Saturday 21 December 2013

Berry Crumble Cake...

I know what you're thinking... she's so unbelievably selfless spending all this time baking to help us get through Christmas with some healthy treats... you're right! I am! But... thankfully since you'd never tell the difference between these recipes and their sugar-laden alternatives, I'm never short of people I can off-load food on!

The kettle is always being boiled over the festive period... people dropping in unannounced and it's nice to be able to offer them something home baked with their tea. The problem arises when you offer them Christmas cake or Mince Pies, but you don't eat one! They're going to think you're trying to poison them...

Oh wait... sugar actually is poison, so since you're a nice person and you'd like your friends & family to live long and healthy lives, make this sugar & grain free Berry Crumble Cake... :)

For the cake:

  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 2 tbsp raw organic honey
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • zest of 1 large orange
  • 45g coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 85g almond flour
For the crumble:
  • 50g almond flour
  • 40g flaked almonds
  • 1 tbsp Keen almond butter
75g frozen berries


Preheat oven to 160d (fan). Line a 9 inch round tin with greaseproof paper. 

To make the crumble topping:
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and rub together with your fingers to combine. 

Set aside until needed.

To make the cake
Start by separating the eggs. To the egg whites, add 1 tbsp of honey. 

In the other bowl, whisk yolks, 1 tbsp honey, baking soda, zest, oil & vanilla until well mixed.

Whisk egg whites until they form stiff glossy peaks. 



Next add in 1/3 of the egg whites. Once you have fully incorporated the egg whites, you can add 1/3 of the almond flour. Repeat until everything has been added. Remember to fold in the egg whites & almond flour slowly to avoid knocking out all the air. 


To assemble:
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly. 

Top with frozen berries (press them gently into the cake mixture). I used blackberries & raspberries. 


Finally sprinkle the crumble topping on the cake. Don't worry that not all the fruit is covered... this makes it look really nice when the cake is baked. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check on the cake after 20 minutes, if it seems like it's browning too much then place a sheet of tin foil over the cake and continue to bake until a skewer comes out clean. 


When baked, allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes & then either serve warm, or remove from the tin & leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 

This is a really nice cake. It's light and fruity but the crumble topping makes it extra special... Obviously there are a lot of nuts in this cake, so like all the cake/cookie recipes I post here, they're for treats only... I'd far prefer to treat myself to a piece of cake that contains no grains, sugar or dairy rather than a heavy slice of traditional fruit cake...


Thursday 19 December 2013

Orange Chocolate Mousse..

I've never really understood why we eat Christmas pudding (the heaviest dessert in the world) after what is generally the biggest dinner of the year... Wouldn't it be nice to actually feel good after your Christmas dinner this year with the added bonus of knowing that your dessert hasn't set your progress back?


Instead of feeling like a Christmas pudding this year, why not try something different? Here's a great recipe for Orange Chocolate Mousse which just happens to be dairy & refined sugar free AND it tastes just like a Terry's chocolate orange bar :)

  • 1 can full fat coconut milk (refrigerated overnight to help it solidify & separate from the water) 
  • 2 tsp Keen almond butter*
  • 1 tsp coconut oil (melted)
  • zest of 1 large orange
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 tbsp raw organic honey
Start by scooping out all the solidified coconut milk from the top of the can (you don't need the water, but it would be great added to a smoothie)

Add the almond butter, melted coconut oil, orange zest & cocoa powder to the coconut milk. Whisk all the ingredients together until they start to thicken (an electric whisk will be better for this but you can use a hand whisk if you're patient!) 


In a separate heatproof bowl set over simmering water, whisk the egg whites & honey together until you have stiff & glossy opaque peaks. You need to whisk this mixture constantly or you'll end up with scrambled eggs! 


Remove from the heat. 

Begin adding the egg whites to the coconut milk mixture, 1/3 at time. Adding the egg whites slowly makes it easier to incorporate fully & prevents over mixing which will leave you with a heavy mousse. 


Once you have full mixed in the egg whites, you can spoon into serving dishes. Garnish with flaked almonds. 

You can serve this straight away, or allow it to chill overnight. 



*I always use Keen almond butter because it's nice to support Irish businesses, I'm too lazy to make my own & a lot of the other popular brands have salt or palm oil added... I've no problem with the salt, but it doesn't usually work in sweet recipes..

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Christmas fruit & nut...

Christmas fruit and nut eh? Describes me perfectly!! I adore Christmas... the build up, the music, the movies, socialising with friends, the atmosphere & the smell of Christmas...



You know the smell of Christmas right? My house smells like that right now...

The only part of Christmas that's tough going is the food.. I admit I look at certain Christmas foods and think... "just one won't hurt".. BUT then I think about what's in the mince pie and how damaging it could potentially be to my health, and wonder is it worth it.... Thankfully, I recognise it's not..

If you're following me on Facebook, then you'll have seen my post about how unhealthy store bought fruit and nut mixes can be. You need to read the ingredient list, and make sure you know exactly what you're buying. Dried fruits are often preserved using sulphur dioxide, sugar & vegetable oil with nuts being salted & roasted in palm oil...It'd be a terrible pity to stall your progress just because you didn't realise what you're eating...

So... in keeping with this week's theme of healthy snacks, I've come up with a Christmassy themed fruit & nut mix with no added sugar or oils.. snacks like these will help keep you on track & prevent you feeling like you're missing out on anything...


  • 100g nuts (I used almonds & walnuts) 
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • dried cranberries (make your own.. I'll tell you how below)
  • 30g raw flaked coconut
Preheat oven to 150d. 

Meanwhile whisk egg white and vanilla until foamy. Toss nuts in the egg mixture. 


Using a draining spoon, drain the excess egg white from the nuts. 



Add spices to a freezer bag and add the nuts. Shake until coated. 

Place on baking tray and bake for 10 minutes until crispy and golden.

Allow to cool, add dried cranberries, coconut flakes and any seeds you like...


Dried cranberries
Ok so we're not buying dried cranberries in the shop anymore. They're full of nasty ingredients, and it turns out that they don't taste as good as the ones you can make at home.. 
  • 100g fresh cranberries... (see isn't that a natural ingredient list?) 

Start by boiling the cranberries in water for 10 minutes, until they have all popped open. 


Remove from the heat & drain the water using a colander. Pat dry with some kitchen paper to remove the excess moisture. 

Spread cranberries on a baking tray, and place in the oven for 30 mins at 150d. 

Toss occasionally to ensure they're drying out evenly.

Coconut cookies

I've got to be honest here... I hate macaroons. I don't like the consistency or the bland flavour... BUT I played around with the recipe (I love fixing things), and these are AMAZING. 


Sugar free, grain free cookies with all natural ingredients... and they taste so Christmassy & make the kitchen smell great :) 

  • 50g flaked raw coconut (check the ingredient list to make sure there's no added sugar or vegetable oil)

  • 50g unsweetened dessicated coconut
  • 50g flaked almonds
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
  • zest of 1 large orange 
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 2 tbsp Keen almond butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
I'm all about keeping it simple... so believe me, you can't get this wrong! 

Add all the ingredients to a heat proof bowl. 


Place above gently simmering water and keep stirring for about 5 minutes.. The reason we're doing this is to allow the flavours to develop before baking, and to create a more pliable cookie dough.. if you don't do this, the dough will be too wet to work with and the cookies won't hold together.. 

Remove from the heat & allow to cool. You can store the dough in the fridge for 3 days at this stage.
 

It's usually easier to work with if you have chilled it a little, overnight is best... but 30 mins will be ok too. 

Using a teaspoon, divide the dough into balls and flatten gently on a non-stick baking tray.


Bake for 10 mins at 160d (fan oven). Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn, and since some oven temperatures vary, make sure you don't over bake them since you're looking for a crunchy cookie that's still chewy on the inside. 



I have been known to drizzle some of my homemade chocolate over these cookies, and it works really well... they're great the way they are too though :) 

Monday 16 December 2013

Bacon Jam..

I think it was originally one of the guys I train with that told me about the incredible invention that is bacon jam.... everything tastes better with bacon, but imagine having a bacon jam to use as a dip, as a stuffing for meat, or to eat with a spoon...


Like most commercially produced foods, bacon jam tends to be full of additives. Since we're all about eating good food, I just had to come up with a version which tasted great but satisfied my need for really nutritious food... 
  • 200g smoked bacon, finely chopped
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp organic tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp raw organic honey
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp smoky paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • sea salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste

I LOVE how incredibly simple this is to make! 

Cook bacon and onion together in a saucepan. 
Add the remaining ingredients. 
Bring to the boil, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat, and simmer gently for 10-15 min to allow the jam to thicken. 


This is best served cold with vegetable crisps or grain free crackers...though I have used it as part of a stuffing for pork.....

Pork steak with bacon jam & sausage meat stuffing wrapped in bacon....I really need to post that recipe don't I?!!


Almond truffles..

So since it's Christmas, we all like to treat ourselves... there are tins of Roses & Quality Streets everywhere, and we tend to overindulge mainly due to snacking on empty calories. 

A quick search yields the following nutritional information for 1 Roses chocolate: 48 calories, 3g fat, 6g carbs (5g from sugar) & 0 protein. Now that's not very nutritious! Who eats one chocolate??? C'mon... be honest... 

So wouldn't it be great to find an alternative... a chocolate that is rich & chocolatey, not overly sweet and actually provides some real nutrition...(AND contains less calories per sweet than a Rose!.... ok it's 1 calorie less... and no, I didn't plan that!)... Not possible right?? Wrong.... 

I give you my healthy (Paleo & Primal friendly) almond truffles :) 


  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp Keen almond butter
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp raw organic honey (if you prefer a sweeter chocolate)
  • 15 whole almonds
Add coconut oil, almond butter, cocoa powder & honey to a heatproof glass bowl over gently simmering water. 

Stir constantly until you have a smooth glossy chocolate. 


Remove from the heat carefully. Make sure you don't allow any moisture into the mixture or the chocolate will seize and become grainy. 

Pour into silicone chocolate moulds (you can pick these up in Dunnes or TK Maxx for very little... a silicone ice cube tray works just as well) 

Drop 1 whole almond into each chocolate (this recipe makes 15). 

Allow to set in the fridge for 2-3 hours before carefully removing from the moulds. 


Nutritional Info: 
  • Calories: 47
  • Fat: 4.6g 
  • Carbs: 1.6g (1.2g from sugar)
  • Protein: 0.8g

Lower sugar & calories, lots of healthy fat and a tiny bit of protein... best of all, you know exactly what's in them.... no nasty chemicals for me over Christmas :) 

These are quite rich too so you're not going to be tempted to eat near as many as you would if it was a tin of Roses! 

YUM! :) 




Wednesday 11 December 2013

Beached whale to gym rat...


As well as cleaning up my nutrition, training was a saviour for me over the past couple of years. Going to the gym was something to do, a way of keeping active when I could have stayed in bed feeling sorry for myself... I used it as a therapy to aid my recovery, both from illness and depression. 

The gym presented a challenge for me at first... I was so unfit, I found it hugely difficult to do anything.... As I dropped body fat and my fitness levels increased, I found I actually really enjoyed being active... I guess it was a novelty being able to move around without feeling like I was going to collapse! 

Fast forward to today... and I love training. I've mentioned before that I train in fantastic gym with great trainers and the best members... Who'd have thought that after spending years avoiding and hiding from PE & sport, that training would become one of the most important things in my life. 

I don't think I'll ever be the type of person who'll sign up for a marathon... running just isn't my thing. If it's yours, then great! Keep doing it... find something you enjoy, at least that way it's sustainable and you'll stick with it. 

Me on the other hand... I lift stuff. Simple as that.. sound boring? Hell no!



Being able to lift or squat more than you weigh is an incredible feeling. I'm constantly pushing myself to get stronger, to lift more, to perfect my technique and to beat my PRs. My personality is reflected in how I approach my training... I never give up and I constantly want more...

Why do I lift weights?? 

   1. Decrease body fat:
I want to drop body fat.. Lifting weights is the best way to lose body fat without losing muscle.

   2. Burn more calories:
Lifting weights boosts your metabolism so even after you've left the gym you're burning calories. This is because your body needs to use energy to repair muscle fibres broken down during training.

   3. Nutrition
It helps my nutrition. Seriously... training is really hard, I'm not going to undo all my hard work by eating crap! 

   4. Makes me happy.
It lifts my mood. I find training an excellent way to de-stress. 

   5. Bone health
As you age, your bone density decreases. Strength training is an excellent way to increase bone density and prevent osteoporosis. I've had a lot of treatment which puts my at high risk of osteoporosis so anything I can do to lower that risk is a bonus.

  6. To look better.. 
And you know what? It's working! I'm thrilled with the results I'm seeing... and that's down to good nutrition and working on getting really strong. 

I get asked all the time 'Are you a body builder now?'.... drives me crazy! No I'm not going to end up looking like Jodie Marsh before a competition! Female body builders eat, train and take supplements specifically to look like that! That's not how most women train... I train for overall health and to look better.

If women lift heavy & eat a caloric deficit then your muscles will get stronger and denser. This results in your body burning the fat which is hiding all that muscle... NOW you have those "toned" arms and legs you're always chasing! Simple! You're not getting bigger, you're not getting bulky, you won't grow a giant penis or beard... it simply doesn't happen!

All the women I train with look fantastic and are seeing incredible results.


   7. Overall health...
For me, this is a huge one. Some consider the amount & type of training I do to be "reckless". It actually makes me laugh when I hear that from medical "experts". If they had their way, I'd rest all the time, sit around eating wheat and sugar, get fat (again) and die.

Over simplistic? I don't think so. I've been really sick. We've been over this... eating from the food pyramid is just not an option...

I will continue to eat real food & to train really hard to boost my immune system and live the best life I possibly can. I'm pretty sure there will never be evidence which shows eating clean and living a healthy lifestyle will speed up the progression of any degenerative auto-immune disease..

If I seem a little OTT at times about nutrition & training... it's probably because I am, but to be fair I have pretty good reason!



Tuesday 10 December 2013

Don't become a Christmas pudding!!

It probably hasn't escaped your attention... but it's almost Christmas!!!! 



I'm annoyingly excited about Christmas this year. Even though 2013 has been pretty rocky, I've achieved a lot in the past year and I'm really excited about what 2014 has in store for me. For me, Christmas is about taking time out to spend with friends and family, and getting ready to face the new year refreshed and prepared to achieve some more goals... 

Will you be feeling refreshed and rested on 1 January?? It's probably a fair assumption to say you won't be... 

Why not?? Cos you've spent the whole of December eating and drinking yourself to death... Yeah Christmas is about getting out, socialising and enjoying yourself, but since when can that only be done whilst getting drunk and eating badly??? 



Little story for you... 

I was out recently, stone cold sober amongst a city full of people who seem to have no idea of their limits when it comes to alcohol. That's not a nice place to be if I'm honest. Drunk people are obnoxious, rude, aggressive and can be intimidating...I'm pretty glad that I'm sober when I'm out, since it means that I'm 100% aware of my surroundings and can look after myself. Anyway I digress (as usual!).. 

So I'm at the bar (ordering a water.. which cost me €3.80...I'm sure it'd be cheaper to actually drink sometimes!).. Get chatting to this guy, he asks me why I'm only drinking water, we chat some more, exchange numbers and all that.. Conversation afterwards, and he confesses that once he heard I didn't drink, he thought for a second that I was probably a "dry shite" (forgive me, I'm merely quoting!!) and that it'd be pointless continuing our conversation...safe to say he changed his mind since I can actually hold a conversation and didn't need him to hold my hair back while I vomited up the curry chips I just had to have cos I was sooooo hungry after those 10 vodkas... 

My point is (I do have one).. you don't need to drink or eat crap just because everyone else does. You don't have to drink & eat crap because it's Christmas. If you do go crazy over the festive season, it's because you're making a choice.... nobody is going to force you! 


Any idea how many calories the average person consumes on Christmas Day? 3000? 4000? 5000? 6000? .... 

7000 calories in one day! People hugely underestimate the amount of food they eat... it comes down to portion sizes, grazing constantly on cheese & crackers/chocolates etc, and alcohol. Why do we feel the need to celebrate with food, to overeat just because it's Christmas, to eat so much food that we feel uncomfortably full.. I'm not sure... I guess because it's tradition... I need to look into why it's become tradition! 

1st world problems.... food coma!

A lot of people simply don't realise the enormous volume of calories that are in the food they're eating... Few Christmassy examples that might make you think twice... 

  • 1 chocolate from a tin of Roses - 48 calories (I bet you don't just eat one!)
  • Christmas dinner - 1500 calories
  • 1 mince pie - 250 calories
  • Christmas pudding & brandy butter 600+ calories
  • Christmas cake 245 calories in 75g slice (that's a pretty tiny slice!)
  • Shortbread biscuit - 170 calories
  • Ferrero Rocher - 72 calories per chocolate

Once Christmas Day is over, there are so many leftovers... you don't have to eat them all!!! Ever hear of a freezer? If you receive countless gifts of chocolates and biscuits, I've no doubt there are plenty of homeless shelters etc that would be only too delighted to share them with others... 

You probably fall into one of two categories..

  1. You train really hard all year.... 
So ruin all your hard work & effort by going crazy? Sure you can have treats, but there's really no need to eat everything in sight. Your body doesn't need or want all that food and drink, and you'll feel 1000 times better if you keep it relatively clean...


    2. Your New Years Resolution is to lose weight... 

This is probably the 10th year in a row you've made the same resolution... and you're undoubtedly still struggling. 

Why allow yourself to go mad just cos it's Christmas? You'll be starting a New Year feeling sluggish, heavier and tired and you'll regret eating all that cake that you're now trying to burn off on a treadmill fuelled by a WW ready meal or similar... 

The lesson.... 

Eat clean... if you're going to treat yourself, that's cool... but don't let your nutrition become a train wreck just cos it's Christmas.


  • Eat your main meals as normal. Don't skip meals to compensate for treats during the day. If you eat real food for your main meals, chances are you won't actually want to snack (too much anyway). 
  • If you're snacking, why not snack on nuts? 
  • Who says dessert has to be Christmas pudding... why do we eat the heaviest dessert ever created after eating the biggest meal of the year??? Why not make a light trifle with yogurt/cream cheese, sponge and fresh fruit?? 
  • Don't let one bad day turn into a bad month.... Don't let the whole of December turn into a food fest. 
  • Stock up on healthy snacks so you don't feel left out when others are munching on Pringles... I'd far prefer to eat a few too many nuts than to eat Pringles.. 
  • Drink lots of water... it will make you feel full.. 
  • Move the tin of Roses to the other side of the coffee table... if you have to actually stand up and go get a sweet, you'll eat less than if the tin is right beside you. 
  • Don't punish yourself or feel guilty for eating badly.. move on and eat clean for the rest of the day. 
  • Go for a walk... you'll get fresh air, and it'll help prevent arguments because of cabin fever! 

Don't wait for 1 January to be healthy... In a years time you'll be thrilled you started today :) 


Thursday 5 December 2013

Kitchen essentials on a budget!

Since I'm constantly going on about the importance of being organised when it comes to your food, I guess I should probably tell you about the things that make my life a little easier in the kitchen...

I'm pretty lucky, I've got a big kitchen with lots of storage space both in cupboards and the fridge... I do wish I had a bigger freezer though! Yeah I'm never happy!

If you're only starting out after years of depending on your toaster and microwave (to heat up the beans you've been living on), well then this list will be a blessing. It's really easy to go shopping for kitchen utensils and end up with lots of very expensive stuff that you really never use! Speaking from experience here... Let loose in Kitchen Compliments or Stock and who knows what I'll leave with!

Here's a list of the things that are absolute necessities for me...

  1. Food processor
  2. Pyrex baking dishes
  3. Non Stick baking trays
  4. Wok & frying pan
  5. Steamer
  6. George Foreman
  7. Lots & lots of microwave/dishwasher safe containers (BPA free preferably) 
That's it... it's not a long list, and best of all... depending on what you're planning to cook/your taste preferences, you won't need them all. 

  1. Food Processor
Lots of people ask me about my food processor... it's amazing!! I'm lucky enough to have a Kenwood Chef Titanium Food Mixer & Blender & Food Processor with more attachments than I'll ever need. It does everything from grating to whisking to slicing to blending...


Would I recommend it? Hell yes! BUT... they're super expensive... we're talking about €800+ for this one. I was so lucky to win mine as part of a baking competition, and I couldn't live without it. 

So... you'll be pleased to know that you don't need to pay quite so much! You can get this great Kenwood compact food processor for €50 in Argos.




    2/3/4. Baking dishes / tins / wok / frying pan

You need these! Unlike the food processor/George Foreman, you really won't be able to cook very much without having these basics. 

As with anything, you get what you pay for so I'd recommend paying a little more for these.... you'll have them for ages if you look after them. 

Pyrex for roasting dishes ideally... but these are really good value for €12. You'll be needing them for when you make my deadly Bacon Lasagne.
These roasting dishes are pretty useful... you won't necessarily need non stick baking tins, but if you're going to make my Gooey Raspberry Brownies, this will come in handy for just €5. 

    5. Wok/Frying Pan

You're going to have a frying pan/wok for ages if you look after it, so it's worth investing if you can... if anyone wants to buy me an early Christmas present.... Le Creuset Woks are amazing! 



And back to reality...Argos always have special offers, so you should be able to pick up decent quality pans for about €20 each. Make sure you spend a little more so they have a non stick coating... unless you want your dinner to taste like charcoal... 

    6. Steamer

Please stop boiling your vegetables to death.... you are literally killing off the nutrients they contain. Steamed vegetables taste so much better than limp, overcooked boiled vegetables. 

I recommend getting a steamer for use on the hob rather than an electric one. They double up as a saucepan so you're saving space! 


You can pick this up for €18 in Argos... 


    6. George Foreman... 

I only bought one recently, and they're brilliant! It's so handy if you're in a rush... they're fool proof, healthy and easy to clean. I'm not working for Argos here... but... they're on special offer at the moment for €29. 


     7. Plastic containers

You need lots of these! They're great for bringing lunch/snacks to work, storing leftovers or just portion control... you can only fill them so much before the lid won't fit! 

These bento lunch boxes are deadly... I want one (cos I'm a nerd). But... you can get great multi packs of containers in Ikea for €3.... there's not really much excuse for not having them.. 



You can really pick and choose from this list depending on how much you cook, or how varied you want your food to be. 

Hopefully this helps if you're wondering what you need to buy.... You don't need a lot, and it doesn't have to be incredibly expensive either...skip one night out and invest in some of the above, they'll be invaluable when it comes to cooking healthy home cooked meals...