Category: Breakfast

This granola is quick and easy to make and keeps in an airtight container for a few weeks. It has a lot less sugar than shop bought granola. For a vegan version replace the honey with maple syrup.  The recipe also works well with gluten-free oats if required.

Ingredients:

Makes 15 servings

• 2tbsp/30ml of vegetable oil
• 75ml honey
• 75ml fresh orange juice (about 1.5 oranges)
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 300g oats
• 125g mixed seeds (I use sunflower, pumpkin and a few sesame seeds)
• 100g dried fruit (I use sultanas and apricots)
• 50g desiccated coconut

Method:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 2/150C

1. Mix the oil, honey and vanilla in a bowl
2. Add the remaining ingredients except the dried fruit and coconut
3. Mix well
4. Spread the mixture evenly on to two baking trays
5. Bake for 15 minutes then add the coconut and mix it in
6. Bake for a further 10 minutes
7. Add the dried fruit and bake for a final 5 minutes (you can add the fruit at the same time as the coconut but I find it burns a bit)

This recipe is great if you are short on time in the morning. You can make it the night before, leave it in the fridge and the next morning it is ready to eat before you leave the house.

Rhubarb is in season and it is packed full of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to help keep the body healthy. Rhubarb has a high fiber content and as a result is often used in Chinese medicine to relieve constipation and other stomach ailments. Rhubarb also has very high levels of Vitamin k which not only supports healthy bone growth but some research suggests that it may help with the prevention of Alzheimer’s. Among its many health benefits a key one that is often unknown is that rhubarb is a great source of calcium, it is up there with salmon and spinach!

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 30g fresh rhubarb
• 1 orange
• 1/4tsp grated fresh ginger
• 130g jumbo oats
• 50ml of dairy-free yoghurt or plain natural yoghurt
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• ¼ banana
• 1 tbsp pump[kin seeds

Method:

1. To make the compote chop the rhubarb and place in a small saucepan with the juice of ½ the orange and the grated ginger. Simmer until the rhubarb is soft, about 15 minutes
2. Leave the rhubarb compote to cool
3. When the rhubarb is cool add the yoghurt, and stir well. Next add the oats and chia seeds and stir well. If the mixture is too thick add some more yoghurt
4. Place the mixture into a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight
5. In the morning remove from the fridge, top with banana, orange slices and pumpkin seeds