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I recently ordered a copy of ‘Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache’ by Harry Eastwood and I have to say I am VERY HAPPY! Harry is one of the girls that host the Channel 4 show Cook yourself thin- an awesome show where four beautiful girls make healthy versions of dishes that you can cook (and eat) and still lose weight. Needless to say, I love it!

Harry has written this cookbook as she loves cake! “I want to eat cake without guilt, disappointment, dissatisfaction or regret”. The main idea is that you can bake most sweet things by replacing the butter, and to some extent the sugar, with veggies. The natural sugars and other stuff in the veggies will do the same job, but will be much better for you. “By combining ground almonds (which are high in natural fat and provide a backdrop for excellent crumb) and finely grated vegetables (for fluff and moisture) instead of butter, you address the texture issue of cake head on, and improve it.”

Now I’m not saying these baked goods are health food, but at least they are healthier versions of cake. The nutritional information is even included in the back of the book which I find extremely interesting!

As you can imagine, I have heaps of the recipes to get through – first up was the Cinnamon Banana Bread.

“This cake is so virtuous it’s almost geeky. Full of energy, flavour and goodness, it’s also a  doodle to make’. – Harry Eastwood, Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache

• 140g banana (peeled weight)
• 2 medium free-range eggs
• 140g golden caster sugar
• 150g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated courgettes/zucchinis
• 150g rice flour (which makes the cake wheat free, but you can use plain flour also)
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1tsp cinnamon (I used ground cinnamon)
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 25g finely chopped brazil nuts
• 25g finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Brush the inside of a loaf tin (the recipe recommends 19cm x 12cm x 8cm, but mine was slightly longer) with some vegetable oil
2. Mash the banana thoroughly
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar for a full 3 mins until pale and light. Whisk in the mashed-up banana until completely incorporated, then add the courgette and beat again.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon and mixed spice, and whisk again until completely blended.
5. Mix in most of the brazil nuts and pecans and pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the top and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 mins.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.

Based on 8 servings, each serving has 204 calories and 5.9g of saturated fat. Quite impressive for a banana bread that was so delightful. It was so fresh and moist with the perfect amount of nuts. And definitely no taste of courgettes/zucchinis (although I do love them!)

1. Healthy Raspberry Muffins
2. Cinnamon Club – Modern Indian in London
3. Chocolate and Caramel slice