August's Feel Good Food Round Up: Ginger

I chose Ginger for this month's Feel Good Food not just because of its amazing nutritional properties, but because it comes in so many different forms that I knew we would get a really varied range of dishes entered, and my goodness you all didn't disappoint! We have cakes, crumbles and sweet treats, curries and tagines, chicken, pork and seafood dishes as well as some great veggie options, and even a chutney! Thanks to all who took the time to link in, I promise your tastebuds will be tingling when you've finished reading this!

Vegetable and Chickpea Tagine

The first entry is from a challenge newcomer The Flaming Potato. I'm so pleased that they chose Feel Good Food as the first challenge to enter, and this Vegetable and Chickpea Tagine looks mouthwateringly delicious, packed with all kinds of healthy ingredients not to mention a good helping of fresh root ginger. 

Crystallised Ginger Biscuits

Our second entry came from Ros at The More Than Occasional Baker, this time with crystallised ginger in these Crystallised Ginger Biscuits. I love the added square of chocolate on top of the biscuits, which Ros says is her favourite part!

Sticky Ginger and Chilli Chicken

This is one of my posts, a Sticky Ginger and Chilli Chicken made using Mackays Spiced Ginger Preserve to make a sticky glaze for the meat - really quick and really tasty this one!

Mango Curry Chickpea Salad

Janet from The Taste Space entered this tantalising Mango Curry Chickpea Salad. This is also such a quick and easy recipe, with deep spices and sweet mango, all wrapped up in crisp lettuce leaves, perfect for a hot summer day.

Red Kidney Bean Burger

Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary never fails to tempt me with her fabulous photography, and this Red Kidney Bean Burger is no exception! Packed with beans, cheese, potato and all sorts of amazing spices, you definitely wouldn't miss the meat in these!

Sticky Ginger Cake

Caroline over at Caroline Makes sounds like the perfect journey companion, especially as she took the time to prepare these Sticky Ginger Cake squares to take on a long journey! Adapted from a Nigella recipes, these cakes look lovely and moist and packed full of flavour.

Gingersnaps

Elizabeth from The Law Students Cookbook took her disappointment in a packet of store-bought Gingersnaps, and turned it into these beauties! These gingersnaps are gingery but not to hot, and crisp but not break-your-teeth hard. They sound perfect to me!

Four awesome recipes now from Eat Properly that really showcase the versatility of ginger across a range of dishes, both sweet and savoury. Check out Spicy Quadruple Ginger Cupcakes, Prawn and Sweet Potato Curry, South Indian Style Chicken Soup, and Slow Cooked Crispy Chinese Belly Pork - there's plenty here to plan a three course dinner around ginger! Thank you so much for taking the time to link back these great posts from the archives, that Chicken Soup is right at the top of my bookmarks!

Spiced Banana Nut Muffins

A sweet treat now in the form of Spiced Banana Nut Muffins from Jenny at What Jenny Baked. Originally made for a healthy addition to a BBQ, I imagine that these would also make a great breakfast on the run, or be just perfect with an afternoon cup of tea.

Sweet Chilli Chutney

The lovely Ness over at Jibber Jabber posted this fab Sweet Chilli Chutney on behalf of her Mum, dubbed the Chutney Queen! This is a really fruity recipe, utilising a punnet of nectarines that needed using, and a great accompaniment to all these summer BBQ's as demonstrated above.

Ginger Peach Crisp

A second great entry next from Caroline Makes, this scrumptious Ginger Peach Crisp with fresh peaches and an almond crumble topping this is perfect pick me up food.

Oaty Ginger and Plum Crumble

Another yummy crumble now from Shaheen over at Allotment to Kitchen this time with fresh plums in this Oaty Ginger and Plum Crumble. There's s good dose of stem ginger in this recipe, and I love the rolled oat crumble topping for some extra texture and goodness.

Chocolate and Ginger Pecan Pie

Laura from I'd Much Rather Bake Than... linked up this awesome Chocolate and Ginger Pecan Pie, just wow! I'm so glad I've found her blog, and will absolutely be trying this recipe over the autumn months!

Sticky Ginger Lemon Drizzle Cake

Last but by no means least, Kat from The Baking Explorer linked up with this beautiful Sticky Ginger Lemon Drizzle Cake. The zingy combination of lemon and ginger sounds perfect, and I can just imagine tucking into a slice of this cake with a steaming mug of tea and savouring every mouthful.

Thanks again to everyone who linked up this month and provided this amazing list of tasty dishes. Check back on the 1st September to find out what ingredient I eventually settle on (all suggestions are welcome below if there are any special ingredients you'd like to see in the future?) 

July's Feel Good Food Round Up: Maple Syrup

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting July's Feel Good Food to be quite so controversial as it was, but there did seem to be some resistance in terms of cost and availability. That being said, there are some really fantastic recipes here that just go to show the range and versatility of maple syrup in all types of cooking, from baking, to sauces, glazes and marinades. There are five recipes here, and we have a cookie, a cake, a veggie dish, a meat dish, and a versatile sauce - varied indeed!

Banana, Maple Syrup, Bacon and Whiskey Cookies

The lovely Jen at Blue Kitchen Bakes was first in, with a Heston inspired Banana, Maple Syrup, Bacon and Whisky Cookie recipe. Nothing controversial there then! Personally the sound of these cookies gets my tastebuds tingling, plus, the mashed banana in the cookie dough cuts out a lot of the butter content, and similarly, the sweetness comes from the maple syrup, so a great healthy alternative cookie recipe - thanks Jen! 

Quick and Easy Chinese Style BBQ Sauce

Next up I experimented with using maple syrup in a Chinese Style BBQ Sauce. This was a quick and easy blend of maple syrup, teriyaki sauce and some spices to create a quick marinade, which could also be reduced down to make a sticky sauce. Perfect quick and easy mid-week food. 

Baked Butternut

Our next entry came from Angela over at My Golden Pear, in the form of this glorious Baked Butternut, glazed with maple syrup, cinnamon and paprika. This was a South African inspired dish, and looks just divine, definitely one I will be trying myself at home. 

You could use maple syrup as a glaze to replace sugar or honey in other vegetable dishes similar to this to get the same result, with all those added antioxidants and health benefits. 

Banana, Almond and Maple Syrup Cake

A beautiful looking cake now from Ness at Jibber Jabber. Ness found some bananas that needed using up, and put then to incredibly good use in this Banana, Almond and Maple Syrup Cake. Perfect for accompanying an afternoon cup of tea methinks!

Maple and Lemon Chicken with Sunshine Rice

The last entry was another of my recipes, this time Maple and Lemon Chicken with Sunshine Rice. This time, I used lemon juice and maple syrup to marinade chicken, which was then grilled, with the remaining marinade used to flavour a tomato cooked rice side dish. It was absolutely delicious I promise! 

Thank you to everyone who took the time out of their sunshine soaked July to create a maple syrup dish this month, the ingredient for August will be posted shortly! 

July's Forever Nigella Round Up: Party Party!

Boy would I like to go to the party where all these lovely dishes were served! Again, the hot weather has kept a lot of us busy, but these five dishes are all delicious and perfect for any party situation you may find yourself in this summer.

Grilled or Barbecued Halloumi with Chilli

Caroline from Caroline Makes must have been the guest of honour when she arrived at a family BBQ with this tasty dish of halloumi marinaded in lemon and chilli. Simple and yet very effective.

Rhubarb and Rose Polenta Cake

Next up is a serious centrepiece for any party, this Rhubarb and Rose Polenta Cake from Choclette at Chocolate Log Blog, which contains the addition of yummy white chocolate, and her homemade rose syrup.

Mini Cheesecakes

Inspired by Nigella's No Bake Cherry Cheesecake, It's A Fine Life created these beautiful fruit topped Mini Cheesecakes for a charity bake sale. I think you'll agree that they would be perfect on any party table too.

Chocolate and Pistachio Macarons

Katharine from Leeks and Limoni created a sensational recipe mash-up with these Chocolate and Pistachio Macarons, using two Nigella recipes for the Chocolate shells and Pistachio filling.

Irish Cream Tiramisu

Last up was my entry of Irish Cream Tiramisu. The full recipe for this dish would make a substantial party dessert, I halved the quantities and still had enough to last us 3 nights! 

Forever Nigella is run by Sarah at Maison Cupcake, head over to her site to find the theme and host for August. 

July's Breakfast Club Round Up: Continental

As hoped for I have a really versatile range of posts for you to celebrate the continental theme for this month's Breakfast Club. I know that the beautiful weather has kept a lot of us out of our kitchens and basking in the sunshine, so I am truly thankful to each of you that linked up this month. 

Wholemeal Savoury Swirls

First in was Michelle from Utterly Scrummy with these, well, utterly scrummy looking Wholemeal Savoury Swirls. Using leftover lentil bolognese sauce rolled up in a tasty bread, and covered in cheese, these nod to Italian cuisine are perfect for any time of the day. 

Breakfast Burritos

Next up was Anshu from My Mom's Recipes with these Veggie Breakfast Burritos. I'm not sure which part of the continent they originate from but when they look this delicious I'm sure it doesn't really matter!

Waffles with Chocolate Sauce

I was really hoping that someone would enter waffles to this challenge, and Caroline of Caroline Makes did not disappoint! These Waffles with Chocolate Sauce are totally decadent and totally yummy, thank you Caroline! 

Turkish Eggs

The next entry came from How To Eat Properly, and was these beautiful Turkish Eggs inspired by a resturant dish. Yoghurt, eggs and spicy butter sounds like the perfect combination of breakfast foodstuffs to me. 

Peach and Apricot Jam

You're in for a real treat now, as this isn't just any Peach and Apricot Jam, this is Prize Winning Peach and Apricot Jam! Camilla from Fab Food 4 All scooped 1st Place at a local fayre with this tasty jam, and it's not hard to see why! 

Croissants

Sliding across the finish line only just slightly after the linky list closed is my entry of Croissants. In my defence, I had started making these before the deadline, but the lengthy proving process took a little longer than planned. Check out my idiots guide though now I've learned the lessons for you!

Breakfast Club is run by Helen from Fuss Free Flavours, head over to her site to find out who is hosting next month's Breakfast Club and what the theme will be.

June's Feel Good Food Round Up: Blueberries

I'd like to start this post by thanking each and every person who took the time to enter and link up to this challenge from the bottom of my heart. I am over the moon with how many amazing blueberry-filled recipes we have here, (17 in total!), all of which combine so many other great ingredients; spelt flour, natural yoghurt, and wheat bran, but to name a few. The response to the challenge across the web has been fantastic too, it seems that there are a lot of 'foodies' out there who want to eat a little healthier without dieting or calorie counting, and I cannot wait to see what happens with next month's key ingredient!

To re-cap the reasons for this month's choice of ingredient, Blueberries are the ultimate superfood, rich in antioxidants, and full of key nutrients, they are great for reducing the risks of heart diseases, cancers and chronic diseases. Each of these recipes contain a healthy quantity of blueberries, so we can tuck into these tasty treats safe in the knowledge that we are consuming something definitely 'good for us'.

And so... without further ado... bring on the Blueberries!

Superfood Pancakes

Firstly I linked up my Superfood Pancakes, which, as well as the required blueberries, are made with oats and wholemeal flour, and are drizzled with healthy (yes, healthy - read the post) maple syrup.

Orange and Blueberry Muffins

The next entry came from Angela of My Golden Pear, and it was in the shape of these stunning Orange and Blueberry Muffins. Made with no butter, delicious seeded spelt flour, and a mix of golden caster sugar and a stevia sugar blend, these tick all the right boxes for being both a tasty and nutritious snack or breakfast option. 

Lemon and Blueberry Cupcakes

Ros from The More Than Occasional Baker made Lemon and Blueberry Cupcakes, which are low in fats and made with low fat yoghurt. Paired with the blueberries they make a great healthy snack, which is the perfect reason to reward yourself with the stunning lemon buttercream Ros has decorated them with!

Vegan Blueberry Bran Muffins

The next entry comes from the lovely Ness over at JibberJabber UK, in the form of these great looking Vegan Blueberry Bran Muffins. Ness has developed this recipe to contain no eggs or butter, and with the added wheat bran flour these will be packed with nutritious goodness!

Hazelnut, Lemon and Blueberry Layer Cake

Susie from Fold in the Flour entered this showstopping Hazelnut, Lemon and Blueberry Layer Cake, made with spelt flour and piled up with those gorgeous fresh blueberries, you can forgive a slice (or two) of this cake for it's nutritional contents and their health benefits!

Summer Berry and Chocolate Traybake

Jen over at Blue Kitchen Bakes updated this tasty looking Summer Berry and Chocolate Traybake to link up to this challenge, and I'm so glad she did! Jam-packed with raspberries, blueberries and chocolate chips, it sounds like every mouthful was full of flavour, and with most of the butter being replaced with natural yoghurt, making it lower fat than a normal cake.

Banana Spelt Pancakes with Blueberries

These mouthwatering Banana Spelt Pancakes with Blueberries came from Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Kitchen, and I would happily eat these for breakfast every day! You have to check out the post in full, as there is an extra bonus blueberry recipe in there too!

Chicken with Blueberry and Hot Pepper Sauce

I tried something savoury next, with this Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken, with Blueberry, Southern Comfort and Hot Pepper Sauce, an odd sounding combination but take it from me, this is a seriously good meal!

Blueberry and Chocolate Muffins

Choclette of Chocolate Log Blog linked up these yummy Blueberry and Chocolate Muffins, which are made from a mixture of spelt and coconut flour, and have loads of extra tasty flavours including cinnamon and cardamom.

Energy Boost Berry Muffins

Michelle at Utterly Scrummy is up next, with a batch of Energy Boost Berry Muffins. Packed full of wheat bran, oats, and fresh berries, these are a perfect 'pick-me-up' treat for after school... or breakfast, elevenses or lunch too!

Blueberry and Vanilla Midsummer Night Tarts

Me again, this time with Blueberry and Vanilla Midsummer Night Tarts. Now aside from the blueberries here, I'm not sure how far I can go to class these as healthy. I can however promise that they will make you feel good! 

Roasted Blueberry Cupcakes

Jennifer is new to blogging over at What Jenny Baked, and she really intrigued me with these Roasted Blueberry Cupcakes. Roasting the blueberries before adding them to the cake batter intensifies their colour and flavour, something that I will definitely be trying in the future.

Greek Yoghurt, Blueberry and Chocolate Parfait

Next up, Elizabeth from The Law Student's Cookbook whipped up these tasty Greek Yoghurt, Blueberry and Chocolate Parfaits, a great quick, easy and nutritious breakfast dish.

Lemon, Blueberry and Blackcurrent Swirl Loaf

A great looking tasty loaf cake for you next from Kat, The Baking Explorer, with this Lemon, Blueberry and Blackcurrent Swirl Loaf, packed full of fruit and flavour, who could resist a slice with a steaming mug of tea.

Lemon and Blueberry Cupcakes

Another great Lemon and Blueberry flavour combination here from Cupcake Girl, with these pretty looking Lemon and Blueberry Cupcakes, with a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. These two flavours never fail to work perfectly together.

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake

Nicole Bremner blogged this tantalising looking Vegan Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake, alongside a review of a new Vegan Cookbook - The Naughtiest Cupcake. This cake is not only vegan, but also gluten free, and with those super healthy blueberries too, this has to be one of the healthiest ways to consume awesome yummy cake!

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

And last, but by no means least, is this super Blueberry Banana Smoothie from Kavitha at Techie Cookie Freaky. Quick and simple, this is a great tasty breakfast recipe, and is open to be added to at will!

And that folks is it! 17 amazing recipes containing a good healthy dose of goodness in blueberry form. Once again, thanks to all for entering, and check back tomorrow morning to find out what July's special ingredient will be!