Pumpkin Brownies

These pumpkin brownies have slightly more calories compared to my other versions using beets and/or courgettes.
Beetroot Brownies
Chocolate Courgette  / Zucchini Brownies
Beetroot Courgette Brownies

The recipe below also contains nut butter, flax-egg (instead of a regular egg) and more dark chocolate (instead of cocoa powder). However, they are really moist, chocolaty and the perfect sweet treat!

Pumpkin Brownies
Makes 8

Ingredients:
- 80g / 3oz dark chocolate chips or chopped
- 64g / 4tbsp nut butter (I use almond butter)
- 30ml / 2tbsp coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 13g / 2tbsp flaxseed meal
- 90ml 6tbsp warm water
- 20g / 1tbsp honey
- 160g / 6oz pumpkin purée
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 120g / 4.5oz flour (I use whole wheat)
- 1tsp baking powder
- 1tsp cinnamon

Method:

• Melt half the chocolate (40g) in a bowl and stir in the nut butter and coconut oil.
• In a separate bowl, make flax egg by combining the flaxseed with the water, whisking until 'eggy' in consistency.
• Add the honey, pumpkin purée, vanilla to the flax egg mixture.
• Stir in the chocolate butter mixture.
• Then add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix all ingredients together.
• Stir in the remaining chocolate pieces.
• Pour the batter into a loaf tin or 8x8 pan (lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray).
• Cook at 175C / 350F for 30 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack and cut into 8 squares. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Soups

During the cold winter months, there's nothing more I love than a big bowl of homemade soup. Partly because it's so filling and nutritious. Partly because a really big bowl has less than 400 calories!

It's also really easy to make - mainly just boiling a pot of vegetables, adding some carbs like lentils or potatoes (both white and sweet), a few spices and herbs, plus broth for flavour and protein, in the form of fish, chicken or tofu. None of the soups I make have cream or added salt. I always ensure I use reduced sodium broth and no-salt-added canned tomatoes. Natural sugars from carrots, apple and sweet potato are perfect sweeteners. Some of the soups below are thickened with a cup of almond milk or some cashew cream (blended cashews in water).

When making soup at home, a hand-held stick blender is an essential tool. Once cooled, the soup can be bagged up and frozen for future meals.

Soups

Broccoli and Dill Soup

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Carrot and Coriander Soup

Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup

Chicken and Potato Chili Soup

Indian Spiced Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Kale and Apple Soup

Miso Green Tea and Ginger Tofu Soup

Miso Soup

Moroccan Lentil Chicken Soup

Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

White Bean Soup

Butternut Squash Tart with Hazelnuts

This hearty vegetarian tart has some great textures and flavours: Sweet butternut squash, crunchy hazelnuts, and cheesy nutritional yeast all served on top of a fibrous, nutty pie base.

I like the combination of hazelnuts and butternut squash but I guess cashews or walnuts could also be used as an alternative. Dry roasted hazelnuts can be bought in bulk which saves time, but it's also relatively easy to do at home simply by toasting the hazelnuts in the oven for about 10 minutes at 190C / 375F. Remove shells by rubbing nuts between palms.

Once cooled, individual slices can be wrapped in cling film and frozen for future meals. I've also doubled the ingredients for this dish and made the tart in a 9inch pie dish with a deeper base, and then cut into 8.

Butternut Squash Tart with Hazelnuts
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 13g / 2tbsp flaxseed meal
- 120ml / 4floz water
- 56g / 2oz almonds
- 40g / 1.4oz oats
- 60g / 2oz flour
- 450g / 16oz / 1 small butternut squash, cubed
- 85g / 3oz onion, chopped
- 30g / 1oz hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- 16g / 2tbsp nutritional yeast
- ground black pepper

Method:
Combine flaxseed with water.
Grind almonds in a food processor along with oats and flour. Add the flax mixture and pulse until into a dough. Press the dough into a pie/tart pan lined with parchment.

Bake in the oven at 190C / 375F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Lightly spray the butternut squash cubes with cooking spray and ground a little black pepper (if desired) and then roast in the oven at 200C / 400F for 30 minutes, until tender and golden brown.

Meanwhile, cook the onions in a pan sprayed with cooking spray. Add 1tbsp water to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until onions are browned.

Transfer onions and roasted squash to a large bowl and add hazelnuts, egg, and nutritional yeast. Gently stir to combine, grinding a little black pepper.

Spoon mixture into pie base and pat down gently. Bake in the oven at 200C / 400F for 30-40 minutes, until the filling is hot.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into quarters. Serve with green vegetables. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Beetroot Courgette Brownies

This is a complete mash up of my two brownie recipes:
Beetroot Brownies
Chocolate Courgette / Zucchini Brownies

In the future, I think I'll be tempted to make this version if I can both beetroot and courgettes to hand. It's a perfect mix of gooey chocolaty sweetness, with each brownie giving modest amounts of fats (6.3g from coconut oil) and sugars (5g from honey and dark chocolate) in only 121 calories!

Beetroot Courgette Brownies
Makes 8

Ingredients:
- 85g / 3oz beetroot (I use no added salt canned beets)
- 120g / 4oz courgette, grated
- 40g / 1.4oz oat flour
- 40g / 1.4oz flour
- 20g /4tbsp cocoa powder, natural unsweetened
- 1.5tsp baking powder
- 20g / 1tbsp honey
- 1 egg, beaten
- 30ml / 2tbsp coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 40g / 1.4oz dark chocolate chips or chopped

Method:

• Blend the beetroot in a food processor to make a puree.
• Stir in the grated courgette.
• In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oat flour, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder).
• Add in the wet ingredients (honey, egg, coconut oil, vanilla extract).
• Stir in the beet courgette mixture.
• Finally, stir in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into a loaf tin or 8x8 pan (lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray).
• Cook at 175C / 350F for 20-25 minutes.
• Cool on a wire rack and cut into 8 squares. They should be a little gooey. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Spaghetti Bolognese

This Spaghetti Bolognese recipe is really easy and full of flavour, but does take a good hour to fully prepare and cook. It's a filling meal that uses lean ground meat (protein) and whole grain pasta (carbs and fibre). Plenty of vegetables provide great nutrition and by gently simmering the Bolognese sauce in some broth and red wine, the mince is really tender and delicious.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Makes 5
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 160g / 6oz onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 140g / 5oz carrot, chopped
- 85g / 3oz / 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 160g / 6 oz pepper, chopped
- 412g / 14.5oz diced tomatoes, no salt added

- 560g / 20oz lean ground beef OR turkey (I use 93% lean)

- 480ml / 16floz chicken OR beef broth, reduced sodium

- 150ml / 5floz red wine

- 1tsp thyme, dried

- 1tsp basil, dried

- 280g / 10oz spaghetti (I use whole grain)

- ground black pepper

Method:

In a large pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and pepper for 5 minutes, adding a splash of water when the vegetables begin to stick to base of pan.

Stir in the tomatoes, mince, broth, wine and herbs. Simmer gently for 1 hour, until the meat is tender.

Meanwhile, cook and drain the spaghetti.
Spoon the mince on top and season with black pepper. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

White Bean Soup

A hearty, yet simple soup made with some vegetables, cannellini (white kidney) beans, a can of chopped tomatoes and some broth. Fresh vegetables, no-salt-added canned tomatoes and reduced sodium broth make this soup a healthier alternative to store-bought soups, most of which are packed with sodium. If I had no-salt-added beans, the sodium content would be even lower than the 655mg in each serving below. I guess a little salt adds flavour but the vegetables - especially the sweetness of the carrots and tomatoes together with the large serving of kale - the broth and the beans make this soup perfect for lunch or dinner. What's even better is that it can be made within 30 minutes and doesn't have to be blended, simply cooked in one pot and then spooned into bowls.

Any nutrient dense leafy green vegetable, such as mustard/turnip/collard greens, swiss chard etc. can be used in place of kale. I always have kale in my fridge (along with spinach) so it's my 'go-to' leafy green of choice! However, I may be tempted to try collard greens next time I make this soup.

I used cannellini beans in my Avocado Hummus recipe.

White Bean Soup
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 110g / 4oz onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 85g / 3oz celery, chopped
- 125g / 4.5oz carrot, chopped
- 400g / 14oz / 1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added
- 425g / 15oz / 1 can cannellini (white kidney beans) beans, drained
- 125g / 4.5oz kale, chopped
- 480ml / 16floz chicken broth, reduced sodium
- 480ml / 16floz water
- 1tsp rosemary, dried

Method:
In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion, garlic, celery, carrot for 5 minutes. Add a splash of water if the veg begins to stick to the base of the pan.

Add the tomatoes and beans and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Add the kale, broth, water and rosemary.

Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.
ENJOY!
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Chicken Burgers

The burger recipe below is different from previous recipes as it contains shredded chicken instead of red meat, beans or oats. It still has vegetables mixed into each patty. It also has a tasty strawberry jam sauce which makes a nice alternative to traditional ketchup or tomato paste.

Obviously, any of my home-made burgers aren't going to be as conventional (or perhaps as tasty!) as juicy beef burgers eaten in restaurants - as pictured below.

Nevertheless, the burgers on my blog provide variety:
Black Bean Oat Burgers
Veggie Bean Burgers
Lean Ground Beef Burgers

Chicken Burgers
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
For the sauce
- 56g / 2oz onion, chopped
- 34g / 2tbsp strawberry jam (I use sugar free)
- 7ml / 1/2tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ground black pepper

For the burgers
- 56g / 2oz onion, chopped
- 85g / 3oz carrot, grated
- 150g / 5.5oz courgette, grated
- 225g / 8oz chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 40g / 1.5oz bread crumbs
- 10ml / 2tsp soy sauce, light
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1tbsp parsley, dried

Method:
Using a food processor, chop the onion and then half into two.

For the sauce, in a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the jam, vinegar and black pepper and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

For the burgers, in a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together.

Squeeze any excess liquid from the mixture and form into 4 patties.

Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven at 175C / 350F for 15 minutes, then flipping and cooking for another 10 minutes. Top burgers with strawberry sauce. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information: