Granola Energy Bars

I kind of have a thing for granola…and therefore granola bars. Unfortunately, granola bars are one of those snacks that don’t often receive great marks for health. Majority of those store-bought or packaged bars contain a lot of refined, processed sugar and they don’t actually fill you up. Half the time you don’t actually know what’s inside of them. These bars however, are different. I developed this recipe a couple of month’s ago for the Waitrose Kitchen magazine in the UK and they were very well received. There is something to be said for knowing what goes into your food, especially something that you may need pre or post workout for that extra boost of energy. Made with natural binding agents like medjool dates and almond butter, these bars are packed with protein and carbohydrates that will fuel you through the day. They do contain sugar, but naturally through the dried fruit and honey so your body processes it slower. Easy to prepare and packed with nutritious ingredients, these really are the perfect bar for a hearty snack because they keep you full for hours and don’t provide a sugar overload. Plus, they pack in plenty of healthy fats from the nuts and lots of fiber from the oats. You can easily substitute a different nut butter or variety of nuts and seeds within the bars, just be sure to keep the quantities the same. Keep stored in a container in the fridge for as long as they will last… I promise it won’t be long!

Almond Butter Energy Bars

Makes 12 large bars or 24 small bars
Prepare 15 minutes, plus chilling
Cook 20 minutes

250 g (2.5cups)   Rolled Oats ( I like to use quick porridge oats, large flakes are too big!)
40   g  (2/3 cup)  Desiccated coconut
40   g  (1/2 cup)  Sliced Almonds
40   g   (1/2 cup)  Pumpkin seeds
150 g   (approx. 5 or 6)  Pitted medjool dates
50   g   (approx. 3) Prunes
85   g   (1/4 cup)  Honey
100 g   (roughly 1/2 cup) Meridian Crunchy Almond Butter
1 tbsp    Coconut Oil
3 tbsp    Water
1 ½ tsp  Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 165C. Line a tray with parchment paper. Combine oats, coconut, seeds and nuts. Toast for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally until golden brown
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor combine the dates and prunes and blitz until a smooth paste has formed. Add to the honey, almond butter, coconut oil, cinnamon, salt and water in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until combined.
3. In a large bowl combine the oat mixture with nut butter mixture and stir until it has come together.
4. Place mixture into a 9 “ square or rectangular mould lined with parchment paper, ensuring the surface is flat and even. Refrigerate until the mixture is firm and cool, 15-20 minutes. Slice into bars.

*If your dates don’t feel sticky and moist, soak them in water for 10 minutes then drain before processing. This will ultimately help hold the bars together better.

Lemon Coconut Loaf

 

Coconut and lemon are a match made in heaven, and when that match is a dense crumbed, delicious and butter-less lemon loaf, well you may as well skip the rest of this and head straight to the recipe. But before you do, let me just point out that this is one of those cakes you need to have in your repertoire of baking. A slight variation on an otherwise very simple lemon yoghurt cake, the coconut and honey add a surprisingly decadent flavour and the ground almonds give the cake the perfectly dense texture similar to a pound cake ladened with butter…except there is none, so you can eat another piece, right?

Make this cake ahead and it stores well in the fridge for a couple of days but like many baked goods, it’s best moments are when it’s pulled straight from the oven, slathered with soft butter and served with a cup of tea.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened desiccated coconut

• Preheat oven to 350/180C. Line a nonstick loaf pan with parchment paper
• In a bowl combine flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
• In a separate bowl combine sugar and lemon zest, rubbing the mixture together. Add yogurt, honey, lemon juice, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, finishing with the coconut.
• Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. If you find it’s browning too quickly, tent with tin foil. Remove from the tin and allow to cool slightly before digging in.

 

 

(Not your typical) Banana Pancakes!

Waking up late on a weekend often calls for a good brunch. Whether it’s a remedial (too many glasses of wine the night before) or just simply taking the time to savour a long, and often big breakfast with friends, brunch has become the “it” girl of the food world. So many restaurants now offer the best brunch in the city, featuring gourmet eggs benny among other artisanal ingredients and culturally fused dishes. There is something to be said however, for being able to make a killer brunch at home while remaining in your pj’s with a big mug of coffee and the weekend post… especially when its 20 below.
Scouring some newly acquired cookbooks has become a daily activity, and there are always recipes I go back to time and time again. These “pancakes” were one in particular that struck my attention as they had two of my all time favourite breakfast ingredients in them, simply oats and bananas. I was already a huge convert to porridge as my breakfast mainstay so one look at these deliciously nutty, crispy on the outside but soft in center banana fritters and I was sold. Despite the lack of your typical pancake ingredients, these little fritters pack a flavour punch. Turns out, gluten/dairy/egg and sugar-free things aren’t so bad after all!
The great thing about these pancakes is the flexibility of ingredients. Don’t like almond or coconut milk? Try substituting soy or rice milk. Dislike cinnamon? Try a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. There are a million ways that you can tailor this recipe to be your own so feel free to experiment!

Oat and Banana Pancakes

1 cup oats (gluten-free work just fine!)
handful of pecans or walnuts chopped ( I like to do it in a food processor)
1 vey ripe medium banana
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground flax
160-180 ml of almond or coconut milk
blueberries or raspberries
coconut oil or butter

1.In a food processor, blend the oats until flour consistency. Empty into a bowl along with baking powder and pinch of salt, flax and cinnamon.
2.Add the banana and 160 ml of milk to the food processor and blend until smooth
3.Combine the banana mixture with oat mixture and pecans. Add the additional 20 ml of milk if the mixture looks too thick, it should be the consistency of  a loose porridge. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to activate the baking powder.
4.Heat coconut oil or butter in a nonstick pan. Add a tablespoon of batter and flatten it a bit. Add a couple of blueberries on top, as soon as bubbles appear, flip the pancake and cook until golden brown on both sides
5.Serve with maple syrup, coconut yoghurt and extra butter!

Freekah and Beluga Lentil Salad

The best way to ease into a year of better eating (or cleansing) is to start by incorporating healthful, satisfying whole grains and veggies that keep you full and curb those incessant sweet cravings you developed over the holidays. Salads are by far the best place to start, and with all the superfoods available at your fingertips, it’s become even easier to eat well.

This freekah and beluga lentil salad covers all the bases. It’s simple, healthy, substantial and packed with nutrients. Beluga lentils are beautiful beads of nutrition that glimmer to the likes of caviar once cooked. Low in fat and packed with protein and fiber, lentils are one of the most nutritious vegetarian substitutes and will make even the most carnivorous in the family feel satisfied. The advantage of these little lentils are that they have a relatively quick cooking time and possess a delicious but mild nutty flavour that pairs well with lots of fresh herbs and citrus.

Freekah on the other hand is wheat that has been harvested while its still young. Often referred to as green whole or cracked wheat, it has a mildy nutty flavour and texture similar to bulgur wheat. It’s fairly low on the glycemic index and packed with protein, significant fiber and healthy minerals. Freekah is like the supped-up version of quinoa and works wonders in salads, soups and stews.

This salad is great for lunch but would make for a light but substantial dinner if topped with some extra protein such as a poached egg.

So what are you waiting for, go on and get Free-kah!

Freekah and Beluga Lentil Salad
85g (1/2 cup) beluga lentils (or substitute du puy)
1 bay leaf
130g (1 cup) freekah
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 large handful fresh parsley, leaves removed
½ cup dill, finely chopped
2 tsp. nigella seeds
60g (½ cup) pomegranate seeds
1 avocado, cubed

Dressing
1 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. agave
1 tsp. mustard powder
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp. soy or tamari
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. flax oil
1 tbsp. olive oil

• To prepare the lentils, rinse well with cold water and place in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and the bay leaf. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 35-40 minutes until tender but still has a bite. Drain and rinse with cool water, allow to drain dry.
• To prepare the freekah, rinse well with cold water and place in a larger saucepan with 2.5 cups of water. Bring to the boil, reduce and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Drain excess water and allow it to cool to room temperature.
• In the meantime, thinly slice the fennel along with the dill and prepare the parsley.
• To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together except the oil. Slowly add the oils to emulsify, season to taste.
• Combine the freekah, lentils, fennel, herbs, pomegranate seeds, nigella seeds, and avocado with the dressing. Season to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Cherry Raspberry Eton Mess

A heat wave has hit London, and for the past couple of weeks it’s been one hot, humid mess in the city. It’s hard to complain though when 95% of the time here it’s either raining or overcast, so everyone tries to make the most of the sunshine and warmer temperatures.

Baking in this weather requires serious determination. Resisting the temptation to turn on the oven in my flat (which has no air con) and make something that requires little time in the kitchen is why a fresh summer dessert like an eton mess is the perfect option, and it’s oh so simple to make.

A very traditional pudding (that’s dessert for you North American folk) in the UK and named after one of the most prestigious colleges, it is typically comprised of meringues, cream, and strawberries. Probably one of the easiest desserts to build your own interpretation on, using whatever seasonal fruits or berries you would like. I chose cherries, which are just coming into season and raspberries to compliment the sweetness from the cherries and tartness from the yoghurt I folded into the cream. I’m cheating a little by using store-bought meringues, but they happen to be raspberry meringues from Ottolenghi so I don’t feel too bad. Try and find the best quality meringues you can, the ones with the gooey center and crisp outside work best for a dessert like this. Eton mess also happens to be perfect for crowds, similar to a trifle you can build it in a large bowl just make sure you serve it right away as you want maintain the crunch in the meringue. Perfect for hot summer nights with an aperitif, it’ll make you wish summer would last just that little bit longer.

Serves 4
*quantities can easily be increased, just ensure the cream is approximately double the amount of yoghurt

2 large meringues, broken into large and small pieces
300 mL double cream
170g plain greek yoghurt
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed
¼-1/2 cup icing sugar, depending on the sweetness you want
250g raspberries (one punnet) divided in half
250 g cherries, pits removed but leave a couple whole for garnish
3 tbsp granulated or caster sugar
½ lemon, zest and juice
¼ cup shaved almonds, lightly toasted

Compote

• In a small saucepan combine half the raspberries and cherries with lemon zest, juice, and sugar
• Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes
• Transfer to a small bowl and allow to cool completely. This can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in a air tight container in the refrigerator

Mess:

• In a large metal bowl, gently begin to whip the cream until soft peaks begin to form. Add the vanilla and sugar and whisk a bit further.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the greek yoghurt until smooth. Gently fold into the cream mixture
• In your serving dish begin to layer the items beginning with the cream, then the compote, remaining fresh berries and meringues. Repeat as many times as possible in the serving dish. Top with cream and toasted almonds. Serve immediately