3BM Kitchen : Ruby Juice...

After trucksful of pasta, bucketsful of prosecco and far too many boards full of meats and cheeses, it's safe to say that my Italian adventures have left me feeling a little sluggish. I wouldn't have done it any differently but a health kick is now desperately required to get me back on the bikini diet - especially as my next beach break is under a month away! 

 

When researching for my cauliflower post last week, I also stumbled across a very motivational juice post on my new favourite blog Eat Yourself Skinny. Now I know there are some negatives linked to juicing diets but I think as long as you stick to majority vegetable juices, you're in the safe zone. You want to steer clear of 100% fruit juices as they may taste like a tropical dream but are actually jam-packed full of sugar. The intention is healthy however, realistically you wouldn't sit down for breakfast and munch your way through two apples, two pears and three kiwi fruits would you?!

 

I hold my hands up - I've never tried a vegetable juice before so my guess is as good as yours... If I'm honest, I'm a little scared, but with additions like cucumber, mint and lemon I'm hoping all that kale and celery will be transformed into a light and fresh glass of deliciousness...fingers crossed!

 

Over the next few weeks London Towers is going to be juicing up a storm - we are going to kick off slowly with juice breakfasts followed by healthy lunches and dinners and see how we go from there! We will of course be sure to keep you posted on all favourites along the way but first up, we introduce...Ruby Juice!

 

Here goes...

 

You Need...

 

3 cucumbers

1 beetroot

1 red grapefruit

 

To Do...

 

1. If you have a juicer then the whole process should be a little quicker as you can literally chop everything in half and away you go. However as beginners we are starting out with a blender. So, just make sure you chop everything a little smaller and take off any hard rinds. 

 

 

2. It's as simple as chucking everything into a blender, using the settings to blend fast and then slower, fast and then slower - until you have a juice consistency. (Feel free to add a little water to get the juicing going).

 

3. Once blended serve straight up or if you want a smoother finish pour through a sieve 

 

4. Slurppppp away! 

 

 

 

3BM Kitchen: Garlic and Rosemary Cauliflower Mash...

So we've developed quite an unusual addiction...nope nothing to do with shoes this time, but wait for it...cauliflower! And I'm not talking about the type smothered in white sauce and oozing with cheese, but instead as a substitute for rice and potatoes! 

 

Sounds strange but it's seriously delicious, healthy and I guarantee once you start you won't stop!! 

 

 

Our love began a few months ago when we saw The Londoner blog about egg fried cauliflower rice. Again the concept doesn't sound like it should work but after HK mouse convinced me it was worth all the grating, I gave it a go! 

 

It doesn't even taste like you're eating vegetables - I must admit on it's own I find cauliflower quite bland, but with the kick from the chili and garlic, incredible flavours from the coconut and sesame oils (I'm a coconut oil convert after this recipe) and the fresh coriander to bring it all together - you seriously can't go wrong. 

 

After realising it's not OK to eat the same dinner every single night, I thought it was time to look into some other cauli-tastic recipes! That's when I came across the great foodie blog Eat Yourself Skinny - it's full to brim of unusual ideas that are all clean and healthy recipes...perfect! 

 

Anyway, that's where I came across this gem, and thought why not give it a whirl to see if my obsession could be extended to further realms! Now I'm a true potato lover but this to me was even better than buttery mash! Creamy, garlicky and feels like it should be oh so bad, but somehow it's not - thank God there is such a thing as an innocent treat after all (as long as you use low fat cheese and yogurt!). Oh and a glass of summery Pimms by your side to keep you company whilst you cook...

You will need...

 

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (low fat but make sure that it's one without added sugar)

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese (garlic and herb - this is optional I didn't add and it was still delish!)

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

 

How to...

 

1. Bring a pan of water to a boil and add the chopped cauliflower

2. Boil for about 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. Drain and pat dry with a towel (important step to get the right consistency)
 

3. Add the hot cauliflower to your food processor and add the chicken stock...

...the Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic... 

...and cheeses...

4. Blitz until completely smooth. 
 

5. Stir in the salt, pepper and rosemary and enjoy with the meat and side of your choice!

Super-CAULI-fragilisticexpialidocious!

3BM KItchen: Ottolenghi Roasted Sweet Potato and Fresh Figs

We recently blogged about our first at home Ottolenghi experience from the amazing Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook. We started with the delicious Turkey and Courgette Burgers and after devouring all of them in record time, we decided to go for recipe number two! 

I love food and I love cooking, but I find it mind boggling that something can take hours to create and minutes to demolish, however I suppose that must be a good sign! Suitably inspired by our recent obsession with Celebrity Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off, we decided on this recipe as a tasty lunch to be kept in the fridge and eaten throughout the week! 

It's quick, easy and super tasty - however one word of warning make sure you have someone to share it with - Middle Mouse went on holiday after one days worth and by the end of the week I was one big sweet potato! 

Here's what you need...

Ingredients

4 small sweet potatoes (1 kg in total)
5 tbsp olive oil
40ml balsamic vinegar
20g caster sugar
12 spring onions, halved length ways and cut into 4cm segments
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
6 fresh and ripe figs (240g in total), quartered
150g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled (optional)
Maldon sea salt and black pepper
Here's what you do...

Method

Preheat the oven to 240°C Fan / 220°C / Gas Mark 9

Wash the sweet potatoes, halve them length ways and then cut each again similarly into three long wedges. Mix with three tablespoons of the olive oil, two teaspoons of salt and some black pepper. 

Spread the wedges out on a baking sheet, skin-side down, and cook for about 25 minutes until soft but not mushy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down.

To make a balsamic reduction, place the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 2–4 minutes, or until it thickens. Be sure to remove the pan from the heat when the vinegar is still runnier than honey; it will continue to thicken as it cools. Believe me when the recipe it will thicken it really does - mine ended up so thick my spoon stood up in it so don't be afraid to remove a little from the heat! When you come to serve it stir in hot drops of water to help thin so you can drizzle all over!

Heat the remaining oil in a medium saucepan and add the spring onions and chili. Fry on a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring often so not to burn...

Spoon the oil, onions and chili over the sweet potatoes...

Dot the figs among the wedges and then drizzle over the balsamic reduction. 

Serve at room temperature with the cheese crumbled over, if using. We also decided to throw in some broccoli to add a little more substance and extra added goodness...