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.

Harira is a traditional Moroccan soup of chickpeas, lentils and tomatoes that is super filling and deliciously fragrant with lots of spices. If you ask me, it's the perfect comfort food that's hearty and healthy at the same time. I'm currently a bit obsessed with everything Moroccan as well as other North African recipes. I'm sure I'll share some more of them soon but this has got to be my favourite so far! Especially when on a vegan diet, this is perfect as it's packed full of protein from not only the lentils but also the chickpeas. And if you've been following this little blog for a while you'll know that anything covered in parsley is a 10/10 in my books :)

Here's what you'll need:

Dice the onion and garlic and chop the celeriac into small pieces. Heat up the olive oil in a big pot and saute the onions together with the garlic.

Once your onion is nice and translucent, add the chickpeas, lentils, tomato puree and all the spices to the pot. Roast the mixture for a little while until fragrant, then add your vegetable stock, bring to a boil then let simmer on reduced heat for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a measuring cup, mix 50 ml of cold water with the flour. Whisk thoroughly so as not to get any lumps in your mixture. Now add the can of chopped tomatoes to it and put to the side. Chop your parsley and set aside until the soup is almost done.

After about 20 minutes, the lentils should be all soft so you can further reduce the heat to low and add the tomato-flour-mixture to the pot while continiously stirring. Leave to thicken for a while then add the chopped parsley and maybe some more cumin seeds. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with lemon wedges to add some tangyness to the dish.

I really hope you give this recipe a try - you will not regret it! If you do, let me know in the comments below how you liked it, or share your creations with me on Instagram @jessinretrospect.

This recipe has been a long time coming seeing how I've been making these cookies for months now! If you're a matcha lover like me these cookies are the ones for you! They are soft and fluffy, not too sweet and the perfect little afternoon pick me up :) Find out how to make them below :)

Here's what you'll need:

For the Matcha Sugar:

In a big mixing bowl, combine the butter, icing sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and matcha powder. In a different bowl combine the flour, cornflour and salt, then add the dry mixture into your big mixing bowl gradually until it forms a dough.

Now roll the dough into little balls using a tablespoon so they're all roughly the same size. Put the matcha balls onto a lined baking tray then cover in cling film and refridgerate for about an hour.

After refridgerating, preheat your oven to 180°C.

Take the clingfilm off the baking tray, then bake your cookies for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile combine the icing sugar and matcha to create a matcha sugar to cover your cookies in. Put the matcha sugar into a resealable freezer bag.

Take your cookies out of the oven and leave to cool slightly before adding them one after the other to the freezer bag and shake until covered in matcha sugar.

And there you go! This recipe will make about 25 to 30 little cookies depending obviously on how generous you're being when rolling out your dough into cookies :)

I tell you, you need to try these! If you do, leave me a comment and let me know how you got on :)

Lentil soups are one of my favourites this time of year and this one is packed with vegetables and spices that warm you from the inside in these freezing temperatures. If you are looking for a delicious, healthy and quick to make lunch or dinner recipe high in protein, then this is it! This recipe is vegan and gluten free and perfect for meal prep!

Here's what you'll need:
(this makes 4 portions)

In a big pot heat the olive oil and fry the onoin, carrot, celery, potato, garlic and ginger, then add all the spices as well as some salt. Make sure to chop your veggies quite finely and similar in size. Stir well and let the aromas of the spices unfold. If needed, deglaze the pot with some water every once in a while. 

Once your vegetables start to soften, add both types of lentils and a litre of vegetable stock to your pot, as well as a heaped tablespoon of tomato puree. Stir well until combined and let simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked all the way through. Now add the coconut milk and the baby spinach and stir until the spinach has wilted into the soup. Season your soup to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Serve with some plant based yoghurt, some parsley and maybe another squeeze of lemon or lime.

And there you have it, one super healthy and delicious winter warmer soup :) If you make this recipe let me know in the comments below and tag me in your photos on instagram at jessinretrospect :)

Winter is well and truly upon us now so if you're anything like me, you'll want all the hearty and warming foods to stay cosy in these temperatures. If so you should absolutely give this roasted couscous skillet recipe a go! It's packed full of seasonal vegetables but made a little more exciting by adding the couscous and loads of oriental spices as well as my favourite for adding a special touch: pomegranate seeds.

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat your oven to 200°C.

Cook your couscous in the vegetable stock according to package instructions.

Chop all the vegetables and place in a bowl, add about a tablespoon of olive oil as well as all the spices to taste. Stir well until all the vegetables are covered in the spice mixture then place in your skillet or other ovenproof dish and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the carrots and parsnips can be easily pierced with a fork.

Once your couscous is ready, fluff it up with a fork, then add a teaspoon of harissa paste and stir well until it's evenly coated. 

Add the couscous to the skillet and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and some parsley.

This is a super quick and easy to make autumn/winter dinner that's not only delicious but also packed full of healthy ingredients to fight off any colds and flus!

If you like this recipe leave me a comment and share the recipe with all your friends :)

Happy Halloween! It's the spookiest night of all tonight and I feel like we're properly starting into the cold, dark months from tomorrow. So what we really need is a nice sweet treat! Here in Germany you can usually get sugar roasted almonds and other nuts at Christmas markets and similar markets and fairs. With covid cancelling quite a few of these over the last couple of years, I had to find out how to make these at home. To give them a more autumnal touch, I decided to use pumpkin seeds instead of the classic almonds. This literally uses like 5 basic ingredients and all the equipment you need is a pan and a stove :)

Here's the ingredients you need:

Add the water, sugar and spices into your pan and heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Now add the pumpkin seeds to the sugar water and cook on high heat, stirring occasionally. You will notice the syrup thickening with time.

Meanwhile, prepare a baking tray with greaseproof paper. You will leave your roasted pumpkin seeds to cool and set on this.

After about 10 to 15 minutes, the syrup will have thickened considerably. At this point it's important you keep stirring the seeds continiously so they don't stick to the pan and burn or build one big lump. Your kitchen will already be smelling divine at this point! :)

Once the sugar starts to properly coat the pumpkin seeds and starts to set and get crumbly, your pumpkin seeds are ready to come out of the pan. Pour them onto the baking sheet and spread them out evenly to cool down and set completely.

Be sure to wait for the seeds to cool down before tasting as the hot sugar mixture is really just that - painfully hot! ;)

These also make for a perfect little foodie christmas gift for friends and family or a lovely little winter snack for when you have some friends over. Have you tried making your own sugar roasted nuts or seeds? How did you get on? Leave me a comment if you try this recipe and enjoy :)

Add all the ingredients except the chocolate into a blender until you've got a nice little pumpkin/oat batter. Add the batter to an oven proof dish (lightly grease in advance) and add a piece of dark chocolate to the middle of your ramekin. If you're not feeling chocolatey, top your oats with blueberries or apples to taste :)

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 - 25 minutes and dig in straight away!