Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Breakfast Bar

British berries are fantastic. A short walk through the woodlands and you will find many identifiable (as well as mysterious) berries growing on bushes.

It is a massive comfort in many ways, as I grew up spending my weekends and summers in Northern Ontario in Canada, surrounded by wilderness. Holding my childhood memories in nature, I realize how fortunate I am to even just have a deeper connection to where our food comes from.

These abundant forests, that I still consider my home, grew blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and even the stay black bear indulging on the same tart delicacies. Visiting my parents house, I can still walk around the property among deer, beavers, and loons and pick raspberries for a pie or cake.

Of course, wild raspberries are probably 1/10th the size of farm grown, and are packed with flavor like no other. We sometimes will pick them in late august (if the animals haven’t beat us to it) and freeze them for a later date. You can of course do this with farmed local berries when in season (as they taste better and hold more nutrients then off-season). It’s perfect for pies, or breakfast oat bars like this!

In this recipe, I’ve used my base for breakfast bars, which is gluten free oats, a ripe banana, coconut oil and maple syrup. You can add whatever you like to this, just follow the recipe and flavor accordingly!

Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Breakfast Bars

Serves 12

30 Minutes

Ingredients

-1 Cup Gluten Free Oats

-1 Ripe Banana

-1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil, melted (I use Lucy Bee, as it is fair trade and rated 1st in ethical coconut brands)

-3 Tbsp. Maple Syrup

-1 Tsp. Vanilla

-1/2 Cup Organic British Raspberries

-1/2 Bar Dark Chocolate (I use Montezuma 100%, but you can use anything over 75%)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Mash your banana in a bowl, combine oats, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Let sit for 10 minutes.

3. Chop Dark Chocolate into chunks, and add to bowl with the raspberries and fold into oat ‘batter’ gently.

4. Bake 15-20 Minutes until golden. Cool completely and cut.

Keep covered for 2-3 days, in fridge for 5, or store in freezer for 1 month.

Easy Apple Crumble

Working in Catering, I some days was making a berry or apple crumble for over 400 people at a time.

Have you ever tried to make a controlled dish? Its hard right?? The topping of the crumble recipe I had to use was one that had to be checked every few minutes, and turned every 3. For up to 16 trays.

It was stressful, but it taught me so much about myself, how to elevate stress, and deal with unproductive emotions in a work setting. It was a time of personal growth and while it wasn't easy, no meaningful transformation is.

I had swore off baking for about a year after leaving my pastry chef career. It was a part of the growth I needed in order to heal, become grounded, and re-center. I had discovered an acute gluten sensitivity while working in pastry getting rashes on my hands after handling dough, and becoming instantly sick when tasting my dishes. This fear of being sick again was a large part of my swear-off of sweets, but I have rekindled my love and now work towards making healthy versions of the dishes that I made during my time in work.

This apple crumble is not at all based on those recipes, but largely inspired by the giant bag of baking apples in my mother in laws pantry!

So over a year after making crumble for hundreds of people, i’m back at it, in a relaxed setting and on my own terms with ingredients I trust.

Oh the excitement!

This crumble is best served warm, but can be easily reheated in the microwave.

I have served it with regular vanilla ice-cream, vegan caramel (recipe coming soon), vegan custard (recipe also coming soon) or -unashamed to say- for breakfast with kefir and goji berries.

The crumble can be left covered on the counter or fridge for up to 4 days (so you can treat yourself all week long).

Easy Apple Crumble

Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Refined Sugar Free

Serves 8

45 Minutes

Ingredients

Apple Base

-6 Bramley Apples

-1 tsp Cinnamon

-1/8 tsp Nutmeg

-2 tbsp. Maple Syrup

Crumble

-2 1/2 Cups GF Oats

-1/2 Cup Pecans

-1/3 Cup Ground Almonds (or Almond Flour)

-1/3 Cup Maple Syrup

-1/4 Cup Melted Coconut Oil

-Pinch Salt

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 180 C.

2. Peel the apples. Make clean cuts around the core into four sides. then thinly into semi circle slices.

3. Place the apple slices in a bowl. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup. Ensure the fruit is evenly coated with the spices and syrup. Spread in a 8 x 8 tray, and set aside.

4. In a bowl add the oats, ground almonds, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, salt, and half of the pecans (1/4 cup). Roughly chop the other half of the pecans (1/4 cup), add to the mixture, and fully combine.

5. Spread the topping evenly over the apples in the pan.

6. Bake 30 minutes or until fragrant and golden brown on top.

Plant Powered Protein Scramble

Despite the name, Scrambled Health is NOT based on scrambled eggs but rather is the background of a nickname I’ve adapted to. Working in my first Michelin star French kitchen I was asked to make scrambled eggs for staff meal.

I began my culinary career at Le Cordon Bleu learning gastronomy and nutritional cooking. This, along with the fact that eggs always disturbed my esphogitus, I had spent years as a vegan, and the smell of any egg dish would make me gag… I could say that I had never scrambled an egg.

To this day, I struggle to make scrambled eggs as well as my ten year old brother can.

Back in my family home, I was known in my family for serving them my tofu scramble and pretending it was made from eggs. I fooled some! My traditional eggs and bacon English breakfast grandfather had been fooled multiple times.

This recipe is incredibly versatile. I’ve used it as egg salad (adding vegan mayonnaise), in a breakfast wrap with roasted potatoes, in salads, over toast, over sweet potatoes, with hummus on roasted veggies… the flavours are mild, enjoyable and complementary to a variety of foods.

Try this out and experiment!

I would love to hear how you served this dish!

xx

Plant Powered Protein Scramble

Vegetarian, Vegan (Option), Gluten Free, Nut Free

Serves 2

15 Minutes

Ingredients

-1 tsp rapeseed or avocado oil

-1/2 Red Onion, Minced

-1 cm Cube Fresh Ginger, Minced

-1 Clove Garlic, Minced

-1 tsp. Turmeric

-1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

-1 Block Firm Tofu

-150 g Fresh Spinach

-Salt and Pepper to Taste

OPTION

-50 g Goat Cheese, or Feta

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan on medium-low heat, add the red onion. Sautee until becoming translucent (about 2-3 min).

2. Add minced ginger and garlic with the onion. Cook until fragrant and add the turmeric and cayenne pepper.

3. Meanwhile, remove the tofu from packaging. Drain and pat dry with a clean dishcloth or absorbent kitchen towel.

4. Crumble the tofu into the pan, so it is small chunks. Stir the mixture for about 3-5 minutes, until tofu is cooked and fully immersed with the spices and onion mix. Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

5. Add the spinach to the pan and slowly mix in until completely wilted.

6. At this time, you have the option of adding feta or goat cheese. Mix the cheese throughout for a great salty and tangy addition of flavour.

Serve warm as a replacement of scrambled eggs or cold as a egg salad. Keep leftovers in fridge for up to 3 days.

Vanilla Poached Pears

Dessert Or breakfast these are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. You can technically have breakfast for dessert… without any judgement (from me anyways).

I often make my vanilla poached pears for parties, family members, or my own lazy brunch morning with Rich and myself.

They seem luxurious, intricate, and impress everyone… little do they know, these took less than 40 minutes - most of which I was sitting reading my current novel “The Language of Kindness” by Christie Watson (I highly recommend).

I’m letting you in on my secret dessert dish which I ‘pretend’ are really complicated at dinner parties by explaining the dish with grandiose phrasing. What can I say, I’m a cancer and I just need positive attention.

I know, horrible, but I am making up for my deception by sharing these with you- and so that you can do the same with your friends and family!

The trick is staying coy. “No, no, it was so easy! Really, it's nothing!” and I swear it almost makes the dish taste SWEETER.

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Now that I have shown you my true colours (Oops!) I’m going to move on to the making behind the dish.

This dish can be made vegan, gluten free, and can also be done as nut free and paleo (without the pecan granola). It requires minimal cutting, is pretty much one step, and is incredibly delicious with delicate flavours. I made this the other morning for what was a healthy breakfast, made with only fruit and free sugars.

Oh, and the biggest plus was my kitchen smelled fabulous all day.

The poached pears are best served hot, immediately after plating, with a dollop of cultured yogurt (I use coconut collaborative, or goats milk yogurt), or a scoop of vanilla and/or salted caramel ice cream and topped with my one pan pecan granola, which can be found here. With all the components the dish is complete in both texture and flavour, but I encourage you to be creative and let me know what you made these with!

For breakfast as seen in the pictures, I added cultured goat yogurt, my one pan pecan granola, with a sprinkle of chia and honey!

LETS GET STARTED!!

Vanilla Poached Pears

Gluten Free, Vegan Option, Vegetarian, Paleo (without granola), Nut Free (without granola), Refined Sugar Free

Serves 1

5 Minutes Prep.

35 Minutes Cook

Ingredients

-1 Pear (of any kind; not overly ripe and still hard)

-1/4 Cup Honey/Maple Syrup

-1 tsp. Vanilla

-1 tsp. Cinnamon

Method

1. Cut the pear in half, and remove the core (with a knife or a melon baller).

2. Place the pear cut side up in a saucepan, and add your choice of sweetener (honey/maple syrup), vanilla and cinnamon. Fill with water until pears are completely covered with liquid (and then some (amount depends on your pot)

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Leave the pears to poach for 35 minutes for a soft, sweet and delicate treat.

4. Serve warm.

Garlic & Parsley Mixed Mushrooms

Garlic. CHECK! Mixed mushrooms. CHECK! Delicious, variable, & easy? CHECK CHECK CHECK!

This recipe is a crowd pleasing winner all around, and it is SO EASY AND VERSATILE.

Great as an impressive breakfast, either on grilled sour bread toast, under eggs, or as a side dish to your Sunday roast!

Garlic Parsley Mixed Mushrooms

Serves 2

15 Minutes

Ingredients

-1 tsp. Avocado/Rapeseed Oil

-1/2 Red Onion

- 1 Clove Garlic

-200 g Mixed Mushrooms (Shitake, White Cap, Button, Portobello, oyster etc.)

-10 Sprigs Fresh Parsley

-Salt & Pepper To Taste

Method

1. Mince the red onion while heating the avocado or rapeseed oil in a pan over medium-low heat.

2. Meanwhile mince the garlic and add to pan with onions once they begin to become translucent (about 2-3 minutes) and continue to caramelize.

3. Wash dirt off of the mushrooms, leaving them underwater no longer than 30 seconds (they will begin to absorb and become watery). Slice the mushrooms thinly while the onions cook. Remove any long stems, and add to pan once the onions are fully caramelized and sweet.

4. The mushrooms will release moisture, and soon should become browned. Coarsely chop the washed and stemmed parsley while the mix is cooking. Once liquid is evaporated and the mix is fully browned and cooked, turn the heat off and add the fresh parsley. Make sure the herb is evenly immersed in the mushroom mix.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm!

Caramelized Banana and Maple Chia Porridge

Yes. Your read that right.

Caramelized Bananas on a health and wellbeing website.

And no, this isn't a ‘everything in moderation’ post.

This oatmeal recipe was inspired by a breakfast dish I made a few times a week for staff meal while working in Michelin kitchens however, there it is more butter than banana.

I came back to this dish thinking of how much I was craving sweet comfort food, but, with my trip to Italy coming up, I just could not have my 8th Salted Caramel Millionaire Bar within a 24 hour span- yes, they are THAT good. Knowing I had bananas, and having just stocked up on oats to make my Banana Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies for Richards road trip to Cardiff this long weekend, I decided to fill myself up for the day of work ahead.

In this recipe, you can either make the oats on a stove, or microwave. For half a cup of oats I use between 1 cup to 2 cups of Plenish almond milk (depending on how liquid I want my oats). I topped the porridge with blackberries for tartness to cut the sweetness of the bananas and maple but you can use pretty much anything! As for the Chia seeds you can mix them in the porridge or use them as a pretty topping. Take a picture of your creation and tag me on @scrambledhealth. I would love to see how you’ve done it and remember to hashtag with #behindthebowl.

Caramelized Bananas and Maple Chia Porridge

15 minutes

Serves 1

Ingredients

-1/2 Cup Gluten Free Oats

-1 Cup Almond Milk (or Alternative)

-1 Banana

-2 tbsp. Maple Syrup

-1 tsp. Cinnamon

-1 tsp. Chia

Topping Ideas

-Blackberries, Blueberries, raspberries

-Walnuts, Peanuts, Almond Butter, Hemp Seeds

Method

1. Stove: Bring your milk of choice to a boil on medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the Oats, bring to a simmer on low heat, and stir until liquid is absorbed.

2. Cut the banana in thin slices, separate them (as bananas are sticky!) and place in a saucepan to coat with the maple syrup and cinnamon. Bring to medium heat until the syrup starts to bubble.

3. Toss the bananas until they start to caramelize on the edges and become very soft. Remove from heat and add the bananas to the top of your porridge. Reserve the liquid in pan, and use as a drizzle sauce.

4. Top creatively with chia seeds, and other toppings of choice! Serve hot with coffee or tea (Optional, but highly suggested in the morning)