Tag: Wholemeal

Bakewell Breakfast Bar

Posted in Breakfast, Light Bites & Snacks, RecipesTagged , , , , , 1 Comment

Get a head start on the week by whipping up a batch of my Bakewell Breakfast Bars. Naturally sweetened using dates and cherries, these bars contain no added sugar. They also pack some wholesome goodness in the form of oats and wholemeal flour meaning they contain 5.5g of fibre per bar as well as some healthy fats from the seeds and nuts.

If you don’t have cherries you can substitute in other dried fruits such as apricots, raisins, sultanas or even blueberries – just watch out that the dried fruits don’t contain added sweeteners such as glucose or apple juice. You can also swap the almonds and almond butter for other nuts or nut butter, or top with coconut chips.

These are great for on-the-go in the morning or as an afternoon snack. Keep in an airtight Tupperware container for 4-5 days or alternatively freeze them for longer-term storage.

Makes 9 squares

Ingredients

  • 100g pitted dates
  • 25g linseeds
  • 60g dried unsweetened cherries
  • 50g skin-on almonds
  • 75g butter or vegan butter
  • 25g almond butter
  • 100g wholemeal flour
  • 100g oats
  • 15g sliced almonds

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 25x25cm baking tin with baking parchment.
  • Soak the pitted dates in 50ml boiling water and the linseeds in 50ml tap water for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, roughly chop the almonds and cherries by hand or using a food processor. If using a food processor remove once chopped.
  • After the dates have soaked for 5 minutes transfer them to the food processor and blitz to a paste*
  • Add the butter, almond butter and soaked linseeds with the water and blend together.
  • Add the flour to form a sticky dough.
  • Add the oats and chopped almonds and cherries and pulse until it just comes together. If you want a smoother consistency pulse for longer.
  • Press into the lined tin and top with flaked almonds before baking for 20 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing.
Bakewell Breakfast Bars

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas

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Delicious quesadillas packed full of plant-based protein from the black beans. Leave the skins on the sweet potatoes to maximise fibre content (over 17g per portion of quesadillas even before you’ve added the sides!) and reduce food waste.

Serves 3

Ingredients

  • 2-3 sweet potatoes (total 300g), cut into 1/2 inch cubes with the skin on
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 handful of coriander, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • 100g cheese such as Cheddar cheese (I have used a lighter cheddar to keep saturated fats lower), garted
  • 3 wholemeal tortilla wraps
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To serve

  • Pickled onions
  • Soured cream
  • Jalapeños
  • Avocado
  • Tomato salsa

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
  • Toss the sweet potato in the smoked paprika. Roast on a large baking tray for 15-20 minutes till soft. Once removed set the oven temperature to 200°C fan.
  • Meanwhile, gently fry the onion in 1tsp olive oil for 10 minutes till soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a further 5 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, half mash the black beans before adding the onion mixture, sweet potatoes, oregano, white pepper and coriander. Mix together, lightly mashing the potatoes.
  • Take 1 tortilla wrap and brush with olive oil. Flip the tortilla wrap over and fill with 1/3 of the sweet potato mixture over one half of the wrap. Top with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining wraps and mixture.
  • Place the filled wraps onto the baking sheet used to cook the potatoes, and top with a second baking sheet.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes till golden brown.
  • Serve cut into triangles with your choice of toppings.

Per quesadilla : 539kcal/ 18.1g fat/ 7.4g saturated fat/ 61.6g carbohydrates/ 17.5g fibre/ 24.5g protein

Festive Spiced Cookies

Posted in Dessert, RecipesTagged , , , , 1 Comment

These cookies taste like a cross between a Hobnob and a spiced Ginger Nuts biscuit. Super easy to make, the hardest part is waiting between each of the different stages!

These are also perfect for little hands which will want to get involved. They can help with pouring the ingredients into the food processors, rolling, cutting and decorating. The use of oats and wholemeal flour means that although they are still a biscuit, they will still be contributing towards fibre intake.

These make the perfect little gift, or can be hung on the Christmas tree as decorations. To do this, poke a hole at the top before baking to allow you to use string to hang from the tree.

Makes around 30 small cookies

Ingredients

  • 75g oats
  • 100g wholemeal flour
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground sweet cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp mixed spice
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 50g butter
  • 70g soft light brown sugar
  • 30g golden syrup
  • 1/2 a beaten egg
  • Plain flour for dusting

Method

  • In a food processor, blitz the oats till they resemble flour. Add the wholemeal flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and butter. Blitz together till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  • Add the sugar and briefly mix together before adding the golden syrup and egg. Mix till the dough forms large clumps before turning out onto the work surface. The mixture should feel a little sticky. If it is dry add a little more egg.
  • Lightly knead the dough till it just comes together.
  • Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat the over to 160°C fan/ 180°C convection.
  • Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment.
  • Roll the dough out to a thickness of 5mm using a little plain flour to stop it from sticking, and cut out your desired shapes using a lightly dusted cookie cutter.
  • Place the cookies on the lined baking sheet, leaving a 1cm gap between the cookies to allow them to expand slightly.
  • Bake for 12 minutes for smaller shapes (or those with several holes in them like my snowflakes) and up to 15 minutes for larger shapes till just turning slightly darker on the edges.
  • Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Per 10g cookie: 48kcal/ 1.7 fat/ 0.9g saturated fat/ 7.0g carbohydrates/ 0.6g fibre/ 0.9g protein

No Yeast Pizza

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I love pizza, and while I would normally make my pizza base with sourdough, sometimes I don’t have the time to wait for the yeast to work its magic. So I use a quick flatbread base as a substitute, ready in 15 minutes.

Using wholemeal flour in the base helps increase the fibre content. Using half wholemeal gives each pizza 8.1g fibre, whereas using white flour will provide you with 4.2g fibre. This is also with just the basic toppings of tomato and cheese. Consider increasing fibre diversity by adding more vegetables, or fruits if you’re not adverse to it, as extra toppings. My favourite is roasted Mediterranean vegetables with smoked mozzarella, instead of normal, and lashings of basil.

Ingredients

  • 200g tinned tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp EVOO
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1/4 tsp dried herbs
  • 100g self-raising flour
  • 100g wholemeal flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp EVOO
  • 200g yoghurt
  • 1 ball of fresh mozzarella
  • Fresh basil leaves

Method

  • Preheat two baking trays in the oven set to maximum.
  • Add the tinned tomatoes, 1/2 tsp EVOO, tomato puree and dried herbs into a pan and allow to gently simmer till reduced in volume. Season to taste.
  • Meanwhile, mix the flours, baking powder, 1/2 tsp EVOO and yoghurt together till a soft dough is formed. You may need to add 1-3 tbsp water to get a dough depending on the flour used. Knead for a few minutes till smooth.
  • Divide the dough into two, and roll out till the thickness of a pound coin, using a little extra flour if needed. Place on a piece of baking parchment.
  • Take half the tomato sauce and spread it over a base, keeping a rim of dough clear.
  • Take half the mozzarella, roughly tear and place around the tomato sauce, again keeping clear of the sides. Repeat with the second dough ball. Option to add further toppings here.
  • Place on the preheated baking sheets and reduce the temperature to 220°C fan/230°C convection and bake for 8-10 minutes till the edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
  • Remove and top with fresh basil leaves. Best eaten immediately.

Per serving: 671kcal/ 26.3g fat/ 15.7g saturated fat/ 79.9g carbohydrates/ 8.1g fibre/ 27.5g protein