Homemade Houmous / Hummus

Nearly all of my vegan friends are huge lovers of chickpeas, but whilst I can tolerate them in a dish, they don't really rock my world.  Strangely though, I absolutely love them when they're whizzed together and made into houmous.  Now houmous is something I could eat every day!  If you're a fan, I strongly urge you to ditch the supermarket / shop varieties and have a go at making it from scratch yourself.  It's unbelievably quick and easy to do, and trust me when I say it tastes a million times better.  It really does!  

Ingredients:-

- 400g can of good quality chickpeas (preferably organic), rinsed and drained 

- 2 tbsp tahini paste

- 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped or crushed

- 1/2 tsp ground cumin

- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (you can use more if desired)

- freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

- 1 tsp smoked paprika to serve with (optional)

How to: - 

1.  Place the chickpeas into a food processor, and then add in all of the other ingredients on top.

2.  Blend on a medium speed for a few minutes until everything is thoroughly blended, and so that it has a smooth overall texture.

3.  Place in a bowl and sprinkle over the smoked paprika if desired. 

4.  Serve with your favourite crudites and pitta chips, use as a spread in pittas, or with some falafels.  Keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge.

This recipe was adapted from one a friend picked up when she was travelling through Palestine last year.  The original version uses mint leaves, more olive oil and less tahini, so it's a very easy recipe to adapt to your own tastebuds.  Changing the texture is also easy; just add more olive oil, lemon juice, or cold water if you want it more runny, and less if you want it to be thicker. You can also try adding herbs, different spices like cayenne pepper and rock salt to season it further.

  

Warm Exotic Mushrooms Salad

This meal was entirely down to the fact that I stumbled across some of the new packs of exotic mushrooms in M&S for a reduced price today.  Super quick and easy to throw together, and just the right portion size for a light lunch.  You could also bulk it out with some basmatic rice for something more substantial, or if you're making it for two people.

Serves 1

Ingredients:-

- 1 small pack of mixed exotic mushrooms

- 2 or 3 handful of mixed salad leaves

- 2 tsps of toasted sesame oil

How to:-

1.  In a wok or large frying pan, heat the sesame oil and then quickly fry the mushrooms over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes.  

2.  Arrange the mixed salad leaves on a place, and serve the mushrooms warm on top.

Vegan Singapore Vermicelli

Today I'm helping with the cooking for a friend's birthday bash which has an asian buffet theme.  I decided to do a big batch of Vegan Singapore Vermicelli as one of the sides that people can help themselves to.  It's easy to do and absolutely delicious, plus there's none of that extra fat and greasiness that comes in the takeaway versions!

Serves around 4 as sides

Ingredients:-
- 300g pack of fresh rice noodles
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp mild yellow curry powder
- 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 
- 1 tsp granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 large red pepper, deseeded and sliced
- 2 carrots, finely sliced
- 100g broccoli florets
- 200g pack of mixed mushrooms
- 4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
- large handful of peas
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

How to:-
1.  Cook the rice noodles to packet instructions, drain and set aside.
2.  In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp of the toasted sesame oil and all the mild curry powder into a smooth paste.  Then mix in the sweet chilli sauce, sugar & soy sauce until everything is combined.  Mix all of this sauce with the cooked rice noodles, coating it evenly, and leave for 5-10 minutes.
3.  In a large wok, heat the remaining toasted sesame oil and add the pepper, carrots, broccoli, garlic and ginger.  Fry over a high heat for around 5 minutes and then add the mushrooms, spring onions, peas and rice noodles, making sure to add any excess/leftover sauce to the wok.
4.  Fry everything together, stirring quickly for another few minutes (a good indicator is to stop when you can see the mushrooms are cooked), and serve immediately.  Season with extra soy sauce if desired.

Grilled Flat Mushrooms with Spinach & Basmati Rice

As the weather warms up, I'm trying to eat a lot more healthier and include more greens into my diet.  I've recently started to eat a lot more spinach and love this filling, but incredibly low fat and healthy light lunch.

Serves 1 as a main

Ingredients:-
- 2 flat mushrooms, stalks removed
- two large handfuls of baby spinach
- 40g basmati rice, cooked
- 1/2 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1tbsp olive oil

How to:-
1.  Place the mushrooms on a baking tray and grill for 10-15 minutes, until cooked all the way through.
2.  In a saucepan, add the baby spinach, garlic and olive oil, mixing everything together over a medium heat for a few minutes.  Once the spinach has wilted, remove from the heat.
3.  Stir in the basmati rice and top the mushrooms evenly.  Serve with a garden salad if desired.

Mum's Minestrone Soup

As a young child, I was an incredibly fussy eater and vegetables were not my friend.  My mum tried everything to get me to eat (or at least try) vegetables, but I often flatly refused unless they were covered in cheese, and even then, I'd still pick at my plate.  I don't remember how old I was, but one day I was in bed with flu and my mum made me a bowl of this Minestrone soup.  I ate everything and it soon became the only way I would eat any veggies for a long, long time.

My mum's homemade minestrone soup always had more carbs than vegetables in it (so that I would eat it I assume!), which makes it much more filling than the standard version, although many variations of minestrone exist and can be happily altered to accomodate all tastes.  This is the recipe that I still stick to and will probably be how I'll always make a good bowl of my mum's minestrone soup.

Serves 4

Ingredients:-
- 300g can of cannellini beans, drained
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 gloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- 1.5 litres of vegetable stock
- 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- 2 large potatoes
- 150g dried spaghetti, broken into smaller pieces
- 50g petit pois or garden peas
- handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

How to:-
1.  Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, carrots and garlic.  Cover and cook on a low heat for around 20 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
2.  Add the vegetable stock and chopped tomatoes, bring to the boil and cover and simmer for around 15 minutes.
3.  Then add the beans, potatoes and spaghetti, and bring back to the boil.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender (but still retaining their form).
4.  Stir in the parsley and basil, season to taste and serve with warm crusty rolls.

Back to Basics: Vegetable Stock

A good stock makes all the difference to your homemade soups etc and they're a wonderful way to use up any leftover vegetables you have lying about.  You can make a flavoursome vegetable stock with just about any variation of veggies, so do experiment with what you have and see what you like.  The recipe below is what I mainly use and always turns out great.

Makes about 2 litres

Ingredients:-
- 3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots, unpeeled & roughly chopped
- 4 or 5 mushrooms or 2 flat mushrooms, unpeeled & roughly chopped
- 3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled & crushed or finely chopped
- handful of fresh parsley
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves

How to:-
1. Place all of the ingredients into a large, deep pan.  Add 2 litres of cold water and bring to the boil.  Reduce to a simmer and then cook on a low heat for around 2 hours.  You can add more water as needed.
2. Pour the vegetable stock through a sieve into a large bowl, pressing the vegetables in order to extract as much excess liquid as possible. 

Storage:-
If not using straight away, allow the stock to cool for about 30 mins.  Once its properly cooled, you can either store it in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it where it'll keep for up to 4 months.

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Once you've tried a homemade vegetable stock like this, you'll never go back to using those dusty old stock cubes ever again!

Homemade potato wedges

A really easy accompaniment to a main meal or as a hot snack with dips/salad.

Serves 1 or 2
Ingredients:-
- 4 or 5 potatoes, I used Maris Piper ones
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper for seasoning

How to:-
1. Preheat oven to 200C/Gas 6.
2. Line a baking tray with foil and grease it with oil.
3. Wash/scrub the potatoes and cut into wedges. Toss in some olive oil and spread evenly on the baking tray.
4. Cook for around 35-45 minutes, turning at intervals to ensure they cook evenly.
5. Season with salt & pepper and serve.


Notes: Cooking time will vary depending on how thick you cut the wedges; thicker ones will take longer. For a spicy seasoning, dust on some paprika during the last five/ten minutes of baking time. My favourite vegan condiments for dipping are Reggae Reggae BBQ/Jerk sauce and Tiger Tiger Garlic Mayo.

The ultimate chocolate cake (it's vegan too!)

When I say 'ultimate' chocolate cake, that's exactly what I mean. If you're in need of a truly irresistible chocolate cake recipe, one that is moist, rich and seriously chocolatey, then give this a go. Just make sure you're first in line to get a slice before it's all gone!

Adapted from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch:-
Chocolate Suicide Cake

Serves 12-16

Ingredients:-
- 180ml rapeseed or safflower oil
- 260g wholemeal flour
- 300g unrefined light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of sea salt
- 200g vegan chocolate chips
- 300ml soy milk
- 180ml unsweetened apple sauce*
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 115g unsweetened vegan chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 500ml Chocolate Fudgy Frosting**

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*To Make Apple Sauce - (the easy way!)
Core, peel and chop three or four small apples. Place the pieces in a microwave-proof tub with a lid and add a few tablespoons of water and a little cinnamon if desired. Heat for about five minutes on full. Transfer to a bowl and use a hand blender to pulp until smooth, adding a little more water if needed. Done!
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How To:-
1. Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Oil a 32.5cm x 23cm baking pan, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Stir in the the chocolate chips. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, soy milk, apple sauce and vanilla extract, stirring until smooth. Place to one side.
4. Heat water in a saucepan and keep it gently simmering. Place a heat-proof bowl on top of the saucepan and put the chopped chocolate in the bowl. As it melts, stir slowly until smooth.
5. Add the oil mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until its a smooth consistency. Now add the melted chocolate, again stirring until everything is smooth and then stir in the vinegar.
6. Transfer the mixture to the oiled baking pan and smooth over the surface. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the centre and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
7. Let it cool thoroughly before frosting.

**Chocolate Fudgy Frosting (makes about a litre, or you could use the whole lot to very generously cover the cake)
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons rapeseed oil or refined coconut oil
- 200g unrefined light brown sugar
- 175g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 240ml soy cream or plain soy yoghurt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt

1. In a medium saucepan over a medium heat, melt the oil. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder and then gradually stir in the soy cream.
2. Now stir almost constantly until the mixture is smooth and hot but don't allow to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
3. Set aside to cool to room temperature or until thick enough to spread.

Notes: When sifting the wholemeal flour, really sift it thoroughly. If desired, discard the larger flakes left at the end and pop into your compost bin. I feel that this stopped the cake from turning into a bread but this is down to personal preference. With regards to the frosting, I didn't have any soy cream so I substituted it with plain soy yoghurt (Alpro works very well) and added a small bit at a time until I got the right texture and thickness. It seems that the bitterness of the dark chocolate I used, counteracted any tartness from the yoghurt and thus worked perfectly.

Smoothies

In winter, I sometimes find it difficult to be motivated to eat fruit. Smoothies are a quick and easy way to get more fruit in your diet. I tried the four recipes in The Skinny Bitch in The Kitch book and loved them, here they are. Each recipe makes about 500-750ml depending on whether you want to add more soy milk/juice. Add the fruit and liquid, blend until you get the consistency you like. Add some ice cubes if using all fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Verry Berry Smoothie
I love the colour of this.
300g mixed berries (use frozen if out of season), 120ml soy milk and 120ml apple juice (or you can use all soy milk).

Tropical Orange, Banana & Ginger Smoothie
I've never tried Ginger before in a smoothie but it was quite surprisingly yummy!
300g chopped bananas, 240ml orange juice and 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger.

Just Peachy Smoothie
Simple and smooth
300g chopped peaches, 120ml soy milk and 120ml apple juice

Berry & Banana Smoothie
Definitely a favourite
One banana chopped, 250g mixed berries and 240ml soy milk.

Scrambled tofu & black bean burrito

A hearty breakfast option that also works well as a light lunch. I used chili flakes to give a little heat but if you like it hot, just add slices of the real thing.

Adapted from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch:-
Bitchin' Breakfast Burrito
Serves 1

Ingredients:-
- 100g firm tofu, crumbled
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon soy or tamari sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
- 1 vegan sausage, chopped or crumbled
- 2 or 3 baby new potatoes, chopped
- handful of black beans (or pinto)
- 1 wholemeal tortilla
- Ketchup or other condiment (optional)

How to:-
1. Boil the baby new potatoes until tender (around 15 mins). Chop and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the tofu, garlic, yeast flakes, soy sauce, turmeric, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a frying pan, cook the vegan sausage according to pack. Once cooked, chop/crumble into the tofu mixture bowl.
4. Heat the oil in the frying pan and heat the potatoes and beans. Add in the tofu mixture and stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Place the tortilla over the pan to warm it and then place on a plate and add your condiment is using.
6. Carefully transfer the food onto the tortilla, keeping everything in the middle.
7. Wrap around and fold the bottom to envelope everything.
8. Serve whilst hot.


Notes: This would be great with some vegan cheese, salsa, peppers, chilies, mushrooms, tomatoes..the list is endless!

Healthy breakfast muffins

Perfect for breakfasts on the go and packing into lunchboxes. These little muffins are made with wholemeal flour so they will help to keep those hunger pangs at bay until lunch time. Have a go at experimenting with different fruit and nut combinations. Or if you prefer a sweeter muffin, try making some with dark chocolate chunks and maple syrup.

Blueberry


Tropical:
zest of 1 orange,
use chopped banana and dessicated/shredded coconut for the fruit
and macadamias or hazelnuts.

Adapted from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch:-
Basic Fruit and Nut Muffins
Makes 12


- 4 tablespoons rapeseed oil
- 250g wholemeal flour
- 65g unrefined light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 300ml soy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 150g fresh or dried fruit, diced/chopped if necessary
- 60g chopped nuts (optional)


How to:-
1. Preheat oven to 190C/Gas 5. Grease a standard muffin tray or use liners, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, salt and mashed banana.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy milk, oil and vanilla essence.
4. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until barely combined.
5. Stir in the fruit and nuts.
6. Transfer to the prepared muffin tray and divide evenly.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin centre comes out clean.


Notes: The original recipe calls for Ener-G egg replacer but I used a ripe mashed banana instead to act as the "egg". The main reason for this is because in my household, I always have some sorry looking bananas left in their bowl at the end of the week so this is a great way to use them up.

Homemade granola

This is so easy to make, once you try it, you'll never buy store-bought again!

Adapted from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch:-
Home-Made Granola
Makes about 500g

- 175g porridge / rolled oats
- 125g sliced or chopped almonds
- 60g unsweetened dessicated / shredded coconut
- pinch of sea salt
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil (plus a little more for the baking sheet)
- 125g dried fruit e.g raisin mix

How to:-
1. Preheat oven to 150C/Gas 2
2. Arrange the oats on a large lipped baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine the almonds, coconut and salt. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and oil.
5. Stir the toasted oats into the almonds bowl and add the syrup mixture, stirring thoroughly to combine everything.
6. Grease the baking sheet with a little oil and spread the granola evenly and bake. Stir occasionally until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
7. Sprinkle on the dried fruit and if you feel the granola looks a little dry, drizzle on a little more maple syrup and oil.
8. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack, be careful, this will be hot!
9. Store in an airtight container.

Notes: I couldn't find any rice syrup which the original recipe called for, so I used 2 tablespoons of extra maple syrup, with the result being very maple-syrupy which I loved! You could try using agave nectar instead and choose different nuts/dried fruits for variation. Serve your granola with your favourite soy/rice milk/yoghurt and add fresh fruit if desired.

Potato Scramble

A hot and filling lunch which is ideal for these cold days. You can use whatever you like in this and vary different spices to create this simple meal.

Adapted from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch:-
Potato Scramble
Serves 1

- 3 or 4 new potatoes
- 100g firm or extra-firm tofu, diced
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of pepper
- pinch of paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon rapeseed oil
- 1 vegan sausage, sliced
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- sprinkle of chili flakes
- handful of baby spinach leaves to serve (optional)

How to:-
1. Boil the potatoes until tender (around 15-20 minutes) and then slice/chop and set aside.
2. Cook the vegan sausage according to packet instructions and then slice and set aside.
3. In a bowl, combine the tofu, salt, pepper and paprika, and add the sausage and potatoes.
4. Melt the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
5. Add everything into the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Serve immediately on the bed of spinach leaves if using.


Notes: I used Cauldron tofu and Linda McCartney's vegetarian sausages (vegan friendly too). As mentioned above, you can make countless variations of this dish; add mushrooms, beans, cheese, garlic, tomatoes etc.

Apple crumble

I love comfort food, especially as the weather begins to get colder. This is one of my favourite desserts, best served hot/warm and with plenty of ice-cream. Drizzling maple syrup all over makes it even more perfect. You can make this with whatever fruit you like, I've recently made it with peaches and it was delicious.

Adapted from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch:-
Fresh Fruit Crumble
Serves 4

- 100ml rapeseed oil, plus a little more for the pan
- 60g unrefined light brown sugar
- 75g wholemeal flour
- 45g rolled oats
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 small dessert apples, cored and sliced
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- vegan vanilla ice cream to serve (optional)
- maple syrup to serve (optional)

How to:-
1. Preheat oven to 190c/Gas 5. Lightly oil a 20 x 20cm baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 50g of the sugar, 60g of the flour, the oats and pinch of salt.
3. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, swirl in the oil, mixing until the biggest pieces are the size of peas. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the remaining sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix in the apples, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
5. Transfer the fruit to the baking pan, spreading evening. Sprinkle on the crumble topping.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes.
7. If the fruit isn't yet tender (depends on the type of fruit used), cover lightly with foil and for bake for an additional 20-30 minutes.
8. Serve warm with ice-cream and maple syrup if using.

Notes: I couldn't find Sucanat so I used store-brand fairtrade unrefined light brown sugar. As I like to pile on the ice-cream and maple syrup with my desserts, I reduced the amount of sugar that I used from the original recipe and also reduced the amount of oil used. For the vegan ice-cream I used Swedish Glace's Smooth Vanilla, which is a great alternative to dairy ice-cream.

Vegan McMuffin / breakfast sandwich

This little beauty reminds me of those calorie and fat laden McMuffins that McDonalds serve. Thankfully, this one is completely vegan and has much less fat! You can play around with what you want to put in them; try a portobello mushroom, add some tomatoes or cheese, load it up with salad, put in a sliced faux sausage, the options are endless. P.S I was in a little hurry taking the photo so I realise that the muffin is upside down, it was still tasty though :)

Adapted from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch:-
THE Breakfast Sandwich
Serves 1

- 50g tofu, sliced
- 1/2 tablespoon rapeseed oil
- 2 slices vegan bacon
- soy butter/marg spread for the muffin
- 1 wholemeal English muffin, split and toasted
- pinch of sea salt (optional)
- pinch of pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
- ketchup for serving (optional)

How to:-
1. If using, mix the tofu with the soy sauce and set aside.
2. In a frying pan, melt the rapeseed oil. Add the tofu and bacon and cook for a few minutes.
3. Toast the muffin and spread lightly each side with soy butter.
4. Assemble as desired with the tofu and bacon, adding the salt/pepper/ketchup if wanted.
5. Serve immediately whilst hot.


Notes: I'm trying to eat wholemeal/wholegrain carbs nowadays and avoiding the nasty white stuff wherever possible. Wholemeal English muffins are to die for. If you don't have much love for the whole stuff, try these. I used Cauldron tofu and Redwood's Organic Bacon Style Rashers. I didn't like the bacon much, it was very chewy. If I was making this for myself, I would probably use bacon from Quorn which would make it vegetarian. I also tried using Tofutti's Cheddar Cheese Slices which are simply awful, so I skipped those. For the soy spread I used Pure.

French tofu scramble

I've wanted to cook properly with tofu for a while but never got around to it, until now. I'm really pleased with how this turned out for my first effort. I am AMAZED by how similiar scrambled tofu is to scrambled eggs. Seriously, after making this, I could quite happily not eat whole eggs ever again and I doubt I would miss them. This is a nice cooked breakfast on its own or you could easily bulk it out with more veggies and a side of carbs to turn it into a more substantial lunch or dinner time meal.

Adapted from Skinny Bitch In The Kitch:-
French Scramble
Serves 1

- 100g firm or extra-firm tofu
- handful of grated vegan cheese
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or put through a press
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon rapeseed oil
- 30g sliced mushrooms, any kind - I used normal white button ones
- handful of baby spinach leaves to serve (optional)

How to:-
1. In a bowl combine the tofu, cheese, garlic, soy sauce, turmeric, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, melt the oil. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender.
3. Stir in the tofu mixture and cook for around 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally and until any excess liquid has evaporated.
4. Serve immediately on a bed of baby spinach leaves if using.

Notes: I used Cauldron tofu and Redwood's Cheezly Mozzarella for this one. The vegan cheese grated and melted easily with the scramble. I couldn't taste it a great deal whilst eating so if you prefer a more cheesier dish, just add more cheese! The original recipe calls for spring onions which I left out because I hate onions and nutritional yeast flakes which I left out as I couldn't find them. I have since ordered a tub of Marigold Engevita's nutritional yeast flakes via eBay and will use these next time I make this dish. I also couldn't find any refined coconut oil so used rapeseed oil instead, and I prefer to eat spinach raw rather than cooked so that's just a matter of personal preference.

Strawberry, grape and melon fruit salad

I've recently read Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin. Loved the book and found it very informative on a lot of issues. I've started to change some of my eating habits and the first one that I've found the easiest to do was to have something simple for breakfast. Fruit is the breakfast of champions so I've been enjoying this simple fruit salad lately.

Strawberries are probably my favourite fruit. I could eat them all day, everyday and I'm always sad when they go out of season. I love grapes and all types of melons so this is a perfect little starter in the mornings for me.