Top notch pasta sauce

Let me start by saying, this dish was an exceptional accident! One afternoon last week, I came back from work and was starving. I couldn't get pasta out of my head, and fancied something really stodgy - but long gone are the days where I'd have a cheese sauce or carbonara, so I had to improvise with the few ingredients in my kitchen... I have to say I was genuinely shocked at the result - sometimes accidents really just are the best!

I had half a sweet potato left over from the night before, some yummy fresh red pesto, half a bag of spinach, and of course an avocado. So with a little inspiration from previous a faux mac 'n' cheese recipe (using butternut squash/pumpkin) I boiled the sweet potato and took it from there!

You HAVE to try this! It's so simple, and yet satisfying whilst still remaining healthy and nutritious!

You'll need (for one very hungry person):

1/2 sweet potato

A little red pesto

Chillies (if you like a kick)

Spinach

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Pasta shapes of your choice

Simply chop up the sweet potato into quarters and boil for about 8/9 minutes, at this point add your pasta so that it cooks in the same, now sweetly flavoured, water (depending on your pasta this should take 8-12 mins). Be careful not to bash the sweet potato too much when stirring the pasta as you want to be able to fish out the chunks in a minute. When pasta and sweet potato are cooked, put the sweet potato pieces in a blender/food processor and strain the pasta and drizzle with olive oil. Add to the sweet potato some olive oil, seasoning, and pesto and then blitz it until its smooth and creamy - add a little water to the mixture if needed. Now mix as much spinach as you fancy into the pasta and let it gently wilt with the heat. Finally pour over the sweet potato pasta sauce, which should be thick and creamy and nicely coat all your pasta shapes! As it cools slightly the sauce will thicken up a little more, much like a cheesy sauce and then just tuck in! It's seriously gonna be hard not to go back for more!

Let me know how it goes!

Oh and don't forget - spread a little happiness today! X

Frittata frenzy

This dish is one of my go-to dinners if I'm tired or a little behind on meal planning! It's incredibly easy, and really, really versatile!

I've not always been a huge fan of eggs, so it might seem odd that I am posting a recipe for an eggy frittata! However, this recipe uses the egg to bind all the ingredients together rather than acting as the bulk of the meal (like it does in an omelette)... My eggophobia is slowly dying out and thanks to this delicious frittata, my egg horizons are expanding and I even dabble in a little scrambled egg now and again too!

The best thing about this recipe, is that doing a specific food shop for it isn't essential - this is the perfect meal for using up all those half empty bags and packets of veg. This particular frittata had mushroom, onion, courgette, broccoli, sweet potato, cherry tomatoes and asparagus in it!

So, you'll need:

Approx. 2 eggs per person (but this can be varied depending on how hungry you are and how much you like eggs!)

Loads of thinly sliced veg (really thin for potatoes in particular, or alternatively par boil them first)

Salt and pepper to taste

Roughly chopped basil leaves

Olive oil

2 tbsp red pesto (homemade or bought, but ideally as fresh and natural as possible to avoid adding loads of preservatives and nasties to your delicious meal!)

- PS - for the meat lovers out there, feel free to add pancetta bits, grilled chicken or anything else you might fancy in with the veg!

Start by preheating your oven to about 180 degrees celcius.

1) Simply prep all your veg (and meat if you're adding this in).

2) Then whisk your eggs with salt and pepper, olive oil, red pesto and a splash of water.

3) Fill your dish with all your tortilla fillings - I tend to work in layers to ensure I get a little bit of everything everywhere, but I'm sure chucking the whole lot in at once would work too!

4) Now pour in your egg mixture, which should just about cover the top layer of fillings and pop it in the oven to bake. For the cheese lovers, grate or slice your favourite cheese onto the top of the tortilla 10/15 mins before it's ready to come out (I added my favourite goat's cheese to mine)!

Now to briefly talk timings -  depending on how deep your oven dish is, this will vary. The amount and type of fillings will also affect the timings, so in my experience, its a slight guessing game. It should take about 40 mins to cook the whole way through, but check at 30 and make sure nothing is burning and cut into the middle to check that the egg isn't runny. If it is, then cover the frittata with a sheet of foil and pop it back in until the whole thing is cooked through.

Make sure you give this super tasty frittata a go when you next feel like you can't be bothered with a big supermarket run!

Oh and don't forget - spread a little happiness today! X

Not-so-naughty Nutella!

Nutella has always been a vice of mine! But since becoming more and more health conscious over the past few years, it has been firmly removed from my kitchen cupboards - much to my tastebuds' horror! Despite the adverts claiming that Nutella on toast really is a nutritious start to the day, I was only too aware of the dangers of this super sugary spread!

However - and this is big, so brace yourselves - I have finally discovered an almighty combination of ingredients that not only beats the original Nutella in flavour, but also in nutritional value! This recipe is utterly delicious, and I'm so excited to share it with you!

For one small jar you'll need:

1 cup of roasted hazelnuts*

1/2 cup of almonds

1/3 cup raw cocoa powder (more or less depending on how chocolatey you want your Nutella)

4 tbs pure maple syrup (or another liquid sweetener of your choice)

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tbs coconut oil

A little pure vanilla essence to taste

*If you buy whole hazelnuts, you'll have to roast them for about 15 mins on 180 degrees Celsius, let them cool and then remove the majority of the crispy skins. Alternatively you can get away with buying the pre chopped roasted nuts and start from there. But whichever way you do it, make sure the nuts you use are roasted as this will intensify the nutty flavour!

Its super easy!!! Start by blitzing all your nuts to the point where they turn from a finely ground powder, to a smooth butter as the natural oils are released. At this point add the rest of your ingredients and give the whole lot another blend. Make sure you use a spoon to loosen the nut butter that will no doubt be glued to the side of your food processor and get everything thoroughly well mixed. If you find your Nutella is a little lumpy or too thick then just add small amounts of almond milk until you get the consistency you want!

I hope you all have fun making this gem of a spread, and enjoy incorporating your new Nutella into all your favourite breakfasts and desserts!

Oh and don't forget - spread a little happiness today! X