LOVE cake, but don’t love the guilty feeling it leaves you with?
Emily English is one of social media’s best-loved nutritionists – her recipes go viral for good reason, and these ones from her new cookbook, So Good, are, indeed, sooo good!
The former model turned to food science after battling an eating disorder, and she’s now fully qualified and a favourite on Instagram and TikTok.
Her new book has just hit No.1 in the bestseller lists and includes heaps of healthy-eating tips and knowledge, plus flavour-packed recipes for colourful, glow-giving bowls, through to an antioxidant-packed torte that tastes incredible.
And if you have tummy troubles from time to time, Emily’s lemon drizzle cake boasts a heavenly blend of gut-friendly fibre and healthy fats.
Cake that’s good for you – what’s not to love?
Serves: 12
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 50 mins
Cals: 350
Protein: 2g
Ingredients:
150g skin-on whole hazelnuts
50g unsweetened cocoa powder
2tsp vanilla extract
150g caster sugar
130ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
3 medium eggs, at room temperature
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch salt
For the ganache:
100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa content), roughly chopped
5tbsp hazelnut milk
Little orange zest (optional)
Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5. Lightly oil a 21cm springform cake tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper.
2 Roast the hazelnuts on a baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes, until they look toasted. Cool, then in a food processor, blend into a flour and set aside.
3 Sift the cocoa powder into a bowl and mix with 125ml boiling water to form a paste. Stir in the vanilla extract and let cool.
4 In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, olive oil and eggs for about 5 minutes until fluffy and pale. Gradually stir in the cocoa mixture, then fold in the bicarb, salt and hazelnut flour. Tip the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes. The torte should be set at
the sides with a slightly moist centre. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5 To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the hazelnut milk in a pan until warm but not simmering, then pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Grate in some orange zest, if you wish. Spread the ganache over the cooled torte and serve.
Serves: 10
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr
Cals: Under 250
Protein: 9g
Ingredients:
75ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing
400g thick strained 0% fat natural yoghurt
1tsp vanilla extract
Zest and juice 2 unwaxed lemons, plus extra pared zest to finish
100g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
100g rolled oats, blended into a fine flour
100g plain flour
50g ground almonds
2tbsp poppy seeds
2tsp baking powder
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the drizzle:
2tbsp honey
3tbsp lemon juice
For the icing:
50g icing sugar
1tbsp lemon juice
Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Grease a 900g loaf tin with olive oil and line with non-stick baking paper. If you are using a smaller tin, don’t overfill or your cake will sink.
2 In a bowl, combine the olive oil, yoghurt, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, caster sugar and eggs until smooth. In another bowl, combine
the oat flour, plain flour, ground almonds, poppy seeds, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, then gently fold it through the
wet mixture until you have a smooth batter.
3 Pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin, then bake in the oven for 1 hour or until golden brown and a cocktail stick inserted into the
middle comes out clean. Set the cake to one side in the tin while you make the drizzle.
4 In a small pan, warm the honey and lemon juice together until runny. Poke small holes all over the top of your cake using
a toothpick, then spoon over the honey-lemon drizzle evenly so it soaks into the cake. Allow to cool completely in the tin, then turn out on to a board.
5 Mix together the icing ingredients until smooth but pourable. Spoon the icing over the top of your loaf cake, sprinkle extra lemon zest over the top, then serve.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Cals: Under 400
Protein: Depends what you include
Ingredients:
500g peeled, deseeded butternut squash
1tbsp za’atar spice mix
1tbsp olive oil
1 jar jalapenos
250g cooked grain of choice
60g rocket leaves
200g feta, crumbled
200g houmous
Protein of choice (cooked chicken, tofu, prawns, etc.)
80g pomegranate seeds
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
For the pickle:
150ml white wine vinegar
100ml water
1tbsp caster sugar
2 red onions, sliced into rounds
For the dressing:
150g natural yoghurt
1tbsp tahini
Juice 1 lemon
1tsp honey
Method:
1 For the pickle, pour the vinegar and water into a pan, add the sugar and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and immerse the red onion slices in the liquid. Let them pickle as you continue with the prep.
2 Preheat the oven to 230°C/210°C fan/gas mark 8 or set an air fryer to 200°C.
3 Cut the squash into 2cm cubes and add to a heatproof bowl. Season with the za’atar spice mix and some salt and coat in the olive oil. Microwave on High for 5 minutes, then spread out on a baking tray and either roast in the oven, or in the air fryer, for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
4 In a bowl, mix the dressing ingredients (yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice and honey) together with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and set aside.
5 Make a jalapeño sauce by tipping the entire jar of jalapeños, including the brine, into a blender or food processor. Blend to achieve a chunky consistency. Store any leftovers in the original jar in the refrigerator, where it will last for a month.
6 Microwave your chosen grains to heat through.
7 Divide the rocket between 4 bowls, to create the base. Divide the grains, feta, roasted squash and houmous between the bowls. Create a well in the houmous using the back of a spoon and add 1tsp of jalapeño sauce to each. Add any extra protein of choice.
8 Finish with the drained pickled red onions and the pomegranate seeds and serve with the dressing and lemon wedges.
Poppy Needham, a pricing pro at Approved Food, shared her top tips on what to bulk-buy.
Cupboard essentials
Toilet roll, kitchen paper, tissues, cleaning products and laundry supplies.
Polly explained: “A 24-pack of loo roll or a large bottle of washing-up liquid will save you money in the long run.”
Starchy staples
Rice, pasta, quinoa, oats, lentils, and beans have long shelf lives and form the basis of many meals.
“Buying larger bags of 5kg or more can significantly reduce the cost per gram,” said Poppy.
Chicken
Large packs of chicken, or even cheap frozen chicken breasts in bulk.
Tinned goods
From tinned tomatoes, tuna, salmon, any soup, and even fruits and veg.
Poppy commented: “Stock up when you see offers on multipacks or catering-size tins.
Misc
Cooking oils, spices, seasonings, tea, coffee, and drinks – these items keep their quality for a long time.
As for sweet treats, larger or sharing packs of chocolate are usually better value than single-serve portions.
