Gloriously crispy, savory, and boasting a delicate flavor profile of sesame this tofu literally can top any dish. With simple ingredients and only taking a short 15 minutes to make, how could you go wrong?
Read moreGarlic Dijon Crispy Tof
I LOVE tofu.
Cold. Scrambled. Silky. Stinky. Fried. In Soup. Baked. Crispy.
It is a versatile protein that you can make taste like anything, yet people seem so scared to try it. Its foreign, its weird, it comes in a big block immersed in strange liquid. I get it!
But seriously, I think it’s the name ‘tofu’ that people don’t like more so than the actual dish. Once I got Richard to actually TRY it, he was obsessed.
The other thing about tofu, is people are afraid of its estrogen content, but lets clear the air of this myth for a second.
Simply put, Soy, what tofu is made of, contains plant based phytoestrogens thought to be linked to breast cancer and male sterility. These isoflavones have been under serious scrutiny in the life sciences field. Current research suggests that estrogen in soy behaves differently from the bodies naturally produces hormone.
Still confused? Just follow this one rule: too much of any good thing, no longer is good! Everything in moderation, even moderation.
This recipe can either be baked or fried (though I prefer baking as I can just throw it on a tray and walk away for half an hour) and can last up to 3 days in the fridge.
You can also mix up the flavors a lot! Add, take away, or alter amounts and let me know what you think! In the image, I served it over a bed of quinoa with wilted spinach, bruschetta topping, artichokes, broiled mushrooms, and balsamic green beans.
My goal in sharing these recipes is not telling you how to cook, but rather offering guided self discovery!
Garlic Dijon Crispy Tofu
Serves: 4
35 Minutes
Ingredients
-1 Block Extra Firm Tofu
-1 Tbsp. Rapeseed Oil
-1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
-1 Clove Garlic (Minced)
-1 Tbsp. Arrowroot Starch or Cornstarch
Method
Preheat Oven to 200C.
Drain tofu. Pat dry with either paper towel or clean cloth. Cut into even cubes.
Place the tofu cubes with the oil, mustard, minced garlic, and cornstarch in a bowl. Toss until tofu is evenly coated.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until browned.
Enjoy warm!
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
Preheat Oven to 180 C.
Peel the apples. Make clean cuts around the core into four sides. then thinly into semi circle slices.
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.
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.
Spread the topping evenly over the apples in the pan.
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
Heat oil in a pan on medium-low heat, add the red onion. Sautee until becoming translucent (about 2-3 min).
Add minced ginger and garlic with the onion. Cook until fragrant and add the turmeric and cayenne pepper.
Meanwhile, remove the tofu from packaging. Drain and pat dry with a clean dishcloth or absorbent kitchen towel.
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.
Add the spinach to the pan and slowly mix in until completely wilted.
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.
One Pan Pecan Granola
Easy, delicious, satisfying, quick, and good for children and adults alike. I really can’t put an end to the positive adjectives to this dish.
I am inherently lazy (partially the reason I left Michelin star kitchens) and am always looking for a short cut in the kitchen.
I love my oven, I really do, but for some reason actually putting something IN the oven makes the dish seem that much more work. Call me crazy! I can’t be the only one.
So, being lazy, not wanting to clean the excess dishes of a mixing bowl AND a tray AND a sticky spatula, I decided to venture into the world of non-oven granola.
I will admit it took a few tries (including making sure my pan was completely dry in between recipe tests and washes as my ‘granola’ quickly turned into ‘oatmeal’ - rooky mistake), but the final test was so beautiful and was so satisfying.
I will never again wait for granola in the oven. Yes, patience is a virtue, but really the best inventors are inpatient and lazy right? How else would we have self operating vacuums or lights that turn on by clapping your hands?
This idea of how to begin on this endeavor started with my time in kitchens as a pastry chef when I was making toffee pecans for a super extra banoffee dessert that included banana ice cream, salted chocolate crumble, and siphoned dolce de leche. I can safely say I gained a lot of weight there. The pecans were made with maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, butter, and more butter.
In my adaption of it, I obviously didn't want butter, or refined sugar so I went off the whim and it turned out SO WELL.
You can use this recipes on top of my Vanilla Poached Pears, on top of yogurt, an apple crumble topping, or wherever else you would use granola.
A word to the wise on this one:
Be very careful, and stay with the pan the entire time. The time in between a perfectly browned pecan and a burnt one is a matter of milliseconds. Don’t let this scare you, but just keep an eye on it and have your ingredients set up beforehand.
One Pan Pecan Granola
Serves 4
10 minutes
Ingredients
-1 Cup GF Oats
-1/2 Cup Pecans
-1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
-Option: Vanilla Extract or Bean
-1 tsp. Cinnamon
Method
Chop half of the pecans roughly, and leave the other half whole. Set aside.
In a pan on low heat, brown the oats slowly over the pan, continuously stirring while you add the pecans to brown slightly and immediately add maple syrup. Add the vanilla essence (if using) and cinnamon here. Continue stirring.
Pour onto a silicon mat and let cool. It will be hard once cool, but no worries! Break up the pieces and cut in a sterilized jar. Leave in a cool place or in the fridge for up 3-5 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
Cut the pear in half, and remove the core (with a knife or a melon baller).
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)
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Leave the pears to poach for 35 minutes for a soft, sweet and delicate treat.
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
Mince the red onion while heating the avocado or rapeseed oil in a pan over medium-low heat.
Meanwhile mince the garlic and add to pan with onions once they begin to become translucent (about 2-3 minutes) and continue to caramelize.
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.
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.
Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm!
Spicy Morrocan Prawns
Richards favourite food are prawns or what, back in Canada, I would have called shrimp.
He decided to go on a boys trip this weekend and in the typical loving, banter filled relationship we have, I decided to make his favourite dish. And send him pictures of it. Oops!
Of course, there are left overs for when he comes back home.
Tonight I made my Spicy Moroccan prawns with smoky cumin sweet potatoes, roasted red pepper and portabella mushrooms with lemony asparagus over mixed greens.
SO. SATISFYING.
Of course, I would also suggest making these over quinoa, brown rice, pasta, or a jacket potato.
Tag @scrambledhealth on Instagram or hashtag your food with #behindthebowl #scrambledhealth so that I can see your unique creations!
Comment below what you are going to pair these Spicy Moroccan Prawns with.
Spicy Moroccan Prawns
Gluten Free, Nut Free, Dairy Free
Serves 2
15 Minutes
Ingredients
-150 g Peeled and Deveined Prawns
-1/2 tbsp. Rapeseed Oil/Avocado Oil
-1 Red Onion
-Option: 1/2 Fresh Chili (I Use Birds Eye Chili for EXTRA HEAT)
-1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
-1 tsp. Cumin
-16 Cherry Tomatoes
-6 Sprigs Flat Leaf Parley
-Salt and Pepper To Taste
Method
Peel and halve the red onion. Thinly slice lengthwise creating semi-circles. Separate the layers to make sure they don't stick together when cooking. If using chili, cut diagonally.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced onion and chilli (The chili, if extra hot like a birds eye, may make your eyes burn and cause coughing. To prevent this, use a chili of less spice). Cook until onions are translucent. This should take about 3-5 minutes.
Pick parsley from stems and roughly chop in the meantime and set aside.
Toss the paprika and cumin in with the onions so that they are fully coated.
Toss the cherry tomatoes in and crush them in the pan so they further release their juices and seeds.
Add the shrimp into the pan. Cook until pink and mix the set aside chopped parsley. Add Salt and Pepper to taste
Serve hot!
Apple Pie Porridge
I have really been on a sweet breakfast kick recently!
Richard was awake this morning to join me for breakfast and I figured I would give him something extra special to see what I get up to breakfast-wise.
I noticed an abundance of apples in our kitchen and as most of my recipes happen, I experimented! My time working as a pastry chef gave me plenty of skills to simply just ‘go for it’ when it comes to trying out new foods. They are definitely not all successes but this one most certainly was!
This porridge was a definite step back to the past for me today. Apple Pie was my favourite as a child, and my dad absolutely loved it- to my mother and grandpas dismay. There was a large divide in my family, one that was solely based in either the adoration or rejection of an apple pie. I was my Dad’s shining daughter siding with him, and gladly divulging into our stint of Saturday’s apple pie. I can honestly say I haven't had apple pie in YEARS and this recipe is as close as I’ve gotten to treating myself to the childhood memories.
Sharing this with you gives me great joy, and I promise you can share the glee with whoever you make this easy, fast, and sneakily-healthy breakfast for.
Apple Pie Porridge
Serves 1
15 minutes
Ingredients
Poached Apples
-1/2 Red Apple (Gala, Pink Lady, Red Delicious, Red Cooking Apple)
-2 Tbsp. Honey or Maple Syrup
-2 Tbsp. Water
-1 tsp. Cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. Vanilla
Oatmeal
-1/2 Cup Oats
-1 Cup Almond Milk (or alternative)
-1/2 tsp Vanilla
-1 tsp. Cinnamon
Topping Ideas
-Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds
-Raisons, Strawberries, Dried Fruit
-Dark Chocolate, Almond Butter
-Hemp Seeds, Chia Seeds, Flax Seeds
Method
Make sure your half of an apple has no core membrane or seeds. Thinly cut lengthwise and separate the apple slices as they tend to stick together.
Place the apple slices in a pan over low heat with the honey/maple syrup, water, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Allow the liquid to bubble and reduce to a syrup while cooking the apples. This should take about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, either in a saucepan or microwaveable bowl, combine the remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and 1 cup almond milk. If making oats over the stove, bring the mixture to a boil, and add in the oats. Lower the heat to a simmer and stir until fully cooked and liquid is absorbed into oats (about 5 minutes). The alternative is in the microwave, adding the oats to the liquid mixture and microwaving on high heat for 2 minutes.
Top the oats with your apple pie mix. Reserve the excess syrup and drizzle over oats. Add toppings of choice!
In this bowl, I added hemp seeds, strawberries, and walnuts!
Let me know what you added to your bowl and hashtag it to #behindthebowl and #scrambledhealth
What more recipes would you like to see? Let me know in the comments below, as I would love to hear from you!
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
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.
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.
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.
Top creatively with chia seeds, and other toppings of choice! Serve hot with coffee or tea (Optional, but highly suggested in the morning)
Salted Caramel Millionaire Bars
Salted Caramel Millionaire Bars
Gluten Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar Free, Paleo
Ingredients
Shortbread
1/2 Cup Almond Flour
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1/3 Cup Coconut Oil
3 tbsp. Maple Syrup
Caramel
1/2 Cup Smooth Almond Butter
1/4 Cup Melted Coconut Oil
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
Pinch Sea Salt
Chocolate Layer
1 Bar Dark Chocolate (85% or higher)
1 tbsp. Coconut Oil
1 tsp. Maple Syrup
Topping
Sea Salt
Option: Freeze Dried Raspberries
Option: Banana Slices
Option: Granola Topping
Method
Shortbread
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius
Combine almond and coconut flour with melted coconut oil and mix until smooth.
Line an 20 x 20 tray with high sides. Line with compostable parchment paper for easy removal. Pour batter into tray, smooth until even, and tap the tray against counter to release air bubbles.
Bake for 12 minutes until starting to brown. Remove from oven. Allow to cool completely.
Caramel
In a saucepan, combine almond butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup.
Place on stove over low heat, and whisk until components are beginning have melted and become liquid.
Whisk in salt to taste.
Allow to completely cool.
Chocolate & Putting It All Together
Once the caramel and shortbread are cool, pour the caramel over the shortbread in the tray and smooth using the back of a silicon or wooden spoon so that it completely covers the shortbread.
Place layered shortbread and salted caramel in fridge to further set. Leave for approximately 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, roughly chop with a knife or hands the chocolate bar. Place in a microwavable bowl, or on a double boiler and add the coconut oil. If using a microwave, put on high heat for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted.
Remove shortbread and caramel layers from fridge. Pour the melted chocolate in a thin layer over, and sprinkle the sea salt on top. Add any other toppings you wish on top at this stage.
Place the Salted Caramel Millionaire Bars in the freezer or fridge until completely chilled.
Cut scrap ends so you have a true square to work with. Cut 1.5 cm by 4 cm rectangles or 2 cm by 2 cm squares dependant on preference. For clean slices wipe down your knife between cuts.
Dependant on the chocolate you have used, and how hot your kitchen is, keep the bars in a cool place or in the fridge. In my recipe, I found organic 100% dark chocolate and because it doesn't have stabilizers or other chemicals along with my hot kitchen, they didn't bare well left out.
I kept some of the bars in the freezer, taking them out to thaw before serving, and left some in the fridge for easy access.
Enjoy as a snack, dessert, or on top of yogurt <3
Banana Chocolate Thumbprint Oat Cookies
BEHIND THE RECIPE
Being an expat in England, I am bound to have culture shock. Despite growing up with an English Nan who had a secret cookie tin in her pantry, I didn't realize the importance of tea and biscuits until I lived with my in-laws deep in Essex County. They are an integral part of daily life here, and expected whenever someone comes to the door- be it a construction worker, a plumber, painter, neighbour, friend. It is borderline offensive - scratch that - It IS offensive not to have tea and biscuits in steady supply.
While I can appreciate the skill required in the biscuit dunk in tea timing (too long it falls apart, too soon and its too crunchy), this obsession England has with biscuits soon became my vice in weight. My mother-in-law - bless her - constantly bought me ‘healthy’ gluten free biscuits and cookies from the free-from isle of supermarkets. While I truly appreciated the gesture, just a look at the ingredients had my esophagitis gurgling. What even is golden syrup made of anyways?
I now make these cookies as a healthy substitute for myself to feel included in on the fun day long event of biscuit eating, and honestly, everyone joins in on them too. It makes me feel SO happy that others are choosing the healthier option simply because of the ease of availability of which I make them, and taste rather than the convenient, chemical filled, processed ones. Because the ingredients are always readily available in my kitchen, and how fast they can be made, Banana Chocolate Thumbprint Oat Cookies are ALWAYS on my counter.
NUTRIENTS & STUFF
These cookies, despite being called ‘cookies’, are a great energy boosting on the go breakfast because of their ingredients.
Bananas are cheap, nutritious, and versatile. Packed full of fibre, they’re likely to fill you up and keep you full until the next meal. The potassium rich fruit also holds the key ingredients for your body to function properly. Be sure to buy fair trade and organic bananas, as with their popularity, sustainability of the fruit comes into question.
Oats are also cheap, nutritious and versatile! According to the British Journal of Nutrition, the dietary fibre, lipids, β-glucan and avenanthramides contribute to the heap of health benefits they seen to have on the human body including effects on cholesterol, and the cardiovascular system. Modern processing of oats to retain nutritional value and sustainability are being developed to create a foundation of admirable global health food practices.
Banana Chocolate Thumbprint Oat Cookies
Gluten Free, Nut Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar Free
Makes 14 Cookies Dependant on Size
15-20 minutes
Ingredients
-2 Bananas
-2 Cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats
-2 tbsp. Coconut Oil
-1 tsp. Vanilla extract
-4 tbsp. Honey/Maple Syrup
- Dark Chocolate Bar (85% or above)
-Pinch Sea Salt
Method
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
Peel the bananas and, using a fork, mash the bananas until a mushy consistency. Lumps and bumps in the mash are okay at this stage.
Melt the coconut oil on the stove, or in the microwave on high for 30 sec.
Add the oats, coconut oil, vanilla and honey to the mashed bananas. Mix until batter is fully combined.
Place the batter in the fridge for 10 minutes minimum for the oats to absorb flavour and liquid.
Using your hands, roll the oat batter into a 4 cm by 4 cm ball. Place on a lined baking tray and press the balls down into circles. Create a small well in the center of each cookie. This is where your chocolate will later go.
Put the tray into the oven and bake for 13 minutes or until the cookies are beginning to brown around the edges. Meanwhile cut the chocolate into square chunks.
Remove the tray from oven and, in the center wells created before, put an individual chocolate square in the cookie. Put the cookies back in the oven for a final 2-3 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool completely.
