HEALTHY-CHEF

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

Be My Valentine Cake

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Be My Valentine Cake
 
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Dark chocolate and raspberries are the perfect marriage. I've kept this cake light by using a genoise sponge base, try different berries and/or boozy combinations morello cherries and kirsch work really well.
Serves: 8-10 slices
Ingredients
  • For the Genoise Sponge
  • 15g unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 free range eggs
  • 60g stevia/xylitol
  • 50g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 10g cocoa powder
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 20ml brandy (optional)
  • For the mousse
  • 175g 70% minimum organic dark chocolate
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 100g stevia/xylitol (natural sugar substitutes)
  • 3tbs strong coffee (add 1 tbs of strong coffee granules to 2 tbs of boiling water)
  • 175g organic butter, diced
  • 60ml brandy (optional)
  • 150ml double cream
  • 1tbs organic cocoa powder
  • To decorate
  • 2 punnets fresh organic raspberries
Instructions
  1. For the Genoise Sponge:
  2. preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease and line 20cm sandwich tin
  3. put the eggs and sugar into a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Whisk, using an electric hand-held whisk, for at least 7 minutes until the mixture is trebled in bulk, very pale and thick enough to hold a trail when the beaters are lifted.
  4. sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt together over the mixture and fold in gently, keeping in as much air as you can. Finally, very carefully fold in the melted butter.
  5. spoon the mixture into the prepared sandwich tin and bake for 25 minutes until golden and slightly shrunk from the sides of the tin.
  6. leave the sponge to cool in the tin
  7. For the mousse:
  8. break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of boiling water,add the coffee melt and then remove from the heat and stir in the diced butter until melted.
  9. beat the egg yolks and 90g of xylitol together
  10. pour in the melted chocolate mixture and combine
  11. in a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form then add the remaining 10g of xylitol and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form (please make sure they are stiff, for the brave tip the bowl upside down, the egg whites should stay in the bowl!)
  12. Carefully fold the whites into the egg yolk mixture until all the white has disappeared, be careful not to beat the air out of your mousse
  13. To construct the cake: (see notes)
  14. Leaving the cake in the tin brush the surface with 20ml of brandy
  15. Carefully spoon over the chocolate mousse levelling it off with a palette knife
  16. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours
  17. To unfold slide a warmed palette knife (dip in hot water) around the edge of the sandwich tin and carefully release the cake from the pan.
  18. Place on a serving plate and decorate with the raspberries
  19. Serve with a splash of double cream or spoon of creme fraiche
Notes
I have used the standard method of chilling and unmoulding in this recipe but if you prefer you can remove the sponge once cooked and cooled and place on your serving plate, if you are using it brush with the brandy. Using the original sandwich tin ring, wrap in cling film and carefully replace around your sponge. Next spoon the mousse on top of the cake cover with cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours. Carefully release the sandwich tin ring and decorate with the raspberries.

 

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Creme Brûlée

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Creme Brûlée
 
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4 simple ingredients, fifteen minutes preparation, 6 fabulous puddings that will win over any dinner guest!
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 6 free range egg yolks
  • 500ml double cream
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 100g stevia/xylitol
Instructions
  1. preheat oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 3
  2. pour cream into a heavy based pan and scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the cream, then add empty pod as well
  3. bring the area to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes
  4. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and stevia/xylitol for several minutes until light and fluffy, an electric whisk is useful for this
  5. bring the cream back to the boiling pour over the egg mixture, whisk constantly till combined and the mixture has thickened
  6. Pour the mixture into a jug and fill six ramekins equally
  7. Place the ramekins into a large deep baking tray and pour water just boiled half way up the ramekins.
  8. Carefully place the tray in the central shelf of your preheated oven and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, until the custard is just set (it will still wobble when moved)
  9. remove for m the oven and carefully take the ramekins out of the water allow to cool.
  10. when your ready to serve simply preheat your girl to the highest setting and sprinkle one level tsp of stevia/xylitol over the creme brûlées before placing them under the grill for between 30 seconds to 1 minute, remove when the sugar has caramelised and turned nicely golden. This step can also be achieved with a chefs' blow torch.
  11. serve with a puddle of fresh berries.

 

 

 

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Decadent Chocolate Roulade

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Decadant Chocolate Log
 
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This is one up from a swiss roll and makes a lovely change from making another cake. You can try adding diced strawberries or whole raspberries after you've spread the cream for an even more impressive result. Great as a yule log at Christmas.
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 10 generous slices
Ingredients
  • 8 oz dark plain chocolate (225g)
  • 4 oz caster sugar (110g)
  • 8 size 1 eggs
  • 2 oz good quality cocoa powder (50g)
  • ¾ pint double cream (425 ml)
  • 2 tbsp brandy/cherrry liqueur (optional)
  • 2 tbsp water
  • grated chocolate for decoration
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 (350 F) (180 C)
  2. Grease and line an oblong baking tin, approximately 11½ x 7 inches (29 x 18 cm) and just over 1 inch (2.5 cm). Oil the greaseproof paper lightly too.
  3. For the chocolate filling:
  4. break the plain chocolate in pieces into a basin with the water
  5. Place the basin over a saucepan of barely simmering water
  6. Wait for the chocolate to melt
  7. Then remove it from the heat
  8. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth
  9. Separate two eggs and beat the yolks, first on their own, then into the warm chocolate mixture
  10. Let it cool a bit
  11. Then whisk the egg whites till stiff
  12. Fold them into the chocolate mixture
  13. To make the roulade:
  14. Separate six large eggs, putting the whites into a large mixing bowl and the yolks into a pudding basin
  15. Whisk the yolks using a hand whisk or an electric whisker until they start to thicken
  16. Then add the caster sugar
  17. Whisk briefly just until the mixture feels thick
  18. Now, still whisking, add the cocoa powder
  19. Next, using a clean dry whisk, beat the egg whites till they are stiff and form little peaks
  20. Using a metal spoon carefully fold them into the egg yolk mixture, gently and thoroughly, making sure you get right down to the bottom of the bowl with the spoon
  21. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, spread it evenly and bake on a highish shelf in the oven for about 20-25 minutes
  22. Remove it from the oven it will sink and when it is cool, it will look crinkly on the surface
  23. To turn it out, place a piece of greaseproof paper on the table sift over some icing sugar
  24. Loosen the edges of the cake all round with a knife
  25. Then turn the tin upside down on to the paper
  26. Give a few sharp taps
  27. Lift the tin away from the cake
  28. Carefully peel off the greaseproof paper
  29. Now spread the chocolate filling over the entire surface of the sponge
  30. Whip up the cream until quite thick, add the brandy/cherry liquor if using
  31. Then, using a palette knife, spread the cream over the entire surface
  32. Carefully but firmly use the greaseproof paper to roll the roulade up and turn out onto a serving plate, don't worry if it cracks, simply sift over a little more icing sugar
  33. Serve with a selection of seasonal berries

 

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Brownies

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Brownies
 
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I have a sweet tooth but I've never understood the need for so much sugar to make a brownie taste good. This recipe literally uses 60% less sugar than most brownie recipes and you would never know. Great as a snack or served warm with good quality vanilla ice cream or a dollop of cream and a sprinkling of fresh raspberries.
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 15-20
Ingredients
  • 185g unsalted butter
  • 185g best dark chocolate
  • 85g plain unrefined flour
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 3 large free range egg
  • 150g xylitol/stevia
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 300 g (10 oz) pecan nuts, chopped optional
Instructions
  1. Grease and line the base of a baking tin with baking parchment
  2. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F gas mark 4
  3. Break the chocolate into a bowl
  4. Add the chunks of butter
  5. Melt the butter and chocolate over a saucepan of barely simmering water
  6. Stir occasionally
  7. Remove the bowl from the heat
  8. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly
  9. In a separate bowl sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt
  10. In a third bowl, beat the eggs and then add the xylitol and vanilla extract
  11. Stir the ingredients together until they are just combined
  12. Fold the melted chocolate into the beaten egg mixture using a spatula
  13. Then gently fold in the flour mixture and nuts, if using
  14. You shouldn't be able to see any flour once it's all mixed together
  15. Spoon the mixture into the tin
  16. Smooth the top with a palette knife
  17. Bake for 25 minutes
  18. Allow it to cool in the tin before cutting into squares

 

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Tiramisu

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Tiramisu
 
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Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 200 g tub mascarpone
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 450 ml (3/4 pint) warm, strong black coffee
  • 4 medium egg yolks
  • 75 g (3oz) caster sugar
  • 284 ml carton double cream, whipped into soft peaks
  • 100 ml (3½ fl oz) grappa
  • 200 g packet sponge fingers
  • 1 level tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
  1. Put the mascarpone in a bowl
  2. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways
  3. Scrape out the seeds
  4. Add them to the mascarpone
  5. Add the vanilla pod to the coffee
  6. Pour into a shallow dish
  7. Allow the flavours to mingle
  8. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and light
  9. Then whisk in the mascarpone until smooth
  10. Then fold in the whipped cream and grappa
  11. Take half the of the sponge fingers and dip each in turn into the coffee
  12. Then arrange them in the bottom of the shallow 2.4 litre dish
  13. Spread with half the mascarpone mixture
  14. Then dip the remaining sponge fingers in the coffee
  15. Arrange on a dish with a final layer of mascarpone mixture
  16. Leave and chill the tiramisu for at least 2 hours
  17. Dust with the cocoa powder

 

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Daim Bar Cheesecake

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Daim Bar Cheesecake
 
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OK So I've smuggled in some refined sugars by way of the Daim bars, and you can make this cheesecake just as successfully with there omission, but to complete my love affair with Swedish food,and to end a swedish dinner party I recently hosted, I added them.
Recipe type: Desserts/Cakes
Cuisine: Swedish
Serves: 10 slices
Ingredients
  • Cheesecake base:-
  • 125g oat biscuits (homemade or good quality)
  • 125g ginger biscuit (homemade or good quality)
  • 80g organic butter, melted
  • Cheesecake topping:-
  • 510g mascarpone
  • 125g xylitol/stevia/natural icing sugar
  • 375ml double cream
  • 3 Daim bars, grated/blitzed in a food processor
Instructions
  1. For the base
  2. Crush the ginger and oat biscuits in a large sandwich bag with a rolling pin or using your food processor
  3. Add the melted butter and combine
  4. Press the biscuit mix firmly into your prepared tin, using the back of a large spoon helps with this.
  5. Whip the double cream till you have soft peaks, don't over whip.
  6. In a separate bowl lightly whip the mascarpone and xylitol/stevia/icing sugar.
  7. Carefully fold in the whipped cream, careful not to overwork forcing the air out of the cream
  8. Finally fold in the grated Daim chocolate
  9. Now spoon over the biscuit base, smooth over the top and cover with clingfilm
  10. Refridgerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight
  11. Allow to come back to room temperature before serving alongside a puddle of single cream or good quality vanilla ice cream.

 

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Chocolate Mousse Cake

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Chocolate Mousse Cake
 
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I love this recipe it's a brilliant mousse recipe which works for me every time and really simple sponge and the addition of lots of brandy....what's not to love. Though I'm stretching the boundaries of 'healthy-chef' with the mere name of this recipe I stay true to my belief you don't need processed, artificial ingredients though I'm not advocating more than 1 slice for those watching the lbs!
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 8-10 slices
Ingredients
  • For the sponge
  • 115g/4oz organic butter, softened
  • 115g/4oz xylitol/stevia
  • 2 free range eggs
  • 145g/5oz unrefined self raising flour, i use wholemeal
  • 30g/1oz organic cocoa powder
  • For the mousse
  • 175g 70% minimum organic dark chocolate
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 100g xylitol
  • 3tbs strong coffee (add 1 tbs of strong coffee granules to 2 tbs of boiling water)
  • 175g organic butter, diced
  • 80ml brandy
  • 150ml double cream
  • 1tbs organic cocoa powder
Instructions
  1. preheat the oven to 300F
  2. For the sponge
  3. cream the butter and sugar together until pale
  4. gently beat in the eggs
  5. sift in the flour and cocoa powder, fold in gently careful not to beat out the air
  6. pour into a lined loaf tin and bake in the pre-heated oven for 50mins(approx), or until a skewer comes out clean
  7. Remove form the oven allow to cool slightly then remove and place on a cooling tray
  8. For the mousse
  9. break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of boiling water,add the coffee melt and then remove from the heat and stir in the diced butter until melted.
  10. beat the egg yolks and 90g of xylitol together
  11. pour in the melted chocolate mixture and combine
  12. in a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form then add the remaining 10g of xylitol and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form (please make sure they are stiff, for the brave tip the bowl upside down, the egg whites should stay in the bowl!)
  13. Carefully fold the whites into the egg yolk mixture until all the white has disappeared, be careful not to beat the air out of your mousse
  14. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 2 hrs
  15. Sliced the cooled loaf cake into 3 lengthways
  16. re-line the loaf tin with greaseproof paper and place the base layer of cake in the tin. Sprinkle over half the brandy
  17. Halve the middle layer of sponge lengthways and carefully place against each long side of the loaf tin.
  18. Carefully spoon in the mousse and then place the lid of the sponge on top
  19. Pierce the top layer of cake all over with a wooden skewer and sprinkle the remaining brandy over the top.
  20. Cover with cling film and return to the fridge weigh the cake down with a heavy book or equivalent for a minimum of 2 hrs
  21. Remove the cake from the fridge, remove the cling film and invert onto a cake plate.
  22. Whip 150ml of double cream and spread evenly over all sides of the cake with a palette knife
  23. Dust lightly with cocoa powder
  24. Serve in slices with a lick of pouring cream and a smattering of fresh berries.
  25. Heaven!

 

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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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Toffee, Pecan, Carrot Cake

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Toffee, Pecan, Carrot Cake
 
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This is a hybrid cake, half sticky toffee pudding half carrot cake. It came about on my Mum's very recent Birthday dinner. Her favourite cake is carrot cake and I wanted to combine that with an appropriate autumnal pudding and hey ho the Toffee Pecan Carrot Cake was born. For that occasion I served it warm, with lashings of toffee sauce and good quality vanilla ice cream.
Recipe type: Cakes & Bakes
Serves: 8 slices
Ingredients
  • 100g stoned dates, chopped
  • 75g figs, chopped
  • 1 tsp bicarb of soda
  • 175ml boiling water
  • 2 tsp strong coffee
  • 30g organic butter, softened
  • 150g xylitol
  • 2 free range eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 225g unrefined self raising flour, I used wholemeal
  • 2 small carrots/1 large carrot grated
  • 75g chopped pecans
  • Toffee Sauce
  • 45g organic butter
  • 300mls organic double cream
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ¾ tbsp mollasses
  • ½tbs maple syrup
  • 1oz pecan nuts, chopped
  • 1 vanilla pod
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C
  2. Place the dates and figs in a bowl and pour over the bicarb of soda and boiling water, leave to one side.
  3. Cream together the butter and xylitol until pale add the beaten egg and vanilla extract gradually until you have a smooth mixture
  4. Sieve the flour into the mixture then fold, careful not to beat out the air and finally fold in the grated carrot and pecans
  5. Pour into a greased and joined 20cm round cake tin.
  6. Bake for 30 to 40 mins until a skewer comes out clean.
  7. for the toffee sauce
  8. Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and warm gently till all the ingredients have melted and combined.

 

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Profiteroles

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Profiteroles
 
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The beauty of profiteroles is there is no added sugar. Infact the only sugar source is the dark chocolate in the ganache topping, so as long as you choose really good dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa) there's actually few baddies in this gorgeous pud. PS This is a bit of a special pud so I usually only make it for dinner parties etc hence the amounts will comfortably feed 8 adults, feel free to half the quantities if you require less.
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 28-30
Ingredients
  • For the choux pastry
  • 110g/4oz organic butter
  • 130g/41/2oz plain flour, sifted
  • 4 large free-range eggs, beaten
  • For the cream filling
  • 250ml/9fl oz full-fat milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, seeds extracted
  • For the ganache
  • 75g/2oz chocolate (minimum 39% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
  • 150ml double cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 475F/220C or for fan 425F/200C
  2. Line 3 baking trays with greaseproof paper
  3. Place the butter and water in a saucepan and warm over a medium heat until the butter has melted, allow to come to the boil just for a second.
  4. Off the heat, add the flour and beat to a paste return to a low heat stirring till the paste comes away from the side of the pan and won't stick to your finger, approx 1 minute
  5. Allow to cool a little then add the beaten egg a little at a time, beating well till you have a splodgy consistency thats drops off the spoon
  6. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe approx 4cm diameter balls well spaced on the prepared baking sheets.
  7. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 10 mins.then reduce the oven temperature to 374F/190c or fan 338F/170C and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes, do not open the door.
  8. Remove from oven and slice in half leave on cooling racks to cool completely.
  9. Whip the cream into soft peaks, stiff enough to hold its form inside the profiterole
  10. For the ganache warm the cream over a medium heat, once hot take off the heat and break in the chocolate stirring constantly till you have a dark glossy ganache
  11. When the profiteroles are completely cold dip the tops of the profiteroles in the ganache coating generously, replace on the cooling rack to dry (to sped this up you can place in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.
  12. Sandwich the base and tops of the profiteroles together with the whipped cream. For decorative purpose you can pipe the cream in using a piping bag held 1cm above the profiterole.
  13. Place on a decorative plate or cake stand
  14. Serve with vanilla ice cream and a smattering of raspberries or strawberries
Notes
For a more adult twist add a tablespoon of kirsch or brandy to the cream once whipped.

 

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