Tag: Sweet

Courgette Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Courgettes in a cookie? Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

These cookies are made with spelt flour, mostly because I didn’t have any plain flour. However, using alternative grains to wheat is a great way to improve the biodiversity of the foods we grow, and not only help look after our planet, but also out gut microbiota which love different sources of fibre.

Makes 18 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 medium courgette, around 220g, grated and the water squeezed out leaving you with around 150g “dry” courgette
  • 1 egg
  • 125g soft light brown sugar
  • 100g extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 120g spelt flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 tsp ground sweet cinnamon
  • 130g jumbo rolled oats
  • 175g dark chocolate chips

Method

  • Add the courgette, egg, sugar, olive oil and vanilla to a large bowl and stir to combine.
  • In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon together.
  • Add the dry mix to the wet along with the oats and chocolate chip and mix together.
  • Measure out 50g per cookie onto a lined baking sheet, leaving a little gap between each cookie to allow for spreading when baking. You should get 18 cookies from this mixture.
  • Bake in an oven set to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection for 10-12 minutes, or till golden brown on the edges.
  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.
Courgette Chocolate Chip Cookies

Per cookie: 191kcal/ 11g fat/ 3.5g saturated fat/ 19g carbohydrates/ 2.4g fibre/ 3.3g protein

Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies

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People talk about the 4 C’s when it comes to diamonds, but I’m talking about the 4 C’s when it comes to cookies! These are delicious, super soft whilst still chewy, yet completely gluten-free thanks to the use of chickpea flower, otherwise known as gram flour.

I also have to give credit to my then 6-year-old nephew, who, after I had made brunch with some gluten-free vegetable fritters, asked if we could make some gluten-free cookies for his mummy using my special flour. And here we are. A word of caution, the raw batter is disgusting! But it’s transformed once it’s cooked, so, a) don’t lick the bowl clean and b) trust the process!

Makes 12 cookies

Ingredients

  • 125g unsalted butter
  • 100g soft light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 250g chickpea/gram flour
  • 1/2 tbsp gluten-free baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 175 dark chocolate chips

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/ 180°C convection and line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and melt in the microwave or bain marie. Once melted mix in the sugar, mixing well before adding in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  • Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together before adding to the wet ingredients and mixing to form a stiff dough. Add the chocolate chips and mix to incorporate.
  • Spoon 12 equal blobs of dough across 2 baking trays with a gap between each cookie, before trying to flatten slightly.
  • Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes till lightly golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before tucking into a warm cookie.
Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies

Per cookie: 283kcal/ 17g fat/ 9.5g saturated fat/ 24g carbohydrates/ 3.7g fibre/ 7.3g protein

Chocolate Orange Ricotta Pancakes

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We often think of fluffy buttermilk pancakes, but sometimes I struggle to find buttermilk in the shops. However, these ricotta pancakes are just as fluffy and oh-so delicious!

At this time of year, oranges are in season, including these gorgeous blood oranges with their vibrant red flesh. They’re extra sweet too, so for me they work perfectly as a little drizzle over the top of the pancakes just before serving, helping to enhance the lovely orange flavour of the pancakes.

I love these served with Greek yoghurt and extra orange segments, but if you have an extra sweet tooth you could serve them with some maple syrup.

I’ve used wholemeal flour in this recipe, which adds an extra 3g of fibre per serving in comparison to plain white flour. That’s an easy add of 10% of your daily recommendation of fibre with minimal effort! Plus you won’t be able to tell the difference with the end product.

Serves 5

Ingredients

  • 250g plain wholemeal flour
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of Soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 250g ricotta
  • 250ml milk
  • 1 orange, zest and juice
  • 120g 70% dark chocolate

To serve

  • 5 tablespoons of greek yoghurt
  • 2-3 oranges, segmented, and the remaining juice squeezed out

Method

  • In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt together.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, ricotta and milk together. Add the orange zest and 50ml orange juice.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together before adding the chocolate – don’t over mix the batter, keep some lumps of flour to ensure you get really lovely and fluffy pancakes.
  • Heat a pan over a low heat and brush with a little oil. Place 1 ladle spoon of batter into the centre of the pan and allow it to cook for 3 minutes (the pancake will spread out slightly so if cooking more than one in a pan at a time ensure there is sufficient gaps between them), watching for little bubbles to appear on the surface and the edges to start to darken before flipping and cooking for 2 minutes on the second side.
  • Repeat with the remaining batter, keeping the cooked pancakes covered and warm (option to keep the oven on at 50°C). You should make around 10 pancakes with the batter.
  • Serve warm with a spoonful of yoghurt, some orange segments and a drizzle of orange juice.
Chocolate Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Per serving: 763kcal/ 37g fat/ 20g saturated fat/ 67g carbohydrates/ 9.4g fibre/ 35g protein

Baked Rice Pudding

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Iodine is a nutrient we need to make thyroide hormones. If we don’t get enough iodine in our diets it can lead to something called goitre where our thyroid glands swell up in our necks in order to increase the capture of low levels of iodine in our diets. This was a common disease in 1950’s before iodine was used in the dairy industry to help improve sterilisation techniques for dairy cattle. Since plant-based dairy products has boomed over the years, we are starting to see the increase of this goitre again as dairy intakes are reduces. Other sources of dietary iodine include shellfish and certain white fish. For those following a fully plant-based diet it is essential that you look for alternative sources of iodine, such as fortified milk alternative products. Many products are now starting to add this nutrient back in, but not all have to be sure to carefully check the ingredients or the nutritional information chart where they will proudly state it has been added.

One delicious way I like to use iodine-fortified milk alternatives is in my Baked Rice Pudding. For the creamiest and richest rice pudding I use the barista version, very close in taste to rice pudding enriched with cream. The standard unsweetened oat milk still makes a delicious rice pudding without so much richness, and is the basis for my nutritional analysis, although most iodine containing milk alternatives are fortified to around 20μg per 100ml.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 5 medjool dates, pitted
  • 800ml unsweetened oat milk fortified with iodine
  • 100g pudding rice

To serve

  • 200g frozen cherries
  • 30g flaked almonds
  • 30g coconut flakes

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 130°C fan/ 140°C convection
  • Blend the dates with 400ml oat milk
  • In a large baking dish (approximately 1.3l) mix the rice, date milk and the remaining oat milk. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.
  • On a baking tray add the coconut and almonds. Bake for the last 10 minutes.
  • Defrost the cherries over a low heat, allowing their juices to slightly concentrate.
  • Serve the rice pudding hot with the cherries, almonds and coconut sprinkled over the top.
Baked Rice Pudding

Per serving: 399kcal/ 12g fat/ 4.8g saturated fat/ 62g carbohydrates/ 6.7g fibre/ 6.7g protein/ 45μg iodine

Mincemeat Stuffed Panettone French Toast

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Festive French Toast

Fancy something a little different this Christmas? Here is my Festive Mincemeat stuffed Panettone French Toast. Rich and indulgent, this is sure to put a smile on your face.

Ingredients

  • 1 thick slice of panettone
  • Mincemeat – use my quick and easy recipe to get the most delicious mincemeat for this dish
  • 1 egg
  • 50ml milk of choice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 small knob of butter

To serve

  • Extra mincemeat
  • Yoghurt of choice
  • Berries of choice

Method

  • Take your thickly cut panettone and make a small pocket in the centre with a knife (like a pitta bread). Fill the pocket with 1-2 tsp mincemeat.
  • In a large dish crack the egg and add the milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well.
  • Soak the panettone in the egg mixture for 5 minutes on all sides.
  • Heat a frying pan over a low heat and add the butter.
  • Cook the panettone for 2-3 minutes per side till golden brown.
  • Serve topped with extra mincemeat, yoghurt and berries.
Mincemeat Stuffed Panettone French Toast
Mincemeat Stuffed Panettone French Toast

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

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No tricks, all treats here. Using dates to naturally sweeten these muffins with roasted pumpkin, autumnal spices and sultanas. Delicious as they are, they also can be topped with orange mascarpone icing for the final touch.

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 200g pitted dates
  • 50ml boiling water
  • 200g roasted pumpkin flesh
  • 175g vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 100g sultanas
  • 200g self raising flour
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
  • 200g mascarpone

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection
  • In a jug add the dates and boiling water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before blending to a paste with the roasted pumpkin flesh.
  • In a large mixing bowl add the oil, eggs and date pumpkin puree. Mix together before adding the orange zest and sultanas. Mix again to combine.
  • Sieve the flour, spices and bicarbonate of soda into the wet mixture and fold in.
  • Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases. Evenly divide the batter between the 12 cases and bake for 25 minutes, or till a skewer inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
  • Remove from the tray and allow to completely cool on a cooling rack.
  • Just before serving mix the mascarpone and 1/2 the juice of and orange till smooth. Spoon onto the top of the muffin, and if desired decorate with more orange zest.
Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

Option to freeze the muffins once they are cooled for up to 3 months.

Per muffin: 364kcal/ 24g fat/ 6.4g saturated fat/ 31g carbohydrates/ 2g fibre/ 5.2g protein

Seeded Banana Bread

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I love this recipe for using up bananas which are past their sell by date. Somehow, you can never quite have the right number of bananas. It’s either too few or too many. And whenever I have too many I either freeze them ready to make smoothies out of, or turn them into this lovely cake.

This originally was my mum’s recipe, but I’ve added a few twists which my mum has now incorporated herself. She used to use butter, but for speed and nutritional value, I switched it to extra virgin olive oil. At first she protested, then she baked her first loaf using it and was converted immediately, proclaiming how much easier it was in comparison to melting and cooling the butter. The recipe also happens to be so simple, and forgiving! If you don’t have some of the ingredients they’re easy to swap in and out, and you can change the flavour of your bread depending on what you have, or what you fancy. If you want something more fruity, substitute some of the seeds for dried fruits, or even fresh or frozen for a delicious burst of flavour.

I also use two different types of flour to help maximise the diversity of the foods I’m eating each week. Of course I won’t be having this every week, but when I do I’d like to think that I can still be good while being naughty. The same goes for the seeds. I use a wide variety and generally use a premixed packet and then add in whatever I think is missing.

This recipe can easy be multiplied up according to how many bananas you have, but a word of caution. When using a 2lb tin or larger, the centre of the cake can sometime fail to rise due to the density and weight. This banana bread is not light and fluffy like a traditional sponge cake. It is loaded with fibre from seeds and whole grain flours which help increase the nutritional content of this treat. If multiplying up you can try baking in multiple small tins or in individual cupcake cases – just alter the timings so that a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Anything beyond what you want to eat fresh can be frozen – I slice my loaf and freeze it so I can pull out a slice or two depending on how many I need.

Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 1 large ripe banana
  • 80g dairy yoghurt (if using non-dairy add 10g extra fat)
  • Zest and juice of 1/2 an unwaxed lemon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or essence
  • 50ml EVOO
  • 1 large egg
  • 60g rye flour
  • 60g spelt flour
  • 20g ground linseeds
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 40g mixed seeds + extra for sprinkling over the top

Method

  • Line a 1lb loaf tin and preheat the oven to 150°C fan/ 160°C convection
  • Mash the banana with the yoghurt, followed by all the remaining wet ingredients.
  • Mix all the dry ingredients together. Then combine with the wet ingredients and mix till combined.
  • Pour the mixture into the tin, sprinkle with seeds and bake for 35-40 minutes till a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Per serving: 208kcal/ 10.5g fat/ 6.8g saturated fat/ 18.5g carbohydrates/ 3.5g fibre/ 5.5g protein

Blueberry Compote

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Blueberries have been shown to have health benefits for our hearts. So this St. Valentine’s Day why not treat the one you love to a heart healthy meal!

In a recent study published by the polyphenol research group at King’s College London, researched demonstrated that consumption of blueberries every day helped reduce endothelial function in healthy humans. Endothelial function is a marker of heart health

In addition, the same authors noted a decrease in systolic blood pressure of around 5 mmHg, about the equivalent shown in clinical trials using medical agents to lower blood pressure.

The only caveat to this research is that the study used wild blueberries, not commercially grown blueberries, so results might not be completely comparable when using shop bought berries. However, blueberries can be part of a healthy diet and there is no reason not to include them in your diet, and in addition there are lots of other important nutritional factors found in blueberries including fibre, vitamins and minerals which contribute to a healthy diet.

My easy blueberry compote takes just 5 minutes and only uses 3 ingredients. In addition you can store it in the fridge for a week, or freeze in portions ready to use at short notice.

Recipe

  • 250g fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 10g chia seeds

Method

  • Place the blueberries and honey into a pan and cook on the lowest heat on your hob, stirring occasionally. Cook for around 4 minutes till all the blueberries have burst open.
  • Remove from the heat and add the chia seeds. Stir in and allow to thicken for 1 minute.

Delicious served on top of porridge for breakfast, with yoghurt for a quick pudding, or with French toast for brunch as I have done.

Per serving 115kcal/ 1.8g fat/ 0.3g saturated fat/ 41.2g carbohydrates/ 4.7g fibre/ 1.8g protein

Mince Pies

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Whether you made your own mincemeat or not, there are still ways to help increase the diversity of plant fibres in your mince pies. You could try adding in some extra dried fruit to bought mincemeat, zesting in some clementine zest, or try adding carrot like in my own mincemeat recipe. And you don’t have to stop there, you can even change the pastry!

In my recipe, I use a mixture of shortcrust pastry to stay traditional, but use a crumble topping instead, keeping it lighter, but also so it allows me to include more plant sources. I use both oats and ground almonds in my crumble.

Each of my mince pies contains around double that of shop bought mince pies. I always find it harder to include fibrous foods over the festive period as there are so many treats to eat! My homemade mince pies contain 8 different source of plant-based goodness, and research shows those who eat 30 or more different sources of plant-based foods per week have an increased variety of gut microbiota in comparison those who eat 10 or fewer different sources. So feed your microbiome!

These mince pies are delicious served warm with vanilla custard, a true Christmas time treat.

If you want to make vegan mince pies, use a pre-made vegetable oil based shortcrust pastry and top with the crumble mixture substituting the butter for rapeseed oil.

Makes 12 deep-filled mince pies

Recipe

  • 750g mincemeat, shop bought or homemade
  • Short crust pastry, either bought or homemade (see below)
  • 75g plain flour
  • 50g fridge cold butter
  • 25g rolled oats
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 25g soft light brown sugar

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan
  • Roll the pastry out to 2mm, around the thickness of a 2p coin.
  • Cut disks of pastry out to 11-12cm diameter and line a muffin tray.
  • Fill each case with mincemeat, leaving a little gap at the top.
  • Make the crumble topping by mixing the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  • Add the oats, almonds and sugar and combine.
  • Top each mince pie with a spoonful of the crumble topping*.
  • Bake for 22-25 minutes till golden brown.
  • Cool on a wire rack

To make your own shortcrust pastry combine 225g plain flour with 100g cold butter till it resemble bread crumbs. Add just enough cold water to form a dough. Wrap and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling.

Mince Pies

Per Mince Pie 327kcal/ 13.7g fat/ 4.5g saturated fat/ 48.1g carbohydrates/ 2.5 fibre/ 3.2g protein

*Crumble topping makes enough for 24 mince pies

Mincemeat

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Homemade mince pies are something special at Christmas. Taking it one step further and making your own mincemeat means you can decide what goes in. For me, shop bought mincemeat sometimes feels like it’s missing some of the fruit. Making your own mincemeat is so quick, and I guarantee the flavour will be so much better than the shop bought stuff, and it’s ready to use in just 24 hours so there’s no excuses for not making your own!

Mincemeat Ingredients

I use butter rather than suet in my recipe. I think this gives a much richer flavour, and is also vegetarian friendly. You’ll also see I don’t stop at just fruit. A sneaky carrot also makes it into the mix in my version. This is great for increasing the diversity of plant fibres in this recipe, which we know can be beneficial for your gut microbiota and gut health in general. Why not treat your microbes this Christmas too!

Overall this basic mincemeat recipe uses 6 different plant-based fibre sources, alongside mixed spice. You can substitute different fruit in depending on your taste, for example cherries, apricot or mixed peel.

A generous swig of cognac

Makes enough mincemeat for 24 deep filled individual mince pies

Recipe

  • 200g sultanas
  • 200g raisins
  • 200g currants
  • 100g dried cranberries
  • 1 large carrot (or 3 small like my allotment carrots!)
  • 1 cooking apple
  • 350g soft light brown sugar
  • 175g fridge cold butter (option to use vegetarian suet to make vegan, or to be a traditionalist and use beef suet)
  • 2 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 1 organic orange
  • 100ml cognac, brandy, whisky or rum

Method

  • Coarsely grate the apple, carrot and butter.
  • Zest and juice the orange, taking as much of the segment flesh as possible.
  • Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Set aside covered with a tea towel.
  • Stir occasionally for the next 24 hours.
  • Fill previously sterilised jars with the mincemeat, ensuring to push out all the air.
  • Seal and leave in a cool dark place for up to 6 months to mature.

Per 100g 304kcal/ 9.2g fat/ 5.9g saturated fat/ 49.5g carbohydrates/ 2.8g fibre/ 1.4g protein

Homemade mincemeat