Banana, Maple & Toasted Almond Porridge

I, of all people, don’t need an excuse to dig into a warm bowl of porridge (I think my Instagram feed says it all). Super thick, sweet and creamy oats are the stuff my dreams are made of. So when the weather is wintery and cold outside, you can bet your last penny I’m at the breakfast table with a warm bowl of it and a cup of tea.

The toppings are endless, but my ultimate favourite is this Banana, Maple & Toasted Almond porridge. The warm banana is incredibly sweet, the toasted almonds and poppy seeds pack a real nutritional punch, and the maple syrup makes this healthy breakfast feel like a dessert.

Now I could sit here all day preaching the power of the porridge, but the most important thing about eating oats for breakfast is that they’re full of soluble fibre (beta-glucan) and are a low GI food. This means that they won’t spike your blood sugar levels, like some sugary breakfast cereals, to keep you satisfied and less likely to crave the sweet stuff for the rest of the day.

Pre-workout. Post-workout. Lazy mornings. Busy mornings. It’s the only way to fuel my day. 

Serves 2

Ingredients

80g Oats

1 Cup Milk/Nut Mylk/Dairy Alternative

1 Cup Water

1 Banana Chopped

20g Chopped/Flaked Almonds

2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

1 Tsp Poppy Seeds

Method

In a pan over a high heat, bring to the boil the oats, milk and water, then lower to a gentle simmer stirring occasionally. 

Whilst the porridge is cooking, toast the almonds in a pan over a medium-high heat until golden brown. This usually takes 3 - 4 minutes.

Stir through the poppy seeds, maple syrup and half the chopped banana. Cook until is reaches your desired consistency. If you prefer runnier porridge, slowly add more water.

Serve in a bowl, topping your porridge with the rest of your banana, toasted almonds and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Enjoy

K

Chocolate Chip Courgette Muffins

So she awoke in a sugary daze January 1st, left to wonder if December ever really happened at all...

The month of December seems to be a black hole for all good and healthy intentions. A place where one too many mince pies are consumed and where morning workouts are this mythological idea - especially those early morning ones. Where opening one door of an advent calendar accidentally turned into opening them all, and one Christmas film on a lazy afternoon suddenly turned into 5. Where you’re left learning, the hard way, you’ll always love wine more than it loves you.

But it did happen. Decembers officially over, and with the New Year in full swing, it’s time to kick off that sugary daze.

These muffins are the perfect healthy snack to help hit the reset button and start nourishing our bodies again. A deliciously sweet treat to satisfy anyones post-Christmas sweet tooth, but entirely free from refined sugars, oils and gluten. So that extra roast potato you probably shouldn’t have eaten? Forget about it. Start the year fresh with these Courgette Chocolate Chip Muffins.

This recipe is adapted from the OhSheGlows Cookbook, and this is her method. I have used buckwheat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour in order to make these gluten free. 

Ingredients

Makes 12 muffins

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk 

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

2 cups buckwheat flour

1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate (preferably over 85%)

1 1/4 cups lightly packed grated courgette

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a muffin tin (I know this is an oil free recipe, but I like to grease with coconut oil).
2. In a small bowl, stir together the ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons water. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Set aside. It will curdle a bit, but that’s the point - we’re making vegan buttermilk.
4. In a large bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. To the bowl with the milk and vinegar mixture, stir in the flaxseed mixture, the maple syrup, and the vanilla. Pour the milk mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped dark chocolate and courgette, being careful not to over-mix.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each well three-quarters full. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the muffins slowly spring back when touched. A toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin should come out clean. Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes.
7. Run a knife around the edges of the muffins to release them from the pan and transfer them to a rack to cool completely. 

K