Twinings - Baked Camomile and Sweet Fennel Seabass

For one of those days when you don't want carbs - this will fill you up! Take a look at my second January recipe for Twinings: http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2016/january/baked-marinated-camomile-and-sweet-fennel-seabass

Twinings - Steamed Green Tea and Avocado Smoothie

Doing dry January? Try my Steamed Green Tea and Avocado Smoothie recipe on the Twinings Blog:

http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2016/january/steamed-green-tea-and-avocado-smoothie

Prune and Almond Tart with Raspberry Jam

I have made this super simple recipe a few times now, and it always seems to blow people away. Unfortunately I can't take credit for it, as it was in one of my mum's old cookbooks. Hope you like it!

Ingredients (serves 8)

for the frangipane -

225g unsalted butter

225g caster sugar

175g ground almonds

50g plain flour

4 eggs

4tbsp brandy

for the tart - 

200g shortcrust pastry

2 tbsp raspberry jam

225g soft pitted prunes

10g flaked almonds

frangipane mix (above)

1. Firstly, pre heat the oven to 180°c. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer to make the frangipane, until almost white. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and ground almonds. Add one egg to the butter and sugar, one at a time, with a tbsp of ground almond and flour mix. Once all the eggs have been added, drizzle in the brandy and continue to add the rest of the ground almond and flour mix.

2. Grease a 9-10" flan dish with a little butter, roll out the pastry and fill the dish. Spread the raspberry jam over the bottom and then pour in the frangipane mix. Finish by sitting the prunes on the top.

3. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Half way through cooking, sprinkle the frangipane with almond flakes and return it to the oven.

Allow to cool before serving. Try it with yoghurt, cream or ice cream.

Any leftover pastry or frangipane (depending on the size of your dish) can be used to make a smaller frangipane.

Twinings Tea Recipes

I am excited to announce that I will be creating and executing some more recipes for Twinings over the winter months, using a number of their new teas. Visit www.twinings.co.uk/blog in the next few weeks to find some of my recipes. I have included some images and links below of my summer Twinings recipes.

Gluten, Dairy and Sugar Free Apple & Rosehip Raw Cheesecake

http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2015/june/gluten,-dairy-and-sugar-free-cheesecake

Dairy, Sugar Free Apple & Pear Fruits Summer Pudding

http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2015/june/dairy,-sugar-free-summer-pear-berry-fruits-pudding

Dairy Free Fudge Melts Green Tea Carrot and Raisin Cake

http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2015/june/dairy-free-fudge-melts-green-tea-carrot-and-raisin

Dairy and Gluten Free Blueberry and Courgette Muffins with Earl Grey Green Tea

http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2015/june/dg-free-blueberry-and-courgette-muffins

Intensely Lime & Ginger Prawn Asian Noodle Broth

http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2015/june/prawn-noodle-asian-broth-with-lime-ginger-tea

Inspired by Zoe McNulty - Summer Salad with Lemon Zest Chicken and Blueberries

http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog/2015/july/summer-salad-with-lemon-zest-chicken

  

Healthy Nutty Granola with Coconut, Rice Puffs and Goji Berries

This granola is perfection! The amount of syrup has been reduced to just the right quantity, making it nice and healthy, whilst retaining its deliciousness. The gluten free rice puffs are a must.

Ingredients (makes 15 servings)

to bake -

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp sweet freedom syrup or agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla extract

300g oats

50g sunflower seeds

50g pumpkin seeds

4 tbsp sesame seeds

100g almonds, roughly chopped

1 tsp cinnamon

to add at the end -

2 handfuls of puffed rice

1 handful of brazil nuts

3 tbsp linseeds

2 tbsp goji berriess

6 tbsp desiccated coconut

1. Set the oven to 150°c. Line two baking trays with parchment or baking paper and set aside.

2. Pour all the wet ingredients into a large bowl and stir well. Add the rest of the baking ingredients to the bowl and mix until combined. (Leave the last 5 ingredients until the granola has cooked.)

3. Spread the mixture even between two baking trays in a thin layer and cook for 20 minutes.

4. After 20 minutes, remove the trays from the oven and move the granola about so that it does not burn. Place them back in the oven for a further 15 minutes until golden.

5. Allow the granola to cool for at least 10 minutes, and then combine the two trays together in a bowl.

6. Add the final ingredients, mix thoroughly, then pour into a suitable airtight container.

Eat this delicious granola for breakfast, with yoghurt or milk, or simply sprinkle on salads and other food to add a sweet crunch.

C Food London - A Hidden Pop-Up Gem

I thought this was worth a blog review as it was such a special evening, and the food was stunning! Having seen a few photos posted on Instagram from friends, I knew this one was a must visit. C Food is a pop-up alfresco restaurant at 29 Peckham Road and is home to oysters and other fresh seafood delights every Sunday evening, as well as some lovely young staff; until 27th September.

 The venue is stunning, everything has it's place, and if you go on the right night, you'll be treated and greeted with live music! As you step into the courtyard, your worries subside and you feel like you're in the South of France for one night only. An exotic healthy alcoholic beverage will be waiting for you at the bar, and there is also a wide selection of other thirst-quenching drinks.

The starter is a large plate of oysters, and wow are they delicious! Having thought I would only try one (as I'm not a great fan), one turned into three, and would have been more, if it hadn't been for the hungry band members who we were sharing with. 

Salt water, lemon, tabasco and Norfolk oyster = dreamy!

After much chatting and mingling, the piece de resistance arrives. You'll find your eyes bulging so wide that your vision is blurred (check photo above). Time to feast on huge prawns, dressed crab, amazing homemade fish pate, smoked salmon, mussels, radishes, new potatoes, salad, fresh bread, and delicious homemade aioli. 

You'll soon find that it has turned dark and you don't want to leave. Great atmosphere and divine food - Thank you C Food London.

@CFoodLondon

www.cfoodlondon.com

Vegan Courgette Summer Pesto

After realising I had one too many courgettes in my fridge, I decided to do some experimenting. Why wouldn't courgette taste great in pesto? This recipe is cheese free and therefore vegan, and has a moist nutty texture, even though it contains very little oil. Healthy healthy! Perfect swirled through pasta or rice, or used as a dip or spread.

Ingredients (serves 2)

- 1/2 a courgette

- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed

- fresh or frozen basil from a 31g bag, stalks removed and discarded

- 20 almonds

- 4 cherry or small fresh tomatoes

- 2 tbsp sunflower oil, or any

- salt and pepper

1. Start by turning the oven to 200°c to bake the courgette. Slice the courgette and drizzle with the sunflower oil. Season well and bake for 10-15 minutes until soft and golden. 

2. Blitz the almonds in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. *Some bigger crumbs will give the sauce some texture*. 

3. Add the cooked courgette slices with their oil, crushed garlic, tomatoes, and basil to the mixer with the almonds. Mix for a few minutes until smooth. 

YUM!

TWININGS - Guilt Free Banana, Date and 'Fudge Melts Green Tea' Flapjacks

Who doesn’t love a delicious batch of flapjacks? With this recipe, there is no compromise, as it happens to be dairy, gluten and sugar free! I have teamed up with Twinings this month and will be doing some healthy tea recipes for their blog. The recipes can be found here: http://www.twinings.co.uk/blog.

The Fudge Melts Green Tea helps bring out the gooey, sweet flavours of the dates and lessons the amount of vegetable oil used, making this a super healthy recipe for all to enjoy.

Ingredients (makes 12 square pieces)

- 180g gluten-free oats

- 175g chopped dates *these don’t have to be fancy Medjool dates!*

- 2 very ripe bananas

- 1 Twinings ‘Fudge Melts Green Tea’ Bag

- 60ml vegetable oil

- 1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Start by turning your oven to 175°c. It should be nice and hot by the time you put the flapjack batch in.

2. Boil the kettle and get a mug ready to brew your tea bag. While the kettle is boiling, start mashing the bananas in a large bowl, until they are runny and completely mashed. *It is important to use over-ripe bananas so that they mash easily and give moisture to the mixture.*

3. Once the kettle is boiled, fill your cup of tea like normal and leave the bag to brew for a few minutes. Take in all those beautiful smells of fudge and green tea!

4. Add the vegetable oil to the bowl with the mashed bananas, and then spoon in 6 tbsp of infused tea (60g if using weighing scales).

5. Next stir in the oats, vanilla essence, and chopped dates. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes so that the oats absorb the oil and tea.

6. Place the flapjack mix into a suitable greased baking dish (a square or rectangular baking tin or glass dish should suffice) and flatten it down with a fork.

7. Cook the flapjacks for 30 minutes, until nice and golden. Remove them from the oven and leave them to rest for 10 minutes before tucking in.