All posts filed under: Snacks

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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 …

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Nutty Banana bread with a Twist

I have to admit, even I surprised myself with this banana bread. We all know that when we attempt to make things ‘healthy’, especially when it comes to cakes, we tend to lower our expectations to not be quite as indulgent. Well, prepare to be surprised! I definitely won’t be going back to the traditional banana bread from now on that’s for sure. Plus, it’s a one-bowl recipe. Oh yeah. So what do I mean by healthier? Firstly, it is low in sugar whilst also being high in protein and fibre. This is a good combination because it means that we don’t get a big sugar spike (and as a consequence, a sugar low later on). This banana bread is free from refined flours, and instead is a mix of almond meal and whole wheat spelt flour, with some cacao nibs and walnuts thrown in for added crunch and decadence (and health benefits too, of course). Banana’s and pregnancy leg cramps But there’s a bonus to this banana bread. Banana’s are high in potassium and …

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Pomegranate & Persimmon Autumn Salad

Persimmon’s are a bit of a forgotten fruit, the kind that some people have never heard of or tasted. They are more often sold in markets and fruit stalls, and totally worth the search! Disguised by their sweetness, you wouldn’t tell that these fruits have one of the highest contents of vitamin C of any fruit. Almost 80% of your daily requirements in one persimmon! These nutritional bombs are also packed with iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus; in much higher quantities than other fruits such as apples and pears. It’s no surprise therefore, that they are appropriately named as ‘food for the gods’ in Latin, but if your up for the search, you can enjoy these godly fruits too. Combine persimmon with pomegranate, already famous for its nutritional qualities, and your body and baby are in for a real treat. But your taste buds are not forgotten either, because this is a delicious combination of sweet and tart flavours, soft and crunchy textures; a sure ‘gift from the gods’! In other words, this combination …

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Rooibos & Cinnamon Poached Pears

As the weather turns cooler and the leaves start to turn a beautiful auburn colour, we also start to naturally gravitate towards warm, cooked and soulful meals. Our bodies are still very much in tune with the seasons, despite the supermarket isles tricking us into believing otherwise. That’s not to say we aren’t incredibly fortunate to have all of this produce available to us, but it also means we have lost touch with natures intuitive way of providing us with what we need, when we need it. Most of us are even unaware of what grows seasonally unless we have a veggie garden or go to farmers markets, and even so, I still see mangoes being sold in October in the markets in Holland! So, lets take cucumbers for example (but you could say the same for radishes, lettuce, celery, etc); these grow during the summer months and are about 96% water (the rest being nutrients & fiber). During the summer heat we sweat and loose a lot more water than during the winter, which …

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The Goddess of all Greek Salads

With the weather being so changeable these days it’s hard to decide whether we should still be eating summer-inspired or autumnal dishes. With that in mind, I thought a ‘autumnaly salad’ was probably the best way to go forward. Perhaps it’s the simplicity of a traditional Greek salad that I’ve always loved, but it doesn’t exactly feel like a meal, and rather more of an accompaniment. So this goddess of Greek salads was created to make a more substantial and wonderfully colourful lunch. You know you’re onto a nutrient packed meal when it’s colourful (naturally colourful, not E number colourful, that is) as well as fresh! VITAMIN A DID YOU SAY? So why enjoy this salad other than because it’s delicious and satisfying? Well it’ll be sure to give you a hit of vitamin C, fibre, lycopene, and carotenoids (from carrots and other orange and red coloured fruits & veggies); a form of pre-vitamin A. Wait, vitamin A did you say? I can almost sense your quizzical look appear with the mention it. That probably …

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Homemade frozen pesto

It’s been a little while since my last post, so I apologize to all of you for the long wait. I have actually been busy moving country, so I am now a proud resident of the Netherlands! The first thing I did when moving here was to scour out all the supermarkets in town. I was so excited to see all the new produce and products, but of course it has also meant not finding others. It hit home how challenging it can be to find certain products when you don’t live in such a metropolitan city such as London! So in honour of simple ingredients, I have made one of the simplest yet most satisfying sauces which you can combine with almost anything. Homemade pesto. Why frozen you might ask? Well, call me a snob but I really don’t like shop bought pesto. It looks like it has been in that jar way too long, loosing its vibrant green colour and fresh taste along with it. So whenever I have the chance during the …

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No knead Spelt & Multiseed Bread

Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked bread. Especially when you’re pregnant and craving carbs like crazy. Bread is one of those real comfort foods that goes with pretty much anything, at any time of day. I will admit that I am a bit of a bread snob, and my favourites are always the crusty and wholesome breads. But let’s be honest, who actually has the time to bake bread? Well, with this recipe, you will. Because it takes all of about 10 minutes. Max. (excluding baking and fermentation time that is). But first, let’s talk about why you should take 10 minutes out of your day to make your own bread. Unfortunately a lot of the supermarket breads are not very nutritious. Sliced bread, even if it is brown (which can sometimes just be dyed brown! not actually be wholemeal-brown), often has extra yeast, sugar and added chemicals to make the dough rise quicker, allowing for little or no fermentation time. Fermentation is normally required to allow for air pockets to develop making the bread …

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Cocoa and Date Truffles

I have yet to meet a pregnant woman who does not crave something sweet from time to time (or all the time!), so to keep you from eating a bar of chocolate a day, why not make these delicious cocoa date truffles? They are (mostly) guilt free, as the only sweetener in them is the dates themselves. Let’s not kid ourselves, they’re not going to taste just like Ferrero Rocher’s, but they’ll do the trick when you’re after something chocolatey and sweet. They’re great as an afternoon pick me up, as they have ground almonds and rolled oats, so won’t give you the sugar rush or the slump an hour later. Dates also have lots of nutrients, and the cocoa itself is rich in antioxidants. These truffles also contain cinnamon, which has been shown to stabilise blood sugar, and also makes everything taste and smell delicious! These truffles are very versatile and you can coat them in whatever mix you prefer. Here I’ve done 3 types: cocoa powder, cinnamon and ground almonds. I’d also have …

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Fresh Fig & Feta cheese salad

Every year I look forward to figs coming into season at the end of the summer. They are my absolute favorite, deliciously sweet and wonderful, and worth waiting for! They are a rather delicate fruit when ripe, but are very versatile and can be eaten with something savoury (as in this salad), made into jam, as a dessert, or simply on their own. They come in various different colours and sizes,  all delicious. When out of season, they can be very disappointing, so keep this salad in mind between July and September only. Dried figs however are available all year round, so you can still reap their health benefits and enjoy them as a sweet snack any time of year. Figs are well-known to help those suffering with constipation as they are full of fibre, which helps get things moving. For people who aren’t used to a fibre rich diet, figs can act as a bit of a laxative, so if you are one of those people, you may want to have a taster portion …