smoothie

This past week it's been really hot and I had a lot of long shifts at work so I had to make sure I had lots of energy to start the day with every single morning.
As soon as I wake up, before I do anything else, I always have a cup of hot water and lemon to help cleanse my body and boost my immune system.
And because on my birthday I got myself a super sexy new blender, I now use it every single morning to make some gorgeous green smoothies with all the organic vegetables I get from the Farmers Market on Sundays ( I'm lucky enough to have Brixton's Farmers Market near my house).
As it's super quick to make, I usually prepare it before I get out, pour it into my Thermos and take it to work to drink throughout the morning.
So here's the recipe for this greenelicious breakfast that has filled my belly with happiness for this whole past week!

THE BEST GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPE
1 Apple, peeled and cut in quarters
1 Kiwi, peeled
1/4 of a Large cucumber, peeled
1 large handful of kale or spinach
a small handful of mint
the juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp of Ground Flaxseed (for some omega3 and fiber goodness)
1/2 cup of water

Just put all ingredients in your blender, whizz it up and drink!

Easy Raw Wrap

I've been meaning to write a post about this quick lunch to go because I've had a few weeks where I was working at the film school almost every day and just couldn't afford to buy lunch on each single occasion, also I do prefer to make lunch myself if I can, that way I know exactly what kind of ingredients go in it.
I normally do this wrap in the morning, it takes 5 min tops and it's healthy delicious and satisfying.
The avocado is added in at the last minute, so you take it with you whole and I always have with me a spoon and knife (reusable ones) to cut it and spoon it out before adding it to my wrap.

INGREDIENTS  (makes two big wraps)
1 ripe Avocado
1/2 Cucumber thinly sliced ( probably less than that, use what you can and munch on what's left like I do)
1 Tomato thinly sliced
Hummous (bought from a shop, I use sainsburys organic hummous, or you can make your own)
2 Handfuls mixed salad (or whatever you have in the house ex: watercress or spinach)
Wholewheat large tortillas (I use discover Wholemeal Wrapbread, but you can get corn tortillas or any other kind you'd rather use, just make sure they are large otherwise it'll be hard to fold them with the filling in)


Now, it's all about layering! Spread some hummous first leaving a few cm from the border, otherwise it'll get messy when you roll it, add a little salad, then half cucumber slices and tomatoes, finally roll it and put it in your airtight container or lunchbox. Same thing with the other one.

As I said before all you have to do before eating is unroll, add half avocado in one wrap and half in the other then roll up again and bite into it!x