Sophs blog

Gluten free banana pancakes I was going to wait until pancake day to write about these, but after eating them this morning I couldn't wait to share them. My friend Amb showed me these pancakes a few years ago and they are so easy and delicious and the perfect way to start the day.  Serves 2 Ingredients: - 1 banana - 1 egg - cinnamon or mixed spice - whatever toppings you want (e.g blueberries, yoghurt, maple syrup) Method: - Mush the banana in a bowl.  - Add in the egg and mix into a smooth texture. - Add in a pinch of the cinnamon and stir. - heat up a pan with butter or coconut oil and use a large spoon to dollop some of the mixture in. You don't want these dollops to be too big- think the size of drop scones.  - let them fry for a couple minutes on each side before transferring to a plate.  - Top with whatever you like, I find they really work with other fruits like frozen berries or extra banana - Serve! That's literally a...

As a Londoner it's pretty impossible to avoid the tube and for some people (like myself) the tube can trigger anxiety and panic. My tube anxiety is quite hit and miss, but more often than not I would rather not be on it and have to find ways to calm myself down. As I'm sure there are many people who have a similar sense of unease when on the tube, I've decided to write a small list of ways to help make the tube feel more comfortable.  1) Always carry water.  For me this doesn't just apply to the tube, but everywhere as without it I get pretty stressed. Drinking water is just a healthy habit to have and a great way to calm anxiety. It's the quickest way to get oxygen into the body and when in a claustrophobic space like the tube this can work as a soothing thought and remedy for those panicky fears.  2) Read a book. I find burying yourself in a book, whatever kind that grips your attention, is a great way to distract yourself from the people ar...

I love Chilli Con Carne, for me it's one of the ultimate comfort foods for when I'm feeling blue at Uni. It's really easy to make and doesn't cost too much either and you can get really creative with how you make it. Ingredients:  -1 pack of beef mince meat - 2 white onions - 4 cloves of garlic - 1 carton of passata  - 1 tin of red kidney beans - salt and pepper - garlic powder - smoked paprika - regular paprika - ceyane pepper - cumin powder - one cube of beef stock - red wine  Side options:  - avocado - red onion - fresh coriander - cheddar cheese - sour cream Method:  - Start by chopping your onions and put them in a frying pan on a low heat. Mince the garlic and add in.  - When the onions have softened add the mince meat and put some salt and pepper on it.  - Once the meat is cooked chuck the passata in and start to season with the garlic powder, ceyane pepper, cumin, paprika and a little bit of s...

Beginners Luck: A fancy pants cheese board for beginners For those who are less confident when it comes to cheese, for those who don't know their Roquefort from their Stilton I've written a beginners guide to making a slightly more upbeat cheese board from what you might find in a supermarket.  I think it can be quite intimidating going into a cheese shop such as Paxton and Whitfield or La Fromagerie and knowing where to begin or what to buy as it's a completely different kettle of fish to the average Tesco selection. Lets assume you want a mixed selection and you don't quite know where to start I would suggest seeking out a blue, an English cheese (maybe a cheddar), a goats cheese, a soft cheese and a hard cheese. This way you get a mixture of textures and strengths. Starting with the blue cheese, depending on your personal taste I would say always ask a shop assistant so you can sneak a taste and make sure you get exactly what you want. If I'm making up a ch...

One of life's obsessions: the avocado. People (myself included) are crazy for these things and there's so much to do with them, however I think the winning avocado recipe is guacamole. There are many different ways to make guacamole, some people put sour cream in their's while other's use mayonnaise. I tend to keep it quite simple so that the only special ingredient you need is the avocado itself. For this post I've included two different recipes because I switch between the two myself. Recipe No.1- this involves less ingredients but packs a strong garlicky punch. Ingredients: 1 avocado - 1 medium clove of garlic - chilli oil - salt - pepper Method: Start by spooning the avocado into a bowl and smash with a fork. -Add the chilli oil (not too much to start) to loosen the avocado and smash until creamy. - Really finely chop the garlic clove, as small as possible and mix in. - Give a good pinch of salt and a crack of pepper and adjust to taste. That'...

As a new feature of my blog I've decided to write a recipe each week. These will vary in terms of if i'm trying to have a healthy week or an indulgent one so you'll certainly get an idea of what's in my food shop- but who doesn't love to be nosey ey? So kick starting the first weekend of 2018 my recipe of the week is homemade taramasalata! Ever since being diagnosed with coeliac I knew this would be the hardest thing to give up. When people ask me what I miss the most they probably expect to hear pizza or fresh bread but that isn't the case for me. Taramasalata is my favorite food ever and since I can't buy it in the shop anymore I've had to learn how to make it myself. For those who aren't familiar with what it is, it's basically a fresh greek dip made from smoked cod roe that is zesty, oniony and really smoky. As my friend Melina describes it it's 'greek caviar but better'; I must admit I agree with her.  The tricky part is...

Now that we're in the start of 2018 I'm sure many people will be trying to stick to their new years resolutions. Did you leave cigarettes behind or was it all that chocolate you promised you would no longer eat? Whatever it was, I think the pressure of resolutions can be a bit damaging and that people should try and keep them realistic. I think for three years in a row I said I'd quit smoking and of course it never happened, instead one day in October I just thought 'this is gross I'm done' and gave up. For me the pressure of the new years resolution meant the whole thing felt really forced and resulted in me giving up on it very quickly. So, lesson learned I thought this year I'll make a resolution that's doable and kind to myself. I've decided I need to be better with spending so am going to make a weekly budget rather than spending blindly. I know its not the most unusual resolution but I figured rather than making a vague statement about it, it...