Month: August 2016

Courgette lemon drizzle seedy muffins

I’ve been baking over the bank holiday weekend trying to make a dent in the current crop of courgettes from the allotment. I’ve trialled a few different courgette muffin recipes and I think I’ve finally cracked it with this one.  I was watching the new series of the Great British Bake off – and the drizzle cake challenge gave me ideas!

The drizzle adds an extra layer of flavour and moistness – I did a taste test, some with drizzle and some without, and the drizzle definitely won.  These also freeze well – in case you don’t eat them all at once.

Courgette, lemon and seeds drizzle muffins

Courgette lemon drizzle seedy muffins

  • 280g plain wholemeal flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • Grated zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 egg
  • 100ml rapeseed oil
  • 100ml almond milk
  • 250g grated courgette (keep the skin on – I used yellow courgettes, but green are good too)
For the Drizzle
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (brown or castor sugar)

Method

  • In a large bowl combine the flour, bicarb, baking powder, salt, sugar, lemon zest, poppy and chia seeds.
  • In another bowl mix the lemon juice, oil, egg and milk.  Add this to the dry ingredients and combine well.
  • Add the grated courgette and mix in.
  • Divide into muffin tins (lined with muffin cases) and bake for 20-25 minutes – 200c/400f/Gas 6.  They should go golden brown on the top and a skewer (cocktail stick) comes out clean.
  • Make the Drizzle – put the lemon juice in a pan and add the sugar – simmer over a very gentle heat for a couple of minutes to dissolve the sugar.
  • Whilst the muffins are still warm prick the top of each muffin a few times with a cocktail stick.
  • Drizzle around 1/2 teaspoon over the top of each muffin
  • Leave the muffins to cool in the tin for a few minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack.

 

Peach Melba Bowl

Peaches are at their best at the moment, lovely and ripe. The peach melba combo of peaches, raspberries and vanilla is a classic and can definitely be reproduced for breakfast. Just the use of the 3 classic ingredients plus oats and yoghurt can produce this lovely bowl – which is a bit of a cross between overnight oats, bircher and a smoothie bowl.

Peach Melba Bowl

Peach Melba Bowl

  • 2 peaches – stoned and cut into chunks
  • 3 tablespoons natural yoghurt
  • 1 vanilla pod – seeds scrapped out
  • 100g fresh raspberries – roughly chopped
  • 60g Oats

Blend the peaches, yoghurt and the seeds from the vanilla pod in a blender. Put this mixture into a bowl and stir through the oats and chopped raspberries. Put in the fridge overnight.

This is enough for two portions – although my breakfast bowl tomorrow will be quite small judging by the amount of extra spoonfuls I was having today.

To serve

Top with raspberries, peach slices, yoghurt and honey

 

Cashew Banana Iced Coffee

When you want a caffeine hit but don’t fancy a hot coffee – this is a very simple iced coffee drink with a nifty portion of fruit thrown in.  Ever since I discovered cashew milk a few weeks ago at my local supermarket I’ve been stocking up and using it in different brekkie recipes.  I had a bit of milk left and wondered if it would go with coffee – it does beautifully!

Cashew Banana Iced Coffee

cashew iced coffee

  • A shot of espresso (or 50ml strong black coffee)
  • 100ml Cashew nut milk
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • Couple of ice cubes

Make the coffee and let it cool.  Then blend everything together.

 

 

Camp Granola

I’m back from a glorious weekend camping and of course one of the highlights of camping is the early morning brekkie. This time I fancied a change from the usual eggs (or veggie sausages).  Granola can be quick and easily cooked in a small pan on the campfire or stove. I have a small one ring gas camping stove.

The beauty of the ingredients is that most come ready packed and none of them require being kept in a fridge or cool bag.  I love finding all the individual sachets of stuff that you can use, the choice is endless – so it’s easy to mix up all your favourite sachets and have endless versions of this.

camping granola start

This recipe makes enough for one good size portion – I ate most of it for brekkie and then snacked on the rest during the course of the morning.

Camp Granola

  • 40g oats + a sprinkle of spice  (I bagged up a mix of rye and jumbo oats and added a teaspoon of cinnamon – ginger or ground cardamom is good too)
  • 1 sachet of nut butter (Pip & Nut is fab)
  • 1 small individual pot of honey
  • 1 sachet of nuts/seeds/dried fruit (endless choice here – or just make up your own)
  • 1 teaspoon of coconut oil (I put some in a small pot but you can get sachets too)

Method

In a small frying pan (or whatever pan you have) -melt the coconut oil over a gentle heat and then add tcamping granola midhe sachet of nut butter mix them well together.  Add the oats & spice and cook for around 3 – 4 minutes, stirring all the time to coat the oats thoroughly.

It will start to go slightly brown and the spice and oats will start to give off a lovely smell, then you know it’s almost done.

Stir through your seeds/nuts/dried fruit and turn the heat off.  Then stir through the honey.

Leave to cool to enable it all to clump together nicely.

Eat!  Add it to yoghurt, milk, fresh fruit or just eat it on it’s own.  It will keep (apparently) for a day or two in a sealed container.

camping granolo finished

 

Turmeric & Orange Smoothie

Turmeric is one of those wonder spices that I would like to use more often yet, because I’m not a great curry fan, I never quite know how to get my fix.

I’ve come across a few smoothie recipes in my quest and have played around and found a combination that I really love. This smoothie has a real nutritional punch with carrot, mango, coconut water and turmeric, so a great way to start the day.

I recently discovered these Rude Health ginger and turmeric oatcakes, which are the perfect accompaniment. I could happily eat them all without the need for any toppings – but I did find some peanut butter worked rather well.

turmeric orange smoothie

Turmeric & Orange Smoothie (makes one large smoothie)

  • 330ml coconut water
  • 1 medium carrot – peeled and cut into thick chunks
  • 1 orange – peeled and cut into chunks
  • A cube of ginger
  • Handful of frozen mango (around 50g-60g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Blend it all together.

Beetroot Brekkie Halva

I came up with this recipe after tasting some delicious carrot halva at a local Indian restaurant.  I played around with carrots and then I thought of trying it out with beetroot (I had another glut and was trying to find things to do with the tons of beetroot I had available!)

I love this for breakfast with oat cakes and pear – it really does go well with pears.  I will admit my favourite way of eating it is on a digestive biscuit spread with a little butter.  It also goes well with yoghurt.

You can omit the sugar as this dish is sweet without the need for added sugar, but I like the extra sugary sweetness this brings.  The pistachios add a little more texture. I also sometimes add sultanas too.

This recipe makes enough for around 4-6 portions.

Beetroot Brekkie Halva

Beetroot halva

  • 300g finely grated raw beetroot
  • 300ml coconut milk (from a can)
  • 15ml (1 tablespoon) coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom (around 10 pods crushed)
  • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar – I use coconut palm sugar.

Method

  • Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan, then add the beetroot and mix well to coat it in the oil for around 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the coconut milk, bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes
  • After 20 minutes add the sugar and cardamom.
  • Continue to simmer for another 20-30 minutes – you want all the liquid to be absorbed.  Keep an eye on it and once the liquid is very much reduced keep stirring it to ensure it doesn’t stick.

Leave to cool.  It will keep in the fridge for a few days.

To serve

Mix through some crushed pistachios or sultanas (or both).  Also good with some coconut flakes.

Coco Lemon Yoghurt Bircher

I usually use milk or fruit juice for my bircher but after tasting one recently made just using yoghurt, I’ve been experimenting.  This combination of lemon with coconut is lovely, sharpness meets sweetness and I love the freshness these flavours bring to breakfast.

Coco lemon yoghurt bircher (serves one)

lemon yoghurt bircher

  • 1 pot of coconut yoghurt (170g)
  • Juice and zest of half a lemon (you could add a bit more if you want a sharper taste – I often add another squeeze and some extra zest on top)
  • 15g goji berries
  • 20g oats
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

Mix everything together and leave overnight or for at least an hour (I dare you to resist trying a few mouthfuls before you leave it!).