Mokhado Oils - Starter Pack

Our team here at The Amazing Blog is passionate about healthy eating and cooking our own meals. We recently found out about Mokhado cooking oils from South Africa, and suddenly our cooking experience has transformed for the better.

The range of oils includes three different varieties – Apricot, Avocado and Macadamia – which each contain their own unique flavour and taste. All three oils are cold-pressed, extra virgin, pure, heart-healthy and suitable for vegans. With monounsaturated fats and natural vitamins, they provide your body with healthy fats and antioxidants. The bottles are even coloured-coded and feature a simple and beautiful design.

The founder of the oils, Chrisjan Van den Berg, is proud to showcase the oils his family has known and loved for years. All of the ingredients used to make the oils are never wasted either, since the remaining pits are used as animal feed or compost.

We loved adding the oils to vegetable stir-fry and when baking meat and fish. The macadamia oil, in particular, tasted wonderful when added to something as simple as plain rice. It was so easy to enjoy the oils when we remembered how healthy they are, in addition to their flavourful taste. If you're feeling a little more adventurous, then Mokhado have a range of delicious recipe ideas to choose from, including a fantastic guacamole.

To try the full range of Mokhado oils, head here and get your own set of three for £20. You can also purchase individual bottles of whichever oil you choose for £6.99 each. 

Cheeky Cow Cheese

Here at The Amazing Blog, we love decadent cheeses with our crackers and wine. Our latest search for a yummy new cheese to try lead us to Cheeky Cow cheeses, which are lactose free, have 50% less fat and 30% less salt than regular cheeses and contain only 80 calories per 30 gram serving.

This new cheese is made by Cricketer Farms, a Somerset-based dairy farm with a motivated team of 30 dairy farmers across West Country. They are one of the first dairy companies in the country to sign up for the Voluntary Dairy Code of Practice back in 2012, showing their commitment to quality first-hand. Their cheeses are said to be the healthiest alternative to full-fat cheddar cheeses currently on the market, with high levels of protein and calcium.

At the office, we loved the Cheeky Cow cheeses and their great taste. The individually wrapped cheese packets were an easy way to enjoy a healthy on-the-go snack, while the larger block of cheese could be grated over pasta dishes or cut up to share with friends. The cheese has a sharp cheddar taste that complemented crackers and grapes perfectly.

To support local farmers while enjoying delicious British cheese, head to their online shop here to pick up your own packs of Cheeky Cow cheese.

Friday Favourites - Healthy Living Cookbooks

Here at The Amazing Blog, we do our best to live the healthiest lifestyles possible. Since a large part of doing so involves our eating habits, it’s important to fuel your body with nutritious foods. We have chosen our favourite healthy eating cookbooks from Ryland Peters & Small so you can join us on the journey of healthy eating.

When you eat fermented foods, you help to increase the health of your digestive and immune systems. With the help of the Fermented Foods for Vitality and Health cookbook by Dunja Gulin, you can learn how to incorporate more of these types of foods into your daily diet to benefit your body from the inside out. These types of food contain healthy probiotics, boost your energy and improve the natural radiance of your complexion. You most likely have enjoyed a few fermented foods in your lifetime, such as pickled cucumbers or sauerkraut. The book is divided into various sections so you can make foods according to the meal you’re preparing, such as breakfast, lunch and dinner, side salads and snacks, breads, sweets and drinks. Each recipe includes beautiful food photographs taken by Toby Scott, all of the proper ingredients and a small introduction of the recipe with its health benefits included. Our favourite recipes from the book are the Beet and Quinoa bowl, Vegan Greek Salad with Tofu Feta and the Probiotic Pumpkin Popsicles. Pick up your own copy here for £14.99.

Models and celebrities alike have been seen professing their love for kale and healthy eating on social media recently, so it’s no surprise that green drinks have been all the rage as part of this movement. With so many different bases to choose from – spinach, kale, basil, parsley and mint to name a few – there are endless possibilities for juice and smoothie creations. To get us started on our own green drinks, we got the Green Drinks recipe book by Nicola Graimes for inspiration and ideas for our juicing adventures. The book features smoothies, juices, shakes and lemonades including the benefits of greens, plus additional fruits and vegetables for extra flavour and taste. The beginning section even includes information about green superfood powders which can be added to smoothies and juices for added nutrients, including spirulina, chlorella and wheatgrass. The rest of the book is divided into sections of smoothie and juice recipes based on your health concerns or needs, such as detoxifiers, weight loss aiders, energisers and beauty boosters. A few of our favourite drink recipes from the book were the Super Green Detox, Mint Lemonade, Skin Detox, Green Goddess and Basil Limeade. We’ve never been so happy to have our greens! Pick up the book here for £9.99.

Paleo is the newest fad in healthful dieting, and a great way to get started is with Plant-Based Paleo by Jenna Zoe. She is the founder of Foods to Love, an online health food supplier specializing in products free from wheat, gluten, refined sugar, dairy and eggs. She believes that fresh plant foods – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds – are the optimal health foods. This book is a must-read for those who want to understand the paleo approach to living and eating healthy. The book is full of great recipes featuring vibrant and colourful photos by Clare Winfield. The beginning of the book features an incredibly helpful list of essential ingredients, including chia seeds, spirulina, and coconut oil. The book features recipes for every meal, and with so many pages of recipes, you won’t know where to start. We loved trying the Green-A-Colada recipe, since it was healthy and yummy. Check out the book for yourself here and get it for £14.99.

We all love our sweet treats, but many people have been concerned about the health hazards of white sugar. Thankfully, there are many natural alternatives to sugar that are much better for our bodies. Sugar-Free Snacks & Treats by Ryland Peters & Small is full of recipes you can enjoy without worrying about the negative health effects associated with white sugar. The natural alternatives to sugar the book recommends include agave syrup, xylitol, coconut palm sugar, dark chocolate, brown rice syrup and honey. Even though alternative sweeteners have been criticized for not being as healthy as they claim, when eaten in moderation they are far better for your health than traditional sugar. It’s important to remember that a treat is a treat! The book offers loads of recipes, including everything from salsa to mini doughnuts. Everyone is sure to find something delightful to suit their taste. We can’t wait to try these sweet and savoury recipes! Pick up your own copy here for £14.99.

Fairfields Farm Crisps - Chorizo & Tomato

Here at The Amazing Blog, we have quite a few guilty pleasures, with crisps at the top of the list. Since we care about quality, we love the crisps from Fairfields Farm Crisps. Their potatoes are delicately cared for from farm to factory in Colchester, England. The potatoes are washed, grated and inspected thoroughly before they are cooked in sunflower oil and packaged into bags.

The newest flavour from the brand is Chorizo and Tomato, which is perfect if you’re looking to add a spicy change of flavour compared to your standard plain crisp. The founders decided to cater the new flavour to the recent popularity of chorizo and to complement the upcoming summertime weather. Better yet, the chorizo is sourced from local supplier Suffolk Sausage Company in order to reduce the amount of food miles the crisps have.

If you’d like to try other flavours from the brand, you can check out their whole range. The flavours include: Lightly Sea Salted, Sea Salt & Aspall Cyder Vinegar, Sweet Suffolk Chilli, Suffolk Farmhouse Cheese & Chive, Wicks Manor Smoky Bacon & Sunday Roast Potato and Parsnip Crisps with Essex Honey & Black Pepper, Parsnip, Sour Cream and Chive and Sweet Potato and Chilli and Lime.

Find out more about the Chorizo and Tomato crisps here and pick up your own bags at your local supermarket or from Shop in the Shed starting at £0.65 per single-serve bag.

Farrington Oils - Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil

Here at The Amazing Blog, we’re always looking for interesting new ways to spice up our meals. Experimenting with flavours has been known to end in disaster, but there’s always the possibility of discovering something utterly delicious. When we swapped out our regular Olive Oil for Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil, we were pleasantly surprised by the tasty flavour.

With the launch of Mellow Yellow in 2005, Farrington’s became the first ‘seed to bottle’ producer in Britain. In addition to having a cutely designed bottle, this oil has great health benefits, being cold-pressed, low in saturated fat content and packed full of Omega 3. Did we mention that it’s also vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free? We love to drizzle it over salads, and think it’s going to make a delicious addition to some of our summer dishes (if it lasts that long). If you’re looking to be more adventurous with the oil, check out the brand’s product page for yummy recipes. We’ve got our eye on the Courgette Cake.

Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil is available in supermarkets across Britain and Ireland in both 250ml and 500ml bottles, all of which are listed on the brand’s website.