Apple maple overnight oats

I love overnight oats – so easy and convenient. This is a quick easy put together option – making use of all the lovely apple choices out there at the moment. I made a batch last week so it’s easy to double or triple the recipe and it keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. I like to eat mine either at room temperature or after a couple of seconds in the microwave to take the chill off.  But you may prefer it straight from the fridge.

These are great to have pre or post a run too.

Apple maple overnight oats (one portion)

apple-maple-overnight-oats

  • 150ml Almond milk (any milk will do)
  • 1 medjool date
  • 1 apple – grated with skin on
  • 50g oats
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Grating of nutmeg (I find nutmeg a strong taste so whilst I like quite a lot – around 1/3 teaspoon, you may prefer some trial and error here)
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or more if you fancy a little more sweetness)

Blend the milk with the date.  Add this liquid to the oats, grated apple and spices.  Mix well and put into a bowl.  Pour the maple syrup over the top and sprinkle on the pumpkin seeds.  Cover and put in the fridge overnight.

PS – Thank you to Joe Delucci ice cream – the ice cream is wonderful and the containers very useful!

 

Cherry Nut Tofu

So the end of Veganuary and I’m sure some of you will have been introduced to the wonder that is Tofu.  I love tofu it’s so versatile and I love the creamy silken tofu that helps to create some wonderful sweet things. This breakfast tofu bowl is delicious and to be honest is probably better suited to a summers morning than a dreary winters one, but I forgot for a moment it was cold outside as I tucked into this creamy cold delight.

Cherry Nut Tofu (makes two portions)

cherry-nut-tofu

  • 300g silken tofu
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 80g frozen cherries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 25g shelled pistachios (crushed)
  • 25g almonds (crushed)
  • 50g dried cranberries

Blend the tofu and the banana. Once blended add the cherries and vanilla essence and blend again.  Put the mixture into a bowl and add the cranberries and nuts. Save a few nuts to sprinkle on top.

Just as delish the following day straight from the fridge.

 

Freekeh Orange Spice

I haven’t eaten Freekeh for a while and had forgotten how good it is for breakfast – a great source of protein to start the day.  I’ve been trying to eat more oranges too – with all the winter colds around I feel the urge for lots of vitamin C.

I made this the night before because I like the chia seeds to soak up the juice and flavours – but if you wanted to eat it immediately then it will just be a little wetter in texture.  You can eat this hot or cold, I do prefer it hot so I give it a quick blast in the microwave.  It also tastes great with cashew cream (see the maple apples for the recipe) and with some extra orange slices.

Freekeh Orange Spice (makes two portions)

freekeh-orange-spice

  • 50g Freekeh (dry weight)
  • 2 oranges – plus the zest of one of them (plus another orange each to serve if you wanted more orange!)
  • 7 dates (small ones – if you used the medjool dates then use 3-4)
  • 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Method

  • Cook the Freekeh – (rinse well and bring to the boil, simmer for 15 – 20 mins until tender, then drain)
  • Peel and chop one of the oranges, and put into a blender with the brown rice syrup and 5 dates. Blend well.
  • Put the Freekeh in a bowl and add the blended mixture.
  • Then add the orange zest, the other orange (peeled and cut into small cubes), 2 dates (chopped) the spices and the chia seeds.
  • Either leave overnight and reheat – or eat immediately.

 

 

Maple Apples with Cashew cream

This definitely brightened up a dull Monday and was really filling too.  It’s based on an original recipe from Dishing up the Dirt (who do some fantastic stuff – worth checking them out on Facebook).  I love hot apples in winter – I like using normal dessert apples rather than cooking apples for this dish, as I find the dessert ones hold their shape rather than going to mush (although I do like mush too!).

You can make the cashew cream in advance and then just fry up the apples in the morning.

Maple Apples with Cashew cream

maple-apple-and-cashew

Cashew Cream (enough for 2-3 portions)

  • Soak 100g cashews in water for at least 30mins ( I soaked mine overnight)
  • 50ml almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Drain the cashews and blend with the other ingredients to form a thick cream. Keep in the fridge.  This makes enough for 2 – 3 portions.

Maple Apple (serves one)

  • 1 dessert apple – keep the skin on and cut into chunks
  • 1 teaspoon walnut oil (or coconut oil)
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 20g walnuts – broken up
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
  • Small grating of nutmeg

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the apple.  Cook for 5 minutes – the apple will be tender.

Add the walnuts, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg – toss well and cook for a further 2 minutes.  Keep tossing the pan to get everything nicely coated.

Serve warm with the cashew cream

 

 

Fig & Cacao Granola with Banana & Coconut cream

I think these two complement each other really well – the creaminess of the banana and the hint of cacao in the granola match perfectly.  Of course I’ve also been eating the granola on it’s own straight from the jar and I may have sprinkled it on coconut ice cream last night.

Fig & Cacao Granola

fig-granola

  • 100g dried figs (cut into quarters – nice big chunks)
  • 50g Macadamia nuts – cut in half
  • 100g oats
  • 1 tablespoon raw cacao nibs
  • 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cacao powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 30g goji berries

Method

  • Put the figs, oats, nuts, sugar, cacao nibs, powder and cardamom in a bowl. Mix the rapeseed oil with the maple syrup and pour onto the dry ingredients and mix well.
  • Lay the mixture on a baking sheet and cook for 12 minutes – 400f/200c/Gas 6.
  • After 12 minutes – add the goji berries and cook for a further 3 minutes.
  • Take out of the oven to cool and clump.

Banana and coconut cream

  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 fresh banana
  • 2 tablespoons coconut yoghurt
  • 2 tablespoons almond milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Blend all the above together.  Lovely served with the granola.

granola-with-banana-cream

Cherry Oat Bake

In support of Veganuary all the brekkie recipes this month will be vegan.  To kick start here is a lovely baked oats recipe ideal for this frosty cold weather.  This is quick to make – you can mix it up the day before and cook it in the morning, or even cook it the day before and re-heat it.

I always have a bag of frozen cherries in the freezer, I love them. They defrost quickly and take on a softer texture that works really well in this recipe.  You can also microwave (or heat in a pan) a few extra to drizzle over the top before eating.

If you don’t have mini cake tins then just use any oven proof bowls and eat it straight from the bowl!

Cherry Oat Bake (makes two)

  • 120g oats
  • 130g frozen cherries (defrosted) – keep the juice, no need to drain
  • 150ml coconut milk
  • 25g melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar
  • A few flaked almonds for the topping

To serve – lovely with some warmed cherries and maple syrup. cherry-oat-bake

  • Grease a couple of mini cake tins (11cm/4.5″) with a little bit of coconut oil.
  • Warm the oven to 200c/400f/Gas 6
  • Mix all the ingredients together (apart from the flaked almonds).  Pour into the cake tins. Top with the flaked almonds.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Leave to cool for 5 minutes before taking them out of the tins.
  • Drizzle with maple syrup and extra cherries to serve.

 

 

Christmas Orange & Popcorn Granola

A few years ago I was browsing through a free magazine that had popped through the door and came across this lovely recipe from Café Boscanova in Bournemouth.  I thought what a fantastic idea to add popcorn to granola!   So I’ve been making it ever since. It’s a lovely granola with a hint of orange and spice and the popcorn really makes it feel festive and fun.

You can go to town on the popcorn, plain is best to add into the oats mix as it gets coated with the lovely flavours of the oil and spices, but you can add any flavour at the end. Why not try some of the amazing different flavours around at the moment. My current favourite is Joe and Seph’s mince pie flavour or the toffee apple and cinnamon, or the coconut and chia seed – the list goes on.  You can personalise each bowl depending on your families favourites!

Christmas orange and popcorn granola

popcorn-1

  • 300g rolled oats
  • 50g coconut flakes
  • 40g plain popcorn
  • 100g dates – chopped into quarters (you want to keep some big chunky bits)
  • Grated zest of one orange
  • 2 tablespoons mixed spice
  • 50g cashew nuts or other nuts (or leave out for a nut free version)
  • 3 tablespoons rapeseed or sunflower oil
  • 25g butter
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 100g dark brown sugar
  • juice of one orange
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 50g dried cranberries
  • Couple of handfuls of plain (or flavoured) popcorn

Method

  • Mix the oats, coconut, 40g popcorn, dates, nuts, spice and zest together.
  • In a small saucepan gently heat the oil, butter, sugar, orange juice, maple syrup and vanilla – until the sugar is dissolved. Then add this to the dry mix and stir it all well.
  • Spread the mixture onto a baking tray and bake 180c/350f/Gas 4 – for 15 minutes.
  • Take it out of the oven and add the cranberries.
  • Let it cool (it will harden as it cools) and then add a few handfuls of popcorn to the mix.

Freekeh Apple Bowl

I’ve only recently started cooking with Freekeh which is a grain very similar to bulgur wheat. It has a nutty taste and also a high protein content which makes it perfect for breakfast. After discovering the delights of brown rice porridge I thought using Freekeh in the same way might work well – and it does.

You can eat this dish hot or cold.  I made it up the night before and then gave it a quick blast in the microwave to add some warmth.

Freekeh Apple Bowl (makes two portions)

freekeh-2

  • 50g Freekeh (dry weight) cooked (wash well, bring to the boil and simmer for 20mins under tender, then drain)
  • 50g sultanas or raisins
  • 25g hazelnuts – crushed
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 100g stewed apple (cooking apples are best) + a bit extra if you want to dollop some on top before eating

Mix everything together in a bowl – I mixed everything whilst the freekeh was still warm to help infuse the flavours.  You can pop it in the fridge for the next day and eat it cold or warm it up.  Or of course eat it as soon as it’s made.

Worth adding another dollop of hot stewed apple on the top and some yoghurt before eating.

freekeh-1

Squash & Walnut Bread

Oh the squash season never ends, so now I’ve turned my glut into bread. I made this today – so I have my brekkie sorted for tomorrow morning – but I will admit that quite a chunk of the bread has been eaten for tasting purposes.  It’s delicious just with butter, or add a sliced banana and some maple syrup drizzled over the top.

This loaf was inspired by a recipe by Naturally Ella for Pumpkin Oat bread.

Squash & Walnut Bread

pumpkin-bread

  • 80g oats
  • 250g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 80g walnuts – roughly chopped or bashed
  • 200g cooked squash (crown prince or butternut or pumpkin)
  • 80ml maple syrup
  • 80ml coconut oil – melted
  • 70ml walnut oil
  • 2 eggs

Mix the oats, flour, baking powder, spices, salt and walnuts in a bowl.

Put the cooked squash (no skin), the syrup, oils and eggs into a blender and whizz for a few seconds to combine. Add this mixture to the dry mixture and mix together.

Put the mixture into a loaf tin.  Bake for around 50 minutes – 200c/400f/Gas 6.  After 30 minutes put some foil over the top for the last 20minutes to stop the top getting too brown.  It’s cooked when a skewer comes out clean and it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.  Let it cool slightly then pop it on a wired rack to cool completely. (I will admit I ate a slice whilst it was still warm, it does crumble a bit, worth waiting that bit longer for it to be properly cool!).

 

Crown Prince Granola

I’ve been trying out granola recipes and trying to incorporate some pumpkin or squash – I’ve had a few failures, mainly because the squash made the granola soggy and I prefer my granola clumpy and crispy.  But eventually I’ve found one that works. It is based on a Nigella recipe that used apple puree, and this gave me the idea of using squash puree.

I’ve been eating this all week – even hubby has been caught snacking straight from the jar.

I used crown prince squash to make the puree – but pumpkin or butternut squash would work just as well.

Note – see my Spiced Squash Pancake recipe for how to make the puree.

Crown Prince Granola

pumpkin-granola

Dry ingredients

  • 225g oats
  • 60g pumpkin seeds
  • 60g sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 50g coconut sugar (or any other brown sugar)
  • 100g whole almonds
  • 50g Pecans – broken in half
  • Pinch salt

Wet ingredients

  • 100g squash puree
  • 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
  • 60g brown rice syrup
  • 2 tablespoons honey

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  In another bowl mix all the wet ingredients until well combined.  Then pour the wet into the bowl of dry and coat everything really well.  Lay out the mixture onto a baking sheet.

Cook at 160c/320f/Gas 3 for around 40 – 45 minutes.  Ensure you move the mixture around on the baking sheet every 15 minutes to stop it browning unevenly. You want it to look golden and have a crunch to it.

Leave it to cool completely in the baking tray and then store in a container.  Keeps for a week or so.