Multi-Grain Multi-Seed Bread

Continuing with the use of my bread flour, after the success of my Courgette and Mushroom Bread, and my desire to use a few tablespoons of the sunflower seeds and pumpkins seeds I recently bought (a total of 4 bags each!), I found an ideal recipe for a multi-grain, multi-seed bread loaf.

I adapted the original recipe slightly, taken from the All Recipes website, halving the amount of liquid sweetener and using bread flour instead of regular all-purpose flour. I couldn't wait to incorporate sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds in with a mixture of flours and oats. There's a good serving of healthy fats and protein from the seeds, together with fibre from the whole wheat flour, giving the bread lots of flavour and texture!

Roasting / toasting raw seeds and nuts really enhances the flavour. I usually do large batches of nuts (esp. almonds and cashews), as well as sunflower and pumpkin seeds in the oven - simply laid out on a baking tray for 10-15 minutes at 175C / 350F, turning occasionally to ensure they don't burn. If I don't have any dry roasted nuts and seeds to hand, I throw some in a pan and gently toast them on the stove top.

The calorie content for this bread and the courgette bread is very similar, as is the protein and carbs. However, there's more fibre in the loaf below as I used whole wheat flour, and more fats due to the mixture of seeds. I also added a tablespoon of agave nectar whereas the courgette bread has less than a gram of sugar per slice.

This bread is great toasted or eaten plain. Before a run in the moring, I usually eat a slice with almond butter and sliced banana. Great fuel to start the day!

Multi-Grain Multi-Seed Bread
Makes 12

Ingredients:
- 30g / 3tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 23g / 3tbsp sunflower seeds
- 18g / 2tbsp sesame seeds
- 26g / 5tbsp oats
- 180g / 6.5oz whole wheat flour (150g/5.5oz for bread and 30g/1oz for kneading)
- 120g / 4.5oz bread flour
- 7g / 0.25oz active dry yeast
- 1/2tsp salt
- 240ml / 8floz warm water
- 20g / 1tbsp agave nectar OR honey
- 1 egg white
- 15ml / 1tbsp water OR milk

Method:

• If preferred, toast the seeds in a pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a bowl and stir in the oats.
• In a large bowl, combine 150g/5.5oz whole wheat flour, bread flour, active dry yeast and salt.
• Add the agave nectar or honey into the warm water and stir to combine.
• Pour the liquid and the egg white into the bowl of flours and mix together to form a sticky dough
• Using the remaining 30g/1oz flour, knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes.
• Place back in the bowl and cover loosely with oiled cling film.
• Let the dough rise for 60-120 minutes, at room temperature, so it doubles in size.
• When the dough has risen, punch the dough with fists and add most of the seed mixture, leaving about 2 tablespoons for the top.
• Roll the dough into a loaf shape rectangle, about 12x8 inches and then roll up its shortest end.
• Pinch the ends together and tuck underneath, then place the dough into a loaf pan with the seam underneath.
• Cover the dough with the oiled cling film again and let the loaf rise for 1 hour until doubled in bulk.
• Brush the top of the loaf with a tablespoon of water or milk and sprinkle the remaining seed mixture.
• Bake in the oven at 175C / 350F for 30-35 minutes.
• Remove the bread from loaf the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies

I love cinnamon; it's one of my favourite spices. I often use it in baking, cooking and sprinkled into my morning porridge.

I've never made blondies before - didn't really know what they were until recently - but as I've been using aquafaba (bean liquid) as an egg replacement for many recent posts, I am also discovering lots of new recipes that use chickpeas. This recipe below is from a vegan website - Veggie Inspired Journey.

Blondies are just like traditional chocolate brownies but substitute vanilla for the cocoa used in brownies - hence the 'blonde' in their name! I adapted it slightly, replacing the sugar with flaxseed meal and reducing the amount of liquid sweetener, and not bothering with the walnuts, adding a few more oats instead. The recipe is really simple; just blend everything in a food processor.

They don't contain any oil or dairy and make a nice alternative sweet treat to chocolate.

Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies
Makes 9

Ingredients:
- 420g / 15oz / 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 128g / 8tbsp cashew butter
- 40g / 1.4oz oats
- 40g / 6tbsp flaxseed meal
- 80g / 4tbsp agave nectar OR honey
- 1.5tbsp cinnamon
- 1tsp vanilla
- 1/2tsp baking powder
- 1/4tsp baking soda

Method:

• Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and purée until smooth.
• Pour the batter into an 8x8 baking dish, lined with parchment.
• Bake in the oven at 175C / 350F for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven; the blondies will continue to firm up while cooling.
• Cool on a wire rack and slice into squares. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Chocolate Orange Squares

These raw chocolate orange squares are super tasty.  I couldn't help taking photos of this dessert as I enjoyed every mouthful! That being said, they are very high in sugar - something which I try to avoid. It's hard to keep sugar levels low when cooking/baking with fruit (dates and oranges) and then adding in extra sugars (agave nectar or honey). If I make these squares again, I may reduce the amount of liquid sweetener to by 1-2 tablespoons to see if there's a big difference in taste.

These squares really remind me of Terry's Chocolate Orange. I haven't eaten a chocolate orange in years. I think my recipe below is darker and richer than the milk chocolate oranges first made in 1932 by Terry's of York.

Chocolate Orange Squares
Makes 9

Ingredients:
Base:
- 120g / 4.5oz oats
- 120g / 4.5oz flour (I use whole wheat)
- 40g / 8tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1/8tsp salt
- 120g / 4.5oz dates, pitted, soaked and drained (reserving 60ml)
- 80g / 4tbsp agave nectar OR honey
- 1-2 orange zested and juiced
- 60ml / 4tbsp squeezed orange juice
- 60ml / 4tbsp date water

Frosting:
- 96g / 6tbsp almond butter, warmed
- 5g / 1tbsp cocoa powder
- 20g / 1tbsp agave nectar
- 90ml / 3floz - squeezed orange juice

Method:

• For the chocolate orange base, mix all the ingredients in a food processor, adding the oats, flour, cocoa powder and salt first, then adding in the dates, agave nectar, orange zest, juice and date liquid.
• Spread the mixture into a brownie tin and press down to compact.
• Place in the fridge and then make the frosting by stirring all the ingredients together.
• Spread the frosting over the base mixture and leave it to set in the fridge for about 2-3 hours. 
• Cut into 9 squares. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Bean and Quinoa Burgers

A great vegetarian burger using two varieties of beans and quinoa. The added time required for drying out the beans and chilling the mixture in the fridge is worth it so that the burgers don't turn out all mushy.

Check out the other home-made burgers on my blog. I often use beans in my veggie versions and quinoa is a nice alternative to oats or potatoes.

Bean and Quinoa Burgers
Makes 4

Ingredients:
- 43g / 1.4oz quinoa, dry (~120g cooked)
- 840g / 30oz / 2 cans beans (I use black beans and black eyed peas), no salt added
- 40g / 1.5oz oats
- 30g / 4 spring onions, chopped
- 1tsp cumin
- 1/2tsp chili powder
- 1/2tsp paprika
- 1/4tsp garlic powder
- 1/4tsp ground black pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 45ml / 3tbsp aquafaba / bean liquid

Method:

• Cook the quinoa and transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
• On a baking sheet lined with paper towels, dry out the beans and then roughly pulse in a food processor, leaving a little texture.
• In the bowl with the quinoa, add the oats, spring onion and spices.
• Combine the egg with the aquafaba and add to the bowl. 
• Add the bean mixture and stir everything together.
• Chill in the fridge for a few hours and then form into patties.
• Grill for 10 minutes until cooked. Serve with green vegetables, whole wheat burger buns and tomato paste. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Avocado Cheese Bread

I had 4 avocados that needed eating so I made chocolate pudding and avocado hummus. I was going to make guacamole but decided to try a cheese bread. It was a little experimental but it turned out ok. I used bean liquid, from the canned beans used in the avocado hummus, instead of eggs. I also added nutritional yeast to give it extra nutty cheesy flavour. I then only used 3oz of reduced fat cheese making the bread healthier than if I'd used 4oz and/or full fat. I could have used regular flour but I had some blended oats already in a stored container. Similarly, I already had prepared taco seasoning from my Chicken Taco Broccoli Bake recipe so it was just a case of mixing everything together in a bowl.

Avocado Cheese Bread
Makes 8

Ingredients:
- 200g / 7oz avocado, mashed
- 30g / 1oz jalapeño, minced
- 90ml / 6tbsp bean liquid (aquafaba)
- 160g / 6oz oat flour
- 16g / 2tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1tsp baking soda
- 1tsp taco seasoning (a blend of herbs and spices)
- 85g / 3oz cheese, grated (I use reduced fat 2%)

Method:

• In a bowl, combine the avocado, jalapeño and bean liquid (aquafaba).
• Add the oat flour, nutritional yeast, baking soda and taco seasoning.
• Stir to combine and then mix in the cheese.
• Pour mixture into a 9x9 baking tray and bake at 220C / 425F for 20-25 minutes.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Oat and Flaxseed Muffins with Blueberries

This muffin recipe is exactly the same as my Oat and Flaxseed Muffins with Cherries. However, I use a cup (140g) of blueberries instead of fresh chopped cherries. Similar to the cherry muffins, these only have 1tablespoon of agave nectar and are egg-free (no cholesterol!). They are a great way to start the morning - oats, flaxseed, fruit!

I like to make a couple of batches and freeze them for the perfect on-the-go snack. This saves any temptation of buying a store-bought muffin, such as a Starbucks Blueberry Muffin with Yogurt and Honey. Admittedly, my muffins aren't as big as these ones but with 30g sugar in each serving and 380 calories, and only 1g fibre, this is more like a dessert instead of a breakfast / pre-workout snack. The muffins below are only 141 calories with 3.8g sugar and 4.7g fibre!

Oat and Flaxseed Muffins with Blueberries
Makes 12

Ingredients:
- 225g / 8oz oats
- 120g /4oz flour
- 40g / 6tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 1tsp baking soda
- 240ml / 8floz buttermilk (240ml / 8floz almond milk and 15ml / 1tbsp lemon juice)
- 45ml / 3tbsp bean liquid (I use chickpea or pinto beans)
- 112g / 4oz applesauce, unsweetened
- 20g / 1tbsp agave nectar OR honey
- 5ml / 1tsp vanilla extract
- 140g / 5oz blueberries

Method:

• In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oats, flour, flaxseed, cinnamon and baking soda).
• In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, bean liquid, applesauce, agave nectar and vanilla.
• Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl and stir everything together.
• Gently stir in the blueberries.
• Spoon the mixture into muffin cases.
• Bake in the oven at 175C / 350F for 20-25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Oat and Flaxseed Muffins with Cherries

These muffins are the perfect breakfast snack. I usually eat one first thing in the morning with a cup of tea prior to a run.They are great for a post-workout snack too.

I first made a batch with added brown sugar and an egg - traditional muffin ingredients. Whilst these muffins were moist, sweet and delicious, I thought they were too sweet for a breakfast food/snack so I replaced the sugar with just 1 tablespoon of agave nectar (sweeter than sugar) and used some bean liquid (aquafaba) as an egg replacement - making them cholesterol free!

As I'm always eating beans, in hummus or in salads, I have plenty of left-over bean liquid, whether they are chickpeas, pinto, red kidney, black, butter or cannellini beans.

By cutting out the 50g sugar (which equals 187 calories, 12tsp sugar) and substituting for 20g/1tbsp agave nectar or honey (which equals 60 calories, 4tsp sugar), they are just as sweet! The natural sugars from the fresh cherries and the applesauce, combined with the cinnamon, are a delicious and nutritious way to start the day!

To concentrate the flavour of the cherries, and to prevent excess moisture from leaking into the muffins, I roasted the cherries for 10 minutes and then coated them in cinnamon. In my first batch, I didn't bother doing this and just mixed fresh cherries and cinnamon into the muffin batter. I prefer the roasting option if I have time but it's not the end of the world, and the muffins didn't taste too 'wet'.

Oat and Flaxseed Muffins with Cherries
Makes 12

Ingredients:
- 225g / 8oz cherries
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 225g / 8oz oats
- 120g /4oz flour
- 40g / 6tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1tsp baking soda
- 240ml / 8floz buttermilk (240ml / 8floz almond milk and 15ml / 1tbsp lemon juice)
- 45ml / 3tbsp bean liquid (I use chickpea or pinto beans)
- 112g / 4oz applesauce, unsweetened
- 20g / 1tbsp agave nectar OR honey
- 5ml / 1tsp vanilla extract

Method:

• First, pit and quarter the cherries and then bake, cut side up, at 220C / 425F for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl.
• Sprinkle the roasted cherries with the cinnamon and stir to coat.
• In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oats, flour, flaxseed, and baking soda).
• In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, bean liquid, applesauce, agave nectar and vanilla.
• Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl and stir everything together.
• Gently stir in the cinnamon cherries.
• Spoon the mixture into muffin cases.
• Bake in the oven at 175C / 350F for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Butternut Squash Muffins

I love taking recipes and adapting them to my needs and preferences - usually whatever I have in my kitchen and any opportunity to make foods healthier. As with anything experimental, food can sometimes be hit and miss. However these muffins have been completely re-engineered and are 100% delicious. Jump straight to the recipe here or read on for an explanation as to how and why these muffins are much better (in my opinion) than the original recipe!

Firstly, the reason for making butternut squash muffins was a result of having several home grown squashes to use.

I love butternut squash soup and will definitely be making the classic version and the one with apple soon. As it is the height of summer and butternut squash reminds me of cooler seasons, I thought a sweet treat would be a good alternative.

The original recipe came from Jamie Oliver's website. After looking at the ingredient list and reviewing the nutritional information, I was surprised by how unhealthy these muffins were - lots of sugar, plain flour, oil. There's no mention of fibre content in the nutritional breakdown, or cholesterol but with 4 eggs I assume cholesterol would be high (One egg typically has approx. 215mg cholesterol). Over 400 calories for one muffin, with over 33g sugar - that's over 8 teaspoons - and almost 20g fat. Those nutritional numbers are more than I usually eat in a main meal!!

Therefore, I decided to see if I could make healthier versions yet still retain the moist, sweet texture - similar to carrot cake.

Recently on the internet I have seen many sites referring to healthy food substitutions/swaps. Buzzfeed has a good list of 27 Easy Ways To Eat Healthier and LIVESTRONG.com list 14 Ingredient Swaps to Make Your Recipes Healthier. In addition I never use sour cream but still wanted to recreate the cream cheese frosting that topped these muffins. Turns out there's 10 different ways sour cream can be substituted. I opted for the cottage cheese version but may be tempted to try the cashew version another time.

Most of these suggestions are second nature to me - dates instead of sugar, mashed banana or applesauce instead of butter or oil, nonfat Greek yogurt instead of cream, avocados instead of mayo, nutritional yeast instead of cheese. Plus I love cauliflower pizza dough, courgette noodles, cauliflower rice, frozen banana ice cream, and chocolate tofu mousse!

Inspired by the food swap recommendations, together with an abundance of squash, led me to make-over this recipe by doing the following:

• Cut the sugar content (originally 350g) and use only 112g agave nectar*. Honey can also be used instead of agave nectar.
• Cut the number of eggs required (originally 4) and use 2 eggs and a vegan egg substitute - in this case bean liquid (aquafaba)**
• Do not add salt
• Instead of using plain, all-purpose flour that's milled from the inner part of the wheat kernel and contains neither the germ nor the bran, use oats instead that are whole grain and a richer source of soluble fibre.
• Cut out the olive oil and replace with unsweetened applesauce.
• Replace the sour cream with lowfat cottage cheese

*Agave nectar is 1.4 times sweeter than sugar so when a recipe calls for 1 cup sugar (approx. 200g), 2/3cup can be used instead (approx. 130g). As agave nectar is a liquid sweetener it's important to reduce other liquids by 1/4. It's also suggested to reduce the oven temperature by 15C / 25F and bake for slightly longer. I used less agave nectar than the recipe required had I followed the 1cup sugar to 2/3cup agave nectar rule. The muffins were still deliciously sweet. I baked the muffins for 5 minutes longer than the original recipe but kept the oven temp. the same.

**Aquafaba - By replacing two of the eggs with bean liquid (from a can of chickpeas) I was able to cut the liquid content of the recipe to allow for the addition of the liquid sweetener. Usually 45ml / 3tbsp bean liquid is required for every egg. I used 2 eggs in this recipe and 60ml/4tbsp bean liquid. It resulted in a moist batter without being too liquidy.

After swapping ingredients and amending quantities, each muffin is less than 200 calories (the original version contained 422 calories), with less than 11g sugar (1/3 less) and just over 4g fat (3/4 less). There's over 5g protein (same as original) and over 3g fibre.

The muffins can easily be frozen, without the cream cheese frosting (168 calories and 9g sugar). They can also be made in an 9x9 baking tray and sliced into squares if a muffin tray isn't available.

Butternut Squash Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 12

Ingredients:
Muffins
- 300g / 11oz oats (I use old fashioned oats)
- 30g / 1oz walnuts
- 2tsp baking powder
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 420g / 15oz butternut squash, skin on, deseeded and roughly chopped
- 2 eggs
- 60ml / 4tbsp bean liquid / aquafaba
- 115g / 4oz applesauce, unsweetened
- 112g / 5.5tbsp agave nectar OR honey

Cream Cheese Frosting
- 115g / 4oz cottage cheese
- 5ml / 1tsp vanilla extract
- 15g / 2tbsp icing sugar
- 30ml / 2tbsp lemon juice

Method:

• In a food processor, process the oats into oat flour and then add the walnuts, baking powder and cinnamon.
• Pulse to combine the ingredients and chop the walnuts into smaller pieces. 
• Transfer the oat flour mixture to a large bowl.
• Using the food processor, finely chop the butternut squash into pieces.
• Add the squash to the bowl and stir to combine with the oat flour mixture.
• Using the food processor again, add the eggs, bean liquid (aquafaba), applesauce, agave nectar and blend to combine.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl and mix together.
• Spoon the muffin mixture into a muffin tray (or 9x9 baking tray).
• Bake for 30 minutes at 175C / 350F.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack.
• To prepare the cream cheese frosting, blend all the ingredients in a food processor until the cottage cheese is smooth.
• Chill the frosting in the fridge and then spoon on top of the cooled muffins. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Lemon Cilantro Scones

I originally saw this recipe on the Top with Cinnamon blog. I've made scones before but I was intrigued to see how the flavours of lemon and cilantro tasted.

I didn't bother to peel the lemon, nor did I include yogurt. Instead I simply used a zester and added buttermilk to replace the yogurt. I thought it would be easier and quicker to mix the lemon zest and sugar with the rest of the dry ingredients. However, I do think it's worth taking the time to heat the sugar and make a lemony syrup. In fact, the last time I combined lemon, sugar and water I made Limoncello.

Other lemon recipes on my blog include:
Chia or Flaxseed Lemon Bread
Lemon Yogurt Dressing

Lemon Cilantro Scones
Makes 8

Ingredients:

- 1 lemon zest and juice

- 24g / 2tbsp sugar, white granulated
- 1tbsp water
- 120g / 4.5oz flour
- 40g / 1.5oz oats
- 1.5tsp baking powder
- small handful of coriander leaves (cilantro), finely chopped
- 56g / 2oz butter, unsalted, cold and cubed
- 60ml / 4tbsp buttermilk (60ml / 4tbsp almond milk and 5ml / 1tsp lemon juice)
- 1 egg, beaten

Method:

• In a pan, heat the lemon zest, juice, sugar, and water until sugar has dissolved and mixture has thickened, about 5-7 minutes. 
• Pour into a bowl and leave to cool.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats and baking powder. 
• Rub in the butter cubes until like bread crumbs. 
• Add the cilantro. 
• Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.
• In the bowl with the lemon mixture, add the buttermilk and egg. Mix to combine. 
• Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir together.
• Place the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes and heat the oven to 175C / 350F.
• Spoon out 8 round circles of chilled dough onto a lined baking tray and gently press down to form scones.
• Brush with a little milk (if desired) and bake for 25 minutes until golden.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Red Velvet Brownies

Very similar to my Beetroot Brownies, this Red Velvet version uses black beans as well as beetroot. I used maple syrup in this recipe but I usually use honey as my liquid sweetener of choice. If using honey, I add a table spoon of water as honey is a little thicker than maple syrup.

Black beans are great in sweet treats - try my Black Almond Fudge for starters.

Red Velvet Brownies
Makes 12

Ingredients:
- 120g / 4oz oat flour
- 20g / 4tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1/2tsp baking powder
- 60ml / 4tbsp coconut oil
- 60ml / 4tbsp maple syrup OR 60g / 3tbsp honey plus 1tbsp water
- 80ml / 3floz almond milk, unsweetened
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 140g/ 5oz black beans, (I use no salt added)
- 240g / 8.5oz beetroot (I use no salt added canned beets)
- 40g / 1.4oz dark chocolate, chopped OR chocolate chips

Method:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
• Add the oil, maple syrup or honey, milk and vanilla.
• Using a food processor, blend together the black beans and beets and then add to the mixing bowl.
• Finally stir in the chopped chocolate / chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into a 8x8 baking tray lined with parchment.
• Bake in the oven at 190C / 375F for 25-30 minutes. 
• Allow to cool completely before slicing. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Granola

Everyone loves granola. It's sweet and crunchy, can be eaten for breakfast with milk, added on top of yogurt, banana ice cream, salads, or simply eaten dry as a tasty snack. The only downside is the calorie content! I could quite happily eat bowls of granola but the extensive amounts of fats and sugars in just a small serving (1/2 cup size) is very surprising. What's more, a standard serving size always seems so small and then my will power is tested (I have none!) when I have to stop myself from having seconds. Store bought granola is also ridiculously expensive!

The upside to granola is that it does contain whole, natural and healthy ingredients - a much better alternative to some of the popular processed breakfast cereals and snacks. There's fiber from the oats, plus the nuts and seeds all contain healthy fats. Obviously, granola is healthy in moderation!

In order to get the sweet crispy crunch, it's essential to use fat (in the form of oil) and a liquid sweetener (like honey or maple syrup). Hence the high calorie content! The oil provides moisture, which explains why fat-free granola is all dry and dusty, that coats the sugar-coated nuts, oats and seeds. The end result is a crisp coating that has a sense of moistness.

It's fun to try different combinations of ingredients, adding a variety of nuts, seeds and dried fruits. Just try not to eat the entire batch in one go!

Granola
Makes 8 (60g serving)

Ingredients:
- 120g / 6tbsp honey
- 60 ml / 4tbsp coconut oil
- 2tsp vanilla extract
- 240g / 8.5oz oats
- 28g / 1oz almonds, chopped
- 30g / 1oz walnuts, chopped
- 15g / 2tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 15g / 2tbsp sunflower Seeds
- 40g / 1.4oz cranberries, dried

Method:

• In a bowl, whisk together the honey, coconut oil and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, stir all the remaining ingredients together.
• Pour the honey oil liquid over the dry ingredients and gently fold until the oats, nuts and fruit are thoroughly coated.
• Spread the mixture on a baking tray (9x13inch), lined with parchment paper, and press down to gently compact the mixture.
• Bake in the oven at 175C / 350F for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
• Allow the granola to completely cool, so it becomes crisp, before transferring into a air-tight container. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls

This recipe is adapted from the 'Oh She Glows' blog. I didn't bother with the cranberry pear sauce, instead opting for regular gravy, alongside some peas and mash.

I'm definitely going to be making these again. They are a great vegetarian option and full of delicious flavours from the walnuts, cranberries and herbs.

Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls
Makes 8 balls

Ingredients:
- 70g / 3oz lentils
- 115g / 4oz walnuts, finely chopped
- 225g / 8oz mushrooms, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 40g / 1.4oz kale, finely chopped
- 40g / 1.4oz dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 1/4tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2tsp dried thyme
- 1/2tsp dried oregano
- 13g / 2 tbsp flaxseed meal
- 45ml / 3tbsp water
- 40g / 1.4oz oat flour
- ground black pepper

Method:

• Cook lentils until tender (about 20-30mins), drain and then mash into a coarse paste. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in the oven at 325F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and increase temperature to 350F.
• In a large pan, cook the mushrooms and garlic for 7 minutes until most of the water cooks off. Add the kale, toasted walnuts, cranberries, and herbs. Remove from the heat and stir in the mashed lentils.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed and water. Stir for 10 seconds and then pour into the mushroom walnut lentil mixture. Add the oat flour and stir to combine. Season with pepper and then shape into balls, packing tightly with hands.
• Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 175C / 350F for 15 minutes. Gently flip the balls and bake for another 12 minutes, until golden and firm. 
• Cool on a wire rack. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Date and Pecan Squares

I was given some home-grown Texas pecans recently. After going out and purchasing a nut-cracker, plus several hours shelling each nut, I decided to make these date and pecan squares. They are all-natural and don't contain any added sugars.

I made a second batch using walnuts and spooned the batter into individual paper cases, which turned out to be just as delicious as the original pecan squares. They can be easily frozen and don't take long to defrost. The perfect snack for on-the-go!

A little almond butter spread on top of the squares is extra yummy!

Date and Pecan Squares
Makes 8

Ingredients:
- 120g / 4oz dates, pitted (I used Medjool dates)
- 56g / 2oz pecans, shelled and roughly chopped
- 112g / 4oz applesauce, unsweetened
- 120g / 4oz flour
- 40g / 1.4oz oats
- 1tsp baking powder
- 60ml / 4tbsp date liquid
- 1tsp cinnamon

Method:

• First, soak the dates in warm water to soften.
• Drain, reserving 1/4cup / 60ml liquid and then roughly chop.
• In a bowl, add all the ingredients and stir to combine.
• Spoon the batter into a loaf pan or 8x8 square tin and bake for 30 minutes at 175C / 350F.
• Allow to sit in the tin for 10 minutes before cooling on a wire rack and slicing into squares. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Mushroom Pumpkin Tart

Another seasonal vegetarian dish using the almond flax pie base is this mushroom pumpkin tart.
The first tart posted previously is the Butternut Squash Tart with Hazelnuts Tart

Mushrooms, leek, quinoa, and pumpkin combined with a little soy sauce give the tart plenty of flavour.

Mushroom Pumpkin Tart
Makes 4

Ingredients:
- 45g / 1.5oz quinoa
- 13g / 2tbsp flaxseed meal
- 120ml / 4floz water
- 56g / 2oz almonds
- 40g / 1.4oz oats
- 60g / 2oz flour
- 140g / 5oz leek, chopped half moons
- 140g / 5oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 22ml / 1.5tbsp soy sauce, light
- 120g / 4oz pumpkin puree
- 1/2tbsp sage, dried OR 2tbsp fresh
- ground black pepper
- 16g / 2tbsp nutritional yeast

Method:

• First cook the quinoa and then allow to cool.
• Combine flaxseed with water.
• Grind almonds in a food processor along with oats and flour. 
• Add the flax mixture and pulse until into a dough. 
• Press the dough into a tart pan lined with parchment.
• Bake in the oven at 190C / 375F for 10-12 minutes. 
• Cool on a wire rack.
• Combine leek, mushrooms, garlic in a large pan over medium heat. 
• Cook, stirring frequently, until browned and softened, about 5-10 minutes.
• Add the soy sauce, stir, then transfer to a medium bowl. 
• Stir in the cooked quinoa, pumpkin purée, sage, ground black pepper and nutritional yeast.
• Spoon into the tart crust and bake the pie at 190C / 375F for about 45 minutes, until browned and set.
• Cool for 10 minutes before serving with green vegetables. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information: