Recipe | Chocolate Protein Cookies

I was craving cookies over the Easter weekend, I rummaged through my cupboards to work out what ingredients I had to work with. I decided to experiment with five ingredients and the results were pretty tasty so I thought I would share my recipe with you that makes roughly six cookies.

What you'll need:

2 cups of rolled oats

2 ripe bananas

2 tbsp maple syrup

30g whey protein (I used Whey Box Chocolate flavour)

Handful of chopped dark chocolate


A medium bowl

Potato masher (or fork)

Mixing spoon

Baking paper and baking tray

Oven (duh!)

What you'll do: 

1. Pre heat oven to 180C.

2. Peel the bananas and mash with the potato masher, you can use a fork but this is SO much easier.

3. Mix all the ingredients with the mashed banana until everything is well combined.

4. Line your baking tray with baking paper and divide the mixture in half. Then out of each half make three balls and pop onto your tray and squash down. (So you'll have six cookies...)

5. Pop into the oven for 10 mins (keep your eye on them though), when they are golden brown take out and leave to cool. (This is always the hardest step for me, I 100% burnt my mouth eating one straight out of the oven. Learn from my mistake!!)

6. Enjoy your chocolate protein cookies.

Recipe | Healthy banana bread

I am guilty of buying loads of bananas each week and not managing to get through them before they turn to mush. Usually I chop them up and pop them in the freezer to add to my smoothies, however my housie suggested I make banana bread. I went on a hunt for a healthier banana bread recipe and I ended up combining a few recipes so I thought I would share my recipe with you. I used cup measurements just because I find it so much easier and less hassle than weighing everything out.

This makes around ten slices, depending on how generous you are with the slices. This works out at 191 calories per slice!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup of coconut oil (melted)
1/3 cup of maple syrup (I bought mine from here)
1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 3/4 cups of spelt flour
1 cup mashed bananas (this was about three bananas for me)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
As many dark chocolate chips as you'd like, I did a generous handful

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C then pop some baking parchment into a loaf tin to stop your bread from sticking.

2. In one bowl mix together the flour, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda.

3. In a separate bigger bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, maple syrup, milk and vanilla. Once combined add in the mashed banana, flour mixture and chocolate chips.

4. Pour the mixture into your lined tin and sprinkle the top with cinnamon (I love cinnamon if you can't tell). Bake for 45 mins, check after 30 and use to a skewer to see if it has baked. Pop it into the bread and if it comes out clear then the bread is finished baking.

5. Once baked fully, take out of the tin and leave to cool. I drizzled mine with a little choc shot and it was good to go.

6. Enjoy.

My healthier baking has never been successful before but this was absolutely delicious and so moist (pained me typing that as I HATE that word, but I couldn't think of an alternative).

GIN-gle Bells*

It is no secret gin is my absolutely favourite, when Gin Explorer got in touch asking if I was willing to create a Christmas cocktail I was ready.

Gin Explorer is a subscription gin service, gin literally comes to your door. What more do you need? The monthly box includes four gins, two tonics and little snack. The box is made for two people as there is enough for two gins out of each bottle.

'Gin-gle all the way'
I named this cocktail in honour of one of my favourite christmas films, hoping you're all saying "Jamieeee" in Arnie's voice now.

Ingredients:
Herno Gin
Cranberry juice
Gingerale
Ice
Mint (to decorate and pretend you're a little fancy)

Cocktail shaker
Shot measurement
Glasses to serve

Method:
1. Add one shot of Herno gin then equal measurements of cranberry juice and gingerale to your cocktail shaker. The measurements entirely depend on the size of your glass.

2. Whilst listening to 'Christmas (Baby please come home)' by Buble dance and shake your cocktail together.

3. Pop a few ice cubes into your glass then pour your mixed cocktail into the glass. Pop a sprig of mint in and TA DAHH.

Mulled wine
My second drink is in ode to Mulled wine. You cannot have Christmas without a steaming cup of mulled wine whilst walking around Christmas markets. I know a fair few people who aren't a fan of gin (madness I know), so I thought I'd pop another christmassy drink recipe here for you mad folk.

Ingredients:
Two bottles of Mulled Wine
Orange
Two cinnamon sticks
Half a whole nutmeg, grated
Three star anise

Method:
1. Pop both bottles of wine into a large saucepan along with all your spices.

2. Add a few slices of orange to the pan, I also juice half an orange to have a real citrus undertone.

3. Turn the hob onto a medium heat and simmer the wine for around 20 mins, serve and enjoy! I like to serve mine in a clear glass with a handle, cinnamon stick and a wedge of orange.

What is your go to festive drink?

*DISCLAIMER: I was sent the Gin Explorer box in return for this post, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recipe | Revolutionary Roasted Chickpeas

Hi I'm Hannah and I have a crisp addiction. I definitely have more of a savoury tooth than sweet, if you put Doritos in front of me I will eat the entire bag. I need to work on my will power I know but we'll save that for another post. I am always on the hunt for savoury health snacks to substitute crisps.. the I stumbled upon roasted chickpeas.

I was skeptical and pretty sure it they would taste awful. I was looking online for a recipe however I found no consistency so I decided to ignore them all and make my own recipe, surprisingly it turned out pretty damn well.. if I do say so myself.

What you'll need:

• Chickpeas 1 can
• Coconut oil 1tbsp
• Paprika
• Chilli powder

What you'll do:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees 
2. Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas, then dry on a paper napkin
3. Pop your coconut oil into a baking tin (or tray) and put into the oven to melt
4. Add your chickpeas to the baking tin and stir so they are covered in the coconut oil, then sprinkle the spices over the chickpeas (I added about 1tsp of each, but to be honest I just sprinkled until I was happy)
5. Pop into the oven for 10 min and take them out and stir
6. Pop them into the oven for another 10 mins and then stir
7. And one more time, put them in for 10 mins and then take out 
8. Serve! 

This is a super easy recipe that packs a punch of flavour! I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed these. They definitely settle my crisp craving! 

If you make these I would love to know what you think. 

What is your healthy go-to savoury snack?

Recipe | Scrumptious Stuffed Peppers

Looking for meal inspiration? Well look no further, feast your eyes on my turkey stuffed peppers. This is a recipe I've been playing around with for a while but I think I've got it just right and packed with flavour!

What you'll need:

• Coconut Oil 1tbsp
• Turkey Mince 500g
• Kidney beans drained and cleaned 1 can
• Paprika
• Chilli powder
• Veggies of your choice
• Kallo chicken stock cube
• Chilli deseeded if you don't like it too spicy
• Bell pepper X2 
• Feta

What you'll do: 

1. Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees 
2. Pop your tbsp of coconut oil into a hot pan and wait for it to melt
3. Chop up a chilli and pop this into the oil for around a minute
4. Add your turkey mince to your pan and cook thoroughly 
5. Crumble your chicken stock cube over the mince and combine (this is for an added punch of flavour without the liquid)
6. Add your drained kidney beans to the pan and stir in
7. Add any veggies of your choosing to the mix, I used green beans, corn and mange tout
8. Add 1tbsp paprika and 1tbsp chilli powder (This is a complete guestimate, I add a LOT of spice to this however I don't measure)
9. Leave this all to cook for around 10 mins whilst stirring occasionally 
10. Whilst this is cooking away chop your peppers in half and take all the seeds and weird white bits out. The best way I find to do this is chop in a circle around the stalk and pull that out then you can easily chop it in half
11. Pop your 4 pepper halves onto a baking tray and then add your turkey mince mixture into each half, bake these for 10 mins (keep your eye on them)
12. Pull your peppers out the oven and crumble some feta on top of each half then pop them back into the oven for 5 more minutes. 
13. Take out and enjoy!! 

Now I won't lie to you I have a lot of mixture left over, but you can do lots with it. Make more stuffed peppers (you stuffed pepper machine), add to rice/quinoa, make a quesadilla out of it. I was quite happy eating it with a spoon whilst I was waiting for it to cook.. no shame! 

I am always looking for new recipes I can create or new meal inspiration, I saw a photo of a stuffed pepper with rice on Pinterest which led me to create this recipe. 

If you make it I'd love to know what you think. 

Where do you find your meal inspiration?