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    The Easy Vegan Fudge Squares You’ll Want To Eat Every Minute

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    The easiest way to satisfy your sweet tooth… without heating up the kitchen. These easy chocolate ‘fudge’ squares require no stove top, no eggs and no sugar thermometer! Best of all? They’re packed full of good-for-you ingredients. You’ll get a healthy dose of ‘good fat’ and protein from the nut butter and dark chocolate… two ingredients that have been linked to better heart health. The dark chocolate also contains flavonoids called polyphenols, which may help blood pressure, clotting, and inflammation (bonus!). Then there are the nuts, which contain vitamin E, to lower bad cholesterol and a little flax oil, which is a very high in omega 3 and 6. Guilt-free ‘fudge’? Why not?READ MORE: Dessert On The Braai? Nail It With These Easy BBQ Strawberries With Black Pepper Honey GlazeLet’s Make This Quick & Easy Vegan Fudge Squares Recipe

    Vegan Chocolate Fudge Squares

    Amy Hopkins

    These easy chocolate fudge squares require no stove top, no eggs and no sugar thermometer! Best of all? They’re packed full of good-for-you ingredients.

    Servings 4

    For The Base10 Medjool dates 1 tbsp pitted2 Tbsp Flaxseed oil¼ cup Desiccated coconut1 Tbsp Peanut butter or nut butter of your choice, optionalFor The Layer1 cup Cashew nut butter100 g Dairy-free dark (90%) chocolate2 Tbsp Honey or sweetener of your choice, optional
    Place all base ingredients in a food processor and blitz until crumbly and sticky. Press into the bottom of a tart tin or Tupperware (must be freezer friendly).Place in the freezer while you make the layer.Melt chocolate, then add to cashew nut butter with honey and mix until well combined. Spread over base layer and freeze over night. Cut into squares and help yourself whenever the craving strikes! Store in freezer.

    How To Store Leftover FudgeKeep it refrigerated for up to seven days and ensure that it is tightly covered or wrapped in foil to prevent it from losing its creaminess and limiting it from being exposed to air.Delish Healthy Treats To Bake: More

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      Yeast-Free Hot Cross Buns That Rise Perfectly Every Time

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      Making your own hot cross buns from scratch this weekend will not only impress your loved ones, but it means that you know exactly what goes into them as opposed to the shop-bought variety.Let’s Bake!To make the hot cross buns dairy-free, substitute the butter for coconut oil and the milk for soy milk or rice milk. For a sugar-free version, try substituting the icing sugar for xylitol.

      Yeast-Free Hot Cross Buns

      This delicious treat is the perfect way to spend your long weekend with loved ones.

      The Buns850g cake flour½ cup  icing sugar (or xylitol)1½ tsp ground cinnamon2 tbsp baking powder500ml milk (or soy milk or rice milk)1 extra-large free-range egg¼ cup seedless raisins2 tsp bicarb of soda150g softened butter (or coconut oil/butter)The Cross1 cup cake flour1 tbsp butter (or coconut oil/butter)180ml warm waterThe Glaze3 tbsp apricot jam100ml water
      The BunsPreheat the oven to 180°C.In a bowl, sift together flour, icing sugar, ground cinnamon and baking powder.In a separate bowl, beat milk and egg together, then add the raisins and bicarbonate of soda.Add butter to the dry ingredients and mix together with your fingers until you have fine crumbs.Slowly, add some of the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix the dough. Be cautious not to overmix though, the dough must have a soft, but firm texture.With a rolling pin, gently roll the dough until it’s approximately 4cm thick. Press the buns out with a round cookie cutter and place them close together on a well-greased baking sheet.The CrossSift flour and add the butter. Rub the mixture together with your fingers until the texture resembles fine crumbs.Add warm water in small amounts until the dough has a mushy consistency.Mix well to create smooth dough.Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe thin crosses onto the buns.Pop them into your preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes until golden brown.The GlazeHeat water and the apricot jam until well mixed. Once the Hot Cross Buns have finished baking, remove from oven.Brush syrup over the buns and serve warm.

      Try These Easy-Bake Recipes: More

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      A Healthy Apple Crumble Recipe That’s Perfect For The Weekend

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      Say what? The theory goes: apples are high in pectin, which binds with water and limits the amount of fat your cells can absorb and store. Now that’s a good reason to whip up an apple crumble, right?Another reason it can add to weight loss? Apples are packed with fibre, which slows down the digestive process and keeps us fuller for longer. In a study published in the journal Nutrition, scientists found that instructing participants to eat an apple before meals resulted in significant weight loss. Plus, they’re packed with antioxidants, so go ahead and chomp one to boost your overall health.RELATED: Seriously Though, How Many Kilojoules Are In An Apple?Try This Healthy Apple Crumble RecipeStruggling to get your apples in? Make this pudding and feed it to the whole family – it’s so healthy, you could eat it for breakfast! Plus, it’s gluten-free, and if you swap out the honey for agave, it’s vegan too. We made this recipe using Fresh Earth’s granola, but you can always make your own delicious DIY granola at home.

      Healthy Apple Crumble

      Amy Hopkins

      Gluten-free, breakfast-friendly and almost too good to share. This apple crumble is best served warm with coconut cream – and can easily go vegan if you use agave instead of honey.

      Prep Time 5 minutes minsCook Time 40 minutes mins

      Course Breakfast

      Servings 4 servings

      5-7 Golden Delicious apples peeled, cored and sliced into moons½ tsp ground cinnamon½ tsp ground nutmeg½ tsp ground clovesHandful of pitted dates chopped350g gluten-free granola (honey flavour)½ cup  coconut oil melted2-3 tbsp honey or agave syrup (for vegan)
      Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.In a baking tray or tart tin, lay out apple slices in concentric circles, overlapping in layers.Sprinkle over spices and scatter chopped dates over.Mix granola with coconut oil and spoon over apples until completely covered. Cover the tart tin with foil and bake for 30 minutes or so, until apples are soft. Remove foil, drizzle honey or agave syrup over the granola and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden. Serve warm with a drizzle of coconut cream (optional).

      Keyword Apple Crumble, breakfast

      Shop Gluten-Free Granola & Muesli: Health Connection Gluten-Free Muesli

      Gluten-Free Granola Honey

      Simple Truth Gluten-Free Muesli

      Looking for more recipes? Check out this easy air fryer milk tart worth sharing. Plus: Fudgy brownies that’ll make your diet seem decadent. Women’s Health participates in various affiliate marketing programmes, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. More

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      3 Delicious Matcha Recipes Loaded With Antioxidants

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      Ready to take your nutrition to the next level? This antioxidant-packed powder can be used in all kinds of ways, so get ready to power up.What Is Matcha?Used in traditional tea ceremonies, matcha is a finely ground, hand-picked green tea grown in the shade. While the popularity of powdered tea died out long ago (only the Zen Buddhists have been using it), the green stuff has regained its popularity – and not just in the East. Why? It’s rich in amino acids that neutralise caffeine’s jittery side effects while preserving its energising and fat-burning benefits. Super-alert AND calm all the time! Where do we sign up?OK, so now you know what it is, but how do you exactly use it? Here are three of our favourite ways to go green.Matcha It Up Latte

      One of Gwyneth Paltrow’s faves: mix one teaspoon matcha with one cup heated almond milk and stir in one teaspoon honey, to taste. Pow(d)er Balls

      Combine Medjool dates, almonds, raw cacao and matcha powder, adding a little almond milk at a time for consistency until you can form power balls.READ MORE: Make Your Own Age-Defying Breakfast BarsMeet Your Green Smoothie

      Blend together one teaspoon matcha, one handful spinach, half an avocado, one pear, a quarter cucumber and two cups coconut water. Hangover slayer!READ MORE: This Chamomile Smoothie Will Make Falling Asleep Easier Than EverShop Matcha ProductsFrom an authentic matcha kit to instant mixes for busy bees, we’ve rounded up the best matcha-infused products. Bonus: one even gives your collagen a natural boost.Khoisan Organic Green Matcha

      Organic Matcha Powder

      The Harvest Table Collagen Matcha Latte

      Instant Vanilla Matcha Latte

      Sana Ceremonial Matcha Tea Set

      Health Connection Matcha Superfood

      Recipes by Amy Hoppy. Women’s Health participates in various affiliate marketing programmes, which means we may get commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. More

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      Make Your Own Age-Defying Breakfast Bars

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      These beauty-boosting breakfast bars might just be the morning shortcut to glowing skin. The raw cacao helps improve circulation, zapping those panda-like bags, while pistachios are packed with vitamin E (essential for skin rejuvenation), helping to fade age spots and pigmentation. Bonus!

      Age-Defying Breakfast Bars

      Amy Hoppy

      Eat yourself gorgeous from the inside with this beauty-boosting breakfast bar recipe. It’s also wheat and dairy-free!

      Course SnackCuisine Healthy

      Servings 12 servingsCalories 289 kcal

      1 tsp coconut oil for greasing tray2½ cups rolled oats¼ cup raw cacao nibs100g pistachios shelled and chopped50g almonds chopped50g pumpkin seeds50g goji berries¼ cup coconut flour½ cup coconut flakes1½ cups almond milk (or coconut milk) divided5 medjool dates pitted and chopped2 ripe bananas
      Preheat oven to 120°C and grease a large ovenproof deep-dish tray.Place the oats, cacao nibs, pistachios, almonds, pumpkin seeds, goji berries, coconut flour and flakes into a large bowl. Mix to combine and form a well in the centre.Place one cup almond milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in the dates and stir occasionally until the milk is bubbling and the dates start to break down, forming a syrup. Pour into the oat mixture and stir to combine.Mash the ripe bananas and, using a hand blender, blend in the remaining half cup of milk to form a thick liquid. Mix this into the oat mixture until everything is evenly covered.Press the mixture into the dish and bake for one hour, then turn the temperature up to 150°C and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the edges are nice and golden, but the mixture is still chewy. Remove and allow to cool slightly before slicing into 12 bars.

      Cook’s notes: To make the bars slightly sweeter, add half a cup chopped raisins or honey to the mixture.

      Keyword breakfast

      SERVES 12. Per serving (106g): 1 212kJ, 14g fat (4g sat), 35g carbs, 45mg sodium, 8g fibre, 9g proteinLooking for more granola-inspired breakfast recipes? Try this easy healthy chocolate granola recipe or why not whip up a batch of this youthful-glow granola.  More

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      You’ll Never Want Cabbage Served Any Other Way (Seriously!)

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      We love the salty, umami flavour of soy sauce: a splash adds depth to stews, zing to marinades and it’s an essential accompaniment for sushi and stir-fries… But it doesn’t always love us back. Why? Because it contains wheat – and some people are allergic to it. But at least there’s hope! Say hello to tamari. While both sauces are made from soy, tamari is distinctly Japanese and darker and richer in flavour than regular Chinese soy sauce. It also generally does not contain wheat (check the label to be sure) and is higher in protein than soy sauce. It’s great for stir-fries, roasting and salads with bitter greens, and you can pick up a bottle from Faithful to Nature (online shopping FTW). So, if you’re looking a delicious, Asian-inspired dish for lunch this week, read on…READ MORE: This Chamomile Smoothie Will Make Falling Asleep Easier Than Ever

      Cabbage Salad with Tamari Dressing

      Recipe by Amy Rankin

      A delicious, Asian-inspired dish ideal for lunch this week – and ready in minutes!

      Course Lunch, Main Course, SaladCuisine Asian

      Servings 4

      1 Mixing Bowl1 Whisk
      1 Whole red cabbage, finely sliced1 Spitz cabbage, finely sliced3 Tbsp Pumpkin seeds3 Tbsp Sunflower seeds3 Tbsp Sesame seeds3 Tbsp Flaxseeds10 g Coriander, leaves removed, stalks finely chopped100 g Cranberries, finely chopped100 g Almonds2 to 3 large Avocados, finely slicedAlfalfa sprouts, for garnishingTamari Dressing2 Tbsp Tamari1 Tbsp Honey4 to 5 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oilJuice of 1 orange1 to 2 long Thin red chillis, finely choppedPinch of sea saltFreshly ground black pepper
      Toss all the salad ingredients together and garnish with coriander leaves and sprouts.Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Season to taste and add more olive oil or more tamari, if necessary.Salad serves six as a meal or 10 as a side dish.

      Keyword cabbage, tamari

      READ MORE: Yes, You Can Make Granola In The Air Fryer! Here’s Our Healthy Chocolate Granola RecipeThe Benefits of Raw Cabbage in Your DietRaw cabbage offers several health benefits, including supporting digestion, heart health and potentially reducing inflammation, thanks to its high fibre, vitamin C and antioxidant content. Here’s a more detailed look at the benefits of incorporating raw cabbage into your diet:Digestive HealthCabbage is a good source of both soluble and insoluble fibre, which promotes healthy digestion and regular bowel movements. The fibre in cabbage can help keep your gut healthy and may even support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. The fibre in cabbage also adds bulk to stools, which can help prevent and alleviate constipation. Heart HealthCabbage contains antioxidants like anthocyanins, which may help protect against heart disease by reducing inflammation and improving blood vessel function. Some studies suggest that cabbage may help lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels. Cabbage’s high polyphenol content may help minimise the risk of cardiovascular disease by avoiding platelet formation and decreasing blood pressure. Immune Support and Bone HealthCabbage is a good source of vitamin C, which is essential for a healthy immune system. It also contains compounds that may help reduce inflammation throughout the body. Cabbage contains minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, as well as vitamin K, which are essential for maintaining strong bones.  More

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      This Chamomile Smoothie Will Make Falling Asleep Easier Than Ever

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      If you struggle with getting a good night’s sleep, your daily habits might be sabotaging your sleep without you even realising it. But before you resign yourself to another restless night, try this…The answer to your nightly nightmare might be… hemp! Yup, hemp. Forget the association with weed – there’s no THC in hemp powder. The reason you’ll sleep better with hemp in your diet is because it contains high amounts of magnesium, which studies show helps to decrease cortisol – the stress hormone that keeps many of us up at night. Take this a step further by making this smoothie with chamomile tea, which helps to ease anxiety. We’re totally going to try this – because 50% of fat loss happens when you sleep!READ MORE: Creatine Could Boost Your Brain After A Bad Night’s Sleep, Research FindsPlus, whether you’re vegan and need to make sure you’re getting all your amino acids, or you’re building some muscle and need the extra protein, adding hemp to your diet is a healthy way to increase your intake.Sleepy Girl Smoothie RecipeYou’ve heard of the viral sleepy girl mocktail (over 50 million views on TikTok) – now, meet its dreamy (and nutrient-packed) alternative: the sleepy girl smoothie.

      The Sleep Better Smoothie

      This smoothie is packed with magnesium from hemp to help lower cortisol and chamomile for its calming effects – perfect for a better night’s sleep.

      Total Time 5 minutes mins

      Course Snack

      Servings 1 serving

      ½ cup cooled chamomile tea1 cup  frozen berries¼ cup walnuts1 tbsp cashew-nut butter1 tbsp hemp powder

      You can swap cashew-nut butter for almonds and walnuts for macadamias.

      Keyword Smoothie

      READ MORE: Struggle Sleeping? Here’s How To Create A Bedtime Routine, Per ExpertsShop The RecipeChamomile Flowers Tagged Tea Bags

      Früt Frozen Mixed Berries

      Faithful to Nature Walnuts – Raw

      ButtaNutt 100% Cashew Nut Butter

      Superfoods Hemp Protein Powder

      Eiger Vortex 600W Jug Blender

      Women’s Health participates in various affiliate marketing programmes, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. More

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      We Took TikTok’s Viral Dense Bean Salad And Made It Low Calorie

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      The DBS (or Dense Bean Salad recipe) has taken TikTok by storm in the last few months and having tried it ourselves, we can see why! So after months of eating this meal every week, we had to share the fibre-rich recipe that will help you reach all your health and fitness goals.READ MORE: The Lowest Calorie Meals On The Menus Of Kauai, Nando’s, Mugg & Bean, Simply Asia & MoreThe Dense Bean Salad PioneerSure, bean salads aren’t anything new and South Africans will remember the food tables of any social event having at least one (shoutout to the classic three bean salad). But this is not your grandma’s bean salad! They’ve gotten a makeover.Violet Witchel who goes by violet.cooks on TikTok and @violetwitchel on Instagram is continuously going viral for her dense bean salad recipes. She even has “🫘 Dense Bean Salad girl” in her Instagram bio. And people can’t get enough of these recipes. In fact, her DBS recipes alone have almost 60 million views on TikTok.Check Out Violet Cook’s 3 Most Popular Dense Bean Salad RecipesSpicy Chipotle Chicken DBS @violet.cooks This week’s is gluten-free, dairy-free, and my personal favorite #densebeansalad #mealprep #dbs #glutenfree #dairyfree ♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda Sun-dried Tomato DBS @violet.cooks Sundried tomato DBS! #dbs #beans #densebeansalad #mealprep ♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda Balsamic Mediterranean DBS @violet.cooks Balsamic Mediterranean salad recipe Ingredients – 1 bag of Persian cucumbers – 1 red onion – 3 multicolor bell peppers – 1 head of parsley – 2 avocado – 2 cans of rinsed and drained chickpeas – 1/2 a cup olive oil – Juice of two lemons – 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar – 1 tbs oregano – Big pinch of red pepper flakes – 1 tbs cumin – 1 tbs sea salt Instructions 1. Dice your cucumbers and add them to a big salad bowl. 2. Mince your red onion and add it to the bowl. 3. Cut the ends off, core, and chop your bell peppers, add them. 4. Finely mince your parsley and add it. 5. Cube your avocado and add them (optional) 6. Add your chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, red pepper flakes, cumin, and salt. 7. Toss everything together and enjoy! #healthy #glutenfree #dairyfree #mediteranneanfood ♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic – Kenji Ueda READ MORE: Samp & Beans (Umngqusho), Exactly How Your Gran Made ItWhy We Love Dense Bean SaladsThey’re Easy To Meal PrepCooking every single day is hard. And cooking a healthy meal every day is even harder. Dense Bean Salads are great because you can spend some time chopping and get multiple meals for the next couple days. There’s also minimal cooking involved, it’s mainly chopping.They Don’t Get SoggyEver made a salad, turned your back and by the time you’ve turned back it’s a soggy mess? Yeah, us too. The great thing about these dense bean salads is that they don’t have leaves and they’re packed with ingredients that are actually suitable for meal prep. The longer they sit and soak in the dressing, the tastier they get without becoming soft or soggy. Consider it marinating!They’re Fibre-Rich And Veggie-PackedAnother trendy topic at the moment? Fibre! Everyone’s talking about it, no one’s getting enough of it (the RDA for women is 25g BTW!). Meal prepping a veggie-packed, fibre-rich recipe like this one makes it so much easier to make sure you’re getting those all-important nutrients.They’re Protein-PackedOur Dense Bean Salad Recipe below ensures you get a 112g serving of chicken and packs 32g of protein without skimping on the veggies, fibre and carbs you want in order to have a delicious, satiating meal.READ MORE: Make This Charred Mango and Steak Salad While Mangoes Are Still In SeasonLow-Calorie, High-Protein Chipotle Chicken Dense Bean Salad RecipeThis low-calorie, fibre-rich and protein-packed recipe is our take on Violet’s viral Spicy Chipotle Chicken DBS (check it out and follow her here).

      Viral Dense Bean Salad Recipe: Low-Calorie & High Protein

      Want a low calorie and fibre-rich recipe? We made TikTok’s viral dense bean salad recipe into one that will help you hit your goals.408 calories, 32.3g protein, 24g carbs, 18.3g Total Fat

      Prep Time 30 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes mins

      Course SaladCuisine Healthy

      Servings 8 peopleCalories 408 kcal

      For The Chicken900 grams chicken breast, cut into strips Cut the breasts into strips to increase the surface area for your marinade200 grams Woolworths Chipotle Basting Sauce60 ml lemon juice4 cloves garlic, choppedSalt and pepper Add any other spices you like and regularly use in cookingFor The Dressing¼ cup avocado oil You can add another ¼ cup if you want. This adds 62 cals per serving30 ml lemon juice¼ cup rice vinegar2 tsp chipotle powder or cayenne pepper1 tsp cumin1 clove garlic, crushed1 Tbsp Woolworths Reduced Oil Tangy MayonnaiseFor The Salad400 grams frozen corn, cooked per package instructions and cooled1 red pepper, chopped finely1 small red onion, chopped finely1x400g can butter beans, drained, rinsed and patted dry If you want more beans, add another can. This adds 22 calories per serving.1x400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry  If you want more chickpeas, add another can. This adds 34 calories per serving3 slicing tomatoes, insides scooped out and chopped finely Scoop out the insides so there is less liquid and your salad doesn’t go soggy1 cucumber, seeds scooped out and chopped finely Scoop out the insides so there is less liquid and your salad doesn’t go soggySalt, pepper and any other spices you like to useFor Serving2 avocados (use ¼ per serving and only dice when you’re ready to eat)
      Cut and marinade chicken and set aside.Make the dressing and set aside.Chop all your ingredients finely. Try to remove as much liquid from ingredients as possible by patting with a paper towel.Cook your chicken in an airfryer or pan. Once cooked, let cool down completely before chopping up.Make sure all your ingredients are cool before combining salad, chicken and dressing.Divide into 8 servings. We like to eat ours with a Woolworths Whole Wheat Pita (half a pita is 108 calories, a full pita is 216 calories)

      Keyword chicken, chopped salad, Healthy Recipes, high-protein, Low-Calorie, quick and healthy meals, salad

      READ MORE: You Can Make A Healthy, Protein-Packed Lunch In 5 MinutesShop The RecipeChipotle Basting Sauce

      Wholewheat Pita Breads

      Avocado Oil

      Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets

      Freshly Frozen Sweetcorn Kernels

      Reduced Oil Tangy Mayonnaise

      Chipotle Chilli Seasoning

      Rice Vinegar

      Lemon Juice

      Red Onions 5 String

      Butter Beans in Brine

      Chickpeas in Brine

      Slicing Tomatoes 

      English Cucumber

      Single Red Pepper

      Ripe & Ready Avocados

      Ground Cumin

      Whole Garlic More

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      Genius Healthy Ingredient Swaps For Junk Food From Chantal Lascaris

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      Cook and cookbook author Chantal Lascaris has released her newest cookbook, All Sorts of Junk Food Made Healthy. To celebrate, we’re dishing her crazy-delicious sweet chilli chicken pizza – made with genius healthy ingredient swaps.The case for (healthier) junk food“This is not a cookbook for weight loss,” says Lascaris. “It’s a book for gaining back your junk food power by putting a healthier spin on everything that would ordinarily be ‘bad’ for your waistline. All it takes is a conscious decision to use nutrient-rich ingredients and smarter preparation.” Per Lascaris, the book was a reminder to herself not to demonise food. “I think, in a way, I almost wrote it for myself, because I still like junk food and junk food [has] almost become a swear word,” she explains. “You’re not allowed to enjoy junk food, you can’t be seen to be eating junk food, and I thought, ‘We all love it, we might as well admit it, and I wanted to find different ways of actually making it healthy so that I could enjoy it.”As to how to define the word “healthy”, Lascaris focussed on the main problem: lowering the fat and sugar content in takeaways. “I was trying to see where there was so much fat or sugar, how I could change that; that’s really the benchmark.”With that in mind, the book takes novel classics, from nachos and burgers to pizza, dessert and air-fried appetisers, to a healthier level with clever ingredient swaps. Here, some of the key manoeuvres Lascaris has come up with:3 healthy ingredient swaps you won’t believeSwap frying for bakingIf you take a fried dish and bake it, you can cut down on the fat content, Lascaris says. And yes, the air fryer counts in the baking category, in this case.Trick yourself“When you think of junk food, you think of that crunch and the colour,” Lascaris observes. “A lot of the time, the colours being made [are] because it’s deep fried. I started looking at cornflakes because it gives you that ‘fried’ colour and the crunch.” This way, it looks and tastes deep-fried, with a much lower fat and carb content. Use in meals as a breadcrumb coating and bake until crispy.Use healthier fatsLascaris’ healthy ingredient swaps for creamy dishes are ingeniously simple: subbing cream for plain yoghurt. “You’ve got to watch that it doesn’t curdle, the same as you’d do with cream, but the yoghurt, it still gives you that creaminess,” she says. “It’s a much healthier alternative; it’s got all the probiotics in it and it’s a very good way of getting nutrients in.”All Sorts of Junk Food Made Healthy

      All Sorts of Junk Food Made Healthy by Chantal Lascaris

      “This recipe book comes from a deeper, bolder place,” says Chantal. “It’s somewhat of an ode to the naughty side of our palates, which we sometimes berate. We try so hard to control our cravings against the backdrop of social norms, fad diets and looming menopause – but all we’re really doing is depriving ourselves of the joy,” says Chantal. In this compendium of easy-to-follow recipes, Chantal shares her own secret indulgences and her new-found methods of keeping the joy in the ‘junk’ without accumulating the calories.

      Chantal Lascaris’ Sweet Chilli Chicken Pizza

      This crazy-delicious sweet chilli chicken pizza is made with genius healthy ingredient swaps from cookbook author Chantal Lascaris.

      Prep Time 5 minutes minsCook Time 20 minutes mins

      Course Appetizer, dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Snack, StarterCuisine American, Healthy, Italian

      Servings 4 people

      4 tsp olive oil 2 chicken breast fillets cut into bite-size pieces½ cup low-fat smooth cottage cheese¼ cup low-sugar sweet chilli sauce plus extra for topping 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 red pepper sliced ¼ cup sherry vinegar 4 wraps ½ cup tomato paste 8 Peppadews sliced ⅓ cup low-fat cheddar salt and pepper to taste salad greens for garnishing
      To a non-stick pan, add 1 tsp olive oil & sauté the chicken pieces until done.Remove the pan from the heat, add the ¼ cup sweet chilli sauce & mix until the chicken is coated. Remove from the pan and keep warm.Add the mushrooms & red pepper to the same pan & sauté for a few minutes until starting to soften. Pour over the sherry vinegar & continue to sauté until the sherry has evaporated & the veggies have softened.Over each wrap, smear 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese & 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.Place a wrap, unsmeared side down, in the pan & heat until browned underneath.Remove from the pan & scatter over a quarter of the vegetables, chicken & Peppadews. Top with a quarter of the cheddar & dab a touch of sweet chilli sauce over the wrap.Season with salt and pepper.Repeat with the remaining wraps.Place the wraps under the grill for 3 – 5 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt.Garnish with salad greens & serve immediately.

      Keyword comfort food, dinner, pizza More