Coconut Chocolate Chickpea Cookies | Healthy Vegan Gluten Free Sugar Free

Coconut Chocolate Chickpea Cookies | Healthy Vegan Gluten Free Sugar Free 

I absolutely love cookies as everyone does but it always requires either oats or flour. Today I came up with an amazing gluten free recipe using a can of chickpeas! I added coconut flour for an amazing coconut flavour but if you don't have it then just don't add it, they work delicious without. If you want to make these exactly with the coconut flour and coconut oil then head on over to Cocofina.com and use my 15% discount code: bestfollowers. http://www.cocofina.com/store/

(Makes 6 cookies) 

Ingredients:

1/2 can chickpeas

5 dates, pitted, soaked 

2 tsp coconut flour (optional)

1/8 tsp cinammon 

1/8 tsp vanilla powder 

10g coconut oil 

4 pieces of dark chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. In a bowl add the chickpeas and dates and mash together with a fork. Add the coconut flour, cinammon, vanilla and coconut oil and combine well. Then mix in the dark chocolate. Using your hands form 6 medium patty like cookies and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper or tin foil. Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until golden. Take out of the oven and allow to cool thoroughly so the coconut oil can set hardening the cookies. Then enjoy! 

These are such a great snack food on the go. Hope you make them! 

Watch me make them: http://youtu.be/2uAk_ha20X8

Lots of love,

Robyn x

Coconut Chocolate Chickpea Cookies | Healthy Vegan Gluten Free Sugar Free 

Vegan Recipe: Cinnamon Rolls

Vegan Recipe: Cinnamon Rolls

I made these as a treat for my house mates for our weekly Sunday roast. They went down super well so thought I'd write a recipe for them. 

(Makes 12 rolls) 

Ingredients:

300g flour (gf or plain)

1 tsp baking powder

 50g sugar

100ml water 

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp sugar syrup eg golden, maple, agave

In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder and sugar then gradually add the water with a spatula to form a dough. Split the dough in two and roll out each at a time to form a thin large rectangle. To make a thick cinnamon sauce mix in a small bowl the cinammon, syrup, 1/2 tbsp flour and 3 tbsp water. Mix to form a thick sauce and spread all over the dough saving some for later. Roll up the dough from the longest edge to form a long sausage. And place on a lined baking sheet, spread the rest of the sauce over the top and bake for 20-30 minutes 200 degrees Celsius until risen, fluffy and golden. Once cooked allow to cool and slice into inch thick slices. Delicious. 

Hope you enjoy!

Lots of love,

Robyn x

Vegan Recipe: Cinnamon Rolls

Hazelnut Custard Apple Crumble! HCLF VEGAN

Hazelnut Custard Apple Crumble! HCLF VEGAN

Apple crumble is one of those comfort favourites everyone loves! I made this with my two lovely friends (one has even gone vegan!) They absolutely loved it and said the custard was even better than normal custard! It's low in fat and made with simple ingredients you probably already have! Here's the recipe:

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

Filling~

2 large cooking apples 

2 tsp cinammon 

200ml water

Crumble~

200g flour (gf or plain)

200g oats

5 tbsp syrup (golden, agave, sweet freedom, maple)

1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)

50ml water

Custard~ 

600ml hazelnut milk

1 tbsp custard powder 

1 squirt date syrup (optional from sainsburys)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Add the filling ingredients to a pan and simmer until nicely stewed and thick. Meanwhile in a large bowl add the flour and oats, then gradually add the syrup mixing continuously to form a crumbly texture. Then add the coconut oil and gradually mix in the water. Once the apple is cooked pour into a dish and sprinkle the crumble on top. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden! 

To make the custard gradually heat the hazelnut milk until steaming but not boiling. In a large bowl add the custard powder and about 4 tbsp cold milk, mix to form a runny paste. Once the milk is hot pour into the paste stiring continuously, then pour back in the pan and heat until thick. Serve poured over the crumble and topped with date syrup!

I hope you make this for all your friends and family. It's low fat and super delicious making you feel good after. 

Lots of love,

Robyn x

Festive Flapjacks!

Festive Flapjacks!

As the festive season has started I thought I'd make you some festive flapjacks! Made with gluten free oats they're a great festive treat for everyone. I came up with this recipe whilst chatting with my lovely dietetic friends :)

(Makes 9 bars)

Ingredients:

100g jumbo oats (I used gluten free oats from waitrose)

30g dried cranberries

40g pumpkin seeds

1 orange 

2 medjool dates

4 tbsp golden syrup

50ml water

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. To a bowl add the oats, cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Then using a fine grater grate the zest of the orange and using scissors chop up the dates and add to the bowl. Finally add the golden syrup and water and mix together. Line a dish or tin with baking paper and press in the mixture using a spatula or spoon. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden. Allow to cool then cut into squares are serve! 

Absolutely delicious. One tip to speed up the cooking would be to have the grill on at the same time. But keep an eye on them as they could burn more easily. I hope you enjoyed the recipe and that it gets you into the festive spirit! 

See the recipe video here: https://youtu.be/cT1ZipNsQcg

Lots of love,

Robyn x

Lentil Burgers

Lentil Burgers

(Makes 25 mini burgers)

Ingredients:

3 carrots

1 large courgette

200g red split lentils

1 onion

1 can chickpeas 

1 tsp thyme

Fresh coriander 

1/2 tsp Chili flakes

100g flour (gf or wheat)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Rinse the lentils, add water and bring to the boil and simmer until fluffy. Grate the carrot and courgette into a large bowl, finely dice the onion, add the drained chickpeas and cooked lentils. Then blend together with a hand blender until combined but chunky. Add the herbs, spices and flour and mix together with a spoon. Line a baking tray with tin foil and place a tsp of oil on top, and wipe over. Form golf ball size balls of mixture and place evenly spaced onto the tray. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, flip with a spatula and bake for a further 15 minutes. The burgers should have flattened and spread out. Then serve in bread with salsa, tomatoes and lettuce. Perfection. 

Victoria Jam Sponge CupCake

Victoria Jam Cup Cakes

(Makes 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

200g gram flour

1 tsp baking soda

300ml water

100g caster sugar or golden syrup 

3 tbsp raspberry jam

Add the flour, baking soda, sugar to a bowl and gradually mix in the water until thick and creamy batter forms. Pour into a cupcake tin, bake on 200 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly then using a knife slice in half horizontally and spread with the jam. Place back together and enjoy!

Chocolate CupCake | GF

Chocolate CupCakes 

(Makes 10)

Ingredients:

150g gram flour

20g icing sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1-2 tbsp choc shot

200ml water

In a bowl add all the ingredients and slowly mix in the water to form a thick batter. Pour into a cupcake tin and bake in the oven for 15 mins at 200 degrees celcius. Take out and dust with more icing sugar. Delicious! 

Luxurious Carrot Cake

Luxurious Carrot Cake

(1 large cake) 

Ingredients:

5 carrots

400g medjool dates

100g desiccated coconut (optional)

300g oats

200ml water

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

Icing:

1 lemon juiced

200g icing sugar

2 tbsp water 

Put the dates in a bowl of 200ml water and soak whilst you prepare the rest, finely dice the carrots or food process. Then in a clean food processor blend the oats into a flour, add to a bowl along with the desiccated coconut, cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda. Blend the dates and mix with the carrot then add to the dry mixture, mix well and add a little more water if necessary. Add to a deep cake tin lined with baking paper and bake in the oven on 200 degrees celcius for 45 minutes. Once cooked, take out the tin and spread over the icing, top with some date halves and allow to cool for the most luxurious carrot cake ever! 

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

(Makes 8 slices)

Ingredients:

2 cups pumpkin purée or a small fresh pumpkin

200g pitted dates

100g oats 

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup sugar

To make the pumpkin purée just peel the pumpkin, chop into medium pieces and bake in the oven for 30 minutes around 200 degrees celcius. Then blend up with 1/3 cup sugar. 

In a food processor blend the dates and oats to form a stif dough mixture and press it into the sides of the dish. Pour the pumpkin purée into the dish and spread out, top with the chopped nuts, sugar and bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden, serve! 

Watch my video here: http://youtu.be/5S4LJf1-tsM

Warming Carrot Cake

Warming Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

(Serves 1)

150g oats

4 carrots

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon 

30g sultanas (optional)

In a food processor blend up the oats and add to a bowl, then chop the carrots roughly into chunks and blend them up too. Add to the bowl along with the maple syrup, cinnamon and sultanas. Mix well then add about 150ml water until it forms a thick dough like mixture. Spread on a tray coated in baking paper or in a cake tin and bake at 180 degrees celcius for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Cookies!

Ingredients:

(makes 12 cookies)

300g oats 

110g flour (wholemeal/rice)

75g cane sugar

75g golden syrup 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp baking soda 

3 tbsp peanut butter 

1 bar dark chocolate 

200-300ml water

Using a knife finely chop the chocolate, leaving a few larger chunks. In a large bowl add all the ingredients (apart from the large chocolate chunks) and mix well with a spatula, then spoon onto a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Add the large chocolate chunks on top pressing them into the mixture. Bake in the oven for 10-15mins on 180 degrees celcius. Then enjoy hot or cold, warning: unbelievably tasty! 

Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/6ZoMBYxgMB0

Cinnamon Oaty Bites

Ingredients:

(Makes 10 bites)

1.5 cups oats

2 spotty bananas 

1/4 cup sultanas

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

In a bowl mash the bananas, add the oats, sultanas, cinnamon and mix together. Spoon onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven on 180 degrees celcius until golden for about 10 minutes. Then allow to cool and enjoy! 

Pumpkin Pie!

Ingredients: 

(Makes 1 pie)

250g dates

1-2 cups oats

1 medium pumpkin (4 cups puréed)

Alternatively use pumpkin purée

3 tbsp maple/golden syrup

2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius. Slice the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds, chop into slices and place on a baking tray. Cook in the oven until soft - about 45 minutes. Once cooked immediately peel off the skins, scooping out the flesh into a bowl. Then mash with a fork or blend until a smooth purée forms. At this point add maple/golden syrup, cinnamon and mix thoroughly. 

 In a food processor at the dates, pitted and the oats. Process until a thick sticky dough forms. Tip onto a pie dish and using the back of a spoon smoosh into the edges and up the sides to form a pie crust. Then temporarily place either in the freezer or oven to set. 

Then take your pie dish out and scoop in the pumpkin filling, top with chopped nuts and a sprinkle of sugar and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until golden. Then serve! :) 

Simple Breakfast Pancakes

Ingredients:

(Serves 1-2)

100g plain flour

100g wholemeal flour

200ml water

2 tsp icing sugar

In a jug measure the flour and mix in the icing sugar and water. Using a whisk or a fork form a thick smooth batter. On the stove heat up your ceramic frying pan (found on amazon) to medium heat. Then pour in some of the batter and allow to cook. No oil needed. Once it appears to be cooked and the edges of the pancake start to rise using a spatula flip the pancake and fry the other side. Transfer to a plate and repeat for the remaining batter. Simple and delicious served with chopped banana and cinnamon :) 

Simple Pancakes 

Raw veggie Mini Pizza

Raw Veggie Mini Pizza

Ingredients:

(Serves 1-2)

1 large wide aubergine 

1 beef tomato 

2 carrots 

1 cup diced broccoli

1 zucchini spiralized 

1 spring onion

Sauce:

1 tbsp tahini 

2 sundried tomatoes

1/2 lemon juiced 

Slice the aubergine width ways into 1/2 inch pizza base slices. Coat the slices in lemon juice and set aside whilst you prepare the toppings. Dice the tomatoes, broccoli and spring onions finely, grate the carrot and spiralize the zucchini. For the sauce, blend all the sauce ingredients with a little water if nesessary using a hand blender. Finally, coat the slice with some sauce then top with the toppings as shown and serve :) super tasty! 

Raw Veggie Mini Pizza 

My Favourite Sweet Pepper Dip

Ingredients:

(Serves 1-2)

Dip:

6 mini mixed colours sweet peppers

2 sticks celery

1/2 avocado 

50ml coconut water 

Other:

1 head celery 

Few sprigs fresh coriander 

Sprinkle chilli flakes 

1 head round/butter leaf lettuce 

2 cups peas 

Simply blend all the dip ingredients and serve. Chop up the celery as shown then top everything with coriander and chilli flakes :) delicious! This is my favourite dip to date! 

Bonus:

In your blender blend the peas, some coconut water and some celery. And you have a pea purée dip! Into a lettuce leaf spoon in both of the dips and you have a lettuce taco :) 

Special Lasagne a la Vegan!

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

2 cans organic chopped tomatoes

1 carrot

1 parsnip

1 turnip

6 mini yellow and orange bell peppers (2 bell peppers)

1.5 cups petit pois peas

1 can organic chickpeas

1 tsp tahini (optional) 

1/2 head cauliflower

1/5 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp fresh chopped chives

250g (dry) Gluten free lasagna sheets 

2 fresh tomatoes 

Tomato Ragu Sauce:

In a medium pan add the 2 cans of tomatoes and bring to the boil, peel and dice the carrot, parsnip and turnip and add. Cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Then dice the bell peppers and add to the tomato sauce along with the peas, cook for a further 3 minutes. Using a hand blender combine the tomato mixture to thicken, leaving a few chunks.

White Sauce:

Meanwhile in a food processor* add the tahini, chickpeas and the juice. Blend to form a thick sauce. Finely dice the cauliflower and add, blend together. Pour into a pan add the nutmeg and chives and simmer, stirring occasionally. 

Turn on your oven to 200 degrees celcius. Into a large deep dish place your first layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of lasagna sheets maybe 3 (it's fine to overlap just make sure the sauce completely submerges them both sides). Then a layer of white sauce, layer of lasagna sheets etc until your dish is full. For the final layer cover the sheets with sauce and place on the sliced fresh tomatoes. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Once cooked serve (using a spatula) along with basmati rice and a salad :) Delicious! 

*you could just use a hand blender for this (cheap from Sainsbury's) 

(Photo before baking)

Pancakes!

Ingredients:

(Makes 12 scotch pancakes)

Dry ingredients:

150g gluten free bread flour - (Doves farm found in Sainsbury's) 

150g rice flour 

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp flax seed (optional)

Wet ingredients:

150 ml rice milk

150 ml water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 tbsp maple syrup

Coconut oil for frying

Maple syrup for topping

Extra Utensils: pastry cutter - about 9"

In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients. To a second bowl mix all the wet ingredients together. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients slowly until a thick batter forms (add more water if necessary). 

For Scotch Pancakes (top photo):

Place 1/4 tsp coconut oil into a frying pan, turn up to medium heat, the oil should melt, smooth over the pan using a metal spatula. Place the pastry cutter into the pan upside down so that the round edge is facing down. Pour in a tbsp of batter (it should sizzle) then allow to cook until the top side appears to solidify. Gently wiggle the cutter off, flip with your spatula and fry the other side for about a minute until golden, then serve! *

For thin Pancakes (bottom photo):

Add an extra 100ml water to the batter. Coat pan in 1/4 tsp coconut oil, on medium heat, place in 2-3 tbsp of batter, move the pan to spread the batter. Allow to cook for a few minutes then scoop off with a spatula and flip. Cook on the other side until golden and serve! 

Eat immediately with maple syrup for warm crispy pancakes. 

*Tip: if you have many cutters then you could cook many pancakes at one time. 

CHECK OUT MY VIDEO DEMO: http://youtu.be/z0_jinjV5DI

Sweet Potato Paprika Pie

Ingredients: 

(Serves 2-4) 

1.5kg sweet potatoes 

200g red split lentils

2 carrots

1 leek

1 large head kale or spring greens

4 beetroot leaves & stems 

4 broccoli stems

1 sprig parsley

Spices:

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp cumin 

Sides:

1 red bell pepper

2-4 large handfulls mixed lettuce leaves 

Mashed potato topping:

Peel all your sweet potatoes and dice into chunks. Add them to a large pan, fill with water until just covered, place on a lid and bring to the boil. Simmer until soft, drain (saving some juices), place back into the pan and mash with either a masher or a hand blender. Blend with some of the juices to make a fluffier mash. 

Filling:

Pan 1 - Rinse the lentils and add to a small pan along with 3 cups of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Pan 2 - Meanwhile, slice the leek into rounds and dice the carrots into small chunks (peel if necessary) then add to a medium pan and stir fry with a splash of water on medium heat until soft and fragrant.

Pan 3 - Rinse and chop the greens (kale, beetroot leaves, broccoli stems) into small pieces and place in a large pan with 2-3 cups of water, cover with a lid and allow to steam until bright green and tender (you may need to stir a few times).

Once that's all cooked place the lentils, leek and carrot into pan 3 with the greens. Add the turmeric, paprika and cumin and stir together to form a very thick mixture, add some sweet potato juices if necessary. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes to combine flavours. 

Grilling:

In a large dish pour in the filling, using a spatula even out then scoop the sweet potato on top of the filling forming an even layer so that no filling can be seen. Using a folk, create groves in the surface, this allows it to go crispy. Turn on your grill and allow to crisp up for about 20 minutes, checking regularly until slightly golden. Top with parsley. Then serve with fresh lettuce and red bell pepper slices. Awesome! 

Fruity Christmas Pudding

Ingredients:

(Makes 4 - 6 puddings)

Peel of 2 clementines soaked overnight

1/3 cup organic sugar

150ml orange juice 

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 tsp cinnamon 

2 cups sultanas soaked overnight 

1 cup dry sultanas 

6 medjool dates soaked if needed 

Alpro soya cream or custard 

First chop the soaked orange peel into tiny pieces. In a small pan on medium heat add the peel, sugar, orange juice, cranberries, and cinnamon. Stir and simmer down to a caramelised fragrant chunky minced meat. Drain the sultanas into a bowl and add the minced meat, using a hand blender blend to combine but keep it chunky, drain any excess juices. Add the dry sultanas and the medjool dates and mash in. Spoon into a plastic mould and press down firmly then leave in the fridge to sit for 2 hours. The longer it's left the tastier. Then either steam to warm or pop out the moulds and leave at room temperature. Then pour over the soya cream or custard and enjoy.