Nothing beats a yummy bowl of porridge on a chilly day! And this one combines two of my favourite things – peanut butter and jam! Yum!
I actually tend to have this for lunch as it’s quite a filling portion. If you wanted you could also add a scoop of vanilla protein powder to make it even more filling. My current favourite protein powder is Missfits Vegan Vanilla powder – super yummy and available from amazon and Ocado (and other places!). I like my porridge made with water – but obviously use any type of milk if you prefer (though bear in mind the protein powder and milk will increase the calories).
This comes in at approx 384 cals of warming yumminess!
You will need:
50g jumbo oats
1 tbsp raspberry (or any flavour) jam
15g peanut butter
Raspberries and blueberries to top
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
Place the oats in to a saucepan (also add the protein powder if using) Add enough water to cover (I like my porridge quite dry so adjust the amount of water to suit you) – heat gently and stir well. If I’m rushed I just pour boiling water on to the oats, stir and add a little extra water then blast in the microwave for a min.
Once cooked pour the porridge in to a bowl and add the jam and stir through.
As it’s the season of love I thought I’d celebrate with something I love… porridge! This makes a great brekkie or lunch option. The protein powder is optional but adds the vanilla flavour and also the added protein helps to keep you fuller for longer. My current favourite protein powder is Missfits Vegan Vanilla powder – super yummy and available from amazon and Ocado (and other places!)
I make my porridge with water because I prefer it that way but obviously use milk if you prefer. I have used some yummy little protein chocolate hearts from Cocoa+ but you can use any chocolate you like! It would work well with some squares of dark chocolate
This comes in at approx 415 cals of warming yumminess!
You will need:
50g jumbo oats
Large handful of mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional – replace with a 1/4 tsp Vanilla essence if not using)
3 Chocolate hearts or squares
Place the oats in to a saucepan with the protein powder. Add enough water to cover (I like my porridge quite dry so adjust the amount of water to suit you) – heat gently and stir well. If I’m rushed I just pour boiling water on to the oats and protein powder, stir and add a little extra water then blast in the microwave for a min.
Once it starts to cook add in the blueberries and raspberries and stir in.
Slice the strawberries. Once cooked pour the porridge in to a bowl and add the strawberries and chocs on the top.
These happen to be both gluten and dairy-free so everyone can enjoy them.
For the Pastry:
4 oz Buckwheat flour
2 oz ground Almonds
5 tbsp Agave nectar
Up to 6 tbsp Water
For the Mincemeat:
3 oz Bramley apples, cored and finely chopped
6 oz Mixed dried fruit (I prefer equal quantities of raisins, currants, cranberries and apricots)
1 oz Vegetable suet
2 oz brown sugar (coconut palm or dark raw muscovado give the best flavour)
Juice and grated zest of half an Orange
1 level tsp of ground allspice
1 pinch ground Cinnamon
1 pinch ground Cloves
1 pinch grated / ground Nutmeg
1 small handful chopped Almonds
1 tbsp Date syrup
Put all the ingredients for the mincemeat into a saucepan. Cook on a low heat, stirring frequently. Cook until the apple is soft and the mixture is thick – it may take some time. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
For the Pastry: Put the buckwheat flour and ground almonds in a processor and add the agave. Pulse and gradually add the water until it forms a dough. You may find you need more or less water. If it is too wet add a little more flour. You can also do this by hand in a bowl – it’s just a bit messier. Once it’s forming a firm dough remove, wrap in cling-film and place the mixture in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 180 C/ gas mark 6.
Lightly oil a 12 hole cake tin. Remove pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Roll it as thin as you can – a few mm. The pastry can be a bit difficult to handle so I find working with smaller bits at a time is easier. Use a round biscuit cutter to cut out 12 bases. Place them in the tin. Lightly brush with oil and use a fork to prick the base.
Place in an oven to blind bake for 5–10 mins (or 3-7 mins for mini ones). Keep an eye on them – this pastry browns quite fast. Once the edges are brown and the middle is firm remove them. While the cases are in the oven take a smaller circular biscuit cutter to cut out the “lids” or you could use star shapes/ holly leaf shapes/lattice pattern – whatever takes your fancy 🙂
Place a generous helping of mincemeat in each of the cases and place your chosen “lid” on top. Lightly oil and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and sugar. Place the pies back in the oven and bake until golden (10–20 mins for large ones, 5 – 10 for mini ones). Keep a careful eye on them. You want the tops to brown but be careful the bases don’t burn. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins, then remove and place on a wire cooling rack.
I still had some figs, locally foraged blackberries, blackcurrants and red currants left, so inspired by a recipe my friend sent me I thought I’d whip up a healthy, warm summer dessert.
This comes in at only 152 cals per portion (I made 6 portions) so it’s a great healthy pud! You could use any fruits you like – just make up the same total quantity.
You will need:
400g Figs
150g Blackberries
159g Blackcurrants
100g Red currants
6 thin slices of day old white bread
100g dairy free spread (or butter)
1 tbsp sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 190 C.
Prepare the fruit – remove the stems from the currants, wash the blackberries and cut the figs into quarters (or if large cut even smaller). Pop the blackcurrants in a pan with a tbsp water and gently heat for a couple of minutes until the juices start to run. Add in the figs and continue to heat for another couple of mins until the figs are starting to soften.
Add in the blackberries and red currants and stir gently. Heat for a couple of mins until soft. I didn’t need to add sugar to my fruit but taste and if you feel it needs sweetening add a little sugar.
Spoon the fruit mixture into a medium dish or several small ones. I made three small ones and one slightly larger one!
Cut the bread into small triangles. Melt the spread in a small bowl, add the sugar and cinnamon and stir well. Dunk the triangles in the melted spread and arrange on top of the fruit in an overlapping pattern. Then sprinkle with a little more sugar and cinnamon.
Pop in the oven and bake for 15-20 mins or until golden and crispy. Best served warm!
I was lucky enough to receive some home grown figs from my lovely friend Claire, and I had some more foraged blackberries so I thought I’d put them together in this yummy fig, blackberry and almond cake!
It’s quick and easy to make and really tasty! It is dairy free but does contain eggs, however you can easily use soaked chia seeds as an egg replacer if you want!
You will need:
125g unrefined Raw sugar or Coconut palm sugar
200g Ground almonds
2 Eggs (or you can use 1tbps chia seeds soaked in 3 tbsp water to replace each egg)
100 ml Almond oil (you can use mild Olive oil if you prefer
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
1/8 tsp Almond extract (if you have it)
Figs and blackberries (or any late summer fruits of your choice – plums, raspberries, apple etc)
Ground cinnamon (for dusting)
Pre-heat the oven to 180 C and line and grease a 20cm cake tin – if you have a springform tin then use that as it makes it easier to get it out without it breaking. If not a loose bottom tin is the best option.
Add the oil and sugar to a bowl and use a hand mixer to beat together (you can do it by hand with a fork if not). Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then add in the extracts and mix well. Fold in the ground almonds with a metal spoon. Once mixed pour in to the tin.
Prepare your fruit. Half (or quarter if they’re big) the figs and wash the blackberries. Place the fruit in to the batter. Push them down a little bit so they’re well bedded in there. Sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon.
Pop in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes. It is worth starting to check it at about 20 minutes. Once a skewer comes out clean then it’s done. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then carefully remove it and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy!
I love blackberry season! You just can’t beat these delicious little berries and if you’re lucky enough to be able to forage for them too you get the additional fun of finding and picking them!
We got a great haul at the weekend so what better way to use some of them than in a crumble! This is a bit healthier than the standard crumble and comes in at about 184 calories per potion (I got 6 portions from mine) but tastes just as great! I didn’t add any sugar to my fruit at all – it was perfectly sweet as it was and with the sweetness of the topping you shouldn’t need to add any, but you can add if you feel you need it.
You will need:
3 cooking apples (bramleys work best)
A large punnet of blackberries (approx 200 – 300g)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the topping:
100g oats
50g flour (I used rice flour as it’s lighter)
30g sugar (I used ‘half spoon’)
1 tsp cinnamon
40g non-dairy spread
Prepare the fruit – peel, core and chop the apples into small chunks and rinse the blackberries. Place the apples in a saucepan with a tbsp of water and start to cook – they need a bit longer than the blackberries so this gives them a head start. Once they’ve started to soften a little add the blackberries and the cinnamon and stir well. Allow to simmer gently until the apples are cooked through.
Pre-heat the oven to 190 C.
Place the oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Add the spread and then use a fork or your fingers to rub it in to the mixture creating little lumps.
Pour the fruit mixture into whatever dish you’re using – I made 4 individual portions and one double portion.
Add the topping and then pop in the oven for 15-20 mins or until the topping starts to brown.
As I still had a load of summer fruits left I thought I’d try one of my mum’s favourite summer recipes – Summer Pudding!
You can use any fruits you like – I had a few gooseberries and red currants left so they went in, along with blackberries, strawberries and raspberries.
You will need:
Approx 500 – 750g fruit (best to make more as you can always have any excess for brekkie or pud with some yoghurt etc)
Sugar to taste (I used none as my fruit was all really sweet but up to you)
A small white loaf (a day old so its slightly stale)
Put berries that have tough skins (blackcurrants, cherries , gooseberries etc) into pan with small amount of sugar if needed and a little water. Heat gently until berries soften and juices run.
Leave to cool for a few mins and then add soft fruit – raspberries, blackberries, strawberries etc and stir, gently. If required you can add more sugar to taste.
Cut medium slices of white bread (one day old) and remove crusts.
Line a pudding basin with clingfilm cut larger than the basin. Cut the bread into shape to line the basin with a disc for the base.
Drain the fruit, saving the juices in a separate bowl. Dip the bread into the juices and place the bread around the inside of the basin, plugging any holes with small pieces of bread. Pack the cooled fruit well into the basin.
Put a larger disc of bread (or several pieces cut to shape) on the top.
Overlap the cling film to cover the top of the bread. Put a saucer or small plate on the top and weigh down with a tin or similar weight to compress the fruit.
Chill overnight, then turn out and serve with more fruit and yoghurt!
These are absolutely delicious – quick and easy to make and so much better than a slice of apple pie – but taste just as good – if not better!
Depending on how large your apples are you may need more or less of the crust – you may just have to adjust. Don’t worry about having to buy oat flour – you can make your own – just pop some porridge oats in to a blender and blend until fine.
Here’s a video showing you exactly how to make them 🙂
1 – 2 Apples (depending on size. I used Bramley’s)
Warm water – up to 4 tbsp
Pre-heat the oven to 175 C.
Peel, core and dice your apples – you want chunks about an inch square. If you don’t want them to go brown you can pop them in cold water with some lemon/lime juice in. I don’t really mind if they go a little brown so I don’t bother.
Pop the oats and coconut in a bowl, mix the spices in and stir together. Add the coconut syrup and mix to form a dough. You need a workable but sticky dough so you may find you need to add a little water. I prefer not to add more coconut syrup as it gets too sweet but it’s up to you.
Take a spoonful of the crust mixture and flatten in your hand. Pop a piece of apple in the middle and cover it in the crust dough.
Pop on a lined baking tray. Once all the apples are covered pop in the oven for 10 – 15 mins – turning once. You want them to crisp up and go golden brown.
Eat warm or allow to cool and store in an airtight container for later.
This is a super easy, super quick snack that can be eaten on it’s own or sprinkled on top of your porridge, yoghurt or how about on some n’ice cream (recipe here)! Â Check out my video here:
You will need:
1 tsp Coconut Oil
A good handful of mixed Nuts (I used almonds, pecans and cashews)
This is a wonderful combination of squidgy, moist and dry and crumbly cake which makes it super moreish. It’s also full of goodness and, if you add the protein, is also full of extra protein too. It can be made completely vegan if you want it to be (see below), or you can use eggs if you’re not fussed.
This is especially good if served with the topping I’ve whipped up too and even better with a big dollop of Soya yoghurt or ice cream 🙂
I’ve used the Bali Nutra Coconut Syrup in this recipe which I absolutely love – it’s so tasty!
I’ve recorded a little video of this recipe here too :
You will need:
1Â cup of flour – you can use any flour you like here – spelt, almond, coconut. I used Almond flour
1/2 cup Ground Almonds
1/2 Â cup Vanilla Protein Powder (I use this one) – or if not then just add more flour
1 – 2 Bramley apples (depends how big they are!) (plus lemon juice to squeeze over them once cut if you want)
Optional – if your batter is too dry (it will depend on the flour you use) then you may need to add a small amount of any non-dairy milk (I splashed a bit of coconut milk in mine)
A sprinkle of coconut sugar and some coconut flakes to decorate.
I also made a little topping to go with it for this you will need:
4 tbsp Coconut milk (use the 65 – 70% extract milk and see here for instructions on how to get the thick creamy part)
2 tbsp Coconut oil (melted)
2 – 3 tbsp Coconut syrup (adjust to taste)
2 tsp ground Cinnamon (adjust to taste)
Preheat the oven to 180 C and grease and line a baking tin (I used a large loaf tin and three small ones as I had some extra batter but you could any tin you like – a 20 – 25cm round tin would work).
Put all the dry ingredients (flours, protein powder, spices etc) into a large mixing bowl and stir well. Peel and dice the apples. Set the apples aside and if you don’t want them to go brown add a squeeze of lemon juice while you wait to add them. Put all the wet ingredients in another bowl and mix well. Add the wet to the dry and combine. The batter will be thick but if you have used coconut flour and the chia seeds then you may find your batter is far too dry. In which case add a little milk to loosen it up. Fold in the apple.
Spoon the batter in to your tin, sprinkle a little coconut sugar and coconut flakes over the top for decoration if you fancy, and pop in the oven. If like me you have too much batter then make some small cakes too! Depending on the size of your tin it will take 25 – 40 mins to cook but just keep checking it and when a skewer comes out clean it’s done! As it cooks you may find the top starts to brown too much so just pop some foil over it if so.
This is best eaten warm with a dollop of the topping – combine the topping ingredients together and serve!