Almond Butter and Banana Overnight Oats [gluten-free]

When I began switching to a gluten-free diet, I noticed my on-the-go breakfast options becoming much more limited in choice. Breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day (even though brunch is my favourite), but I’m never in the mood to eat around 7am. In the past, this wasn’t that much of a big deal –  I would skip breakfast most days – or pick a croissant up from Pret on my way in.

I’ve recently started a new job, and they offer breakfast – but none of it is gluten-free, and the usual coffee shops chains don’t offer much choice for those of us who can’t tolerate gluten. After a few days of getting breakfast food-envy, I started looking at other options and came across overnight oats – a healthy, delicious start to the day you can have al desko. I’ve become obsessed – I’ve tried a few recipes, but I adapted this one to best suit my personal taste. The almond butter and desiccated coconut makes it seem indulgent while still being healthy – and as you make them the night before, all you have to do is, to paraphrase the words of Dolly Parton: tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen…. and to the fridge on your way out.

I’ve been using this Kilner jar for my overnight oats – it’s the perfect size, without being too bulky, but with a good seal which makes it okay to shove in my handbag.

For overnight oats, you’ll need:

1 cup (85 grams) of gluten free oats

1 cup (240 ml) of milk

1 tablespoon of chia seeds

1 tablespoon of plain yoghurt

1 tablespoon of almond butter

Half a tablespoon of maple syrup

Half a tablespoon of vanilla protein powder

Banana

1 tablespoon desiccated coconut

For this recipe – or any, even – I recommend getting this Cook’s Measure from Tala. After living in New York for 10 years, half of the recipes I’ve remembered are in cups and the other half are in grams, and this measure has been an absolute lifesaver.

Combine milk, yoghurt and oats in your jar and stir. You can always skip the yoghurt, but it just makes it a bit creamier and adds more depth to the flavours.

Chuck in the chia seeds, vanilla protein powder and maple syrup. The chia seeds help to soak up some of the liquid, and are a great source of fibre, protein and calcium.

I then add chopped pieces of banana. The riper they are, the better – last week I added one where the skin had become brown, and missed the maple syrup. The banana was so deliciously sweet that I didn’t miss the syrup at all! Top it off with a tablespoon of almond butter. I picked up this almond butter, and the vanilla protein powder from my local Planet Organic. I am a massive fan of almonds, much more so than of peanuts, but peanut butter also works beautifully in this recipe.

Sprinkle the top with desiccated coconut and your work for the night is done – pop it in the fridge and tomorrow’s breakfast is set!

Once at work, I’ll give everything a good stir before digging in – that way the almond butter and coconut makes it all the way through. I’ve been loving mine cold, but as it gets colder I’m sure I’ll be giving them a quick blitz in the microwave.

Since I’ve been bringing these in I’ve found myself with much more energy in the morning, and feel more full and sated. The best part is, I know exactly what’s going into each and every pot, and it tastes better than anything shop bought!

Have you tried overnight oats? What are your favourite things to eat al desko?

Vanilla protein pancakes [gluten free]

I was introduced to this gluten free pancake recipe by a friend of mine, and its become a firm favourite. It’s a simple recipe perfect for Saturday or Sunday brunch – I had mine with some dragonfruit, figs and honey, but would also go well with maple syrup and bacon, too.

The vanilla protein powder gives it a bit of flavour which is a nice accompaniment to the oats. If you prefer a smoother texture, whizz the oats in a food processor, or go for oat flour. Personally, I’m a fan of the texture so I left them as is.

I went for the Sun Warrior blend vanilla protein powder from Planet Organic: it’s dairy, soya and gluten free.

For these protein pancakes, you’ll need:

200g gluten free oats

2 eggs

250ml milk (semi-skimmed or full fat)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Butter

Heat the butter in a pan: pour in batter for each pancake. When the mixture bubbles, flip the pancake over – the first side is done. Repeat for the second side. The batter should be enough for four people: I made it for two, and froze the pancakes individually with pieces of parchment paper separating each pancake. This makes it easier to pop frozen pancakes in the toaster: a nice option for a quick weekday breakfast.

I’m always on the lookout for interesting, gluten free breakfast options: any suggestions would be appreciated!

Gluten-free Billington’s Brownies #Bakeface

Last week, I got an adorable hamper through the post from the lovely BakingMad.com. The challenge? To show them my best #bakeface – the face you make when you take the all-important first bite of something deliciously warm and fresh out of the oven.

The recipe provided was for Billington’s Brownies – gooey, chocolatey and indulgent, with cherries throughout. I deviated from the recipe provided to make it gluten-free, of course.

For this recipe, you’ll need:

3 eggs

175g Billington’s dark muscovado sugar

200g unsalted butter

200g chocolate (I used a mixture of dark and milk)

110g gluten free plain flour

3 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

100g glace cherries

pinch of salt

To make the brownies gluten free, I used gluten free flour (shocker). I followed the recipe on the site, with two exceptions: while you are folding the flour in, add the cocoa powder and baking powder for best results. I also combined dark and milk chocolate – I’d like to say for a deeper, more complex flavour. (I’d run out of dark chocolate).

The #Bakeface challenge was a great excuse to bake something I wouldn’t usually – and I had a great time! Here’s my bakeface below – although I’m not eating that particular gluten-filled brownie – taken at the Cake and Bake Show, which I will be covering in my next post!

Have you submitted your #bakeface?

Kinako, blueberry and sesame cookies [gluten-free]

I’ve begun to experiment more with gluten-free baking, and with Japanese ingredients in particular, which I’ve found are usually low in gluten anyway. Kinako is a Japanese roasted soybean flour, frequently used in Japanese confectionery. I’d never used it for baking before, but as it’s gluten free I thought I’d have a go at a cookie recipe. 

Kinako has a nutty flavour, with the texture of icing sugar or flour. The taste is subtle, and reminiscent of maple syrup or peanut butter. Kinako, which means ‘yellow flour’ in Japanese can be made fairly easily: if you are lucky enough to have a thermomix, you simply blend roasted soybeans into a light powder. For those of us who don’t, you can get your hands on it here in the UK, and on Amazon in the US (here).

One of my favourite ways of eating kinako is ohagi, which is a Japanese dessert. I’m also a massive fan of mixing kinako with vanilla ice cream. For breakfast, my grandmother occasionally eats plain yogurt topped with kinako powder, dried blueberries and a brown sugar syrup. This was my inspiration for these cookies, and I think they turned out really well!

They have a soft, crumbly texture, similar to Russian teacakes. This recipe makes 12 cookies.

For the kinako cookies, you’ll need:

100g salted butter

50g muscovado sugar

5g sesame seeds

25g dried blueberries

130g kinako (roasted soybean) flour

2tsp gluten-free baking powder

1 egg

25g icing sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees (celsius). Whip the butter and sugar until creamy, then fold the egg in gently.

Add the remaining ingredients: the kinako flour, the baking powder, blueberries and sesame seeds (saving some of the seeds for later).

On a lined baking tray, separate the batter into balls, and top with some of the remaining sesame seeds.

Pop the cookies into the oven for 15 minutes, until the sesame seeds have toasted. Place on a baking tray to cool, but be careful as they are very crumbly!

Once the cookies have slightly cooled, top with icing sugar.

Serve with a cup of hojicha (roasted green tea), or a pot of English Breakfast!

Poker Night Buffalo Wings

Last weekend I hosted a poker night at my house. I say hosted, as I didn’t end up participating – I don’t know how to play poker (at 22? how embarrassing, I know). This was somewhat of a surprise to my friend Nancy and her boyfriend, who felt that I had lured them there under somewhat false pretenses. So my Saturday night consisted of a group of neuroscientists, an engineer and a former paleontologist around my dining table, several pizzas and countless gin and tonics. It was a great success, something I’d partially like to attribute to my excellent buffalo wings.

The history of the buffalo wing is a bit unclear, but most people agree that it originates from Buffalo, New York. There was another American in attendance that evening, and I knew he’d appreciate a buffalo wing to go with all the San Miguels we’d bought for the night ahead. Buffalo wings are a great accompaniment for beer, and are easy to make in batches, making them the perfect bar food.

What You’ll Need:
200g plain flour (or rice flour for gf)
1 tsp cajun spice
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
150ml hot sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot)
50g salted butter
plastic bag
16 chicken wings

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees, and grease a baking tray, then set to one side. In a saucepan, start melting the butter on a low heat. In a bowl, combine the flour, cajun spice, chilli powder and cayenne pepper, and pour into a plastic bag. Put the chicken wings inside the plastic bag, seal the top and shake until each wing is coated in the flour mixture. Some folks like to put the floured chicken into the fridge to marinade for half an hour or so, but I skipped this step as tensions surrounding the game were already high – no need for extra stress!

Once the butter has melted in the pan, stir in the hot sauce and let simmer before taking it off the heat.

Once the sauce has cooled slightly, dip each wing in the pan until it is covered in the liquid, then place on the baking tray. Once completed, pop the wings in the oven for 45 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, turn each wing over so each side crisps up evenly.

And there you have it! Serve with a cold beer while watching your favourite team win at the Olympics (or, more realistically, whilst looking perplexed at all the sports you didn’t even know existed).