Articles

Fabulous Protein Pancakes

It’s Shrove Tuesday in the UK aka Pancake Day. I’ll have thin English style pancakes tonight but for breakfast I make these American style pancakes with a healthy twist. These are healthier as they have no flour in at all and are packed with protein. Great for after a workout.

Fabulous Protein Pancakes

Fabulous Protein Pancakes
 
Print
Recipe type: Breakfast, dessert
Instructions
  1. Start by taking one egg per person and separating the yolk from the white putting the yolk in on bowl and the white in another. Careful not to get any yolk or grease in the white else it won't whip
  2. Whisk the egg white with a clean whisk until it forms peaks. It's not critical and you can out the egg in whole but this will make the pancakes lighter so well worth it
  3. Add 4 tbsps of ground almonds to the egg yolk
  4. Add 3 tbsp of non dairy milk and mix well. I used almond milk
  5. Gently fold in the egg whites trying to keep as much of the lightness from the air
  6. I cooked them in coconut oil as I like the taste and it has great health properties
  7. Place two large spoonfuls in a hot pan. When they start to bubble like this its time to turn them over
  8. Cool for a short while longer on the other side
  9. Top with your choice of toppings I went for grated apple with a squeeze of lemon juice. Apples are great for fibre and are a relatively low sugar fruit
  10. And then some berries (also low sugar) and a spoon of Greek yoghurt. If you want less carbs and dairy, have plain with a sprinkle of cocoa, cinnamon and a little natural sweetener if you need. Yum!

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 8, 2015 | Breakfast, Recipes, Treat | No Comments |

Protein Ball Truffles

These are high in calories and good fat so try to only eat 2-3 at a time as a snack before or after a workout.

protein ball truffles

Protein Ball Truffles
 
Print
Recipe type: Snack
Ingredients
  • 10 dates
  • 10 prunes
  • 2 handfuls of lightly roasted hazelnuts
  • 2 tbsps ground almonds
  • 2 tbsps cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 tsps cinnamon
  • 2 tbsps of almond milk
Instructions
  1. In a food processor put 10 dates, 10 prunes, 2 handfuls of lightly roasted hazelnuts, 2 tbsps ground almonds, 2 tbsps cocoa powder, 1 tsp coconut oil, 2 tsps cinnamon and about 2 tbsps of almond milk.
  2. Start by pulsing the food processor and once the mixture is all relatively small turn the food processor on continuously until the mixture will form a ball like in the photo
  3. Roll small pieces in your hands to resemble truffles. If you wise you can dust them in cocoa or chopped hazelnuts.

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 8, 2015 | Recipes, Snack | No Comments |

Cheesy Kale Crisps

Kale is so good for you and I find these a great alternative to potato crisps (chips).

Cheesey Kale Crisps

Cheesy Kale Crisps
 
Print
Recipe type: Snack, Lunch
Ingredients
  • washed kale
  • olive or rapeseed oil
  • 2 tsp nutritional yeast (you can buy this in a health food store and it helps to add a cheesy flavour) black pepper
  • small grating of Parmesan
Instructions
  1. Take some washed kale, chopped into bite sized pieces, with the large stalks removed
  2. Drizzle with olive or rapeseed oil. Add 2 tsp nutritional yeast (you can buy this in a health food store and it helps to add a cheesy flavour) some black pepper and a small grating of Parmesan
  3. Mix well and lay out in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake at 160C until the kale has dried out and becomes crispy. This will take around 10 mins. Enjoy!
  4. Since making this the first time I've found it also works quite well under a medium grill for a few mins. Just don't burn them as they turn quickly!

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 8, 2015 | Lunch, Recipes, Snack | No Comments |

Frozen Grape Sorbet

I love this as a sweet treat after a meal or as a replacement for ice cream.

frozen grape sorbet

Frozen Grape Sorbet
 
Print
Recipe type: Dessert, snack
Ingredients
  • Grapes!
Instructions
  1. Wash some grapes and take them all off the stalks. Place them in the freezer for at least a few hours. (I just leave some in there to have a few when I want them)
  2. Either serve the grapes straight from the freezer whole. The centres go quite slushy so taste like sorbet.
  3. Or to make it even more like sorbet us a hand blender to blend them up (you may need to pop it back in the freezer after)

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 8, 2015 | Recipes, Snack, Treat | No Comments |

Healthier Steak Dinner

I love steak but try to choose leaner proteins the majority of the time. This is great once in a while though!

steak dinner

Healthier Steak Dinner
 
Print
Recipe type: Dinner, Lunch
Ingredients
  • 4 x approx 5oz rib eye steaks
  • Olive oil
  • salt, pepper
  • porcini mushroom powder
  • large tomatoes
  • large mushrooms
  • balsamic vinegar
  • 1tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp low fat cream cheese
Instructions
  1. Start with 4 relatively small steaks. These are about 5oz each. Try to get good quality steak, preferably grass fed. These were from my local butcher and are rib eye.
  2. Drizzle a little oil on each steak and rub in your seasoning. This is salt, pepper and porcini mushroom powder
  3. As these are quite thin steaks I grilled them on a very hot grill for about 1-2 mins in each side until they were medium rare
  4. I also grilled some large tomatoes and mushrooms
  5. To make a sauce for the steak I added a splash of balsamic vinegar, 1tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp tomato purée, 1 tbsp low fat cream cheese and stirred it all together
  6. The sauce should be well mixed and quite thick
  7. Serve with green salad and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 4

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 8, 2015 | Dinner, Lunch, Recipes | No Comments |

Low Fat Hummus

This method of making hummus is basically magic. Every time it amazes me how smooth the hummus is without using loads of oil.

Low fat hummus

Low Fat Hummus
 
Print
Recipe type: Dip, Snack, Lunch
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp oil along
  • slightly bashed garlic clove
  • 1 tin of chickpeas in a food processor and start to blend
  • ice cubes
  • lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp tahini paste (optional and omitting will make it lower fat)
  • Your choice of spices (also optional, I added the cumin, some chilli and some tarator)
Instructions
  1. You an make the hummus plain or put the spices in raw and use no oil but I decided to gently fry about 1 tsp cumin seeds in 1 tsp oil along with a slightly bashed garlic clove
  2. Once the seeds start to darken take them off the heat. The garlic can be thrown away as it will have done its job and flavoured the oil, unless you like your hummus very garlicky.
  3. Put a tin of chickpeas in a food processor and start to blend. Now take some ice 2-3 cubes per tin of chickpeas and add one cube at a time until it melts. This makes the hummus super silky.
  4. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice and 1 tbsp tahini paste (optional and omitting will make it lower fat). Add your choice of spices (also optional). I added the cumin, some chilli and some tarator
  5. Blend one final time and serve. It's good with sticks of celery, cucumber and carrots. You could save back a few chickpeas and cumin seeds to place on the top with a drizzle of oil if you wished

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 3, 2015 | Lunch, Recipes, Snack | No Comments |

Tomato Mackerel on Spinach

This can’t be called cooking more of an assembly job but a great way to get some oily fish and veg as part of a super quick supper if you have no time.

 

Tomato mackerel

 

Tomato Mackerel on Spinach
 
Print
Recipe type: Lunch, Snack
Ingredients
  • large handful of spinach
  • 1 tin of mackerel in tomato sauce
  • tomato purée
  • 3 thin slices of cheese
  • black pepper
Instructions
  1. Put a large handful of spinach into a microwaveable bowl
  2. Take a tin of mackerel in tomato sauce and mix in a squeeze of tomato purée
  3. Top with a few thin slices of cheese (you could miss this out to make it healthier but it does taste nice!)
  4. Microwave for about 2 mins until its hot all of the way through and the cheese has melted. Add a little black pepper and eat
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 3, 2015 | Breakfast, Lunch, Recipes | 1 Comment |

Chocolate Mousse

This is brilliant for a healthy treat if you’re craving dessert or chocolate.

choc mousse

Chocolate Mousse
 
Print
Recipe type: Dessert, Treat
Ingredients
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
  • natural sweetener
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2tbsp water
  • 0% Total Greek yoghurt
Instructions
  1. Take one ripe avocado and remove the stone (I know this seems strange but keep with me). Scrape it into a jug.
  2. Add 1.5 tbsp cocoa powder, your favourite natural sweetener, a tsp cinnamon and 2tbsp water. Next time I'd use boiling water and make a cocoa paste before adding to make it smoother
  3. Blend until smooth and serve in glasses with a small dollop of 0% Total Greek yoghurt and a sprinkling of cinnamon
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 3, 2015 | Recipes, Treat | No Comments |

Thai Green Curry

I make this healthier by serving it with steamed greens rather than rice.

thai green curry

 

 

Thai Green Curry
 
Print
Ingredients
  • 1 red or green chilli
  • beans
  • carrot
  • aubergine (eggplant)
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 3 torn kaffir lime leaves
  • ¼ of a chicken stock
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 2 tbsps of green thai curry paste (you can either buy it or find good recipes on the internet to make your own)
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • thai basil leaves
Instructions
  1. Get ingredients ready. Slice a red or green chilli, slice some beans, carrot and aubergine (eggplant), slice two chicken breasts. About 3 torn kaffir lime leaves and ¼ of a chicken stock cube
  2. Put one can of coconut milk and 2 tbsps of green thai curry paste (you can either buy it or find good recipes on the internet to make your own) in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 mins.
  3. Add the chicken and carrot and simmer for another 2 mins
  4. Add the aubergine and chilli
  5. Add the stock cube, beans and kaffir lime leaves along with 1 tsp fish sauce and 1 tsp soy sauce. Simmer until the chicken is cooked and serve immediately.
  6. Serve topped with torn thai basil leaves (you can also stir a few through if you like)

 

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 3, 2015 | Dinner, Lunch, Recipes | No Comments |

Steamed Asian Green Beans

This is great served with my Thai green chicken curry in place of rice. No steamer needed! I originally got the idea of steaming veg this way from Jamie Oliver.

steamed greens

Steamed Asian Green Beans
 
Print
Recipe type: Side, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
  • Your choice of greens (I used tenderstem broccoli and asparagus)
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • squeeze of lime juice
  • pinch of chilli powder
Instructions
  1. You can choose any greens but I started by placing some Tenderstem broccoli in a colander over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the bottom doesn't touch the water. This is your 'steamer'
  2. Tightly wrap the colander in tin foil to trap in all of the steam and allow the simmering water beneath to steam the veg. Leave for about 3 mins
  3. Add any greens which take less time to cook such as asparagus and put the tin foil back on to trap in the steam. Leave to cook for another 3 mins
  4. Meanwhile mix up a dressing of 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil and a squeeze of lime juice. Add a pinch of chilli powder if you'd like a bit of a kick. Toss the cooked hot veg in the dressing
  5. Serve immediately
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 3, 2015 | Dinner, Lunch, Recipes | No Comments |