blog – CLARE HOPKINS

Chocolate ‘Nice-cream’ For Breakfast (Vegan)

March 8, 2019May 1, 2020Posted in FOOD, HEALTHTagged blog, breakfast, chocolate, delicious, health blog, healthy, healthy chef, nicecream, recipe, vegan, weight loss4 Comments

My latest obsession is “nice-cream.” It’s as creamy and delicious as regular ice cream, but it has all the health benefits as well.

If you don’t know what nice cream is, let me help you. It’s a rich, creamy concoction that tastes like ice cream but is made from all the good stuff. It has 32g of protein, and 1g of sugar.

After many mornings whizzing up different blends, I’ve finally mastered my chocolate mousse nice cream. It’s ultimately an ultra filling dessert, but you can also eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

You will need:

1 chopped, frozen banana (I like to buy about 5 bananas at the start of the week, and then chop and freeze them all at once to save time).
1 tbsp cocoa powder
30g Amazonia Raw Protein (chocolate or vanilla flavour works well)
0.5 tbsp cinnamon (did you know cinnamon curbs sugar cravings?)
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp cacao nibs
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

And that’s it! Just blend until you get a thick, creamy consistency. You might have blend a little, stir it, and then blend some more to make it all come together.

I top with different things every day. My favourites lately have been lower glycemic fruits like chopped apple, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and then sunflower seeds or cacao nibs for some crunch!

Nutrition Facts

Here’s the macronutrient breakdown compared to 2 scoops of regular chocolate gelato:

	Bowl of Chocolate Nice-Cream	Chocolate Gelato
Calories	320	444
Protein	32g	8g
Fat	16g	28g
Carbs	37g	42g
Sugar	1g	40g
Fibre	8g	0g

Can you believe it? Healthy Cinnabon Rolls

April 16, 2018April 23, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, FOODTagged baking, blog, blogger, blogging, cinnabon, cinnamon, Colourpot, delicious, dessert, easy, FOOD, friends, fun, guides, happy, HEALTH, journal, LIFESTYLE, local, others, personal, photography, quick, roll, snack, thoughts, wordpress, writing2 Comments

Cinnabon’s aren’t the definition of ‘health’.

But, I wanted to devise a recipe which was just as yummy, but didn’t use up half my daily caloric intake (the average cinnabon has 880 calories).

When my cinnabon craving first hit, I was scrolling through recipes that take about 3 hours to prepare and bake. That was simply too long and I knew I had to find a cheaters quick version.

So, here’s the cheat sheet to my 45 minute, Plant Based Cinnabons:

Dough:

2.75 cups of all purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package instant yeast = 2.25 teaspoons
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp ground chia seeds + 3 tbsp water

Filling:

0.5 cup pureed dates (1/4 cup water)
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1 medium apple finely chopped
coconut oil as a base

Time: 45 minutes, Serves: 8, Calories: 294 each

Method:

Preheat oven to 100C
Mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl
Heat water, almond milk and coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds
Add chia seeds, milk/oil mixture and flour mixture together and knead with hands until dough forms – set aside for 5 minutes
Roll out the dough on baking paper into a rectangle

Spread the coconut oil and pureed dates on the rolled out dough
Sprinkle the apple and almonds on top

Roll the dough into a log, and cut into 8 even segments

Put each segment into greased baking tins.

Put into the oven, and turn the oven off. Leave in rolls there for 20 minutes. Then, turn the oven to 200C and bake for 20 mins.

Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Let me know how it goes! xx

Pancakes: Breakfast with me!

April 13, 2018April 23, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, FOOD, HEALTHTagged almond milk, blog, blogger, blogging, breakfast, delicious, eat with me, FOOD, guides, happy, HEALTH, healthy, journal, LIFESTYLE, meal, pancakes, personal, photography, recipe, tasty, thoughts, weight loss, wordpress, writing4 Comments

Hands down my favourite breakfast is pancakes. Although scrambled eggs & avo on sourdough comes pretty close.

There’s nothing better than a tower of soft, fluffy pancakes, covered in delicious toppings.

This morning I woke up with a burning desire for pancakes.

I like to mix up my pancake toppings: it’s usually a compilation of nut butter (I’m addicted to Mayver’s peanut butter), fresh & frozen fruits, sugar free maple syrup, chia seeds, coconut yogurt, caco nibs, dried fruit & nuts, or regular vanilla yogurt.

Today I went with frozen blueberries and a very thick drizzle of almond butter for the topping. For the pancakes themselves I blended 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup oats, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 banana, 1 tbsp chia seeds, and a pinch of cinnamon and salt. I cooked this on a medium-high heat.

I wanted to address almond milk. If you are interested in the alternatives to cow’s milk, you have probably heard whispers about almond milk being part of a fad health craze, or that it just doesn’t taste good.

I investigated almond milk, and whilst it does have far less protein and calcium than soy milk and cows milk, it is a great option if you are looking for something lighter to go with a protein dense meal (such as peanut butter drenched pancakes). In terms of the taste, I’ve love it, but perhaps it is an acquired taste for some. Give the chocolate or sweetened versions a go for a while before you switch to plain, unsweetened almond milk.

Hope you have a lovely Friday leading into an even better weekend. I’ve got lots planned – this one’s meant to be sunny in Sydney!! Stay tuned for more recipes and adventures 🙂

A salad to suit the season?

November 16, 2017April 23, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, HEALTHTagged Australia, beginner blogger, blog, blogging, brunch, cheap, cheap dinner, delicious, dinner, FOOD, fun, guides, happy, healthy, homemade, journal, LIFESTYLE, local, lunch, others, salad, weight loss11 Comments

Reading over and editing this post I realised how many times I used the word Spring. I’m sorry but unfortunately Oxford dictionary doesn’t have any good alternatives.

***

We’re getting to the end of Spring over here in Australia, and although I’m excited about the beachy climate that summer is bringing, it’s sad to see those cool, breezy Spring days fade away.

Because Spring is the season before Summer, it’s the time every gym membership goes on sale, Halloween stashes quickly get thrown out, and green smoothies and salads are glorified.

The idea of munching on a bowl of bitter green leaves drizzled with vinaigrette sounds highly unappetizing to me, but with the right ingredients they can taste great and they ensure you are packing your daily greens in.

So, I created the perfect Spring salad, with protein, healthy fats and a range of different flavours.

You will need:

1 medium tomato – reduce risk of heart disease and cancer
135g tinned salmon – rich in omega 3 fatty acids and a great source of protein.
Mixed green lettuce leaves
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Heaped tsp of dried chia seeds – high in omega 3s, fibre, and provide a delicious crunch to the dish.
100g chopped canned beetroot
50g avocado – source of filling, healthy fats.

Cost: AUD 10 Calories: 380

Perfect! xx

A café that only sells salads? My verdict.

October 17, 2017April 23, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, FOOD, HEALTHTagged asian, blog, blogger, blogging, clean eating, cuisine, delicious, diet, family, FOOD, fun, greenhouse asian salads, happy, HEALTH, journal, LIFESTYLE, local, salad, salad cafe3 Comments

An all salad restaurant sounds like the type of thing I would politely decline. Although I love eating healthy and exploring nutritious food options, I don’t advocate eating solely lettuce as a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I sound like a salad hater, and that’s only because the salads on restaurant menus are usually comprised of whole cherry tomatoes, 3 salad leaves and a weak amount of dressing if you’re lucky.

If a salad can be done deliciously.. I’m all in.

Greenhouse Asian Salads has just opened in Sydney and offers a range of exotic salads, which experiment with green tea noodles, chicken wontons, green papaya, white sesame and more.

I decided to head over because reading the menu, every single option had a mix of flavours that sounded mouth-watering.

I opted for the Green House #1, a vegan salad with tofu, green tea noodle, avocado, cucumber, carrot, red radish, cashews and sesame seeds. However, what made it wonderful was the coconut soy dressing. This tied the whole dish together with a sweet tang that left me wanting more.

Mum went for the Naughty Tuna, which was delicious – a mix of tuna, green tea noodles, edamame soybeans and cashews with wasabi dressing.

Unexpectedly this café trumped a lot of dining places I’ve been to this year, many of which have menus that offer a range of wonderfully diverse cuisines and dishes.

So, I’ll take back my salad prejudice and highly recommend this very green, very healthy and VERY yummy lunch destination.

Let me know if you try it out!

New & Improved Acai Bowl Recipe

October 9, 2017April 23, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, FOODTagged acai bowl, beginner blogger, blog, cheap, Colourpot, creative gourmet, eating, FOOD, HEALTH, healthy, healthy recipe, homemade, recipe, Sydney, weight loss, wordpress11 Comments

Acai Bowls have been a craze in Sydney for a while now, with so many acai-focused places popping up that I have compiled a mental list of spots for the best bowls in the city; check out Bare Naked Bowls, The Fruitologist and Coco Bliss.

Every now and again (usually when my bank balance is looking sheepish) I make a cheap, easy, TASTY, acai bowl at home. Below is my updated recipe, but check out different acai bowls in my previous posts.

The ingredients are inexpensive and can be picked up at your local Supermarket, except for the actual acai powder. Every brand seems to want to charge exorbitant prices for a tiny bag of acai.

My hack is the Creative Gourmet Organic Acai Puree (AUD $8), or the Tropeaka Acai Powder (AUD $34)

For my recipe you will need:

1 x Creative Gourmet Organic Acai Puree pack OR 1 tbsp Tropeaka acai powder.
20g Smooth Peanut Butter (Mayvers is my favourite)
50g frozen strawberries
50g frozen blueberries
1/2 cup water or more as needed
1 medium banana
Dried Chia seeds
Shredded Coconut

Approximately 340 calories. Time: 10 minutes

Method:

Blend the acai, water and frozen berries until thick smoothie consistency is formed.
Pour blended mixture into a bowl.
Chop up the banana and place on top, and drizzle with peanut butter. Sprinkle the chia seeds and shredded coconut on top (tasty added health benefits).

Mmmm! xx Have you made acai bowls before?

Cheesy Eggplant Lasagne for Fathers Day

September 8, 2017April 22, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, FOODTagged apple crumble, blog, blogger, blogging, connoisseur, creme brulee, dad, delicious, dessert, dinner, eggplant lasagna, family, fathers day, FOOD, fun, guides, happy, HEALTH, home cooked, ice cream, lasagna, lindt, lunch, meal, milk chocolate, photography, Recipes, salad, treat, white chocolate, wordpress, writing4 Comments

When I realised Father’s Day was approaching, I had the annual freak out… What am I going to buy Dad? Is there anything he’s mentioned he wants?

The reality is that Dad never says what he wants and says he’d be happy with a card. Since I’m not going to just wake up, toss him a card and consider my job done, I decided this year I’d cook a big lunch.

I kept it super simple. Dad’s favourites are the plainer dishes; lasagne, sausages, chops, lamb shanks, vanilla ice cream, milk chocolate…

So, I decided to do lasagne, with a twist.

Cheesy Eggplant Lasagne. Think gooey cheese, creamy chickpeas and aromatic tomato arranged together to create a healthier twist on Italian comfort food.

The eggplant soaks up all the delicious creamy tomato sauces and becomes a soft mess that tastes incredible with the chickpea/almond meal base and cheese oozing throughout.

For dessert, we enjoyed my favourite Healthy Apple Crumble recipe with Connoisseur white chocolate/raspberry ice cream (you could go for Halo Top for a lower calorie alternative, Connoisseur is Dad’s favourite).

I also sourced a block of Lindt’s creme brulee milk chocolate – a Lindt flavour I haven’t seen before. I hope they keep stocking the shelves with it because it was the perfect mix of crispy caramel and creamy milk chocolate.

Even though we kept it simple, it was nice to enjoy a home cooked meal. What did you do for Father’s Day?

You Must Dine at the Rocks in Sydney

August 27, 2017April 21, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, FOODTagged Australia, bar, bavarian food, blog, blogging, cadillac platter, cafe, chocolate cafe, churros, cocktails, desserts, Dining, el camino cantina, FOOD, friday night, fun, german, german food, gnocchi, guides, guylian belgian chocolate cafe, journal, local, maragaritas, mexican, mousse, munich brauhaus, nachos, night out, pancakes, pancakes on the rocks, pizza, quesadillas, restaurants, saturday night, sydney dining, sydney local, tacos, tequila, the rocks, tips, tourism, traditional, travel, wordpress, zia pina pizzeria8 Comments

The reason The Rocks is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sydney is because of how many diverse restaurants, bars and cafés it has to offer. What makes it better is that each restaurant has a different cuisine, atmosphere, quirks, and is just a 2 minute walk from the iconic harbour.

If you only had one night in the city, I would tell you to first head for drinks at Grain, a dimly lit cocktail bar next to the Four Seasons. What they do best is a range of exotic cocktails; I recommend Alexander’s Fizz or Sunburn, if you want to give some strangely delicious drink combinations a go.

If you are feeling Tex-Mex, head to El Camino Cantina. They serve up oversized margaritas and tapas share platters (think crispy tacos, sizzling quesadillas, nachos dripping in cheese and churros), AND they have unlimited corn chips and salsa which is always a win.

The walls are adorned with Mexican themed collectables and animation-style art, giving the place a groovy, retro vibe. We went for the Cadillac Platter which served up a selection of chilli chicken wings, jalapeño poppers, tuna ceviche tacos, guacamole, chicken and cheese quesadilla, and chilli con carne – which tasted as good as it sounds.

If Mexican isn’t your thing, head over to Zia Pina Pizzeria, owned by the same family for the past 3 decades (there’s a reason why their food is so good). I would recommend the Zucca pizza with cheese, tomato base, grilled pumpkin, olives, parmesan cheese and rocket, or the Veal Gnocchi.

There’s also the Munich Brauhaus which does Bavarian food traditionally and festively. The wait staff are dressed in dirndls and lederhosen, serving up house-made sausages, freshly baked pretzels, schnitzels, crispy pork belly, and of course, lots of beer.

For dessert, you have to head to the iconic Guylian Belgian Chocolate Café, for desserts which both taste and look amazing. I recommend the dark chocolate raspberry cheesecake or a milk chocolate mousse with macadamia cream.

Or, if you’re feeling like a real treat night, head over to Pancakes on The Rocks, a well-known dessert chain which does pancakes every way you can think. My favourite is the decadent Black Forest Cherry, which involves chocolate pancakes with cherries, brandy sauce, creamy chocolate ice cream and chocolate chips, all doused in chocolate sauce.

Leave comments below if you know any other great places at The Rocks! I’d love to check them out xxx

I found Vegan Yum Cha and it didn’t disappoint

August 19, 2017April 21, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, FOOD, HEALTHTagged blog, chinese food, FOOD, friends, Green gourmet, guides, happy, HEALTH, photography, Sydney, vegan, vegan yum cha, yum cha4 Comments

Wait… doesn’t Yum Cha involve selections of pork buns, prawn/pork dumplings, beef entrails, spiced meatballs, chicken wrapped in lotus leaf?

The Green Gourmet offers a plant-based Yum Cha menu. From fake-Beijing-duck wraps and chia seed ‘prawn’ dumplings to BBQ-not pork buns and taro meatballs, they have it all.

From the outside, the restaurant doesn’t look like much. A (green) hole in the wall, sitting on a major Highway amongst the barking traffic. It’s a gem only locals know about. Inside soft music plays, customers sit at homely wooden tables and the tasty food is served quickly by the friendly staff.

My cuisine craving this week was Chinese. After visiting 45 Broughton Chinese Takeaway on Wednesday night for delicious stir fried black fungi & greens in oyster sauce, sweet & sour chicken, (real) pork buns and San Choy Bow, by Saturday I wanted more.

My friend and I decided to order a Green Gourmet feast whilst doing a Harry Potter movie marathon (the perfect combination).

We ordered the Deluxe Gourmet Entrée which, for $32 together, gave us a selection of BBQ-not-pork satay skewers, ‘oyster’ (mushroom) fritters, steamed dumplings and burdock salad. To complement the entrée range we ordered stir fried veggies in soy sauce, shangtung-not-chicken and finished the meal off with peppermint tea and dark chocolate.

The Green Gourmet also does a fantastic selection of homemade vegan desserts; ‘monkey choccy’ sponge cake, lemon and berry ‘cheesecake’, Oreo chocolate cake (to name a few). But we didn’t have much of a sweet tooth that night so decided to give them a miss.

The Green Gourmet has two locations – St Leonards and Newtown. If you’re in the area definitely give it a try!

Cauliflower Pizza & Movie Night

July 30, 2017April 17, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, FOODTagged blog, blogger, delicious, diet, easy recipe, efficient, FOOD, fun, guides, HEALTH, healthy, healthy dinner, healthy pizza, healthy recipe, homemade, movie, photography, pizza, quick, recipe, the intouchables, writing4 Comments

On the weekends, I try to whip up something a little fancier than protein and veggies for a bit of a change – Thai green curry, lamb roast, or laksa for example.

Tonight I decided to keep it simple and throw together a pizza. It turned out to have quite an eclectic mix of toppings because I had bits and bobs of leftover food I wanted to use.

I used butternut pumpkin, asparagus, basil, low-fat mozzarella, a tomato, roasted peri peri chicken slices, shallots and a tin of champignon mushrooms (the mushrooms were a bit random.. don’t know if I’d do it again).

For the base, I used Picasso Kitchen Cauliflower Base! It was delicious! Only 282 calories in the entire base. You can also make your own Cauliflower base if you are feeling creative.

The best part was that it was only 15 minutes from when I started cooking to serving the meal. This was perfect because I was having a hungry day and I just wanted to eat!

I winged the tomato sauce by blending 3 tbsp greek yoghurt, basil and 1 whole tomato. All the pizza needed was 10 minutes at 200˚C in the oven before it was ready to eat.

We ate our pizza’s while watching The Intouchables – if you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend it.