Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies by Jools

I'm a health freak so when it comes to treats I want them decadent but not stuck on my hips for the next 3 weeks. Read this on why I stopped eating sugar cane  
This brownie is an adaptation of a few recipes I found and that were sent to me.
I only made half and will be freezing the rest. I like eating them when they are half frozen. They have that ice cream feeling about them.


24 servings at 277 calories per serving! Not bad, uh? 

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, plus extra for greasing the dish.
• 8 ounces bitter-sweet chocolate . I use 85% dark chocolate
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups agave nectar or 3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups (6.38 ounces) flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 3/4 cup organic crunchy peanut butter. (no sugar added)

1. Heat the oven to 350 F/ 175C. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.
2. In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, agave nectar or sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. 
4. Fold in the melted chocolate, then the salt and sifted flour & cocoa just until combined.
5. In a small ball beat the peanut butter until soft. 
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Put dollops of peanut butter & using the tip of a sharp knife swirl into the mixture.
7. Bake in the center of the oven until puffed and almost set, about 35/40 mins. A toothpick inserted will be slightly moist. Remove and cool slightly before serving.

Now will they make it to the freezer? 

Pumpkin Pie

This is a lighter version of the traditional Pumpkin Pie Recipe. Indulge with no guilt!

• 125g Plain Flour
• Pinch Salt
• 55g Cold Butter, Cubed
• 30-45ml Cold Water 
• 1 Can of Pumpkin Purée
• ¾ Can of light Carnation Milk
• 2 medium eggs
• ¼ cup Agave Nectar if you like it sweet I go for the minimum so it’s abt 1/8 cup
• ½ tsp Ginger
• ¼ tsp Mace
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Ground Clove

Warm oven temp to 180C.

• Pastry recipe:

1. Blitz flour, salt with butter until you get big breadcrumbs
2. Add very cold water slowly. Depending on flour u might need more or less for it to come together.
3. Once it does come together, tip on work surface bring it all together.
4. Wrap in cling film chill for at least 30 mins.
5. Roll out for your tin. I use a rectangular one.
6. I prick it well and stick in the oven for 10/15 mins. No beans. Can’t be bothered. It it bubbles up just prick it down.

• Pie Filling:

1. Lightly beat eggs, add all other ingredients.
2. Pour in pastry case, bake for 20 to 30 min. I like it just set.
3. Leave it to cool in the tin.
4. Cut and serve with whipped cream or plain.

Pancakes

• ½ cup self raising flour
• ½ cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 grated apple/pear or add any fruit that you fancy – blueberries- or none at all.

1. Mix everything
2. It will be quite thick
3. Heat frying pan, melt some butter add 2 tbsp of batter per pancake
4. When it bubbles turn over until brown.

Enjoy! 

In need of a crunch. Jool's 'Thai' Salad

Ingredients for 6 people – Prep time 10 min – No cooking

• 1 huge bunch coriander 
• 1 small bunch mint
• 1 lettuce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red chilli – more or less depending on heat desired
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp finely chopped peanuts – can be skipped

1. Wash lettuce, coriander and mint.
2. Tear lettuce leaves in a bowl.
3. Roughly chop coriander. Add to bowl.
4. Separate mint leaves from stalks. Roughly chop leaves. Add to bowl.
5. Mix in an other small bowl all other ingredients.
6. Pour sauce when ready to serve, add peanuts and mix.

Sweet roasted potatoes

Unbelievably easy and so much healthier than fries.

Ingredients for 6 people – Prep time 10 min – Cooking Time 20 to 30 min.

• I calculate ½ potato for a woman and a whole one for a guy
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger.
• 1 tbsp finely chopped red chilli - more or less depending on heat desired
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• Salt
• Good olive oil

1. Cut potatoes lengthwise in order to get about 8 wedges, depending on size
2. Put in oven roasting pan
3. Add ginger, chilli, garlic, salt and some olive oil – just enough to coat the potatoes.
4. Mix with your hands making sure all the potatoes are evenly coated.
5. Stick in the oven for about 20 to 30 min – depending on size.

Goes fantastically well with the chicken burgers.

I smell BBQ. Chicken burgers with lemongrass and lime

I saw Bill Granger on TV making these burgers and I knew right there I had to make them. They have become a classic especially when it's hot as they are so much lighter than conventional burgers.

And for once I haven't changed anything. They are just perfect. I, now, have a craving for them.

I serve them with roasted sweet potato and a 'thai salad'.

Ingredients  for 6 people - Prep time 15 min. Cooking about 10 mins.

• 600 g  minced chicken 
• 1 onion, finely grated 
• 85 g fresh white breadcrumbs 
• 1 garlic clove 
• 1 lemongrass stalk white part only, finely chopped 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest 
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 2 teaspoons palm sugar 

To Serve 

• Soft rolls 
• Lettuce leaves 
• Fresh mint and coriander leaves 
• Chilli sauce 

1. Put the chicken mince, onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, lemongrass, coriander, lime zest, fish sauce and sugar in a large bowl and mix together well with your hands.
2. Shape into 6 patties, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat a barbeque or chargrill pan and brush with a little light flavoured oil such as grapeseed or canola.
4. Cook the patties for 4 minutes each side or until cooked through.
5. Serve on soft rolls with lettuce, mint, coriander leaves and chilli sauce.

Mad for the berry but not the muffin top? Blueberry muffins makeover.

Blueberry Muffins.

When it comes to muffins you have to give it to the Americans. They know their stuff. This recipe is a lighter version of the calorie loaded muffin that you might buy in a Starbuck. It’s so easy to make that you will think that there is something wrong. You will find that the dough is a little dry but do not worry as the blueberries make them as moist as can be.

Although I keep coming back to the blueberries, I have done these muffins with raspberries, fresh peaches and apricots, cut into pieces. Peeps you get it! As always you can adapt it to your mood.

Enjoy and as they are so light you can have two of them!

Ingredients are in cups this time round... Everybody should have a set of cups in their drawers. Buy them on Amazon or in your local supermarket.

• 1 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour.
• Slightly less than a ¼ cup agave syrup or ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup quick-cooking oats not instant
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup buttermilk plus 2 tbsp buttermilk – for the Brits 1 pot from the supermarket.
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp canola/rapeseed – it’s the same. If you don’t have you can use sunflower or olive oil.
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 ¼ cup blueberries washed and dried or any other fruit.

For the topping

• ¼ cup sugar free blueberry jam or any sugar free jam that goes with your fruit.
• 24 blueberries washed and dried.

Preheat oven to 190 C

1. Combine all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, that includes the sugar if not using the agave syrup.
2. In another bowl whisk all the wet ingredients together, that includes the agave syrup if using.
3. Toss fruit in the flour mix.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir gently.
5. Line a 12 count muffin pan with paper cups.
6. Divide batter evenly – great tip from the Barefoot Contessa use an ice cream scoop. All the same size.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 min or until tops are just set.
8. Remove pan from the oven; top each muffin with a tsp of jam and 2 blueberries.
9. Bake 3 to 5 min or until golden.
10. Cool in pan for 10 min and serve.
11. Now, try not to eat all of them!! 

• Recipe based on the one in Shape mag.

Cold turkey or why I quit the sugar crave. Barking mad I hear you say!

After a long hiatus I am finally back online.

I have never been a big sugar eater. The sugar quantities in my recipes are always at the lowest they can be. But at the beginning of the year I decided to ditch it totally.

I read somewhere that sugar eats your cells and makes you look older – oh vanity you will say! Big, big times. Who doesn’t like to be told they look younger than they are? Ladies??

Going under the knife freaks the hell out of me so I’m going down the natural way of keeping my youth. Well, one can hope.

I also found that ditching the sugar kept my own sugar levels in check. No more slump afternoons for me. I really like being on the go.

So ‘you don’t eat sweet things anymore?’ I hear you ask. I still do but even less than before. I have replaced the stuff with palm sugar, agave syrup, fructose and freedom sweet. All low GI. (You can find them in your local health store, supermarket or the internet depending on where you are on this planet.)

For those who still want to eat the stuff – though you really should think about quitting – I will now put both in my recipes so you can choose which one you want. But do give the sugar alternative a go as you will feel so much better after and your conscious will thank you for it as your waist. J

Hope you enjoy these new recipes.

Gone fishing for the ultimate fish pie

For days I had been dreaming of a fish pie and so went fishing for a recipe that would inspire me. This dish is a mix of what I found and what I had in my fridge.
I did not have any white wine so used a bottle of Noilly Prat I had at the back of the cupboard. What a discovery!


Ingredients for 2 people. Prep 15 min. Cooking 45 min.

• 1 portion of haddock or smocked haddock
• 1 portion of salmon
• 4 shrimps
• 2 scallops
• 2 small carrots
• 1 big leek
• A small head of fennel
• Olive oil
• 150 ml Noilly Prat
• 50 ml cream
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt, pepper.
• 2 portions of mashed potatoes - See recipe in listing.
• Grated cheddar
• Dried breadcrumbs

1. Peel carrot, wash fennel and leak thoroughly.
2. Thinly slice the vegetables.
3. Pour some olive oil in a saucepan, once hot put leek with a pinch of salt and slowly cook making sure it doesn't brown. After 10 min add carrot and fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender. 
4. Once the veggies are cooked, pour the Noilly Prat and reduce a little.
5. Mix flour with butter until you get a paste, add to the pot and mix gently until it thickens. Add cream. Let the mix cool.
6. Cut fish in bite size, shrimps and scallops in half. 
7. Oil or butter a oven proof dish, put the fish and seafood in, top with the veggies and then the mash potatoes.
8. Sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs and cheddar.

Stick in the oven under the grill for about 20 min until it becomes bubbly and browned.


Dig in! Lovely with an Italian white wine such as a Gavi di Gavi.


Bon Ap!

Quack, quack there goes the duck - Confit de Canard

Here is the traditionnal recipe for Confit de Canard. For my good friend Mikrouli


Ingredients for 4 people. Prep time 10 mins. Cooking time 3 to 4h plus 24 hours 

• 4 duck legs
• 150 g Coarse sea salt
• 1.5 to 2 kg duck fat - depends on the size of the legs
• 1 clove of garlic
• Freshly ground pepper

1. Peel the garlic clove, cut in 2 and rub on the legs. Rub the salt on the legs, pepper generously, put them in a dish, cover with cling film - make sure the cling film does not touch the meat. Stick it in the fridge for 24h.
2. 24 h later, melt the fat slowly on a low heat in an iron cast pot.
3. Gently pat the legs - do not rinse them.
4. Once the fat has melted, put the legs in the pot making sure that they are well covered.
5. Cover and stick in the oven for 3 hours. Stick a very fine knife in one of the legs to check that the meat is on the verge of falling of the bones and that the juices are clear. If not cook for longer.
6. Once cooked, you can put the legs in a sterilized jar and keep in the fridge. Eat within 2 to 3 weeks. Can be kept much longer if you are a pro at sterilization. 
7. Or can be eaten straight away. Take the legs out of the pot, place in an metal oven dish, crank up the oven at 190 C. Once the skin as brown it's ready. About 15 mins.
8. Serve with duck fat roasted or fried potatoes and a lushious green salad.
9. Enjoy!

Keep the fat from the pot. Filter, stick in a sterilized jar and keep in the fridge. I am still using some that is over a year old.

Gosh I am starving now.