Raspberry Frozen Yoghurt...

It's summer!! Yeah I know it doesn't look like it... but at least it's not raining! Irish people LOVE ice cream. Rain, hail or shine, most of us will be tempted to indulge..

Recently, I've noticed more and more varieties of frozen yoghurt on the market. Often it's marketed as the 'healthier, fat-free' alternative to ice cream....Alarm bells should be ringing in your head! If you take anything from GLBTK please let it be that fat does NOT make you fat (do avoid trans fats though!)!! Stop choosing the fat free, low fat or calorie free options.... Actually, on that last one.... zero calories foods do not exist, even celery has calories! I dread to think what's actually in these calorie free salad dressings or drinks, you can be sure it's not good for you..

As usual, I digress...My point (I swear I have one) is that you really need to be careful about the choices you make. Whilst commercially produced frozen yoghurt may seem like the healthy option, often it contains far more sugar than traditional ice cream...

So.... my instant Raspberry Frozen Yoghurt...It's YUMMY, low in sugar & has lots of protein & fat from the Greek yoghurt... Not a bad summer time treat!

Serves 4 

500g Greek yoghurt
250g frozen raspberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Irish honey

Simply place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. (I like leaving chunks of raspberries for texture).

Scoop into bowls immediately & serve with fresh raspberries and warm grilled peaches. (You could use frozen peaches to make a peach frozen yoghurt too... it's delicious!)

You can freeze it, but be aware it will get really solid so take out of the freezer in advance so you can scoop it easily.

A Week of GLTBK Dinners...

I'm always being asked to post sample 7 day meal plans, and although I've considered it, it's not something I'm going to do.

When it comes to nutrition, it took me quite a while to realise that one size doesn't fit all.... There are SO many factors to consider when it comes to your nutrition, ranging from your goals (weight loss, maintaining or bulking) to your activity levels to your current eating habits and your daily schedule. That makes it sound really complicated, but in truth... it's not difficult.

The ONLY piece of information you need is this... Just eat real food.

I'm not a nutritionist, I'm not going to prescribe food plans for you to follow... I'm simply sharing ideas and recipes which will hopefully show you that eating healthy, good quality food doesn't have to be boring or time consuming... I think it's safe to say that if you use some of my recipes & some common sense, you'll get on pretty well regardless of what your goals are...

Sinead over on Bumbles of Rice writes all about food and her adventures with her 3 young children. You don't need to have kids to enjoy her blog. Sinead asked me to get involved with her regular post 'A Week in Dinners' and share 7 days of what I've eaten for dinner... It's a brilliant idea, with lots of bloggers posting what they've eaten during the week.... plenty of inspiration for dinners to suit your taste and budget..

So... my 7 days looked like this...

Day 1
Turkey egg burgers with sweet potato & steamed asparagus.

Form burgers as normal, and using a small glass form a hole in the centre. Bake until almost cooked through, crack an egg in the centre of each burger & return to the oven until fully cooked...

Day 2
Steak with rocket and mozzarella salad & balsamic vinegar.

Day 3
Beef burgers with baked sweet potatoes stuffed with goats cheese, tomato & spinach sauce.

Combine soft goats cheese, tinned chopped tomatoes, diced spinach & sea salt together in a saucepan and stir until warmed through & the cheese is fully softened. Spoon over the top of a crispy jacket sweet potato.

Day 4
Cheesy Bacon Fries... AH-MAY-ZING... :)

Make the same goats cheese and tomato sauce as per Day 3 & add 200g grilled crispy bacon. Pour over sweet potato fries and top with grated cheese of choice (I used Gruyère)...

Day 5
Parmesan Chicken  I LOVE this chicken as it's so quick to prepare. I always make extra for lunch time salads or for snacks.

Day 6

Chicken Skewers ... these really speak for themselves. They're quick and easy to make & leftovers are brilliant for grabbing on the go..

Day 7

Hot Sauce Beef Burgers with Creamed Spinach & Sweet Potato Fries..

For the burgers, simply combine minced beef, seasoning, tomato paste and Frank's Hot Sauce & shape into burgers. 

For the creamed spinach: wilt 150g spinach with sea salt, black pepper & chilli flakes in a dry wok. Stir in 1 tbsp of ricotta cheese (any soft cheese will work here... soft goat's cheese, cottage cheese etc). Once warmed through, serve immediately with burgers and sweet potato fries. 

So that's my 7 days of dinners... Hopefully it's given you some inspiration and will help keep your meals a little more varied...

Check out what all the other bloggers ate this week here ....

Steamed Nutella Pudding...

We all know that anybody who made my Nutella last week has long since eaten it with a spoon, and licked the bowl clean. If you've managed some self control, I really really applaud you because it's so good!

I know you're not a dog, but I'm still going to reward you with food... in the form of this AMAZING Steamed Nutella Pudding. It's one of the easiest recipes on GLBTK but looks & tastes like it took far more effort...

If you haven't time to make the Nutella but still like the idea of this dessert, simply replace the Nutella with a square of dark chocolate (81% cocoa solids at least), a tsp of peanut butter (or almond butter if you avoid peanuts) or even a couple of fresh raspberries / homemade fruit purée would be amazing....  

I'm distracted now cos I'm thinking about how amazing a banana flavoured cake would be with a peanut butter centre.... I don't eat peanuts, but I'm sure I'll find a willing taste tester if I give that a go??! 

For the puddings: 

• 150g butter, melted
• 3 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, separated 
• 175g ground almonds
• 2 tsp GF baking powder
• Nutella 

Preheat oven to 170d (fan oven).

Mix melted butter, honey and vanilla together. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. (Make sure the butter mixture is well cooled first or the yolks will begin to cook!)

Stir in the ground almonds and baking powder.

Next, whisk the egg whites until they form firm peaks.

Fold into the almond mixture until well combined.

Spoon batter into the base of 6 individual pudding moulds or ramekins. Top with 1 tsp of Nutella.

Top with the remaining batter.

Place moulds on a shallow baking tray with approx 1" of boiling water in the base. Bake for 12-15 minutes until firm, golden and well risen.

Once baked, turn out of the moulds & serve warm with Greek yoghurt..

Orange Chocolate Cake..

So this is basically a Terry's Chocolate Orange bar in cake form! I'm not going to name names....but there was plate licking from one of my official taste testers so it must be good!!

The photos speak for themselves...give it a go & let me know how you get on :)

For the cake:

• 150g butter, melted
• 3 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of 1 large orange
• juice of 1/2 orange
• 3 large eggs, separated 
• 160g ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking powder 
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder & 1 tbsp of reserved orange juice

Line a 7 inch springform cake tin with baking parchment. Preheat oven to 160d (fan).

Start by mixing the melted butter, honey, vanilla, zest & juice together.

Add the yolks & beat well. (Make sure the butter mixture is cooled or the yolks will begin to cook when you add them).

Stir in the ground almonds & baking powder. Mix until just combined.

Next whisk the egg whites in a clean, grease free bowl (sounds obvious that the bowl should be clean right?? well it needs to be sparkling or the egg whites won't form smooth peaks)..

Fold the egg whites into the cake mixture gently. Do this in 3 stages to make it easier to fully incorporate into the mixture.

Finally, divide the mixture between two bowls. Add 3 tbsp of cocoa & 1 tbsp orange juice to one half of the mixture and stir until just combined.

Place heaped spoonfuls of the cake mixture into the prepared tin, alternating between each flavour. When you have used up all the mixture, using a skewer or sharp knife swirl the mixture gently to create a marble effect. Don't overdo it, or you'll over-mix the flavours and there'll be a less defined effect.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes until well risen and firm. I keep saying this, but it's really important to keep an eye on your cake. Oven temperatures really do vary so cooking times will also vary.

Once baked, remove from the tin & allow to cool on a wire rack.

This cake really doesn't need icing or decoration. The addition of the orange zest & juice make it wonderfully moist so it's perfect as it is. You could of course drizzle some melted dark chocolate over the top though!

Nutella Cupcakes...

You're going to notice over the next little while that I kind of LOVED the homemade healthier version of Nutella .... Being honest, I needed to come up with some recipes to use it up or else I'd definitely eat it all myself with a spoon!

These Nutella Cupcakes are gorgeous!! They're rich and chocolatey, with just the right amount of sweetness in the icing. They're the perfect treat to really spoil yourself, or if you're looking for a recipe to show a friend that treats don't need to be loaded with unpronounceable ingredients, this is it!!! Spongy chocolate cupcakes with a creamy Nutella centre, topped with sweet chocolate icing and a crunchy hazelnut... Now seriously, who wouldn't want to eat that? 

For the cupcakes:

• 150g butter
• 2 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 160g ground almonds 
• 1 tsp GF baking powder
• 30g unsweetened cocoa powder 
• homemade Nutella 

Preheat oven to 160d. 

Mix the melted butter, honey and vanilla together until well combined. Add the egg yolks and beat well. 

Stir in the ground almonds, baking powder and cocoa. 

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. 

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture gently. 

Place 1 tbsp of the cupcake mixture into the base of 12 cupcake cases. 

Spoon 1 tsp of the Nutella into the centre of each cupcake and top with the remaining cupcake mixture to cover the Nutella fully. 

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes until risen and firm.

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

For the icing: 

• 200g cooked sweet potato 
• 60g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 15g coconut oil 
• coconut milk/full fat cows milk

Peel, chop & boil the sweet potato until softened. 

Add the warm sweet potato, cocoa, vanilla and coconut oil to a food processor and pulse until smooth. 

You may need to add some coconut milk/cows milk to thin out the icing if you find it's too thick. 

Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes and top with a hazelnut. I drizzled the cupcakes with a little melted dark chocolate to make them extra delish :) 

Homemade Nutella..

I'm always asking for recipe ideas for food you would like to see appear on GLBTK... I don't do this because I can't think of anything I want to make, cos seriously....I want to make everything!! 

My main problem is I don't have enough spare time or people to eat the food I want to make! I always welcome suggestions and will always try to oblige, after all...the whole point of GLBTK is to provide a resource for anyone who needs a little foodie inspiration to help stay on track with their nutrition plans.. 

Always feel free to leave a comment or message me on the Facebook page, and I'll try to sort you out with something delicious! 

I was asked about making a clean version of Nutella, cos lets face it... it's delicious but it's basically just sugar. I've heard a few people mention that they've tried a new clean version of the hazelnut spread that even has added protein... Firstly, I've heard mixed reviews on taste & consistency & secondly, my main gripe with these type of products is the addition of protein powder. Adding protein powder to a treat like this does NOT make it an ideal source of protein... if you want to boost your protein intake, eat more protein rich whole foods. Let's be honest about it, nobody is eating Nutella or healthier varieties to increase their protein consumption... next we'll be sprinkling whey protein over Cornflakes and it'll be the perfect way to begin your day.. 

Like I'm always saying, get your protein, good fats and unrefined carbs in BEFORE you start considering treats like this... if you're eating well for the most part, you won't really crave treats anyway... 

So... the Nutella!! It's awesome! It actually tastes like hazelnuts and chocolate rather than chocolate flavoured sugar... My main advice for when you're making this? 

Follow the steps... don't throw everything into the food processor at once in a bid to save time, I've a funny feeling the ingredients won't blend evenly and you'll end up with a strange texture....

• 150g hazelnuts
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 40g dark chocolate, melted (I used 81% cocoa solids)
• 20g coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100-150ml milk of choice (you can use coconut milk or normal cows milk depending on preference)

Start by toasting the hazelnuts. To do this, place in oven preheated to 170d and roast for 7/8 minutes. Toss a couple of times to prevent burning (if you burn nuts, they'll taste bitter). 

Wrap hot nuts in a dry, clean tea towel and rub to remove the skins. The skins will crack off easily in most cases, but don't worry if it doesn't all come off...

Place the cooled, skinned nuts in a food processor and pulse until you have a fine powder. 

At this stage, add cocoa powder along with melted chocolate, coconut oil & vanilla. 

Pulse well until you're left with a thick, grainy mixture. 

Next you need to add the milk gradually and pulse well between each addition. This is a process so stick with it... it'll take a few minutes and will undoubtedly look like this before it looks like actual smooth Nutella...

 How much milk you add is really going to depend on your preferences... You're obviously looking for a smooth, spreadable texture & consistency that resembles the original. 

Once you have the desired consistency, you could add a tiny bit of honey if you'd prefer it to be sweeter, but with the addition of the melted chocolate, everyone who tasted this loved it.

I'm thinking we need some GLBTK Nutella based recipes soon!!