HEALTHY COOKIES

The words cookie and healthy are not usually synonymous with each other but this little number is about to change all that. These cookies taste so sweet and full of flavour you'll never guess they're flour free, oil free, dairy free, gluten free aand refined sugar free! 

They're the easiest, quickest things to bake and can be made with ingredients your bound to have in stock, they don't even require any baking powder. So what's in these magic cookies I hear you ask?

Ingredients (Makes 12):

- 2 cups gluten free oats

- 2 ripe bananas 

- 2 tbsp almond butter

- 2 tbsp shredded coconut 

- 1/2 cup of cacao nibs 

- 1 tbsp agave syrup

Instructions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 170c. 

2.) Mash the bananas then mix in the other ingredients. 

3.) Line a baking tray with parchment, scoop out the mixture a bit at a time and round off into cookie shapes with your hands, spread the mixture evenly between 12 cookies. 

4.) Bake for 15-20mins or until golden brown.

Here I've served mine with some homemade almond milk, made using my Omega juicer. They also make a delicious dessert served with banana nice cream. 

EASY ENERGY PORRIDGE

This has been my basic go-to porridge recipe for quite some time now and I can't believe I haven't shared it with you guys sooner. It's just one of those staple things you make all the time that you never really think about being 'special' - oh but it is! This porridge is easy to make and full of goodness. 

Oats are high in complex carbohydrates and soluble fibre, meaning they release energy slowly so you’ll stay full until lunchtime. It also contains flaxseed (rich in fibre and Omega-3), along with super nutrient packed chia seeds. What a way to start the day! I always feel fantastic after a helping of this, it literally sets me up for the day.

Ingredients (Serves 1):

- 40g gluten free oats

- 1 tbsp flaxseed meal

- 2 tbsp chia seeds

- 200ml almond milk

Optional topping:

Fruit and nut butter of choice. My favourite combo has to be coconut sugar, raspberries and almond butter.

Instructions:

1.) Place the oats in a saucepan and pour in the almond milk. Next add the chia seeds and flaxseed meal to the pan.

2.) Stir then warm through on a high then medium heat for around 5mins, or until chia seeds have softened. 

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE OATS

So you may be thinking boring old chocolate oats, as a blog post - is she for real? But these aren't just any plain old chocolate oats, these are healthy superfood chocolate oats (said in a sexy Marks and Spencer ad kind of way), packed with energy inducing ingredients and yummy warming goodness.

While it didn't take me long to come up with a title, it's actually taken me a lot longer to come up with a recipe that I'm happy with. I've often found chocolate oats made with cacao to be too bitter and not sweet enough for my liking -  but then again I have a VERY sweet tooth.

I'm now trying to satisfy this sweet tooth in a way that doesn't compromise on healthy. I did this here by adding a date to the mix and a tsp of coconut sugar. Previously it would have been dairy free choc chips and large helpings of agave all the way, so this is a big improvement!

My other healthier sources of sugar include fruit and maple syrup, honey is also an excellent healthier source of sweetness if your not a strict vegan like me.

Ingredients:

- 40g/1 cup gluten free porridge oats
- 200ml of plant based milk, I used almond
- Tbsp chia seeds
- Pinch of pink salt
- Tbsp flaxseed
- Tbsp organic cacao powder
- Tbsp organic maca powder
- 1 chopped date
- 1/2- 1tsp coconut sugar
- Sprinkling of cacao nibs

Recipe:

1.) Weigh out 40g of oats or use 1 cup.
2.) Add this to a pan of plant based milk and warm for around 5mins along with the other ingredients in the order listed.
3.) Your oats should start to bubble after this time, that means they're ready to eat!
4.) Top with a scoop of nut butter and fruit of your choice.

My favourite toppings with chocolate oats are; peanut butter and banana or almond butter and berries. Here I went for a slightly tropical meets winter topping with banana, coconut chips, almond butter and frozen blueberries, as it was an insanely cold, rainy, grey day outside but I wanted to feel sunny on the inside!

THE BEST BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

You may think that’s quite a bold statement to make but I feel I can get away with the claim as this is quite literally the best smoothie you could have for your breakfast. Why’s that you say? This smoothie is going to set you up for the day! It contains porridge oats which are high in complex carbohydrates and soluble fibre, meaning they release energy slowly so you’ll stay full until lunchtime. Making oats a great addition to any breakfast smoothie. Come to think of it oats are a great addition to every breakfast full stop! (can you tell I love oats by now?).

What with it being January and cold/dark/rainy (or all three) outside, we are probably all needing some high energy foods right now to help us with our new gym routines and diets or just plain old getting off the sofa!

Not only does this smoothie contain energy fuelled oats, it has some other pretty spectacular ingredients too:

Flaxseed:

Flaxseed is thought to prevent the growth of cancerous cells because its omega-3 fatty acids disrupt malignant cells from clinging onto other body cells. In addition, the lignans in flaxseed have antiangiogenic properties - they stop tumors from forming new blood vessels - see spectacular! 

Cinnamon:

Cinnamon has a wide range of benefits, it can be used to help treat muscle spasms, vomiting, diarrhea, infections, the common cold, loss of appetite, and erectile dysfunction. It may also benefit those with diabetes, HIV, MS and help to prevent Alzheimer’s. Additionally cinnamon can help reduce the body’s negative response to high-fat meals.

Almond butter: 

Though almonds have more calories than most other nuts, almond butter is a healthy alternative to peanut butter and other spreads because of the numerous health benefits it offers. Health benefits of almond butter include a reduced risk of developing diabetes, lower cholesterol levels, and reduced blood pressure. Other benefits include increased energy levels, high amounts of protein, and high antioxidant levels. Overall heart health is one of the primary benefits of almond butter. Consuming almond butter on a regular basis may encourage healthier eating and help individuals to maintain a healthy body weight.

Ingredients: (serves 1)

- 1 frozen banana

- 1/2 cup of gluten free porridge oats

- 2 cups almond/plant based milk

- 1 pitted date

- 1 tbsp flaxseed

- 2 tbsp almond butter

- Dash of cinnamon and more for topping

Instructions: 

Pop all the ingredients above into your blender and mix on a high/smoothie setting for around 30 seconds. You may have to stop halfway through to scrape almond butter from the side of your blender. As always if your blender can't take frozen fruits you can use a ripe banana and add ice instead, just make sure this smoothie is cold, it tastes waay better that way! This recipe made about 1.5 small 0.5ltr Kilner jars. 

Warning this smoothie is veery filling, which is a great thing to keep those mid morning munchies at bay but you may have to save some to take on the go. I could only drink half before I was about to explode and believe me that's highly unusual!

FRUITS OF THE FOREST BAKED OATMEAL

Oats, oatmeal, porridge - it doesn't matter what you call it, this breakfast is for everyone because it's basically like eating cake (alright healthy cake) for breakfast. Ok so you don't like berries, add tropical fruit if you don't like fruit add pb and chocolate, it's entirely up to you - just make sure you bake it! This adds an entirely new dimension to oats and I absolutely love it.

Ingredients:

- 12tbsp oats
- 2 mashed bananas
- 100g frozen berries
- 1.5 tsp baking powder (I like to use Doves Farm Organic)
- Tbsp chia seeds
- Tbsp flaxseed
- 1.5 cups of almond milk
- Tsp vanilla
- Tbsp agave syrup
- Handful of berries for topping (frozen or fresh)
- 2 tbsp almond butter for topping
- Casserole/oven proof baking dish

Instructions:

1.) Preheat oven to 200c (fan assisted ovens).
2.) Put all the ingredients listed into an oven proof crockery dish, minus the toppings. Mix together with a wooden spoon.
3.) Bake for around 20-25mins until the top is slightly golden and crispy but the middle is soft.

This to me says Winter in a bowl. It's one of those extra special breakfasts that can be shared with family over the holidays or the weekend when you have a bit of extra time to spare. Baking it in a casserole dish adds to the homely, rustic feel of this dish that instantly transports you to a cosy country farmhouse!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers! I still have lots of festive recipes to share with you guys so keep popping back over the Holidays!