Recipe: Oreo & coconut mixed chocolate truffles

Truffles are something I've been keen to make for SO long! Super easy to make and really tasty. I'm a huge fan

You'll need:

- 500ml double cream
- Large knob of butter
- 1 bar of high quality (70%) dark chocolate
- 1 bar of high quality white chocolate (as high percentage of choc as pos)
- 1 pack of Oreo's
- 1 bag of dessicated coconut
- A little cocoa powder

Method:

Heat the double cream on a medium heat until hot (not boiling) then whisk in the knob of butter until melted. In the mean time break up your white and dark chocolate in separate bowls. Once the butter is melted whisk about 300ml of the cream mixture into the dark chocolate and stir until all of the chocolate has melted then set aside. I found that the white chocolate needed slightly less of the mixture so the remainder (200ml) should do fine, mix then set aside.

Pop both bowls of melted and mixed chocolate into the fridge to chill. The dark chocolate will only take a couple of hours but try and leave the white chocolate for a couple more hours. Whilst that's setting, blitz a bunch of Oreo's in a blender (or just bash them up if you don't have one) then pop that mixture, the coconut and the cocoa powder into three separate bowls

Once the chocolate mixture is hard to the touch, grab a melon baller or a teaspoon, scoop out a small ball and roll in-between your palms as quickly as possible to create a little ball before it melts in your hand, then drop it into your desired topping and roll it around. The white chocolate won't set quite as hard and was generally a pain in the ass throughout this whole recipe, so be swift when rolling and don't worry too much about making perfectly round balls (they all go down the same hole).

I found that the dark chocolate went nicely with just some cocoa powder on them and the white chocolate suited the coconut and Oreo crumbs better. This is a pretty easy recipe and the end result was honestly lovely. Give it a go and mix up your mixture's and toppings! Really good with a nice coffee or cuppa tea, enjoy!

JIM

Instagram/Twitter: @whatjamesate

Home cooks: Marathon training, a healthy w

So I may or may not have mentioned but I'm being sent to Tromso, Norway (the god-damn Arctic circle) today courtesy of my amazing workplace, The Breakfast Club, to run in the Tromso Midnight Sun Marathon. The run takes place as 9 in the evening this coming Saturday and as they have no darkness at this time of year  we are running through the night, in the daylight. Madness! TBC do so much for charity and as much as this is a huge personal challenge it is really about raising money for worthy charities. My dad sadly lost both of his parents to Cancer and I'm sure we all know someone effected by cancer, so I'm running in aid of Cancer Research UK.

I'm no runner. I've always been into sprinting, athletics and more fast past sports, so training for this marathon has been tough for me. As well as running I've been switching up the diet to shed a few pounds and become lighter on my feet so I thought I'd do a post of a few of the regular dinners we've been having to stay lean!

I won't bore with recipe's as they are pretty self explanatory but In short lots of greens, healthy carbs and fats alongside lean meats such as turkey and chicken breast. We use coconut oil to fry and bake everything, It's a super versatile and amazing product, I really recommend getting some!

I really can't wait to run alongside all my pals from work, it's going to be tough as hell but so rewarding running for a cause so close to the hear. If any kind souls fancied sponsoring me I'm going to keep the page going for a little while after I've (hopefully) finished the marathon!

Click me to sponsor me :)

Wish me luck!

JIM

Instagram/Twitter: @whatjamesate

Recipe: Nutella and Oreo rice crispy treats with salted caramel glaze

So as well as savoury fun I thought it time for a nice little treat.

You'll need:

Treats:

- 2 tablespoons Nutella
- 2 handfuls of marshmellows
- 1 bag of Oreo's
- 2 cups full of rice crispies

Caramel:

- 200g granulated sugar
- 100g butter
- 100g double cream
- 1 teaspoon of salt

Method:

Crush your Oreo's. Melt your marshmellows in a mixing bowl in the microwave, should only take about 30-40 seconds but stir constantly as it expands and goes a bit mad as I discovered after my first attempt. As soon as it is totally melted quickly mix in your crushed Oreo's, rice crispies and Nutella. Move quickly as the marshmellow goes hard quickly. Stir well and place into a lightly greased (to stop it sticking) square/whatever shape you want dish. Once formed nicely into the dish, sling it in the fridge for 10 mins.

For the caramel add your sugar into a saucepan and melt on a high heat stirring constantly, there will be crazy looking bubbles, just keep stirring. Once the sugar has all melted, turn the heat down ever so slightly and add your butter, still stirring constantly. Once all has melted turn your hob to a medium low heat, add the salt then slowly fold in the cream.

Cut your treats into square's/hearts/chunks and drizzle over the caramel whilst it's still hot. Give it a minute to cool before you shove it in your gob unless you want to scold your mouth.

Put the kettle on and enjoy.

JIM

Instagram/Twitter: @whatjamesate

Recipe: Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala

Here's one that is becoming a regular meal for us at home! A healthier than usual chicken tikka masala with a kachumba side salad.

You'll need:

Curry:
- two red onions
- coconut oil (for frying)
- chicken breast (two feeds roughly three people)
- a fresh chilli
- one large sweet potato
- a handful of spinach
- fresh coriander
- curry paste of choice (we used tikka)
- coconut milk
- tinned tomatoes

Salad:
- one red onion
- half a cucumber
- two tomatoes
- one lemon
- fresh coriander/mint

Method:
1. Dice onions and fry off in two teaspoons of coconut oil until very soft, then add the chicken breast (diced) and chilli, cook until browned.
2. In a separate bowl, cut the sweet potato into large chunks and microwave in a small bowl of water to soften. In the main frying pan, add two tablespoons of curry paste and stir into chicken.
3. Pour the coconut milk and tinned tomatoes over the chicken and onions, stirring to form a loose curry. Allow to simmer for 2/3 minutes.
4. Chop some fresh coriander and add both this and the spinach to the curry, followed by the softened sweet potato.
5. Allow the curry to simmer, and cook some rice to accompany it, if desired. In another bowl, finely dice all the salad ingredients, and stir together. Squeeze half of the lemon over the top and add a pinch of salt to taste.

Serve with mini poppadums, some mango chutney and natural yoghurt!

JIM

Instagram/Twitter: @whatjamesate

Recipe: Sweet potato & parsnip rosti

 Hey guys, this is the second of hopefully many home cooked meal recipe posts to go up! This one was inspired by Joe Wicks a.k.a The Body Coach on Instagram who made a potato and parsnip rosti as part of his Lean in 15 healthy meal guides. So what we have here are sweet potato and parsnip rosti's, served with pan fried chorizo and a fried egg.

Ingredients needed;
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 parsnip
- 2 eggs
- half a chorizo sausage (or as much as you like)
- coconut oil
- salt & pepper

Begin by peeling and grating your sweet potato and parsnip then mix together in a bowl along with one egg, salt and pepper. Lay out your mixture on a chopping board and use a cookie cutter (I used a small glass) to cut out circular discs. Put a pan on a medium/high heat and once your coconut oil has melted pop your rosti's in. Cook for 5-7 minutes turning every minute or so to cook the mixture throughout. After 5 minutes of cooking slice your chorizo and cook it on a medium heat in a separate pan. After cooking your rosti's for about 10 minutes they should be good to serve, however use your judgement and cook for a few more minutes if necessary .

Plate up your rosti's and serve with a fried/poached egg along with your chorizo. I like a bit of fresh chilli to garnish for a wee kick. For veggie's you could also swap out the chorizo for some wilted spinach or sautéed mushrooms. Enjoy!

JIM

Instagram/Twitter: @whatjamesate