Green smoothie delight

Smoothies are the best. You can basically take the fruits and veggies that you like, stick them all in the blender and blitz away!

My favourite to have in the morning is this one. It's quick, easy and delish! And it keeps you full for a long time. My three basic ingredients are always spinach, a banana and almond milk. From that, you can add anything you like to make it even more nutritious. Today, I'll give you the recipe for a fun one :-)

Talking about nutrition, smoothies are much better than juices as you also get the fiber. Fiber lowers your cholesterol levels, helps control your blood sugar levels and helps maintain bowel health and movement. So shall we start?

INGREDIENTS (for about 2 Mason jars)

A big handful spinach
A small handful of lamb's lettuce
One banana
One slice of pineapple
One pear
One handful of almonds
One kiwi
Half lime juice
1 large mug of almond milk (home-made is always better)
a couple ice cubes
Optional: a teaspoon Spirulina if you're feeling extra fancy

METHOD 

 C'MOOOOON!!!!! :-)
Just stick everything in the blender for 20 to 30 seconds. Serve in pint glasses or Mason jars and slurp away :) You can also top with my home-made chai-spiced granola

Green beans with a coconut, ginger, honey and lime sauce on a bed of Basmati rice

The weather is on the verge of being bipolar here. One day it's absolutely roasting with blue skies and the next, it's like the skies open up and it's cold and grey and dull. Autumn is here I suppose and it is the season when we need comfort food again. (As well as watch films and new TV shows.) But comfort does not have to mean heavy or difficult to digest. There's nothing worse than the post-dinner slump. It can be light and delicious and still fills you up nicely.
This dish is a favourite in my household. It tastes absolutely delicious and it is so easy it is ridiculous.

INGREDIENTS:
For 2 people

One big scallion, finely chopped
A 2 cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
The juice of a lime
200 ml coconut milk
200 g green beans
2 Tablespoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 heaped teaspoon honey
Fresh coriander
200 g Basmati rice
Organic Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (I ALWAYS use pink Himalayan salt)


METHOD:
Steam the green beans. I usually stick the steam basket on top of the rice in my rice cooker, it makes the Basmati rice really fluffy too.

In a wok, put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a medium heat with the scallion, fresh ginger, turmeric, ginger powder. After a couple of minutes, deglaze with the lime juice. Stir constantly. Add the coconut milk and honey and keep stirring. Cook for about 5 minutes on low heat. Season to taste.

Serve the rice topped with the sauce and the beans. Top with fresh coriander and lime wedges.

Super easy houmous

There's no two ways about it. Houmous is good. It's good to taste and it's good for you. The chickpea (or Garbanzo bean) is a legume of the family FABACEAE (hence the name of the chickpea water Aquafaba). Chickpeas are naturally high in fiber and protein and are great for digestive health since they regulate blood sugar levels.
There are all sorts of houmous in the UK... not so much in France... And there's usually dairy in it for some reason.

It is originally from the Middle East and in fact, the word hummus means chickpea in Arabic. 

Houmous makes a great sandwich base but can also be eaten with a salad, spread on nice bread or used as a dip with raw vegetables or tortilla crisps.

INGREDIENTS:

200 g cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
2 tablespoons aquafaba
1/2 lemon juice
2 tablespoons lime
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
2 heaped tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
Himalayan pink salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Put all ingredients in a food processor and mix! :)
Pulse a few times to get a really smooth paste.
Optional but recommended: Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some paprika on top.
Transfer to a glass jar and store in the fridge up to 5 days.