Just Geens Plantain Pancakes

Ingredients

·         1 and ¼ super ripe plantain, when I say super ripe I mean one that is dark brown/black in colour and squishy
·   1 egg
·         250 ml wheat flour
·         250 ml almond milk
·         1 tea spoon coconut oil
·         1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon (or more)
·         2 tablespoons of honey
·         1 handful of blueberries

Instructions

1.       Mix your pancake ingredients together: eggs, wheat flour, almond milk, coconut oil, cinnamon and 1 plantain (you’ll use the remaining ¼ for your syrup), until you get a smooth thick paste. I used a blender because whisking the plantain would have taken ages.

2.       Now heat up whatever you love to cook your pancakes on. I used a non stick frying pan and added a teaspoon of coconut oil.

3.       Add a small amount of your pancake mix to the hot frying pan and cook until bubbles begin to appear in the batter then flip. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, depending how big you make them.  I find that wheat flour makes the pancakes fluffy and softer than normal pancakes, so it breaks a lot easier. I would suggest making the pancakes small. The smaller you make them, the easier they are to flip and not break apart.

4.       Make all your pancakes.

5.       Dice the left over plantain into small pieces and fry for about 2-3 minutes.

6.       Add 2 tablespoons of honey and a handful of blueberries to the diced plantain and let it simmer for a minute.

7.       Stack your pancakes and pour your syrup on top.

Bon Appétit

G

Baked Stuffed Plantains

Baked Stuffed Plantains

So I had some leftover plantain and mince from my Plantain Lasagna and decided to make some Baked Stuffed Plantains. 

I decided to make both a vegetarian and a meat based version, just to show you how versatile you can be with this recipe. 

To make this amazing dish you will need: 

Vegetarian Ingredients 

-1 Ripe Plantain 

-½ Small Onion Chopped

-1 Green Pepper 

-1 Yellow Pepper

-1 Red Pepper 

-½ tea spoon of mixed herbs

-1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil 

-Salt and pepper as needed

Instructions

-Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. 

-Line oven tray with foil and coat with coconut oil.

-Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain and remove plantain peel by pulling off the

skin.

-Place the plantain on the tray and bake for about 15 minutes each side or until the plantain is golden brown. 

-While the plantain is baking, add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a saucepan, followed by the onions and peppers. 

-Let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes, add your  mixed herbs and season to taste.

-Remove the plantain from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. 

-Make a horizontal slit in the plantain and then stuff with the pepper mixture.

Mince Version

Ingredients

-1 ripe plantains

-2 tablespoon coconut oil

-½ pound lean mince

-½ medium onion chopped

-1 teaspoon minced garlic

-1 tin of chopped tomatoes

-Season to taste 

Instructions

-Use the same instructions as above in relation to baking the plantain.

-While the plantain is baking, add 2 tablespoon of oil to a sauce pan, followed by onions, garlic and your chopped tomato. 

-Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently and add about ½ cup of water if needed.

-Add the lean mince to the sauce, seasoning to your taste and continue cooking for about 15 minutes.

-Remove the plantain from the oven and let it cool for a couple of minutes.

-Make a horizontal slit in the plantain and stuff it with the mince mixture. 

And there you have it, Stuffed Baked Plantain.

Happy Eating

G 

Quinoa Jollof

I’ve always been an advocate for African food. When I decided to make 'healthy eating' part of my lifestyle, it was my mission to still eat the foods I enjoyed but just to find healthier alternatives.

Jollof Rice is one of my favourite dishes. Being Ghanaian, its something I grew up eating every week. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jollof Rice, it is a combination of white rice, tomato, onions, scotch bonnet, seasoning and some form of animal protein (chicken or beef).

I decided to get creative and replaced white rice with Quinoa. 

For this delicious dish, you will need:

Ingredients:

4 tbsp coconut oil

1 large onions, sliced

2 x 400g cans plum tomatoes

1 red pepper, diced

4 tbsp tomato purée

¼ tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder

1 scotch bonnett

1 tsp curry powder

1 bay leaf

1 tsp thyme

1 stock cube

2 cups of quinoa

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups of water

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

Method

-Heat the oil in your pot and add the onions.

-Blend the peppers, tomatoes,  ginger and 1 cup of water to form a smooth mixture.

-Add the smooth mixture to the pot, along with the seasoning.

-Stir and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

-Once the sauce turns into a thick mixture, add the quinoa, stirring it well on a low heat. Let it cook for about 20 minutes.

-To tell whether it's cooked, you want the sauce to be fully absorbed by the quinoa.

Happy Eating 

G

Just Geen's Salmon Burgers

If you're a salmon lover like myself, you will definitely love this recipe. 

INGREDIENTS 

• Salmon filet (cooked or uncooked). 
• 1 egg white.
• 1/2 diced red onion.
• 2 spring onions.
• 1 bread of your choice (sandwich bread, mini pitta bread or any whole wheat bun).
• Burger toppings of your choice (lettuce, tomatos, onions etc).
• 2 tsp cottage cheese.
• Seasoning of your choice (garlic, ginger, pepper, herbs, thyme etc).

DIRECTIONS 

1.  Season your salmon with salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, mixed herbs.

2. Bake in the oven at 200°C for 13-15 minutes. (If your using cooked salmon, skip this step).

3. Flake and mash the salmon in a mixing bowl. 

4. Add the egg white and onions.

5. Gently shape the salmon into patties. 

6. Make sure you use a non stick pan on a medium heat and cook in a skillet using coconut oil.  the patty is cooked on both sides. Cook the burgers for about 5 minutes each side and cook until the burgers are brown on each side. 

7. Place the burgers on your choice of bread, spreading cottage cheese on one side of your bread and add your desired burger toppings. 

BON APPÉTIT 

Portion Control

So my mum always tells me I eat too much. My excuse and response is that I’m active so I need to eat a lot in order to keep me going. However, she might actually be right. I’ve been a serious lover of food from when I was a child and on reflection; I can honestly say that I’m quite greedy.

However, that’s all soon to change, because I’ve bought something that will help me adjust my portions.

Meet the Meal Measure …

This brilliant gadget is a plastic portion control guide that fits right over your plate. You can measure your protein, starch, vegetables and fruit for perfect portions. Each hole of the meal measurer has a 1 cup and 1/2-cup mark so you can adjust portions for your individual dietary needs.

What I really like about the Meal Measure, is the fact that you don't have to use measuring cups or scales to figure out just the right food portions for your meals. All you need is your Meal Measure, which will fit in most standard sized dinner plates. It’s easy to use, easy to clean and a handy alternative to an individual portion plate as you can use it to measure more than one meal at once.

The only thing I would say is that it is a bit over priced. I paid £15 for mine on eBay. Also, the product doesn’t come with any guidelines as to whether you should have half a cup or a full cup, but for me, a full cup is less than what I usually consume anyway, so it’s still been a massive help.
I ordered mine from eBay; however they also sell it on Amazon as well.

Using the Meal Measure has shown me how much I’ve been over eating over the years and although it’s a bit pricey, I think it’s a very good investment.  It definitely gets Just Geen’s stamp of approval.

G

Just Geens Plantain Pancakes

Ingredients

·         1 and ¼ super ripe plantain, when I say super ripe I mean one that is dark brown/black in colour and squishy
·   1 egg
·         250 ml wheat flour
·         250 ml almond milk
·         1 tea spoon coconut oil
·         1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon (or more)
·         2 tablespoons of honey
·         1 handful of blueberries
 

Instructions

1.       Mix your pancake ingredients together: eggs, wheat flour, almond milk, coconut oil, cinnamon and 1 plantain (you’ll use the remaining ¼ for your syrup), until you get a smooth thick paste. I used a blender because whisking the plantain would have taken ages.

2.       Now heat up whatever you love to cook your pancakes on. I used a non stick frying pan and added a teaspoon of coconut oil.

3.       Add a small amount of your pancake mix to the hot frying pan and cook until bubbles begin to appear in the batter then flip. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, depending how big you make them.  I find that wheat flour makes the pancakes fluffy and softer than normal pancakes, so it breaks a lot easier. I would suggest making the pancakes small. The smaller you make them, the easier they are to flip and not break apart.

4.       Make all your pancakes.

5.       Dice the left over plantain into small pieces and fry for about 2-3 minutes.

6.       Add 2 tablespoons of honey and a handful of blueberries to the diced plantain and let it simmer for a minute.

7.       Stack your pancakes and pour your syrup on top.

Bon Appétit

G

GYMS KITCHEN

Gyms Kitchen – the UK’s first protein based restaurant.

They're definitely not lying; this restaurant is every gym go-ers heaven. Since it opened in 2012, I’ve heard nothing but good things. But word of mouth isn’t always gospel, so I decided to take a trip down there and try it out for myself.

My experience was nothing short of amazing. With fitness quotes on the wall such as “eat clean, train dirty”, pictures of the ‘fitness evolution’ and the weightlifting toilet signs, the restaurant's decor was impressive and it won me over, before I had even tasted the food. You can tell that a lot of thought went into creating the perfect atmosphere.

The menu was overwhelming, with so many options to choose from. Porridge, eggs, protein pancakes, wraps, sea food, smoothies anything healthy you can think of; it was all there. What I really liked about their menu was, not only did it provide you with the amount of calories per dish, it also listed the nutritional value contained in each dish, such as the fat content, the grams of protein and grams of carbs, which is pretty handy for a gym go-er, like myself.

As this trip was after a workout, myself and @bigboatstrainingroom were keen to fuel our muscles with as much protein as possible. For starters, we were served carrots and celery with homemade hummus. If you’re a hummus fan, then you’ll appreciate the authentic taste, in comparison to the store bought ones from places like Tesco and Asda.

For our mains, we decided to share the mixed grill platter. The platter was protein heaven and contained 268g of protein, split between both of us. The feast included Chicken Wings, Lamb Cubes, Chicken Cubes, Butterfly Chicken and, of course Lamb Chops, which we washed down with a Banana and Peanut Butter protein shake. The portions were generous and accompanied by a garnish salad and Gym’s Kitchen sauces. I wasn’t too fond of their chicken, but I would highly recommend the lamb. The lamb did not disappoint, they were perfect, succulent yet crispy and rightly seasoned.

To seal off the occasion, we decided to share their Protein Pancake Tower combo. The tower consisted of three different types of pancakes; Apple Crunch Protein, Banana & Chocolate Protein and Blueberry Protein. They were topped with fresh fruit and served with honey drizzle and peanut butter. The pancakes were a perfect way to end my experience and are a good alternative for those with a sweet tooth.

Overall, my experience at gyms kitchen was 10/10. The restaurant is a prime example that you can eat out and enjoy a healthy meal without having to restrict to a salad. Their nutritional balanced menu doesn’t hold back on taste and I would highly recommend this to anyone.

They currently have two locations:

Restaurant 1- 388-392 High Road, Leyton, E10 6QE

Restaurant 2- 376 – 378 Cranbrook Road, Gants Hill, Essex, IG2 6HW

For any non-east Londoners, I suggest you give either branch a visit. Trust me; it is definitely worth the journey.

G

Mac & Cheese the Just Geen way

 

 

 Mac & Cheese the Just Geen way

Ingredients:

-Wheat pasta
-1/2 cup of low fat cheddar cheese
-Tablespoon of Cottage cheese
-Tablespoon of Low fat yoghurt
-1 Garlic clove
-1 egg
-1/4 cup of almond milk
-2 tablespoons of wheat flour

Instructions:

-Boil the pasta and cook it according to the package directions.

-Meanwhile, mix the wheat flour, cottage cheese, egg, garlic and almond milk in a small saucepan over a medium heat.

-Whisk in half of the cheddar cheese until its melted. Remove your source from the heat and then whisk in the yogurt.

In a medium bowl, mix the pasta with the cheese sauce and season to your taste( I use garlic, black pepper, white pepper, nutmeg and oregano).

-Pour the mixture into your dish and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top.

-Bake for about 10-15 minutes.

 

 The Just Geen way tastes just as good as normal mac & cheese, but its lower in calories, lower in saturated fat and higher in fibre as whole wheat pasta keeps you satisfied for longer and low fat Greek yogurt gives you the rich, creamy texture of butter and cream, minus the fat.

So there you have it, Mac & Cheese the Just Geen way :-)

 Bon Appétit

G

11 August 2013-Just Geens Funday

Sunday 11^th August 2013 will always be a special day for me, why? Well, it’s the day I actually saw the fruits of my labour. I teamed up with my good friend Christopher and put on an event called ‘Just Geens Funday’.

The reason for the event? Well, my fitness journey had been going strong for over a year and I wanted to do something that would bring everyone together and show them that being active isn’t boring and strenuous, its actually quite fun. So I thought what better way to do it than a fun day.

To my surprise the day was such a success. So many things tried to go wrong at the last minute, but thanks to my brilliant team of friends and family, everything worked out in the end.

For those of you who didn’t come all I can say is, you missed out on a wicked day. We had DJ Neptizzle and DJ Jammy D on the ones and twos and photography taken by Samuel Falusi.

On the day we had a mixture of activities from a football tournament to different types of races, table tennis, an azonto fitness aerobics class and tug of war.

The football tournament was so intense it was like watching the championship league. It was that intense that several people left injured lol (you guys take football too serious).

The food was delicious. The BBQ menu was a mixture of foods from chicken, burgers, hot dogs, sweet potato wedges, grilled plantain, quinao salad, potato salad, coleslaw, salad, prawn skewers, corn on the cob and fruit salad. I was worried that a lot of people would be disappointed as there wasn’t any rice but I guess the substitutes made up for it lol. Despite the long queue, for the BBQ I think everything went quite well.

We also had some brilliant cakes made by Cakes By Kels…all cake lovers need to try her red velvet cheese cake- its to die for!!!

The Azonto Fitness aerobics session was a breath of fresh air. The session was about 15 minutes long and was taken by KwaksAzontoFitness. Azonto fitness is basically body movements from the Azonto Dance which originated from Ghana. The dance routine was pretty straight forward and it was such a fun learning experience. For more information on Azonto Fitness Click Here.

During the run up to the event, one of the problems I found was encouraging girls to come on the day. I know a lot of females thought it was going to be an instagram showdown, name and shame fitness level kinda of event, but it was far from that. The girls got so involved that they even managed to beat the guys SEVERAL TIMES at tug of war. We even had certain guys switching teams because the girls were so good. 

It was all a beautiful experience and I am really overwhelmed with the positive feedback I’ve received from the event!

The weird thing is, when I started my fitness journey it was all about me me me! I was not doing it to benefit anyone else and it was all about my personal gain. I was just a girl who liked posting gym pictures on instagram, but I soon came to realise that I was beginning to inspire those around me without even realising it.

So much has happened within the last year and all I can do is give all the glory and thanks to God. As Proverbs 19:21 says “Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”. If anyone was to ask me a couple of years ago if I’d be a fitness enthusiast, organising fitness charity events I would have laughed…but several years later I’m here now on a journey I never thought I would be on, doing what I think the Lord has purposed me to do.

It just goes to show that it’s never too late to do anything you want as long as you put your mind to it.

I would like to thank all those who came and those that couldn’t come but still showed support, it really means a lot to me. Thank you for embarking on this journey with me and I promise to keep working hard to bring you something bigger and better next year.

G