An Ode to Kinfolk

Devouring the pages of a cookbook is one of my favorite pastimes. It gives me a sense of food entwined wanderlust. None more so than The Kinfolk Table. I want to meet the people, explore their cities, eat their food and bask in their beautiful homes. 
The Kinfolk Table is a celebration of your home, your food and the people you love. It honors food in a way that isn't often seen these days. It isn't  pretentious, a fad diet or the latest trend. It is simple and honest. 

It's easy to get extremely envious whilst reading Kinfolk, the images are simply beautiful. The people are hip. The kitchens are to die for and the food will tease you at every given opportunity. However the Kinfolk attitude is something that we can all adapt to and something I am going to strive to do more often. 

To me there is something so endearing about an individual being so enthusiastic by their food that they simply cant resist devouring a sample then and there, standing over the worktop counter, using their fingers for cutlery. Forgetting everything else at the moment other than the delicious morsel of food they are enjoying. Where else can you do that other than your own home?

Just yesterday my  fiancé and I made steak sandwiches for our tea. We made a mess, a complete and utter mess, all for a sandwich! That mess was the fruit of our labour and completely worth it. Onion peelings on the floor, breadcrumbs scattered over our worktops, buttery knives left askew leaving delicious streaks of butter everywhere. We were chatting and laughing at the mess we had created, our eyes never leaving the pan in which the steak was cooking. The minuet it was ready, we tipped it out onto a wooden board and immediately sliced a piece off. Our fingers were tinged from the heat of the meat, the juices were running down our hands, savoring and enjoying how delicious the mouthful was. Heightening our excitement at the meal ahead of us. That to me is better than any meal served up in a restaurant. 

Cooking shouldn't be a chore. The act of eating a meal shouldn't just be a necessity. A dinner party shouldn't be something for you to stress about in the days prior. 
It should be celebrated and enjoyed. 

Festive Pasty

I apologise (halfheartedly) if you think its too early to start thinking festively, but these pasties are so good you could eat them in the middle of a heatwave and it wouldn't matter one little bit. They are everything a festive treat should be. Sticky, sweet, full of cinnamon and extremely naughty. 

For the pastry:

350g plain flour

180g butter

Pinch of salt

Water 

For the filling:

60g butter

60g brown sugar

2 apples

10 pitted dates

2 tbsp cinnamon

80g cranberries 

40g pecans 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Add the flour and salt to a mixing bowl. Take the butter from the fridge and chop it into cubes. Try to handle the butter as little as possible. You want to try and keep it as cold as you can. Add the butter to the mixing bowl and start to rub it into the flour using your fingertips. Keep going until all the butter and flour are combined and resemble fine breadcrumbs. This can be a laborious task but its a necessity to ensure the perfect pastry. Start to slowly add the water a tablespoon at a time until a firm dough forms. Once you have your dough divide it into 6 equal portions, wrap the portions in clingfilm and store in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minuets. 

Now its time for the filling!

Soak the dates in some boiling water for about 10 minuets. Whilst they are soaking add everything else in a pan over a medium heat. Add the dates and stir so everything combines. The mix should take about 20 minuets to be gorgeously soft and gooey. 

Take your pastry from the fridge and roll out into a 15cm circle. Add about 2 tablespoons of mixture in the center then fold into a semicircle, leave about a centimeter around the edge so you can crimp them tight. You don't want any delicious mixture to seep out! Egg wash your pasties before you pop them in the oven (I like to add a pinch of cinnamon to the egg wash!) Place them on a baking tray and place in the oven for 40 mins. 

These can be eaten straight from the oven or you can wait until they've cooled down. If you're greedily opting for 'straight from the oven' (my personal favorite) The please be careful as the filling will be molten!

I would love to know what you guys think of my recipe :)

One Pan Wonder Granola

Nothing disheartens me more than when I wake up in the morning and remember I've greedily eaten the last of my granola the previous day. Alas, this one pan 15 minute recipe will save the morning.
Now I can't promise miracles, there is still some waiting. Just a lot less! So bare with me.

50g oats
30g almonds
1 tbsp honey
10g cacao nibs
1 tbsp oil
50g mixed seeds

Simply add all of your ingredients into a pan and cook on a medium heat until the oats start to brown and all of your ingredients start to combine. As always if you're planning on adding any dried fruit I would until the very end as you don't want the fruit to burn.
Once you're happy with the consistency and look of your granola take it off the heat. This should only take about 10/15 mins. Now the waiting. It's time to let your granola cool down. It's painstaking, I know! Busy yourself however you please and you'll be good to go in no time. Serve with ice cold milk and enjoy!

Paprika & Chorizo Baked Beans

Homemade baked beans have slowly become a staple in our house. My fiancé who had never entertained the idea of a bean working its way onto his breakfast plate (or any other plate for that matter) before he met me, is now a baked bean fiend! A true testament to how good these really are. 

Whilst its oh so tempting to reach for a trusty can of baked beans to liven up a cooked breakfast or act as a simple meal when you just cant be bothered to cook. I hand on heart promise that making them yourself is 100 times better than a tin will ever be. Plus there are the added health benefits. We all know that tinned beans are laden with more salt and sugar than we should be eating. Make them yourself and you'll see exactly what goes into them!

This particular recipe has a great depth of flavour thanks to the paprika and chorizo, it gives a whole new dimension to the simple baked bean. I tend to enjoy this combination later on in the day for my lunch or dinner. Of course I'm not here to dictate what you have to eat and when. I once ate an entire blackberry & apple crumble for my breakfast. I'm in no place to judge. If you wake up one morning craving this for your brekkie....please, be my guest! 

1.5 tins chopped tomatoes

1 tin red kidney beans

1 tin cannellini beans

Chorizo (qty depends on how meaty you want it)

1 onion

1 garlic glove

1 red chilli

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 tsp english mustard

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce 

2 tbsp paprika

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil 

Begin by slowly browning the onions in a little olive oil, after a few minuets add the chopped garlic, paprika, chilli and chorizo. After about 5 minuets add the tinned tomatoes along with both the mustard's and worcestershire sauce. Stir this all in and leave on a low heat for about 1 hour. You want the sauce to reduce and thicken. Once you're happy with the consistency of the sauce add in your beans and stir through. The beans should only take 5 minuets to cook through. Please ensure they are piping hot before serving. Its also important to note that some beans will need soaking overnight. Check which type you have before you begin the recipe. I tend to use the ones prepackaged in water to eliminate the need to soak them overnight.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

I enjoy eating these with nothing more than a slice of good quality bread and a sprinkling of cheese....because lets face it, what meal isn't enhanced with a bit of cheese! 

Apple & Blackberry Vegan Crumble

I know a lot of people who claim they don't like fruit in puddings. If this sounds like you, stop reading immediately. For me fruit is at its best in a pudding. Particularly stewed fruit. Warm, tangy, comforting...it really doesn't get any better! I have been craving an apple crumble for a few days now. When I came across some delicious looking blackberries in my local farm shop I knew they would be the perfect accompaniment. 

This recipe is incredibly easy. You'll be tucking into a big bowl of crumble in no time. 

2 small/medium apples

1/2 cup blackberries 

Cinnamon 

Maple syrup 

Rolled oats

Water

Coconut oil 

Peel and chop the apples, add to a pan along with 1/4 cup of water, 3 tablespoons cinnamon and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Simmer on a low heat for about 15 minuets, the apples will slowly start to soak up the water. Keep a close eye on the apples as you don't want them to burn! Once most of the water is gone add the blackberries, a teaspoon of coconut oil and a splash more water. Stir for a couple of minuets then add the mixture to an oven proof dish. Leave to one side whilst you prepare the oats. 

In a mixing bowl add 1 cup of oats, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 tablespoon and 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Mix everything together then sprinkle the oats evenly over the stewed fruit mixture. Bake in the oven at 180C for 25/30 mins. 

Enjoy!

Avocado & Cacao Mousse

This vegan chocolate mousse its unbelievable. It took me a good while to convince myself that what I was eating was actually packed full of goodness and super healthy. Its so rich and creamy its hard to believe its main ingredient is a vegetable!! 

I ate it as a post workout snack, but it would also work really well as an indulgent breakfast or an after dinner treat. 

1 Avocado

1/2 Banana

2 tbsp Maple Syrup 

1 tbsp Cinnamon

1 tbsp Ginger

Its as simple as popping everything into a food processor and whizzing it altogether until its completely smooth. Pop it into the fridge and leave for about an hour - its best served cold. The next part is the best bit - the toppings!! Its completely up to you what you jazz your mousse up with. In this instance I added chopped pecans and pumpkin seeds. 

Almost any nut/berry/seed will go perfectly.

Greetings from Florence

Ciao! Being in Italy it's hard not to succumb to all the delicious delicacies they have on offer. I hold my hands up, I've already eaten enough bread, cheese and gelato to keep a grown man going for months. 

Needless to say I was super happy to stumble across a cute juice bar just a 10 minuet stroll from where I'm staying. 

I opted for a carrot, apple & orange juice. It was so refreshing and the perfect way to keep cool in the 30 degree heat. Especially designed to give a hit of energy, it was just what I needed for an afternoon of exploring Florence's nooks & crannies. Who needs wine when you have juice as delicious as this!? So delicious in fact I went back for seconds a few hours later! 

Bellissimo! 

The Best Banana on Toast

The simplist things in life are always the best aren't they? This breakfast could not be easier to prepare and it's so delicious. It's almost as though you're eating a pudding for breakfast. What could be better? 

One small ripe banana 

One slice of wholemeal toast

Cinnamon 

Cacao nibs

Sunflower seeds 

Toast one side of the bread under the grill. Once nicely golden turn it over and place the chopped banana ontop, sprinkle wih a teaspoon of cinnamon and pop back under the grill for a minuet or two. 

Your banana should be lovely and soft by now. Serve and top with a scatter of sunflower seeds and cacao nibs. 

Enjoy :) 

Super Easy, Super Healthy Strawberry Smoothie

If there was ever an award for the easiest, healthiest and of course tastiest breakfast, this strawberry smoothie would win it for me. With just three simple ingredients it takes minuets to prepare! 

If you're new to changing your diet swapping a bacon butty or a bowl of sugary breakfast cereal for this smoothie is a great way to start.

1 large banana
1 cup almond milk
5/6 large strawberries 

The banana will give you a great hit of energy....which is always a must first thing in the morning. As well as a great dose of fibre, iron and potassium. There is a reason bananas are classed a a super-food! The strawberries will provide you with an abundance of nutrients and vitamins including a big hit if vitamin C. Almond milk is the best dairy free milk out there. Completely free of saturated fat it's one of my favorite guilt free ingredients! 

Simply throw everything into a blender and leave for two minuets until everything is blended together and smooth. If you have time leave the smoothie in the fridge for a few hours as it's best served cold. If not simply throw a couple of ice cubes in the blender along with everything else. 

Enjoy!

Banana, Blueberry & Cinnamon Breakfast Muffins

Most 'healthy' breakfast muffins you see advertised are actually laden with refined sugar, processed white flour and butter....not a great way to start your day. These tasty delights are the real deal. Packed full of super healthy ingredients they will give you that boost of energy we all need in the morning. Completely vegan and guilt free they'll have you reaching for seconds (something I hold my hands up for being guilty of!) 

These muffins are a perfect 'on the go' breakfast when you're a little strapped for time. Yet also make a great accompaniment to a smoothie if you're feeling extra peckish in the morning. 

This recipe will make 10 muffins. Store them in an airtight container and they'll keep for a week. 

200g oats/oat flour

75g coconut oil 

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cinnamon 

2 medium ripe bananas

100g maple syrup

100g blueberries

1/2 cup water 

If you haven't got oat flour you can easily make it in a blender by blitzing the oats until they have turned to flour - this should only take 30 seconds or so.

Add the flour to a mixing bowl along with the cinnamon and baking powder.

In another bowl mash together your bananas until most lumps have disappeared, when you're happy with the consistency add the maple syrup and coconut oil to the bananas and mix together.

Pour your wet ingredients into the dry and start to mix, making sure everything is combined. This is when you can gradually start adding your water. I've recommended 1/2 cup - you might need a little more or a little less. You don't want the mixture to be too wet or runny, you want to spoon the mix into the muffin tins - not pour. Once finished with the water add in the blueberries.

Line your muffin tin with a little coconut oil and spoon in the mix to the top of the tin.

Pop in the oven and bake for 25 mins at 190C. 

Once out the oven leave to cool on a cooling rack for 5 mins before you tuck in...if you can wait that long.

If you want to make these muffins that little bit extra indulgent you can add a tbsp of raw cacao powder. You can add it as well as/or by replacing the cinnamon. 

I hope you enjoy the recipe! I would love to know your thoughts on it.

Deliciously Rich Vegan Chilli

So after a few days away from home, I’ve been in Germany on a business trip, I returned feeling a little sluggish. I succumbed to the local cuisine which evolved heavily around meat, cheese and bread. I’ve been slowly adapting my diet over the last few months, experimenting in vegan delicacies and reaping the health benefits. Having gone back to my old ways for a few days (which I openly admit I could never fully leave behind) I was ready to focus on super healthy meals again, my body was craving it!

Armed with my beloved kitchen, whom I had missed dearly whilst I was away…even though it was only for two days, I was ready to experiment. I fancied something hearty, a meal that would really fill me up! Rifling through my cupboards I pulled out some tins of chopped tomatoes & kidney beans. So began the start of a vegan chilli.

This chilli is so delicious. It's absolutely packed with flavour. Not only does the cinnamon and cacao powder provide you with an abundance of nutrients it gives this chilli a wonderfully rich flavour.

The recipe below will leave you will a massive portion. Perfect for lunch the next day or to pop in the freezer for a rainy day when you just can't be bothered to cook - to save you reaching for those naughty take out menus.

1 tin chopped tomatoes 

1 tin kidney beans

1 onion

1 glove garlic

1/2 cup of water

1 tsp raw cacao powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp raw cacao powder 

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp paprika 

1 chopped red chilli 

1 yellow bell pepper

1 aubergine 

70g brown rice

Salt & pepper

Olive oil

Start off by chopping the aubergine into bite sized pieces - place them on a roasting tray, sprinkle with some salt, pepper and olive oil then pop them in the oven at 180C for about 20 mins.

                       

Chop the onion and garlic and sweat them in a little olive oil. Add all the spices and mix in thoroughly then add the water and stir - it will form a slight paste. Throw in the chopped tomatoes and kidney beans and mix everything together. By this point your aubergine should be lovely and soft. Add these to the pot along with the chopped pepper and chilli. Leave to simmer on a medium heat for about 30 mins stirring every so often. 

                       

Serve over some brown rice.

Super Nutty Energy Boosting Porridge

This bowl of porridgey goodness was actually invented by accident. The oats started off as a base for some tasty energy balls. However half way through I discovered I was out of dates (the glue that holds he oats together!) Not wanting to admit defeat or waste perfectly good ingredients I was faced with a bowl of dry, nutty oats and the question what to do? It didn't take long for me to decide on porridge. Porridge is easily one of my favourite meals ever, so I was excited to attempt, and of course eat a new recipe. It just so happens it's one of the nicest bowls of porridge I've ever had the pleasure of eating.....and I hope you think so to. It's so packed full of energy you won't know how you ever coped without it!

200g raw oats

2 tbls peanut butter

1 tbls almond butter

3 tbls coconut oil

Chopped almonds 

Blueberries

Almond milk (or your preference of milk) 

In a bowl mix the oats, peanut & almond butter and the coconut oil. This was the stage I got to when I discovered I was out of dates! Now, not even I could manage a bowl of porridge of this size. Simply pop the oats in an airtight container and they will keep for about a week in the fridge.

To make the porridge add half a cup of oats and a whole cup of milk in a pan and cook over a low heat stirring regularly. Depending on how milky you like your porridge you may want to add more as you're cooking. When it's ready you'll be left with deliciously nutty, creamy porridge. Top with some blueberries and chopped almonds and enjoy!

Ginger & Oat Biscuits

It's safe to say I love oats. I have them in some form or another at least once a day....and what better way to eat them than in biscuit form!

This recipe is oh so simple and the outcome is a delight.

100g plain rolled oats 

4 tbsp coconut oil 

1 tbsp ground ginger 

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

2 tbsp milk 

4 tbsp honey 

2 tbsp plain wholemeal flour 

Simply put all the ingredients in a bowl together and stir thoroughly. This recipe makes 10-12 biscuits. On a lined baking sheet dollop a ball of the mixture out and flatten it into a round biscuit shape using the back of a spoon or yours fingers....if, like me, you're a messy cook! You want them to be relatively flat so press down hard. Once this is done place in the centre of a preheated oven and bake at 180C for approx 15 mins. They should be a nice golden colour and slightly browned around the edges. The biscuits will still be soft when you take them out the oven. Leave them to cool for a few minuets and you'll be left with gorgeous, crunchy biscuits.

This recipe can be adapted so easily....not a fan of ginger? Don't use it. Any spice can be used in its place. Experiment with a little of what you fancy and I'm sure you'll be thrilled with the results.

Chocolate Kidney Bean Cupcakes

Inspired by Nikki Sharps recipe here I couldn't wait to try these cupcakes. I have seen recipes using kidney beans before but none looked quite as delicious as these...

I adapted the recipe slightly but more or less followed Nikki's instructions. I couldn't have been happier with the outcome.

Its hard to believe a recipe without flour, butter or sugar can turn out so light, fluffy and tasty - these are a true testament to clean baking. 

1 can red kidney beans

3 eggs

60g cocoa powder (raw if you can get it) 

3 tbsp coconut oil 

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla essence 

1.5 tsp baking powder 

170g honey 

6 raspberries 

Thoroughly rinse the kidney beans in water, then add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until a smooth mix has formed. Coat a muffin tin with a little coconut oil and fill each hole 3/4 full of the mix. Finally poke a raspberry in the middle of each cupcake and pop in the oven. Bake at 180C for 20 mins.

I'd like to thank Nikki for this recipe - follow her on instagram.

Almond & Peanut Butter Oaties

I woke up this morning with the urge to bake. Hungry, as I usually am first thing in the morning I set about my mission to create something tasty, filling and good for me.

Rifling through my cupboards and gathering what ingredients I had I decided upon these delicious almond and peanut butter oat biscuits. Packed full of goodness they are the perfect pick me up breakfast treat....or any time of the day treat!

I chose to use peanuts and almonds though you could use any nut you fancy. I'm definitely going to incorporate pecans when I next make them!

100g rolled oats

100g mixed nuts

50g cocoa nibs

2 tbsp coconut oil

5 tbsp runny honey

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

180 C oven temp

If, like me, you only have whole nuts you firstly need to grind them down. However you chose to do this is down to you. My preferred method is to put them in a sandwich bag and start bashing with a rolling pin.

Once they are broken up add them to the oats along with the coca nibs and baking powder. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Then add the coconut oil and honey. Give this all good stir so the dry mixture is evenly coated, finally add the egg to bind it all.

To make the biscuits roll the mixture into 6 - 8 even sized balls. Grease a lined baking tray with a little coconut oil. Press down the balls onto the baking tray and mould into a biscuit shape. You want the biscuits to be about 1cm thick. Finally just before you pop them in the oven add a dollop of peanut butter on top! For all you peanut butter lovers out there, the more the better!

Bake them for approx 10 mins or until the biscuits have a lovely golden colour.

These are delicious eaten warm, though I suggest waiting a minuet or two before you tuck in. Speaking from experience you don't want to burn your tongue on molten peanut butter!!