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  1. Very Healthy Carrot Cake

    April 25, 2025 by Lisa

    Carrot Cake Photo
    I could have cooked it another 5-10 minutes…

    Normally I dislike long preambles to recipes, but this one deserves a little story-time.

    I am not a confectioner. Cakes are not my thing and I have always left them to my ridiculously talented daughter. I think the only cakes I’ve ever made have come out of a box. As I’ve got older, however, and have taken a keener interest in my health — and especially the foods I eat — I’ve started to look for healthier versions of everything. I’m now very used to unsalted foods and have completely cut out processed foods, most simple carbs and sugar. Nevertheless, food is so very important and a life without dessert is a life without a particularly joyful part of it.

    For a family Easter dinner, I decided to try making a carrot cake and, oh my lord, did it fail. Being a not-confectioner, I failed the first rule of cake-making: do not overmix. I mixed everything with an electric mixer and the cake was dense and heavy and frankly, slightly disgusting. The family called it “edible” and “really tasty” but I was horrified. Not to be beaten by a damned carrot cake, I decided to try again and against my better judgement, decided to create my own recipe.

    So, here’s my very own concoction. It’s not perfect, but it was way more than edible and actually tasty. I will update as I improve. Also, pretty damned healthy by dessert standards!

    Serves 10: 253 kcal, 13.6g Total Fat, 30.9 Total Carbohydrates, 3.7g Protein per serving

    Ingredients:

    • 125ml sunflower oil
    • 2 eggs
    • 125ml maple syrup
    • 100g whole wheat flour
    • 100g plain flour
    • 1.5 tsp baking powder (don’t use out of date powder like I did the first time!)
    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp allspice
    • 200g grated carrot
    • 10 dates, chopped into small pieces (optional, or use raisins)

    Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 175C/350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment and a bit of oil. I used a 11cm x 6cm x 20cm tin but a smaller deeper one might be better next time for a taller cake (with adaptations to the cooking time).

    In a large bowl, mix together the oil, maple syrup and eggs until combined.

    In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and spices.

    Add the dry ingredients to the wet and gently mix. I can’t emphasize gently enough here – this was my undoing. Then fold in the carrots and dates. Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan and bake for 45min to an hour. Every oven is different, so check frequently after about 40 minutes by inserting a long toothpick until it comes out clean.

    Remove and cool in the tin on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Remove to the rack until completely cooled before frosting as desired (healthy frosting recipe in the works!).

    Category Desserts and Sweets, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  2. Chicken Thighs and Brown Rice

    April 13, 2025 by Lisa

    This is a nice and easy, high protein dinner for when I really just want to throw things in a pan and be done with it. It has a subtle Mexican flair but easy to change it up to use more Mediterranean herbs. Everything I make these days is no added salt, so add yours to taste if you use it!

    Serves 4: 845 kcal, 33.5g Total Fat, 97.6 Total Carbohydrates, 40.2g Protein per serving

    Ingredients:

    • 500g boneless chicken thighs
    • 100ml olive oil
    • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • ground pepper
    • 400g Brown Basmati
    • 1/2 white onion (or 70g)
    • 2 cloves minced garlic
    • 18g tomato paste
    • 1 tin lentils (240g)
    • 150g diced courgette
    • 150g diced tomatoes
    • 75g diced carrots
    • 500ml chicken stock

    Instructions:

    Marinate the chicken in olive oil and spices for about 30 minutes, reserving 15ml of oil.

    Add the reserved oil to a skillet over medium high heat and cooked the chicken 4-5 each side minutes until browned. Transfer to a plate. Add in onions and cook until soft. Add rice and garlic and sauté until grains are translucent. Add the chicken back to the skillet along with diced vegetables, lentils, stock and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Cook until rice has absorbed the stock and is tender. Add water if it seems to be getting a bit dry. Serve with a salad and/or lots of green vegetables!

    Category Dinner Menu | Tags: | No Comments

  3. Christmas cheesecake (GF)

    December 8, 2024 by Lisa

    This cheesecake is so easy, no-bake, gluten free, relatively low sugar and beautifully Christmassy. Double it for a bigger cheesecake but this mini one easily serves 8.

    Ingredients:

    For the crust:

    • 150g gluten free ginger biscuits, crushed
    • 70g melted butter


    For the filling:

    • 250g cream cheese
    • 150ml double cream
    • 125g mascarpone
    • 40ml maple syrup
    • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

    Instructions:

    Line an 8” springform or loose base pan with baking parchment. Mix the melted butter with the crushed biscuits and press into the bottom of the pan, pushing a little up the sides to form a little lip. Refrigerate while mixing the filling.

    Combine the cream cheese, mascarpone, maple syrup and vanilla in a bowl. Add the cream and mix until stiff peaks form. Add a little more maple syrup to taste if you like. You could also add some lemon juice for a lemon cheesecake but I love the subtle creaminess of the mix unadulterated.

    Add the mix into the pan and smooth it down, pressing into the pan. Refrigerate several hours or better overnight. Top with fresh cranberry sauce or any other festive fruit you fancy.

    Category Desserts and Sweets | Tags: | No Comments

  4. Enchilada Sauce v3 (easy)

    July 7, 2024 by Lisa

    This is in no way authentic, but it’s now a firm favourite for a few reasons:

    1. It’s easy, easy, easy (and needs no blender or food processor)
    2. It tastes very much like the enchilada sauce I remember from my childhood in California
    3. It’s so easy

    Ingredients:

    • 3 tablespoons oil
    • 3 tablespoons flour
    • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • Dried oregano (some)
    • Salt (some)
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • splash of vinegar

    Instructions:

    Measure and mix the dry ingredients while heating the oil in a saucepan. Stir the tomato paste into the broth. Mix the dry ingredients into the oil like you’re making a roux. Slowly add and stir in the broth and tomato paste until smooth and cook for a couple of minutes.

    That’s it! It’s really very nice indeed.

    Category Dinner Menu, Miscellany, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  5. Soft Flapjacks

    January 14, 2024 by Lisa

    These are a thick, buttery, soft and crumbly flapjack. And when I say buttery, I mean there is a LOT of butter in this recipe.

    Ingredients:

    • 150g granulated sugar
    • 225g salted butter, melted
    • 115g golden syrup
    • 270g porridge or rolled oats
    • 185g plain flour
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • Jam, peanut butter, biscoff spread or fruit, as you like. Or nothing at all, if you also like.

    Instructions:

    Mix the sugar, melted butter and golden syrup in a bowl. Separately, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and then add the sugar and butter mixture and combine well. Add half the mix to a 16cm x 25cm rectangular baking dish lined with parchment paper and press down firmly. Add some generous dollops of whatever filling takes your fancy and then top with the rest of the flapjack mixture and press down.

    Cook in a 160C conventional/150C fan oven for 40 minutes. If you cook it longer, they do get considerably harder (I know because I didn’t hear my timer the second time I made these – oops). Cool for 5-10 minutes in the dish then use the baking parchment to lift onto a wire rack until cool before cutting into any size you like.

    I think you could use all manner of things in the middle of these. A chocolate spread would be delicious, as would some sort of salted caramel, both of which I will try next time I make them.

    Makes around 16 servings, more or less.

    Category Desserts and Sweets | Tags: | No Comments

  6. Buttermilk Biscuits V2

    December 30, 2023 by Lisa

    I’ve been struggling with biscuits. Every recipe says they are “so easy” but I can assure you they kind of aren’t. This version isn’t perfect, but it’s getting there. A few things helped. One, freeze the butter, grate it then put it back in the freezer. Two, use Tipo 00 (or T45 pastry flour) for a softer biscuit. Three, make sure the baking powder isn’t out of date (d’oh!). Don’t use the fan oven setting – conventional heat seemed to work better. Finally, use a high-sided dish when cooking the biscuits so the sides keep the biscuits from spreading. I used a 28cm deep dish pie pan and got about 8 biscuits in there.

    Ingredients:

    • 250g Tipo 00 flour
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 2 tsp sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 85g frozen, grated butter
    • 180ml buttermilk

    Instructions:

    Preheat the oven to 220C. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together well. Add the frozen butter and use a pastry cutter to mix until crumbly. Add the buttermilk and mix gently. Turn out onto a floured surface and work together into a ball (don’t overwork – you don’t want the butter granules to melt). Pat the dough into a rectangle about an inch thick and fold the short edges in. Turn and pat down again. Fold and turn another couple of times.

    Pat into a rectangle about 1.5cm thick and using a floured biscuit cutter, cut into 8-10 rounds. Arrange the biscuits in the high-sided pan with each biscuit touching. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.

    Category All Day Breakfast, Side Dishes, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  7. Parsnip and Sweet Potato Soup

    December 30, 2023 by Lisa

    A lovely wintery soup that tastes a little like korma. Mix up the spices as you like. We used chili flakes, powdered ginger, lime and coriander, but chipotle would add some smokiness or you could use fresh ginger, fresh chili peppers or even curry powder if you like that kinda thing.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 chopped celery stalks, chopped
    • half an onion, diced
    • olive oil
    • 2 large parsnips, peeled and diced
    • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
    • vegetable stock (about a pint)
    • 1 can of coconut milk
    • 2 tsp powdered ginger
    • chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste
    • fresh coriander and lime wedges for garnish

    Instructions:

    Fry the onions and celery in a large, deep skillet with the olive oil until soft. Add the parsnips and sweet potato, cover with vegetable stock, cover and cook until tender. Add the vegetables and stock to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add seasonings and coconut milk and transfer to a saucepan, heat and serve with coriander, lime and some crusty bread.

    Category Dinner Menu, Lunch Menu, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  8. Gingerbread Cookies

    December 24, 2023 by Lisa

    These are soft, thick gingerbread cookies that are super simple to make.

    Ingredients:

    • 225g salted butter, at room temperature
    • 213g light brown sugar
    • 170g black treacle
    • 390g plain flour
    • 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • pinch of nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp salt

    Instructions:

    Beat butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamed. Add the treacle and mix until combined. Add flour and spices and mix well. Add 1-2 tsp of milk if the dough doesn’t stick together well.

    Divide the dough into halves, and roll each one between sheets of parchment to 1.25cm. Place the rolled dough in parchment paper on a baking sheet and chill for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.

    Preheat your oven to 170° C fan or 180° C normal. Cut your desired shapes out of the chilled dough and place a couple of inches apart on a baking sheet. If the cookies are no longer firm and cold to the touch put the sheet back in the refrigerator or freezer for 5 to 15 minutes.

    Bake for 8-9 minutes. They should look just set and slightly puffy. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before decorating.

    The dough can be made, rolled out, and stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before baking or baked, cooled, and stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days before decorating.

    Category Desserts and Sweets, Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

  9. Fruit Crumble

    December 18, 2023 by Lisa

    Crumbles are super easy, but I always have to look up the proportions. This recipe is about right for a decent layer of fruit and a thick crumble. Honestly, I could eat crumble without the fruit, but we all need our 5 a day, right? Switch up the fruit as you like: apple, pears, maybe add some blackberries. You can use rhubarb if you’re feeling spicy – just pre-cook in a covered saucepan until soft and add sugar to taste. Use a rectangular baking dish. An 18×25 will serve 6-8.

    The Fruit:

    • 2 large Bramley apples for an apple crumble, but use more or less as you like
    • 2-3tsp cornflour
    • 150g caster sugar (or less if the fruit is sweet, like pears or eating apples)
    • 1tsp cinnamon

    The Crumble:

    • 240g plain flour
    • 150g room temperature salted butter, cut into pieces
    • 120g demerara sugar
    • 1-2tsp cinnamon
    • 100g rolled oats

    Peel and slice the apples into 1-2cm slices. If you use pears, cut into chunks as the pears will cook quickly. toss in a bowl with the cornflour, sugar and cinnamon.

    In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon with the butter and rub together with your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed and it has the texture of wet sand. mix in the oats.

    I always add a thin layer of crumble to the bottom of the dish as I love the slightly gooey base, but you can go straight in with the fruit if you prefer. Add the rest of the crumble to the top in an even layer. You can give some of the crumble a bit of a squeeze to create some larger crumbs which will crisp up nicely. If you want a really crunchy top, sprinkle on some more demerara sugar, but watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.

    Cook for 30-40 minutes at 180C fan or 200C conventional. You can stab a fork in to make sure the fruit is cooked. Serve hot or cold with cream, custard or ice cream.

    Category Desserts and Sweets, Uncategorized | Tags: | Comments Off on Fruit Crumble

  10. Possets

    May 13, 2023 by Lisa

    IMG_8988It’s been a minute, but I wanted to save this recipe because I LOVE it so much. You can also add this to a tart base or fill your desert pots with a biscuit crumb base. You can use lemon, orange or any citrus juice. Lemon is my favourite but I may try a grapefruit posset next time.

    Ingredients:

    • 300ml double cream
    • 100g caster sugar
    • 38ml citrus juice
    • zest of one citrus

    Put the cream and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar is melted. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add the juice and zest. Pour into tart base or divide between small pots. Cool to room temp and then chill in the refrigerator until set.

    It’s really that easy!

    Category Desserts and Sweets | Tags: | No Comments

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