All About My LEMONS!!

health organic fruit
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Lemons clean everything! It's the greatest disinfectant" - Sandra Bullock
Let me tell you Sandra Bullock never lied!
 Have you ever cleaned your house with fresh lemon juice before? Or had a cup of warm water with a few slices of lemon for breakfast? My goodness! 
Lemons are those things that just solve everything and has a use for everything. I mean what can't you use lemons for? 
So because I love lemons so much I thought id share how we use lemons in my household.
My Husband:
My husband makes the meanest fresh lemonade on the weekends. It involves 6 lemons filtered water and honey.Oh and a secret ingredient that I'm yet to figure out! All I know is it tastes top notch! 
He also uses lemons to wash our microwave. Now I didn't know this but did you know if you place a few sliced lemons and a bit of lemon zest in a container with water in your microwave for about 5-10 minutes it removes most of the grease and dirt? Yep it really works not only that your microwave smells of lemons. Amazing right? 
My Daughters:
My youngest little one is almost 9 months now so she is yet to discover the amazing uses of lemons but ill tell you something a slice of lemon keeps her quiet for about 2 minutes! She loves them! whenever I cook with them she ends up with one in her mouth. Now my other little one who isn't so little any more is 5 going on 15 and she's another fan of licking lemons, (weird right? I know I thought the same thing) not only does she help her dad make lemonade on the weekends she stops us from throwing them away so she can use them for her artwork. she dips them in paint and creates a lovely masterpiece! 
Then There's Me!
Gosh what don't I use lemons for? I clean with them by either putting a few drops of lemon juice on to a cloth after emptying out my fridge and do a quick wipe over to get rid of all those bad odours. Or during the winter especially I add lemon peels cinnamon sticks and apple skins to some water place it on my stove and leave to simmer... The house smells divine!!!
I use it to wash my chicken meat fish and vegetables. It serves as a disinfectant when you've cut yourself etc. Mix lemon juice honey and coconut oil in a bowl ad use as a face scrub. Look I use lemons for everything but my most important use for lemons is making lemon water in the mornings. I never go without it and let me tell you why.
  • One slice of lemon in warm water is just one calorie! One! 
  • It's a great source of vitamin C so it protects the body from any deficiencies in the immune system.
  • It helps maintain the PH levels in the body.
  • It flushes out all unwanted toxins in the body.
  • It helps reduce pain and inflammation of the joints which is so beneficial to me as I suffer from bad knees.
  • It helps prevent and diminish acne. rub a lemon on your spots before bed or dab some lemon juice on a cotton wool and wipe your face.
  • The potassium helps nourish the brain cells
  • It aids digestion
And there you have it. The main reasons why I love lemon water and lemons.
So make it a point of drinking a cup of warm lemon water every morning or just before bed.
REMEMBER! To rinse your mouth out with water after consuming lemons as when they are not diluted they can ruin the enamel on your teeth.







garlic and honey salmon fillets fried in coconut oil served with curly leaf kale.

simple healthy dinner

I remember when I was a little girl getting me to eat any type of fish was the biggest battle ever! I hated it, it had this horrible smell and they all just looked ugly and scary! Now I eat it twice a week without fail. Salmon is on my top list of the nicest fish iv eaten so far, I mean its not as nice as cod or haddock but I enjoy it enough to want to eat it again. It's also reasonably cheap which is a bonus for me. I personally prefer salmon fillets to smoked salmon or salmon steak but my husband and daughter seem to like smoked more, not sure why though, or maybe because they put it in a grilled bagel topped with cream cheese mushrooms and chives. Whatever the reason salmon fillets triumph smoked but a long shot!!

Anyway, like all my other recipes this is easy and quick to make and is a perfect meal for the family, babies included. But first id like to share the health benefits to the two most important ingredients in this meal.

Health Benefits:
Salmon- Salmon is an oily fish and is generally considered as a super food, simply because the health benefits are amazing.  It has a high source of protein vitamins and minerals such as potassium and vitamin B12 as well as containing omega-3 fatty acids which contribute to the functioning of the brain and heart. Scientists have proven that salmon can also help lower the risk of cancer and diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma. It even helps brain development in unborn children!!
Kale- Gosh where do I begin. Kale is truly just truly amazing! honestly no other green veg comes close! not even spinach! The health benefits are incredible and endless but I'll just name a few.
Not only does it help maintain that healthy glow on your face and body because it is an antioxidant it also helps maintain your hair and nails. Kale is also beneficial because it aids digestion and maintains healthy bones. It lowers the risk of diabetes. high blood pressure and cancer. Kale is known to be high in lutein and Zeaxanthin which are powerful nutrients that not only help protect the eyes, especially in older people, but it helps lower the risk of macular degeneration.


Recipe


Yields 4 prep time 5-10 mins cook time 25 mins

You will need

200g curly kale
300g cooked basmati rice
4 salmon fillets skin on 1 inch thick
3 garlic gloves crushed
5 tbspns manuka honey
6 tbspns coconut oil
1 tspn seas salt
2 tspn cracked black pepper
1 onion diced finely
half a sweet pepper chopped


Method 
Wash and drain kale then set aside
 Clean and de scale salmon remembering to leave the skin on then place on a plate or foil and rub in the salt and pepper.
In a separate bowl mix together your garlic honey and pour generously over the salmon and allow to marinade for about 5 or 6 minutes.
Using your griddle pan add 2 tbspns of coconut oil sautee the onions and peppers on a medium high heat until the onions become soft then set aside.
Using the same griddle pan on a medium high heat add the remaining coconut oil and salmon fillets skin side down allowing to cook for 5 minutes then flip and allow to cook for a further 5-6 minutes.
serve salmon on a bed of basmati rice with chopped onions, peppers and kale.







Fluffy pancakes with a hazelnut and coconut sauce.

desserts breakfast
American pancakes with a warm hazelnut sauce.

This is one of the most tastiest foods I have made yet! The pancakes are fluffy the chocolate sauce is warm and crunchy. Everything just goes together perfectly..It truly is delicious!
Now usually a lot of people have pancakes for breakfast but in my household we eat it whenever just because well we can. so this is more like a dessert to us and this is why the sauce goes so well with the pancakes.Obviously if you wanted to have it for breakfast you can or you could just scrap the chocolate sauce for another time and have plain pancakes, whatever your preference you wont be disappointed I promise you. 
The pancake recipe is my own however I got the idea of a chocolate sauce from Theroastedroot.net but tweaked it to make it more of my own.


Vanilla pancakes with a warm hazelnut sauce

yields 6-8 prep time 10mins cook time 20mins
                                   
You will need;

For the pancakes;
2 eggs
200g self raising flour
1tsp baking powder 
4tsp vanilla essence
1/4tsp sea salt
3tbsp caster sugar 
100g melted butter (allowed to cool slightly)
150g full fat milk 
1tbsp maple syrup

For the hazelnut sauce;
50g green&blacks dark chocolate
100g cocoa powder 
1tbsp vanilla essence
1tbsp maple syrup
150g of chopped hazelnut 
1 can of coconut milk 

 Method
To make the pancakes add all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix until fully incorporated, add the vanilla essence and maple syrup and mix.
In a separate bowl crack the eggs whisk and mix in with the dry ingredients.
Add your butter but make sure it has cooled to prevent your mixture curdling.
Finally pour in the milk then fold until you have a thick mixture. (I personally like using a silicone spatula as opposed to a whisk to fold in my mixture.)
add 1tbsp of butter to a frying pan over medium to low heat then add your pancake mix depending on how big or small you want your pancake to be.
fry each side for about 30 seconds to a minute just until its a golden brown colour and remove.

To make the hazelnut sauce add all the listed ingredients in a small pot and let simmer for 3 minutes on a low heat. Remove from fire and generously pour over pancakes.
            Top with crushed hazelnuts. 










Hadiya's Date And Caramel Cake!

dessert easy recipes


Warm caramel sauce over a lovely soft date cake.

It was just before the beginning of Ramadan when my husband came home one day with a few boxes of Medjool dates. Me being a lover of dates I decided I wanted to bake a cake and incorporate dates in the recipe. so I opened my laptop and began to search for how to make a date cake. I finally came across a site that I liked and decided to test it out.. it was terrible! Anyway after a few attempts
adding my own my style to it I got it right!  

I personally use Medjool dates because I find them to be darker in colour as well as stickier and richer in taste. You can find them in your local butchers, however if you cant find them any other dates will do.



RECIPE;
Yields 6-8  Prep Time 20mins  Cooking Time 45mins

You'll Need

350g medjool dates (pitted and chopped finely)
2 cups of boiling water
2 teaspoons of bicarb
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
150g of butter at room temp
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (no specific brand or type)
2 eggs at room temp
2 1/2 cups of self raising flour

For the caramel sauce I advise making it from scratch. There is a big difference in taste between shop bought and home made and tbh Home made wins every time. but if like me and you don't always have the time to make it from scratch CARNATION CARAMEL SAUCE is ok. 
                                                
                       You will need
65g of butter (cut into small chunks at room temp)
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup (350ml) of extra thick double cream
1 cup of brown sugar
                   
Method
  • preheat your oven to 180 degrees (Gas mark 4 /350 degrees Fahrenheit) then grease and line an 8 inch pan with baking paper.
  •  place your dates and bicarbonate of soda in a heatproof bowl or pan and cover with water. Allow to stand for 20-25 minutes.
  • In a separate bowl beat your vanilla sugar and butter until fluffy then one at a time add in your eggs. if you don't have an electric mixer use a whisk.
  • once your dates are tender pour in the dates along with the hot water into the butter mix bowl whisking gently.
  • finally add in your flour and fold gently creating a smooth somewhat thick consistency.
  • pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes or until you insert a toothpick or knife in the centre of the cake and it come out clean.
Leave to stand for 10 minutes transfer until a wire rack or plate, then add your warm caramel sauce (combine remaining ingredients into a pot over medium to low heat and stir for 2-3 minutes. reduce heat to the lowest setting and allow to lightly simmer)

       AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!



Lemon and cinnamon chia seed "summer" pudding.

desserts summer pudding healthy

chia seed pudding topped with frozen pineapples grapes and dates.
This recipe has been sightly adapted from thewanderingeater.com

I originally bought a packet of chia seeds so I can add them to my home made seed bread but iv been extremely lazy and never got round to it. Anyway today I woke up craving mousse! of all things to crave mousse was on my mind, but as I am on the path to healthier eating I thought I better not. so I hit Google and found chia seed pudding to be a good alternative. A lot of sites compared this pudding to tapioca which I absolutely hate but my husband loves it so I'm forced to see it in my cupboards everyday!

Now the thing I like the most about this pudding is that its not like tapioca! its better by far! its soft gooey and crunchy in the middle.

I did a few adjustments on the original recipe from Thewanderingeater.com such as omitting the salt and replacing honey with cinnamon.



Recipe

You'll Need..

31/2 cups of almond milk
100g of chia seeds
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1/2 cup of chopped and pitted dates  more for garnishing (I use medjool dates
100ml of boiling water
1/4 cup of mixed fruit (pineapples and grapes)
                   
Method
  •  Soak your dates in hot water until soft
  • In a blender blend the almond milk lemon zest and cinnamon for about 20 seconds until combined
  • Remove your dates from the water and place in the blender with the almond milk etc blend for another 30 seconds.
  • Add your chia seeds then shake until fully combined
  • Leave in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight until it becomes pudding like.
  • Pour into a cup or bowl and top with fruit and remaining dates.
Store leftover pudding in the fridge.
                          ENJOY!