Chocolate-banana lollipops

YOU LIKE?
Have you ever craved something sweet, but at the same time something healthy? Searching through drawers, cupboards, jars labelled 'random leftovers' - i have done all that too. And this fun and easy treat is just perfect for those unexpected cravings.

If you don't have any sticks, it's time to visit a coffee shop, if you know what I mean. I was having a nice cup of coffee on Saturday morning, and realised that it's the perfect time to make them, as I can borrow a few stirring sticks. You can use forks if you want to!

YOU BUY:
1 banana
100g dark chocolate

YOU HAVE:
Anything you can dip the chocolate bananas into:
chopped nuts, coconut, cocoa, cinnamon??

YOU MAKE:

1) Slice the banana into cylinder chunks, pierce with the sticks and put in the freezer for 20 minutes;
2) Melt the chocolate in a 'double-boiler' (a bowl in a pan of water on low heat);
3) Dip the bananas in chocolate and roll in your choice of sprinkles. Keep in the fridge or freeze them.

YOU EAT:

1) Healthy.

Rosemary-orange water

 

 
Dinner is in the oven. Salad is sliced, chopped, mixed or whatever. The table is covered with nibbles and other startery goods. You're ready to go, but there's just one thing...

You're going to have a nice bottle of wine with your friends, but just enough to last throughout dinner. You want to quench your guests' thirst before the meal, but you only have £1 left.

NO PROBLEM!

There's a drink you can serve which looks and tastes wonderful, and can save you some $$$.
This refreshing rosemary-orange infused water takes about a minute to prepare.


YOU BUY:

8 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 slices fresh orange

YOU HAVE:

Ice
Water


YOU MAKE:

1) Place rosemary and orange slices in a jug and gently squish them with a spoon;
2) Fill with ice, water and stir.


YOU DRINK:

1) With gin;
2) Without gin.

Frosty the snowman.. was a happy jolly EGG.

YOU LIKE?

Impress your guests with these festive snowmen on your dinner table this holiday season, OR give some creative work for the kids! All you really need is something to connect the eggs with and peppercorns.


YOU BUY:

6 eggs

 

YOU HAVE:

0,1 carrot
Some peppercorrns
Toothpicks or something to connect the eggs with


YOU MAKE:

1) Boil the eggs for 10+ minutes (you may have to chop a tiny bit off them so they could be stood on a plate);
2) Cut the end of a carrot into two large and two small circles to form a 'bucket', then join with the top of the top eggs;
3) Decorate the eggs with peppercorns however you like and connect them.


YOU EAT:

1) With picks/peppercorns removed;
2) With mayo.

"Hassleback" potatoes, a.k.a. 'pimp your plate'

  

YOU LIKE?

This is the soul of the table: whatever you are making for dinner, this stylish 'tater' (in a very American accent) can either be a fancy starter or a gorgeous side to complement a main dish. Potatoes are well known for their versatility and this recipe resembles what you can achieve both aesthetically and taste-wise with very few ingredients.


YOU BUY:

5 medium size potatoes

YOU HAVE:

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp oil
30 g butter
Salt and pepper


YOU MAKE:

1) Cut the horizontal side of the potato into 2 mm intervals almost all the way through;

2) Arrange the potatoes on a baking tray and insert the garlic in between the slits;

3) Put some butter on top of each potato, drizzle the oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper;

4) Bake the potatoes in a preheated oven (220˚C) for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.


YOU EAT:

1) With smelly-mouldy-blue cheese and a glass of red wine.

Pizza Margherita

View blog 

YOU LIKE?

Many will agree that this is the cheapest and most social dinner you can get. When I went to a shop I couldn't believe I could get all the ingredients for four (!) pizzas for just over £1. So you can now invite all your mates for dinner: Joey, Chandler, Phoebe, Rachel...

YOU BUY:

1 can of chopped tomatoes

500g plain flour

dried yeast

Mozzarella

 

 

YOU HAVE:

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

A pinch of oregano

Salt

YOU MAKE (4 pizzas):

1) Mix half the 7g dried yeast packet with 300 ml tepid water;

2) Add the yeasty water to 500g flour and a pinch of salt, mix it for 10 mins;

3) Take out the dough and knead for 5-10 mins until less sticky, put it in an oiled bowl, cover and leave in warm place for 1 h to rise.

***Make the sauce while the dough is rising: Fry the onion with garlic for 5 minutes, then add oregano and chopped tomatoes, simmer until sauce thickens (30+ mins)***

4) Once the dough has risen, punch it to let the gas out and roll it under itself with your hands (like folding its sides into the middle - into kind of a mushroom cap shape), slice into 4 pieces and roll them out;

5) Put pizzas onto oiled dishes/baking paper and bake for 5 mins in a pre-heated oven (190 C);

6) Take them out to add sauce and mozzarella (and any other ingredients!) and bake for further 10 mins at 190c. Job done.

YOU EAT:

1) With a nice cold beer. 

Big fat 'Reeses' peanut butter cups [Mugs]

So you want to build some muscle?? Can't think of any 'healthy' desserts?? This may be of interest for you then! I fell in love with peanut butter once I tried reeses peanut butter cups and duuuude... they're the best thing since sliced bread (with a few other things in between).

One 'cup' carries around 300 calories, which consist of simple sugars, unsaturated fats and protein. You can have it post-workout or as a moreish evening snack without feeling like a fatty.

I made 6 large cups and had half a jar of peanut butter still left. Score.



YOU BUY:

1x340g jar of peanut butter;
2x100g blocks of favourite cholocate.

YOU HAVE:

20 minutes of prep-time and some common sense.


YOU MAKE:

1) Melt chocolate and fill 1/3 of a muffin case with some of the mass (I made cases from baking paper);
2) Put in freezer for 5-10 mins; remove and fill the other 1/3 of the case with peanut butter, freeze again;
3) Add chocolate as the final layer of the muffin case and freeze again.


YOU EAT:

1) Ice-cold from freezer;
2) In room temperature with a glass of protein.


TIPS:

For extra-extra protein, add a scoop of chocolate protein powder - it will be a pain to mix it though!

Roast garlic aubergine 'steaks' with sweet potato chips

YOU LIKE?

This recipe could easily serve two as a starter or make a big fat lunch for one. Very little preparation needed, tastes brilliant and costs just over £1.


YOU BUY:

300g sweet potatoes, cut into long strips.
1 aubergine, cut into 'steaks'.

 

YOU HAVE:

3 garlic cloves, chop them.
Salt, pepper, chilli (optional).
Oil.


YOU MAKE:

1) Make diamond shape cuts into aubergine steaks and fill gaps with salt, pepper, chilli and garlic. Rub with a bit of oil and leave 30 mins (or not - still tastes good).
2) Mix potatoes with oil, chilli and salt & pepper in a baking dish.
3) Place all items in a hot oven (200 C) for 30 mins.


YOU EAT:

1) With salad.
2) Without salad.


TIPS:

To save counting calories, bake aubergines in foil, with no oil. Rhymes with soil or to boil.