#bressert

I made this oat crumble as a surprise 'bressert' for my boyfriend last weekend. His favourite fruit is rhubarb and I had a few stalks in the garden that I wanted to use up.  I wanted a super healthy breakfast crumble that was indulgent enough for dessert (hence bressert). I had planned for this to be enoigh to last us for breakfast ABD dessert late in the day.... but we ate it all for breakfast ;-)

I first made this oat crumble recipe for my 'Not Just For Goldilocks' book, so I won't share it in full right here, BUT I will share with you a great spin-off in the form of these bars. I made the bars in the photos below initially for Real Food Source last year and using the same principle as the crumble I made them again.

These bars are quite soft and cakey with a crisp top, which is how I love them. I used a combination of oats, ground almonds and tiger nut flour for the topping, but other flours in place of tiger nuts and almonds would also work.

They also have a great nutritional boost by way of chia seeds which are also used here to thicken and bind the base and fruit layer.

These are perfect served hot with some vegan for a little indulgence or with a dollop of plain vegan yoghurt for a breakfast option.

Recipe: Summer Berry Crumble Bars

Makes approx 12 squares

Ingredients:

Crumble:

1 ½ cup oats

1/2 cup ground almonds

1 cup tiger nut flour (or other flour such as wholemeal, spelt or a gluten-free blend)

½ cup coconut oil– melted

approx. 2 tbs coconut syrup (to taste)

2 tbs chia seeds and 3 tbs warm water (mixed to gel)

Berry Layer:

1 heaped cup stewed fruit (I used a combination of apple, rhubarb and raspberries)*

approx. 1 tbs maple syrup

2 tbs chia seeds

½ cup rough chopped nuts of choice for topping (optional)

*I used approx 2 small/medium apples, 2 medium stalks or rhubarb and a large handful of raspberries (I didn't measure precisely but it equated to a good cup of fruit once cooked down)

Method:

Mix the oats, ground almond and tiger nut flour dried with the melted coconut oil and syrup. Set aside approx. 1/4 of this mixture for the topping (or more for a thicker topping).

To the remaining mix, add the chia ‘gel’ to help bind. Press the crumble mix firmly into an 8” square pan- it should be approx 1cm deep.  Bake for approx 15 minutes at 180C until just golden. Meahwhile stew the fruit in a saucepan, adding a little syrup to taste as the rhubarb and raspberries are tart. No extra liquid is required as the fruit will release it's own. Add the chia seeds during the last few minutes to help thicken. Remove the base crumble from the oven and spread the fruit layer evenly over the top. Add the reserved crumble mix, plus extra chunky nuts if desired.

Bake for another 5 minutes or so until the topping is golden and the fruit bubbling.

You may have seen over on my Facebook page that I've been experimenting with all things 'green' in the recipe department recently!

No it's not St Patrick's Day, it's because I've been developing recipes for Real Food Source using their Matcha powder and their Green Tea Blend.  I created another free ebook to add to their ever growing collection showcasing a collection of recipes using their green tea blend... most of these are also interchangable with pure matcha tea, so if you are a matcha fan you have loads of inspiration ready for you too!

The best thing about the green tea blend is that it combines a variety of nutritionally rich green powders at a very cost effective price.

Here's a little sneak peak.... but you can follow this link to download your very own copy!

One of my favourite recipes in the collection is this green tea 'Nice Cream'...so quick (with a little pre-freezing required) and perfect to pep you up on a summer afternoon. It's also totally ok to serve this as breakfast.... a seriously healthy treat!  Don't skip the nut butter as this creates a much creamier, richer result.

Recipe: Green Tea 'Nice' Cream

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 bananas- chopped into chunks and pre-frozen 

2 tsp of green tea blend (or matcha tea)

2-3 tbs cashew butter

Mulberry crumble (or other dried fruits, granola or choc chunks) sprinkled on top to serve.

Method:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and totally smooth and creamy, it will be very thick when you spoon it in to bowls

I have found my new Christmas breakfast for this year!  Or more accurately 'bressert' - when  dish i heathy enough for breakfast but indulgent enough for dessert!

It's a spin on my equally wonderful classic Christmas baked oats from over 4 years ago now (wow time flies!) and it's the new recipe I'll be making for my family on Christmas morning. 

This year we are spending Christmas Day at my brother and his girlfriend's house in Winchester, and knowing they both love 'Bakewell Tart' flavours I was inspired to create a breakfast in their honour. The mini bliss balls pressed into the top are added indulgence as I had some mix in my fridge from the recent workshop I ran (more workshops in the New Year if you want to come!) but you could omit these or simply use marzipan and roll into balls if you have that to hand! Or you could use Bakewell Nakd bars chopped up, ha ha (not a sponsored link!) I will say the balls do make an incredible addition to this breakfast so add them if you can.

The three big things I love about baked oatmeals are...

They literally take minutes to mix up in one bowl and you can just as easily make breakfast for two or eight by just changing at the quantities (and the size of the baking dish)

There are almost endless flavour combinations (I have loads on my blog already)

They are healthy enough for breakfast but indulgent enough for dessert!

The bliss ball recipe I used is available here in my newly launched 'The Ultimate Bliss Ball Recipe Guide'. It has 20 recipes AND loads of alternative options for each so the ideas really are limitless... this guide will be a great addition to a January health kick too!  I made the book as a 'printable layout' so you can print and cut the cards up to give as gifts with a recipe you've made.  

It's the little things that make me happy! :-)

 Now, back to the Bakewell Pie recipe...

Recipe: Baked 'Bakewell' Pie

Serves 2 (could just as easily be doubled or tripled....)

Ingredients: 

3/4 cup porridge oats

1 1/2 cup non dairy milk

1/2 cup flaked almonds

1 tbs ground flax seed or chia seed

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup roughly crumbled frozen raspberries*

bliss balls or marzipan balls (optional)

approx. 1 tbs maple syrup to taste (or any unrefined sweetener of choice) 

*I didn't have cherries to hand (which would have made a more classic bakewell). I use frozen fruits as they are more readily available for me at this time of year. Their colour does not bleed so much as I mix then through, and they do not risk burning in the oven.

Method:

Mix everything together adding the raspberries in the final strokes. Spoon into a medium oven dish, add a few extra almond flakes into the top if you like. Don't addd the bliss balls yet! If you are making your own bliss balls, you have a 10 minute window to make them now.

Bake at 180C for a total of approx. 25 mins until the topping is golden. After 10-15 mins whilst the top is still quite soft (and not golden) add the bliss balls, pressing them lightly into the top. Continue baking until golden on top.

This may actually be the most delicious breakfast I have ever made…or maybe even ever tasted. The fact that is so simple and good for you too is a bonus! It would make a yummy dessert too!

You have to try it out…and I hardly ever say that about a recipe! (even though I usually think it!)

See, the exclamation marks are out in force again today so this really is something special!!!! Ha!

Ok, ok, I’ve calmed down a little now…breathe.  I woke up on Monday morning and with it being a bank holiday and a lovely change from the norm, I wanted to make myself a little something special, but I had no idea what. I did debate breakfast of the pancake or granola variety but it just wasn’t doing it for me.

Then a brainwave crept over me and I had to give it a shot. What if I made two oaty breakfast cookies to sandwich a hot, rich and fruit filling? It had to work...right?

Oh yes it did, it was so good and so quick. I don’t like to hang about when I’m hungry and this most certainly did the job. With endless variations on the theme for both the ‘crust’ and the filling you can play around with the ingredients to your heart’s content.  I kept the crust quite plain this time so that fruity filling coated in a sweet peanut buttery sauce could take centre stage, but by all means go ahead and jazz up your crust too! I used both an apple and a nectarine (as I had a nectarine that looked like it needed using up) but just the apple and maybe some raisins for an extra juicy texture would also be fabulous.

Recipe: Apple cookie-pie

Serves 1

Ingredients- cookies:

1/3 cup oats

3 tbs buckwheat flour (other flours would probably be fine too)

¼ tsp baking powder

1 tbs ground flax

Ground cinnamon and vanilla extract to taste (approx. ½ tsp each)

1 tbs agave

3-4 tbs soy yoghurt (or regular yoghurt for non vegan)

Walnut pieces to decorate- optional

Ingredients- filling:

1 small apple

1 small nectarine or two apricots (or omit and use 1 large apple)

1 tbs peanut butter

1 tsp ground flax

1 tsp agave (if necessary)

Method

Mix and mash all the cookie ingredients together well to form a thick sticky ball of dough. Divide into two and flatten the ball with wet palms and place both on a microwaveable plate.  Decorate one cookie with walnut pieces.

Cook on full powder in the microwave for 1 min 20s. Press with your finger and if there are no visibly sticky bits you’re done.

Whilst the cookies are cooking, chop the fruit into 1-2 cm sized chunks.  Place the apple in a microwaveable bowl and cook in the microwave for 1 min Add the remaining ingredients and cook for a further 1 minutes. Mix to coat evenly.

These carrot cake blinis had not started life in my head as carrot cake blinis...

They were going to be some kind of gorgeously thin crepe that I could use to wrap up with a breakfast fruit compote...kindly of like these (but with carrot). But as is usually the case, I have issues making large pancakes look pretty. Actually that's not entirely true as  these were pretty good pancakes of the classic British variety, but that aside that I tend to have more success with the small blini type and for that level of perfection I find a melon baller scoops exactly the right amount of batter into the pan…just a little tip for ya!

Since I had already added blended carrot into the batter, I simply added a few extra spices and some walnuts onto the top and then we have carrot cake blinis, the walnuts were actually a really great addition since when the blinis are flipped over for the final minute of cooking it also toasts walnuts nicely.  I blended my carrot, but you could use finely grated carrot for a more visible carrot texture.

This could be served in a variety of ways, here I simply teamed mine with some satsuma slices and a little soy yoghurt but anything goes really...it's your weekend brunch after all so what would you have with them?

Oh, and it goes without saying these could easily make dessert... just layer up into mini ice-cream sandwiches and drizzle with some maple syrup on top and you're good to go. Yay!

Last note, this batter makes quite a lot of blinis but remember they are small...so don't get scared but the number! 

Recipe: Carrot Cake Blinis

makes approx 20 (serves 4 ish)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

3 tbs ground flax

2 tbs maple syrup (or a little stevia)

scant 1 cup water (add extra if needed)

1/2 cup grated or 1/3 cup blended carrot

2 tsp coconut oil- melted

pinch salt

1/2 tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon (or to taste)

approx 1/3 cup chopped walnut pieces for topping

Method:

Blend together all ingredients (other than buckwheat) in a blender until smooth*. Pour into a medium bowl and add the buckwheat flour mixing until a smooth thickish batter is formed. Allow to sit for a couple of minutes to allow the flax to help thicken and bind a little.

Using a melon baller (easiest way!) scoop small dollops of batter onto a hot, lightly oiled, frying pan. add a few chopped walnuts to the top and fry until golden beneath and flip to cook for a minute on the other side.

Serve immediately.