Shooz Does Healthy Dessert

It might be hard to believe, but I've found a healthy and delicious mid-week dessert (the weekend should should be all about splurge). It came from a quick perusal of the fridge and cupboards, the beauty of this is, you can use what you have in your own cupboards.

The finished product, ticked everything on my "healthy dessert" checklist:

• Tasty
• Sweet  
• Filling
• Crunchy (a la MasterChef)
  ...and when on the table could pass for dessert without people screwing up their faces!

 So with a resounding yes (from the voices in my head) I give you... 

BERRY-HEALTHY TRIFLE.

Ingredients:

• Strawberry yoghurt (I use Barambah Organic)
• 4 x strawberries, sliced
• 1 tbs pumpkin seeds
• handful hazelnuts and almonds, chopped

Method:

1. Use a glass cup (I used Bodum), so you can see the layers & it looks great. 
2. Start with the yoghurt for the first layer, depending on the size of the glass, roughly 1 tbs will do. 
3. Cover the first layer of yoghurt with a few strawberry slices.
4. Sprinkle the nut & seeds over the strawberries. 
5. Add another layer of sliced strawberries. 
6. Repeat starting with the yoghurt again and finish with the remainder of the nut & seed mix. 

* You can use a variety of fruits, nuts and seeds. Depending on the season & your preferences. 

A sweet treat with NO GUILT, what more could you ask for?

SOUP NIGHT

IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

The office has been freezing - with layers upon layers, I still can't feel my feet - so tonight I'm thinking it's a soup kinda' night. I found a great website, Oh She Glows, I fell in love with a soup recipe and tried it out on my in-laws, with a few Shooz changes. It was a HIT!

You know the feeling when you've come home, the heater is on (if you have a real fireplace at home, totally JEAL!), the UGGs are on, and it doesn't matter that it's cold outside - yep that's it, that's the feeling you get when you eat the soup! 

Plus the quinoa adds great flavour and also super-healthy! 

WINTER WARMING SOUP.

Ingredients: 

• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup red quinoa, uncooked (if red is unavailable, use regular quinoa)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, boiled
• 4 cups water, boiled
• One can diced tomatoes
• One can black beans, rinsed & drained (if you can't get black beans, fava beans, kidney beans, or butter beans will work too)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Pinch or two of cinnamon
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves, well rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt flakes, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the chopped sweet onion and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the chopped carrots, chopped zucchini, and minced garlic, and continue to sauté for about 5-7 minutes.
2. Boil the stock and water in another pot (if you don't have time to pre-boil, just add it at room temperature and cook the soup for an extra 10mins).  
3. Add stock mixture, tomatoes, red quinoa, black beans, and spices & seasonings. 
4. Bring to a boil and then simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Add the roughly chopped spinach, stir well, and cover. Simmer on low for about 15-35 minutes. 
6. The longer you cook it the more the flavours will develop. Taste test and adjust seasonings if necessary. 

*I also have a feeling this soup will be even better the next day!

Stay warm. Love Shooz xx 

SHOOZ & THE ANTIPASTO PLANK

So shock horror, I love MasterChef - I know, I keep on surprising - but my love deepened when my favourite chef, Jamie Oliver was a guest chef.

I mean who doesn't love Jamie Oliver? He speaks as fast as he chops, and the end result is sophisticated but relatively easy to recreate! And that's what I like to do! So after watching MasterChef - I set myself the challenge.

Hint: The challenge was this: the three girls up for immunity had 45 minutes to create there own "Antipasto Plank" - Jamie Oliver's life changed for the better when he came up with his own plank - the pro (Jamie) had 30 minutes. Let the FUN begin! No surprise, Jamie's antipasto won-over the judges hearts.

Yep that's it!

Ever since - I can't stop thinking about it. So I set myself the challenge, the Shooz Antipasto Plank. And yes, I did it in under 45 minutes, and was a great dinner. A little much for just me, but there was plenty of leftovers for hubby and I for lunch, conciliation prize!

I hope you like it...

  

ANTIPASTO:

2 x pieces of toast 

Hummus, topped with Harrisa and good olive oil

Tahina, topped with sesame seeds and cracked pepper

ROAST TOMATOES: 

Tomatoes (still on the vine), placed on a lined baking tray, seasoned with salt and pepper. place in the oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool down and place on a bed of crumbled feta. 

BLACK BEAN & AVO SALAD:

Drain and rinse a can of black beans, and place into a bowl. Cut one avocado and throw into the bowl. Top with chopped shallots, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Finish with a sprinkle of coriander.

GREEN VEGGIE DELIGHT:

In a medium size pot, cook a teaspoon of garlic, add chopped asparagus & broccolini (chilli optional), squeeze in half a lemon and cook for 5 minutes with a lid on. Serve on a bed of baby spinach leaves and finish with toasted pine nuts on top. 

I think this will be the first of many planks! 

Be sure to comment if you tried it yourself or need a hand. 

Love Shooz xx