Butterbean Curry

Sometimes you just want to change things up with different proteins. Sometimes you want a break from meat with a healthy veggie dinner.

..And sometimes, you bought a ton of butterbeans for a recipe that you then thought better of and have a larder full of them.

I’ll let you come to your own conclusions.

Regardless of the reason, this recipe makes an absolutely delicious spiced tomatoey curry. It's really simple and unbelievably quick to whip up, which has all the hallmarks of a perfect midweek dinner for me! I am totally in love with butterbeans, their versatility is great and you can really do anything with them. I've got a cupboard-full.. This is an idiot-proof dinner which is perfect for me nearing the end of the week!

"Raw" Coconutty "Snickers" Traybakes

Oh dear me. I don’t really know how I found myself down this rabbit hole of blitzing dates in a food processor on the instruction of a recipe for which “blended dates” is a synonym for “caramel”.

Anyway. I had a brief foray into the world of clean treats when I made sweet potato brownies. And then I forgot all about it. And then I started this “healthier” eating kick, and of course my first step was to bookmark a million recipes.

The whole raw food concept is interesting to me. It’s an odd phenomenon, people who can’t or choose not to eat processed, pre-packed food like chocolate bars, but who try to recreate the taste in a more wholesome way. Of course, this still has sugar and calories and is still very much a “treat,” but doesn’t have lots of additives and un-natural-ness.

I’m not going to lie. I’m sceptical about it. Sometimes I think the people who make these things haven’t had a bar of proper chocolate in so long that they kind of forget what it tastes like. Make no mistake, a snickers bar is an incredible and delicious thing (and don’t even get me started on the hazelnut version!). And this version, while definitely not a snickers, has its own sweet, nutty, chewey, crunchy appeal.  I think these raw treats are let down by comparisons, and we should just let them be their own weird little nutty-fruity thing.

One thing that I’ve noticed with all the raw recipes is that you won’t really get away without a food processor. I couldn’t get through 48 hours without mine, but if you don’t have one, you really should consider it. I even have two – a regular sized one and a little tiny one, for chopping tiny things!

Eggy Avocado with Bacon Salsa

I am balls-deep in this “healthy eating” malarkey now. And I’m enjoying avocados a lot.

A LOT.

Before this, I only ate them in the form of sides for Mexican food. And while they are a FINE addition to any Mexican spread, they are so much more.  Putting eggs in avocados feels like such an obvious combination. I mean, the avocados even have a little egg-indentation, all ready to go!

This could make a perfect breakfast on its own. And by on its own, I clearly mean with the addition of toast. I went with it for dinner and had some smoked mackerel on the side. The strong smoky fish was a beautiful accompaniment to the tangy salsa, and eggy avocado goes with everything.

Cauliflower Rice

I am incredibly out of my comfort zone here. What has led me down to the dark valley of rice substitutes, avocado pudding, and ALMOND MILK EVERYWHERE?

Well, it started off with doing a detox for 14 days. And that meant no carbs. No rice, no bread, no noodles, no muffins, no cake, no biscuits, no brioche, no NOTHING. I’m not going to lie, I was really upset. And slightly dizzy. And INCREDIBLY HANGRY ALL THE TIME.

I made it 48 hours with no carbs. This was a part of it.

It’s no secret that I love rice. I could happily eat only rice with a bit of curry sauce or peri-peri mayo for the rest of my life. Dip a tortilla wrap in it and I would be in heaven.

What I’m trying to do is to is make better choices, and exposing myself to things that I otherwise wouldn’t even think about trying. I can then incorporate the healthy stuff that still tastes good into my everyday diet. Now, I’m only on day 2, and so far I know that cauliflower mash is pretty edible. And something that all the crazy health bloggers like is cauliflower rice. So, I’ve gone from buying one cauliflower EVER in my life, to buying two this week.

I won’t lie, I can taste a good deal of the cauliflower still, but eating it with a curry mitigates that somewhat. I didn’t love this. I hate posting stuff that I’m not in love with, but my Swedish boyfriend really liked it, so I’m going against my instincts and sharing it.

It is incredibly easy, which isn’t always the case with these “healthy” alternatives. Feel free to experiment with spices, or throw in some fresh garlic when you’re blitzing it. This thing can take on a lot of flavour.

My Perfect Granola

Big bowl'a granola

I have to admit, before about 3 weeks ago, I’d never even eaten granola before in my life.

But, a bowl in and I was hooked. I love the nutty, crunchy, slightly sweet, different flavour in every mouthful kinda bowlful that you get.

I started my addiction by stealing my boyfriend’s “tropical” one, with pineapple, banana, coconut etc. 

I decided to branch out and look for my own one. There are SO MANY options. And I’m really picky. None of them had that exact combination of things I was looking for – fruit, nuts, seeds, nothing covered all of them.

So, OF COURSE, I decided it was up to me to make my own. And it’s really easy. And delicious. And there are INFINITE possibilities. I don’t think I’ll ever make 2 identical batches.

I’m a big nut fan, so that’s where I go crazy. Feel free to reduce the quantities or increase as desired. This recipe is more of a general technique and flavour base. Add what you will and enjoy!

There is no more glorious sight!

Bacon Spaghetti

This is one from a few weeks ago, before I started a ludicrous detox which involves no carbs and no dairy. This is difficult and I am struggling because I love carbs. And seriously, is there anything more satisfying than twirling a fork around a bowl of tomato-y/cheesy/bacon-y pasta? I don’t really think I’ve found it yet. It's definitely not cauliflower rice.

Basically this is another one of  my “let’s make a ready meal at home.” I love Marks and Spencer, and when I am doing multiple long shifts in work their microwave meals can be a godsend. I recently discovered their “bacon bucatini” which basically tastes like a grown up version of the Heinz Bolognese in a can. I think you can tell from that sentence that my childhood lunches were awesome.

Anyway, I wanted to recreate this rich, meaty, flavourful sauce at home. So, I had a crack at it, and I think I did. And it’s pretty damn good! It’s really quick as well, so I’d recommend it when you don’t want to go full Bolognese, but still want the pasta experience.

Blackberry Swirl Loaf

I really love making things that are beautiful AND taste good. I’m not good with fiddly detail, though. Which is why my food tends to taste better than it looks (promise!). And I’m not great at the aul photo-taking either, the lack of natural  light really makes a difference – I’m not a food blogger who can bake during the day and then artfully lay everything out on the table with a smear of flour and a crisp white napkin and an oversized vintage spoon. You’ll have to take my word for it. Or just come around to mine for a try of it.

Having disparaged my decoration skillz, I will admit to one thing - I’m pretty good at swirling.

So, I am flexing my swirling skills with the next recipe. It’s a light, sweet, fruity, pretty little loaf which would be perfect for a post-lunch snack or eaten with a cuppa after dinner. I’m really pleasantly surprised by how delicious it looks and tastes. I think you could also substitute in raspberries (or do half raspberries, half blackberries!) and that would also make a delicious loaf.