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[Scotty H]Bircher Müesli with figs, apple & almonds

Scotty H has posted a new item, 'Bircher Müesli with figs, apple & almonds'

This is a real power breakfast and perfect for those with stressful morning as most of the preparation is done the night before. While I prefer a steaming bowl of porridge during the colder months, this is a real treat for summer. It keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days so you can make a bigger batch and save even more time.

2 servings

To prepare the night before:

1 c rolled oats

¾ c apple juice

¾ c soymilk

2 dried figs – finely chopped

½ tsp cinnamon

pinch allspice

In the morning:

½ grated apple

roasted, unsalted almonds

natural yoghurt

honey (if a sweetener is needed)

The night before: In a bowl, mix the rolled oats, apple juice, soy milk, figs and spices. Make sure that the oats are completely covered. Cover and refrigerate over night.

In the morning: grate the apple and mix into the soaked oats. Serve with a handful of almonds and natural yoghurt. Sweeten with honey if required

Tip: It is also a great solution for days away from home. I travel a lot with work and usually bring a container of Bircher Muesli with me to the hotel.

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[Scotty H]Deliciously Decadent Chocolate & Raspberry Tart

Scotty H has posted a new item, 'Deliciously Decadent Chocolate & Raspberry Tart'

Well, every now and then a simple square of dark chocolate just won’t cut it… This is a gluten-free, no-bake, chocolate bursting treat with a refreshing raspberry filling. It is the result of result of quite a bit of experimenting. (What good things aren’t?!) I have done versions of the base for a peppermint-slice before and turned it into this one night when we where just craving dessert. The dates gives the base a lovely, round flavour and it makes you wonder why you ever needed refined flours, sugar and butter in the first place!

I’ve used raspberries for the filling as I love the combination of dark chocolate and the tartness of raspberries, but you could use any type of berries. Just adjust the amount of lemon juice you use to suit. I also have this idea of a tropical version with mango..

Makes 2 (slightly outrageous) tarts, or 4 (more modest…)

For the base:
3/4 cup dates
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 tbs cocoa powder
2-3 tbs water

For the filling:
1/2 cup thawed raspberries
1/2 banana
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract
5-6 shredded mint leaves
small squeeze lemon juice

For the ganache:
75g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
3 tbs soy milk
1 tbs olive oil spread
6-8 pecan nuts

Start with the base: Put all ingredients (apart from the water) in a food processor and mix until fine. It should be a dry, crumbly mix. Now add the water, a little at the time and mix. The ‘dough’ should just start to ball up. Make sure it is not too wet, if that happens just add a bit more ground almonds. Please a cup cake case inside a ramekin and press out the base mix to create a cup. Put the ramekins in the fridge while you prepare the rest.

For the filling: Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix until pretty smooth. You want to retain some of the ‘crunch’ from the sunflower seeds. Divide up amongst the ramekins and flatten out on top.

For the ganache: In a small bowl, break up the chocolate pieces and add the soymilk and olive oil spread. Microwave on high until melted (about 1 min). Remove from microwave and stir until smooth. Spread on top of the tarts and decorate with the pecan nuts. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hr before serving.