Healthy eating should be a part of everyone's diet, but cooking can be an arduous and often daunting task.
Deliciously Ella knows all-too-well what it's like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and she loves it.
Related articlesExpress.co.uk spoke exclusively to the YouTube sensation about what drives her culinary expertise.
Below, she dishes on the secret to her culinary success before revealing three brand new recipes, inspired by the method natural cleaning range.
You're always creating new recipes. Where do you get your constant inspiration for your recipes from?I base much of my creations on what I feel like eating so I'm very much governed by my appetite and whatever takes my fancy at the time. I also spend a lot of time on social media; Instagram especially is a huge source of inspiration for me. After all, the more visual the food looks, the more appetising it is and I like my creations to look nice and colourful.
What inspired you to come up with the four recipes for method and what do you like about them?I especially love the bright, vibrant colours of the pomegranate, parsley and buckwheat salad and the fact that it's not a conventional salad. People often think of salads as boring dishes but I like the fact that this one subverts that perception. The pomegranate in particular really helps give it an unusual twist. I love the fact that you don't often come across almond flavoured soup – it's nice and unusual. Plus it's so creamy and hearty for when you need a warm, comforting treat in the winter months.
And the great thing about the clementine and coconut dessert is the fact it's made with just two ingredients, something that people are always surprised by. Everyone loves the fact that it's so incredibly easy to make yet looks and tastes impressive.
What prompted you to start looking at the cleaning products you use and choose more natural options? Or was this something you've always done? My mum has always used natural cleaning products so I definitely took inspiration from her. When I was re-evaluating the way I ate, I started to think about the rest of my lifestyle too – so that included the amount of exercise I was doing, what I put on my skin as well as the products I was using to clean my home. If you're thinking carefully about what you're eating it makes complete sense to follow that through to what you're using to clean the surfaces you're preparing food on and the dishes you're eating from. Wellness is about all aspects of your life after all.
Do you think it's important to make cleaner living and natural products stylish and fragrant to inspire and attract a wider audience, including younger people?Definitely, healthy living is becoming more and more accessible. If a product looks attractive on the shelf and smells good too, people are more open to using it.
The health and wellness trend has rapidly grown in popularity over the last few years, do you have a view of what the future could bring? It's definitely normalised over recent years. I've notice there are lots of people now who use natural brands such as method and people are thinking carefully about their choice of skincare and household brands, not just their food.
The introduction of amazing products such as spiralizers and the NutriBullet has made healthy living so much easier – the quicker and easier it is, the more likely people are going to practise it.
Clementine + coconut cream sorbet
Created for method by Deliciously Ella
A super simple dessert that's gorgeously cleansing + refreshing and looks beautiful in a pretty glass. one that's guaranteed to impress guests.
Serves 4, takes 10 mins prep plus 4 hours + freezing time, depending on your freezer
INGREDIENTS
8 clementines, 160g tin coconut cream
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Peel and partially segment your clementines. blend a few at a time in a high power blender + sieve through a fine mesh sieve, collecting the juice in a bowl. once you've sieved out all of the juice, put the clementine puree intoa clean tupperware container.
2. Mix in your coconut cream with a fork and pop the tupperware into the freezer. after an hour, take out + mix again with a fork. do this every hour or so until you are ready to eat it. it should take about 4 hours to reach the right consistency.
method's ultra grease-fighting + biodegradable washing up liquid is a real treat for the nose with its sweet and zesty clementine fragrance. we're delighted that the fresh and colourful ingredient has inspired Ella's delicious sorbet - there's no better way to cleanse that palette.
Almond soup
Created for method by Deliciously Ella
We hope you love this deliciously creamy and warming starter as much as we do.
Serves 4, cooking time 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp olive oil2 cloves garlic, peeled + bashed 1 tsp rock salt150g whole blanched almonds 400ml water1 slice rye bread12 white grapes, quartered
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a saucepan, gently heat the olive oil along with the garlic + salt, taking care not to colour the garlic, keep the bashed cloves moving in the pan until they start to release their aroma, at this point add in your whole blanched almonds and stir into oil + then add the water. bring to the boil, then turn down the heat + simmer for 5 minutes.
2. While the soup is simmering toast your slice of rye bread + then leave aside to cool.
3. When your almonds have simmered for 5 minutes, pour your soup into a powerful blender and blend until smooth. it might be best to do this in a couple of batches. once your soup is all blended, put it back into your saucepan + add water to thin to a good consistency.
4. Cut your toasted rye bread into rough squares, then put them into a food processor + whizz into crumbs.
5. Serve the soup with a sprinkle of the rye crumb, a handful of chopped grapes + a drizzle of good olive oil.
method's almond wood floor cleaner works as well as it smells, leaving your wood floor looking better than it has in ages. and now, the rich, nutty almond flavour is reflected in Ella's warm and hearty almond soup, bringing new meaning to the phrase 'eat clean'.
Pomegranate, parsley + buckwheat salad
Created for method by Deliciously Ella
One of the things we love about this recipe is the colours - the reds and oranges really pop. bursting with flavours + textures your tastebuds will love it.
Serves 4, cooking and prep time, total 25 mins
INGREDIENTS
150g buckwheat400ml water2 tsp ras el hanoutolive oil for drizzlingsalt and freshly ground black pepper 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
or grated
INSTRUCTIONS
2 oranges, peeled + pith removed + sliced into circles
1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves picked
1 small bunch dill, fronds picked 1 handful fresh mint leaves,
roughly chopped1 pomegranate, seeds removed
1. In a saucepan, cover your buckwheat with the water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 – 8 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. drain the buckwheat through a sieve and rinse with cold water. drain again and then put into a bowl, mix in the ras el hanout, oil + seasoning.
2. While your buckwheat is cooking, peel your carrots and then using a julienne peeler, shred the carrots into thin strips and mix into your buckwheat. next cut the skin + pith from your oranges, then cut them into thin circles and mix into your buckwheat salad, letting the flavours all meld together.
3. Pick the leaves from your parsley and chuck onto a serving platter, then mix through with the buckwheat. throw on your dill, mint + pomegranate seeds and give another mix, then serve.
Nice served along side roasted cauliflower + carrots with cumin.
method thinks people just don't pay enough attention to pomegranates. that's why they've devoted an entire limited edition collection to this bright, ripe fruit, now this colourful superfood takes centre stage in Ella's fresh + fruity salad.
For more information, see methodproducts.co.uk
Related articlesSource: Want to cook like Deliciously Ella? Blogging sensation reveals recipe tricks
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