Fish for Thought

I've been quite the culinary Queen in recent days, exploring freshly discovered recipes courtesy of Stella magazine - my absolute favourite Newspaper fashion supplement (it comes with the Sunday Telegraph which - conveniently - my Gran happens to buy every week!).

So this recipe was taken from last weeks issue of Stella. My palette has become sufficiently more akin to what could be thought of as more "adventurous" cuisine (or at least in my eyes). Considering how much of a fussy eater I was as a child and teenager, this is quite the revelation!

My recent passion for fishy-based meals is particularly odd, as my child-rooted aversion to all things seafood (or rather, everything besides breaded/battered fish and/or the beloved fish-finger) was still very much prominent until earlier this year.

Now, for the first time in my life, I'm able to devour fish whether or not it has the breadcrumb layer to disguise its inner flesh! I can even eat the smaller water creatures without fuss (and with much pleasure), such as prawns and...well, I haven't got as far as anything else yet. Mussels still seem like a dodgy option to me...

Back to the matter at hand; here is what you need to create a stunning fish dish suitable for even the fussiest of eaters - well, almost. This serves 5 very hungry fellows - you'll have to adjust the quantities to the desired amounts.

8 pieces of white bread (go for wholemeal for added healthiness - I merely followed the recipe at hand, being the massive cooking noob that I am)
60g mature cheddar cheese
A handful of finely chopped fresh parsley
1 TBS olive oil
5 fillets of smoked haddock
20g butter (or just a giant spoonful!)

Mix the bread in a food processor to create your breadcrumbs. Chop the parsley, grate the cheese, and now blend all three together.

Paint a little bit of olive oil to cover your roasting tin and place your haddock fillets skin side down. Add the rest of the oil, as well as the butter, to the breadcrumb mixture and - once it reaches a suitable crumbly texture - spread it over your fish. Alll cover until there's no white flesh in sight (nicely done).

Bake in a preheated over (220C/gas mark 7) for about 15-20 minutes. Best served with boiled 'tatoes and a nice heaped pile o' peas (mushy peas, if you prefer). Tartar sauce is also pretty ideal as far as fish goes.

Fish is well renowned for being the healthiest pick when it comes to protein. Haddock contains a quarter of its weight in protein - which translates to 25g per 100g portion. It also goes without saying that fish is a major source for ♥-happy Omega-3 fatty acids and nutrients including vitamin D - both of which have been proven to elevate the mood and combat symptoms of depression.

So if you're well overdue some TLC and share my newly-kindled love, eat your seafood: it's good for you!

No Bake Almondy Prune Bites

Hey all! How's everyone's Tuesday's going?!

After a long traipse on various blogging sites yesterday, I came across a recipe for these No-Bake Almond Prune bites. Actually, the recipe originally contained dates, but I replaced them for the prunes seeing as they were already in the cupboard ;). You can find the original recipe here.

This is a super rapido recipe and doesn't require a whole lot of ingredients. All you need is:

140g raw unsalted almonds
3 TBS peanut butter (or almond butter - I used peanut for the same reason as the prunes...)
Around 14 dried prunes
A small handful of sultanas
A dash of almond milk (I used around 5TBS)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chop or blend your almonds (I used a food processor to ground the almonds, but I'm thinking roughly chopped would create a better overall texture), followed by the prunes (chop chop!). Add the 3TBS of peanut butter and mix. Gradually add the milk, TBS by TBS. Then use those arm muscles to their best abilities and mix it all together. Nice one.

Now you just have to roll into balls and place onto a sheet of greaseproof paper on a baking tray, and pop into the fridge! Et voila. Each little bite contains approx 80 calories, 5g fat (only 0.4g being saturated, so mostly the good kind!), and 7.6g total carbs. Also, 2.2g protein - not too shabby for a (somewhat glorified with a healthy make-over) cookie!

I will be consuming one as a pre-workout treat this afternoon (or rather in 20 minutes, actually), as I have a gym induction at 5pm. I'm planning on joining a local community-based gym, because I literally feel lost without my regular exercise routine (now that my parents are back I can't quite use the living room as my makeshift gym zone... (Byebye daily Jillian Michaels, sad face).

It's offering a year's membership for £200, which excludes the BOGOF deal - so, £100 each when you join with a friend - or boyfriend, in my case! Not bad, huh?! Can't really go wrong there.

Wish me luck!

Monday Motivation

Browsing through the many Fitspo blogs on Tumblr, I came across this little Core Challenge workout and decided to head to the carpet and give it a good old go!

And it lived up to its name; by incorporating various core exercises, it challenges your abs almost to breaking point! However, I'm not a big fan of crunches as I think there are plenty of other better exercises that work the core muscles even harder. I swapped the last set of crunches for jack knives (being my all-time favourite core exercise).

This routine lasts around 16 minutes and is a good kick-starter for a quickie morning workout. It can be followed up nicely by its leggy counterpart - Cassey's Call Me Maybe squat challenge, perhaps? (being one of my favourite videos for a short'n'sweet workout quick-fix).

I think these simple image-based workouts are really inspiring and motivating. I particularly like the board game element to this one (as ridiculous as that may well sound)! The GIFs that put me off are those that are too complicated to follow, with tiny pictures of the exercises, making the routine impossible to follow. Simplicity is the key to Fitspo GIFs!

If you have any favourite exercise GIFs, feel free to share! I'm quite liking the idea of making my own at some point in the near future. Yay or nay?

(Reluctant) Sunday Runday

After having anticipated this occasion for the past week, today was finally the day where I braved the forces (being the icy, plummeting temperature levels) and test-ran my glorious Nike free runs!

It took a whole two hours for me to muster up the energy and motivation to actually remove my dressing-gown in place of my running gear. Two hours! Do you ever get those days when it just seems physically impossible to drag yourself out of the comfort of your own home?! Today was that day for me.

I think it was the heady combination of a) the ominous, grey blanketed skies, b) a seemingly long break from exercising/running, and c) the distractive nature of my new iMac! Nevertheless, I did eventually break out of the destructive path of Sunday laziness and ran a 4 mile route, which I guess is my 'comfort blanket' distance when it comes to running (which I must break out of!).

The trainers glided me along nicely - no irritative rubbing or pressure, good support, and well-cushioned, the Free Run 3 is a lightweight shoe that's definitely suitable for both running and gym use! Considering I've had my trusty Brooks for the good part of 6 years now, it's really been a long time coming to find a replacement!

Saying that though, I would love a pair of Asics to add to my collection. The Asics brand is synonymous with running, so for long-distance, cross-country and future potential races (I'm thinking a Half Marathon soon? Possible thought), they would be (what I'd consider) an essential purchase.

What brand(s) do you rely on when it comes to trainer shopping? Do you recommend any in particular? Let me know!

The Exercise Rut

For a couple of seemingly long weeks now, I've been in a major Exercise Rut - as you might've gathered by the obvious post title.

Autumn (or rather, WINTER - IT'S FREEZING!) has well and truly hit and has quite literally sent perm-shivers down my spine. I'm a chilly morsel at the best of times, with a poor circulation to match. What does this equate to? The Simpson's fingers scenario.

Whilst I deal with my lack of body heat, I must also contend with my lack of motivation to exercise, as prompted by these lack-lustre weather conditions (not that I should be complaining, considering the devestation that's being caused by the powerful force of Nature in other parts of the world - God bless all of those who've been affected by hurricane Sandy).

Despite my previous post advocating the power of exercising in colder and wetter weather, I haven't exercised outside in at least a week. Clocks have gone forward an hour, too, meaning that it's dark outside by 5pm! Another reason why it feels as if I'm nearing the fateful 'hibernation' period.

However! Motivation must be restored somehow, and - luckily for me - this comes in the form of some seriously cool and sexy new shoes.



Yep, I'm the proud new owner of these Nike Free Run 3 trainers, courtesy of my excellent present-finder of a brother! I'm jealous of my own feet when I'm wearing these babies (I just cringed at that statement, like everyone else who might also be reading this post).

I've been meaning to test drive them for the past few days (outside of my own home), and I'm hoping tomorrow will kindly allow me a clear outlook weather-wise; I don't think I can quite bare the thought of potentially getting these even slightly dirty or wet.

So here's to happy running feet! Got any new gear to perk up the idea of running/exercising this Autumn/Winter? Share with me!

Food Fact Friday

With a splash of no added sugar lemon squash and ice. How do you drink yours?

Admittedly the subject of the following post defeats its title, though whilst water doesn't exactly fit under the category of 'food', its beneficial properties are, more often than not, overlooked by the majority of the population (including myself).

Virtually all of our body's other nutrient requirements are impacted by the amount of water we consume. Considering our bodies are made of about 60% water (and our brain 90% water), that's not altogether surprising.

Here are some bodily functions and problems that can easily be alleviated by drinking an adequate amount of water throughout the day, taken from this report composed by the NHS. Can you resonate with anything on the list?

Putting it into simple yet effective terms, the World's Healthiest Foods webstie has it summed up;

It's helpful to think about the health benefits of water in three basic categories. First is the fluid aspect of water. Water is a lubricant. It keeps things flowing and moving. While it lubricates, water also protects our body parts from damage by surrounding them in a shock-absorbing fluid. This aspect of water is especially important in our joints, and also in our skin. The second aspect of water is its role as a "solvent." Most nutrients dissolve in water. In our bodies, some of the most important dissolved nutrients are called "electrolytes." The electrolyte minerals like potassium and sodium stay dissolved in water, and the ability of water to dissolve electrolytes is a key reason why our bodies can conduct electricity. The third aspect of water involves its role as a thermostat. When we are too hot, water lets us shed heat through sweating. Water also helps us retain heat when we need to stay warm. - WHFoods.

So if you're not already getting the recommended dose of liquidation, perhaps today is the day to begin rehydrating your body, and reaping the benefits in turn. The Department of Health suggests we drink around 1.2 litres of water per day*, though this nifty online water calculator advises me to drink 1.8 litres today (based on various inputs including weight and length in time that I'll be exercising).

Whizzing up a Storm

Ever since our recent splurge on this Phillips super-juicer, my boyfriend and myself have been whizzing up some magnifique fruit/veg juices - which certainly have been going down a treat!

A couple of days ago we stocked up on our essential ingredients from the local fruit/veg market and Yate's trusty Tesco superstore, and came home armed with bags and hands full of apples, carrots, and not forgetting two giant pumpkins - staying true to upcoming occasions, and all.

Then comes the fun part - the juicing!

The machine is powerful enough to juice fruit and vegetables complete with their skin, which reduces the boring job of cutting, slicing and dicing significantly. The beauty of this kind of juicer is that it separates the pulp from the juice, so unlike your typical food processor/blender, you're just left with the pure juicy goodness that has been squeezed from your fruit/veg. Meanwhile, you can use the pulp to bulk up a soup (though of course you may find it's too dry and thus lacking in flavour).

Back to the topic at hand. We made a delicious blend of pure carrot, pumpkin and apple juice - as odd as it sounds, the taste is - for me - unbeatable! The flavour of the carrot is most notable, but the pumpkin adds a unusual twist and an extra health-kick, whilst the apple provides that necessary hit of natural sweetness (note: the majority of the sugar in apples is from fructose, for slow-releasing energy - enough brownie points yet?).

If you hadn't guessed already, this juice basically has healthy written all over it. Carrots contain the active ingredients of vitamins A, C, E, K, and thus are absolutely packed full of nutrients and antioxidants. According to my handy energy drink book, the orange colour is a result of the betacarotene content - just one carrot contains enough of the stuff for your body to convert into a day's supply of Vitamin A (a vital vitamin for healthy skin, night vision and disease resistant mucus membranes - ).



Meanwhile, pumpkins are also a storehouse of antioxidant vitamins and are loaded with magnesium, potassium, zinc and dietary fibre. Perhaps most significantly for the athletic minded, pumpkins have an anti-inflammatory effect, so regular consumption of this mostly unappreciated* vegetable (*not including the Halloween season) can protect against joint inflammation and arthritis. Pumpkins have been known to provide relief from inflammation quickly, so it's naturally a perfect accompaniment to a go-to, post-workout juice.

As I'm sure you're well-aware, I'd wholly reccommend a fruit juicer if you're looking for a bit of a powerpunch/pick-me-up style beverage, and an almost guaranteed cold-free Autumn/Winter (ok, I'm not sure on the reliability of that statement but I'm going along with the idea of being sans-'runny nose face' for the next few months).

Anyone else a bit of a juicing-addict? Have you any exciting juicing recipes for me to test-run? I'm more than willing to use an assortment of ingreds to create that perfect blend of fruityveggyjuice.