TOP TIPS FOR FLYING

It’s the holiday season!! Which means it’s that time of year when everyone flees to various places around the world to spend time with friends and family over the festive season. This Christmas, I’m trading roast dinners for BBQs on the beach, which I'm super excited about! 

Over the last couple of years I’ve been lucky enough to explore some wonderful places in the world. I absolutely love travelling (who doesn’t), however with every holiday usually comes a lengthy flight and it always makes me a little anxious about what I’m going to eat on the plane. 

                                                                                                                                              
Plane food is far from delicious or nutritious. It really upsets my tummy and makes me feel pretty grim so I try to avoid it at all costs.

Over these years I’ve adopted a few tips to help make the long journey’s a little less stressful and a little more nourishing so I don’t start my holiday with tummy cramps!

Bring your own food.

My hand luggage is always packed to the brim with food! Before I head off on my travels I always stop by a health food store and stock up on a selection of healthy snacks and treats to nibble on or if I have time, I’ll bake some goodies for the road. Nuts, fruit, energy balls and banana bread are my go to travelling snacks! You can bring most types of food on flights, just ensure it’s solid and not in liquid form. Things like soup, smoothies / juices and yogurts might not make it through security. I’ll also make myself a couple of packed lunch boxes with veggies or salad and some protein.

Eat a big meal before your flight.

There’s nothing worse than being really hungry and smelling / seeing food being served all around you but not being able to eat it! I find if I have a big meal before my flight and have a selection of snacks in my bag, I’m less likely to want to eat plane food when it’s being served.

Only eat when you’re hungry:

Plane food can be served at weird times of the day (like being served breakfast at 2am). If I’m on a long haul flight, I try to stick to normal eating times and only eat when I'm hungry. It’s not always easy, which is why bringing your own foods gives you a little more flexibility on when to eat your meals (just try not to eat all of your snacks in one go)!                                                                       

Stay hydrated: 

Sometimes when we’re dehydrated the sensation of thirst can mislead the body into thinking it needs food rather than water. Staying hydrated will ultimately stop this from happening and thus avoid unnecessary craving, munching or overeating. Once you’ve gone through security, buy a big bottle of water and kindly ask the flight attendants to refill your bottle throughout your flight. I also find drinking lots of water on the plane stops the air con from drying out my skin. 

Get some movement in: 

I’m not very good at sitting down for long periods of time, especially after I’ve just eaten. I always get very fidgeting when sitting on a plane for more than a few hours, so I like to have a little wonder up and down the plane aisles to stretch my legs. Moving around after you’ve had a big meal on the plane will also aid digestion. 

Do you guys have any good tips for travelling? If so I’d love to hear them!!

Big love xxx

SPEEDY RAW HAZELNUT BROWNIES

I absolutely love Christmas!!! It's my favourite time of the year. I love all the glitzy festive parties, cosy nights in by the fire with loved ones and most importantly – all the delicious food. Although my Christmas will be a little different this year as I will be spending it in the sun (hellooo BBQ on the beach) I’m still thoroughly enjoying the big build up to it in London!

These are the perfect festive treats to bring along to a Christmas party, I can't recommend them enough. I made these raw chocolate and hazelnut brownies for my annual girls Christmas gathering and the girls absolutely loved them! They’re completely free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar and the best thing about them is that they took me less than 10 minutes to make!

Ingredients:

2 cups of medjool dates

100g hazelnuts

¼ cup of cacao nibs - optional

3 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp coconut oil

70g raw Ombar coco and almond chocolate bar

Pinch of salt

Method:

Add 50g of hazelnuts into a food processor and pulse into chunks.

Add the dates into the food processor, along with the cacao powder, coconut oil, and salt. Blitz until combined.

Transfer the brownie mix into a brownie tin (or plastic tub) and sprinkle the cacao nibs in. Compact the mix in the tin using the back of a spoon.

Add the rest of the hazelnuts to into the food processor and pulse into small chunks, then place to one side.

On a very low heat, melt the Ombar chocolate. Once melted, lather over the top of the brownie base.

Sprinkle the remaining hazelnuts over the top and freeze for a minimum of 5 minutes.

Once removed from the freezer, slice up and enjoy!

GIANT GF PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOC CHIP COOKIES

Who doesn’t love classic chocolate chip cookies at Christmas?!?!

Christmas is my favourite time of year! I absolutely LOVE getting creative in the kitchen during the festive period and baking lots of yummy festive treats. These are such an easy treat to bake for friends and family to enjoy and they’re completely free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar!


I’ve used a heavenly bar of raw Ombar chocolate for my chocolate chips. It’s one of my favourite raw chocolate brands (however any chocolate will work).


I hope you enjoy these as much as me! J


Ingredients:

2 ½ cups of gf rolled oats

½ cup of peanut butter

¼ cup of maple syrup

1 tbsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp baking powder

2 organic eggs – replace for flax seed egg to make vegan*

35g of raw Ombar coco and almond chocolate

Handful of almonds


1 flax egg =  1 tbsp. ground flax seeds and 6 tbsp. water

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 190 degrees.

Add the oats into a large bowl. Then add the peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla essence and baking powder. mix well.

Crack both eggs into a mug and whisk together with a folk, then stir them into the bowl.

Roughly chop the almonds and chocolate into chunks and add them into them bowl. Stir well until everything is combined.

On a lined baking tray, using an ice-cream scoop or your hands, roll the mix into little balls and shape them into cookies.

Oven for 10 – 15 minutes. Keep checking to ensure they don’t burn.

Allow to cool and enjoy!!

GF "CREAMY" VEGGIE MUSHROOM PASTA - LESS THAN 10 MINS

Sometimes all you need a big bowl of comforting carbs! This is a super speedy dish that can be rustled up in less than 10 minutes, so it's ideal for all those who have little meal prep time.

Eating nourishing food doesn't mean you have to spend hours in the kitchen. Being in the corporate world myself, I know only too well how time is precious when you get back from a long day in the office - so simple, speedy, nutritious and delicious is what I aim for in my dishes! 

Carbs often get a bad rep as people associate them to weight gain, bloating, tiredness etc, however the trick is selecting the right carbs in your diet! I avoid most white / refined carbs i.e. white rice, white bread, white pasta and white sugar. Instead I use brown rice, rye bread, brown rice pasta and coconut sugar. Making this switch provides me with way more energy, stops me from binging and doesn't send my tummy into horrendous cramps!

Adding a little natural greek yogurt to this dish also creates a delicious creamy sauce. To make this dish vegan friendly, switch Greek yogurt for coconut yogurt!

Ingredients:

1 cup GF pasta - I use brown rice pasta
1 white onion - sliced
1/2 courgette - sliced  
1/2 cup mushrooms - sliced
1/4 peas
1/2 chilli 
4 spring onions 
1 knob fresh ginger - chopped
3 tbsp natural Greek yogurt / coconut yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon 
Pinch of salt and pepper

Method:

Add the GF pasta into boiling water and simmer for approx. 8 minutes.

Whilst the pasta is cooking, add the white onion and courgette into a pan and sauté until browned - approx 5 minutes. Then add in the mushrooms, peas, spring onion, chilli, ginger, lemon juice and salt & pepper. Sauté for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the Greek yogurt an simmer for a minute or two.

Drain the pasta and add into the pan with the veggies, mix well.

Serve up and sprinkle a few raw spring onions, chilli and salt & pepper on top!

Enjoy!!

MISO AND GINGER SOUP

Winter feels have well and truly kicked in and sniffle season is in full swing! After falling victim to the flu last weekend, I’ve been craving plenty of warming, soothing soups to help build my energy levels up and get my immune system get back on track.

This one really does warm you through and through and offers a number of nutritional benefits to beat that winter bug!

Miso is made from fermented soybeans. Eating plenty of fermented food is a great way to replenish your body with lots of beneficial bacteria which assists with fighting off unwanted invaders and infections. Using ginger is also a great way to strengthen the immune system - it's my staple ingredient throughout the winter season!

Do any of you guys have any immune boosting tips? :)

Ingredients: Serves 2

1 pak choi

1 white onion

4 spring onions

½ cup chopped asparagus

½ chilli

1 tbsp olive oil

2 organic eggs

3 tbsp brown rice miso paste

650ml boiling water

Knob of fresh ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of brown rice

Method:

Start by cooking the brown rice in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes before you start prepping the soup.

After 10 minutes, add the white onion into a separate pan with a little olive oil and gently sauté for a couple of minutes.

In a cup, add the miso paste with half a cup of boiling water and stir until the paste becomes runny, then add into the pan with the onion.

Finely slice the ginger, chilli and spring onions and add into the pan.

Then add in the rest of the boiling water in the pan along with the pak choi, mushrooms, spring onions and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Simmer for approx 8-10 minutes, until the veggies have softened.

To boil the eggs, add them into a pan of boiling water and cook for 5-6 minutes. Once cooked, remove with a spoon and instantly add to a bowl of cold water. This will cool the eggs so you can peel off the shell quickly and easily.

Once the rice is cooked, drain and add into a bowl. Add the soup and egg on top and enjoy!



5 MINUTE RAW JAPANESE SLAW

This is such a simple, yet delicious side dish. It involves zero cooking and provides plenty of nutrients. 

I threw this together in literally 5 minutes and it's definitely become a favourite. I'm all about quick dishes and this one is perfect if you're on a tight schedule. 

I like to make a big batch and store in the fridge throughout the week, so after a long day at work I can just cook up some protein and have a quick, nutritious dinner! 

Ingredients:

1/2 white cabbage 
1 carrot
1 green apple
4 tbsp pomegranate
4 spring onion stalks 
1/4 cup of walnuts 

Dressing:

2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp pure maple syrup 

Method:

Cut the cabbage finely into long strips and grate the carrot lengthways. Add into a large bowl.

Slice the apple and chop the spring onion, then mix in with the cabbage and carrot.

Sprinkle the pomegranate and walnuts on top.

To make the dressing, add all of the dressing ingredients into a cup and whisk together with a folk. Then drizzle over the slaw - super simple! :)

VEGAN JAPANESE STIRFRY

People often ask me how I have time to prepare healthy meals every night after a long, busy day at work but to be honest as much as I love cooking, I don't actually like spending loads of time in the kitchen. 

Food is something that needs to work around you and fit into your lifestyle. I love good, wholesome food but personally I don't enjoy spending hours and hours in the kitchen on one meal. Most the dishes I create, whether sweet or savoury, involve minimal time and effort. It's all about minimalist meals with great flavours for me. 

This is a perfect dish if you're looking to whip something up quickly. It's my go to dish when I've had a long day at work and just need something speedy and satisfying! It takes me less than 10 minutes to rustle up, involves no fuss yet provides me with plenty of goodness! 

I hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

¼ white cabbage

4 spring onions

1 white onion

1/2 courgette

4 mushrooms

50g tofu

2 tbsp sesame oil

Knob of ginger

Handful chopped walnuts and almonds

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Chop the walnuts and almonds roughly and lightly roast in a pan for a couple of minutes, then set to one side.

Finely slice the onions, cabbage, courgette, mushrooms and ginger and chop the tofu into chunks.

Add 1 tbsp. sesame oil into a pan and add in the tofu. Lightly sauté for a couple of minutes, until browned and crisp.

Add in the white onion, cabbage and courgette and sauté for a further 5 minutes.

Lastly, add in the mushrooms, ginger, spring onions, 1 tbsp. sesame oil, salt and pepper. Sauté for another 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and plate up. Sprinkle the roasted walnuts and almonds on top, with a pinch of salt & pepper and enjoy!

PINK BARBIE BALI SMOOTHIE BOWL

I recently just got back from an incredible holiday in Bali. It was full of places offering delicious, healthy food and zen vibes so I definitely felt in my element out there.  

Every morning consisted of beautifully decorated and delicious smoothie bowls, refreshing juices and amazing coffee! Followed by more smoothies for lunch and a hearty grain bowl for dinner (not forgetting some form of raw cake for pud!). Whilst out there, I became obsessed with pink dragon fruit bowls. Not only are they so pretty and healthy but most importantly, tasted delicious.

There was one restaurant my sister and I fell in love with when visiting Gili Air, called Pachamama. We ate there every morning and evening because everything on the menu was just so delicious (more to come on other Bali restaurants in a Bali blog post). 

We tried one smoothie out there which was honestly the most delicious thing I've put in my mouth. It was called 'Nutty Dragon' and the flavours were insane. We ordered one everyday and both said we wanted to try and recreate it when we got back to the UK. To do this, I actually bought a couple of pink dragon fruits out there and brought them home with me in my suitcase. I then chopped them up and froze them.

If you can't find a pink dragon fruit in the UK / online, you can purchase 'pitaya' powder. Pitaya is essentially pink dragon fruit made into a powder and is still full of all the same health benefits. It also creates a beautiful pink barbie bowl, just like this one.

Ingredients:

1/2 pink dragon fruit or 2 tbsp. pitaya powder
2 medjool dates
1  banana
1 heaped tbsp. of peanut butter
100ml almond milk
pinch of salt

Topping:

Granola - for my homemade granola recipe click here.

Method:

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Transfer into a bowl or glass and sprinkle granola and / or fruit on top.

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

These little treats came about after craving something really chocolately on a Sunday afternoon. I didn’t have the typical brownie ingredients at home, so I tried to get a little inventive. I literally threw whatever I had in the cupboard that could potentially resemble a brownie, into a bowl and hoped for the best! To my surprise, they turned out really well, so I'm sharing them with you all!

I've used extra virgin olive oil in this recipe because in all honestly, it's all I had at the time! It probably wouldn't have been my first choice on ingredient when baking brownies as I find it has a really strong taste which can be difficult to mask. However, it turned out really well and once all of the ingredients have been mixed together and baked, you can't taste it at all. It also helps keeps them moist and not forgetting, it is full of wonderful health benefits.

Here just a few benefits of incorporating Extra Virgin Olive Oil into your diet;

1. It helps strengthen your immune system

Ex v olive oil is loaded with antioxidants, which is essential for protecting and strengthening your immune system. Adding olive oil into your diet can help fight off unwanted viral infections and keep a healthy functioning immune system.

2. It can promote weight loss and maintenance

It's well known by now that a balanced amount of good fats included in your diet does not make you fat. In fact, introducing healthy fats into your diet gives you a greater chance of promoting and maintaining weight loss, than those leading a low fat diet. Good fats (such as nuts, seeds and olive oil) help reduce hunger, cravings and overeating.

3. It can help relieve depression and control mental illness

The healthy fats in olive oil has anti-inflammatory effects that help to balance hormones. Balanced hormones can ultimately reduce moods and cognitive disorders such as depression.

4. Contributes to healthy skin

Olive oil helps to hydrate skin, balance hormones and fight infections as well as repairing skin damage. Adding a little bit to your diet each day will help your skin glow all day long!

Ingredients:

2 large organic eggs
½ cup of ex v olive oil
½ cup of brown rice flour
¼ cup of almond meal / flour (ground almonds)
¼ cup of cacao / coco powder
¼ pure maple syrup – add more or less depending on taste
1/2 cup of walnuts - chopped
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips - optional
1 tbsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. 

Crack and beat the eggs in a mug with a folk and add them into a large bowl.

Add in the maple syrup, olive oil, baking powder, cacao powder and salt and mix well.

Fold in the brown rice flour and almond flour and mix well, until a running chocolate batter forms. Then sprinkle in the walnuts and chocolate chips (if using them).

Pour the batter into a small baking tray and bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing, to help them set.

HOMEMADE GLUTEN FREE GRANOLA

I'm back from my travels and back to baking in the kitchen! The first thing I wanted to whip up was a big batch of crunchy granola. It's my go to breakfast, not only because it's super delicious but it's also easy to pop in pot and take to work with me. 

I love it sprinkled over some coconut or greek yogurt in the morning, or mixed in a bowl with almond milk.


There are so many different types of granola's out on the market these days but I find lots of them are loaded with sugar and preservatives and the ones that do contain healthier ingredients are always so expensive! 

I prefer making my own as it's so easy, a lot cheaper and I know exactly what goes into it. Once you've bought the initial ingredients below, you can make multiple batches that last for ages! 

Feel free to get creative with the ingredients, adding in different types of nuts and fruit will also work! 

Ingredients:

2 cups of gf jumbo oats
1/4 cup of almonds
1/4 cup of cashews 
1/4 cup of pumpkin and sunflower seeds (mixed)
1/4 cup of raisins 
1 tbsp cinnamon 
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp ex v olive oil
3 tbsp honey or maple syrup - add more or less depending on taste
Pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Add all of the ingredients, apart from the raisins, into a large bowl and mix well.

Spread the granola out on a lined baking tray or in an oven proof dish and bake for 25 minutes. Keep checking to ensure it doesn't burn and stir a couple of times.

Allow to cool and transfer into a jar or airtight container.