Banana chickpea cakes

serves 24 small cakes

Ingredients:

- 2 ripe bananas

- 160g rolled oats

- 1 can chickpeas, drained

- 2 tbsp peanut butter

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 2 tbsp rice malt syrup or honey

- 4 tbsp natvia 

- 100ml almond milk

- pinch of salt

- cinnamon and roasted flaked almonds (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 200C. Lay 24 paper cases out on a baking tray, you could use less cases if you want bigger cakes.

Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and blend until smooth. Put about 2 tablespoons of mixture into each case. Bake for about 20 minutes, make sure a toothpick comes out clean after inserting it into the centre of the cake. 

Leave the cakes to set and cool, as they come out the oven very moist.

Top off with some cinnamon and roasted flaked almonds.

Zesty pumpkin soup

serves 6-8

Ingredients:

- 900g butternut squash 

- 600g peeled carrots

- 4tbsp olive oil

- 2 red onions

- 2 garlic cloves (or a bulb of fresh garlic)

- 1 orange

- 95g hazle nuts

- 13g fresh chives

- 400ml coconut milk 

- 600ml vegetable bouillon

Method:

Heat the oven to 220C and cut the butternut squash lengthwise in half. Scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Cut the tops of the carrots and lay the butternut squash, carrots, unpeeled onions and garlic on a baking sheet. Cook for 45 minutes in the oven.

In the meantime peel the orange, remove the white layer and cut into pieces. Heat a little pan and roast the hazel nuts for about 3 minutes. Leave to cool. Finely chop the chives and crush the hazel nuts. Take the vegetables out of the oven and leave to cool.

Take the skin off the butternut squash, onions and garlic. Blend the vegetables together including the carrots and orange, with the coconut milk and then add the stock into a large pan. 

Serve with crushed hazel nuts and fresh chives.

Herby quinoa salad

serves 4

Ingredients:

- 300g quinoa

- 1 red onion, finely chopped

- 85g raisins 

- 100g feta cheese, crumbled

- 200g pomegranates seeds

- 85g toasted pine nuts or toasted flaked almonds

- small pack coriander, parsley and mint, roughly chopped

- 1 lemon, juice

Method:

Cook the quinoa following pack instructions. Drain well and put into a big bowl.

When the quinoa is just about cool stir in all of the remaining ingredients and season well.

Deliciously nutty granola

serves 4

Ingredients:

- 50g dried dates

- 100g rolled oats

- 2 tbsp rice malt syrup

- 85g mixed walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans and hazle nuts

- 15g pumpkin seeds

- 3 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3.

Simmer the dates in 1cm boiling water until soft and blend until smooth. Stir in with the rest of the ingredients.

Turn the mixture out on to a baking tray and spread evenly. Bake for 15 minutes until golden, then reduce the oven temperature to 110C/225F/gas mark 1/4 and return to the oven for 30 minutes or until the mixture is crisp and dry.

 Leave to cool and store in an airtight container.

Serve with soy yoghurt, blueberries, raspberries, cocoa nibs, a drop of vanilla essence and cinnamon.