Matcha & Blueberry Oat Bars

Two weeks ago I shared two recipes with you which used the Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder sent to me by Kiss Me Organics and I promised you another couple of recipes so here is the first; Matcha & Blueberry Oat Bars. This recipe makes 16 Oat Bars which are great for breakfast on the go or a mid morning snack to keep you going. I'm in love with oat bars at the moment and because they freeze so well you can make a batch and freeze some to eat later, they're small enough to defrost quickly so you can take one out of the freezer before you leave for work and its ready to eat by the time you get there. If not, just gently warm in the microwave for a few seconds. They are packed with other good for you ingredients too like hulled hemp seed, chia seed and of course matcha green tea and blueberries!

Ingredients 

370g Oats
50g Hulled hemp seed
50g Milled Chia seed
20g Organic Matcha green tea powder
2 Tsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
3 Bananas
150ml Soya yoghurt, vanilla 
340g Soft silken tofu (1 packet), drained
2 Tbsp Agave nectar
1 Lemon, juice only
125g Blueberries

Method

Turn on your oven to a medium heat, around 180 - 190°C.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Put the oats into a food processor and blend until you have oat flour, transfer to a large bowl. Add the hulled hemp seeds, chia seeds, matcha powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine everything.

Slice the bananas into the food processor and add the yoghurt, blend until you have a thick cream. Add the silken tofu, agave nectar and the lemon juice and blend again.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine everything, the mixture will be fairly stiff.

Add the blueberries and stir again to ensure they are evenly incorporated through the mixture.

Pour into the lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until you can press the tops gently and they give a little. Cool in the tin and then tip onto a board and peel off the greaseproof paper. 

Cut into squares, eat some and freeze some, easy!

Jasmine x

Blueberry Oat Squares

As part of my Winter Wellness Series I shared my Winter Wellness Happy Bites, which were great as an on the go breakfast as well as mid morning fix. They freeze really well, I just take one out of my freezer just before I leave work and by the time I get to work they have defrosted ready to be eaten. As an added bonus I used the frozen oat bars on my tennis elbow on the way to work, perhaps that's why they defrosted so quickly as my elbow is HOT! Mind you I have been getting some weird looks on the bus!

This time I made the oat bars with fresh blueberries and dried cranberries and they were delicious! These freeze well too.

Ingredients 
200g Oats
20g Milled Chai seeds
25g Hemp seeds
2 Tsp Baing powder
1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 Tsp Lemon rind (heaped)
2 Ripe bananas
200g Silken tofu
50ml Vanilla yoghurt (vegan of course)
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 Tbsp Agave nectar
100g Blueberries
25g Cranerries

Method

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Place the oats in a food processor and pulse until you have an oat flour. Tip into a bowl.

Add the next 5 ingredients to the oat flour and gently mix everything in.

Slice the bananas into the food processor and pulse until mashed, add the silken tofu and pulse again to combine.

Add the vanilla yoghurt, lemon juice and agave nectar to the food processor and process until everything is mixed in and you have a nice 'batter'.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the blueberries and dried cranberries and stir through the mixture.

Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes or when the mixture springs back when gently pressed. Cool in the tin and then tip onto a board and peel off the greaseproof paper. 

Cut into squares, eat some and freeze some, easy!

Jasmine x

Winter Wellness - Part 2

Last week I started my series on Winter Wellness and part one investigated which foods could help fend off a cold. Today I'm looking at how certain foods can boost your mood and beat the winter blues.

Sometimes it really does feel like the Winter drags on, there might not be any snow, but the days are short, cold, damp or icy. Recently we've been having a spell that's freezing cold one day, warmer the next (no ice in the morning) and then back to being cold the next day again but with an ice-chilling wind thrown into the mix! The weather just can't seem to make its mind up. You wake up in the dark and by the time you finish your days work and start your journey home its dark again. The Winter months are enough to get anyone down in the dumps, whether you're scraping the ice off your car or waiting in the cold and wet conditions for public transport, winter does seem to drag on. But wait, could there actually be a reason why you feel so drained of energy and feeling miserable? 

Enter Vitamin D! Vitamin D is made by our bodies from direct sunlight and in the winter months especially here in England where we have shorter days we are not exposed to enough direct sunlight. Even in the Summer months we will only be exposed to about four hours a day of direct sunlight and that's if we're outside! 

From the small amount of research I have undertaken it has been confirmed that you won't be able to eat your way through winter and get enough vitamin D, but I do have some good news. There is one food that does contain some vitamin D and I absolutely love it - those who know me well, will have already guessed - Yep its mushrooms! 

The amazing 'shroom is able to make vitamin D when it is exposed to ultraviolet light. But there is a downside, most mushrooms are grown in the dark and therefore do not contain vitamin D! However there are certain varieties that are grown in environments which use ultraviolet light to encourage the creation of vitamin D. We just have to find them! 

After a quick internet search Marks and Spencer came up trumps with their "Vitamin D Mushrooms". Their packaging says it all: "just one serving, (3 caps) of tasty vitamin D mushrooms provides 100% of your daily vitamin requirement".

One more reason to love the 'shrooms!

Other foods to ease the winter blues include:
Foods which are high in omega-3, magnesium and the B vitamins are the champions of well-being winter wellness! Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin as it's job includes helping produce brain chemicals that affect your mood.

Flax Seeds - These bad boys are one of the highest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which over the years have said to be beneficial to your health in numerous ways, including the potential to influence your mood. Get sprinkling!

Chia Seeds - Another great source of omega-3's, important for brain health.

Hemp Seeds - Yet another great source of omega-3's with the added benefit that they also contain many B vitamins. It has also been reported that hemp seeds can improve your mood and even alleviate symptoms such as depression or anxiety.

Leafy Greens - Get munching on kale, the daddy of leafy greens! Other top leafy greens include spinach, swiss chard and other collard greens. They provide so many nutrients including high amounts of vitamin C, magnesium, B vitamins, calcium, fibre and omega-3's! Super Green Smoothie anyone?

Brazil Nuts - A great source of selenium, which affects your mood, insufficient levels of this nutrient can make you irritable, anxious and generally just feeling done in. 

Oats - Releasing their energy slowly thanks to their low glycaemic index, will keep your mood stable as well as your blood sugars.

Bananas - A good source of vitamin B6 and magnesium, which provides you with energy to help you combat the day.

Berries - I've added berries to the list as they help from the side lines. When you are already exhausted and have nothing left to give its very hard to stay upbeat, especially if stress hits, in any form. Berries are the stress busters, so when you need that extra help reach out for a handful of berries rather than your typical comfort food.

Avocados - Another helper from the sidelines is the beautiful creamy avocado, a great source of B vitamins which help combat stress. They also help to lower your blood pressure, which is great if you've blown your top! Make yourself some guacamole and chill....

Fortifed foods - Some foods such as Nutritional yeast (yummy cheesey flavour) are fortified with vitamin B12 and some cereals are fortified with vitamin D, just check the ingredients to make sure they are vegan.

Supplements - You may decide that taking a supplement is also beneficial to you, but that's a personal decision which I won't try and influence you on either way.

As you can see from the list above there are some foods which will help with your well-being as well as boosting your immune system. So lets get cooking and introduce or increase our intake of these foods into our diets.

Recipes

Lunch - Winter Wellness Loaded 'Shrooms
(serves 2)

Ingredients

2 Tsp Flax seeds
6 Tsp Cold water 
30g Oats
1 pack M&S Vitamin D mushrooms
1 Clove of garlic
50g Kale (no thick stalks)
2 Tbsp Hemp seeds
2 Tbsp Ground almonds
3 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp Chives, finely chopped
1 Tsp Soy sauce
Salt & Black pepper to taste

Method

Mix the ground flax seed with the cold water until combined and place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Place the oats into a food processor and whiz to a flour consistency and pour into a bowl.

De-stalk the mushrooms, trim the stalks and place in the food processor. Put the mushroom caps topside down on a baking tray and put to one side while you prepare the stuffing.

Add the garlic to the food processor and whiz until finely chopped. Add the kale and whiz again until the kale is cut into small pieces.

Tip the kale mixture into the bowl with the oat 'flour'.

Add the hemp seeds, ground almonds, nutritional yeast and salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Add the soy sauce and the chopped chives and give everything another good mix, it will start sticking together, which is what you want.

Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps, pressing the mixture down as you go. You will have a fair amount of stuffing so pile it high!

Bake in a moderate oven for 20 - 30 minutes, if the tops start to brown, place some foil over the dish for the last 10 minutes or so.

 Enjoy on a bed of salad leaves, remember the darker the better! :o)

The loaded 'shrooms are great with a little tahini sauce, balsamic glaze or a little vegan mayonnaise or like me a combination!

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Snack - Winter Wellness Happy Bites (Makes 16)

If you like sticky sweet treats, then sorry, these aren't for you, but remember refined sugar isn't that good for you! There is a little sweetness in there from the agave nectar and then when you bite into a piece of date or cranberry you get a little extra sweetness which I find is just enough to tickle your taste buds especially for breakfast on the run or a quick happy bite! 

Ingredients 
1 Tbsp Ground Flax seed 
3 Tbsp Cold water
200g Oats, divided
20g Walnuts
40g Ground almonds
30g Chopped dates
20g Shelled hemp seeds
20g Milled Chia Seeds
15g Goji berries
15g Dried cranberries
2 Tsp Mixed Spice
2 Tsp Baking powder
2 Bananas
150ml Hemp milk
100g Silken tofu
1 Tbsp Agave nectar
2 Tsp Vanilla extract

Method

Mix the ground flax seed with the cold water until combined and place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Line a baking tray with grease proof paper so you can easily remove the happy bites after cooking.

Put 150g of the oats into a food processor and whiz to a flour consistency. Pour into a bowl with the remaining oats.

Add the walnuts to the food processor and whiz until finely chopped, pour into the bowl with the oats.

Add the remaining dry ingredients and give everything a good stir so it all combined.

Slice the bananas into the food processor and add the remaining wet ingredients and whiz until you have a thick gloopy sauce

Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients and top with the flax mixture from the fridge. Give everything another good stir and transfer to the baking tray.

Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes, they will be ready when the tops are golden brown and they have a little spring when they are pressed.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the baking tray before removing.

Enjoy for a quick on the go breakfast or a snack to keep you smiling.

I think adding some berry goodness in the form of blueberries would be a great addition!

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To keep you in top form I thought it would be nice to share with you two more of my well used aromatherapy blends. 

Aromatherapy Blends to enhance your mood

Down in the Dumps Blend (for use in a oil burner)
2 Drops Benzoin
1 Drops Jasmine
2 Drops Lemon

Drop the oils into the water and as the candle warms the water and oils the fragrance will circulate your room. To me the benzoin essential oil is like a big cuddle and the jasmine and lemon give you a lift.

If you want to use as a room spray, add water to a small spray bottle and add 3 drops of benzoin and lemon and 2 drops of jasmine. Shake before use.

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Sometimes, when we are stressed, tired or finding it difficult to switch off our thoughts we may find it difficult to sleep. If that's you, then this blend is for you! You can use the oils as a bath soak to help you unwind or use in an oil burner. 

Sleep Assistance Blend (double quantities for a bath)
2 Drops Frankincense
1 Drops Lavender
1 Drops Ylang Ylang

You can also use the oils as a pillow spray, again add double quantities to a spray bottle and spritz your pillow 5 minutes before you go to bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Please check that the aromatherapy oils are suitable and safe for you to use personally.

Jasmine x

Notice Board: Savvy Spreads Review

A while ago Katie from Savvy foods got intouch with me to ask if I was interested in reviewing the two vegan spreads Savvy foods make. The two varieties are Chocolate Super Spread and Date and Sesame Luxury Spread. 

Of course I wanted to try them and I was more than happy to review, who wouldn't want to, chocolate was involved! So earlier on this month a parcel arrived and I couldn't wait to try them.

The spreads are 100% natural and have no added sugar, oils, dairy, gluten, additives or GMO's, which makes them a healthier alternative to other sweet preserves on the market.

Both spreads use tahini (sesame) as an ingredient which provides depth to their flavour and balances out the sweetness of other ingredients used. The tahini used in the Chocolate Super Spread (yes, it lives up to its name) is combined with carob, agave nectar, cocoa powder and spices to give it an individual taste which is not too sweet and has a hint of bitterness, not unlike a piece of good quality dark chocolate. The tahini used in the Date and Sesame Luxury Spread is combined with dates, carob syrup, agave nectar and spices and has a rounded taste which was luxurious and therefore also lives up to its name. It reminded me of toffee, with the added benefit of not breaking your teeth! 

My favourite of the two spreads was the date and sesame luxury spread but it was a close call, a very close call! I'll let you into a little secret; the jar is sitting next to me, well what's left, which is not a lot and I keep dipping into it for another quick sample, it really is hard to stop going back for another taste!

Suggested uses for the spreads include spreading on toast, crackers or pancakes and stirred into porridge or drizzled over ice-cream as a sweet topping. I wanted to go one stage further though, and try them out as an ingredient of a dish, could I cook with them and what could I make. I wasn't disappointed! The first dish I made didn't even need cooking, I was too eager to see what it was capable of and I made banana and chocolate ice cream and wow did it taste good! Even better it was actually good for you!

Using my favourite piece of kitchen equipment I was able to knock this wonderful dessert up in seconds.

Banana and Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)
3 Tbsp Vanilla yoghurt, I used Alpro
1 Banana, frozen
3 Tsp Chocolate Super Spread
6 Ice cubes

Method
Put the ingredients into your blender (make sure you can use ice in your blender) in the order listed and blend until a soft serve ice cream is made. 

If it starts to melt just return to the freezer for 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with a drizzle of the Chocolate Super Spread over the top and a sprig of mint.

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The next recipe I created had to use the Date and Sesame Luxury Spread before I ate it all just out of the jar! My first experiment was to mix it with warm almond milk and it actually made a pleasant drink, but I knew this spread could be pushed further.......

Quick & Easy Oat Bars (with chocolate and nuts)

Ingredients (makes 12 bars)

1 Tbsp Flax Seed
3 Tbsp Cold water
100g Date and Sesame Spread
1 Banana
125g Rolled oats
50g Mixed nuts
50g Dark Chocolate drops

Method

Turn on your oven to a medium heat, around 180 - 190°C.

Next mix the flax seed with the water and put in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Line a baking tray or oven proof dish with grease proof baking paper so the oat bars are easy to remove.

Place the date and sesame seed spread into a large glass bowl and heat in the microwave for 20 seconds just to loosen the spread. 

Slice the banana into the bowl with the date and sesame spread and mash.

In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients; oats, mixed nuts and chocolate drops.

Take the flax mixture out of the fridge and add to the bowl of wet ingredients; date and sesame spread and banana and give everything a good stir. 

Transfer the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until everything is combined.

Spread the mixture into the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbling. The cooking time will depend on the size of your baking tray and the depth of the oat bars.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes to cool down then tip upside down on to a board and peel off the baking paper from the bottom of the oat bars.

Wrap individually in baking paper and store in the fridge or freezer if you want to store for longer.

I'm so pleased I had the opportunity to try these two spreads and I'll definitely be buying more as they are so versatile. If you want to try them for yourself you can purchase them from a range of health food shops and more recently Suma! For a full list of stockists please visit their website.

Thank you Jonathan and Katie :o)