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. 

Coconut and apple pancakes

serves about 6-8 small pancakes

Ingredients:

- 1 large grated apple

- ½ tsp ground cinnamon

- ¼ tsp ground ginger

- 20g desiccated coconut

- 50g rice flour

- 1 tbsp coconut oil

- 2 eggs

- rice malt syrup

- coconut chips

Method:

Mix the apple, cinnamon, ground ginger, desiccated coconut and 3 tbsp water. Put in a frying pan and leave on a medium heat for about 2 mins. 

Take off the heat and put into a bowl to cool. Once cool add the beaten eggs and rice flour to the apples and combine.

Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan and dollop a spoonful of mixture into the pan. Leave to brown on one side, this should take 1-2 minutes depending how hot the pan is. Then flip it over and brown the other side. Repeat until all the mixture is gone.

To serve add a dollop of yoghurt, drizzle with rice malt syrup, sprinkle with coconut chips and cinnamon.

You can also save the pancakes as a sweet treat, eating them cold or reheat them.

Walnut and sage pesto

Ingredients:

- 2 walnut halves

- 1 tbsp pine nuts

- 1 small garlic clove, crushed

- 12 large fresh sage leaves

- 15g fresh parsley leaves

- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs

- 2 tbsp finely grated vegetarian Parmesan

Method:

Blend the nuts, garlic, sage and parsley into a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer into a bowl and stir in the oil, 3 tablespoons hot water, breadcrumbs and Parmesan.

Lovely in roasted vegetable soup or pesto pasta.

Roasted vegetable soup

Ingredients:

- 750g butternut squash, parsnips and carrot

- 1 onion, cut into 

-  2 tbsp coconut oil

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C, fan 180C or gas 6.
Cut the vegetables in 2 cm chunks and spread them on a roasting tray with 2 tbsp of coconut oil. Season and toss well. Roast the vegetables for 45 minutes. 

Put the vegetables from the oven in a large pan. Add 1,5 liters cold water and simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. 

Leave the soup to cool slightly and whizz with a food processor or handheld blender. Return to the pan and reheat gently. Season and add some delicious walnut and sage pesto to serve.

This roasted vegetable soup is amazing with some walnut and sage pesto, which will be on my blog.

Sugar- and gluten free banana cake

serves about 12 pieces

Ingredients:

- 125g gluten free self raising flour

- ½ tsp baking powder

-2 tsp ground cinnamon

- 75g sultanas

- 50g butter, melted

- 2 tsp vanilla essence

- 1 egg

- 1 tbsp milk

- 3 ripe bananas, mashed

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C, 160C fan or gas mark 4. Grease and line a 450g loaf tin with baking paper. Weigh the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sultanas into a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Then weigh and melt the butter and put it into a separate bowl. Add the vanilla essence, egg, milk and mashed bananas and whisk until combined.

Pour the banana mixture into the dry flour mixture and combine thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Then pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30 - 40 mins. Make sure that when you insert a skewer in the middle of the cake it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Easy hummus

makes 250ml

Ingrediens:

- 400g chickpeas, drained

- juice ½ lemon

- 1 garlic clove

- 2 tbsp herb infused olive oil

- 2 tbsp thahini paste

Method:

Put all the ingredients together in a blender and whizz until smooth. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

Super salad

serves 6

Ingredients:

- 250g broccoli

- 1 large avocado

- ½ pomegranate

- handful of sunflower and pumpkin seeds

- 100g spinach

- handful of fresh coriander

- 200g cooked quinoa 

For the dressing:

- juice of one lemon

- juice of one orange

- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

- 2 tbsp gluten-free mustard

- 2 tbsp extra-virgin rapeseed oil

Method:

Cook the quinoa, drain and leave to cool. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the broccoli for about 4 mins. 

Drain the broccoli and put it in a large bowl. Add the spinach, coriander, quinoa, avocado, pomegranate and seeds.

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and pour a generous amount over the salad. The leftover dressing can be kept if not used.