Skinny Broccoli and Fennel Soup

Many years ago, I enjoyed a gorgeous Broccoli and Ouzo Soup whilst staying in Paphos, Cyprus and that is my inspiration for this lovely dish.

There are less than 100 calories per portion so this is great for a skinny lunch or supper. You could of course enrich the soup with some cream or crème fraiche but this will pf course increase the calories and serve with some crusty, fresh bread to make for a more hearty meal.

If making this dish for vegetarians, use vegetable stock in place of chicken.

The below makes two portions.

Skinny Broccoli and Fennel Soup

Here's how:

• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 white onion
• 1 bulb fennel
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Pinch salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 pint chicken stock (I use Knorr Chicken Stock Pot) 

Add the olive oil to a non-stick pan and place on a low heat.

Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan to gently sauté.

Slice the entire fennel bulb and add to the pan. This might seem a lot, but the final result is surprisingly subtle.

Remove the thick stork of the broccoli, and chop the rest into florets. Add to the pan with the salt, pepper and bay.

Make up the chicken stock and pour over the broccoli.

Cook for thirty minutes, then allow to cool a little before blending.

Return to the hob to re-heat then grate over some fresh nutmeg, to taste, and serve. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken, Tarragon and Lemon Spaghetti

This is a quick, easy and delicious pasta dish that can be on the table in fifteen minutes – perfect for mid-week meals, when time is short.

You could change the leek to a couple of spring onions, depending on what you have in stock, and the Tarragon could be substituted for parsley, mint or coriander to keep that vibrantly freshness. 

This is also fine for little ones in too - Bridget absolutely loves pasta, and especially spaghetti - just be ready for the mess :-)

This serves two.

Here’s how:

• 50-75g spaghetti per person
• 2 tbsp Half Fat Crème Fraiche 
• 1 leek
• 1 lemon
• Pinch black pepper
• Bunch Asparagus
• 150g cooked chicken breast or thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Handful tarragon leaves

Firstly fill and boil the kettle and get the pasta cooking with a pinch of salt 

Add the olive oil to a pan and place on a low heat.

Slice the leek and add to the pan with the asparagus.

Slice the chicken and grate the whole lemon and set aside. Roughly chop the tarragon and set aside.

Add the crème fraiche to the leeks and asparagus, stir then add the slices of chicken, the lemon zest and the black pepper. Be generous with the pepper as you are only using a few simply ingredients and you want to make them sing.

Halve the lemon and squeeze in the juice of half (or whole if you love citrus flavours).

Once the pasta is cooked, add 1-2 tbsp of the cooking water to the sauce and drain the pasta. Now stir the sauce and add the spaghetti, stirring through to ensure all strands become coated in the sauce.

Finally stir through most of the tarragon and dish up. Add a few final tarragon leaves and add a grating of Grana Padano if you wish. Enjoy!

Winter Vegetable Soup

Here's a lovely meat-free soup recipe perfect for a speedy mid-week supper or lunch in the cold winter weather.

The beauty of this soup, is you can add whatever vegetables you have lurking in the fridge, odds and ends welcome.

This particular version makes enough for two hearty portions of around 370 calories per portion so perfect if like me you are on a healthy eating regime or fat fighting. 

Winter Vegetable Soup

Here's how: 

• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 red chilli (optional) 
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 carrots
• 3 parsnips
• 2 leeks
• 50g peas (I used Birdseye Frozen Peas) 
• 1 Knorr Vegetable Stock Pot made up with 1 pint water (or other vegetable or chicken stock)
• Black pepper
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Firstly add the coconut oil to a thick bottomed pan and switch onto a low heat.

Now peel and finely dice the onion and garlic and add to the pan. Slice the chilli if you are using and add to the pan.

Allow to soften whilst you prepare the vegetables: peel and dice the carrots and parsnips and slice the leeks.

After a few minutes add the leeks to the pan and allow to gently fry for two minutes before adding the carrot, parsnip and peas. Now top up with the stock, add the bay leaf and a generous pinch of black pepper.

Pop the lid on and cook on a gentle heat for thirty minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for fifteen minutes. Now blitz with a hand blender or pop into a blender.

Return to the pan and re-heat till piping hot. Serve with crusty bread if your calorie count allows. Enjoy!

A London Lunch: Leon

I'm currently residing in Bankside at Southwark and so lunchtime options are quite plentiful. However during this current 1200 calorie per day healthy eating regime it can be slightly more challenging.

Leon has become a bit of a friend in recent weeks and two of their lunchtime offerings in particular offer lunchtime solace in not-meagre portions of delicious, fresh and healthy food.

The first is the classic Original Superfood Salad. This is a lean and green concoction that includes broccoli, feta, peas, quinoa, avocado, mint and parsley and some toasted seeds plus a small helping of vinaigrette and is absolutely delicious. Fresh and well-seasoned, the Original Superfood Salad is 515 calories and is a firm favourite. 

Leon Original Superfood Salad

The other Leon contender is a fairly new one, the Brazilian Black Bean Box which includes a stew of mildy spiced black beans with carrot and onions with a smattering of fragrant coriander sitting on a bed of brown rice. This is perfect when the freezing cold weather demands a hot lunch. The Brazilian Black Bean Box is 408 calories which is well worth it for the warming, hearty flavour hit it provides.

Leon Brazilian Black Bean Box

Leon offers an array of other salads, rice boxes and ‘super pots’ with things like hummus, chicken and meatballs so if looking for freshly prepared,

Courgetti in a Creamy Bacon & Vegetable Sauce

I've been trying to adhere to a 1200 calorie count in a bid to shed the last stone of baby weight and just live an overall healthier lifestyle since 1st January and so far so good.

Allowing myself weekend treat meals and alcoholic beverages works well for me but sometimes I really crave the more comforting mid-week meals such as pasta.

To make up for this I have been experimenting with courgetti and butternut pasta - both to some success and here is the recipe for a creamy, yet low fat bacon, leek, mushroom and pea 'pasta' using courgetti or courgette pasta that I just love and that really ticks the comfort food box for me. Also it gives me the chance to use my spiraliser - win, win.

If you haven't got a spiraliser; you can buy courgette pre-prepared from the likes of M&S, Tesco and Sainsbury's but the fresher the courgette the better for it to hold it's shape a bit.

The below is enough for two people and each portion comes in at 380 calories.

Courgetti in a Creamy Bacon & Vegetable Sauce

Here's how:

• 2 courgettes
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 rashers smoked bacon
• 100g mushrooms
• 100g peas
• 2 leeks
• 2 tbsp half fat crème fraiche
• 30g Grana Padano cheese
• Pinch black pepper
• Small handful fresh parsley (flat or curly is fine) 
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Firstly spiralise the courgette on the finest setting to be left with spaghetti like spirals of courgette and set aside for the moment.

Add the coconut oil to a non-stick pan and place on the lowest heat setting.

Now peel and very finely dice the onion and garlic and allow to soften.

Chop the bacon into very small pieces and add to the pan.

Now slice the leeks and mushrooms and once the bacon is almost cooked through, add to the pan.

After a few minutes add the peas and cook for a further two minutes.

Now add the crème fraiche and the Grana Padano and stir. Season here and cook for a further five to ten minutes.

In the meantime, chop the parsley, ready to stir through before serving.

Now add the courgetti to the pan and stir through. You want to heat this through, but for it to remain in shape and not become to floppy - essentially for it to still have some bite.

Now remove from the pan and stir through the parsley before serving. Enjoy!

Hong Kong: Top Thing To Do

This post brings to a close my Hong Kong series – having spent a fortnight there just before Christmas last year, we took in a lot of sights and restaurants and here are my top ten things to do if visiting including sights, bars and restaurants too.

The Peak

The 125-year old tram ride up to The Peak alone is worth doing for the experience – it’s the highest viewing point in Hong Kong and is well worth a visit for some fantastic views. We actually visited on a slightly cloudy day, but the views were still phenomenal. We had a lovely high tea of sandwiches and pastries at Café Deco that I can recommend but there’s a huge array of cafes and restaurants at The Peak which allows you a meal with some seriously beautiful views.

Ladies Market

This is a truly wonderful and unique shopping experience that brings new meaning to the phrase ‘hustle and bustle’, located in Mong Kok, this place sells plenty of ‘designer’ gear, but if you’re not interested in Sch-Mulberry and Des-Prada and the likes, don’t despair – this is the best place to pick up souvenirs for back home, from gorgeous silk scarves and pashminas, traditionally Chinese crockery and chopstick sets, traditional robes and pretty much everything else you can think of. Bartering is absolutely essential here – expect to get a good 30% off the original price.

Disneyland

Whether young or old this for me was a must-see attraction. I may be into my thirties now, but the magic of Disney was very much alive in the parades and seeing the likes of Cinderella’s castle and the characters wandering around. 

Disneyland

Star Ferries Journeys

These ferries have been in operation since 1881 and are truly iconic – for me knowing I was taking the same journey my Grandad would have took was back in the 1950’s was quite awe-inspiring and it’s the best way of taking in the view of both the Kowloon and Central harbour sides. Also let’s face it, this is a far more enjoyable way to travel that jumping onto the MTR underground system or buses.

Symphony of Lights

Victoria Harbour is a pretty impressive sight in the evening with all the bright lights and when coupled with the nightly 8pm Symphony of Lights – a light and sound show it makes for a breath-taking experience.

Symphony of Lights at Victoria Harbour

Victoria Harbour with my Dad

The family

Lan Kwai Fong

Officially pitted as an eating and drinking location in Hong Kong – my experience here was purely boozey. For females, visit on Ladies Night (Wednesday and Thursday) where spirits and mixers are free all night to all women – expect a hangover the following day.

Lan Kwai Fong

Stanley

Stanley is a great seaside, fishing village with a cosmopolitan vibe and plenty of restaurants and bars plus a bustling market – a great day trip.

Stanley Bay

Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula

A Hong Kong institution and one of the most impressive hotels in the world – take tea here in the opulent surroundings of The Lobby. 

Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula

Mid-Levels Drinks

The world’s largest undercover escalator acts as a pathway up a hill full of bars – with opportunity to hop off at various watering holes. During the rush hour it is jam-packed full of post-work drinkers and the atmosphere is buzzing.

Dim Sum at Maxim’s Palace

The Hong Kong institution in City Hall is traditional with waitresses bringing round dishes for diners to choose on trolleys – a rarity now. Try the scallop and chive dumplings!

Maxim's Palace

There are plenty of other places, bars and restaurants to visit in Hong Kong but these were my favourites.

Hong Kong: Foodie Highlights

For me one of the joys of travel is embracing new and excitingly different foods to the ones you might ordinarily have. During our fortnight’s stay in Hong Kong, back in November, presented to me the ultimate foodie destination.

Every day, a new, delicious delicacy revealed itself – whether it was one of the incredibly varied and wonderful dumplings (that vary from region to restaurant), or one of the fantastically dainty pastries, of which I wasn’t expecting to find such a huge array of. Our holiday confirmed to me how expensive eating in London can be too – we failed to have a ‘bad meal’ and frequented an array of different types of eateries from casual cafes to fine-dining establishments and the food was cheaper than you would expect in the UK and generally very, very good quality.

I’ve included here just a few of my culinary highlights – but Hong Kong is such a cultural melting pot with influences from all over the world so if you find yourself in this wonderful place, explore and enjoy and I’m sure you’ll discover a few foodie hotspots of your own.


We enjoyed a couple of different meals at Jade Garden in Kowloon’s Star House mall including both dim sum and an evening meal. Stand out dishes here from our dim sum experience included the taro croquettes, or as my family refer to them ‘hairy monsters’ (childhood nickname that stuck), some tasty and tender squid tentacles that my (at the time) 14 month old daughter, Bridget adored and a lovely duo of roasted meats including char sui (barbecued pork) and roast duck – both very traditionally Cantonese and both sensational. For our evening meal the absolute standout dish had to be the Peking duck – brought to the table roasted whole (head and beak included) to show freshness, the taste was out of this world good, crispy skin, fatty middle and gorgeous meaty flesh – just outstanding. Also I found it really interesting watching the waitress carve – unlike the shredding of duck here in the UK it was like watching an art form.

Peking Duck at Jade Garden

Maxim's Palace located in the City Hall building in Central was one of my favourite dim sum venues. Very traditional, the dim sum dishes come around on trolleys for you to select which you'd like.

Here we had a real selection and as well as the usual sui mai, har gau dumplings we tried some scallop and chive dumplings that were really good, some beef dumplings that reminded me of an aromatic spiced meatball, some fantastically crispy chicken wontons and some prawn rolls in a crunchy exterior that were juicy and garlicy inside - perfect with just a smidge of chilli oil. Delicious. 

Sui Mai & Scallop & Chive Dumplings at Maxim's Palace

Crispy Prawn Rolls at Maxim's Palace

The Tasty Wonton & Congee Shop outlets are dotted around in different places around Hong Kong and are a really economic venue to enjoy authentic yet delicious Cantonese food – we popped into the IFC outlet frequently. The Wonton Mian - or soup with wontons and noodles will set you back about a fiver in British money and is utterly addictive -true to the name sake very tasty. Another favourite spot for wonton mian was the Praise House Congee and Noodle Cuisine in Maritime Square shopping mall at Tsing Yi – which was often part of our route home to Ma Wan of an evening.

I had a lovely meal with my friend Vickie who lives in Hong Kong at Crystal Jade in IFC shopping mall in Central. This was my first time trying Xiao Long Bao - Shanghai dumplings with pork inside surrounded by piping hot soup - I was then hunting them every day after as they are really nice. The outer casing is a bit more dough-y than some of the dumplings - really moreish. We also had war tips - crispy fried pork dumplings and smoked fried pigeon - both delicious.

Xiao Long Bao at Crystal Jade

Pigeon at Crystal Jade

War tips at Crystal Jade

We headed to the fishing market village of Stanley for one of the days, and enjoyed some fantastic dim sum at Chung’s Cuisine in Stanley Plaza. As well as our usual dishes we had by now become accustomed to ordering char sui bao for Bridget - her favourite dish, and we also enjoyed some tasty cuttlefish cakes, and two different types of crispy fried prawn fish - one was simply in a tasty batter and deep fried - beautiful with the soy dipping sauce. The other was encased in a thicker dumpling surround and came with some salad cream but I loved these with the chilli oil again. Incidentally if you are visiting Hong Kong, Stanley is well worth a visit. 

Crispy Fried Prawns at Chung's Cuisine, Stanley

Cuttlefish Cakes, Chung's Cuisine, Stanley

Outside of traditional Cantonese food, We had a lovely high tea at Cafe Deco when visiting The Peak which included sandwiches, mini sliders, cheese tartlets, sausage rolls and other little savoury bites as well as scones with clotted cream and jam, macarons, a lovely blueberry pastry, a lemon filled selection of mini choux buns, raspberry tartlets, trifle and a couple of slices of Madeira cake.

High Tea at Cafe Deco, The Peak

Another great meal was at The Ivy in the IFC Mall in Central which I had with my Mum - a gorgeous Seabass en papillote dish that I've since recreated at home as well as a seafood linguine for Mum. 

Seafood Linguine, The Ivy, IFC

Seabass en Papillote, The Ivy, IFC

I had some delicious pork fried dumplings in a shopping mall food court which cost about £3 and were one of my favourite things.

In Ma Wan my favourite meal was a traditional Malaysian chicken curry that was particularly welcome after a few too many Tsingtao's the night before.

We also had a fantastic Michelin starred dim sum experience at Yue at City Garden Hotel which I've already posted about.

Hong Kong is jam packed full of foodie gems – some overt and some quite well hidden so go explore!

Hong Kong: Michelin Star Dim Sum at Yue, City Garden Hotel

My paternal grandfather hailed from Hong Kong before he settled here in London back in the sixties, and so whilst he is no longer with us, we have some family that remain in various parts of Hong Kong.

During our stay, we were invited by my Dad's two first cousins Wai Hung and Wai Lock and their wives invited us to join them, alongside my Grandad's two brothers, to visit the Michelin starred Cantonese restaurant, Yue at the City Garden Hotel in the Fortress Hill area.

As well as some of the more traditional dim sum dishes with which we are very familiar, such as sui mai and har gau (steamed crab and pork dumplings and pork dumplings) we also enjoyed something a little more unusual and experienced why Yue has that Michelin star. 

Sui Mai at Yue

Har Gau at Yue

One of the signature dishes we had was a beautiful looking confection that looked more like a dessert on first glance. It was a well-seasoned small piece of fried grouper with fish maw placed a top of a three layered blancmange-looking jelly; that was in actual fact, egg white with truffle sauce. As I don't eat egg, it was a shame, I did try the truffled egg white but it wasn't to my taste which was a shame as overall it looked very impressive. The grouper, however, was utterly delicious and the dish was awarded the Gold with Distinction Award, 2010 Best of the Culinary Awards by Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Seared Grouper with Fish Maw on Truffled Egg White

We also enjoyed some char sui - which we did most days during our stay in Hong Kong but this pork was exquisite. It was the perfect balance of sweet and umami and just beautifully melt-in-the-mouth tender too and sat upon some gorgeously seasoned soya beans - a definite stand out dish here.

Char Sui on Soya Beans

Equally delicious was a dish I was surprised to have in Hong Kong - crispy pork served with a dipping sauce of English mustard. Again the meat was fantastically tender and the crispy skin was addictively good. 

Crispy Roast Pork at Yue

We had crispy noodles with seafood - another of our favourites whenever we enjoy Chinese food, but this again was something extra special with gorgeous prawns, scallops and squid - everything was just so, seasoned really well and cooked perfectly.

Crispy Noodles with Seafood

Other new dishes we enjoyed at Yue included chicken & pineapple buns that sound like an odd combination but were actually really delicious; like so many exceptional Cantonese dishes, they combine the sweet with the savoury with great results. 

Chicken & Pineapple Buns

We also had a dish of which I'm unsure of the name of, the outside were rice rolls, like with Cheung Fun, but the inside was crispy fried noodles - a really lovely textural contrast. We had fried rice with XO sauce which was another winner, vegetable spring rolls, turnip paste, that was infinitely better than any I've tried in the UK, glutinous rice in lotus leaf and tried the steamed sponge cake for the first time at any dim sum, of which my daughter adored and we now get every time we have dim sum. 

Fried Rice with XO Sauce

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Turnip Paste at Yue

Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf at Yue, City Garden Hotel

This was a really great meal - an elevated experience from your average dim sum experience; and one of my favourite meals in Hong Kong - it was extra special as was spent with family members who we don't often see. If visiting Hong Kong make sure Yue is on your restaurant wish list.

The Cheung family

Hong Kong: Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula Hotel

The Peninsula Afternoon Tea

During my stay in Hong Kong in November with my little girl and parents, we were invited as guests to The Peninsula Hotel for their much lauded afternoon tea.

One of the top hotels in Hong Kong, overlooking the impressive Victoria Harbour, The Peninsula, is an impressively luxurious space. The lobby is decked with high, gilded and ornate ceilings, the room is traditionally decked out with extremely high spec furnishings, with staff in immaculate formal white dress who possess an incredible attention to detail. The shops within the lobby included the likes of Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Prada, Chanel and Louis Vuitton – to name just a few. This is a five star establishment and it shows from the offset.

My parents and I enjoyed the traditional afternoon tea which arrived, dainty and beautifully presented - with a slightly Oriental take on some British classics.

The savouries included a selection of sandwiches, such a chicken with ginger mayonnaise - the chicken was so fragrantly light and moist it was delicious. There was a multi-coloured club sandwich which included a couple of different smoked fish, which was absolutely superb, a cucumber and then there was a little cheese and crab tartlet, which had the lightest, flakiest pastry and was just enough for a mouthful. We ordered more of the same. 

Traditional scones were accompanied by clotted cream and jams and were crumbly, light and delicious. 

Scones

Pastries included a chocolate tartlet that was rich, opulent and clearly made from some seriously dark chocolate - delicious. 

Pastries

A shot glass filled with a confection that was a nod towards a Pina Colada - a coconut creamy mousse at the bottom with a pineapple coulis on top, really unusual and really beautiful.

We had a small, delicate raspberry panna cotta - my Mum's favourite and a small slice of fruit cake too, rich and dense, exactly as fruit cake should be.

Considering the decadent surroundings of The Peninsula, Bridget, who was keen to be wondering around holding onto one of our hands, was welcomed most warmly by the staff, and indeed other guests. There isn't anything 'stuffy' about this venue. We ordered for her some homemade chicken nuggets with chips from the children's menu which came with on Peninsula crockery and cutlery too, which I thought was a lovely touch - we actually went to the hotel store after to try and purchase them as a souvenir but sadly they were out of stock.

Children's crockery

Bridget's children's meal

Afternoon tea costs $358HK per person which equates to approximately £35 - however on this occasion we were guests of the hotel.

The Peninsula is one of the most revered hotels in the world so if you are visiting Hong Kong, I'd highly recommend you visit and take tea to enjoy a fantastic tradition in truly gorgeous settings.

My family in the lobby

Me and Bridget in the lobby at The Peninsula

Meat Free Monday: Bean and Pepper Chilli

For a while now, my partner and I have been trying to adhere to the Meat Free Monday initiative as part of the fat fighting and healthy eating regime and here is a gorgeous recipe for a hearty vegetarian chilli using black beans, kidney beans, red pepper and tomatoes with a smoky flavour burst from chipotle paste.

This is a fantastically nutritious meal too and comes in at 400 calories with 62g brown rice. 

Meat Free Monday Bean and Pepper Chilli

Here's how:

• 1 tin of black beans in water
• 1 tin red kidney beans in water
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 red chilli
• 1 tbsp dried cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chipotle paste 
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Firstly place the oven on really high and place the red pepper and tomatoes onto a baking tray and place into the oven for fifteen minutes or until slightly charred.

Now place the coconut oil into a non-stick saucepan and place on a low heat.

Peel and finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan. Slice the chilli and add to the pan.

Once softened, add the paprika, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper.

Now drain the beans and add to the pan and allow to fry for a few minutes then add the tinned tomatoes.

Now remove the pepper and and tomatoes and roughly chop and add to the pan.

Finally stir in the chipotle paste and give a good stir. Now cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with brown rice or a sweet jacket potato for a wonderful vegetarian, Meat Free Monday meal. Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Shred Salad with Horseradish Dressing

Here's another delicious salad that comes in at only 315 calories and includes a delicious, creamy and punchy dressing too.

The smoked salmon provides a wonderful source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids plus lots of vitamins and minerals and the 125g smoked salmon is a generous amount too. The horseradish dressing works so well with the smoked salmon too and this doesn't feel like a 'diet' dish - it's utterly delicious and filling.

Smoked Salmon Shred Salmon with Horseradish Dressing

Here’s how:

• 125g smoked salmon
• 50g watercress
• 50g carrot
• 50g red cabbage
• 50g cucumber
• 50g radish
• 1 tbsp 0% Natural Yoghurt (I use Yeo Valley) 
• 1 tsp creamed horseradish
• 1/2 lemon
• 2 cherry tomatoes
• Pinch black pepper

Grate the carrot, red cabbage, cucumber and radish and add to the plate with the watercress and halved cherry tomatoes.

Pop the salmon on and squeeze over the lemon over the entire plate and then sprinkle on the black pepper - be generous as lemon and pepper over smoked salmon is delicious.

Now add the Fat Free Yoghurt and the creamed horseradish to a small bowl or cup and mix then add to the plate for a gorgeous dressing. Enjoy!

Deliciously Ella Sweet Potato Brownies

I made these Deliciously Ella Sweet Potato Brownies a while back as a healthier version of something naughty and they really are quite moreish.

Free from refined sugar they are great for your little ones too - my little Bridget absolutely loved them and I was happy knowing they weren't packed full of nasties. Deliciously Ella has tons of fantastic recipes but these are my favourite to date. 

Deliciously Ella Sweet Potato Brownies

Here’s how:

• 2 large sweet potatoes (approx 600g) 
• 80g ground almonds
• 100g brown rice flour
• 14 Medjool dates
• 4 tbsp raw cacao 
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• Pinch of salt 
• Whack the oven on at around 200 degrees and place the sweet potatoes in on the middle shelf for 25 minutes or until nicely baked. 

Now remove the flesh and place into a blender or Nutribullet with the dates and blitz.

Pop the remaining ingredients into a mixing bowl and then add the sweet potato and date mixture and stir well to combine.

Grease and line a baking tray or dish and pour the brownie mixture inside. Use the back of a spoon to flatten out and place into the oven for 20 minutes. Enjoy!