Fudgy Chocolate Buckwheat American Style Pancakes (Ve, V, GF, DF)

 

These pancakes are deliciously light, deeply dark and chocolatey and sin free! I like the bitter edge to the flavour of these pancakes so I can combine them with loads of fruit and yoghurt.  Serve with syrup if you want something sweeter.

Makes 10 pancakes

Dry

Heaped 1/2 cup GF Self Raising Flour

Flat 1/2 cup Buckwheat Flour

1 1/2 tbsp Cocoa powder

1/2 tsp Bicarb of Soda

Wet

300ml Soya milk (approx)

2tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

 

Heat a dry non-stick frying pan on a high heat til piping hot. Then reduce to medium high heat.

Combine wet ingredients in a jug and whisk with a fork and leave to sit until curdling, then stir further.  Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Once the milk has thickened, add gradually to the dry ingredients and whisk.  The batter should pour without being runny because you don't want it to spread too far in the pan.  Depending on your flour you may need slightly more milk which you can just add without thickening.

Each pancake uses about 2/3 of a 1/4 cup of mixture, or you can go by eye.  Drop the batter into the center of the pan.  Leave for about 20-30secs, or until the top has bubbled and the sides have started to set, then flip.  The pancake will start to puff up, and at this point will only take 10 to 15 secs to cook through.  I watch for the sides setting.

Timing will change as you make more pancakes so reduce heat slightly as you continue.

Serve with yoghurt of your choosing and fruit.

Roasted Butternut Squash (Ve, V, GF, DF)

I literally just finished eating this and had to share it because it was so delicious.  It couldn't be easier to make, you just shove the thing in the oven...

1 Butternut squash
1tsp Dried Sage
1tsp Fresh Rosemary (if using dried use a 1/2)
1tsp Smoked Paprika
1 large clove of Garlic
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan. Clean your squash and then halve lengthways and de-seed.  Then with a sharp knife score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern. Put a little oil in the bottom of an oven proof dish and then the squash on top. Sprinkle the dried herbs and paprika over the halves and then the rest of the oil, it's best to be generous if 2 tbsp isn't enough.

Put the squash in the oven for 70mins, you can take it out every once in a while to baste it with the oil that collects in the squash.

Crush a clove of garlic and spread evenly on both sides of the squash for the final 10mins, again baste the squash to stop the garlic burning.

That's it!

Almighty Almonds (Ve, V, GF, DF)

My boyfriend said that almonds were boring compared to cashews and I decided to prove him wrong!
These almonds are a salty tasty snack, dead more-ish and pretty healthy.

200g    Almonds (skin on)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
1 tbsp  Water

Pre-heat the oven at 180C.  Mix the water, salt and spices in a bowl.  Add the almonds and coat them on the liquid.  Pour the nuts on a non-stick baking sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Let them cool before storing or in fact eating!

Easy Peasy Potato Soup (VE, V, GF, DF)

My favourite thing about this soup is how little washing up there is!! One pan, one knife and a grater.

1 tbsp Olive oil
1 White onion
2 medium White potatoes
1 large Sweet potato
3 garlic cloves
1 stock cube and water
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic salt
1/2 tsp Paprika

Put the oil in the bottom of the pan and stick on a medium heat.  Skin the onion and grate it into the pan.  Chop the garlic into little chunks and put that in the pan next. Grate the potatoes into the pan and then leave for a few minutes to soften the potatoes.

Mix the stock cube with a pint of boiled water and then add to the pan with salt and a generous amount of pepper.  Bring the soup to the boil and then leave to simmer for 7-10mins.

Take a hand blender and blitz the whole lot in the pan, have a taste, check the seasoning. Stick in the garlic salt and paprika and then blitz gain with the blender.  Again taste and add more depending on how you like it.

Done! You can also add cream or soya cream.

...Toast is toast...
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Zoodles with Cashew and Basil Pesto (Ve, V, GF, DF)

This dish literally takes no time at all to make but it so packed full of goodness and flavour.  As far as I'm concerned cashews are a super food.  They add a rich butteriness to the sauce and with the freshness of the basil...well I'd bathe in this sauce...If you don't have a spiraliser, you can use a peeler to make thin ribbons.

Zoodles
1 Courgette for a light meal / 2 for a decent portion

Sauce (Serves 4 decent portions)
1 Cup Cashews
1 Cup Fresh Basil leaves
Olive Oil as needed
Salt and Pepper to taste (I like it on the salty side to replace the parmesan)

First make the zoodles!!! Top and tail the courgette/zucchini and then spiralise.

Next, add the sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor.  Add the oil gradually until the mixture looks thick and smooth, the consistency of a béchamel (white sauce).

Make sure you taste it to check the levels of the salt.

Toss the zoodles in a dry non-stick frying pan until they've softened and add the sauce to heat through.  I advice using some tongs at this point to turn the zoodles so they're fully coated in the delicious sauce.   You can use this sauce with pasta, in a lasagna, on bread/toast, eat it with a spoon...it's just so goddamn good!

Cherry Tomato and Chive Egg Scramble with Avocado (V, GF, DF)

This is such an easy simple breakfast/brunch dish with vitamins B6, B12, E, D and Potassium (K), ready in minutes. Not one for the calorie counters at over 500cal per bowl, but I believe in health and nutrition not worrying about numbers.  The sweetness and juiciness of the tomatoes create their own sauce.

Per person:
3 Eggs
8 (Sweet) Cherry Tomatoes
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp Fresh Chives
1/2 Avocado

Quarter the tomatoes and add to a frying pan with the oil on a medium heat.  Whilst the tomatoes are breaking down in the pan, whisk the eggs with a little salt and the chives in a bowl.  Also half an avocado, without cutting through the skin, use a knife to segment the avocado into little squares.

When the tomatoes have become "smushy" turn the heat down slightly and add the eggs. Keep the eggs moving around the pan until they just turn solid.

Put the eggs in a bowl, add the avocado and some salt and pepper to taste and voilà!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Warm Salad (V, Ve, GF, DF)

This is a super sexy salad; loads of textures and flavour and really quick and easy. This recipe makes enough for 2 big portions or 3 if you're not as greedy ;)

1tbsp     Olive oil 

1/2 tsp   Paprika

Medium sized Sweet Potato

2 Carrots

1/2 Bell pepper

10 Cherry tomatoes

230g (can or carton) Cooked Black beans

1 Avocado

Handful fresh Coriander (Cilantro)

Handful Pumpkin seeds

1/2 tsp  Chilli powder

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Peel and chop the sweet potato into roughly 1/2cm sq cubes.  Put on a baking tray with the olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper (to taste) and bake for roughly 15mins until tender and golden.

Peel and grate or julienne the carrots, chop the tomatoes into quarters, chop the pepper into small pieces, de-stone and chop the avocado into small pieces.  Drain and wash the cooked beans. Chop the coriander finely.  Add everything to a bowl with salt and pepper to taste.

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a tiny bit of oil and the chilli powder in a hot frying pan.  They'll turn golden and pop when they're ready.  Just a couple minutes at most.

Once the sweet potato is ready add that to the bowl with the seeds and toss together. Ready!

You can add the juice of half a lime to make it more zingy or some finely chopped chilli for more heat.  Either way, this is a great salad to eat warm or cold, as a side dish or to take as a packed lunch.