So I decided to pick a few pumpkins up…

One to carve!

And one to cook!

I saw a recipe in a magazine for pumpkin mash potato which gave me the idea to make this delicious potato bake recipe, I love using different squashes as alternatives to potato as I find them so much tastier. Take a look at my Spiced Roasted Butternut Squash recipe for another tasty dish perfect for warming you up on a cold winter night!

I LOVE the combination of sweet in with a savoury dish and the flavours in this work great together to form a delicious taste of autumn with the fresh in season fruit and veg. This can be served as a side like you would potato or even served with a simple salad like I had for my dinner was delicious!

Recipe:

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1.2kg (trimmed weight) of pumpkin flesh
• 4 eating apples
• 1 medium potato
• 3 oranges
• 150ml of milk (I used LactoFree)
• Pomegranate and coriander (optional)
• Two tablespoons on dairy free spread (I used Pure)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220c. Roughly chop the pumpkin in to medium sized pieces. Peel and core the apples and cut in to pieces along with the potato.
2. In a large saucepan melt the spread to grease the pan and add the pumpkin, apple and potato. Stir frequently for 10 minutes until softened.
3. Squeeze the juice of three oranges in the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cover pan and leave to simmer on a low heat for a further 10 minutes.
4. Drain off excess liquid from the pan and lightly mash. Transfer in to baking tray and place in oven for 10 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and drizzle the milk over the baking tray, season further if desired and place back in oven for 10 – 15 minutes until golden and crispy.

               

 I enjoy the taste of butternut squash roasted without any seasoning but ever since trying it with this Bart -Ras El Hanout spice I can’t imagine wanting to cook it any other way!  I first had this spice with a delicious risotto and really enjoyed the warm Moroccan taste it carries through a dish.

I don’t get along very well with spicy food, the same as many people living with stomach problems but it doesn’t mean I don’t like a warming flavour in my meals. I use a lot of paprika in place of chilli, as it is a warming flavourful spice without being hot and leaving that spicy after taste.  What staple herbs and spices do you keep in your kitchen to add flavour without upsetting your stomach?

Recipe:

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Butternut Squash
• Seaseme Oil
• Bart’s – Ral El Hanout Spice 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220c. Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds inside with a spoon. Peel the skin and then chop in to small bitesize pieces.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the butternut squash and the oil. Mix well until the oil has lightly coated the cubes.
3. Spread the cubes out evenly on a baking tray. Take the Ral El Hanout spice and carefully sprinkle over entire tray, give the tray a shake to spread the spice out more and coat the cubes.
   

   Once coated, give the tray a good shake and stir everything round to ensure all the cubes are covered with the tasty spice and oil!

4. Place in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes until golden orange and crispy!
   

   This honestly tastes so good I could eat an entire tray to myself.... and very nearly did! Enjoy

You can roll this dough out and make cute heart shaped biscuits!

Not only is this a healthy way to fulfil a chocolate craving, you are giving your body valuable nutrition as the ingredients to make these include natural sugars, oats and nuts, all of which will feed your body energy and make you feel great!

I love the combination of chocolate and coconut, these were a delicious treat. if you have a craving for any flavours but want a healthy alternative to enjoy them, let me know and I’ll do my best to create a sweet healthy treat for you!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 100grams of Cashews
• 50grams of Rolled Oats
• 40grams of Plain Flour (I used Doves Farm, wheat and gluten free)
• 1 tablespoon of Organic Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• 2 tablespoons of Agave
• 2 tablespoons of Honey
• 2 tablespoons of Hot Chocolate Powder (I used Light Choices, at only 15kcal per tablespoon)
• 50grams of Desiccated Coconut

You can also add a scoop of protein powder to this mix, approximately for every scoop (20grams) add two table spoons of water to keep the mix moist and dough like.

Method:

1. Set your oven to 180c. Grease a lined baking tray with lowcal spray (if cooking). In a food processor blend the cashews, oats, flour and hot chocolate powder. You may need to stop the blender and with a spoon move the mixture around then blend again as the cashews can get stuck. Once blended you should be left with a flour mix.
2. Next add the sugar, vanilla, agave and honey. Blend until mix is moist throughout and dough like, then add two tablespoons of water and blend again.
3. Remove mix from blender in to bowl and kneed with wet hands to add moisture. In the bowl tip the coconut and kneed in to the dough throughout.
4. Roll out the dough and use a cutter to make small biscuits or mold in to small balls as shown in the picture.
5. Place on baking tray and bake in the oven for FIVE MINUTES if they are thin biscuits and TEN minutes if they and thick balls, both shown in pictures below.
   

   5 Minutes in the oven when making thinner biscuits with the dough!

   

   10 Minutes in oven when making thick bites like these. I put a a few cranberries in the middle of some of them which went really well

6. These can also be enjoyed raw, mold in the balls and place in fridge for an hour before eating as they are far tastier cold when raw.

I put this recipe together by combing a few different recipes and adding some ingredients of my own and they came out better than I ever imagined. They are like a warm soft cookie on the outside with a doughy warm cake on the inside. The warming cinnamon flavours mixed with the chocolate raisins make them a perfect warm treat straight out the oven now we’re heading in to autumn.

These soft bake cookies, like many of my recipes, are definitely proof that it is worth investing in these alternative baking goods. Not only are they good for people with intolerances and allergies they also turn treats like these cookies in to something that aren’t full of all fatty ingredients. These are still meant as treats and I’m not saying they are drastically less in calorie but by swapping ingredients like butter and sugar to coconut oil and agave, you are doing your body a favour as they are GOOD sugars and fats and have healthy benefits.

If you are looking for a free from type of treat to share with friends, I’d definitely recommend these and people will be converted to a healthier way of cooking within one bite! I prefer these served warm so if you have friends coming over get the mix ready and pop them in the oven ten minutes before serving. They are also perfect served with a scoop of ice cream which will slowly melt on top of the warm cookie, for a more calorific treat!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 150ml of coconut oil (comes in a paste like form so microwave for 20 seconds in a bowl then measure out in ml, melt a small amount at a time to avoid over estimating when melted and waste)
• 100grams honey
• 100grams agave nectar
• 1 egg
• 6 Tbsp. of applesauce
• 1 Tsp. of vanilla extract
• 350grams of Doves Farm plain white flour
• 40grams of ground almonds
• 1 Tbsp. of cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. of Xanthan Gum
• 1 Tsp. Bicarbonate of soda
• 150grams of chocolate raisins (you could also use currents or choc chips)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170c and line a baking tray with tin foil. In a bowl add the coconut oil, honey, agave, egg, applesauce and vanilla extract and whisk until well combined (ensure all lumps of apple sauce or coconut oil are smoothed well in to the mix).
2. In a separate bowl add the flour, almonds, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and xanthan gum and mix with a spoon in to one combined dry mix. With a wooden spoon or spatula slowly add the flour mix and fold in to the wet mixture a small amount at a time, this should form an oily feeling dough like mix. Fold in the chocolate raisins until evenly spread throughout.
   

   The mixture will feel and look very oily and slippery so expect to get your hands messy!

3. With a tablespoon take a heaped spoon of the mix and form in to a ball with your hand, place on to baking tray and press down with spoon making a thick, flat cookie shape. These will not change shape much in oven so I try and make them in to the best shape I can before putting in oven. Sprinkle each cookie with a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon. Place in oven for ten minutes.
4. Take out and leave to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack or plate as they can break easily when too hot. To store, keep in airtight container in a cool dry place and they should keep for up to 3 days.

I usually avoid any wheat or gluten bread choices as they leave me very bloated but even though these Old El Paso corn wraps are not wheat free they have never flared up my intolerance so I enjoy them from time to time at lunch and dinner! As with most intolerances it’s the overeating of a food product which builds up the intolerance and its subsequent reactions so keeping this is mind I don’t over eat these. What really gave these wraps some flavour was my mixing the chopped lettuce in a bowl with my leftover peanut and orange sauce from my dinner last night, you can find the recipe to make this delicious sauce and some tasty spring rolls by clicking here.

A useful tip I learnt from this was to grating the Sheese was a perfect way to serve it, many vegan cheeses have strong flavour and slicing can not only be more difficult than with normal cheese but a slice can sometimes be too strong. By grating it, it made it easy to slightly melt on the tortilla when in the pan and would be a perfect way to serve the cheese in a salad to avoid lumps; these small grated pieces will carry the cheesy taste through many dishes.

This is a really healthy and flavourful lunch that you can prepare in under ten 15 minutes and it beats a sandwich and crisps! Let me know any of your favourite quick and healthy lunch ideas and share the recipes below!

Recipe

Ingredients:

• Chopped lettuce lightly tossed in my homemade peanut orange sauce
• Old El Paso corn tortilla
• Thin slices of cucumber and tomato
• Grated Sheese (or any vegan cheese)
• Handful of Quorn Chicken Style Pieces
• Humus

Method

1. Slice the tomato and cucumber in to thin slices which will bend easily when wrapping the tortilla later. In a bowl mix the lettuce with a light serving of peanut sauce (if you don’t have time to make the sauce just mix with humus) and sprinkle in a little pepper for seasoning. Leave both aside for later.
2. Grease a frying pan and lightly fry the Quorn pieces for ten minutes until golden brown. Take the corn wraps and lightly spread on humus and a sprinkling of grated sheese. When the chicken is done remove from frying pan and place in a bowl, using the same pan transfer the tortilla in to the pan and leave to warm for around 30 seconds slighting shaking the pan to avoid burning or sticking.
3. Remove from pan on to a plate and top with chicken, lettuce, and the sliced cucumber and tomato. Wrap and use a small tooth pick to hold in place is needed. Enjoy with a side salad for a light tasty lunch!
   

   Pile up all the tasty ingredients on the warm tortilla.....

   

   ...Wrap up and enjoy!

The sauce is probably my favourite part of this dish, it’s a perfect match with the spring rolls but I enjoy it so much that I often make some up just to use as a dipping sauce with some veg sticks as afternoon snack.

This tasty sauce takes two minutes to whip up and goes great with cucumber and carrot sticks as a healthy snack!

I used sesame oil in place of olive oil, there are so many different choices and alternatives to oils available and I take full advantage of the choices and enjoy trying them out. I recently bought this organic sesame oil at my local health food store for around £5 however I saw sesame oil in Tesco the other day down the Jamaican food aisle for less than £2. Sesame oil goes well with this dish in particular as it is often used as a flavour enhancer in Chinese cuisine and carries a lovely nutty flavour through the dish.

In moderation different oils carry many health benefits; sesame oil is a good source of vitamin E, which has anti-oxidant qualities. It has also been linked with lowering cholesterol and the high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids helps to control blood pressure. It also contains high levels of magnesium and calcium along with other vitamins. I have personally found too much oil tends to have negative side effects on me such as headaches, which is why I have resorted to using low calorie sunflower spray when frying and baking as a way to cut back on too much oil all together. However small amounts of oil in your diet are healthy, just be more conscious when using oil and think about swapping to alternatives like sunflower sprays when preparing some foods.

I picked up the rice paper wraps at a Chinese food store near me, an important tip when wrapping these is to ensure you fill them enough so you don’t end up with more wrap than you do filling and the wrap will then become quiet thick and glutinous so try to avoid piling the excess wrap all in one place as you will end up with on thin side to the roll and one thicker side.

I found this really short and helpful video on YouTube to show you how to wrap the rolls correctly to spread the paper evenly and avoid clumping, click here to watch now.

If you haven’t used rice paper wrappers before you will find straight out the packet they are hard and very easy to break, here is a video from the same channel as above on how to soak them in water to prepare the wrap to be used. Click here to watch the video.

This is what the wraps look like before you lightly soak them, I found an old shallow round dish to dip them in...

You can enjoy these raw however I did chose to cook mine as I find it dries the water from the wrap up making it slightly crispy and it takes away what can be a soggy rice texture if soaked in water for too long. These are perfect for entertaining as you can prepare them before guests arrive and then pop in the oven for 5 – 10 minutes just before serving!

Recipe:

Makes approximately four rolls, the measurements aren’t so important in the spring rolls, just use as much as you think you’ll eat!

Ingredients:

Peanut and Orange Sauce (Serves 2 – 3 people)

• 2½ Tbsp. peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• ¼ Tbsp. sesame Oil
• 1 squeezed orange
• ½ Tsp. paprika
• 1 Tsp. ginger powder or raw root ginger to crush in

Chinese Chicken Spring Rolls

• ½ bag of Quorn chicken style pieces
• ½ a pepper
• ½ tin of chick peas
• 4 spring onions
• ½ tin water chestnuts
• Large handful of shitake mushrooms
• Spring roll, rice paper wrappers

• 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c and line a baking tray and lightly grease. First prepare the peanut sauce by combining all the ingredients and mixing well with a spoon until all ingredients are combined.  Leave aside.
2. Next prepare your veg filling for the rolls, begin by chopping the pepper into short straight sticks and thinly slice the water chestnuts and mushrooms. Take two of the spring onions and chop in to small circles, then take the other two and cut them to form longer strands as shown in the picture. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
3. Lightly grease a frying pan and add the chicken style pieces, lightly fry for five minutes until turning golden brown and then add all the veg, leaving the longer strands of spring onion aside. Fry for a further five minutes until cooked through (make sure not to overcook, the rolls taste much nicer if the filling still has some crunch!)
4. 
5. Dip the rice paper under water for about ten seconds, shake and place on chopping board (be aware the wraps continue to soften once out the water so don’t over soak). Fill with peanut sauce, veg and chicken mix out the pan and the spring onion strands you left aside earlier. Optionally, sprinkle on a little pepper, ginger powder or other seasoning to give them an extra kick. Wrap as shown in video above, avoiding an uneven pile up of the wrap on one side. Place on baking tray and repeat. If you experience any breakage, you can always wrap them again for a sturdier roll or restart all together. I had one with a tiny hole in and you’ll find once you cook them the rips tend not to get any worse.
   

   I like to drizzle a good helping of the peanut sauce IN the roll before wrapping so drizzle some on top if you want extra peanut sauce, like me!

6. Place in oven for 5 – 10 minutes. Take out and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
   

   Have a spatula or knife handy when taking them off the tray, being made of rice these wraps can be sticky and tear when pulled away from the tray too quickly, so wiggle them off slowly!

   7.  Serve with Peanut sauce on the side for dipping! 

   

   Enjoy! Let me know what you think and how yours turn out!

Unfortunately after getting hyped up to start baking I began to look at the ingredients and was disappointed to find I was missing half of what some recipes needed. Most recipes called for ingredients such as cane juice, flax meal, xanthan gum and coconut oil, to name a few more mainstream of the long ingredients list. I feel many normal households wouldn’t always have these ingredients stocked and some of them can be hard to find and sometimes more pricey than normal baking ingredients. I’m a big supporter in changing your lifestyle to fit around healthier eating but I don’t think recipes like this are always convenient and easy to follow, meaning many of us won’t bother.

With this is mind I still wanted to try out some of the recipes as they did look delicious, I happened to have all the ingredients to make Johnny Cakes which were in the biscuits and scones section. I had never heard of them before but they are described as a ‘part cornbread pancake and part American biscuit’. I worked at a child’s summer camp last year in California and was there for 4 months giving me plenty of time to try out some authentic American favourites for myself! I become particularly fond of both cornbread and American biscuit so the combination of the two was definitely something I wanted to try.

The recipe was easy to follow and best of all I loved the result of the Johnny Cakes. I made some alterations to the recipe based on what I had in the kitchen and my own taste, I swapped the agave for honey and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon as opposed to salt. This made them a much sweeter tasting treat perfect for tea time but you could try them with agave and salt for a more savory taste.

After the success of these I will definitely be trying more recipes from the book, I’ve seen some raspberry scones I’m tempted to try so keep an eye out for the results of how they come out!

In conclusion I would say that if you aren’t use to vegan and free from cooking this probably isn’t the first place I would suggest you try for recipes, as you will need to stock up on a lot of ingredients you most likely may not have in the cupboards. However I can imagine after great results of just one recipe from this book that it would be worth investing in the ingredients if you intended to bake several recipes from it.

Recipe:

Adapted from the BabyCakes recipe for Johnny Cakes

Ingredients:

• 180grams of Doves Farm whole spelt flour
• 100grams of cornmeal
• 1 Tbsp. of baking powder
• 75ml of coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp. of agave nectar
• ½ Tsp. of vanilla extract
• 50ml of warm water
• Sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Line a baking tray, ideally with greaseproof paper but if like me you don’t have any at home use tinfoil and lightly grease.
2. In a bowl mix the flour, cornmeal and baking powder until well combined.
3. Stir in the coconut oil, agave nectar, vanilla extract and warm water. Whisk until a lumpy and grainy like mixture is formed (as shown in the picture).
4. Scoop around two heaped tablespoons of the mixture in to your hands and create a ball then press down firm to form a round biscuit shape.
5. Sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon on top of each cake and place on the over for ten minutes.
6. Removed from oven and while still on tray immediately drizzle honey over each one and then allow the honey to soak in and cool for ten minutes.
7. Move on to plate and enjoy while warm! To start place in an airtight container and they should keep for two days.

An average egg contains approximately 72 calories, 55 of those calories come from the yolk and only 17 from the white. There is 4.5 grams of fat in the yolk compared to 0.1 grams in the white and on another seemingly positive side the white contains 5 grams of protein and the yolk has the other 2.7grams. Now if you were on a weight loss or high protein diet this would make excluding the yolk seems like a good option as its high protein and low fat.

Looking in to the vitamins and minerals from an egg, the egg white alone contains 80% of the magnesium and 75% of the potassium content which is good for the heart and blood. However, the yolk contains 90% of the calcium and 93% of the iron content from the whole egg, meaning you lose close to any calcium or iron content you would have gained from the egg when you exclude the yolk.

One of the most common reasons people use egg whites alone is to reduce the amount of fat and calories they would get if eating the whole egg.  The egg yolk contains 4.5grams of fat but it is a GOOD fat, the body needs fats to survive and an egg is a healthy way to get the healthy fats in to your diet. The fat that an egg contains is a long chain Omega 3 fatty acid DHA, which is good for a healthy brain along with being known to promote healthy hair and skin.

Another negative myth surrounding egg yolks is they contribute to heart disease and other heart related problems due to the yolk containing 210mg of cholesterol and 0.0mg in just the egg white. However cholesterol itself does not cause heart disease and there is no evidence been found to prove that the yolk can contribute to heart disease.

After reading in to all the facts about egg yolks vs whites, I would have to say that I don’t agree with using just the egg white for a ‘healthier’ alternative. Yes, it is a lower calorie and lower fat alternative but while you’re saving yourself these calories and fat you are losing out on nutrition such as calcium, iron and essential fatty acids which are good for the brain and what better way to start your day than by knowing you’re feeding your brain with your breakfast. I think that using the egg white alone is a good alternative if you are trying to lose weight or you are on a short term high protein diet but from a health point of view in short, you lose the yolk and you’re losing the majority of the nutrition.

With all this in mind I thought I would create an egg white breakfast to try for myself what the taste was like, if any different!  I personally couldn’t taste much difference besides the slight lack of taste in my opinion compared to when I use the whole egg, it also didn’t cook as easily as the whole egg and I had to leave it in the pan for much longer than I normally do with scrambled egg so if you do begin to cook and it looks like it’s not going anywhere, persevere as it will eventually scramble. It made a nice breakfast and filled me up but I’m not convinced that egg whites are the way forward for me and I’ll be sticking to using the whole egg in future to get all that good nutrition!

Recipe:

serves 1

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 3 tbsp. of rice milk
• 1 ½ diced tomato
• 2 sliced mushrooms
• 2 Ryvita Original Crackerbreads
• A sprinkle of Lea and Perrins to top (optional)

Method:

1. In a bowl mix the whisk the egg whites with the rice milk and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste, leave aside.
2. Slice the mushrooms and dice the tomato. Grease a frying pan with low cal spray and add the mushroom and tomato, leave to cook for five minutes.
3. Pour the egg white mix over the veg in the frying pan and keep everything moving to avoid any egg sticking to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes until golden brown.
4. Move on to a warm plate and season with Lea and Perrins. Enjoy with some lightly buttered Ryvita Crackerbread.

We all know oats are good for us but what exactly can this super food do for our health?

• Good for Digestion – Fibre is necessary for regular bowel movements and can play a large part in helping people with IBS. Obviously you could get fibre from other foods but the good thing about oats is they contain two types of fibre, one being insoluble fibre. This helps to make stools heavier and speed up their passage along the gut which relieves constipation. Many people who suffer with constipation often steer away from high fibre food such as oats, as they think it will make the problem worse but it actually has the opposite effect. I myself do find that too many oats, for example a bowl of porridge, is too heavy on my stomach and leaves me feeling very heavy and bloated but by eating smaller more regular servings of high fibre food such as oats (try these flapjacks for example as they are perfect little bites!) can help IBS by regulating bowel movements.

• Lowers Cholesterol and Blood Pressure – The other type of fibre which oats contain is soluble fibre, which has been proven to lower blood pressure when consuming a daily serving of oats. High blood pressure can lead to many complications and problems with the heart and kidneys. Oats contain beta-glucan which helps towards lowering blood LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol in our body). You, like me may not currently suffer from any problems with cholesterol or blood pressure but by consuming more oats you can help to reduce your risk of these types of problems in the future.

• Aids Weight Loss and Maintaining a Healthy Weight – With the high soluble fibre content of oats, it means our bodies pass and digest the oats through the body at a slower pace. This leaves you feeling satisfied for longer and avoids the need to snack to keep your energy up.  Oats are also much higher in protein than other breakfast cereal and this high intake of protein will leave you with more energy for working out and speed up your metabolism.

• Controlling Blood Sugar Levels - Oats are also good for stabilizing your blood sugar levels as with their high fibre content, the body passes the food slower meaning it doesn’t instantly create and release glucose and energy from the food all at once, instead it slowly produces and releases glucose giving you a more stable amount of energy for a longer time. With many breakfast choices I have had in the past I often had a rush of energy which not only doesn’t last long it also results in a crash effect where I then feel very tired. By eating oats regularly you can take more control of your blood sugar levels and avoid problems such hypo glycaemia and more developed problems such as diabetes.

• Calming Effects – Oats are rich in B vitamins such as thiamin and riboflavin which allow the body to produce energy, help to maintain a healthy nervous system and reduce stress. Oats also act as a natural anti-depressant and are often used to depression and anxiety with their calming properties.

I could go on and on about oats! I have found out so much myself through doing this research and have inspired myself to get even more oats in my diet! Below you’ll find a simple recipe for my Power Packed Flapjack, they are full of good ingredients making them great for breakfast, a snack after a workout or enjoying with friends at tea time. After reading all the natural benefits oats can give you they are a quick and tasty way to start getting more in to your diet today!

Recipe:

Makes approximately 20 bars

Ingredients:

• 300grams of rolled oats
• 80grams of agave nectar
• 2 tbsp. of honey
• 8 tbsp. of warm water
• 30grams of sunflower spread
• 30grams of smooth peanut butter
• One mashed up banana
• 100grams of dried fruit, berries or chocolate chips (I used a mix of chocolate raisins, sultanas and cranberries)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c. Grease a baking tray (I used a 7×12 inch) with low cal spray. In a bowl mix the oats, agave nectar, honey and warm water until combined.
2. Using a wooden spoon smooth in the sunflower spread, peanut butter and banana, this may take a few minutes and some effort as the mix can be quiet thick. Finally add the dried fruit and choc chip and mix through.
   

   This mixture can be very thick to stir but for perfect results persist until well combined! Add a teaspoons of water to help blend if needed....

3. Pour all the mix in to the baking tray and spread out evenly. Take a normal tablespoon and pat down until the mix is spread evenly and firm.
   

   I used a silver desert spoon to pat down evenly for a smoother result.

4. Place in the oven and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly golden brown around the edge. Slice in to small squares and transfer to a plate to cool. To store, keep in an airtight container in a cool dry place. You can also enjoy these raw, just follow the first three steps and place in fridge for half an hour to harden up then store as you would the cooked flapjack!
   

   Not only tasty but packed with energy and all the goodness from the oats!

With this in mind I decided to make one of my all-time favourite dishes, peanut chicken. It’s so simple to make and gives the chicken such a moist yet crispy taste, best of all it’s a healthy way to give a dish flavour without using a packet sauce full of sugar and salt.

I’ve made this chicken to top salads and stir frys but tonight I was just making a quick dinner for myself and topped it on a bed of warm spinach and veg. If you do try it, post picture of what you chose to serve it with and let me know what you thought!

Recipe:

I had to make the sauce tonight with Worchester sauce as you’ll see from the pictures but I usually make it with a light soy sauce. To be honest I hardly noticed the difference but if you are making the chicken as a Chinese inspired dish I would recommend a soy sauce in place! I was using cooked chicken as there was half a roast chicken left over from the night before so I decided to use that. If you’re making with an uncooked chicken breast, I’d recommend slicing the breast and filling with the peanut sauce and coating all over breast then place on a tray, cover completely with tin foil to avoid burning the coating and cook in the oven at 220c for 20 minutes. I then take it out the oven and lightly fry for a few minutes to make crispy. Either way is delicious!

Ingredients:

Serves 1

 For the Chicken

• 1 chicken breast cooked and shredded
• 2 tbsp. of peanut butter
• 2 tbsp. of Worchester sauce
• A pinch of chilli flakes
• 5 tbsp. of tomato passata

For the veg and spinach

• A handful of spinach
• ½ tin of sweetcorn
• ¼ tin of chickpeas
• ½ a carrot chopped
• 2 chopped mushrooms
• 3 tbsp. of chopped tomatoes

Method:

1. In a bowl mix the peanut butter, Worchester sauce, chilli flakes and tomato passata until combined, leave aside.
2. Grease a pan with low cal spray and lightly fry the mushrooms, sweetcorn, chickpeas, carrot and chopped tomato. Leaving on a low heat.
3.  Place the peanut butter mix in the microwave for 30 seconds until warm. In a separate pan, grease with low cal spray and begin to light fry to chicken, add the bowl of sauce to the pan ensuring all the chicken in being coated in the mix. Keep the chicken moving for about five minutes until hot and slightly crispy. Add more tomato passata if the pan needs more moisture to stop the chicken from burning rather than adding more oil.
4. Take the spinach and add it to the veg pan to wilt. Mix in with the veg and heat for about 1 minute, keeping the spinach moving so it doesn’t shrivel up.
5. Place the veg and spinach on plate and top with chicken. Enjoy!
   

   The crispy shredded chicken with the warm soft spinach is perfect for a healthy warming meal as the nights are getting colder!