Month: February 2017

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Dark Chocolate and Coconut Truffles

For the love of chocolate! It’s Valentine’s day tomorrow. And though I’m not much of a romantic, I have to admit that all the chocolate and strawberries around were making my mouth water. But I figure, if anything it’s time to show a little love to ourselves for getting through January’s dark and cold days! And let’s be honest with ourselves, none of us actually need an excuse to eat chocolate, right? I used to really dislike coconut (mom- I know you’re reading this in disbelief), but now my tastes have changed, I have come to love that coconutty flavour in sweet things. Coconut actually has a naturally sweet flavour, so you don’t need to add a lot of sweetener to make a difference. Coconuts are also relatively high in fat, which help give you that feeling of indulgence. All in all, a perfect treat combo! Plus, that tropical flavour really does something to brighten up your day on a cold February evening. Or maybe it just ignites your imagination to bring you to somewhere …

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Broccoli and Almond Soup with Mint & Crème Fraiche

When it comes to pureed soups, I think there are two types of people; those who love them and those who don’t. A bit like marmite some might say. So for those of you who already love pureed soup, you can skip this paragraph. After all, I’d be preaching to the converted! But for those of you who, like me avoid pureed soups at all costs, read on my friends. I admit that I definitely fall into the non-soup eating category and rarely make soups unless they have lots of chunky pieces of veg, meat, or noodles in them (like ramen- yum). BUT, this soup is an exception. Yes, it is pureed. And yes, I don’t just like it, I actually love it! And I’m not the only one; we used to make this broccoli soup at a cafe I worked at while I was a student in London, and it proved hugely popular. Even among the pureed soup avoiders like me. And believe me, when you realize how easy and quick this soup is …