Creme Egg Brownies

 You know you want me

I even have white chocolate chips in

I am the ultimate chocolatey, gooey brownie

There is no going back this Easter

Makes 12 sensational brownies

- 185g dark chocolate

- 185g slightly salted butter
- 85g plain flour
- 40g cocoa powder
- 3 eggs
- 50g golden caster sugar
- 225g caster sugar
- 75g white chocolate chips- 6 Cadbury creme eggs

(Make sure you get the best ingredients like Belgian cooking chocolate, the cheap stuff won't taste the same!)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a deep, rectangular baking tin.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring continuously. Leave to cool to room temperature (and try not to eat it all).

3. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder.

4. Take a large bowl, and whisk the eggs with the sugar until foamy and doubled in size - this may take a while and test the arm muscles!

5. Fold the cooled chocolate and butter mixture into the egg mix until combined.

6. Next, add the flour and cocoa powder and gently fold until smooth. Add around 50g of the white chocolate chips and stir.

7. Pour the brownie mixture into the baking tray, top with half of the remaining chocolate chips and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, chop the creme eggs in half.

9. Remove the tray from the oven and gently place the 12 creme egg halves in rows of 4. Sprinkle with the remaining white chocolate chips, and bake in the oven for another 10 minutes.

10. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tray - the brownie will be very gooey in the middle, don't worry, it will be cooked and it will set more as it cools.

11. When cooled, cut into 12 brownies and oooo and aaahhhh over one, eat, then repeat.

Enjoy :)

For another super quick, easy and delicious Easter treat, try these no bake chocolate biscuit squares!

Tapas ideas/recipes

I have already posted individual recipes for Patatas Bravas with chorizo and sweet potato fries but just wanted to share some other 'tapas' ideas and quick recipes to make at home for the perfect Saturday night in!

1. Cheesy garlic pizza bread with brie & red onion

Shop-bought cheesy garlic pizza bread then simply slice a red onion, and whack on some brie and freshly chopped parsley! Heaven.

 2. Smoked cheese & tomatoes

 Visit your local fresh cheese counter and see what you can find - I bought some smoked cheddar with a paprika crust (to die for), and just bought some simple cherry tomatoes.

3. Lamb & mint meatballs with tzatziki

 You can't make everything... so you can pick these delicious meatballs up from Sainsbury's - they have amazing flavour and taste so good dunked in tzatziki (which was also not home-made...)

4. Chicken & mushroom wholegrain mustard wraps

Fry some chicken chunks in olive oil until cooked, then add in some fresh garlic and mushrooms. Once cooked, stir in a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and some soft cheese (e.g. Philadelphia). Serve in a bowl then spoon into wholegrain wraps with some fresh spinach leaves. Delicious!

5. Don't forget the dips!

Of course you can make your dips from scratch but if you don't want to be slaving in the kitchen all night long then opt for some ready made salsa, tzatziki and garlic mayonnaise - perfect dips for all of the above dishes.

Enjoy :)

Patatas bravas with chorizo

You can't have tapas without crispy, well-seasoned, fried potatoes smothered in a rich, smoky tomato sauce - or patatas bravas as it is known! The perfect side dish to a main meal or just one of many tapas dishes.

 Feel free to add spices or hot paprika to this recipe - I am not a huge fan of spicy food so that is why this recipe won't be particularly 'hot'. The chorizo I bought was quite spicy so that's what gave this dish flavour.

With hardly any ingredients, this is really easy to whip up, especially in advance as it can be oven-baked later on to heat through - perfect for dinner parties or as part of a tapas buffet!

Serves 2
- 2 baking potatoes
- olive oil
- seasoning (paprika, dried herbs, pepper, spices etc)
- 1/2 ring of chorizo, sliced
- tin/carton of chopped tomatoes (I used the Sainsbury's one with olive oil & garlic in)
- parsley, to garnish

1. Peel the potatoes and chop them into small cubes. Bring a pan of water to the boil and par-boil the potato cubes for 5 minutes, then drain.
2. In a large frying pan, heat a generous amount of olive oil to fry the potatoes in. Put on a high heat, add the potatoes, and generously sprinkle with whatever seasoning you prefer. Fry in the hot oil for about 15 minutes, frequently tossing the pan to evenly fry and coat in the oil and seasoning. They should be soft in the middle and crispy on the outside when finished.

3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the chopped tomatoes and stir in the chorizo. Cook on a high heat until the tomatoes have reduced and the sauce is quite thick.

4. When cooked, stir the potatoes into the sauce then serve in individual dishes ready to eat straight away or to be re-heated later.

Enjoy :)

For another tapas idea, try these sweet potato fries!

Sweet potato fries

 I made some 'tapas' dishes this weekend (well, my version of tapas) which included these honey glazed sweet potato fries which were the star of the show. Super easy to make and taste delicious.

Perfect dipped in garlic mayonnaise, tzatziki, and salsa (on separate dippings of course!)

Serves 2

- 1 large sweet potato

- olive oil

- seasoning (salt, pepper, paprika, dried herbs etc.)

- squeezy honey

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees and place a baking tray with a generous amount of olive oil inside.

2. Peel the sweet potato and slice into thin chip shapes, or wedges if you prefer.

3. Take the tray out of the oven when the oil is heated and place the chips in the hot oil, turning and shaking to make sure they're evenly coated (drizzle extra oil on top of needed!)

4. Sprinkle on some seasoning and drizzle honey over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, checking and turning half way through.

5. Check that they are soft in the middle, then remove from the oven and pour the chips out onto some kitchen roll, and dab with more kitchen roll to remove any excess oil. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then serve!

Enjoy :)

Bulgur wheat stuffed pepper

This is an even healthier version of cous cous stuffed pepper, where the cous cous is swapped for bulgur wheat (lower in calories, higher in fibre etc), and goats cheese swapped for spring onions. The flavour is still amazing thanks to the red pesto, sun dried tomatoes, spring onion & parsley, so you really can enjoy a nutritious meal.

Serve with green vegetables or a big handful of fresh spinach leaves!

Serves 1 as a main, or 2 as a starter
- 1 large red pepper
- olive oil- 75g bulgur wheat
- 2 tsp red pesto (I used a Napolina tomato & garlic one)
- salt & pepper
- fresh parsley, chopped
- sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- spring onions, chopped
- 1/2 slice of bread, crumbled

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Cut the red pepper in half and de-pip it. In a baking tray, brush the pepper inside and out with olive oil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes to soften.
3. Meanwhile, cook the bulgur wheat according to packet instructions - on the hob in boiling water for around 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove the peppers from the oven (they should be softer and have a bit of colour).
5. When the bulgur wheat is cooked, stir the pesto, season with salt & pepper, and stir in as many sun dried tomatoes, spring onions and parsley as you wish.

6. Stuff each pepper half with the bulgur wheat mixture, sprinkle with the chunky breadcrumbs then bake in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until the pepper is cooked and the breadcrumbs crisp. Serve straight away!

Enjoy :)

Chorizo & rosemary pasta

This comforting pasta dish has amazing flavour from the smoky chorizo, rosemary and rich tomato sauce.

And the best part is - it all cooks in one pan, so it is a perfect quick and easy mid-week meal!

And a great way to incorporate spinach into your diet.

Serves 2
- olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 large onion, chopped
- few sprigs of rosemary, leaves chopped
- 400ml chicken stock (or vegetable)
- tin of chopped tomatoes
- 200g farfalle (or any other pasta)
- 250g chorizo, sliced
- 200g baby leaf spinach

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, and fry the garlic and onions for a few minutes, then stir in the rosemary.
2. Make up the chicken stock in a jug then pour into the pan with the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil.
3. Add the pasta to the pan then cover and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. Keep checking and stirring to make sure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom, and add more water if needed.
4. When the pasta is cooked and the sauce is reduced, stir in the sliced chorizo and spinach until wilted and all mixed together. Then serve with some fresh rosemary on top!

Enjoy :)

Healthy banana pancakes

Try these guilt-free pancakes for pancake day this year - or any day!

With just two main ingredients that you will most likely already have in the house, these moist, fluffy pancakes are so delicious, high in protein, and gluten-free. I actually prefer these to normal pancakes.

Very easy to make for a nutritious, delicious breakfast, brunch or dessert, and the best part is that you can top with whatever you like. I went with honey & blueberries, but anything else like natural yoghurt, cinnamon, raspberries, or even chocolate chips would also taste amazing.

There is absolutely no reason not to try these! (Unless, of course, you don't like bananas...)

Serves 1 (makes 6-10 pancakes depending on thickness)

- 2 eggs

- 1 ripe banana

- 1 tbsp milled linseed (optional)

That's really all there is to it ^

I chose to add this linseed, gojiberries, sunflower & pumpkin seeds mix from Aldi for extra nutrition.

1. Mash up the banana until smooth, beat the eggs, then combine together.

2. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan then, using a ladle, pour a small amount of mixture into the hot pan.

3. Cook for a minute or until golden brown like below, then flip to cook on the other side.

4. Then place on a heated plate to keep warm, and continue the process (making sure to oil the pan each time) until all the batter becomes lots of lovely pancakes.

5. Once all finished, top with whatever you wish and tuck in to some guilt-free pancakes that don't even taste healthy!

Enjoy :)

If you want something naughtier then try my mouth watering blueberry pancakes!

Fusilli with smoked salmon

Smoked salmon is good enough on its own. But in a creamy, white wine & parmesan sauce... heaven.

A comforting dish for a special night or a weekend treat.

Serves 2
- 200g fusilli
- 25g butter
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp white wine
- 150ml double cream
- squirt of lemon juice
- salt & pepper
- 50g parmesan, grated
- 120g smoked salmon
- garlic bread, to serve

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, and cook the fusilli according to packet instructions, around 15 minutes.

2. Melt the butter in a pan and fry the garlic and onion for a few minutes. Add the wine and bring to the boil, cooking for a further few minutes.

3. Pour in the cream, lemon juice, seasoning, and just over half of the parmesan, stirring over a low heat.

4. When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan with the sauce. Stir until the pasta is coated, then add the smoked salmon and mix well.

5. Heat through for a minute, then serve with some garlic bread, and sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top of the pasta.

Enjoy :)

You might also like to try my tuna spaghetti recipe!

Easter chocolate biscuit squares

The quickest, most delicious chocolate treats that you will want to make them time and time again.

Top with mini eggs or these cute flower decorations (from Sainsbury's) for Easter/Spring!

This is a recipe I've posted before - I named them Chocolate Smartie Squares because I usually top them with smarties: find here!

Makes 16 squares

- 50g margarine

- 150g dark cooking chocolate, broken into pieces

- 2 tbsp runny honey

- 250g digestive biscuits, crushed

- 16 mini eggs or edible flower decorations

- edible glitter (optional)

1. Line a square tin (7 inch) with grease proof paper, and grease with margarine. (make sure the paper sticks up out the sides of the tin as you will need to use this to grip when removing the squares from the tin)

2. Melt the margarine, chocolate and honey in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from the heat and add the biscuit crumbs, mixing thoroughly until coated.

4. Spoon into the tin and push down, smoothing the top. Mark into 16 squares with a sharp knife, and place a mini egg or edible flower decoration in the centre of each, and sprinkle with edible glitter (if using).

5. Leave to set in the fridge for a couple of hours, then break into the squares and serve.

Enjoy :)