I've Moved

You can now find me at http://nutriliciousliving.me/ 

So grab a warm mug of cocoa and come on over. 

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GUILT FREE # 3 - SWEET POTATO, CHICKPEA AND QUINOA BURGERS

Burger restaurants (can you call them restaurants?!) are everywhere in London at the moment. Walking through Soho yesterday evening, I spotted over 15 of them, pretty much piled on top of each other, with the same addictive aroma wafting out. 

Even I have to admit that I have days when only a Shake Shack will do, but for times when you want to avoid too much red meat and want to know exactly what has gone into your meal, why not take some time to DIY? 

These sweet potato, chickpea and quinoa burgers will be just up your street if you want to cut down on calories, fat and cholesterol, or simply want to try something different. The fleshy texture of the sweet potatoes makes up for the absence of red meat minus the calories, whilst the combination of quinoa and eggs provides your body with it's necessary intake of protein. 

Did I mention how delicious they are? 

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 medium sweet potato

1 can of chickpeas

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1 egg

1 tablespoons of gluten free flour

2 tablespoons parsley

1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoons almond oil/coconut oil

4 gluten free rolls

Lettuce Tomato, Gherkins, red onions, peppers or however you like your burger

Recipe

1. Put the sweet potato in the oven for 40-60 minutes or until it has softened

2. Meanwhile cook the quinoa for 30 minutes or if you have instant quinoa 10 minutes will do

3. Once the sweet potato has been cooked peel off the skin and blend the sweet potato flesh with the chickpeas, herbs, spices, flour, salt, pepper and one tablespoon of oil until it makes a paste 

4. Allow the quinoa to cool and then mix with the sweet potato mixture. Then crack the egg and mix. 

5. Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan and place the spoonfuls of the mixture into the saucepan. I estimate about 2-3 spoonfuls per burger and use the back of a spoon to flat the mixture so it is burger shaped. Brown each side of the burger. 

6. Toast the gluten free rolls and put the burger on top with the vegetables and whatever guilt-free garnish you require. 

MAKE UP FOR DUMMIES

 I have never professed to be any sort of beauty expert, or even a mild enthusiast. In fact, as a child, I avoided slumber parties like the plague, with the thought of cucumber facials and mud masks almost breaking me out in hives. Instead, I preferred to spend my evenings outdoors at my local youth club, rolling around in a very different sort of mud. In time, the notion of boys and "clubbing" became the prominent feature of my teenage years and although I began to see make up as a means to an end, I never really enjoyed the process. 

These days, my idea of beauty remains very much a "less is more" approach. Whilst I am the first to get excited by a new pair of shoes or a shopping trip to & Other Stories, for me, beauty products remain a "need" rather than a "want". 

Most of you will be aware of the powerful force of beauty bloggers, with their enviously crafted brows and their perfectly contoured faces. Whilst a part of me would happily give my left, un-contoured cheekbone to join them, deep down I know that it is simply not me. 

So I have dedicated this post to those of you who, like me, want to get the most out of their make up without the need for a Space NK loyalty card. 

Pretty much the extent of my make up bag.

FACE

Having suffered from mild acne as a child, I have this irrational fear that one morning I'll wake up covered in pimples. So during the day I prefer to keep my face fully moisturised but foundation free. 

However, after late nights or hormonal outbursts I opt for CC Creams to even out my skin tone and a concealer to tidy up any red patches.  

Estee Lauder - Revitalising Supreme CC Creme

Clinque - Moisture Surge CC Cream SPF 30

Laura Mercier - Secret Camouflage Concealer

Kevyn Aucoin - Foundation Brush

Real Techniques - Miracle Complexion Sponge

CHEEKS

Although my indian heritage carries with it the benefit of an olive complexion, in the cooler months I do find that my skin lacks a warm undertone.

Therefore I heavily depend on my go-to bronzing palette for an all over "natural" glow, which during the evening can be enhanced further by dabble of berry cheek tint. 

Guerlain - Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder

Jouer - Cheek and Lip Tint in Dahlia

Brush - Very old no.7 but I would recommend this Real Techniques number

EYES

No matter how many hours of sleep I get or how many glasses of water I drink, the dark circles under my eyes remain "excess baggage". 

Therefore under eye illuminators are the key to combating the bruised eye look that I do so well. Sensitive eye syndrome has led to the avoidance of any form of mascara or eye liner but instead I tend to play with shimmery eye shadows to add some evening sparkle. Oh yeah, and I love my brows bushy. 

YSL - Touche Éclat

Kevyn Aucoin - Medium Eye Shadow Brush

& Other Stories - Eye Colour Palette

Anastasia - Brown Wiz in Taupe

FINAL TOUCHES

My day to night look (mastered when pretty much heading out the door) usually involves a retouching of concealer, blusher and the addition of two products - a powder to hold everything in place and a lipstick in my favourite berry shade. Et Voila.

Soap and Glory - Luminizing Face Powder

MAC - Matte Lipstick in Diva

FEBRUARY FAVOURITES

February in the UK seemed to be going through some sort of an identity crisis - arbitrarily rotating between sunny blue skies and torrential downpour. 

This unsettling weather forecast was evidently behind my selection of favourites this month as whilst my footwear bravely shifted from winter boots to spring flats, I remained determined not to relinquish my morning porridge. 


FACIAL CARE SAMPLES

One of the best things about beauty shopping online, is being able to get more than you paid for. Online beauty stores such as Cult Beauty, Feel Unique and Birchbox are always ever so obliging with their samples, which are usually new releases or up and coming beauty brands. 

Two hefty beauty shops towards the end of January resulted in two facial samples - Caudalie Paris Radiance Serum and REN Radiance Renewal Mask. I applied the Caudalie sample before my everyday moisturiser and the REN sample served as pre bedtime mask and both products served a big thumbs up. The former transparent gel-like substance gave my skin a natural sheer, whilst the latter product provided a more longterm healthy glow. I will definitely be investing in both products once I've given my samples a final squeeze. 

(NEARLY THERE)SUMMER FLATS

Dry days in February are a rarity and should not be spent running around London cramping one's feet into the failsafe winter boot. Therefore, I took the first glimpses of 2015 sunshine as my cue to purchase these Topshop Leopard Print Espadrilles and Faith pointed flats (now sold out but similar here). 

MAGPIE ALERT - JEWELLERY OF CHOICE

I've been a fan of Monica Vinader since I started handling my own finances, much to the dismay of my bank manager. The newest edition to the Monica Vinader family is this classic Fiji friendship bracelet, already seen worn on many a blogger. I've been rocking this number with my Astrid & Miyu Rose Gold Triple Bewitched Ring and a simple gold ring by the charming Orelia.

TOO PRETTY TO EAT PORRIDGE

I do love a good porridge. When I say porridge, what I mean is stove cooked gluten free oats in almond milk, mashed banana with a sprinkling of seeds and berries. Scrumptious. 

I didn't think my porridge experience could get any better until my sister recently brought home a box of The Food Doctor multigrain and seed porridge from our local Tescos. This wholesome formula of british oats, barley,spelt and rye flakes together with a nutritious mix of seeds, not only tastes like a dream but contains no artificial preservatives, flavours, colourings, salt or sugar. (Wow, that was a mouthful.)

How do you like your porridge? 

THE COPYCAT DUFFLE BAG

No, your eyes do not deceive you, the pretty little leather number pictured below is indeed the splitting image of the sold out IT bag of the season(and last season), by Mansur Gavriel. How did I lay my hands on this little number, I hear you ask? 

No, this isn't the result of the continuous refreshing of a Mansur Gavriel search on Vestiaire Collective but a sneaky little purchase of Steve Madden's copycat BGemmaa Bucket Bag for less than a third of the price. I closed my eyes to any intellectual property related issues that my lawyer head was dying to investigate and let my shopaholic head take the lead. 

HEALTHY EATING FOR DUMMIES 

These recipes books below are all evidence of my two years till thirty FREAKOUT. One of my life goals is to gradually phase out gluten, refined sugar and dairy from my diet and with the help of these little friends, I seem to be on track. 

To motivate me further, I plan to dedicate several posts a month to healthy recipes in the hope that I might be able to convince a few of you to jump on the bandwagon. 

GUILT FREE # 2 - SUGAR, (almost) GLUTEN AND DAIRY FREE BANANA BREAD

If there is anything our household never runs out of, it's bananas - so much so that I am half convinced that my boyfriend has a banana tree growing in our back garden. 

Whilst I won't bore you with the meritoriousness of bananas, I should say that I have found them to be the easiest fruit to consume. Bananas are an essential ingredient in smoothies or milkshakes, an energy boosting post-gym snack, a delicious 4pm snack when coated in almond butter and of course the protagonist of my favourite sweet treat, banana bread. 

I have been wooing friends and colleagues with homemade banana bread for a number of years and each year I tend to vary my recipe based on my tastebuds and diet. This year, with the big 30 only a couple of years away I have been focusing on gradually phasing out sugar, gluten and dairy from my diet. 

This (almost) gluten free, sugar free, vegan and dairy free banana bread reigns well above all other previous versions and is proof that food tastes so much better without sugar. 

Ingredients

2 cups of oatmeal 

(Gluten free oats blended to make flour) 

1 cup spelt flour 

(This is largely optional and can be replaced with another cup of oatmeal to make the recipe gluten free. I find that spelt flour gives the banana bread a more crumbly biscuity texture) 

3 ripe bananas

2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon for vanilla essence

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

1/4 cup of coconut oil

4 tablespoons of original maple syrup

4 tablespoons of raw cacao powder

Optional: Dairy free chocolate chips 


Recipe

1. Pour the oatmeal (or oatmeal and spelt flour) in a large mixing bowl. 

2. Add the baking powder, baking soda and ground cinnamon. Add a sprinkling of salt. 

3. Mash the bananas with a folk or if you are lazy like me pop them into the blender for a minute until they are fully mashed and resemble like baby food. 

4.Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan and add in the maple syrup and raw cacao until it forms a dark syrup.

5. Pour the syrup mixture into the mashed bananas and stir. 

6. Mix the banana mixture with the flour mixture using a fork and keep stirring until the flour mixture is fully coated. 

7. Add in a sprinkling of chocolate chips if desired. 

8. Grease a loaf tin with coconut oil or use parchment paper and pour the mixture into the tin. Sprinkle some oats on top for decoration. 

9. Pre heat the oven to about 150 degrees and bake for about 20-30 minutes depending on your oven...

Et Voila! 

PS According to my sister the banana bread is at its best lightly toasted with a slab of butter or soya butter if you are dairy free.