Energy balls – nut free

by Lou Robbie

Whats the best thing about a homemade snack? For me its knowing exactly what has been added plus adding exactly what I like! I’ve been making these little energy balls for my kids and I for almost 5 years. I keep them nut free so the kids can take them to school in their lunch boxes. I make big batches so I can freeze the extra and grab them from the freezer to have with a coffee or to take on a car trip or picnic. They are little nuggets of goodness and much better than anything you’ll pick up in the shops!

You’ll find all 5 of the ingredients you need in our online groceries.

Enjoy,

Lou 🙂

Ingredients – makes 22 approx

Method

  1. To make the balls: Add the dates to a bowl and cover with boiling water to soften.
  2. Meanwhile blend the oats, seeds, coconut, cocoa powder.
  3. Drain the dates and add them to the blender. Blend until it looks like a thick paste. If it looks dry and won’t roll add a dash of boiling water and blend again.
  4. Roll into balls – big or small- whichever you prefer. Add the extra coconut to a wide bowl. To help the coconut stick, wet your hands and roll the balls again then add to the coconut.
  5. Store in a container in the fridge for a week or freeze them for 3 months.

Celebration Pancakes with Toffee Apple & Coconut Granola

by Lou Robbie

Pancakes are the best any time of year but make them extra special for new years day brunch! Make them large with sticky toffee apples, coconut granola and add your favourite ice cream plus a few sparklers if you wish!

Happy New Year to you, may 2023 be a healthy and happy one.

Lou x

Ingredients

  • For the toffee apples
  • 3 apples, peeled and diced
  • 1 knob of butter
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • For the coconut granola
  • 100g oats
  • 100g desiccated coconut 
  • 50g butter
  • 50g honey
  • For the pancakes
  • 2 tablespoons of butter – melted 
  • 250g self raising flour 
  • 1 flat teaspoon bicarb of soda
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 280ml milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence/extract
  • 1 egg – at room temperature 
  • 1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar or lemon juice
  • oil to fry 
  • vanilla ice cream to serve

Method

For the toffee apples.

  1. Warm a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the knob of butter, and warm through to melt. Tip in the diced apples and cook to soften for a couple of minutes. Add the cinnamon and maple syrup. Cook for a further few minutes until you get a toffee consistency, then pour into a bowl.

For the coconut granola

  1. Preheat the oven to 170c.
  2. Add the coconut, oats, honey and melted butter to a bowl, mix well. Transfer to a lined baking tray.
  3. Toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until nice and golden. Keep a close eye so it does not burn. When its cooled pour into a serving bowl.

For the pancakes

  1. Add the flour, sugar, bicarb of soda to a mixing bowl, give it a good stir.
  2. Measure the milk into a jug, crack in the egg, add the vinegar and vanilla and whisk well. Pour into the mixing bowl withe the flour and mix the batter with a fork.
  3. Add the melted butter and gently fold in.
  4. Warm a frying pan on a medium heat, add a drizzle of oil.
  5. To make big pancakes add 4 tablespoons of batter to the pan. Cook until you see bubbles, then flip. Repeat with all the batter.
  6. To serve, stack the pancakes on a plate, add the toffee apples, a few scoops of ice cream, top with coconut granola and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Asian Noodle Bowl w/ soy roasted parsnips

by Lou Robbie

This dish makes for and tasty quick supper. Noodle bowls are a great way to use up leftover veggies. They work well for cooked veg and grated or thinly sliced raw veg too as well as using soft herbs to finish it off.

It’s a great dish too if you’re fighting winter colds, just amp up the ginger and garlic to ward off the sniffles!

Any noodles will do, Chinese thin ones, rice noodles or even spaghetti, if you are stuck.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: serves 2

  • 2 parsnips, chopped
  • 2 tablespoon soya sauce
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
  • 2 spring onion, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
  • 200g noodles – cook as per packet
  • For the sauce:
  • 1 tsp oil
  • 6 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons sweet chilli
  • 2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated (about 1/2 inch)
  • 1-2 fat clove garlic, grated
  • salt and pepper to toaste

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven 180c.
  2. Prepare the parsnips first. Clean them and chop into chunks add to a bowl.
  3. Add 2 tablespoon of soy sauce, a teaspoon of oil and 2 tablespoon of maple syrup to the parsnips, toss to coat and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked. (Alternatively air fry at 170c for 12 minutes approx) Toast the sesame seeds in the over at the same time for 5 or so minutes.
  4. In the meantime cook noodles as per the packet- usually 8 minutes in boiling salted water.
  5. Clean the carrot and peel it into ribbons, set aside.
  6. Chop the spring onions into long fine sliced, and roughly chop the coriander.
  7. To make the sauce add the soy sauce, oil, sweet chilli sauce, honey to a bowl. Add in the grated ginger and garlic, add salt and pepper if needed. Whisk well.
  8. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat, add in the sauce stir and cook for 1 minute, if it catches add a dash of water.
  9. Add the cooked noodles, toss to coat, add the roasted parsnips. Toss to mix.
  10. Divide between 2 serving bowls.
  11. Top with carrot ribbons, chopped spring onion and coriander and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Parsnip and Mushroom Wellington

by Lou Robbie

Every feast needs a centre piece and this bronzed pastry parcel looks the part on a festive table. Stuffed with delicious veggies, nuts and cheese its a real crowd pleaser.

The best part is that this can be made ahead of time, make and wrap the filling and keep it in the fridge until the day of the dinner, then add its pastry coat and bake. Serve with your favourite potatoes, side veg and a delicious gravy.

I hope you enjoy this one.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients- serves 6

  • 500g parsnip, washed and diced
  • 200g mushrooms, diced small
  • 2 onion, finely dice
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 x tin of cooked puy lentils, drained 260g approx
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped 
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or sage chopped
  • 100g chopped walnuts
  • 100g cheddar cheese – diced – we love Mossfield
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 ready rolled puff pastry, 380g
  • 1 egg and splash of milk whisked for egg wash 

Method

  1. Cook the parsnips, it’s best to steam them, but boiling or roasting will work too. When they’ve cooked, set them aside too cool. 
  2. Cook the onions and garlic together on a low heat, until completely soft and translucent. Add a small pinch of salt and pepper and add the chopped rosemary and thyme. Set aside to cool. 
  3. Warm a frying pan on a medium heat, add a drizzle of oil and cook the mushrooms on low for 10 minutes, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper half way through. 
  4. To a mixing bowl add the cooked parsnip, cooked onions and garlic, cooked mushrooms, chopped walnuts, drained lentils, cheddar cheese and salt and pepper to taste. 
  5. Gently mix to combine, taste the mix, add more salt or pepper if needed.
  6. Lay two pieces of clingfilm on a worktop, slightly overlapping on the horizontal. 
  7. Make a mound like a sausage shape with the mix in the middle of the clingfilm. Fold the clingfilm over and wrap it tightly so there are no pockets of air. 
  8. Place in the fridge or freezer for at least 2 hours to set. Leave in the fridge overnight if you can.
  9. Preheat the oven to 180℃.
  10. Take the puff pastry from the fridge 30 minutes before using, so it’s not too cold to work with. 
  11. Measure the wrapped mix against the pastry rectangle if it’s a bit short use a rolling pin to make it wider. 
  12. Egg wash around the edge of the pastry.
  13. Carefully take the clingfilm off the mix and wrap it neatly in the pastry. Seal the seam using a fork, keep the seal underneath the wellington. 
  14. Using a knife make diamond criss cross shapes on the top of the pastry. Brush all over with egg wash. 
  15. Bake for 50 mins to 1 hour in the oven, until bronzed and golden all over. Cut into nice large slices and serve with your favourite veg and sides.

Veggie Sausage Stuffing

by Lou Robbie

The festive meal at this time of year is all about the added extras!! Bread stuffing is a traditional side and a great one to experiment with. Veggie sausages are packed full of flavour and work perfectly in a bread stuffing. It’s easy to add in some seasonal ingredients like chestnuts and nuts to give it that Christmasy feel.

Tip don’t over mix the ingredients, its nice to have the texture of the nuts and seeds in the stuffing. Bake as a loaf or roll into balls.

Serve with your favourite veggie main meal. Here we have a spiced lentil stuffed squash with feta and pomegranate and a side of cranberry sauce, yum.

We hope you give it a try this festive season.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 10 portions -2 small loaves or make one one big tray

  • 6 good quality veggie sausages– chopped
  • 6 slices of stale bread bread (350g approx)
  • 100ml milk (dairy or non dairy)
  • 2 onions – finely diced
  • 50g butter (dairy or non dairy)
  • 100g cooked chestnuts
  • 50g walnuts
  • 30g pumpkin seeds plus extra to decorate, optional
  • 2 teaspoons dried herbs

Method

  1. Line 2 loaf tins with paper liners. Or bake one big one in an 9in x 9in square tin.
  2. Preheat the oven 180C.
  3. Tear up the bread and place it in a bowl. Pour the milk over it and leave to soak for a few minutes.
  4. Add the butter and finely diced onion to a frying pan. Sauté on low until the onion is soft.
  5. Add the soaked bread, chopped sausages, cooked onion, chestnuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and dried herbs to a food processor. Pulse to combine for a few seconds at a time.
  6. Spoon the mix into the loaf tins. Decorate with pumpkin seeds on top. Wrap, label and freeze one for another time if you wish.
  7. Bake the other one for 20 minutes, check that its piping hot all the way through.
  8. Slice and serve with your veggie main course.

Festive Spiced Muffins

by Lou Robbie

We just love a seasonal muffin…they are so versatile and portable. This is a good alternative to the sugar laden shop bought ones, and a big hit with my young kids. They’re almost soufflé like, light and fluffy muffins with warming winter spices! Absolutely delicious with a hot chocolate in front of a cosy fire.

We’re all used to festive flavoured cookies but these muffins are nice for a change. Bake them up over the festive season to enjoy for breakfast or as a snack in the lunch box.

They can be made with most nut or seed butters. I used light tahini (thats blended sesame seeds) and they were light and delicious. I was going to blend up some oats to use as the flour but decided to use Ready Brek instead and it worked, so I’ve kept it in the recipe.

Try them soon,

Lou 🙂

Ingredients – makes 12 (GF)

  • 200g sweet potato– peeled and diced
  • 1 large apple- peeled and diced
  • 100g nut or seed butter chose one of the following- almond, cashew, tahini, pumpkin
  • 100g butter softened – dairy or non dairy
  • 80g maple syrup or honey
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 organic eggs
  • 30g buckwheat flour/ oat flour or Ready Break (I used Ready Brek) or regular plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
  • small pinch of salt
  • To garnish:
  • Apple slices and fresh rosemary sprigs to decorate optional

Method:

  1. Begin by peeling and dicing the sweet potato and apple.
  2. Steam them in a pot until cooked, it will take about 15 minutes.
  3. When they are cooked through take off the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven 180c. Prepare your muffin tin, line with paper cases if needed.
  5. Add the cooked sweet potato and apple to a blender along with all of the other ingredients. Blend to form a smooth batter.
  6. Pour into the muffin mounds.
  7. Top with a piece of apple. You can slice it or cut out a shape like I did with the star. Add some sprigs of rosemary if you wish.
  8. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a skewer when inserted comes out clean.
  9. Cool on a wire rack.
  10. Enjoy with a hot chocolate.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

by Lou Robbie

The things we do for the people we love! My husband loves a sticky toffee pudding because it is as it claims with the addition of Super Sweet at the beginning!

A dip in the temperature has prompted warm comforting food at home. Serve your sticky pudding warm with cold ice cream on top and drizzle over the warm toffee sauce.

This recipe makes 8 portions so I decided to divide the batter and make 2 puddings. One for November and one for December. Something to look forward to.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients – makes 1 large pudding to serve 8 or 2 smaller puddings serving 4 each

For the toffee sauce

  • 250ml double cream
  • 100g butter
  • 200g light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon black treacle

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven 170C. To make one big pudding grease a 1.2 litre ovenproof dish if making 2 puddings grease two 1 litre ovenproof dishes.
  2. Chop the dates and put them into a mixing bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and cover with the boiling water. Set to one side for 15 minutes while you make the batter.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl add the butter and sugar, use an electric mixer or wooden spoon to mix until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the black treacle.
  4. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and gently fold into the batter. Then mix through the milk.
  5. Check on the dates, mash them with a fork then pour the dates and liquid into the cake batter, stir in to combine. Spoon into the prepared dish or dishes.
  6. The big pudding will cook for approximately 45-50 minutes. The smaller puddings will cook in 25-30 minutes.
  7. While the pudding cooks make the toffee sauce. Put the sugar, butter and half the cream in on a low heat in a heavy bottom pot. Stir to dissolve the sugar, this will take about 5 minutes.
  8. When the sugar has dissolved add in the black treacle and turn up the heat to a bubble. Let it bubble for 2-3 minutes.
  9. Take off the heat and stir in the rest of the cream. You should have a nice brown toffee sauce. Transfer into a pouring jug.
  10. When the pudding comes out of the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes then poke it with a skewer and pour over some of the toffee sauce (half the sauce if making a big pudding and quarter each if making 2 smaller puddings)
  11. Serve the pudding warm with ice cream and warm toffee sauce.
  12. You can cover and freeze the second pudding. Just defrost in the fridge overnight, warm through in the oven and serve as above.

Carrot Cake with Orange Frosting

by Lou Robbie

Classic carrot cake is hard to beat. Its spiced and moist and works so well with the cream cheese frosting. No one minds that theres a couple of carrots in there. It’s the acceptable vegetable cake.

Set a few carrots aside this week to make this cake the perfect partner with a pot of tea and a good old chat.

Tip: I like to soak the raisins in tea first to plump them up, it really makes a difference to the finished cake.

Lou 🙂

  • 75g raisins and 1 teabag
  • 225g plain flour
  • 125g castor sugar
  • 115g dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice or ground nutmeg/ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 200g grated carrot
  • 1 orange – zest only
  • 3 eggs
  • 100ml light flavoured oil (sunflower or vegetable)
  • (I have chosen not to add walnuts to my cake but add 75g of chopped walnuts if you wish)
  • For the frosting:
  • 225g icing sugar
  • 75g cream cheese – chilled
  • 1 orange- zest and 2 teaspoons of juice
  • 100g walnuts

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven 160C.
  2. Prepare a 9inch loose bottomed cake tin with a light coating of oil and line with parchment paper.
  3. Add the raisins to a bowl with the teabag, cover with boiling water and infuse for 30 minutes then strain and discard the teabag.
  4. To a mixing bowl sieve in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, both spices, white sugar.
  5. Mix in the brown sugar, grated carrot, raisins and orange zest (and chopped walnuts if using) give everything a really good mix.
  6. Measure the oil and eggs into a jug, whisk well.
  7. Add the oil and eggs into the mixing bowl, and stir until combined.
  8. Pour the cake mix into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.
  9. Cool completely before adding the frosting.
  10. For the frosting: Toast the walnuts in the oven for 10 minutes at 160C, keep a close eye on them, cool completely.
  11. Add the icing sugar and cream cheese to a bowl. Use an electric hand beater to blend until really smooth. Fold in the orange zest and orange juice.
  12. Smooth onto the top of the cake. Scatter walnuts on top and serve with tea.

Apple & Oat Crumble

by Lou Robbie

It’s November the clocks have gone back the dark nights are drawing in quickly it’s time for warming comforting sweet puddings. Theres none more satisfying that a warm bowl of apple crumble and custard.

I remember making apple crumble in home economics, a long time ago. It’s a lovely pudding to make because you can make mostly by using your hands, to clean and cut the apples and to rub the butter into the flour and oat topping. There is something very nostalgic and timeless about it. I made it with my daughter this week its a lovely one to teach your kids.

We had a surplus of ruby red Irish eating apples so thats what we used and it turned out perfectly. Serve it with fresh cream, ice cream or our favourite, warm custard. Homemade is best but shop bought custard will also do the trick.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 1kg apples – we used eating apples –
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar to sweeten
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 60g porridge oats
  • 100g plain flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 75g butter at room temp
  • 100g brown sugar

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven 200C.
  2. Have a shallow roasting dish at hand.
  3. Wash and dry the apples.
  4. Cut them into quarters and cut out the core.
  5. Cut the quarters in half.
  6. Add the apple pieces to a pot with the 2 tablespoons of water, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
  7. Cook on a low heat with the lid on to soften the fruit. This can cake from 15-30 mins, gently stir a couple of times.
  8. Meanwhile make the oat topping.
  9. Add the butter, flour, oats and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and rub the butter in using your finger tips.
  10. When the fruit has softened tip it into the dish and sprinkle on the oat topping.
  11. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. The top should be golden brown and crunchy.
  12. Serve warm with cream, ice cream or custard.

Feta & Lentil Stuffed Beetroot

by Lou Robbie

Growing up we always had baked and filled potatoes or mushrooms but never beetroot. In fact beetroot in our house usually came pickled in a jar. Beetroot usually gets the job as side veg but here it’s the star of the show.

Beetroots are an all year round veg, hearty and filling and full of goodness. If you get nice big beetroots in your box why not give this recipe a go. It’s sweet from the beets and salty from the feta and toasty from the spices. topped with crunchy walnuts its a complete meal.

Enjoy,

Lou 🙂

Serves 4 as a main

  • 4 large raw beetroot– leave the skin on 
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
  • ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes 
  • Small pinch salt & pepper
  • 400g tin puy lentils- rinsed and drained 
  • 100g feta cheese crumbled 
  • Zest ½ lemon 
  • 50g chopped walnuts
  1. Wash the whole beetroots and slice in half. 
  2. Roast or steam the beetroot and cook until it pierces easily with a knife. 
  3. Preheat your oven to 180C.
  4. In the meantime make the lentil filling. 
  5. Warm a frying pan on medium heat, add the oil, diced onions and garlic and sauté until soft – 5-10 minutes. 
  6. Add paprika, cumin, chilli, salt and pepper, cook for a few minutes. 
  7. Add the drained and rinsed tinned lentils and cook on a low heat for a further 10 minutes. 
  8. With a spoon scoop out the centre of the beetroot, dice it and add it to the lentil mix. 
  9. Fold through half the crumbled feta and lemon zest. Check the seasoning add more salt or pepper if needed. 
  10. Fill the beetroot shells with the lentil filling, top with more feta and some walnuts- there may be some filling left over.
  11. You can bake, grill or air fry the stuffed beetroot to finish it. Make sure its hot in the middle and the walnuts and feta are toasted on top. 
  12. Serve with your favourite sauce and greens on the side. 
  13. Serve one half as a starter or 2 halves as a main.