100 Calorie Courgette Soup Recipe...

Hey! At this time of year many if us (including me) are desperate to shed a few pounds for summer, and personally I am bored of the usual salads which leave  my tummy rumbling away all afternoon! So when on the hunt for a quick, easy, filling, yet low calorie and healthy lunchtime option, I came across this tasty courgette soup, which for a pretty generous bowl full comes in at around 100 calories and takes me about 30 minutes to make; sounds hard to believe I know! I would usually have this with two rice cakes or low fat cream crackers just to give it that extra tummy filling factor and I'm good to go!

The recipe serves 2 people if your having it as a meal, or you could have it as a light starter and spread it between 3-4 people; I like to make it in big batches, bung it in the freezer in containers and then heat it in the microwave when I want  some!

Ingredients

2 large courgettes

1 large onion

350ml of vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste 

Method 

1. Chop the onion and courgettes

2. Sweat the onions in a tiny bit of olive oil, I have a spray bottle which I love as you don't use any excess oil. You can get them in cook shops for less than a tenner and they're a really good investment if your serious about the dieting lark!

3. Once the onions are softened, add the courgettes, followed by the stock and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until everything is softened.

4. Now blend the soup, either using a hand or a jug blender, serve, and enjoy!

Let us know if you find these recipes useful in the comments or on twitter - @vanillavelvets

Bye for now! x

White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

I Love white chocolate, and I adore cheesecake, they are two of my favourite foods; so combine the two, and you have an absolute winner for me! I always make this as a delicious pudding, it's loved by everyone in my family, and it never fails to satisfy my taste buds and provide a source of indulgence for that heavenly ten minutes spent eating it. Give it a go, you won't regret it... I promise!

Recipe: 

Serves 8-10. Takes about 1 hour to prepare, plus at least three hours chilling time, or ideally overnight.

Ingredients:

200g digestive biscuits

50g butter, melted

400g white chocolate
280ml double cream

250g soft cheese (Philadelphia)

Method:

1. Line the base of a 20cm/ 8 inch spring form tin with non stick baking paper.

2. Crush the biscuits until that resemble bread crumbs, then pour in the melted butter and stir well. Now tip the biscuit mixture into your tin and press them down firmly to form an even base layer for your cheesecake.

3. Break the chocolate into small pieces, place in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering chocolate and gently melt the chocolate stirring once or twice but not continuously. Once melted, remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool slightly whilst you do the next step...

4. Gently beat the cream and soft cheese  in a bowl until well mixed - try not to over best as that will make it go stiff. Fold in the melted chocolate until a smooth mixture is formed.

5. Now pour over your biscuit base in the tin and chill for at least 3 hours, or ideally overnight.

And that's it, now all that is left to do is eat it and enjoy! Comment and let us know if you've tried it and how it turned out for you, and follow us on twitter @vanillavelvets !

Thanks for reading! Bye for now x

Raspberry and Banana Smoothie

Hi, I made a really nice smoothie the other day so thought I'd tell you how!
I didn't plan it in advance so it was just what I had in and if you planned you could probably make a much nicer one, but hey ho!
I used
A Handful frozen raspberries
A splash of orange juice
1 banana
I don't know the exact measurements because as I said I just chucked it all in and luck of the draw it turned out well!
You don't have to use frozen raspberries obviously, however I always try to use at least one frozen ingredient as it makes my smoothie come out super cool and refreshing.
Smoothies are a lovely healthy snack as well as a way of getting some of your 5-a-day but if you want a nice treat add in a few scoops of vanilla ice cream - it's yummy!
I'd live to know some of your smoothie recipes, please leave some in the comments below or let me know your favourite secret ingredients!
Bye for now! x x x

Peanut, Fudge and Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I saw these cookies on the TV, I instantly new they would be right up my street! The combination of chocolate, fudge and nuts is to die for, so I have tweaked the recipe slightly to make it even tastier (more chocolaty)  and have decided to share it! Enjoy...

Ingredients - makes about 12 cookies
100g of unsalted butter
100g of light muscovado sugar
1 tbsp. of golden syrup
100g of milk chocolate chips
50g of fudge pieces
80g of salted peanuts - chopped roughly
A large bar of white chocolate

Method

1. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk or wooden spoon until creamy.
2. Add the golden syrup and mix until fully combined.
3. Sift and fold in the flour.
4. Add the milk chocolate chips, the fudge pieces and the salted peanuts and fold them in too.
5. Now form the mixture into about 12 golf ball sized balls, place onto a baking tray fairly far apart to allow for them to spread in the oven, and gently flatten with a fork or the palm of your hand.
6. Bake for around 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden in a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius.
7. Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.
8. Finally, as a finishing touch, melt the white chocolate and dip half of each cookie into it to coat it and allow the chocolate to cool and set.

I hope you enjoy the cookies, if you have any questions don't forget to comment!
Bye for now! x