Annie's Hungry: 2013

Tuesday, 31 December 2013

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup with Chilli and Sage

A very Happy (almost) New Year to you all!
I know, I know - we still have roughly 10 hours until 2014 is officially upon us, but it's always better to be early than late, right?

Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Biscuit Crust and Pecans

I think I'm turning a little orange from all this pumpkin I've been eating recently, or maybe I've just been using too much bronzer… either way, there have been pumpkins a plenty and I don't seem to be stopping.

I made these Ginger Biscuits to use for the crust of my Pumpkin Pie, but found that they were just as good on their own.

Spiced Pumpkin Loaf

A loaf isn't like a cake, well I mean it actually really is, but we all like to believe that a loaf is a cakes healthier little sister, don't we?

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Cake with Nutella Frosting

Last week, Jess's birthday came around once more, so I attempted to outdo my efforts from last year and make another over-the-top cake.

Salted Hazelnut and Chocolate Cookies

Cookies and brownies seem to have pride of place on my little slice of the internet over here. I am always striving to create the perfect one.

How many times have I had that moment, that incredible split second when the first bite is taken and I think that I've finally done it? More times than I'd like to admit.

Hazelnut Butter

Hazelnut Butter is the most recent of home made my nut butter ventures. I'm not too sure why it hadn't occurred to me before to make it as it's so damn good. The heavenly smell of the nuts toasting in the oven is reason enough to make it, as well as using it to add delicious flavour to lots of recipes!If I still haven't tempted you...add a little cocoa powder and you've even got your very own Nutella.

Nutella Swirl Rolo Blondies

I've been meaning to put this little gem up for a while now, it's been sitting pretty as a draft for far too long.

Frosted Brownies

September. What a tease.

Shows us a few days of sunshine only to snatch them away and replace them with endless mornings of waking to the grey misery that is autumn. There are no crunching leaves and crisp, cool nights. No - it's raining, it's cold and I'm going to be blunt - Summer is over for another year.

Peanut Butter Caramel Shortbreads

Loyal little readers who have been with me since the beginning of this bloggin' thing (all 1 year, 1 month and 3 days of it) will remember my very first recipe - Millionaire Shortbread.

As I called it at the time, the recipe is an oldie, but a very goodie. Of course this still remains the case. My Millionaire Shortbreads are pretty faultless (if I do say so myself) and will always hold the nostalgia of my childhood, but I may have committed a certain sacrilege and reworked the recipe ever so slightly...

Peanut Butter Swirl Nutty Brownies

I've been a terrible blogger recently, I even missed my poor little blogs 1st birthday!

I could rattle off a list of weak excuses, or I could just go ahead and give you my new favourite brownie recipe.

I promise it's a good'un.

Bounty Ice Cream

The combination of chocolate and ice cream will always make me think of a Bounty bar. Freeze a Bounty and the end result will pretty much be this ice cream, but without any of the guilt. The recipe includes no lactose/dairy or eggs and little sugar, you can even cut the sugar content down further depending on how sweet you want the ice cream to be.

One of the main things I miss about avoiding eating dairy as much as possible is my old pal ice cream. From time to time I do still give in to the call of a tub of Ben and Jerry's sitting in the freezer, but this "Bounty" ice cream is making it all just a little bit easier.

Pretzels

You know in shopping centres how there's always some little pretzel shop and if you walk past at the right time of day they hand out some free tasters? My friends and I are the ones that not so subtly walk in loops a few times to pass them more than once because we're greedy and those pretzels are damn good.

Shake Shack

After work on Saturday me and Millie wandered over to Covent Garden to check out the newly opened Shake Shack. I've been hearing very good things about this place for a long time and have been eagerly anticipating the opening of it's first UK store.

It had been one of the hottest days of the year, it was 9pm on a Saturday and the place only opened last week so of course there was going to be a queue. Our (very hungry) stomachs dropped a little bit when we first set eyes on just how long the queue was but it moved surprisingly quickly and we were sitting down with our food within half an hour. This place is so organised and there were friendly staff everywhere looking to help out and answer any questions we had. So they got extra brownie points for this on top of just how good the food was.

Layered Strawberry and Kiwi Pavlova

In England, when we get our allocated week of sunshine for the year and we start hearing whispers of the word "heatwave" flying around, it's almost an unspoken rule that we must all go out and bulk buy bottles of Pimms and BBQ food. The tables will be full of various salads, sides and obviously a whole lota meat, but there's also gotta be some pud.

Pesto Quinoa with Spinach and Courgettes

This has quickly become one of my favourite easy dinners. Unsurprising, really, as we all know how much I like quinoa and I really, really like pesto too - especially when it's home made. It's fresher and full of flavour, with this recipe not containing any parmesan so it's still dairy free, without scrimping on the taste.

Mixed together with whatever veggies you like and then served as a main in itself or as a side it's delicious, summery and packed full of good stuff that will make you happy inside and out. It also makes it perfectly understandable to have seconds, then dessert too right? 'cos when your main is this green, a girl needs some dessert.

FYI, I got lots of sweet tings knocking around this place...just incase you need some inspiration.

A Weekend In Paris

Last weekend we hopped across the channel to Paris to visit David, who's over there living a very Parisian lifestyle. We travelled high up his spiral staircase to find his little apartment, from which you can just spot the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Some may say Paris is for lovers (and sure, they are alota couples around the place) but Paris is also a pretty good place for friends ... and food, lots of food.

Choco-Banana Milkshake

Whoever first decided to bung a banana in the freezer is a pretty clever guy. It makes making ice cream, smoothies and shakes so quick and simple, as well as eliminating the need for any dairy products to be added. If you've got any bananas getting over ripe and forgotten in the fruit bowl, chop 'em up, pop 'em in a zip lock bag and forget about them in the freezer until you want to use them.

Granola Bars

I've made it pretty clear how important I think breakfast is, but unfortunately I don't always have the time or energy to have pancakes and bacon every morning. This is probably a good thing, or I may be considerably larger than I am. Anyway, no matter what I will always make sure I have something in the mornings. Normally a nice big bowl of granola or muesli with lost of fruit and soy yogurt, but when I have to set off early and can't face anything before leaving the house, I take something for the road. This is where the trusted granola bar comes into play (and, of course, my morning banana.)

Vegan Brownie Muffins with Almond Butter Filling

When eating these it's hard to believe that they are dairy, wheat and refined sugar free. The majority of the sweetness comes from my homemade date syrup, which couldn't be easier to make, and the rest from just a little maple syrup.

They are super chocolatey rich, with the gooey almond butter filling giving them a peanut-butter-cup sorta taste, which is always going to be a good thing in my books.

Date Syrup is so easy to make and is an amazing natural sweetener. All it takes is dates and water and you're set to go. It's delicious used just like you would maple syrup to top pancakes, french toast, bacon etc... or for baking recipes. It's cheaper, lower in calories and higher in fibre but just as sweet :)

PBJ Thumb Print Cookies

Soft, chewy Peanut Butter Cookies with a little well of even more PB and Jam in the centre. Little mouthfulls of two of my favourite things, without any dairy or wheat. Serve warm with a cold glass of almond milk.

Chocolate Coconut Cake

This cake is seriously good, its dense and chocolately, but still light and not too sweet. The recipe is a one bowl wonder and couldn't be easier to follow. The frosting tops the whole things off, complimenting it beautifully and making it into one big Bounty Bar of a cake. Delicious.

But a cake is never just a cake, is it? If all you're here for is the recipe for this one, I suggest scrolling a mile down the page to get to it as I do love to tell a good story and have a slight tendency to ramble. Although, if you have a bit of time and like to laugh at the misfortunes of others, this recipe is good enough to wait for. Before I digress even further I will begin The Story Behind The Cake.

Vegan Banana and Date Loaf

I love banana bread and do already have a pretty good recipe for one (which includes Nutella so obviously it's good) but this one is different.

It's just as yummy, moist and bananery (sure, it's a word) with the exception of being gluten and wheat free, lactose free and refined sugar free. As bananas are already pretty sweet, not much sugar is needed but some added sweetness comes from dates which make it even more delicious and squidgey. I also added in some extra chopped dates for a nice texture. Some chopped walnuts or pecan nuts would also be amazing and add a good crunch to the loaf.

Almond Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies - Vegan

I tried making vegan choc chip cookie a few week back and they were good, but these are much better.

The others, as I said at the time, were more similar to shortbread - more of a 'biscuit' I suppose - than a COOKIE. Now, I really like cookies and when I want a cookie I want cookie. Not a biscuit. These put a smile on my face, brightened up the otherwise gloomy day and were gone in a flash. (I've already made a second batch.)

Avocado Hummus

My avocado addiction is still in full swing, so I made this amazing hummus. It's zesty with lots of lemon juice and made deliciously creamy with the avocado. It would be perfect as a light starter or just as a snack. I had mine with some nice seedy spelt crackers but it would also go really well with warmed pitta or crudité.

Vegan Chocolate Brownies

Continuing my vegan baking spree today I went for some chocolate brownies. They're similar in texture to my Guiness Brownies - dense and fudgey - you'd never guess they're dairy free, gluten+wheat free and suitable for vegans!

Fried Quinoa

Say it with me - keen-wa.

Quinoa is considered a superfood. It is has a very high protein content (containing all 9 essential amino acids) and is a good source of dietary fibre. It's also high in iron and magnesium, so good for those who are prone to migraines (like me). As a source of calcium, it is also useful for vegans and those who are lactose intolerant (again, like me). As it is also actually a seed, and not a grain, it is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Like I said - a superfood.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

After trying out a recipe for vegan blueberry muffins, and being pretty successful last week, I thought I'd go for another vegan baking recipe. Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Everyones made cookies before and everyone has their favourite recipe, but these are quite different from others that I've tried. They aren't as chewy as normal chocolate chip cookies, they're a bit more like shortbread, more crisp and melt-in-your-mouth good rather than gooey. The use of coconut oil also gives them a slight coconuty flavour that goes really well with the vanilla and will leave you wanting more than one to dunk into your tea.

Avocado Toast - 3 Ways

I'm pretty obsessed with avocados and could easily eat one a day. Luckily enough, avocados are amazingly good for you. People often shy away from avocado as, for a fruit, it has a high calorie and fat content - but it has some major benefits - the fats are monounsaturated, which help keep your heart healthy, lower cholesterol and fill you up quicker and for longer. They also do wonders for your eyes, skin and hair. I could go on, but I think we all get it - avocados are great. Good thing they taste so good as I, for one, cannot bring myself to eat something I don't like, no matter how good it is for you (celery, I'm looking at you here.)

Vegan Blueberry Muffins

Everybody loves Blueberry Muffins, they're delicious and juicy and have fruit in them, so they're OK for breakfast time too, right? Definitely.

These muffins are completely vegan and gluten free. So, aside from containing a whole cupa white sugar - which could easily be replaced with a sweetener or other sugar alternative and the intrinsic sugars that come from the bluebs - they're practically a health food. Hooray! Health that tastes amazing.

Vanilla and Macadamia Nut Blondies

So normally when I'm bored I'll cook up a batch of brownies. Whether they're stuffed with snickers and marshmallow, filled with caramel or just basic (but still just as good) chocolate brownies I love them. They're so versatile and there are so many options and add-ins that can make them different every time.

Today though, I decided on sumin a little new - blondies.

Homemade Peanut + Chocolate Spread

Are you new around here? Probably not...but if you are then you need to know that in my life peanut butter is kind of a big deal (I also can't talk properly so pronounce it peanut budda but that's another story).

Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

Along with my Guinness Brownies (and some other treats) I whipped these up last week to take to visit friends at uni. I didn't have time to slice them up nicely and take pictures before I had to leave so ended up leaving them in the tin, letting everyone tuck in for themselves, cutting off huge chunks at a time. Over the course of the weekend they steadily disappeared.

Guinness Brownies

I love Guinness. People are often pretty surprised by this and I really have no idea why...

Anyway, given my love of the drink and it being St. Patricks day, I thought I'd combine it with another one of my loves, brownies.

These brownies are rich, moist and very chocolatey, but also surprisingly light so you'll have no trouble finishing off more than one in a single sitting. For the Guinness haters out there I'm not going to lie to ya...you can taste the drink in these. If I'm putting the Guinness in there I'm going to want to taste it just a little bit. Don't be put off though, the flavour isn't strong and it gives the brownies an amazing velvety texture. A few of my non-Guinness drinking friends tried these and enjoyed them so get into the spirit of St. Patricks day and try them! Or make them any day of the year 'cos they really are very good.

Banana Brûlée Flapjacks

Flapjacks are one of the easiest things to make and you will always have the ingredients for them lurking in your kitchen cupboards somewhere. It is probably for these reasons that I think they were the thing I made most when I was little, so they always bring back good old memories. I remember when we had just gotten Independence Day on video and it got to the bit were the alien comes back to life and it all got a bit too much for me (I wouldn't have been older than 7) so me and my mum quickly ran down to the kitchen and rustled up some flapjacks for us all to enjoy when the scary bit of the film was over. I can now never make flapjacks without thinking about Independence Day.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Guacamole and Sweet Potato Fries

Veggie burgers get a bad rap. Sure, it's probably due to a lot of them out there being pretty terrible. If I'm ordering a burger I will always go for meat over veggie (controversially, I think I prefer chicken to beef) but this is only a result of what I've seen in the past when friends have had an moment in a restaurant and ordered the veggie option only to end up sitting at the table staring at a pile of mush as everyone else tucks into their meat (we once had a traumatic encounter with a bean burger and too much dill...but I'm not even gunna go there today.)

Almost-Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've called these cookies "almost-healthy" as they are healthy... almost. They're dairy and gluten free and don't contain all that much sugar, as long as we ignore the chocolate chips.

But, they do still taste pretty good. The oats are ground down to a powder, but still add a nice texture and almost fool ya into thinking you're tucking into a good ole fashioned oatmeal-choc chip cookie. Clever, right?

Fat Brownies

If you make one thing from my blog ever. Make these.

If you make one thing this year at all. Please, make it these.

Promise they'll be worth while.

They're a simple mix of everything good in this world, conveniently placed together in one beautiful brownie.

Start with a chewy brownie base. Spread over some marshmallow fluff and a few chopped up snickers bars. Top the whole thing off with peanut butter + chocolate rice crispy treats. Enjoy.

You'll want to eat another, but may have to wait a while, these things are serious.

Ingredients:
One box brownie mix (you can use my recipe here, or your own favourite of course)
3/4 tub Marshmallow Fluff (213g tub, approx.)

4 Snickers bars, chopped (or use fun size)

2 tablespoons Peanut Butter
175g Chocolate (we used Dairy Milk)

60g Rice Krispies

To Make:

Make the brownies according to instructions on the box.
Once the brownies have cooled, spread the marshmallow fluff evenly over the top.
Place pieces of Snickers all over.