polenta

Raspberry, blueberry, plum polenta

A lot of chefs say, ‘what grows together, goes together’ and I really do believe in this. Just think about it, summer salads of courgette ribbons, shaved runner beans and summer herbs, savoury winter tarts of beetroot, parsnip and carrot or the combination of end of summer-autumn fruits in this delicious and warming pudding made with plums, raspberries and blueberries, all of which have been growing abundantly in my garden (except the blueberries that I pick from my friend’s down the road). The fruits cooked all together make the most wonderful mix of flavours and lovely juices, whilst the polenta and almond crisp-crumble layer on top adds great texture, with the almond extract adding a marzipan like flavour, yum! Feel free to use other seasonal fruits, blackberry, pear and apple is a lovely combination, or even just apple studded with raisins or sultanas… I love quince too! Fruit filling 250g plums, stoned weight, about 7-8 plums120g raspberries, fresh or frozen120g blueberries, fresh or frozen2 tsp coconut sugarJuice of ½ orange (40g/ ml juice)2 strips orange zest, using a potato peeler½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped out but do not discard the pod, add it to the fruit too! Polenta almond crisp topping 50g polenta (fine or quick-cook)70g ground almonds70g brown rice flour35g coconut sugar¼ vanilla pod, seeds scraped out1/2 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp pink saltFinely grated zest of half a lemon70g coconut oil, melted1 tsp almond extract Preheat the oven to 200oC.…
Berry Banana Muffins

AM Berry Banana Muffins with Buckwheatie Seed Streusel

These amaranth, buckwheat, mixed berry and banana muffins are full of great things! With a spoonful of coconut yoghurt, they make a delicious breakfast (hence the AM!) with protein, fibre and a steady release of energy from these powerful pseudo-grains and seeds, as well as the banana and berries. If not for breakfast, make a batch on Sundays to pack in your lunches throughout the week, bake some for weekend brunch or tea. The oh-so-soft muffin is finished off with a crunchy buckwheat groat and seed topping, lightly spiced with cinnamon and mesquite. They’re full of flavour, texture and nourishing wholesome ingredients, what could go wrong?! This recipe is gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free. For an egg-free vegan variation, try replacing the 2 eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp. ground flaxseeds mixed with 6 tbsp. water, stirred and left for 15 minutes), and adding 10g arrowroot to the dry ingredients. I have not tried it yet but do have a go and let me know how you get on, whichever recipe you try. The night before, you will need three separate small bowls to soak the following bowl 1soak 75g whole amaranth grainbowl 225 pumpkin seeds25 sunflower seeds10g flaxseeds/ linseedsbowl 370g buckwheat groats15g pumpkin seeds15g sunflower seeds15g flaxseeds/linseeds Soak the seeds and grains in a generous amount of tepid water (enough to cover plus a bit more) and a pinch of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt.…