If you're looking for a cosy, festive drink that is also full of mood boosting, anti inflammatory health benefits then you've come to the right place! I mean for one, is there anything more comforting and calming than a steaming cup of hot chocolate? Personally I don't think so..

For this recipe we will give processed cocoa powder a wide berth as it is full of sugar and has lost most of its antioxidants and other health benefits in the process of making your classic sweet cocoa powder. Actual raw unprocessed cacao is an amazing source of antioxidants (more even than famously antioxidant packed blueberries!) and iron as well as magnesium and calcium. And all that while being a natural mood booster and anti-depressant!

To make the spiced cacao powder you'll need:

Mix all the spices with the cacao powder. Make sure you include the black pepper as it helps your body absorb the curcumin which is found in turmeric and comes with all the anti inflammatory properties we want! Black pepper can also help boost metabolism.

To make the hot chocolate, warm some plant milk or milk of your choice in a pot and stir in about one to two tablespoons of your spiced cacao powder per serving. Add in some sweetener of your choice, like honey, agave syrup or coconut sugar to taste.

Now snuggle up and enjoy this on these gray and dreary days to fight the winter blues and boost that mood while supporting your body with all these amazing nutrients!

It's officially Christmas season now as we light the first candle on the advent wreath and the snow is glittering in the sun outside! Christmas markets are everywhere and the first mug(s) of mulled wine were consumed. No better time than the present to share a quick and easy 5 ingredient cookie recipe with you guys to add to your Christmas baking this year. They take barely any time at all to make and are a real crowd pleaser. 

Here's what you'll need:

some icing sugar to decorate

Simply add all the ingredients into a big mixing bowl and whisk together until you've got a smooth consistency.

Form little walnut sized balls from your dough and place them on a lined baking tray.

Bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes then take them out and leave to cool completely before taking them off the tray and giving them a light dusting of icing sugar.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do over here. Let me know if you decide to give these a go and how they went down with your loved ones.

With the first snow and a big drop in temperatures here in Bavaria hearty and warming soups are becoming a staple in my kitchen. This delicious and healthy naturally protein packed Italian-style lentil soup is ticking all the boxes so trust me when I say you need to add it to your meal plan right away!

This minestrone-like soup is super easy to make, here's what you'll need:

Now add the lentils and mix everything together well before stirring in the tomatoes as well as the vegetable broth. Pop in your bay leaves and other dried herbs, then bring the whole thing to a boil and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Towards the end of the cooking time, add in the baby spinach. It will wilt considerably very quickly so don't add it too early on.

Remove the bay leaves, season to taste with salt and pepper as well as some chili flakes for some heat.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and some crusty bread.

And there you go. All that's left to do is: dig in! Best make a big pot of this as it keeps well in the fridge for up to five days (perfect quick work day lunch the next day!) and it also freezes well!  Buon appetito!

Oh look, another soup recipe! Have I mentioned I’m on my teeth straightening journey and these aligners really do their job, so soups are my main food group right now? Well I’m not mad about it, with recipes as delicious as this one! Also even though it's the May bank holiday weekend the weather outside is still autumnal at best! So why not get some Mediterranean flair into your kitchen while still having a warming bowl of goodness as a result of it? This creamy, rich and fragrant soup is inspired by a traditional Greek recipe and so full of flavour! And not just that, the chickpeas bring a lot of protein to this dish and the orzo makes it nice and filling. Traditionally egg is used to make avgolemono, but we replace it with tahini and lemon juice for this recipe.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion

1 carrot

2 stalks of celery

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

400g chickpeas (drained)

1l vegetable stock

100g orzo

juice of a large lemon

2 tbsp tahini

150g baby spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery and garlic.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and saute the chopped vegetables for about 10 to 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the tahini with the juice of the lemon as well as two tablespoons of vegetable broth. Stir until the mixture has an even texture, then set aside.

Add the herbs to the pot and cook for another minute or two before adding the drained chickpeas as well as the vegetable stock. Stir well, then add the orzo and reduce the heat. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.

Now stir in the tahini mixture and watch as your soup thickens considerably. Stir in the baby spinach and let simmer for another 5ish minutes then season to taste and serve with a sprinkling of fresh herbs.

That’s all there is to do! This recipe makes about 4 portions and keeps well in the fridge for about 3 days. The orzo will continue to absob the liquid though so it will be more of a stew in consistency the next day. If that’s not your thing, simply add some more stock when reheating.

Have you tried avgolemono before? What is your favourite Mediterranean dish? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Happy Easter weekend! I hope you can make the most of the long weekend with good food, all the sweet treats and some sunny spring walks outside. If you're looking for a last minute sweet treat for the day you've come to the right place! These amazingly light and fluffy lemon cupcakes are just the right level of sweet and fruity so perfect for the season. They are easy to make and pretty to look at if you want to impress family and friends - who doesn't? :)

Here's what you'll need:

For the icing:

In a big mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the cupcakes until it forms a smooth batter.

Line a muffin tray with liners and fill evenly with the cupcake batter. Give the tray a little shake to even out the mixture.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

In the meantime beat the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and icing sugar together in a mixing bowl. Be careful not to overmix because you don't want your icing to get too runny.

Once your cupcakes are done, put them on a wire rack and leave to completely cool down before putting the icing on top.

I decorated with dried and fresh edible flowers as well as some chocolate mini eggs for Easter but you do you! :)

And that's already all there is to do! Dig in! :) 

Let me know if you give these a go and leave me a comment to tell me how you liked them :)

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 spring onions

1 clove of garlic

1 generous piece of ginger

dried red chili flakes (add according to how spicy you like your food)

1 tbsp sesame oil

800ml vegetable broth

300ml soy milk (or other plant based)

150g shiitake mushrooms

2 mini bok choi

90g ramen noodles

~ 100g canned sweet corn

2 tbsp dark miso paste

soy sauce to taste

Wash and chop your spring onions. Finely chop or grate the garlic and ginger (tip: if you freeze your ginger it’s super easy to grate!)

In a big pot heat up the sesame oil and add the white bits oft he spring onions together with the garlic and ginger as well as the chili flakes. Fry for about 5 minutes then add the vegetable broth and soymilk as well as the washed and chopped mushrooms. Bring the whole thing to a boil and leave to simmer while prepping the rest of the ingredients.

Wash and slice the bok choi lengthwise to create strips. Drain the sweet corn. If you want to add some protein you can also cut some tofu (about 100g) into cubes. Make sure you use somewhat firm tofu for this though.

Add the sweetcorn and ramen noodles to your soup. If you use tofu, add this here too.

At this point, add the miso paste and stir well. Add soy sauce if needed.

When the noodles are almost done, add the bok choi strips to the soup. You want them to wilt a little but not lose all their crunch.

Serve with a sprinkling of the green bits of the spring onions as well as some sesame seeds or more chili flakes.

What do you think? Will you give this a go? Trust me, if you do, this will become a staple on your meal plan! :)

I hope you love this as much as I do. Please let me know in the comments below how you got on.