meal – CLARE HOPKINS

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 🙂

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?

A Delicious Alternative to Restaurant Bought Butter Chicken

December 14, 2016April 15, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, FOOD, HEALTHTagged butter chicken, dinner, easy, healthy, homemade, homemade Indian, indian, meal, quick dinner2 Comments

Butter Chicken is one of my favourite dishes. So, I decided to develop a healthier recipe so that I could enjoy it more nights of the week. Every now and again I do like to enjoy the real thing. If you live in Sydney, Nilgiris does a fantastic butter chicken that I would recommend.

For my homemade butter chicken I substitute the butter, cream and naan for other, leaner flavours.

For one serving:

150g chicken thighs
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt (or plain dairy free yoghurt).
1 tbsp tomato paste
Handful of slivered Almonds
Squeeze of lemon juice
1/2 white onion
2 tbsp olive oil (you can try other oils if you like, but I find that olive oil gives the best flavour)
Couple of sprigs of coriander, chopped finely
Sprinkle of salt and garlic powder
3/4 tbsp of Garam Masala for more authentic flavour
Vegetable stock or water, to add if the paste becomes too thick

After mixing everything except the chicken thighs and yoghurt together in a bowl, chop the chicken thighs into small pieces and mix them in with the paste you just made. Then fry the bowl contents on medium-high heat, and once the mix is done stir through the Greek yoghurt.

It’s as easy as that!

I usually serve this with some falafels or brown rice for a nutritious source of healthy carbs!

The Perfect High Satiety Breakfast

August 29, 2016April 15, 2020Posted in ALL POSTS, FOOD, HEALTHTagged avocado, breakfast, clean, clean eating, eggs, feeling good, FOOD, gourmet, happiness, HEALTH, healthy, healthy recipe, high satiety, meal, perfect, recipe, weight loss, yumLeave a comment

I have been trying out all different styles of breakfasts (muesli, toast, bacon & eggs, avo on toast, oats, healthy pancakes, smoothies) to try and find a delicious breakfast that I’m excited for every morning, which is also very filling.

It is so important to have a nutritious first meal of the day. Not only to put you in a good mood, but also for several health reasons. The first meal breaks your overnight fast (hence ‘break fast’), replenishing your glucose levels for the day. This stabilises your blood sugar, improves your memory and concentration, and ensure you don’t head for calorie-dense, unhealthy options at the end of the day.

Whilst different people enjoy their first meal at different times (intermittent fasters might have breakfast at 1pm!), it is important to have a balanced first meal. The savoury option I believe I’ve perfected:

2 scrambled eggs cooked in 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, with a handful of baby spinach
1/4 avocado
4 cherry tomatoes (you could also add mushrooms, or halloumi if you like!)
1 piece of multi-grain toast
Black tea with almond milk (or herbal tea e.g. peppermint)

This meal has complex carbohydrates in the bread, healthy fat in the avocado, protein in the eggs, and vitamin C, potassium and magnesium in the baby spinach.

To avoid getting tired of having the SAME meal every day, mix the meal up by replacing the egg with 50g of fish, such as tuna, trout or cooked salmon. Or, you can try different types of bread such as wholemeal, rye or sourdough. It’s up to you!