The Sweet Life

This pesto recipe is extremely easy and so yummy! You can either keep the pesto in the fridge (it keeps for up to a week) or cover with a layer of oil and freeze, which is great when making big batches. You can taste the garlic in the pesto which i love but if you don't love the taste of raw garlic you could cook it before hand (roast or flash fry) and/or add less garlic. Ingredients 1/2 cup of cashews (soaked in water for 1-4 hours, then drained) 2 spring onions (ends chopped off) 2 garlic gloves (peeled) 2 cups of basil leaves 3 tablespoons of olive oil The juice of 1 lemon Salt and pepper Method 1. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. 2. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy x

Chia puddings are a quick and easy healthy option when you are feeling like a treat. You can also make these the night before to have for breakfast, but make sure you add a little more liquid as the chia seeds soak up everything in sight! These puddings will keep for a few days in the fridge. Ingredients 1/2 cup of chia seeds (white or black) 375ml of almond milk (or any other milk) 1/2 teaspoon of natural vanilla essence A pinch of salt 1/4 cup of frozen berries (optional)  Method 1. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl. Divide between 2 serving bowls or jars and chill in the fridge before eating. So simple :)! Enjoy x

This is a light and creamy, vegan butternut squash soup. This simple butternut soup is seasoned with Thai red curry paste and swirled with coconut milk.  Ingredients  2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil) 1 whole butternut squash (peeled & chopped into small chunks)  1 onion (chopped) 4 garlic cloves (chopped) 2 to 3 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste 1 teaspoon ground cumin A pinch of sea salt & pepper 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli flakes  The juice from 1/2 fresh lime 4 cups vegetable stock 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk (for drizzling on top) 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes A handful of fresh coriander leaves (chopped) Method 1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the squash, onion, garlic, curry paste, cumin, salt and chilli flakes to the pot. Stir to combine. 2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Then add the stock and bring the mixtu

Remember stevia is naturally super sweet! The recipe i followed used a lot more stevia and i found it far too sweet so i have adjusted the amount and used less stevia in my recipe. Also feel free to add another lemon (juice & zest) if you want to really bring through the citrus flavour. This recipe is not as simple as some of my others - my kitchen was a bomb sight afterwards! But it is well worth it as the pies are delicious. They are perfect for entertaining & sharing! Ingredients BASE 3/4 cup of spelt flour (or any other plain flour) 1 small sachet of stevia 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger 1 teaspoon of natural vanilla essence 50g of cold organic butter (diced) 3 tablespoons of water LEMON CUSTARD 6 egg yolks (save 2 egg whites for the meringue - I keep the others and use for omelettes) 1 egg 1 small sachet of stevia The zest and juice of 2 lemons 100g of organic butter MERINGUE 2 egg whites 2 tablespoons of rice malt syrup Method 1. Preheat th

Ingredients 2 tablespoons of popcorn kernels 2 tablespoons of coconut oil 1 1/2 teaspoons of raw cacao powder 1 tablespoon of rice malt syrup A large pinch of sea salt Method 1. In a large saucepan with a lid, heat half the coconut oil (1 tablespoon) over high heat, once melted add the popcorn kernels and cook (with the lid on), shaking the pan often. Once you hear the last kernels pop, remove from the heat. 2. Mix the remaining coconut oil with the cacao powder, rice malt syrup, and sea salt and then heat gently in a small saucepan or in the microwave until melted. 3. Add the sauce to the cooked popcorn and toss to combine. 4. Add salt and spread out on a small tray and refrigerate until firm. *Once you have made the popcorn you can also bake the whole lot at 120 ℃ for 30 minutes, stirring frequently for a crispier version. Enjoy x

This is the perfect recipe to curb those takeaway cravings! A super tasty but healthy alternative to takeaways. Perfect served alongside veggies or slaw and mash. Soaking the chicken in buttermilk helps keep the meat juicy while baking. If you cant find buttermilk in the supermarket you can easily make your own by mixing 1/2 cup of full fat milk with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and set aside for 5 minutes. Ingredients 1/2 cup of buttermilk 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard 8 chicken drumsticks, wings or thighs 2/3 cup of white spelt flour 1 teaspoon of baking powder 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons of paprika 2 teaspoons of granulated garlic (or garlic powder) 1 teaspoon of sea salt 1 teaspoon of black pepper Olive oil cooking spray (optional) Method 1. Whisk the buttermilk with the mustard in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to fully coat all sides, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. 2. Preh

Who doesn't love chocolate ice cream...so what could be better than chocolate ice cream? Guilt-free healthy chocolate ice cream of course :)!  This delicious ice cream is super easy to make and is super tasty! It is all the things you want in an ice cream - creamy, rich, and cold!  If you are leaving the ice cream in the freezer for long periods of time e.g over the 6 hour freezer time advised on the recipe then the ice cream may become a little too firm, in which case make sure you allow it to thaw slightly before serving (leave it out for half an hour ish before serving). Its easier to cut into slices rather than scoop once it has been in the freezer for over 6 hours.   Ingredients  400ml can of full-fat coconut milk  1/3 cup of raw cacao powder (use less if you like your ice cream not as rich)  4 tablespoons of rice malt syrup  1 teaspoon of natural vanilla essence  Method 1. Mix all the ingredients together in a blender until smooth and creamy. 

This recipe is a tasty, creamy casserole that is super filling. I always have quinoa stocked in the cupboard and am always on the look out for new recipes that use quinoa. When i first started using quinoa I always managed to add too much liquid, which lead to mushy quinoa. This recipe has a perfect amount of liquid that the quinoa absorbs and gives it a lovely creamy texture.  You will know the quinoa is done when it is soft and looks as if it has popped open, with the germ of the kernel visible as a little spiral. If the casserole is too runny, just bake it a little longer. With enough time, it should get that moisture soaked right up into a creamy sauce. This recipe serves 4.  Ingredients 2 cups of chicken stock  1 cup almond milk (or normal milk) 1 teaspoon herbs (I use parsley) ½ cup white spelt flour 1 cup of water 1 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed) ¼ cup cooked bacon (diced)  2 large chicken breasts  ¼ cup shredded cheese (any kind will work) 3 c

Nutella lovers this is for you! This is another delicious recipe from Sarah Wilson's IQS book! The shop brought Nutella is full of sugar so this is a great alternative, especially for kids. If you want more of a sauce consistency, to add to pancakes etc, then add extra coconut milk to the recipe. This Nutella recipe will store in the fridge for several weeks. Ingredients 1 cup of hazelnuts 125ml of coconut milk 80ml of rice malt syrup 1 tablespoon of coconut oil 1/4 of a cup of raw cacao powder 1 teaspoon of natural vanilla extract Method 1. Preheat oven to 180 ℃ and bake the hazelnuts for about 5minutes (watch carefully as you do not want them to burn otherwise the Nutella will have a burnt flavour). 2. If the hazelnuts have skin on them try and rub off most of the skin as they can have a bitter taste. 3. Pop the hazelnuts into the food processor and process until smooth (peanut butter consistency) 4. Add the rest of the ingredients (coconut milk, rice ma