Happy Skin Kitchen

This is such an easy and fuss free dessert. I love how simple it is to make and yet so delicious and satisfying. The chocolate mousse has to be my favourite part as it’s so rich, creamy and decadent. I love the contrast between the crunchiness of the crumble and the creamy chia pudding, it’s literally heaven in a mouth! I love topping it with cacao nibs and chocolate cookies for extra indulgence but coconut chips or extra chopped chocolate would be great too!

Ingredients: 

Makes 2 jars/glass

For the chia base:

1/3 cup of chia seeds

¾ cup of almond milk

A dash of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of maple syrup (optional)

For the crumble layer:

½ cup of almond

5 pitted dates

1 tablespoon of cacao powder

For the chocolate & coffee mousse:

¾ cup of cashew soaked for at least 8 hours or overnight

40 gr of good quality dark chocolate – I have used Goodio Coffee Flavoured one

2 tablespoon of strong brewed coffee

2 tablespoon of coconut cream

1/3 cup of almond milk

2 tablespoon of maple syrup

Toppings:

Dark chocolate chunks

Cacao nibs

Some crumbled cookies of your choice

Start by chia pudding. Place the chia seeds into a bowl and add the almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix everything well together, I like to use a whisk to avoid any lumps. Once you have a smooth consistency place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour to thicken up. The chia pudding is ready when is thick and creamy and kid of gloopy consistency.

To make the crumble layer: place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until you have a crumbly and slightly sticky mixture. Leave it onto one side.

To make the mousse: drain and rinse the cashews, place them into a food processor and all the other ingredients. Add the coffee, coconut cream, almond milk, maple syrup (don’t add the chocolate at this point). Blend everything until you have a creamy and smooth consistency. Scoop out about a bit less half of the mixture and place it into a bowl while you are making the chocolate layer. Add the melted chocolate to mixture in the blender and blend again until smooth.

Make sure the other ingredients are room temperature and not straight from the fridge as the melted chocolate might split in reaction to that.

To assemble: place half of chia pudding into each jar/ glass, add the nutty crumble and pour the coffee cream on top follow by the chocolate.

Top with your favourite toppings and enjoy! If you like a thicker consistency you can refrigerate the parfaits (without toppings) for 1 hour.

These cookies have been my latest favourite treat. They are lusciously chocolately but they are also packed with incredible fibre from the oats and ground almond, healthy fats from the flaxseeds and almond butter.  Thanks to the natural sweetness of the banana I have used very little sweetener (use less or more depending on your personal taste) so they are basically the perfect guilt free treat that you can have at any time of the day.

Makes about 8-10 cookies depending on the size

Ingredients:

1 large very ripe banana, mashed well with a fork

2 bars of Goodio Chocolate (80 gr) roughly chopped in chunks

½ cup of smooth and runny almond butter

2 tbsp brown rice syrup or date syrup

2 tbsp of melted coconut oil

A dash of vanilla extract

¾ cup of ground almond

1/3 cup of oat flour

⅓ cup of milled flaxseeds

½ tsp baking powder

Line a large tray with some baking paper.

Start by preheating the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. In a bowl mix together the almond flour, oat flour, milled flaxseeds and baking powder.

In a separate bowl add the almond butter, mashed banana, rice syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract. With a whisk mix everything together breaking down any lumps. You want the mixture to be as smooth and creamy as possible.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Add the chopped chocolate but make sure to reserve few pieces to sprinkle on top of the cookies. Gently mix everything together. Try not too overmix it as it will result in heavier consistency. If the cookie dough is too dry add a splash of almond milk.

Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and place it on the baking tray. With your hands try to shape I into a round cookie shape. Don’t worry if they look very irregular, they will still be delicious!

Bake the cookies in the oven for 20 minutes until the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies cool down in the tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack until they are completely cold. Enjoy!

Store the cookies in a jar for few days.

These ice lollies are literally my favourite summer dessert right now! I still can’t believe how incredibly delicious they are when they are made with only a handful of simple and wholesome ingredients. The maca combined with the hazelnut butter create the most luscious caramel nutty flavour which is just a match made in heaven with the coffee. These ice pops also packed a protein punch thanks to Linwoods Hemp Protein powder which is a blend of hemp protein, flaxseeds, pumpkin powder, Vitamin D, Q10 and Bio cultures.

Ingredients:

2 frozen bananas

2 tablespoon of smooth hazelnut butter

1 tablespoon of maca powder

1 tablespoon of Linwoods Hemp Protein + powder

1 teaspoon of maple or date syrup

A dash of almond milk if your blender or food processor is struggling to blend

About ¼ cup of brewed cold black coffee

Toppings:

About 70 gr of melted good quality dark chocolate

A handful of cacao nibs

To make the ice lollies just add the banana into a blender or food processor and add all the remaining ingredients. Blend for a minute or so until you have a creamy and completely smooth consistency. If your blender is struggle just add in some almond milk.

To assemble the ice lollies: Fill up some ice lolly moulds with about 1 teaspoon each of black coffee  Add a bit of the hazelnut icecream and top with more black coffee (about another teaspoon or less) Repeat the process until the ice lolly mould is filled to the top.

Place the ice lollies to set in the freezer for at least 8 hours or overnight.

To pop the ice lollies out of the mould just place the under some warm water. Drizzle the melted dark chocolate on top and sprinkle with the cacao nibs. The chocolate should harden up straight away. Enjoy!

Store them in the freezer for a couple of weeks.

Pancakes will always be my favourite weekend brunch dish. There is nothing better than a fluffy stack of vanilla pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning. I have created this recipe in collaboration with  Seasonal Berries to celebrate the British’s cherry season which is now in full bloom. If you guys have been following for a while you know how much I love cherries, they are literally nature’s candies! And what’s better than cherries? You guessed it, cherry and chocolate! The chocolate sauce take the whole dish on another new level especially with the addition of coconut yogurt.

For the cherry compote:

150 gr of fresh cherries pitted and cut in half

1 flat tablespoon of chia seeds

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

For the pancakes:

1 cup of flour of your choice – I have used gluten free flour from Dove’s farm

1 cup of soy milk

1/4 cup of apple puree

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Toppings:

1 generous dollop of coconut yogurt

About 40 gr of good quality melted chocolate

½ cup of fresh cherries

Start by making the cherry compote:  Place the cherries in a pan with a splash of water on a medium heat. Cover with the lid and bring it to boil. Once the fruit start to bubble away turn the heat down to a simmer. Add the chia seeds and maple syrup. Cook the jam on a low heat for about 20-25 minutes until it becomes gloopy and thick. Don’t worry if it’s slightly runny when still hot, it will thicken up during cooling process.

To make the pancakes place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until everything is completely smooth and creamy. You should have quite a light and fluffy batter.

Heat up a no stick frying pan or add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil if needed. Spoon in large spoonfuls of pancake batter. Allow to cook on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes until golden brown, then flip and repeat on the other side. Repeat the process until all your pancakes are cooked.

To serve stack the pancakes on a plate and add a generous dollop of coconut yogurt, add some of the cherry compote, drizzle with the melted chocolate and serve with extra fresh cherries.

My love for avocados knows no limit and this chunky quacamole has recently been my latest obsession. I love how the pine nuts add a lovely crunchy texture and the basil and spring onions a summer fresh note.

It’s great on toasted bread or incredibly delicious served with some sweet potatoes wedges or roasted vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 very ripe avocado

2 tablespoon of pine nuts

A generous handful of chopped basil

1 tablespoon of finely chopped spring onions

1 tablespoon of olive oil

½ tablespoon of One Earth Green Goodness blend

Salt & pepper to taste

To serve:

Bread of your choice ( I have used spelt sourdough)

Optional toppings:

More sliced or chopped avocado

Sliced tomatoes

Grilled vegetables ( I love grilled courgettes)

Place the avocado flesh into a bowl and add all the other ingredients, with a fork mash everything down until you have a chunky kind of consistency.

Spread the dip onto toasted bread and top with the toppings of your choice.

These are one of my favourite Summer treat. I just love making my own ice lollies, they are so easy to make, much healthier than the shop bought ones and you can really experiment with different flavour combinations. I love the contrast of the freshness of the mint with the richness of the cacao. For the mint layer I have used avocado and coconut milk which just create the creamiest of the consistency. They are totally delicious as they are but if you want to make extra special you can drizzle them with melted dark chocolate and sprinkle some cacao nibs for an extra crunch.

Ingredients:

For the mint layer:

1 can of full fat coconut milk chilled in the fridge overnight (very important, please don’t skip)

1 very ripe avocado

2 tablespoon of We Are Tea Mint tee

2 tablespoon of rice malt syrup or honey (if you use a darker sweetener like date syrup or dark agave it will result in a not so green colour)

For the chocolate layer:

2 frozen banana

2 tablespoons of coconut yogurt

3 tablespoons of raw cacao

Optional:

About 50 gr of melted dark chocolate to drizzle on top

A handful of cacao nibs for sprinkle

1 tablespoon of liquid sweetener of your choice (optional -I didn’t use any as the bananas were sweet enough for me)

Start by making the mint layer: After the coconut milk has been refrigerated overnight scoop out only the solid part which should be at the top when you open the can. Don’t use the watery part, you can use that in smoothies or curries.

Place the solid coconut milk into a pan on a low-medium heat. Once the milk start to bubble add in the mint tea. Switch off the heat and let the mint tea brew for at least 15-20 minutes until the coconut milk has cooled down a bit.

Place the avocado flesh into a blender or food processor and add the coconut milk and maple syrup. Blend until everything is smooth and creamy (you don’t want any avocado lumps in your ice lollies)

Pour the mixture into some ice lollies mould until they are half full.

To make the chocolate layer: Wash and dry the blender. Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until you have smooth consistency. Pour the chocolate mixture into the ice lolly moulds until full. Tuck in the holding stick and lace them in the freezer overnight until solid.

To pop the lollies out of the mould just place them under some hot water for few minutes. If using drizzle them with the melted dark chocolate and sprinkle some cacao nibs. Enjoy straight away!

If you have been following me for a while you know how much I love cauliflower, especially when is roasted. It’s possibly one of my favourite vegetables and what I love the most is that is so versatile and great for heart warming, filling dinners. Although I am not the biggest fan of raw kale it works really well in this recipe as it gets much softer when massaged with the dressing. I love how the roasted chickpeas add so much texture and crunch.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

For the kale:

3 cups of destemmed and roughly chopped kale of your choice (I have used curly kale)

For the roasted chickpeas

½ can of chickpeas drained and rinsed

a glug of olive oil

1 tablespoon of Love Raw Immunity Boost blend

1 teaspoon of cumin powder

½ teaspoon of curry powder

½ teaspoon of smoked paprika

½ teaspoon of sea salt

Pinch of black pepper

For the cauliflower

½ head of a large cauliflower broke down into florets

A glug of olive oil

1 tablespoon of Love Raw Immunity blend

½ teaspoon of salt

Pinch of black pepper

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons of runny tahini

1 clove of garlic crushed

The juice of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon of miso paste

About 2-3 tablespoons of water to thin it out (use less or more depending on the consistency you like)

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

Start by making the dressing: place all the ingredients into a bowl and with a whisk mix everything together adjusting with water until you reach the desired consistency.

Reserve about 1-2 tablespoon of the dressing for drizzling and pour the rest over the kale and with your hands massaged it for few minutes until the leaves start to wilt slightly.

Cover the bowl and leave the kale salad onto one side while you are preparing the rest.

With a towel pat dry the drained chickpeas and place them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Add the glug of olive oil and all the spices, give the tray a good toss so all the chickpeas get evenly coated in the oil and spices. Place the tray in the oven and bake them for 30 minutes until the chickpeas turn really crispy and crunchy.

Place the cauliflowers florets into a baking tray, toss them with the oil and all the spices. Use your hands to rub the spices onto the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower in the oven and cook it for 25 minutes until the edges start turning golden brown.

To serve the salad: place the kale in a large salad bowl, add the cauliflower florets and the crunchy chickpeas. Drizzle with the extra dressing and enjoy!

This is salad is also great to be enjoyed the next day so store any leftover in an airtight container in the fridge.

These bites are so simple to make and yet so incredible indulgent and satisfying. I love to make a batch of them on a Sunday so I have got plenty of healthy treats for the week ahead. The frosting is by far my favourite part, so rich, creamy and decadent. Who would have guessed it’s only made with 3 ingredients?? I absolutely love the spicy notes of Goodio chilli chocolate and if you want to add an extra kick just sprinkle some dried chili flakes on top.

Ingredients:

For the base:

1 cup of almonds (pecans or cashews will work as well)

1/3 cup of buckwheat groats (optional but will add an amazing crunchy texture)

about 15 pitted medjol dates (if not using medjol you might need more and you might need to soak them in some water for ½ hour)

1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil

2 bars of Goodio Chilli Chocolate – about 80 gr

For the chocolate frosting

15 pitted dates- ( same as for the base)

3 heaped tablespoon of raw cacao powder

2 tablespoons of water

Dried chilli flakes to sprinkle on top (optional)

Start by making the base: in a food processor place the nuts and pulse for about 1 minute until they become a coarse flour. Add the buckwheat groats and pulse again for only few seconds. You still want to have a crunch from them. Add the melted chocolate, coconut oil and the pitted dates and blitz for another minute until you have a sticky dough ( the mixture should be sticky when pressed between your fingers).

Line a brownie tin with a some baking paper. Remove the mixture from the food processor and pour into the baking tin. With your fingers press it down and try to spread it across the tin and evenly as possible. Place it in the freezer to set for at least 1 hour.

To make the date frosting layer: place the pitted dates and raw cacao powder into the food processor.  While the food processor is blitzing add gradually the water.You want to let the food processor works for at least 2-3 minutes to get the mixture a smooth as possible. If you find the mixture is still quite thick and clumpy add more splash of water.  You want to have a creamy and spreadable kind of consistency.

Remove the brownies from the freezer. With a spatula spread the frosting on top of the nutty base. You might want to use your hands as it tends to be quite sticky. Sprinkle the top with chili flakes (if using).

Place the tin back in the freezer for at least another hour. Before serving cut it into slices and enjoy!

Keep them in airtight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 2 weeks.

This is the perfect recipe for summer gatherings or for a lazy Sunday lunch. Although cider is normally used to cook meat it works perfectly well when paired with vegetables too. Especially Wyld Wood cider that only uses organic apples, and is entirely gluten free. If you are concerned about the alcohol content don’t worry as it will all evaporated during the cooking process leaving only lots of flavour.  But if you fancy a little tipple, the cider is delicious to enjoy in a small glass in the sun J The tempeh gets all crispy and it’s so delicious when served with the fresh summer salad and the gooey fondant potatoes.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the cider potatoes:

6 medium floury potatoes

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 garlic cloves, bashed

few sprigs thyme

300ml Wyld Wood Cider

300ml vegetables stock

For the cider tempeh:

1 block of tempeh about 300gr

3 tablespoon of tamari sauce

300ml of Wyld Wood Cider

For the courgette and roasted tomatoes salad:

2 medium size courgettes

1 cup of cherry tomatoes

A handful of rocket

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of dried mix herbs

A generous handful of fresh basil finely chopped

I also like to add about ½ cup of cooked quinoa to the salad but that’s optional

Ideally 3-4 hours before marinate the tempeh. Simple cut the tempeh into 1 cm thick strips, place them in a wide bowl and pour the cider over until they are fully covered. Add the tamari sauce and give it a gentle stir.

Start by roasting the tomatoes. Preheat the oven at 150 degrees Celsius. Slice in half the tomatoes and place them on a baking tray. Drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the mixed herbs, salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for 40-50 minutes until they start to look like sundried tomatoes. Don’t roast them at higher temperatures otherwise they will just get all mushy. Once the tomatoes are cooked leave them onto one side.

While the tomatoes are cooking grilled the courgette. Slice them in thick slices and place them on a griddle pan. Cook them on each side for 2-3 minutes until they have some charred stripes. Cook them in batches and once they are cooked place them into a bowl with the tomatoes. Add the fresh rocket, the quinoa (if using) and the chopped basil. Drizzle some olive oil and season with salt & pepper.

Halfway through cooking the tomatoes start preparing the fondant potatoes. Peel potatoes and trim the two longer sides so potatoes lie flat on both sides. Heat the oil in a frying pan large enough to hold all of the potatoes. When the oil is hot, fry on both sides until dark golden, around 10-15 mins, then add the bashed garlic.

Pour in enough cider and stock to go halfway up the side of the potatoes. Simmer for 20 mins, then turn and cook the other side for 20 mins. Top up with more cider and stock if the liquid evaporates. Transfer to oven for 10 mins at 180 degrees Celsius until cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.

While the potatoes are finishing to cook in the oven start cooking the tempeh. Place a griddle pan on a medium heat. Wait a couple of minutes until it’s really hot. Add the tempeh strips and cook onto each side for 2 minutes. Don’t discard the marinade! After they starting to go slightly crispy add the cider-tamari marinade and cook for roughly 10 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated.

Serve the grilled tempeh with the courgette and tomatoes salad and the cider fondant potatoes.

I absolutely love pesto, is by far one of my favourite pasta sauce. I love playing around with different flavours and ingredients combinations and this one has been my latest obsession. I love using macadamia as they are so buttery and they create the creamiest of the texture. By mixing in some roasted tomatoes and grilled courgettes this dish burst with gorgeous summer noted perfect for lazy al fresco dinners.

Ingredients:

¾ cup of macadamia nuts

A generous handful of fresh basil leaves

1 cup of chopped spring onions tips ( only the green part not the white)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

The juice of 1 lemon (use half if you don’t like too lemony)

1 tablespoon of One Earth Green Goddess

2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

½ clove of garlic

Salt & pepper to taste

Pasta of your choice (I have used brown rice spaghetti)

For the roasted tomatoes & courgette:

1 large courgette

About 2 cups of cherry tomatoes

A splash of olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

To sprinkle on top: dried chilli flakes and hemp seeds (optional)

Place the macadamia in the food processor and blitz until you have a coarse mixture. Add all the other ingredients and blitz again for at least 1 minute until you have a creamy consistency. If you find the pesto too thick add a splash of water or more olive oil.

For the roasted tomatoes: slice the cherry tomatoes in half and place them on a baking tray. Drizzle the tomatoes with some olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 150 degrees celsius for 30 minutes

For the roasted courgette: slice it into thick slices and either place them in baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper and bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes. You can also cook them on a griddle pan, about 2-3 minutes on each sides.

Cook the pasta of your choice according to the cooking instructions. Mix about 2 tablespoon of pesto in each plate and sprinkle with the fresh chopped chives.

Store the leftover pesto in a jar in the fridge for few days.