Nutella Granola

Chocolate and hazelnut granola, thats free from refined sugar and vegan. Really easy to make and means you can be eating it well within the hour. 

What you will need for this chocolate hazelnut crunchy goodness. 

2 and 3/4 rolled oats (gluten free if required)

1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts (a few left whole)

for the coating 

1/4 cup hazelnuts warmed in the preheating oven for 5 minutes 

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil 

1/4 carob powder 

1/2 tsp vanilla 

pinch of salt 

First off preheat your oven to 150c fan and pop the 1/4 of hazelnuts in just for 5 minutes. Next up get your coconut and maple syrup melting on the lowest heat. When both are ready transfer hazelnuts into a food processor and blend for around 5 minutes scrapping the sides down now and again. Now add in your cooled maple syrup and coconut oil mixture blend again make sure its all combined. Now add in your carob powder vanilla and a pinch of salt. Mix well then add this to you oats and chopped hazelnuts. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet and bake for around 25-30 minutes checking and giving it a stir every 10minutes. Store in a air tight container. 

Chunky Monkey Mini Banana Bread Doughnuts

Banana bread in a mini doughnut form, bursting with little chocolate chips, drizzled with a little chocolate and sprinkled with pecan nuts. So delicious and fluffy, so hard to just have one... these make such a nice little change to banana bread muffins or traditional doughnuts that are packed with refined sugar.

I used to love doughnuts when i was younger, especially at a trip to beach, don't ask me why but doughnuts always spell out beach to me. Unfortunately doughnuts along with a entire list of other things don't really have the best effect on me now. I not saying i do not indulge from time to time that is...

I originally thought of making these as a breakfast doughnut, then the chocolate chips got added in and that kind of went out the window.. ooopps!

You could totally leave them out of course and fold in some nuts and/or cacao nibs? Or you could go all out and have the dark chocolate goodness, i made these with a mini doughnut tin so two or three of these is completely acceptable.

Lets get started with what your going to need to make these delicious doughnuts. This made 16 mini doughnuts for me, i had to make them in two batches.

1/2 cup mashed banana

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup dairy free yogurt

1 flax egg (1tbs flax 4tbs water)

1tsp baking powder

1/2tsp baking soda

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

the topping 

2 squares of dark chocolate melted

1/4 cup of chopped pecan nuts

Start off mashing up your banana so its fairy smooth and the least amount of lumps you can get, add in your sugar and flax egg then add in your yogurt. Once everything is nicely combined sieve in all remaining ingredients, then lastly fold in those chocolate chips! Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 190c fan. If your making them larger you may need to adjust this time slightly. Insert a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean. Once out of the oven leave to cool in the tin before drizzling with melted chocolate and topping with those lovely chopped pecan nuts. 

Creamy Coconut Rice Pudding Jars

Rice pudding for breakfast i hear you say? such a thing is not that uncommon in nordic countries where is it sometimes served for dinner as well as breakfast. As a lot of you know I'm currently transferring all my recipes from my old site and re doing the photography, I thought it would be the perfect time to revamp this one and make it a versatile breakfast with a mixed berry chia "jam" in-between just to get those amazing omega 3s in first thing on a morning as well. Fun fact in Norway rice pudding is called riskrem and is sometimes served with a red sauce made of strawberries and raspberries, so you could say this is a breakfast version of that. 

Im already a big lover of vita coconut oil and use is religiously in my skincare and on my hair which has helped with various issues. I was excited to try the new coconut milk they had brought out, it took a little tracking down in a supermarket. When I finally got my hands on some i couldn't help but pour myself a big glass. Its not like other dairy free milks I've tried and does not have that fake sweet taste as it contains no artificial sweeteners. Its just like you have cracked open a fresh coconut and made your own milk. 

On to what you will need, feel free to use whatever frozen berries/fruit you have to hand its also very delicious with pineapple and mango. The rice can also be changed up, brown rice also works if your wanting a wholegrain. This makes enough for around 3 good size jars, theres only 2 pictured on here as one may have been "lost" in taste testing... oops chefs perks and all. 

what you will need;

1/2 cup rice i used risotto 

1 cup water 

1 and 1/2 cup vita coconut milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1tbs coconut cream 

1tsp vita coconut oil

2tbs maple syrup 

fresh berries to serve (optional but delicious!)

for the jam;

1/2 cup heaped mixed frozen berries 

2 teaspoons chia seeds

Get the rice cooking first, take a non stick pan and gently heat your rice to add to that wonderful nutty flavour. Add in your water and milk, maple and vanilla. Bring to a rolling simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes on medium heat until the rice is tender. While this is cooking get a start on your jam, place the berries in a mug and in the microwave on full powder for around 2 minutes. So the berries have defrosted and some of them have turned to mush. Stir in the chia seeds and set to the side. 

Once your rice has cooked stir in the coconut oil and coconut cream. Set to the side to cool and thicken up even more. Once everything has cooled its time to layer up your jars. I would say two layers of the jam added just the right tartness to the thick and creamy rice pudding. Once layered up top with fresh fruit. 

This recipe is an entry into the Dairy Free Style Your Breakfast challenge with Vita Coco and Foodies100. See more great breakfast ideas at http://vitacoco.com/uk/

Salted Caramel Brownies

Yes you have clicked on the right link, vegan salted caramel brownies. Cue. Drool. Ok now we've mopped up the puddle thats formed let me tell you why i decided to make these gooey incredibly delicious salted caramel brownies. The other month the lovely people over at pret a manager decided to make some of these only available in the veggie pret london. Needless to say I felt a little left out and a 6 hour drive to go get one was a little out the question. 

I made brownies on my last blog beautyandthebakes and decided to look up the ratios for what I had used for them as they'd turned out fudgey, my first attempt at these I added to much flour and left in the oven too long so they turned out too cake-like. Learning from this I came up with this recipe, its really easy to remember as well. 

The chickpea water is a great addition and makes the brownies incredibly fudgey, these brownies are by no means healthy but they don't contain any refined sugar and are absolutely decadent making them a wonderful treat. 

What you will need; 

1/3 cup coconut sugar 

1/3 cup maple syrup 

1/3 cup dark chocolate 

1/3 cup coconut oil 

1/3 almond flour 

2/3 cup plain flour (can use gluten free or 1/3 up buckwheat and 1/3 cup rice flour)

1/3 cacao powder 

2tbs ground flax seed 

1tsp vanilla 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

2/3 cup almond milk 

aquafaba water from a can of chickpeas 

For the caramel centre;

3tbs maple syrup 

1tbs almond milk 

1tbs cashew butter 

1/4 tsp sea salt (or more depending how salty you want them)

Preheat your oven to 180 fan next we are going to melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl over some boiling water. Once melted add in the maple syrup, coconut sugar and vanilla. Set to the side to cool a little. Next up we are going to whip up our aquafaba water from the chickpeas till it goes fluffy as if you were going to be making meringue. Once you have done that its time to assemble the brownies for the oven. 

Sieve your flours, baking powder, soda and cacao into the bowl. Next in add in your chocolate mixture that should have cooled by now. Then add in your milk a little a time before you add it all in fold in the whipped aquafaba. I then set mine aside and made the caramel. 

Mix all ingredients together for the caramel and place in a none stick pan and cook on high for a few minutes until it bubbles and thickens up. Remove then add half the brownie mixture (you may need to thin it out with the remaining milk i used the full 2/3cup ) to your baking pan and drop on the caramel. Spread the remaining brownie batter on top and place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. After 15 minutes check on them and insert a toothpick to see how gooey they will be i cooked mine for 18 minutes and they were nice and fudgey. 

sweet and sour battered cauliflower

I decided it was a good time to start sharing savoury posts as well on here. One of my favourite things back in my meat eating days was a sweet and sour chicken from the local takeaway. Now you can get it made with vegetables on request but you know when you just don't know what really goes into something "the unknown" ingredients. This sweet and sour sauce is not too sweet either which is another thing i often find from Chinese takeout and the jars of sauces as well, its more sweet than a balance of both. This to me is just the right amount of sweet and sour and contains no refined sugars. Perfect for a Friday night fake-away. I often hold what i call vegan night on a weekend either at mine or at a friends house and i make food that we would have eaten even if it was not vegan, this was a massive success and there was not a drop of sauce left.

Serves 2-3 people

 For the sauce;

1/4 cup agave 

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/4 cup passata  

2tbs light soy 

1 small tin of pineapple slices and the juice (230g) 

4 spring onions chopped small 

1 red pepper chopped into small chunks 

For the battered cauliflower 

1 large cauliflower 

1tsp garlic powder

1tsp onion powder 

1tsp baking powder 
1tsp vegetable stock powder

pinch of salt and pepper 

1/3 cup cornflour 

2/3 cup plain flour 

enough carbonated water to make a thick batter 

1tbs cornflour as a dry coat first 

Start off by making the battered cauliflower, wash and microwave the cauliflower on full power for 5 minutes. Take it out and dry it off and place it in a zip lock bag and add the tbs of cornflower and shake the bag to coat it. Now make up the batter by adding both flours, baking powder, stock powder, garlic and onion powder. Add in a pinch of salt and pepper then slowly add in the carbonated water until it makes a thick batter. Add this to the bag and give it another shake. Next take a tray and place a rack over the top and spay it with oil so the cauliflower doe not stick. Place in the oven 200c fan for 20-30 minutes until it turns golden brown. 

Now the cauliflower is in the oven lets get the sauce started place the agave, soy, vinegar, the juice from the tin of pineapple and tomato passata in a pan and whisk while bringing to a boil. Turn the heat down so the sauce is simmering then go to chop up your pineapple, pepper and white parts of the spring onion. Add this to the sauce and leave it on a low/medium heat to thicken while you wait for your cauliflower, should be around 15-20 minutes. If your wanting to make rice with this now is a good time to get it boiling. When the cauliflower comes out the oven place it in the sauce and coat it well. Sprinkle with the remaining green onion and serve.