Blueberry & Oat Cookies

This is a tasty cookie recipe that contains only 4 ingredients & are really quick to prepare. They are perfect for when you are craving something sweet. The addition of peanut butter, which naturally contains protein and fats, will help to keep you feeling fuller for longer and avoid any blood sugar dips.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 90g oats
• 125g peanut butter
• 100g coconut sugar
• 125g blueberries

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Place a sheet of baking paper onto a baking tray.
2. Mix together the oats, peanut butter and coconut sugar until well combined. Add the blueberries and stir through.
3. Shape into small rounds with your hands and lay them out on the baking paper. Leaving enough space for them to spread a little in the oven.
4. Bake for about 12 minutes, then leave to cool on a wire rack to cool and firm up.

Healthy Flapjacks

This is a healthier version of the usual flapjack you can find in most shops and cafes. Flapjacks are seen as a healthy option, while many still contain lashings of sugar, golden syrup and margarine. This version is based on rolled oats, raisins, flaked almonds, sunflower seeds, coconut oil and sweetened with mashed banana. They are wheat-free and dairy-free and make a perfect addition to kids (and adults) lunch-boxes.

Ingredients:

• 250g rolled oats
• 125g raisins
• 75g flaked almonds
• 100g sunflower seeds
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 150ml coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
2. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.
3. Mix the oats, raisins, flaked almonds and sunflower seeds together in a bowl.
4. Add the mashed banana and stir through.
5. Pour over the coconut oil and vanilla extract and stir well.
6. Tip the flapjack mix into the prepared cake tin.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Quinoa & Oat Granola

Now that the weather is a little more mild my attention has shifted from warm bowls of porridge to lighter bowls of goodness, containing grains, fruit and yoghurt. I love experimenting with different combinations of grains, seeds, nuts and dried fruit to make the kind of granola which is tailored to your own taste buds. It's also an amazing way of using up all those random nut and seed packets you might have sitting in your cupboards. The recipe below is more of a guideline to show you what I used for depending on what was in my cupboards but feel free to use whatever is in yours and put your own stamp on it.

Ingredients:

• 100g quinoa flakes
• 200g rolled oats
• 100g cashew nuts
• 75g sunflower seeds
• 50g desiccated coconut
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 3 tbsp honey
• 125g raisins

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the quinoa flakes, oats, cashew nuts, sunflower seeds, desiccated coconut and ground cinnamon. 
3. Melt the coconut oil and honey together in a small saucepan over a low heat.
4. Pour the melted ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Tip the mix onto the prepared baking tray and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden.
6. Leave to cool, then lastly stir in the raisins. Ready to serve however you wish, perhaps with some sliced fresh fruit and yoghurt or a splash of nut milk.