Mint Chocolate Fudge Cake...

If you're having friends or family around for dinner this weekend, make this cake. Don't tell them it's refined sugar and grain free. Just tell them you've made Mint Chocolate Fudge Cake.... watch them hoover it up! All elegance and table manners goes out the window when you get near a cake that tastes this good....

I try to keep my recipes as simple & as quick to make as possible. This cake is really easy... it will take a little more of your time since you've to wait for it to cool before icing, but it's worth it. 

For the cake: 

• 300g butter (ok it's a lot, but it's a big cake... and I'm not saying eat it every day!)
• 8 tbsp Irish honey
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp peppermint extract
• 100g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 8 eggs
• 125g ground almonds 
• 2 tsp Gluten free baking powder
• 4 mint leaves, finely chopped

Line two 8" round cake tins with baking parchment. 

Preheat oven to 160d (fan). 

Start by melting the butter, honey, vanilla, peppermint & cocoa together in a heatproof bowl.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.

Finally, fold in the ground almonds, baking powder and mint leaves.

Divide equally between the lined cake tins. 

Bake for 25 minutes at which point the cakes should be firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean.

 Remove from the tins and set aside to cool on a wire rack. 

For the peppermint icing:

• 200g mascarpone 
• 100g coconut cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 tbsp Irish honey

Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl & beat well until smooth.

To assemble:

Sandwich the cake together with a generous layer of peppermint icing.

Cover the top and sides evenly with the remaining icing.

Next..... and only cos I just can't help myself..... Chocolate!

For the ganache: 

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt all the ingredients together in a heat proof bowl. 

Pour the chocolate over the top of the cake...don't worry if it flows down the sides!

Garnish with fresh berries & a sprig of mint. 

Turmeric Chicken Skewers

Sometimes it's really hard to think of ways to cook chicken so it's not just another boring meal. I try not to think of meals in terms of adult meals/children's meals.. ideally we would all be eating the same good quality foods, but I know it can be tough to get children to eat their veggies..

The eagle eyed amongst you will spot a cake cooling in the background...... It may be Lemon Drizzle Cake.... :) 

Why not put their food on sticks? Let them eat with their fingers... I love casual meals where you just pick up your food and enjoy. Using small chunks of colourful vegetables on skewers won't seem as scary to them and as a big pile of broccoli...

These skewers are great both hot and cold which makes them ideal for a family meal, or leftovers for a packed lunch.

A little bit of advance planning is recommended so you can marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is even better :)

For the marinade:

• 1 small green onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 kafir leaves, centre stalks removed
• 1 tbsp tomato purée 
• 1 tbsp coconut cream
• 1 tbsp water
• salt & pepper

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend well. 

Chop chicken into chunks and coat in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 30 minutes...

Soak skewers in water for 10 minutes (this stops the tips burning)

For the skewers: 

• 1 marinated chicken breast
• 5 mushrooms, halved
• 1/2 yellow & red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 180d (fan).

Add the chicken, mushrooms and pepper to soaked bamboo skewers. 

Drizzle with a little melted coconut oil.

Cook for approx 8 minutes, turn the skewers over and cook for a further 8 minutes. 

Serve with a side salad.

Chocolate Fondants

So yesterday was a bit hectic...my first article in the national press. Scary... exciting... I can't figure out which I felt more of to be honest! I was asked to write an article for the Irish Independent outlining a bit about my background, why I chose to eliminate grains & sugar from my diet and provide a recipe to highlight that eating real food doesn't necessary mean eating boring food.

I approached the article in the exact same way I approach GLBTK, directly, without a whole load of statistics or scientific facts. Honestly, science was never really my strong point so if that's what you're looking for... you're definitely on the wrong page. I make myself very accessible to people who engage on Facebook and Twitter. I like people. I like knowing that people are reading the blog and actually using the recipes to feed their family or friends.

If you have a question or a recipe request, all you have to do is ask and I'll always do my best to help you out. My point is... GLBTK is a community for anyone who wants to eat/cook really good food....

So... the article.. I needed a recipe! I wanted something that was a bit 'WOW'... that people would be surprised it was healthy, that is inexpensive and really quick and easy to make...

I made these chocolate fondants over the weekend, and believe me.... you need to try them!

For the fondants:

• 150g butter 
• 60g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 4 large eggs
• 60g ground almonds
• 1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder

Preheat oven to 160d (fan oven). 

Melt butter, cocoa powder and honey together in a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water.

Whisk in vanilla & peppermint extract. 

Add eggs, one at a time, whisking well between each addition.

Finally gently fold in ground almonds & baking powder until well combined. 

Pour mixture into 6 non-stick ramekins or pudding bowls (approx 2/3 full). 

Place moulds on a roasting tray. Pour 1/2 an inch of boiling water into the roasting tray to prevent burning and create steam.

Bake for 13 minutes until risen and firm. Cakes should have a slight wobble in the centre, which gives the fondants their delicious warm chocolate sauce.

Serve immediately with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt. (When you're turning them out of the moulds, run a knife quickly around the edge to loosen the fondant, and invert on a plate quickly... just go for it! If you do it slowly, or overly cautiously the puddings will break. That's ok too.... they'll still taste amazing!)

Cheese & Ham Pancakes....

Something a little bit different to the normal GLBTK sweet pancakes that I've been sharing over the past few Pancake Tuesdays... Some people prefer savoury pancakes, and if I'm honest, I wouldn't have included myself in that category until I made these..  but these are awesome!!

If you'd prefer to rustle up some savoury pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, why not give these a try..

I'm a big fan of cheese and frankly a dish that combines cheese, meat and pancakes is a winner for me!

For the pancakes

• 3 eggs 
• 3 tbsp buttermilk
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• salt & pepper 
• coconut oil

Whisk all the ingredients together until well combined and frothy.

Melt coconut oil in a pan over moderate heat. Pour large spoonfuls of pancake batter on the hot pan.

Flip when bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the pancake.

To serve:

• 35g Gruyère, grated
• 3 slices of cooked ham, chopped 

Fill each pancake with a generous amount of cheese and ham. You could replace Gruyère with cheddar or mozzarella ... any melting cheese will be fantastic.

Raspberry & Almond Crunch Cake

As much as I love chocolate cakes, it's always good to have a recipe for lighter cakes. I love this recipe for Raspberry and Almond Crunch Cake since it's really quick to make, and can be enjoyed straight from the oven.... no waiting around or having to make it look pretty with icing. 

For the crunchy topping: 

• 35g unsweetened dessicated coconut
• 25g ground almonds
• 15g flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp Keen almond butter
• 1 tsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil

Mix all the ingredients together until well combined and forming a crumbly topping. 

Set aside until needed.

For the cake:

• 6 eggs, separated
• 75g butter, melted
• 2 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 90g ground almonds
• 25g unsweetened dessicated coconut
• 2 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 60g raspberries, fresh or frozen is fine

Preheat oven to 160d (fan). 

Whisk egg yolks with melted butter, 1 tbsp of the honey, vanilla and lemon juice/zest until doubled in size and pale in colour. 

Fold in ground almonds, dessicated coconut and baking powder. 

In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until opaque and forming stiff peaks. Add 1 tbsp of honey and whisk until combined. 

Fold beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture gradually. Adding 1/3  of the whites at a time makes it a lot easier to fold into the mixture. 

Finally stir the raspberries into the mixture, and pour into 8 inch square cake tin.

Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the cake.

Bake for 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake. If you find after 15 mins that the cake is browning too quickly, lower the temperature to 150d (fan), and place a sheet of baking paper loosely over the cake to prevent burning. 

Once baked, you can serve warm, or allow to cool. I recommend warm, but it tastes great either way. 

Lamb Meatballs

I always thought I didn't like lamb, but recently my tastes have changed, and I'm trying lots of foods and flavours that I had always dismissed before..

It's fine to dislike a particular flavour or texture, but I've learned it's just silly to dismiss foods just because we think we don't like them. Experiment with different methods of cooking meat or vegetables before categorically ruling them out of your diet, since cooking method and cut of meat can change flavours drastically. I spent most of my life thinking I didn't like steak, now I have a lot of steak to eat to make up for those missed years..

Lamb is a pretty expensive meat, but if you shop around there is value to be found. 

This dish is packed with flavour, quick to put together and is brimming with natural, nutritious ingredients. This is another dish that would be perfect as leftovers, so why not make extra and store in the fridge for a healthy lunch the following day. 

For the meatballs:

• 1lb minced lamb
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 egg 
• fresh mint leaves, chopped
• juice of 1/4 lime
• sea salt

Preheat oven to 170d. 

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.

Roll into small meatballs, using about 1 tbsp of meat at a time. 

Place in a heatproof dish. Drizzle with melted coconut oil & place in preheated oven for 15 minutes. 

I served these meatballs with one of my favourite side dishes, cauliflower rice. I added peas, mint leaves, turmeric and lime wedges (removed after cooking)... it tasted pretty awesome! 

Beef Pad Thai.. but better!

Pad Thai is a friend's favourite meal ever, without exception... I cooked her this healthier version and for a someone who is a self confessed 'grain junkie', she didn't miss the noodles or the peanut butter. I know I keep saying this, but this really is the tastiest dinner I've had lately (til I cook dinner tonight I'm sure...)

For the sauce: 

• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Mix all the ingredients together & set aside. 

For the 'noodles':

• 1 carrot 
• 1/2 courgette

Using a wide vegetable peeler, scrape large noodle-like pieces of each vegetable. 

Place in a heat proof dish, drizzle with melted coconut oil, season with sea salt and place in preheated oven (170d fan) for 15 minutes. 

Next prep your meat: 

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 150g steak, sliced 
• 50g sliced mushrooms

Start by frying onion, garlic & ginger together in coconut oil over a high heat. 

Once softened & almost cooked, add steak pieces seasoned with salt & pepper along with sliced mushrooms.

Next add in sauce, and cooked vegetable 'noodles'. 

Toss until well coated.

Cook for a further 5 minutes until warmed through. 

This is another super quick meal, that is really simple to put together.... Let me know what you think on the GLBTK Facebook page :)