Bombay sweet potatoes

Bombay potatoes are one of my favourite dishes that my Dad makes when I’m home in Ireland.

I decided to try my hand at a sweet potato version today. I’m happy to say they tasted delicious! 

Nice (healthy) comfort food for this chilly weather.

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks.
• 2 portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 1 large red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée 
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil 

Method:

1. Fry the onions, garlic and mustard seeds in coconut oil until the onions start to get soft
2. Add in the chopped mushrooms, the spices and purée 
3. Put the chopped sweet potatoes into a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 3 mins.
4. Add the sweet potato to the pan, cover with a lid and stir every few minutes for about 10-15 minutes until a fork can easily go through the sweet potatoes 

Kellebelle

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Always a kitten, never a cat…

Happy Halloween!

Kellebelle 

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Greyhound illustration – Ros Shiers

I went to the Stylist Live event in Islington yesterday and bought this beautiful greyhound print by Ros Shiers.

Her stand had an amazing collection of dog prints (amongst other things!) and I probably stood there for about 15 minutes trying to decide which one to get. 

I chose this print because I have a real soft spot for greyhounds and whippets. Ever since I saw a beautiful greyhound cross called Mollie at Battersea I have wanted to adopt one of these delicate creatures. They just have the saddest eyes and I want to wrap them up in blankets to stop them shivering!

As I can’t have a dog right now I have decided to fill my room with as many dog related pieces as possible.

This new print is placed right above my bed 💛

Kellebelle 

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Turmeric mylk

This is my absolute favourite turmeric mylk recipe (and I’ve tested a few over the years!). It’s from The Yoga Kitchen by the wonderful Kim Parsons. 

Turmeric is such a powerful spice known for its healing properties. Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. 

I occasionally get a flare-up of ulcerative colitis (an inflammatory condition) so I’m really interested in herbal remedies and foods to conteract this inflammation. Luckily I have a very mild form of UC but it’s essential that I look after my diet and spot the early signs of a flare up. I take turmeric supplements from Pukka and try to eat foods that reduce inflammation. 

Turmeric mylk is one of my favourite drinks – it’s so comforting and warming. 

Turmeric is fat soluble, so it’s best to consume together with some fat – Kim’s recipe adds coconut oil for this reason. Black pepper increases The bioavailability of turmeric by over 1000% so that is added too.

Ingredients

• 1 clove
• 3 black peppercorns 
• 1 cardamom pod
• 2 and a half cups of coconut milk (or almond milk)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3/4 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and cut into thin slices (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
• 3/4 inch piece of fresh turmeric peeled and cut into thin slices (or 1 tsp ground turmeric)
• 2 dried dates, stoned
• 1 tsp melted coconut oil 

Method

1. Place the peppercorns, clove and cardamom pod into a mortar and pestle and slightly crush (I used the back of a spoon in a bowl!) then place all the ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from the heat before the liquid starts to boil.
3. Cover the saucepan with a lid and allow to infuse for a few hours if possible.
4. When ready to drink, reheat gently and then strain the liquid through a sieve. 

If there is any left you can store in the fridge for a few days.

I like mine served with a dusting of cinnamon in my dinosaur mug 😊 

Kellebelle

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Lazy gluten free brownies

The winter cold has struck and I’ve been wrapped up in blankets all weekend. 😷

I really wanted to bake something quick and easy today… without having to go the the shops for extra ingredients. 

Sweet potato brownies are my go to recipe when I want to whip up something chocolatey. However I don’t have any almond flour or medjool dates in the house so that ruled that recipe out!

I decided to make ‘normal’ brownies as they generally only require a few basic ingredients. 

It was a bit of a gamble as I pretty much just made this up as I went along. However, they turned out to be delicious and super gooey! The coconut oil gave them a really lovely flavour too.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour (this is gluten free but you can use regular flour too)
• 1/3 cup cacao powder (I use Lucy Bee)
• 1/4 cup sugar (or sweetener of choice)
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Optional: cacao nibs or walnuts sprinkled on top

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl
3. In another bowl mix the eggs and melted coconut oil
4. Pour the egg/oil mixture into the dry mixture and stir until combined
5. Pour the mixture into a cake dish lined with grease proof paper
6. Sprinkle some cocoa nibs on top
7. Bake in the oven for 25-40 minutes or until a toothpick/fork insterted into the centre comes out clean

Note: I try to bake without using sugar but I threw that notion out the window today as the maple syrup I planned to sweeten my brownies with had mould in it (forgot to store in the fridge, oops). If I was making this recipe again I would substitute the sugar for 4 tablespoons of maple syrup.

Kellebelle

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September reading

I am really looking forward to reading these books that were all recommended by friends.

Right now, I’m looking for books that inspire and offer a fresh perspective on maximising potential/dreams. 

I spent my recent holiday reigniting my love for creative writing and wrote several short stories. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it and want to keep that creative element in my life going. When I was younger I had always dreamed of writing a novel but somehow that idea got lost in adult life.

I started Big Magic last night having been a fan of Elizabeth Gilbert for some time. Only one chapter in but planning on spending today’s lunch break (and every tube journey!) reading it. Nothing excites me more than a new book! 🤓 📚 

I really need to buy a bigger bookshelf…

Kellebelle

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Pom poms

These are shoes I would have LOVED as a five year old.

…. And I love them even more at 28!

Shoes: River Island

Kellebelle

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Vegan chocolate & salted caramel tart

This is amazing. Go make it now!

This recipe is from The Happy Pear (book 2) and is delicious. I mean, I’m actually having it for breakfast right now as I write this. Getting bikini ready for my trip to Barcelona this weekend of course…

I made it while home in Ireland so eating as much of it as I can before I fly back to London. Nom!

It is really easy to make and I can’t believe the caramel is made from dates and almond butter! 

Ingredients 

For the base

• 150g walnuts
• 150g almonds 
• 100g pitted dates
• 1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract (I used 1 teaspoon vanilla powder)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)

For the caramel layer

• 300g pitted dates
• 150g almond butter/cashew butter/peanut butter (I chose almond as it is more subtle and less overpowering than peanut)
• 10-12 tablespoons water
• 10 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
• A large pinch of salt

For the chocolate layer

• 300g good quality dark chocolate (more than 50% solids)

Method

1. Line the base of a 24cm round non-stick cake tin with baking parchment.
2. To make the base, blend the nuts to a flour like consistency. Add the dates, vanilla and coconut oil and blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Press it firmly into the of the cake tin.
3. Put all the ingredients for the caramel layer into the same food processor and blend until super smooth. This may take 5-10 mins.
4. Spread an even layer of caramel over the base in the tin.
5. Gently melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and pour over the caramel layer.
6. Put into the fridge and leave to set until the chocolate is solid (at least 4 hours). Use a hot knife to cut this tart as it helps to prevent the chocolate from cracking.

Et voila!

Kellebelle

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Ps. I’m on snapchat as Smallkellebelle, Instagram: blink_and_youll_miss 

Wild Food Cafe

Delicious ‘White Zen’ smoothie (contains Irish moss!) from the Wild Food Cafe in Covent Garden.

I went there yesterday and it is an amazing vegan/vegetarian spot 💚🌱

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden, it was a lovely little escape. We sat by the large open windows overlooking a little courtyard and it almost felt like we were in Spain or Italy! 

I need to go back there soon for food as their menu looked amazing! Here’s some drink selections:

Love finding new veggie places and the staff were really lovely at the Wild Earth Cafe. Highly recommend !
Kellebelle 

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BuddyBox: Blurt Foundation

Ever since I was a child, I have always loved a ‘lucky dip’. Post-party goody bags were the holy grail of childhood parties and I remember comparing the contents and swapping Spice Girl stickers while devouring popping candy. Those were the days!

Nowadays, subscription boxes filled with goodies from the likes of Glossybox, Graze (do snacks count as treats?) and Pink Parcel are hugely popular. There’s often a choice to purchase a one-off box for yourself, or loved one, if you don’t want to commit to a monthly service.

But what if you fancy some positivity or a pick me up? Or just want something a bit different to the norm? 

The Blurt Foundation has devised the BuddyBox which is packed full of positive and comforting items. Blurt’s aim is to help those affected by depression and increase awareness and understanding about the coundition. 

They describe their BuddyBox as a “hug in a box”. The BuddyBox is a subscription box with substance, designed to counter the pressures we face in modern life.  When you consider the amount of people suffering from depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, the BuddyBox and Blurt are hugely important and beneficial. It is rare to speak to anyone who has not been affected in some way and creating a culture of openness is essential. I constantly see articles discussing the rise in numbers suffering from mental health issues and how this generation, in particular, are suffering terribly with anxiety/stress disorders and feeling the pressures of modern society. 

Packed full of thoughtful, mood-lifting treats, the BuddyBox aims to comfort, delight and give you that warm, ‘I’ve been cared for’ feeling inside.
Each BuddyBox contains at least 5 full-size quality products hand-picked to nourish, inspire and encourage self-care.

All the items included in the box are intended to make you feel good: helping you de-stress, find calm, feel pampered, relax, get creative, or simply have fun.

What a wonderful idea!

I decided to get a one-off box (£21.50)… And look at how fabulous it is! It is packaged so wonderfully and I was really excited to unveil its contents. A really lovely thing to open at the end of a long day at work.

Although Blurt is an organisation that focuses on helping people with depression, the BuddyBox was created for ANYONE who could benefit from a boost, or a pick-me up, or a big dollop of self-care.

I genuinely love the BuddyBox idea, and think it’s a great gift idea for anyone needing a little lift and to know that someone cares ❤

Kellebelle

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