Date & peanut bark

As I don’t really drink much these days (alcohol gives me awful migraines), Dry January isn’t much of a challenge. So I decided to give up refined sugar and clothes shopping this year—my two main vices! So I jumped on board the viral date bark train (to be honest, I think it departed a few months ago, but never mind) and made this healthier version of a Snickers bar.

Good quality, high-percentage dark chocolate is pretty nutritious and can be a healthy part of your diet (in moderation!). It is high in fibre and antioxidants such as polyphenols that feed your gut microbes, plus iron, copper (support nerve cells and the immune system), manganese (anti-inflammatory, blood sugar regulation, bone formation, and blood clotting), and small amounts (around 45g per week) may reduce LDL cholesterol levels and help to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Dates contain a fair bit of natural sugar but also provide a significant number of nutrients, so they aren’t empty calories like confectionary. They are high in antioxidants (which reduce cell-damaging free radicals and the harmful effects of LDL cholesterol on arteries), fiber, and minerals that support bone health, such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Peanut butter is high in fat, but half is monounsaturated in the form of oleic acid, which may support insulin sensitivity and help regulate blood sugar levels.

Peanuts are a good source of plant protein (22% protein, but lower in methionine and cysteine than animal sources), relatively low in carbohydrates (20%), and high in vitamin E (an antioxidant) and B3 or niacin (which supports healthy skin, digestion, and nervous system).

Ingredients

·      200g 100% dark chocolate

·      400g medjool dates

·      4-5 heaped tbps crunchy peanut butter (no added sugar )

·      Sprinkle of desiccated coconut (optional)

·      Sprinkle of sea salt (optional)

Method

·      Lay out a piece of baking parchment on a large tray (approx 30x25cm).

·      Pit the dates.

·      Melt the chocolate gently in a glass bowl either over a pan with an inch of boiling water, or as I did, in the microwave on a medium setting for one minute at a time – stirring each time.

·      Pour a thin layer of dark chocolate in a rectangular shape on to the baking parchment and even out with a palette knife (approx. 22x26cm).

·      Press the dates as flat as you can into the chocolate ‘face down’ / skin up.

·      Sprinkle over a small pinch of sea salt now if you’re using it.

·      Spread out a layer of peanut butter onto the dates using a knife to make it as even as possible – you can add more if you want a thicker later.

·      Put the chocolate in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to heat it up before pouring over the peanut butter and spreading as evenly as possible with a palette knife.

·      Sprinkle over the desiccated coconut if you’re using it.

·      Put in freezer to harden for a minimum of 30 minutes and chop in uneven pieces or break with your hands!

·      Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Banana & peanut butter smoothie

I love this kind of combination for breakfast - creamy bananas and nuts are where I’m at in the morning! This smoothie tastes really good and is full of protein so it keeps you going all morning.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 100g banana (about 1 whole / frozen if possible)

• 1 tbsp peanut butter

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 250ml nut milk or organic whole

• 1 medjool date, optional

method

• Blitz!

tip

• Switch the Oatly for any plant milk or cow’s if you prefer.

American-style pancakes with peanut butter & banana

I always make pancakes using a one-cup recipe, as it’s easy to remember and pretty much failsafe. It’s best to use US measuring cups, but if not you could use a teacup, a small mug or weighing scales.

As well as these small, fluffy American-style pancakes, you can also make larger, thin French-style crêpes using this recipe (see below). The American-style just have an extra stage and use one more bowl, but once you’re used to doing it, it’s no big deal.

We loved this combo of peanut butter and banana with a few crunchy pumpkin seeds, but feel free to swap for any of the following: fresh berries, fruit compote, maple, honey, sugar & lemon, jam, Nutella (kid fave), chocolate chips or yoghurt.

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 small pancakes

• 1 cup (140g) plain flour

• 1 cup (240ml) milk (cow’s or plant)

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp baking powder

• Small handful of pumpkin seeds

• 3-4 tbsp peanut butter

• 2 tbsp runny honey or maple syrup

• 1 banana, sliced

method

• Weigh out the flour into a large mixing bowl.

• Pour the milk into the flour.

• Then separate the egg: yolk goes in with the flour and white in a separate medium sized bowl.

• This is the extra stage: whisk the egg white into soft peaks (see photo), which takes about 1 minute on high - I use the whisk attachment on my hand blender.

• Add the baking powder to the flour mix and whisk briefly to combine.

• Then gently fold the egg whites into the flour, so you don’t knock all the air out.

• Melt the peanut butter and honey or maple in the microwave for approx 20 seconds, stir well.

• Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and then start cooking the first 2-3 pancakes.

• I use a ladle to measure out the mix, the pancakes should be approx 12cm across.

• Cook the first side until you see air bubbles form on the uncooked surface, this should take about 1 minute on a medium heat. Then turn for another minute.

• Add a little more oil for each batch and toast the pumpkin seeds in a corner of the pan while the pancakes cook.

• Serve with slices of banana, a spoon of peanut butter and a few pumpkin seeds.

tip

• If you want to serve all the pancakes together, preheat the oven to 50ºc and store them on a baking tray or plate until you’ve finished cooking.

• To make crêpes: whisk the flour, milk and eggs together and you’re ready to go.
  

Honey & sunflower overnight oats

I always think that overnight oats are a nice alternative to porridge as they’re a nice alternative to porridge as I don’t always fancy a hot breakfast and they have the added bonus of being ready straight away in the morning. You just need to do a little prep the night before. Today I topped with mixed berry compote and peanut butter, but there are lots of other options you could try: any kind of fruit compote, chopped nuts or seeds, fresh or dried fruit, desiccated coconut, nut butter or yoghurt.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 200g oats

• 680ml nut milk or organic whole

• 25g flax seeds

• 25g chia seeds

• 25g sunflower seeds

• 1 ½ tbsp maple or honey

Fruit compote

• 200g frozen mixed berries

• 200g frozen blueberries

• 3 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

• Mix all the ingredients in a lidded tub and leave in the fridge over night.

• Heat all the frozen fruit in a saucepan for about 5 minutes stirring regularly so the heat is distributed evenly, then add the sugar and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

• Top with compote, dark roast peanut butter, banana and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.

Pumpkin soup with chilli & ginger

It wouldn’t be Halloween without the obligatory pumpkin soup post would it?! Like Lockdown without banana bread...
My recipe this year took a slightly unexpected, but interesting, turn with the addition of coconut milk, chilli, lime and my latest discovery: dark roast peanut butter (linked in the ingredients). If you’ve never tried it you need to, it’s umami heaven! So good on toast too.
I’d originally planned to make more of a classic pumpkin soup with white wine and cream, but I went in a different direction and ended up using more Thai style flavours, which makes sense of the peanuts, right? They bring a deep savoury back note rather than being an obvious addition, I don’t think many people would be able to guess they were there, but they add a lovely subtle umami richness.
There’s also fresh ginger, a little chilli heat and a zing of lime - a bright note to counteract the sweetness of the roasted vegetables - essential in most dishes imo.

This recipe is for a big pan of soup so halve it if you prefer, but I always like to make extra for the freezer.

Ingredients

Makes 2.8l or 8 servings

• 1 medium sized pumpkin

• 1 squash, chopped weight approx 800g ex seeds

• 2 large onions, diced

• 30g fresh ginger, grated

• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

• 1 stock cube

• 1l water

• 400ml coco milk

• 1 tbsp dark roast peanut butter

• 2.5 tsp sea salt

• Handful of toasted pumpkin seeds

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Peel and chop the squash into wedges; place on a large tray with 1.5 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and mix well to coat. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, turn and repeat; the squash should be browned on at least a couple of sides. Remove from the oven and set aside.

• Chop the pumpkin in half, you might want to cut off the stalk at the top first though. Then put on a large roasting tray, covering the cut sides loosely with foil and place in the oven for approx 1 hour. Test by sticking a knife in at this stage and see if it is soft all the way through, if not put back in the oven for 30 minutes and repeat if necessary. Set aside to cool a little while you chop the onions.

• Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, cooking for about 15-20 mins on low.

• Once the pumpkin has cooled enough to touch it, cut out and throw away the seeds, then scrape the flesh out of the skin and put in a bowl. Keep the water that has been released from the pumpkin while cooking as this will go into the soup to add extra flavour.

• Once the onions are softened add the ginger, mix well and warm for 1 minute. Then add the squash, pumpkin and pumpkin water, chilli, crumbled stock cube, 1l of water, peanut butter and coconut milk; simmer for 15- 20 minutes.

• Blitz with a stick blender; you may need to add 100-200ml of water to get the right consistency, just do it gradually and then add the sea salt one tsp at a time. The quantity of extra water needed and salt will vary slightly depending on the size and how watery your pumpkin was.

• Serve with sourdough and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds.

Tip

• Cook the squash or pumpkin on the previous day to save time when making the soup as they take awhile too cook and use a lot of oven space.

• If it’s not pumpkin season then just use another butternut squash instead.