Chickpea Blondies!

I'm continuously finding new blogs to pore over - and as a result, feel increasingly out of my depth in this whole healthy/fitness blogging community! As in, how am I even supposed to compete with the likes of amazing blogs like this and this?! Even on the basis of photography, these blogs are outstanding - not to mention their content!

One blog of note that's been permanently stuck on my long line of tabs is that of ChocolateCoveredKatie (is it just me or are there millions of food bloggers/bloggers in general called Katie? Or am I just specifically hunting out the Katie bloggers? Maybe so). Anyway, Katie's blog is full of unique, low-cal and super tasty dessert recipes that are simple to follow and easy to make! And with that, I'll introduce these chickpea blondies, a recipe based on this original recipe by Katie (slightly adapted by me).



Ingredients:

300g chickpeas, cooked (I bought a dry packet of chickpeas as it's more economical than buying the canned versions - though be aware that they'll require soaking overnight, plus 150 minutes on the hob! Ouch...maybe not so economical after all...)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
2 teaspoons brown granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon agave nectar
1 large banana
1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
1 x 27g pack quick oats (Quakers Oats)
2 heaped Tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon coconut oil
20g dark chocolate chips (optional)

Another failed attempt at using the food processor meant transferring my half-beaten chickpea/banana mix to a bowl - someone buy me a decent food processor please? (A vita-mix would be just ideal! Then I can be like all of the other food bloggers, and life would be sweet)



Never-the-less - blend, beat, mash, fork, destroy all ingredients together until you've got yourself a good, batter-y consistency. The final ingredient should be your chocolate chips, if you wish to include them (it's probably for the best). Grease a baking tin (I used a fairly shallow quiche-style dish, which very, very almost managed to fit the whole shabang inside...but not quite. And that is when paper cupcake holders come into swift action).

Your oven should be pre-heated to 350c or gas mark 4. Slide your filled tray/tin/cupcake holders etc into the upper shelf and watch/smell the magic happen...oh, yes; the smell. Seriously good stuff. Remove from the oven after about 30 minutes, and leave to cool (again - if you manage to resist. Resistence is futile! I've probably said that before, but hey, the phrase will - or should, if my baking's up to scratch - always comply!).

The whole batch totals at just over 1000 cals, so split into 10 portions and you've got yourself a super nutritious and delicious pre/post-workout snack/tea-time treat coming in at a measly 100 calories (also if you're interested, 3.4g fat - 1.2g of which saturates - 27g carbs - 22g fibre, 5.6g sugar - plus 3g protein).

Pure, unadulterated bliss - in blondie form. Go on - tuck in!

Broccoli Avocado Soup

When Mum's away...Katie shall play! Or rather...Katie shall make soup. Yes, that's more like it.



I decided to make a soup for dinner dinner based upon the facts that a) There was half a leftover avocado in the fridge, b) The kitchen goddess (Mother dearest) is out for the night, and c) I just craved soup, badly. So having come across this recipe, I thought I'd adapt it somewhat and give it a good old whirl.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, sliced 'n' diced
Teaspoon coconut oil
Spices: Paprika (1/2 teaspoon), Herbs de Provence (pinch), black pepper (optional amount) and a pinch of salt
A few florets of broccoli (I used 3...because I ran out. But nonetheless, it was the perfect amount anyway)
1 vegetable stock, soaked in 190ml boiling water
1/2 pitted avocado
Squeeze of lemon (1/2 teaspoon)

I so love the easiness of soup making! This recipe took all of 15 minutes to prepare, and I have to say I was really impressed with the outcome (besides the obvious fact that it is so very GREEN. I'm not one to care about the colours of my food, but I know of others who'd be put-off - oh well, more for me?).



The creaminess of the avocado sits just right with the vegetable flavouring, plus the garlic, spices and lemon added that necessary twist to jazz up the taste somewhat. Here's how to make it, if you wanted to try for yourself. Bear in mind that this only serves one little stomach - double up (or triple/quadruple etc) for those with a heftier appetite, or those dining with company!

Dissolve your veg stock in 190ml boiling water, stirring regularly. Bring to the boil, and add your florets of broccoli to the liquid. Cook until the broccoli is tender. Meanwhile, in a larger soup pan, melt your coconut oil on high heat and add your diced garlic, plus the spices and herbs. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, by which time your broccoli should be cooked. Add the stock mix to the soup pan (should still be bubbling hot) and let simmer. Stir, then leave it to sit and cool slightly.

Next, you want to pour the concoction into your blender, adding your avocado on top. Whizz up, and when the consistency is nice and creamy, pour back into the pan and heat the soup throughout. Serve immediately, and enjoy!




I combined my soup with a side of 2 ryvita crackers plus a few tablespoons of Lithuanian potato salad - the latter of which is so, so delicious! I'll share the recipe soon - or at least when I find out how to make it myself (My mum's taken a fancy to making the stuff after tasting a shop-bought version that my boyfriend regularly buys...much to my boyfriends delight, might I add. He could easily demolish the whole lot within a day! To be completely fair though, so could I!).



Has anyone else been Winter-proofing themselves with a piping hot and hearty soup for dinner/lunch?

Coconut Cake with Banana-Choc Frosting

I decided to make this cake at around midnight last night; a combination of boredom (I was waiting up for my boyfriend to return from a late shift at work), intrigue of the original recipe, and - probably the foremost reason - because today it was, of course, Mother's day.




Knowing that my mum is a lover of coconut, almond/nuts, bananas and chocolate, making this cake seemed a natural decision in terms of the chief ingredients. And it's mighty healthy, too - that kinda goes without saying, seeing as this is a health/fitness blog, after all. The ingredients aren't too "out there", either (don't you just hate finding a recipe with a huge list of ingredients that you've never even heard of before? Or worse...having every ingredient bar one measly item. A baker's life... it sure is cruel sometimes). You might even find that you have every ingredient already stocked up in your cupboards - in which case, what are you waiting for?

Alas, enough of the rambling already - here are the instructions on how to make this wondrous cake. Delve on in.

Ingredients (CAKE):

3 large eggs
240ml milk of choice (I used almond milk - original recipe suggests coconut milk. My kitchen cupboards didn't concur)
3 heaped tablespoons coconut oil
60ml honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
80g ground almonds ('almond flour')
1 tablespoon coconut flour (I think I added 1 more after for a thicker paste - sometimes it's all about experimental baking/winging it...)
100g shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/4 teaspoon salt (a pinch should be adequate!)

FROSTING:

1 ripe banana
4 teaspoons cocoa powder
A little added sweetness (1 teaspoon agave/honey)
10g 90% cacao (dark chocolate)
Preheat your oven to 350c, or gas mark 4. Line a couple of round cake tins with parchment paper, nicely greased with coconut oil.

Onto the messy stuff: mix your eggs with the milk, coconut oil (I heated mine so it resembled liquid oil), honey and vanilla extract. I did this by the power of my bare hands and a fork - feel free to use a blender (I won't judge).

In a separate bowl, mix your ground almonds, coconut flour, salt and shredded coconut. Gradually add the liquid ingredients, continually whisking to create a smooth consistency. (NOTE: This is where I thought the mixture was a little too 'liquid-y', thus the extra bit of added coconut flour. The batter afterwards resembled something like the consistency of runny porridge. TOP TIP: use your baker's instinct, and you'll probs get it bang on).

Pour into your baking trays and place into your oven - bake for 30 minutes. I used this waiting time wisely, exercising in the living room...yes, at 12.30am. Wild, I know. You can do the same, or you could prepare your frosting - probably the better and more desirable option of the two.

So, for the frosting; simply mash up your banana as crazily as possible, then add your cocoa powder and a drizzle of honey/agave if you so wish. That's it! Yep, you still have a good 20 minutes to get on those press-ups, girl...



Once your cake layers are looking spruced up and golden on top, leave them to cook on a wire rack for a good half hour, before spreading the banana-choc frosting on the top of one layer. Place the other layer on top, and you've almost make a cake! The all-important bit is how to decorate the top. You can make some more frosting, but I simply chopped up another, less ripened banana into coins and artfully placed them to cover the cake top. Finally, a drizzle of melted 90% dark chocolate was the icing on the cake (metaphorical and literal), plus an added grated dusting of it as a finishing touch.

I can confirm that this cake went down a treat today. It's light, fluffy in texture, flavoursome, bursting full with goodness, and most definitely hit the spot on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Did you treat your Mum to any tasty culinary delights today? Share your recipes with me, I'd love to find out!