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Foil Baked Oranges

This is great for dessert when you are trying to be healthy but want something after dinner.

Foil baked oranges

Foil Baked Oranges
 
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Recipe type: Dessert, Snack
Ingredients
  • 1 orange in half
  • Your choice of spices (I used cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger)
  • cloves
Instructions
  1. Cut an orange in half. I baked it with the skin on which did give a slightly marmalade like bitter flavour from the pith. I might try with the skin off next time
  2. Sprinkle the cut side with your choice of spices. I used cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger
  3. Stud the outside with cloves if you are leaving the skin on. Wrap the orange in foil and bake in the oven at 180C until soft. Approx 30 mins
  4. Enjoy! If you want any extra sweetness drizzle with your favourite natural sweetener.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1

 

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

Veggie Scrambled Eggs

You can vary this with you favourite fillings whether veg, cooked meat or cheese.

 

veggie eggs

Veggie Scrambled Eggs
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Ingredients
  • mushrooms
  • oil
  • chopped spinach
  • salt and pepper
  • garlic
  • thyme
  • 2 eggs
Instructions
  1. In a pan fry some mushrooms in a little oil until quite brown, add plenty of chopped spinach and seasoning. As this was a late breakfast after the gym I also added garlic, thyme and balsamic vinegar.
  2. Add your eggs. I used one whole egg and two egg whites. Turn the heat right down and stir constantly until the egg is cooked
  3. Quick and healthy breakfast full of protein and veg to get the day off to a good start.

 

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

Eggs with Oatmeal Tomato

A healthier alternative to a cooked breakfast. You could also add some mushrooms to have another vegetable.

eggs oatmeal tomato

Eggs with Oatmeal Tomato
 
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Cuisine: Breakfast, Snack, Lunch
Ingredients
  • Good quality dry cure bacon
  • 1 can of tomatoes
  • tomato purée
  • a splash of balsamic
  • ½ a stock cube
  • 1 crushed clove of garlic
  • 1 handful of medium oatmeal
  • 1 egg
Instructions
  1. Start by grilling some good quality dry cure bacon. This will be the base rather than toast.
  2. While the bacon cooks put a can of tomatoes in a pan with a squeeze of tomato purée, a splash of balsamic, ½ a stock cube, seasoning and one crushed clove of garlic
  3. Boil until thick and add a handful of medium oatmeal. Allow to cook for a few minutes and then turn off the heat and leave to thicken. You could also add chopped spinach for another veg
  4. Poach an egg and serve by layering up the bacon and tomato mixture and topping with the egg and some black pepper.

 

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

Healthier Roast Dinner

Being British Sunday’s are synonymous with Roast Dinner but they can end up rather unhealthy. Here I’ve tried to keep the flavour and essence of a roast with less carbs, more veg and less fat.

 

Roast Dinner

Healthier Roast Dinner
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 roughly chopped onions
  • carrots
  • sticks of celery
  • rosemary and thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cloves of garlic (skin on)
  • 1 good quality leg or shoulder of lamb
  • 2 tsp corn flour
  • Celeriac
  • Greens (I chose finely shredded cabbage)
  • mint mixed
  • vinegar
Instructions
  1. Start by placing 2 roughly chopped onions, carrots and sticks of celery in a toasty tray. Add several sprigs of rosemary and thyme, a couple of bay leaves and a couple of cloves of garlic (skin on)
  2. Add a good quality leg or shoulder of lamb, season, drizzle with olive oil and top with more rosemary and thyme (you can also cut pockets in the meat and stuff with the herbs and slices of garlic)
  3. Add a wine glass full of water and roast at 170C (150C fan oven) for 5-6 hours to make the meat really soft and tender. Remove the meat from the pan and wrap in foil to rest
  4. To make gravy pour off almost all if the fat and meat juices into a jug
  5. Put the meat juices and fat somewhere cold and the fat will go to the top and set. It can then be scraped off and discarded
  6. Put the tin on a hob and using a potato masher mash all of the veg up. Add 2 tsp corn flour and about ½ pint of water. Bring to the boil and allow to thicken
  7. Strain the gravy through a sieve
  8. Pour into a bowl
  9. Add the meat juices minus the fat and you'll end up with a lovely rich gravy no stock cubes or granules needed.
  10. While the meat is cooking prepare some root veg for roasting. These are instead of potatoes. Roughly chop them into cubes. These are carrots, celeriac and onion.
  11. Drizzle a little oil on and roast in the oven for 45-60 mins
  12. Steam some greens. I chose finely shredded cabbage and cook until tender
  13. Serve with some mint sauce (mint mixed with vinegar, normally it also has sugar added but I left this out). Delicious!

 

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

Healthier Fruit Crumble

After a Sunday lunch I love a traditional fruit crumble. This is a great substitute which is a lot healthier.

healthy fruit crumble

 

Healthier Fruit Crumble
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • Fruit of your choice (I chose blackberries and apples)
  • I also added 4 finely chopped prunes for sweetness or you could use a natural sweetener
  • 3 handfuls of oats
  • some bran
  • flaked almonds
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract and mixed well
Instructions
  1. Start by placing your fruit in the bottom of an oven bowl dish. I chose blackberries and apples
  2. I also added 4 finely chopped prunes for sweetness or you could use a natural sweetener
  3. I mixed 3 handfuls of oats to avoid using flour and added some bran for additional fibre
  4. Added flaked almonds, an egg, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mixed well. No butter needed with the egg. Just egg white could be used to reduce the fat further
  5. Place the oat mixture on top of the fruit and bake at 180C (160C fan oven) for 30-40 mins
  6. Serve with Greek yoghurt instead of custard or plain frozen yoghurt instead of ice cream.

 

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

Sweet Scrambled Egg

Now this was a random idea I tried out but crazily works. A way to have lots of protein and little sugar when you are fed up of savoury breakfasts every day. Think French toast or chai flavours.

sweet scrambled egg

Sweet Scrambled Egg
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • Coconut oil
  • 2 tbsps of ground almonds (ground almonds optional, they add a different texture)
  • Your choice of spices (I used cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and vanilla)
  • 1 small handful of flaked almonds
  • 1 orange zest
Instructions
  1. Start by mixing one egg with two egg whites and a splash of milk. You can use whole eggs if you prefer
  2. Add a little coconut oil to a pan (olive would work fine too) and turn the heat down very low. Add the egg and 2 tbsps of ground almonds (ground almonds optional, they add a different texture)
  3. Add your choice of spices. I had cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and vanilla. Plus added a small handful of flaked almonds
  4. Keep moving the eggs around and stirring to make them form scrambled eggs. Whilst they are still slightly runny remove from the heat as they keep cooking. Add orange zest.
  5. Serve with berries and if you need your favourite natural sweetener. I find them sweet enough as they are.
  6. An alternative is to make them chocolate flavoured. This chocolate breakfast cereal. To the egg and milk mixture add a tbsp of cocoa powder, a tsp of cinnamon and some orange zest. Mix well
  7. Scramble in the same way as previously. I left out the nuts but you could include them.
  8. Serve with a sprinkling of cocoa powder and cinnamon and some extra orange zest

 

By theschoolofbalance | December 3, 2015 | Breakfast, Recipes | 5 Comments |

Healthier Veg in Cheese Sauce

For this one think of it as a healthier substitute for cauliflower cheese or macaroni and cheese. It has lots of flavour but less fat, less refined carb and more veg.

 

Veg in cheese sauce

Healthier Veg in Cheese Sauce
 
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Recipe type: Dinner, Side, Lunch
Ingredients
  • Your choice of veg (this is cauliflower, broccoli, leeks, celery, kale and carrots)
  • 1 carton of cottage cheese
  • ½ a cup of skimmed milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp corn flour
  • 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
  • Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Roughly chop your choice of veg This is cauliflower, broccoli, leeks, celery, kale and carrots. Boil until soft, around 10 mins. Add the broccoli after the rest as it will take less time to cook.
  2. Strain the veg and put to one side
  3. Make the healthy version of a cheese sauce by mixing one carton of cottage cheese with ½ a cup of skimmed milk, one egg white, 1 tsp corn flour and a tsp of Dijon mustard. Blend to a smooth texture
  4. Layer the veg with the cheese sauce and top with some Parmesan cheese. Parmesan is good as it is strong so you don't need as much as some cheeses
  5. Bake in the oven at 180C for about 20 mins until the top is golden brown. The cottage cheese mixture does split slightly in the heat but the flavour is still good.
  6. Enjoy!

 

 

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

Sign Up for Your Alternative Advent Calendar

If you love Christmas as much as I do, don’t miss The Alternative Advent Calendar delivered right to your inbox everyday until Christmas. It starts on the 1st December 2015 so sign up now…

Once you sign up you will receive an email immediately. Simply click on the link to confirm and your advent will start from the 1st. If you don’t receive the email check your junk or try signing up again.

 

By theschoolofbalance | November 27, 2015 | Uncategorized | 6 Comments |

Lamb Tava Bake

This is a great way to use up leftover lamb. It is based on a Cypriot dish and takes very little preparation. If you you have no leftover lamb sear cubes of lamb in a frying pan instead.

Lamb Tava Bake

Lamb Tava Bake
 
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Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Cypriot
Ingredients
  • 1 tin of butter beans
  • torn up roast lamb (fat removed)
  • 1 red onion cut into wedges
  • 2 garlic cloves (skin left on)
  • sprinkling if oregano
  • 1 tbsp of tomato purée with a beef stock cube (I use kallo organic as it has no MSG in)
  • ½ a pint boiling water
  • Add tomatoes cut into wedges
Instructions
  1. In the bottom of an oven proof dish place a tin of butter beans and some torn up roast lamb (fat removed)
  2. Add a red onion cut into wedges and two garlic cloves (skin left on) plus a generous sprinkling if oregano
  3. In a small bowl mix 1 tbsp of tomato purée with a beef stock cube (I use kallo organic as it has no MSG in)
  4. Mix with boiling water, approx ½ a pint
  5. Pour over the lamb mixture. Cover in foil and bake at 170C for about 40 mins.
  6. Add a tomatoes cut into wedges and a little more water if necessary and return for 30 mins
  7. Serve with green veg or a green salad. Sprinkle the lamb with a little feta if desired

 

By theschoolofbalance | November 26, 2015 | Dinner, Recipes | No Comments |

Almond Milk

I normally buy unsweetened almond milk but don’t like it warmed up so decided to try making my own and it is really easy and really tasty!

Almond milk

Almond Milk
 
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Recipe type: Snack, Breakfast
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of almonds
  • Water
Instructions
  1. Start by taking one cup of almonds
  2. Put in a bowl with enough water to cover them and soak overnight
  3. See the difference after they are soaked! Drain the almonds, throw away the soaking water and give them a rinse
  4. Put them in a blender with 3-6 cups of water depending on how creamy you want it. I used 4 which seems perfect for me. Blend on a high speed for a few mins until its well blended.
  5. Now you can buy nut bags or use a cheese cloth but I placed a sieve over a bowl and used a clean tea cloth. You can let it drip though or gather up the cloth and squeeze it through
  6. Pour into an airtight bottle or jug. I poured it back into the blended as it was easier to pour from the jug than a bowl. Keep refrigerated. Yum!
  7. In the cloth you'll have left over pulp. Don't throw it away. You can use it in shakes, puddings, baking etc
  8. I parcelled mine up and put it I'm the freezer

 

By theschoolofbalance | November 26, 2015 | Breakfast, Recipes, Snack | No Comments |