IT'S PROPERCORN, BABY!

 Last Thursday, I had a couple of hours between the end of my shift at work and going to see The Crucible at The Old Vic, so I took the chance to walk around a bit and get moving after sitting at the desk for so long.

Little did I know I would bump into the most delicious and summery pop-up in Golden Square.
The Propercorn Summer Pop-Up!

Free Popercorn and drinks to enjoy while listening to some lovely live music, it really felt like summer and I loved every minute of it.

I had seen this brand of popcorn around London for a while, from Planet Organic, to Whole Foods to all major supermarkets but I have always had very bad experiences with pre packaged popcorn: they always ended up being kind of stale and gummy.. The complete opposite of the mouthwatering popcorn you can smell at the movies. So I have always refrained from trying new ones out. Boy was that a mistake!
This popcorn is different..It smelled delicious, tasted great and was properly crunchy!
Propercorn are the perfect option for a single portion treat, instead of gorging on a family size bag at the movies which is going to make you feel  bloated and horrible soon afterwards. I know this because I've done it in the past..

With a price that's less than £1 it's a snack that won't break the bank AND you have a clear calorie count on the front of the pack to remind you why you should not to feel guilty, only 129 calories for my current favourite Sweet and Salty and under 100 calories for the Sea Salt ones.
There are many different flavours to choose from, I tried the Sweet and Salty and took away with me Sea salt and the Fiery Worcester Sauce and Sun Dried Tomato ones for my friend who loves a bit of heat..
Well, surprise surprise, he loved Propercorn too!

Let me remind you all that this is also a gluten and wheat free snack.
So take a look at their website, chose your favourite flavour, grab a bag and enjoy it on the go or while snuggling on the sofa watching your favourite film! Happy Summer everybody!!!xxx

Sophie's Ice Lollies

I'm going to write this post quickly before going out because it's going to be another warm weekend and these easy and delicious treats are so quick to make and will keep you cool!
I tested these with my gorgeous friend Sophie and she loved them so much I decided to name them after her.
You can really use any fruit you want but I love berries and the coconut yougurt cream bit is for people that need a creamy part without the dairy.

INGREDIENTS: ((makes four lollies)
2 cups fresh mixed berries ( I used blueberries and strawberries)
1 date (soaked in water for a few minutes to make it nice and plump)

for the optional coconut yogurt creamy half:

1 tub plain coyo coconut yogurt,
1 tsp honey (add more to taste)
1 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD:

Just blend berries and date with a little water and put to the side. Clean blender and blend the rest of the ingredients. Add both flavours in layers to ice lollies moulds. Leave in freezer for 3-4 hours and they'll be ready for you when you get back from sunbathing in the park!

Banana-Almond Butter Ice Cream with Crushed Walnuts

This ice cream always takes me back to my childhood. Grandma used to buy these banana ice cream sticks the looked the actual fruit. I had one every time we visited her for dinner. Yes, fine,maybe I had two..So since moving away, if I was missing my grandma, I would sometimes get myself an ice cream cone and one of the flavours would be banana. It was never the same though, too sweet, not sweet enough, didn't quite taste right.. And then I discovered this recipe! It's incredibly quick and easy. I added some homemade almond butter for an extra layer of flavour and a protein kick, and topped it with crushed walnuts to add crunch and healthy fats.

All you need is a food processor and in no time you'll have a bowl of delicious ice-cream. xxx

INGREDIENTS ( makes 1 bowl) 

2 medium bananas ( sliced and frozen for a few hours or overnight) 

3 tbsp brown rice milk 

1 tbsp almond butter 

1 handful walnuts crushed into pieces

METHOD

Just pop the frozen banana slices and milk in the food processor and let it go for about 5 minutes. Every now and then you might have to use a spatula to add the mix detach from the sides of the food processor ( I only had to do it once). When it starts to become smooth just add your almond butter, and once you get that creamy consistency transfer it to your favourite bowl, top with walnuts or any other other topping you might prefer and 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 Ice Kitchen

Here's my latest most wonderful discovery.
Last weekend the weather was finally pretty warm here in London and as me and my beau were wandering around the Real Food Festival on the Southbank, we noticed a colourful new stand we had never seen before..
Enter The ice Kitchen.
The sign reads Hand Made Ice Lollies and had pictures of multicoloured  popsicles with wonderful mouthwatering flavour combinations. Many I had never seen before. I HAD TO TRY IT.

I had a Raspberry and Lime lolly and Patch had a Strawberry and Cream (which seems to be one of the most popular flavours).
By the time we were done we both had pretty big smiles on our faces, the amount of real fruit you can taste when biting into these lollies is amazing and it's exactly what's going to bring me back this stand for more.

Cesar (chef and joint founder) explained to me that he does add a little sugar syrup (equal parts of water and sugar) " in minimal amounts just to take the edge off the more sour fruits" which seems more than fair to me.
He also said that one of the most special flavours he makes is 50's Orange a: sour based creamsicle, flavoured with orange juice, dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with candied orange zest!
Are you drooling yet?
Just in case you wanted to keep it 100% natural then you should know that a sugar free Fresh Mango Pop is available and  I am definitely going to try it next time I head to the market.
And after that I'll try the Tart Plum (with roasted yellow and red plums) and after that...
Well, I could stay here all day  listing all the amazing flavours I want to try but I have a whole summer to work my way through all these incredible Artisanal Ice Lollies.

I used to have ice lollies a lot during the hot summers I spent in Italy but they were always the commercial, almost fluorescent ones that would only taste of sugar with some more orange, lemon or mint tasting syrup added in.

Don't get me wrong, at the time I didn't really care but right now I'm always looking for something a bit special, something that makes my taste buds go MAMMAAAAAAA MIAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Which is why I had to write this post.

So next time you're on the Southbank on a weekend and the sun is out, take a stroll  over
to The Real Food Market on The Southbank Centre Square, just behind The London Orchestra and find this gem of a stand.

The Ice Kitchen will be at the Real Food Market every weekend starting May 18th.

See you there.x