Strawberry & Peach Lemonade Smoothie

Grab your sunnies & your book of the moment for this is the perfect poolside refresher or actually for any time of the day (who needs an excuse to drink something so delicious & nutritious?), Not I.

 400g of Strawberries (freeze overnight), 2 Peaches, 1 Lemon, 1 Lime & Coconut water. Blend, Blend, Blend until smooth & Enjoy!  

Alternatives: 

Add protein powder to make it the perfect post-workoout drink (or even a meal replacement)

Add mint for extra freshness 

Add a sweetener of your choice 

Let me know in the comments your take on this smoothie, and tag me in your Instagram or Twitter posts @cocomllechloe, I'd love to see what you all come up with. 

Happy Cooking, 
xxx

Blueberry Breeze Smoothie

Re-vitalise your body with this fresh spring-time berry delight smoothie! 150g Blueberries, 200g Strawberries, ½ Banana, 1 Lemon juiced, Coconut Water & Mint leaves. Blend all together & drink up! 

Tips & Tricks: 

• Add 1 Scoop of protein powder 
• Freeze your berries overnight
• Add some lemon zest

Let me know in the comments your take on this smoothie, and tag me in your Instagram or Twitter posts @cocomllechloe, I'd love to see what you all come up with. 

Happy Cooking, 
xxx

Blueberry & Banana Oats

As you may all have noticed breakfast is my favorite meal of the day! I could easily have breakfast 3 times a day, and forgo my other meals. That is how, one chilly evening, I decided to try the following recipe & instantly fell in love! Blueberry & Banana Oats. My new favorite flavour combination.

Yummy Breakfast for a Yummy day! 

You Will Need: (Serves 2) 

• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Milk (I used almond milk) 
• ½ Banana
• 30 Blueberries
• 1 Cup Oats 
• 4 Almonds (Chopped)

Method:

• Allow the water and milk to come to a simmer and add a pinch of salt
• Add in the oats and continuously stir for 3-4 minutes 
• Add in the banana and continue stirring for another minute or so 
• Add additional almond milk for extra creaminess
• Mix in the blueberries & almonds and enjoy! 

Let me know in the comments your take on this delicious recipe, and tag me in your Instagram or Twitter posts @cocomllechloe, I'd love to see what you all come up with

Happy Cooking, 

xxx

Peaches & Cream Smoothie

Feel like something tropical & fresh? This one is for you! 

4 Peaches, 1 Nectarine, 2 Tbsp Ground Almonds, 4 Mint leaves, 1 Tbsp Coconut Cream & Milk of your choice. Blend all the ingredients excluding the milk & cream until smooth (I like to peel & freeze my fruit overnight). Continue blending whilst adding your cream & milk (I used almond) until you achieve a fluffy consistency. 

Perfect refreshment! 

Let me know in the comments your take on this smoothie, and tag me in your Instagram or Twitter posts @cocomllechloe, I'd love to see what you all come up with. 

Happy Cooking, 
xxx

Creamy Dark Cocoa Oats

Of late the weather has taken a turn & it's been quite cold out, so this morning I felt like something warm & comforting which resulted in the birth of the most chocolaty creamy oats I've made to date and I thought I'd share the recipe with you all. Here is to delicious healthy & comforting food!

Dark Chocolate Goodness

You Will Need: (Serves 2)

• 1 Cup Oats
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Almond Milk 
• 1 Tbsp 100% Cocoa Powder 
• 40g Chocolate Flavored Protein Powder (optional)
• Pinch of salt
• Sweetener of Choice (if so desired) 

Method: 

• Allow the water and milk to come to a simmer and add a pinch of salt
• Add the cocoa powder & protein powder until dissolved and left with 'chocolate milk'
• Add in the oats and continuously stir for 3-4 minutes 
• Add additional almond milk for extra creaminess
• Serve warm and add a sweetener of your choice if so desired 

Let me know in the comments your take on this delicious recipe, and tag me in your Instagram or Twitter posts @cocomllechloe, I'd love to see what you all come up with. 

Happy Cooking, 
xxx

Choconana Delight Smoothie

Ever felt like a treat with all your favorite flavours but which will also not hurt that waistline of yours? Well thank me later, for this Choconana Delight smoothie not only tastes like dessert but is full of nutritious goodness & will keep you going all morning & is also great as a post workout boost! 

1 Banana (frozen), 1 Scoop Chocolate protein powder (40g), 1 Tsp Cocao Powder, 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter, 200ml Coconut milk. Blend until smooth and add honey to your taste. 

Let me know in the comments your take on this smoothie, and tag me in your Instagram or Twitter posts @cocomllechloe, I'd love to see what you all come up with. 

Happy Cooking, 
xxx

Summertime Sunshine Smoothie

Fresh, delicious & beautiful! This bright smoothie is everything & more. 1 Papaya, 1 Peach, ½ Banana, Coconut Water, Lemon & Mint will get the job done, blend, blend, blend until smooth & VOILA !

I Love using fruit in season - Serves 2 

Let me know in the comments your take on this smoothie, and tag me in your Instagram or Twitter posts @cocomllechloe, I'd love to see what you all come up with. 

Happy Cooking, 
xxx

Raspberry, Blackberry & Mint Smoothie

Raspberries, Blackberries, Lemon, Mint and Coconut Water! It's fresh, delicious and very simple to make. High in vitamins and dietary fibers,  low in calories, what more could you ask for? Great whenever you need something to cool off and give you that extra little boost your body needs. 

Mint Berry Delight 

What will you need: 

• 1 ½ Cups Raspberries 
• 1 ½ Cups Blackberries 
• 300 ml Coconut Water (or Milk) 
• 10 Fresh Mint Leaves (I love mint, put less if so desired) 
• 2 Tbsp Protein Powder (Optional) 
• ½ Lemon (Juice) 

All that color goodness just for you! 

Freeze your berries overnight

Method: 

• Blend the raspberries and blackberries (I always freeze mine overnight, instead of adding ice to my smoothies) with the mint leaves, lemon juice and then the coconut water and blend until smooth
• Add the protein powder if you would like your smoothie slightly thicker or to act as a meal replacement (I prefer to use a berry flavored protein powder in this case) and blend some more 

Blend Blend Blend 

If you would like a creamier consistency, half the coconut water with either coconut milk or cream. 

Let me know in the comments your take on this smoothie, and tag me in your Instagram or Twitter posts @cocomllechloe, I'd love to see what you all come up with. 

Happy Cooking, 
xxx

Omelet au Fromage & Asparagus

Once in a while I treat myself to a more elaborate breakfast. May it be pancakes, scones or even some fancy eggs I always make sure that it will be high in proteins. This morning was no different! My omelet au fromage along with some lean bacon, tomato & asparagus was certainly the tastiest breakfast I've made myself in a while, I devoured it. 

In the end I put the berries into the freezer for a smoothie later on,
 I couldn't possibly eat another morsel. 

What will you need: 

• 4 Egg Whites
• 1 Egg 
• 40g Extra Lean Bacon
• 1 Small Tomato (I prefer mine peeled) 
• 3 Asparagus 
• 20g Mozzarella 
• Chives 
• Olive Oil (or Coco nut oil) 

Fresh from the Market 

Method: 

• Whisk the egg whites and egg until fluffy
• Add the mozzarella in small chunks 
• Add the chives and seasoning of your choice
• Heat a pot of water and a pan
• In the hot pan crisp your bacon and cook your tomatoes until soft (I do these together so that the small amount of fat released from the bacon can be used to cook the tomatoes), once done keep to the side.  
• In the pot allow the water to simmer and place 5ml of olive oil into another small pan 
• Pour the egg mixture into your warm pan and allow to cook on a low heat
• Add your asparagus to the simmering water and allow to simmer for 5 minutes (until bright green) and then drain 
• Once your omelet starts uncurling from the sides of the pan, cover your pan so that the omelet can cook from above (this also allows the cheese to melt and prevents the omelet to completely dry out) 
• When your omelet is cooked to your liking fold over and place into your serving plate. Add the bacon, tomatoes and asparagus to complete your dish.

Fluffy Eggs :D 

Nutritional Information: 280 kcal

• 40g Protein
• 11g Carbohydrates
• 10g Fat 
• 4g Saturated Fats
• 5g Sugars
• 4g Fiber
• As well as Vitamins A & C, Calcium, Potassium & Iron 

Perfection, Enjoy! 

Enjoy alongside a glass of lemon and mint water or your morning cup of caffeine. 

Let me know your take on this recipe or tag me in your Twitter & Instagram posts @cocomllechloe 

Happy Cooking, 

xxx

Red Berry Protein Power Oats

I'm quite excited to post today's breakfast recipe. It's a delicious power boost breakfast which will give you the kickstart you need for a long day ahead. Although a bit high in calories, I wanted something appropriate before a gym workout, high not only in protein and carbohydrates but low in fats too. 

Red Berry Protein Power Oats!

You Will Need: 

• ½ - 1 Cup Oats
• 1 - 2 Cups Almond Milk 
• 10g Raspberries
• 50g Strawberries
• 40g Raspberry flavored Protein Powder

Ready, Set, Go! 

Method: 

1. Heat the milk to a simmer and blend in your protein powder until dissolved
2. Add in oats and allow to simmer whilst stirring until cooked 
3. Add in your berries and blend in 
4. Serve in your favorite bowl and add milk for added creaminess 

Measuring is Important! 

For a bit of crunch roasted almond slithers can do the trick. 

Let me know your take on this recipe or tag me in your Twitter & Instagram posts @cocomllechloe 

Happy Cooking, 

xxx

Gym Essentials : The Basics

There are just a few things we simply cannot do without. Good quality gear is essential to prevent injuries and to ensure we all get a maximum out of our work outs. Not only will our performance be optimal but it also makes working out so much more enjoyable! 

Bottle, Training Shoes & Towel 

Here are my 3 essential basics: 

A good pair of training shoes

It's very important that your shoes provide your feet with support. I suggest to try on different pairs from different brands and in different sizes in order to ensure you choose the best pair that suits your foot and your gait. Make sure you remember to bring a pair of your training socks with you. Also ensure that the shoes you choose are applicable to the type of training you will be doing. 

My indoor training shoes are currently Nikes' Downshifters 5 

A Hand (small) towel

Not only for your comfort but for that of others. A towel will ensure you have a minimal amount of sweat dripping all over the gym machines and equipment as well as take the discomfort of you dripping all over the place out of the picture. I'm not saying sweating is bad, I'm just saying keep your sweat to yourself :) 

Any towel will do, although I like to color coordinate

A Bottle 

We all know that hydration is very important. No reminder needed. I try to have a bottle that can keep my water cool because we all know how hot our gyms can get at times and for me there's no worse feeling than drinking warm water, especially after some cardio. 

I'm currently trying this beauty out. Will let you know how I like her.

So there you go, 3 things I couldn't possibly do without on a daily basis during my workouts. Let me know what your top 3 gym basics are, or tag me on Twitter and Instagram @cocomllechloe 

Happy Training, 
xxx

Red Berry Protein Smoothie & Grapefruit

Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day. One of my favorite breakfast combo's at the moment consists of an espresso (or two) to start my day off, a protein smoothie and half a grapefruit to make sure I'm energized and ready for the day ahead. 

What will you need: 

• ½ Cup Strawberries 
• 15 g Raspberries 
• ½ Banana 
• 2 Tbsp Protein Powder 
• 1 Cup Almond milk 

Preparation: 

Blend all the fruit together until smooth. Slowly add the protein powder to ensure that there are no lumps. Add more or less milk depending on your consistency preferences. 

I prefer to have all my berries frozen so that my smoothie is cool after all the blending. 

Remember, don't be afraid to try different combinations or quantities depending on your preferences. 

Let me know in the comments your take on this smoothie, and tag me in your Instagram or twitter posts @cocomllechloe, I'd love to see what you all come up with. 

Happy Eating, 

xxx