HEALTHY-CHEF

Really good food...that's really good for you!

Quesadilla

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Quesadillas
 
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I have just returned from a wonderful week in Mexico, great weather, great people and great food. One simple, healthy and very versatile dish is the Quesadilla. It literally takes 5 minutes, you can use any filling ingredients you fancy (have in stock!) and they're a winner with children too!
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 1 portion
Ingredients
  • 50g grated good quality cheese
  • 1 spring onions
  • ¼ organic red pepper, sliced thinly
  • Sprinkle of diced organic lean ham (optional)
  • tsp deseeded chilli, diced finely (optional)
  • 2 tortillas
  • soured cream , to serve
Instructions
  1. Mix the grated cheese, onion, red pepper and ,if using, the ham and chilli in a bowl
  2. Heat a dry frying pan over a high heat for approximately 1 minute or until smoking hot
  3. Add one of the tortillas and pour over the mixed ingredients, spread evenly over the tortilla place the other tortilla on top.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium and fry for ½ minutes on either side till the tortilla is crisp and browned and the cheese is fully melted.
  5. Carefully tip onto a chopping board/plates and slice into quarters
  6. Enjoy with a fresh salad and dollop of sour cream

 

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Omelette

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Omelette
 
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Omelettes are so versatile you can literally make them with as many or few ingredients as you like! If you are really keen on egg white omelette you can make this recipe purely with egg whites, I recommend a minimum of 6 to make a decent sized omelette.
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 1 person
Ingredients
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 50g grated cheese, your preference
  • Sea salt and freshly milled pepper
  • Optional extras:-
  • ½ a small red onion,grated
  • handful of organic spinach leaves
Instructions
  1. Whisk the egg whites and yolks in a bowl and season
  2. Heat a non-stick heavy boomed frying pan/omelette pan over a high flame and add ½ tbsp of coconut oil
  3. Pour in the egg batter and reduce the heat to medium
  4. Allow the omelette to cook for approximately 1 min, then sprinkle the cheese, and any other choose toppings, evenly over the omelette.
  5. Transfer to a pre-heated grill (broil) and grill the topside of the omelette for approximately 1 minute, until the omelette has set and the cheese is bubbling.
  6. Turn out onto a warmed serving plate.

 

 

 

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Apple & Walnut Ginger Muffins

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Apple & Walnut Ginger Muffins
 
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I have made these three or four times now to achieve the best levels of baking powder and spice. They are a lovely, wholesome treat perfect for breakfast as well as lunch boxes or to accompany a mid afternoon cup of coffee.
Serves: 12 muffins
Ingredients
  • 300g plain unrefined flour (i used half spelt and half wholemeal)
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 2 level tsp ginger
  • 2 level tsp cinnamon
  • 1 level tsp mixed spice
  • 2 large free range eggs
  • 80g mollasses
  • 60g xylitol/stevia
  • 240ml almond milk
  • 100g organic butter, melted
  • 3 apples - leave the skin on (2 grated & 1 diced into 2cm cubes)
  • 50g chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 392F/200C
  2. Place approx. 12 muffin cases in a muffin tray
  3. Organise all your ingredients before you start baking, timing is of the essence with muffins so you must be prepared
  4. sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a mixing bowl
  5. In another large mixing bowl whisk the melted butter, eggs, molasses, almond milk and xylitol/stevia till well combined
  6. Re-sift (very important, as we will not be doing much mixing and want to get plenty of rise in our muffins) the dry ingredients into your mixture and literally fold in with a large metal spoon for no more than 15 seconds
  7. Carefully and briefly fold in the grated, diced apple and walnuts
  8. Spoon into your muffin cases and bake in your preheated oven for 25mins or until a skewer inserted int the centre comes out clean
  9. Allow to cool on a cooling rack before devouring
Notes
I like to use plain flour whenever I bake adding baking powder to get just the right ratio. However, if you prefer or only have self raising flour just omit 2 tsp of the baking powder,

 

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Pancakes

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Pancakes
 
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My daughters' favourite start to the day are pancakes. that said I'm yet to find someone who doesn't like these lovely golden frisbees smothered in honey and a good squeeze of lemon.
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 15-20 pancakes
Ingredients
  • 220g/8oz plain unrefined flour (is use wholemeal or brown rice)
  • pinch sea salt
  • 4 large free range eggs
  • 400ml/14 fl oz almond/soya milk
  • 150ml/6 fl oz water
  • 100g/4oz organic butter, diced into small cubes (optional, for super healthy pancakes you can omit the butter from the recipe and use coconut oil for frying.)
Instructions
  1. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl add the salt
  2. Make a well i the middle and add the eggs
  3. Whisk in the eggs, ideally with an electric hand whisk, scrape all the mixture from the sides and base of the bowl to ensure it is all incorporated.
  4. You will quickly get a thick paste at this stage continue to whisk and add the milk it small quantities followed by the water, until you have a smooth batter
  5. Melt 1 or 2 cubes of butter in a pancake pan (they really make a difference) on a high heat, once melted reduce the heat to medium and spoon ½ a ladle of the batter into the pan.
  6. The pancake should take only 30 seconds or so to cook then using a palette knife or fish slice flip the pancake over give the underside another 15 seconds then slide onto a warm waiting plate.
  7. Continue until all your pancake batter is used, stacking the pancakes one on top of the other
  8. Serve at once with plenty of lemon wedges, raw honey, organic maple syrup, xylitol/stevia and some fresh berries.

 

 

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Frappe

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Frappe
 
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My daughter, Ella's favourite drink! So how to make an ice-cream, sugar laden drink a lot healthier without her complaining....after several attempts we settled for this recipe. Plus its so easy she can make it herself!
Recipe type: Drink
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • ½cup ice
  • ½ cup/125ml cold coffee (best quality)
  • ½ cup/125ml organic smell/whole milk or a dairy fee alternative i.e. coconut/almond/soy
  • 1 or 2 tsp xylitol
Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients in your blender and whizz till smooth
  2. Pour into a long glass and enjoy straight away

 

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Banana Bread

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Banana Bread
 
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Dense, moist, packed with healthy goodies that give you your sugar hit and fill you up, what more do want!
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 8 slices
Ingredients
  • 120g (1 cup) rice/quinoa flour (see notes)
  • 120g (1 cup) ground almonds
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1tsp mixed spice
  • 60g (1/4cup) organic butter (melted/room temperature)
  • 2 tbs greek yoghurt/plain yogurt
  • 135g (3/4 cup) organic maple syrup/raw honey
  • 2 eggs, beaten (room temperature)
  • 3 or 4 (3 cups) overripe bananas mashed
  • 1 handful of raisins
  • 1 handful of chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
  2. Grease & line a 9x5 inch loaf tin
  3. Sift the flour and bicarb of soda into a large mixing bowl add the ground almonds and spices
  4. In a separate bowl combine the butter, yoghurt, maple syrup/raw honey, eggs and mashed banana
  5. Add this mix to the dry ingredients and carefully fold in
  6. Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin and bake in your preheated oven for 50-60 mins (check after 45 mins) remove when a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  7. Allow to cool before serving.

 

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Orange Spread

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Orange Spread
 
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Okay so this is basically my Sunshine Marmalade for the brave. It is exactly the same but without any added sweetness. It came about when on the umpteenth time I was making my marmalade I wondered whether it needed the extra sweetness and low and behold I realised it didn't. If this is your first attempt at healthy/homemade conserves feel free to start with my recipe for Sunshine Marmalade and then as you like reduce the sugar content till voila you're making orange spread.
Recipe type: Conserves
Serves: 4 jars
Ingredients
  • 6 organic oranges
  • 1cup/230ml water
Instructions
  1. Peel each orange, retain the rinds.
  2. Slice in half and put the oranges, skin , seeds the lot in a food processor
  3. Combine till you have a smooth puree
  4. Slice the rinds into matchsticks
  5. Pour puree, rind and water into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil
  6. Stir to ensure no bits are sticking to the saucepan base and then lower to minimum heat and simmer for 11/2hr uncovered till the rinds are completely soft.
  7. Remove from heat and allow to cool
  8. Pour into jars and refrigerate
  9. Keeps for approx 1 month

 

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Banana & Blueberry Muffins

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Banana & Blueberry Muffins
 
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Bananas are crammed with potassium and vitamin B6, great for alleviating mood swings and and reducing water retention. Magnesium rich walnuts, calcium and Vitamin D dense yoghurt and antioxidant rich blueberries make this a great option for breakfast or snack satisfying a sweet tooth without causing a sugar rush/dip!
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 11/4 cups (120g) porridge oats
  • ½ cup(60g) rice flour/ground almonds
  • ¼cup (30g)ground flaxseed
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¼cup (60ml) plain yoghurt
  • 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
  • ½ cup (60ml) xylitol/honey/maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup (90ml) grapeseed oil
  • ¼ cup (30g) chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F
  2. In a large bowl sift flour, baking powder and baking soda, add porridge oats and ground flaxseed
  3. In a separate bowl combine eggs, yoghurt, bananas, xylitol/honey/maple syrup, oil, walnuts and blueberries
  4. Fold in flour mix, being careful not to beat out air
  5. Divide batter among 12 muffin cases
  6. Bake for 15 mins, until the tops spring back when pressed softly
  7. Allow to cool.
Notes
I use the American measures for this recipe it just makes life a lot easier, they're readily available to buy online or in big supermarkets/department stores.

 

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Berry Medley

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Berry Medley
 
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Basically this is the easiest, healthiest, tastiest pudding/breakfast/snack. It's hardly a recipe as you literally combine your favourite berries and serve so maybe I should just entice you by explaining why it's so good for you. Berries are the highest anti-oxidant fruits and literally breathe life into you cells protecting against heart disease and cancer. There high in anti inflammatory properties, so great for bones, joints etc. Not to mention high Vitamin C & K content, fibre and manganase. Best enjoyed fresh and at there purest (no cooking, heating etc) this is one of the best ways of enjoying them. If you want to add a hit of probiotics with your favourite yoghurt (go for greek/plain or low sugar no artificial sweeteners/aspartame or corn syrup options)
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 6 portions
Ingredients
  • 1 punnet strawberries, hulled and sliced into quarters
  • 1 punnet cherries, destoned
  • 1 punnet blueberries
  • 1 punnet raspberries
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl
  2. Serve ideally at room temperature, with a large dollop of yoghurt if desired.
Notes
Try any combination of in-season berries other examples include blackcurrants, loganberries, goji berries. Sprinkle with flaxseeds and yoghurt, the probiotic in the yoghurt feeds the prebiotics in the flaxseed.

 

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Fruit Salad Smoothie

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Fruit Salad Smoothie
 
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Really simple, really delicious smoothies my family love! We drank these every morning on a recent holiday to the Caribbean, having paid close attention I can now recreate them from not so sunny Cheshire! I'm listing my favourite smoothie fruit but basically you can add any, though bananas create the creaminess if that's what you like.
Recipe type: Smoothies
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 handful of ice
  • 1 banana
  • ½ papaya/mango cubed
  • 1 handful frozen raspberries (fresh is also fine)
  • 1 squeeze (dessert spoon honey)
Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients in a blender/mixer/bullet
  2. Whizz up till ingredients have combined (approx 1 min)
  3. Serve immediately
  4. Enjoy!

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