Delicious raw chocolate fudge - recipe by Madeleine Shaw

One of my favourite weekend pastimes is to make (and then eat) delicious nutritious food. Being so busy during the week it's the perfect way to relax and to thank your body for putting up with the stresses of modern-day working life. Someone who inspires me in my weekend kitchen escapades is Madeleine Shaw; I've followed Madeleine on Instagram for a while now, and her recipes always look so tasty. She's a qualified Nutritional Health Coach who wants to encourage people to become the hottest, healthiest, happiest version of themselves, and her recipes are designed to enable people to enjoy their food whilst being healthy. I've tried a couple of her recipes over the last few weeks and they've all been amazing, but her raw chocolate fudge recipe is something else. It's also super simple to make. In all honesty, this is one that you really must try to believe just how delicious it is.

Here's some I made earlier...:

Ingredients

100g of coconut oil

100g of almond butter (I use Meridian) 

50g raw cacao powder

100g of honey

1 tsp of vanilla extract

A pinch of sea salt

The directions are also really straight forward - click here to see how Madeleine does it. 

The only downside is that some of these ingredients can be rather expensive - especially the coconut oil and raw cacao powder - but if you shop around a little you can often find some good deals. I may also try my next batch using drinking chocolate powder, just to see how a cheaper version tastes, however then you miss out on the antioxidants in the raw cacao. Another ingredient I may try adding in is grated orange peel as this could be a tasty seasonal addition for the upcoming festive period - a bit like a healthy Terry's chocolate orange! 

I really would recommend giving this recipe a go, it's my new favourite weekend treat, and it's packed full of goodness so can be enjoyed as a guilt-free indulgence.

Let me know if you make it, I'd love to hear what you think! Also be sure to follow Madeleine on Instagram and to sign up for her newsletter for some other amazing healthy recipes. 

Love Lucy x

Weekend treat: spelt flour & coconut milk pancakes

The weekends are precious. After a long working week it is our well-deserved time to relax and enjoy life. And call me boring, but there is nothing more I love doing on a weekend morning than having a lie-in, going for a run, doing some yoga, and then indulging in a delicious brunch. This is my perfect weekend morning formula and it's exactly what I need to rejuvenate me after a long week sat at an office desk. And it is even more perfect if the brunch is my favourite healthy spelt flour and coconut milk pancakes! 

I have been know to post photos of my healthy pancakes on Instagram, and I've often had people ask for the recipe. If I'm being totally honest about my kitchen habits, I don't often weigh or measure my ingredients, so I was a little sceptical to share my recipe (it's really just a case of chucking in lots of tasty ingredients and hoping they turn out okay - hence my really specific measurements below!), however I thought I'd share the rough recipe regardless of this as it's really not fair on humanity to keep such a delicious food secret for any longer. 

Once you try these pancakes your weekend mornings will never be the same again. So, without further ado, here's what you'll need:

Pancake ingredients (makes roughly 6 pancakes)

• Three quarters of a mug of spelt flour
• Half a mug of rolled porridge oats
• 300-400ml coconut water
• 2 eggs (the fresher the better - we're lucky enough to get them straight from our chickens!)
• A handful of chia seeds
• Coconut oil

Topping ingredients

• Nut butter (my favourite is almond butter, but cashew and peanut will also work well)
• Mashed banana
• Agave nectar
• Ground cinnamon 
• Berries, chopped figs, and/or dates also taste delicious on top

Method

1. Whisk the eggs and add the coconut milk
2. Once these have combined sieve in the spelt flour and mix
3. Stir in the oats and chia seeds
4. Heat a tsp of coconut oil in a frying pan for approx. 2 mins 
5. Scoop a helping of pancake mixture into the pan and cook for approx. 2 mins each side until golden brown (get your flipping skills ready!)
6. Ready to serve! Add your nut butter, mashed banana, cinnamon, agave nectar, and any other tasty healthy additions you like! 
7. Repeat until the mixture is gone... (don't forget to put a little bit of coconut oil in your pan before each one). 

So I hope you find the time to have a go at making this amazing weekend treat over the next few weeks as they really are the perfect way to indulge without feeling too naughty at the weekend - a true Beautifully Healthy outlook on life. Send me your Instagram snaps if you do!

Love Lucy x

P.S. These are also dairy free :)