Antioxidant Green Smoothie

This smoothie and my Candy Cane Lane Yankee candle have been getting me through the gloomy start to 2015 that we seem to have been having here in the UK. I'm renowned amongst my friends and family as being someone who perpetually has a cold, however, having a smoothie like this everyday seems to have kept things down to a minor sniffle here and there. Anyway, with kiwi, spinach and blueberries packed into this smoothie (amongst other things), this is absolutely brilliant on topping you up with some much needed antioxidants, as well as sneaking 5 fruits and vegetables into one handy drink that you can take on-the-go!

Ingredients: 

1 banana

3 apples

1 kiwi

Handful of blueberries

Handful of spinach

150ml rice/almond/soya milk

Sprinkling of flaxseeds

1.) Peel and slice the banana, kiwi and apples and put in a blender. My apple chopping device seen below is definitely one of my top favourites when it comes to manual kitchen appliances!

2.) Place the spinach, rice milk, blueberries and flaxseeds in the blender.

3.) Blend for 2-3 minutes. I always like to add a drizzle of honey, but chia seeds, oats and ground almonds can be a great topping too!

Any comments/questions are always appreciated

Love and Light

Stephanie

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are such a great alternative to white potatoes. I try to avoid white potatoes as much as possible, and the nutritional benefits that sweet ones offer means that they're a pretty good option. They're a fab source of potassium, magnesium, iron and a multitude of vitamins. So, why not make the switch? This stuffed potato has a whole variety of flavours which make it much more interesting!

Ingredients (makes 1 serving):

1 sweet potato

1 turkey breast

4 baby plum tomatoes

30g chorizo

50g spinach

Ground black pepper

Basil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1.) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (fan 160). Wash the potato in warm water and prick a couple of times with a fork. Pop in the microwave for 3 and a 1/2 minutes. Place in the oven to cook for 45 minutes. Tip: I used a white flesh sweet potato because they aren't quite as sweet.

2.) After 25 minutes of cooking, season the turkey breast with olive oil, black pepper and basil. Place under the grill and cook for 15 minutes.

3.)  Slice the chorizo and cut the tomatoes in half. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.

3.) When there are only ten minutes to go, boil the kettle and put the spinach on. Cook for six minutes and drain.

4.) Chop up the turkey breast and chorizo.

(these really aren't the prettiest photos in the world, sorry!)

5.) Take the potato out of the oven, and slice it in half. Scoop out the innards and mix with the chorizo, turkey breast, spinach and tomatoes. Place (or 'stuff') back in the potato and enjoy!

Love and Light

Steph

Simple Spinach and Goat's Cheese Salad

So, we all know Christmas is a time for indulgence, but this really easy salad could make the perfect starter, or simple Christmas evening meal when you want to reduce the roast-induced bloating. This salad is a great winter one as it's warm and very filling, for the simple ingredients it contains. 

Ingredients (makes 1 serving): 

30g Goat's cheese

7 Baby plum tomatoes

30g Spinach

Balsamic Vinegar

1.) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

2.) Cut the baby plum tomatoes in half lengthways. Sprinkle a little bit of balsamic vinegar over them - it's easiest to do this by first pouring a bit into the cap of the bottle, otherwise it often ends up splashing out. 

3.) Place on an oven tray and cook for 20 minutes. This may not look like the neatest thing, but believe me, it tastes divine!

4.) Whilst this is cooking, place the spinach leaves on your plate. Cut up the goat's cheese into small squares and sprinkle over the spinach.

5.) Once the tomatoes are cooked, place them on top. Enjoy!

Any comments are always welcome :)

Love and Light,

Steph