Chocolate... Paleo friendly :)

I'm always wary of putting 'dairy/sugar/gluten free' in my post titles... I've lots of sarcastic friends who use it as an excuse to throw in 'taste free' when they comment on my posts! Mind you, I'm slowly but surely converting them, and making them realise that food doesn't need to be laced with sugar to taste good. I can't help but laugh when they call the food I cook 'fake food'... somewhat ironic given the fact that it's actually 'real' food...

*May not be entirely accurate

One ingredient I've struggled with for clean dessert recipes has been chocolate. Yes, you can use chocolate with a high cocoa content which lowers the sugar content, but I still wasn't happy. I try not to compromise what I'm trying to achieve, by adding sugar and artificial ingredients into my cooking. It's all too easy to take short cuts, and totally undermine your efforts to eat clean... before you know it, you're part of the 'IIFYM (If it fits your macros)' crowd, and you're having a breakfast roll with a side order of toast for breakfast! I've said repeatedly, that dessert and cake recipes I post here are for treats only... even though they're using quality ingredients, they shouldn't be forming the basis of your daily food intake! 

Chocolate is pretty amazing... so I decided to make my own. I hereby declare myself Willy Wonka :) 

I don't claim to have created this myself... it's a recipe that seems to be a Paleo favourite online, with a few amendments to suit my own preferences. Selfless as always, I've tried this out a couple of times, and promise it not only works, but it tastes great too... 

For the chocolate:

• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 8 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (I've substituted in peppermint/orange blossom extract....YUM!)
• 2 tbsp organic raw honey

Place all ingredients in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. (Don't do this in the microwave... yes it's quicker, but your chocolate will seize, separate and burn!) 

Keep mixing as all the ingredients melt to create a glossy chocolate sauce. Don't allow it to stick and form lumps in the base of the bowl so seriously...keep stirring. 

Once you have a smooth, glossy chocolate sauce, pour into an 8"x8" tin lined with greaseproof paper. 

Allow to cool and set in a cool, dry place. 

If you place it in the fridge, you'll end up with a dull coloured chocolate.... it still tastes great so it won't really matter. (This may have been the case in my photo above!) 

Once set, you can cut into bars, use as chocolate chunks for cookies or paleo trail mix.... It's pretty damn good regardless of how you choose to use it :) 

Here you....FATSO!

Yeah the post title is a bit bizarre... but hey, bet you're wondering what I'm going to rant about now! Today's rant is brought to you thanks to an article posted on the Facebook page of our gym Revolution Fitness. I did call it 'our' gym, and I think the owner James would be ok with that, cos he's nothing without us former fatties :)

Here's the aforementioned article http://www.spectator.co.uk/columnists/rod-liddle/9055531/if-we-stop-stigmatising-fat-people-well-have-lots-more-of-them/

If you're too lazy to read it, the general message is that we should be mean to fat people and make them feel bad for being overweight in order to 'help' them with weight loss. Sure... making someone miserable and destroying their confidence is bound to help.. or not! 

And here's my response to the post: 

Ex fattie view here...Honestly doctors, parents or the media telling you you're a fat disgusting mess as recommended here isn't the way to go. If you're fat, you know you're fat. As much as it's as simple as eat less, move more to lose weight.. it's far more complex than that. I had bitchy comments in school, bullying, negative remarks from strangers... you name it. It didn't make me lose weight. It damaged my confidence, hurt me, made me reclusive and depressed. I ate more. I got bigger and bigger. The bigger I got, the more the comments and disgusted looks from people hurt me. I ate more. And so on... It's a vicious cycle and isn't as simple as stopping eating. I had a problem with food. I used it as a comfort for when things were tough. It was an unhealthy relationship which destroyed my confidence, self worth and my desire to recover from illness for a while...After all, I was just a fat mess, what had I got to offer?? I get what the article is saying but in my opinion, there needs to be a greater understanding of WHY someone is obese, and not make them feel any worse by calling them names cos rest assured they feel pretty low already.

My thoughts on this article remain the same.. I think it's irresponsible of the media to encourage bullying when suicide and depression is a serious problem in this country. The word bullying gets thrown around an awful lot, but it's fully justified in this situation. 

I was grossly overweight. I've told you the story. What I haven't told you is how it affected me, how I felt about it and how weight loss has changed me. 

I didn't wake up one morning at over 24 stone wearing a tent for jeans...When I was a kid, I was bigger than the other kids in my class, and whilst most people would have described it as puppy fat, I was conscious of it. I remember the first time it bothered me... I was probably about 8 and I didn't want to wear shorts to school cos my legs were bigger than the girls in my class. I'm not sure if someone had made a hurtful comment to make me feel like that, but my self esteem was an issue from an early age. 

When I started secondary school my insecurities worsened. I went to boarding school and open showers, changing in dorms and being surrounded by people who were noticeably slimmer than I was didn't help. I was horribly homesick, and food was my comfort I guess. When I'd go home, my mum would cook anything I wanted in a bid to cheer me up... a nice touch, but it didn't help! Another thing that didn't help was the fact that the canteen in our school clearly had no idea on nutrition... corn flakes for breakfast, pasta lunches and pizza/burgers and chips for tea. This type of diet became normal for me, and since I wasn't exactly fit I stopped playing sports and so my body issues continued. I've mentioned before about the college diet of rubbish food and cocktails that added to my misery. 

Nobody forced me to eat this way....but I had horrible habits I didn't know how to fix. I was embarrassed about my body and poor fitness so I'd never have joined a gym. 

I hated everything about myself... I wondered why people wanted to be friends, why a guy would look at me (other than it being to ask me out as a joke), I couldn't wear nice clothes, I assumed if anyone looked at me that they were thinking I was disgusting... I was miserable. I locked myself away, and again food was my comfort.

I've told you the reasons why I lost weight, and whilst I'm not saying that being slim or a certain dress size is the most important thing... for me, it was a huge leap towards building confidence and feeling better about myself. 

Getting to this point wasn't easy. I went through pretty big struggles with nutrition...eating the wrong foods which I thought were healthy, exercising to the point of serious exhaustion (we're talking about 2 gym sessions daily on very low calories), dealing with slow progress on the scales and micromanaging my diet and training. Once I found a way of eating that suited me, started training efficiently and relaxed, things started to fall into place. 

The numbers on the scales don't matter to me any more, it's the little things that thrill me... Here's a few things that most people take for granted that I'm only experiencing now...

• I bought my first ever pair of River Island jeans recently (nothing would ever fit me in there)... 8 sizes smaller than when I started this journey.
• A friend treated my to a pair of Carvela knee high boots... proud moment for sure... I couldn't get boots to fit before...
• I'm finally in a place where I'd be 100% comfortable starting a proper grown up relationship! I was always so body conscious and lacking self confidence that it always damaged previous relationships..
• I'm actually happy. 

They're major successes for me, and I take incredible pride in them. I haven't shared them to brag or boast... I want people to stop and realise that little things like not being able to shop in certain shops or wear certain clothes or look at yourself in the mirror all come with the territory of being seriously obese. They're the minor things... let's not forget depression, isolation, loneliness and low self esteem... 

That's a horrible place to be, and until a person is ready to make changes to their lifestyle for the right reasons, then they shouldn't be subjected to name calling and ridicule. 

For anyone interested in being proactive in changing your life ...you should absolutely read the excellent tips written by Sarah & James from The Better Life Project 

Bacon Lasagne

I think most mums have a few dishes that they cook on rotation for their family. They're quick & easy to make and don't cost a fortune to feed an army of children...One of my favourite meals was lasagne, and for some reason it usually appeared on the menu in our house on a Saturday! I associate it with everyone being home from school, college or work for the weekend, and the house being busier and louder than normal. Sometimes cooking an old familiar meal can brighten your day... even if it's never ever going to taste the same as when your mother made it.... (Sometimes it tastes better!!)

Since removing grains from my diet, I've experimented a bit with making lasagne... I've got to say, none of the alternatives really hit the spot. Replacing pasta sheets with thin strips of courgette and aubergine was fine... but it didn't look or taste like lasagne... 

I had almost given up hope, when one night, out of the blue I thought of using bacon...I must admit, it took a bit of self control to stay in bed and not start cooking at 1am.... I'm a little impulsive like that, and I get very excited about cooking and experimenting with food... and did I mention it's lasagne made with bacon??????

• 1lb minced turkey 
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 100g celery, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 200g organic passata
• 1 small can organic tomato paste
• 100g mushrooms, chopped
• fresh herbs of choice
• 200g streaky bacon, grilled until crispy
• 200g full fat cottage cheese

Start by grilling the bacon until crispy. Set aside to cool. 

Next add onion, garlic and celery to a saucepan with 1/2 tsp of coconut oil and sauté for 2-3 minutes just to soften and release flavour. 

Add minced turkey, and simmer over a medium heat until cooked through. 

Add carrot, pepper, all the tomatoes and mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat. This allows the vegetables to cook, and the sauce to reduce and thicken. 

Season meat sauce to taste at this point. (There's no point adding fresh herbs at the beginning as you'll lose their wonderfully fresh flavour through overcooking them)

Start by placing a layer of your meat sauce in the base of an oven proof baking dish. 

Add a layer of crispy bacon (try not to eat it as you assemble the lasagne or you won't have enough for the topping... not that I'm speaking from experience obviously!)  

Top with a layer of cottage cheese and some chopped herbs. 

Repeat until you have used up all ingredients.

Sprinkle with a little grated cheese if you want the top to brown in the oven.

Lasagne needs to have pasta? Really?? I don't think anyone will be searching for the absent grains in this dish. It was pretty amazing... so amazing in fact that I forgot to taste photos when I served it! The bacon layers held the lasagne together perfectly, and it looked just like the original but tasted so much better! 

If you're not a 'real' woman what are you????

I'd be interested to get some thoughts on this one..

A well respected provider of fitness courses are running a Women's Appreciation month on FB where they're asking women to post photos/videos of them lifting to show that women can be strong etc. FANTASTIC idea, and a great way to quash notions that lifting weights makes us big and bulky, or that we'll all end up looking like Jodie Marsh.. Today in a post they used the expression 'real women, doing real training'....

This isn't a dig at those running the promotion, I honestly think it's a brilliant idea. It's a great opportunity to promote their courses, encourage women to get involved in strength training and educate people that lifting weights doesn't turn women into a body builder type.

However... I HATE the term 'real women'. It's an expression that has come about as part of a backlash towards the super skinny, supermodel era. After years of being told we should be super skinny, now we're being told we're not a real woman if we don't have curves??

The 'real women' campaign is basically just giving the middle finger to the fashion and beauty industry who have made women feel like they're not slim/sexy or perfect enough for years... That's fine. I hate that the fashion industry has the power to make women feel bad about themselves. However... I really don't like how this new term has become so popular, and is now creating a whole new notion of what a woman should look like. 'Real women have curves' implies that if you don't have a J-Lo ass, or breasts above a certain cup size that you're in some way less of a woman. If you're naturally slim, should you try to gain weight in the hope that you too can be a 'real woman'?  Should you be less content and confident just because your naturally petite?

Most commonly, the term 'real woman' is used to describe and justify a woman carrying excess weight. Now.. we all know I wasn't exactly slim before so this isn't me being a judgemental cow or anything like that.. Ireland has an obesity epidemic. Using this term is encouraging people to view being overweight as being the ideal, or the norm. It's not. It is bad for your health. Simple as that. We shouldn't be glamorizing being overweight in the same way as we shouldn't encourage being super skinny or underweight. These type of factions just serve to encourage disorders ranging from anorexia to body dysmorphia to compulsive overeating and depressive illnesses.

By switching from the 'super skinny' campaign, to the 'real women' team, we're basically just creating a new way to make women feel insecure about their body type. Being slim doesn't make you any less of a woman than being a size 14, 18, 24 or whatever. We need a new campaign.. one that focusses on women being healthy and happy, without pitting us against each other in a bid to have the 'perfect' body type.

In the same way, I'm not sure I like the mention of these so-called 'real women' doing 'real training'. I love lifting weights...the gym is where I'm at my happiest lately and I actively encourage women to get involved in strength training over running on a treadmill at every opportunity. However, I never ever belittle the type of training someone else does.. I'd far prefer to see women enjoying running on a treadmill for 30 minutes, than hating every second of a strength training program, giving up on it and going back to the sofa instead. Just because running isn't my thing, it doesn't make it any less 'real' than squatting or deadlifting.

People should do what they enjoy, what works for them and what they can stick to. There is no right way to train or eat.. everyone is different and I think if we all respected and embraced that, we'd be an awful lot happier..

Spongy chocolate cake (Grain & refined sugar free)

We all LOVE brownies.. they're gorgeous, rich and made of chocolate.. I need to find a man like that!

BUT...

Sometimes, it's nice to have a light cake... a nice sponge, or just something a little less decadent than a fudgy brownie. Since we're all in agreement that chocolate is amazing.. I threw together this simple grain & refined sugar free chocolate sponge... after all, you can never have enough chocolate cake recipes :)

• 2oz coconut oil
• 2 tbsp raw organic honey
• 1 small banana, mashed well
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs 
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• 1oz almond flour
• 1oz unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 160d (fan) and line an 8" square tin with greaseproof paper. 

Start by beating coconut oil and honey together until combined. 

Separate eggs, adding one egg yolk at a time to the oil & honey mixture. (Place whites in bowl of your stand mixer) Beat well between each addition. 

Next mix in mashed banana, yoghurt and vanilla. 

Add sieved almond flour, cocoa & baking soda to this mixture, and mix well. 

Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer/food processor (you can do this using a hand whisk too, it'll just take a little longer) whisk the egg whites with 1 tsp of lemon juice until you have stiff peaks. 

Next using a spatula/large plastic spoon (don't use a wooden or metal spoon as they'll knock out all the air you've just added) add the egg white a little at a time, folding the mixture gently to incorporate the egg white. Be patient... you want a light, spongy texture to this cake. 

Pour mixture into lined tin, and bake for 20 minutes until springy to touch & a skewer comes out of the centre of the cake clean. 

Cool on a wire rack. You could serve this cake as it is, or add some fresh raspberries as a garnish. It's amazing with coconut and raspberry ice cream (dairy & sugar free)... That reminds me, I must make some so I can post the recipe :) 

I make a quick chocolate almond ganache to drizzle on the top...

Ganache:

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1tsp almond butter 
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pop all the ingredients into a heat proof bowl and microwave for 15 seconds at a time until melted and smooth. Make sure to stir after each 15 seconds, or the mixture will burn, seize and turn into oily burnt chocolate (believe me... I know! And for the love of God don't taste it to see if you can work with it... you'll most likely need to wash your mouth out with industrial strength mouthwash and you'll still taste burnt chocolate for the next hour!) 

Anyway, I digress... leave the ganache aside for 5 minutes to cool and thicken slightly. 

Drizzle over cake and cut into slices. 

Pizza (Round 2)

So... lots of people are quick to dismiss the notion of trying something new it seems. I posted a recipe for pizza with a cauliflower base a couple of weeks ago, and several people were quick to jump to the conclusion that it wouldn't taste as good as 'real' pizza...I can honestly say, it was really good, not quite like a standard pizza crust, but good all the same.

Bear with me here...when you order a pizza, it's the toppings that concern you right? You like just cheese, or you're into meat sweats and order every meat topping known to man.. Honestly, have you ever given much thought to the base? It's just a way to hold all the fillings in place when you lift a slice. I'm pretty sure nobody has ever said 'WOW the wheat in my pizza base really made it taste amazing'.

Ever heard the expression 'tastes like chicken'? Well it's usually used to refer to foods that have a bland, hard to describe flavour..Very few people can actually say they don't like chicken, since it's pretty inoffensive. Yep, you guessed it... we're using chicken for the base!

BEST.IDEA.EVER!!!!

For the base:

• 1 cooked chicken breast
• 1 large egg white (reserve yolk for mayonnaise or freeze it... just don't throw it out... they're really useful!) 
• fresh parsley
• sea salt

You'll have noticed my penchant for simple recipes.. this is far easier than making a traditional yeast base, and you'll feel positively virtuous (and less bloated!) afterwards
Start by pulsing the chicken breast until finely shredded (don't overdo it, you don't want chicken puree)

Add in remaining ingredients and pulse until combined.

Spread out chicken base in even layer on a non stick baking tray (I used a 9 inch base from a springform cake tin). If food tends to stick to your baking trays, it's time to replace them but for now just grease the tray lightly with a little coconut oil.

Bake at 160d for 10 minutes until firm. Flip the base over to crisp up the other side (about about 5 minutes should do it) This isn't an exact science... you'll know when it's done because it's golden, firm and holding shape.

Once baked, remove from the oven and be generous with your favourite toppings. I used:

• Organic passata
• leftover chicken and bacon 
• mushrooms
• cherry tomatoes
• spinach 
• St Tola raw milk goats cheese (I may be addicted, it's so good!) 

I'm honestly not sure I can articulate how AMAZING this pizza is. Seriously, you're missing out on nothing by not having a standard base. The chicken base holds up great, and you can lift it like a normal slice. 

This felt like such a treat meal, but really it's pretty damn healthy. Protein shakes are great and all... but why have a shake, when you could have pizza???

Bacon Cordon Bleu...

Yeah that's right... the bacon is the star attraction, so no Chicken Cordon Bleu here...We're stuffing the chicken with bacon and goats cheese, and because we don't eat grains we're wrapping it in, yes you guessed it... bacon! If that doesn't appeal to you, well then I'm sorry there's something wrong with you.

Let me repeat it just to be sure... chicken, stuffed with bacon and then wrapped in bacon..Yep I knew you'd approve! 

• 1 large chicken breast
• 2 pieces of smoked streaky bacon
• 50g St Tola Raw Goats Milk Cheese ...I've said it before, and I'll no doubt say it again... I always try to buy Irish (must be cos I'm a farmer's daughter!), and prefer raw cheese so St Tola is an absolute must-have in my fridge. 

Start by butterflying your chicken breast to create a pocket for the cheese and bacon. 

Place a piece of cling film over the chicken, and using a rolling pin or meat mallet, bash the chicken until flattened. Season with freshly cracked black pepper. 

Next, do the same with the bacon.. just cover with cling film and roll it to flatten slightly. 

Stuff chicken breast with crumbled goats cheese and 1/2 the bacon.

Roll up tightly, and wrap in the remaining bacon to seal. (You can use cocktail sticks to secure the chicken if you need to). 

Top with a little coconut oil, and place in preheated oven for 20 minutes until the bacon is golden and crispy. 

Serve with a crispy salad or some steamed vegetables. 

This is a delicious protein packed dinner that is really simple to make. The smoked bacon really compliments the chicken...and well all that gooey melted goats cheese is seriously just amazing! To save time you can make a few together and freeze some or cook them all and keep in the fridge for a cold snack, or lunch on the go.

Chicken Kiev

I get bored easily so grilled chicken is never really going to excite me...I love dinners I can throw together really quickly, but they're just so damn delicious that you feel like a hero for eating so well, and not having spent your whole evening in the kitchen..

I'm in a great mood today... strangely smiley Diane, but still fancied something tasty and comforting and grain free, primal Chicken Kiev has been on my mind for a while... 

I feel like a fraud sometimes for posting such simple recipes... but you know what? I think we all need ideas so we don't get stuck in a salad rut, and if they're simple and delicious it's so much better! 

Chicken Kiev:

• Chicken fillet
• Butter (if you're even considering using margarine or low fat dairy spread get off my blog right now!) 
• fresh parsley 
• garlic

Coating:

• almond flour 
• seed mix (I used sunflower and sesame)
• coconut milk/beaten egg

Using a sharp knife, butterfly your chicken breast or just slice into the top of the fillet to create a pocket for the garlic butter. 

Mince a clove of garlic and mash into a generous knob of butter & chopped parsley.

Press garlic butter into the pocket in the chicken. 

Next dip the chicken into coconut milk or beaten egg, coat in almond flour, and dip into the milk/egg again, before pressing well into the seeds until well coated. 

Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven until cooked through and golden brown. 

Serve with a salad or steamed vegetables. I had this with cauliflower/celeriac mash and steamed broccoli. The best thing about this dinner is that it's uses the simplest natural ingredients and still manages to taste incredible... there's a lesson in there for sure! 

Whole 30 challenge

One of the things that people never seem to believe is that I don't crave chocolate, or bread or pizza... I honestly don't. It turns out that when you fuel your body with real foods, and ensure you're not lacking in nutrients then your body doesn't want sugar or wheat any more.

If you're thinking of cleaning up your diet, I can't recommend Paleo/Primal enough. Take the Whole 30 challenge. Be strict.. challenge yourself to eat only real food (fish, meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables and nuts) for 30 days and you'll be shocked at how healthy you feel. You should expect to see an improvement in your energy levels, mood and sleep patterns... you will most likely lose weight too! 

One of my favourite things about the Whole 30 challenge is that it's not like the 'miracle' diets out there. It doesn't promise you'll drop 20lb in 30 days, or that you'll lose 10% body fat in a week... what it will do is change your tastes, adjust your habits and cravings. 

An argument I come up against all the time is that Paleo/Primal lifestyles are too expensive. My response is always going to be the same...Food is how you fuel your body and maintain your health, how can you put a price on that? As a follow up (not being a judgemental cow here by the way)... how much did you spend on alcohol over the week? You're willing to spend €50 on drinks at the weekend which only serve to damage your health, so why not readjust your priorities and spend that cash on decent food? 

I can't deny it's more expensive to choose real food over processed food on special offer in the supermarket... I guess you've just got to make a choice.. 

Ideally we'd all eat grass fed meat, nitrite free bacon and organic vegetables... but we're all busy, we can't be perfect all the time.. and yes, all that organic food is expensive. Don't give up on eating clean just because you can't be perfect 100% of the time. You can buy meat and vegetables in the supermarket.. it doesn't even have to be Superquinn... ALDI/LIDL are fine. My point is, you don't have to go to a farmers market (let's be honest, they are more expensive).. you can eat good food on a budget. Regardless of where you're buying your meat and vegetables, it's always going to be 100 times better than the alternative frozen ready meal.....

Dairy free pesto

As much as I try not to over-think my nutrition (it's easy to obsess), I'm always mindful of little things that may be hindering my progress, or potentially damaging my health. Store bought condiments can contain all sorts of ingredients we wouldn't expect to find in them, and since I do my best to avoid sugar and artificial preservatives, I usually make my own... just to be sure... (this isn't obsessing alright??!!)

I've said before that I've nothing really against dairy, but I don't make a habit of including it in my diet simply because I feel better without it. I don't think pesto lacks flavour by omitting it, so I always go dairy free. I've raved about the benefits of spinach before, so won't bore you again!

I use walnuts instead of pine nuts since they have so many excellent health benefits. They're a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids, making them a brilliant anti inflammatory food. If you have any sort of autoimmune disorder like eczema, psoriasis, arthritis or multiple sclerosis, you should be including walnuts in your diet....even if you don't, include them anyway because they're great for heart, hair and skin health :)  

You could use a mortar and pestle for this, but honestly a food processor is the way to go here. 

• 100g baby leaf spinach
• 4 garlic cloves
• 75g walnuts
• 1 tsp almond butter
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• pinch of sea salt
• 75ml walnut oil 

Add all ingredients except walnut oil to food processor and blitz until well combined. 

Drizzle walnut oil in slowly with the processor still running. Don't add all the oil in one go, or it won't mix evenly and you'll be left with a green oily mess. Be patient and just add a little at a time. 

Once you have added all the oil, your pesto is ready to use. 

If you don't use a lot of pesto in cooking, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray and just pop out a cube whenever you need some fresh pesto. It will taste far superior to store bought pesto, and only takes 5 minutes to prepare. 

In general, it's not the little things like condiments that are wrecking our progress, but still it's good to know exactly what you're eating so I do like to make it myself. 

Out of curiosity, and pure nerdiness (that is totally a word!) I took a look at the ingredient list for Sacla Classic Basil Pesto which seems to be stocked in most supermarkets.  And we have...glucose, 'flavourings'... what sort of flavourings? Not sure I want to be eating unidentified 'flavourings' to be honest... oh and we have potato flakes...that's not one I'd have guessed was in there. My point is, we can go to all the effort of omitting dairy, wheat or sugar etc from our diets, but they can creep in where we least expect it. It's not the end of the world, and no it's not likely to kill you... but if you're concerned about where your food comes from, you might want to think again before buying condiments. 

Hake with vegetable noodles...

I'm a bit weird when it comes to fish... I don't like the bones, feel or smell of it! Strange that I happen to actually love eating it..

I had never tasted hake before this, and probably never would have if it weren't for the very friendly guy in the fishmongers who decided to give me a piece to try. I can't take credit for this recipe... it was his suggestion (except for the veggie noodles... blame me for those). You can also blame me for the unimaginative naming of the dish... thankfully I don't work in marketing!

For the hake:

• Hake fillet (or white fish of your choice)
• 3 tbsp organic coconut milk
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• sea salt
• dried chilli flakes
• cherry tomatoes

Place fish skin side down on a large piece of tin foil.
In a small bowl, mix coconut milk with garlic, ginger, chilli and lime.
Pour over fish, and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Place tomatoes alongside fish, and wrap tin foil loosely to lock in the steam and juices as it bakes.
Bake in preheated oven (170d) until fish is just opaque. (15 minutes should be enough, depending on the thickness of fish)

Vegetable noodles:

You can choose whatever vegetables you fancy for this, but I used parsnip, carrot, aubergine and courgette.

Using a wide vegetable peeler if you don't have a slicing attachment for your food processor, slice each vegetable into long noodle-like strips.

Add 1/2 tsp of coconut oil, a pinch of salt, and some more chilli flakes to a wok.
Add your veggie noodles, and cook over a high heat until cooked but still holding their shape. This will only take 3/4 minutes.

Serve your fish on a bed of vegetable noodles, and drizzle some of the baking juices & coconut milk over the top. This dish only takes about 30 minutes and is really inexpensive, so yet again... no excuses :)