Breakfast – Page 2 – Bit of the Good Stuff

Chocolate Granola Clusters with Hazelnuts, Pecans and Cranberries

Published on October 24, 2014 by Sharon15 Comments

Today, I’d like to share another of my family’s favourite granola recipes. Filled with hazelnuts, pecans, cranberries and chocolatey goodness, this granola is perfect for this season.

Chocolate Granola Clusters with Hazelnuts, Pecans & Cranberries

My garden is bordered by cob nut trees, and this year they produced the most amazing crop. I made a deal with the squirrels whereby I would collect nuts from the low hanging branches, and they could have the rest. They then got to work, burying nuts all over my lawn and flower beds, and in my plant pots. Invariably they forget where they’ve buried them and we end up with nut trees growing literally everywhere!

I’m not going to complain though. Nut trees are awesome!

And once they’ve matured, cob nuts are very similar in taste and texture to hazelnuts, so I put them to good use in yummy recipes, like this granola.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Lil’ L loves home-made granola, especially when it’s formed into clusters. It’s so easy to make. You simple press down the mixture as if you’re making a thin granola bar then, once completely cooled, you break it into clusters.

Our favourite sweetener for granola is maple syrup. This adds a delicious caramel-like sweetness, rather than a ‘sugary’ flavour. I use Clarks Original Maple Syrup, which is a blend of maple and carob syrups. It’s widely available in the UK, and a fair bit cheaper than pure maple syrup. I really like its flavour and consistency, which is slightly thicker than the pure grade syrup.

These granola clusters are wonderful for breakfasts, snacks and desserts. For breakfast, we like to serve them with natural non dairy yogurt (such as Alpro) or milk. For an omega-3 boost, I often add a light sprinkling of ground linseed and finely chopped walnuts before serving. I also sprinkle in a few extra cranberries to brighten up the bowl.

Chocolate Granola Clusters with Hazelnuts, Pecans and Cranberries

Layered with yogurt and fresh or frozen fruits, the clusters also make a delicious dessert or after-school snack. They look really fancy yet take literally seconds to throw together!

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These granola clusters make a wonderful breakfast, snack or dessert. While they taste decadent, they are packed with healthy nutrient-rich ingredients including wholegrains, heart-healthy fats, minerals and vitamins. For a fancy treat, layer up the granola with yogurt and fruits to make a parfait. Despite taking only seconds to prepare, it looks really beautiful and is bound to impress family and friends.

Makes around 12 servings
Hands on time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ready in: 60 minutes

Ingredients
300g / 10½ oz / 3 cups rolled oats (use GF oats, if needed)
100g / 3½ oz / ½ cup buckwheat, rinsed and drained
4 TBSP cocoa powder
3 TBSP coconut sugar (or unrefined caster sugar)
¼ tsp salt
75g / 2½ oz / ½ cup hazelnuts
65g / 2¼ oz / ½ cup pecans
70g / 2½ oz / ½ cup dried cranberries
150 ml / 5¼ fl oz / ½ cup maple syrup (or agave syrup)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 TBSP virgin coconut oil, liquefied

Method
Get prepared
Preheat the oven to 150C (130C fan) / 300F / Gas 2.
Line a large baking tray (38 x 26cm / 15 x 10 inches) with non-stick baking paper.
If your coconut oil is solid, place in the oven in a heat proof bowl for a couple of minutes until it has liquefied.
Roughly chop the nuts.

Ready, set, go!
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, buckwheat, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Stir in the nuts and cranberries*. Pour in the maple syrup and vanilla extract, and stir until all the grains are coated. Add the coconut oil and stir until thoroughly combined.

Spread the granola out evenly on the prepared baking tray. Press down firmly so that the mixture sticks together as if you were making a thin granola bar. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool.

The granola will firm up on cooling. Break up the granola into clusters and transfer to an airtight jar. Stored in a cool place, the granola should keep for weeks.

*If you’d like to preserve the colour and nutrients of the cranberries, add them to the granola once its baked.

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Products used in this recipe (UK stockists)
Mornflake Superfast Oats, available in Asda, Morrisons, Tesco and The co-operative (Gluten-free oats are available from the ‘Free From’ aisle in major UK supermarkets and health food stores)
Tesco Buckwheat (found in the wholefoods section) (Buckwheat is also available in health food stores and online)
Biona Coconut Sugar, available from health food stores and online
Dried Cranberries (sweetened with pineapple juice), available from the wholefoods sections in Tesco and Waitrose
Clarks Original Maple Syrup available in Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s
Essential Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (available in health food stores and online)

Enjoy! xx

Postscript
Sirilipons … ‘Secret’ nibbling eh? I wondered where the bottom right hand corner had gone. It looks like a giant mouse has been at it. You are so busted!

Autumn-Inspired Apple and Almond Breakfast Smoothie

Published on October 15, 2014 by Sharon11 Comments

After an exceptionally warm and summer-like September and early October, Autumn has finally arrived in Bath. The Virginia creeper seems to have magically transformed overnight from lush green to vivid red, and the river and canal paths are littered with crunchy brown leaves and horse chestnuts. It most certainly is a beautiful time of year ♥

And though the weather has cooled off a little, I’m still enjoying my daily smoothies. I often have them as a breakfast or lunch on the go, so I add ingredients like nut butters and chia seeds for protein, slow-release energy and to keep hunger pangs at bay. Lil’ L also enjoys smoothies as an after-school snack or evening dessert.

One of our current favourites is this Autumn-inspired Apple & Almond Smoothie (which I shared on The Road to Less Cake last month).

The nut butter, yogurt and chia seeds add a delicious creaminess to the smoothie as well as packing in lots more nutrients. The smoothie provides a good dose of protein, fibre and heart-healthy fats (including omega 3), as well as antioxidant vitamins C and E, and trace minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium.

And another great thing about this smoothie is that you can sneak in a handful of spinach and it doesn’t affect the taste at all!

Until recently, Lil’ L hasn’t been a fan of green smoothies. He likes his smoothies to be the ‘right’ colour. In his eyes, berry smoothies should be pink or purple, while pineapple or mango smoothies should be yellow. For him, a berry smoothie that’s bright green is just wrong. However, one day it dawned on me that I might get away with adding spinach to our usual apple and almond smoothie. Apples can be green, right?

I decided to give it a try when he arrived home from school one day. Here’s how the conversation went…
“Hi!” I call out. “I’ve made you a smoothie!”
“Great! Thanks!” he replies enthusiastically. I hand him the smoothie and there’s a pause, followed by a despondent “Oh…. it’s green”.
“Yep, it’s a green apple smoothie. Give it a try. I’m sure you’ll love it”.
With trepidation he takes a sip. “Mmm, it’s really nice!” he says with surprise. Then there’s a pause…. “So what’s making it green?”
Darn, 10 year olds are sharp. Clearly the ‘green apple’ thing won’t wash with him, so I decide to own up and tell him it’s spinach. He thinks about it for a moment then decides it doesn’t matter after all. Green or not, it tastes really good.

Hallelujah, the green smoothie hang up is finally over! In hindsight, I wish I’d introduced green smoothies when he was much younger. That way, he would have grown up thinking that green berry or tropical smoothies are normal. Never mind, he’s on board now and I’m really excited to try out lots more concoctions over the coming weeks (especially as I’ve got an awesome new blender to play with).

So if you’ve got any green smoothie phobes in the family, I highly recommend trying this one on them. Start with a small amount of spinach so it’s a delicate light green rather than scary green and see what they think (just don’t mention the spinach until they’ve given it a thumbs up 😉 ).

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This smoothie is perfect for breakfast on the go or as a post-school or exercise snack. Unlike regular fruit smoothies, this one is a great source of slow-release energy and will keep you feeling full up for hours.

Hands-on time: 5 minutes

Serves 1 as a breakfast (or two as a snack)

1 medium organic apple, cored and chopped (no need to peel if you have a powerful, high speed blender)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 TBSP almond butter
1 TBSP chia seeds
handful of spinach leaves (optional)
120ml / 4 fl oz / ½ cup almond milk (or other non dairy milk)
120ml / 4 fl oz / ½ cup non dairy natural yogurt
1 tsp maple syrup, or to taste

Place all the ingredients in a blender. Pulse a few times to break up the apple, then blend on high speed until smooth. Taste test, and add more sweetener, if desired.

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Products used in this recipe
Alpro almond milk and natural yogurt, available in major UK supermarkets
Meridian almond butter, available from Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Ocado and health food stores
Chia seeds, now available from Tesco, Ocado, health food stores and online (I knew the supermarkets would catch up 😉 )
Clarks maple syrup, available from most major UK supermarkets

Fresh Vegan Magazine & Day Radley’s Banana Notella Pancakes (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

Published on May 16, 2014 by Sharon10 Comments

Fresh Vegan is a digital food magazine for the UK and Europe. Launched in Winter 2013, the magazine will appeal to anyone interested in plant-based eating, whether they be omnivores, vegetarians, vegans or the health conscious.

The magazine’s 100+ pages are jam-packed with features, interviews and recipes from chefs, restaurant owners, street food vendors, food writers, authors, bloggers and food producers from all over the UK and Europe.

Oz from Sultan's Delight at Street Diner — Here’s the lovely Oz from Sultan’s Delight in Brighton (one of the contributors in the Spring issue)

The magazine also has great features on where to eat, sleep and shop for vegan goodies in locations around Europe and the UK. In the Spring issue, the spotlight was on beautiful Cornwall, Prague and Germany.

LoVeg vegan restaurant in the stunning old city of Prague ♥

Alongside the features, the contributors share one or more of their favourite recipes. One recipe in the Spring issue that caught my eye was Day Radley’s Banana Notella Pancakes, which happen to be both vegan and gluten-free! I’ve had success with gluten-free American-style pancakes before (my favourite is this Blackstrap Ginger Cookie Pancake), but I’ve never tried a crêpe-style (ie. folding) gluten-free pancake before. Since Lil’ L is such a ‘pancake monster’, I knew this would be a great recipe to share with the family.

The pancake was filled with home-made vegan nutella. While I’ve made lots of versions of dairy-free nutella in the past (using both raw and roasted nuts), I’d never made one the same way at Day. I was intrigued to give it a try!

And the verdict? Both the pancakes and the ‘notella’ were a big hit with the family! The banana pancake had a nice texture and flavour, and while much thicker than a classic crêpe, I was still able to fold it. I trialled the pancakes using Doves gluten-free plain white and brown bread flours, and both worked.

The ‘notella’ was really yummy! Day recommends using a blender but I knew my blender wouldn’t be up to the job, so I used the food processor instead. I did need to add more water to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency and I also added some vanilla extract, but that was just down to personal taste.

The ‘notella’ is also scrumptious served on warm toast ♥

Here’s Day’s lovely recipes (with my notes and ‘tweaks’ in brackets)

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Day Radley’s ‘Notella’ (Vegan / Dairy-Free / Cane Sugar-Free / Gluten-Free)

Ingredients (for 8 pancakes) (makes about 1 cup)
150g / 1 cup hazelnuts
4 tablespoons agave syrup
4 tablespoons coconut oil (I liquefied mine before adding it)
2 tablespoons water (I needed 2-3 TBSP extra to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency)
2 tablespoons cocoa or raw cacao (powder)
(I also added ½ tsp vanilla extract)

Method
Preheat the oven to 200c. Put the nuts on a pan and toast in the oven until the skins come off easily. Take out and leave to cool until you can handle them. Rub them between your hands roughly, this will remove the skin. (I roasted my nuts at 180C in my fan oven for 12 minutes until golden brown, then transferred them onto a plate and left them to cool down).

Put the nuts in a blender with the syrup, oil and water (I used my food processor). Blend until this is a smooth paste. (This will take a few minutes. Stop now and then to scrape down the bowl). Add the cocoa and blend again. (I then added extra water, one tablespoon at a time until I reached the desired consistency. After taste testing, I also added ½ tsp vanilla extract and blended it in).

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Day Radley’s Banana Pancakes (Vegan / Gluten-Free)

Ingredients (for one large pancake)
1 large banana (I recommend using a very ripe banana)
1/4 cup (45g) gluten free white bread flour (both Doves gluten-free plain white and brown bread flours worked for me)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons almond milk (I had to add another tablespoon to achieve a pourable batter).

Method
Cut 4 slices off the banana, these will be put inside the pancake. Put the rest of the banana into a jug with the flour, baking powder and milk. Blend with an immersion/hand blender until smooth.

Warm up a non-stick pan on the hob. Once hot, pour the pancake batter into the centre of the pan (and swirl to thin out). Flip once it is cooked on the bottom. To assemble, put the pancake on a plate, spread Notella in the centre, add the banana slices and fold up the pancake. Dust with cocoa if you want to be fancy. (I used cinnamon!)

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SPECIAL OFFER: Fresh Vegan is offering Bit of the Good Stuff readers the chance to download the Spring 2014 issue in PDF format for just £1.95 (usual price £3.95). Click here to purchase. Offers end Sunday 25th May 2014.

And keep a look out for the Summer issue of Fresh Vegan. You must just spot a familiar face in there 😉

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! xx

‘Rise and Shine’ Oaty Pineapple Breakfast Smoothie (Dairy-free)

Published on March 27, 2014 by Sharon6 Comments

The British winter was more like a monsoon this year. For over two months it rained pretty much continuously, and often accompanied by gail force winds. It’s been yet another crazy weather season, with January recorded as the wettest winter month since 1767! Thousands of homes experienced terrible flooding, especially on the Somerset levels. While our garden has been completely submerged under water three times since Christmas Eve, fortunately our house is elevated and out of harm’s way.

We’re now coming to the end of March and we’re STILL experiencing rain pretty much every day here in the South West. However, there are breaks and when the sun comes out and the clouds disappear, it’s absolutely glorious! I’d forgotten how wonderful it is to feel the warmth of the sun on your skin!

As the sunny spells are so fleeting, I’m grabbing every opportunity to get out there and make the most of them. The garden is starting to come to life and it’s been a joy to see the Spring flowers popping up. Every where I look, there’s a hive of activity in the garden. The bees, butterflies, ladybirds and toads are all out of hibernation, and the birds are busy pairing up and make nests. This truly is a wonderful time of year! ♥ Now if the rain could just go away for a while so I can go jogging without getting wet or having to run with an umbrella, then that really would be the icing on the cake 😉

For today’s recipe, I’d love to share one of Lil’ L and I’s favourite ‘power boosting’ breakfast smoothies. This one contains fresh pineapple, which has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. For slow-release energy, a protein boost and delicious creaminess, we add oats and chia seeds. The chia seeds also give the smoothie an omega-3 boost and have this amazing satiating effect, leaving you feeling full up for hours.

'Rise and Shine' Pinapple Oat Breakfast Smoothie | Bit of the Good Stuff

To ramp up the nutritional factor even more, we add a spoonful of baobab powder. This natural fruit powder boasts some amazing nutritional stats, including 3 times more calcium than milk and 6 times more antioxidants than blueberries!

When the sun peeked out the other day, I grabbed the opportunity to drink my smoothie in the garden. Five minutes of bliss!

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This smoothie makes a refreshing change from breakfast cereals. It’s packed with goodies that will help to sustain energy levels and leave you feeling full up all morning. It also makes a great after school or work ‘pick me up’. For a lighter, post dinner ‘dessert’ smoothie, simply omit the oats.

Makes 1 tall drink
Hands-on time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
¾ cup sweet, fresh pineapple, diced
1 cup non dairy milk (almond, soya or rice, preferably fortified)
1 TBSP chia seeds
1 TBSP baobab powder, optional (for a nutritional boost)
4 TBSP rolled (porridge) oats (use certified GF oats, if needed)
Maple syrup (or other natural sweetener), optional to taste

Method
Place all the ingredients, except the sweetener, in a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Stop now and then to scrape down the sides. Taste test, and add a little maple syrup, or other natural sweetener, if needed.

As with any acidic fruit drink, allow at least thirty minutes after drinking before brushing your teeth.

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Products used in this recipe
So far, I’ve made this smoothie with Alpro Almond milk & Soya milk and Rice Dream Rice Milk
Chia Seeds, available from health food stores and online, including Amazon
Baobab Fruit Powder from the Eden Project (gifted to me)
Mornflake Superfast Oats

'Rise and Shine' Pineapple Oat Breakfast Smoothie

I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend everyone! ♥ xx

Easy Gingerbread Blender Pancakes (Vegan)

Published on January 29, 2014 by Sharon16 Comments

We’re still loving our ‘special’ Sunday breakfast of freshly made pancakes. Lil’ L now helps me in the kitchen and is enjoying making the pancakes as much (well, almost as much!) as he enjoys eating them. This week, we flavoured our pancakes with the same spices as our favourite gingerbread cookies. We couldn’t wait for the taste test!

And the verdict?

They were utterly delicious! And arguably the perfect pancake for this time of year. Spicy, warming and filling ♥

They also happen to be filled with goodness… The Blackstrap molasses fortifies the pancakes with iron, calcium and other trace minerals, while the addition of apple adds a healthy dose of antioxidants and dietary fibre. We used a gluten-free flour mix for these pancakes to see how it would hold up (it worked perfectly!), but they could easily be made with wheat flour too.

We like to top our pancakes with chopped walnuts and pecans, and a sprinkling of ground golden linseed. As well as adding a lovely texture, these toppings ramp up the nutrient factor, providing more antioxidants, protein and omega 3. And, of course, there’s the obligatory drizzle of syrup 😉

The first pancake stack was devoured within minutes so, much to Lil’ L’s delight, I made a second batch to photograph. From the look of things, these won’t be around long either 😉

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Serves: 2-3
Hands-on time: 20-35 minutes Ready in: 20-35 minutes

Ingredients
1 ripe medium banana
250ml / 1 cup sweetened soya milk (see Notes)
2 TBSP Blackstrap molasses (or sub with black treacle/molasses)
70g / ½ cup wholemeal (whole wheat) flour, chapatti flour or gluten-free flour mix
35g / ⅓ cup rolled oats (quick oats not jumbo)
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
pinch of salt
½ TBSP organic rapeseed (canola) oil (or other neutral tasting oil), for frying

Suggested toppings
Chopped walnuts and pecans
Ground linseed (flaxseed)
Maple syrup

Method

Peel and slice a banana.

Blend the milk, molasses and banana until smooth, either using a jug blender or tall jug and hand blender. Add the flour, oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt, and blend until incorporated.

If possible, use two non-stick frying pans (skillets) to halve the cooking time. Brush the bottom of the pan with oil and heat on medium heat. To check the pan is hot enough, flick some water drops into the pan. If it sizzles, the pan’s ready.

Pour ¼ cup of batter into the pan. Once the pancake starts to firm up round the edges, carefully flip over using a slotted turner. Continue cooking for a further minute or so, until the underneath is browned. Place the pancake in a warm oven while you prepare the rest.

Any leftover pancakes can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. They make a great after-school or post-exercise snack! Gently heat through on the hob or in the microwave before serving.

Notes

* I’ve found soya milk to be the best milk for pancake making as it produces robust pancakes that are easy to flip over. You can substitute with almond milk in this recipe, but I would also highly recommend adding in 2 TBSP ground linseed (flaxseed) to help firm up the pancakes.

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Products used in this recipe:
Meridian Organic Blackstrap Molasses, available in health food shops and online stores
Doves Brown Bread Flour

[This recipe has been submitted to Ricki Heller’s Wellness Weekend]

I’m sure these pancakes will make a regular appearance on Sundays now, in rotation with other favourites like Apple Cinnamon and Banana. We also love traditional crepes served with lemon and sugar. Lil’ L reckons that our ‘veganised’ version tastes as good as the crepes he eats in France. Now that’s a statement! I’ll make sure I post the recipe in time for Shrove Tuesday 😉

Do you like breakfast pancakes? If so, what’s your favourite flavour? If you’ve posted any recipes, please do share below.

Kathy Hester’s Pumpkin Coconut Caramel Sauce & Vegan Slow Cooking Book Giveaway!

Published on October 15, 2013 by Sharon77 Comments

Say hello to the latest addition to my household…

yes, it’s yet another gadget for my ever growing collection of kitchen appliances!

I wasn’t intending to buy a slow cooker, but I was recently sent a copy of newly published Vegan Slow Cooking For Two – Or – Just For You by Kathy Hester (best selling author of The Vegan Slow Cooker and the Healthy Slow Cooking blog). I did warn the publishers that I didn’t own a slow cooker, but they sent me a copy anyway. Maybe they knew what would happen 😉

Before reading Kathy’s book, I always thought slow cookers were for cooking stews and casseroles. However, Kathy has totally blown my preconceived ideas out the water. She seems to cook everything in her slow cookers – porridge, fondues, dips, tapenades, pasta, baked potatoes. She even has a recipe for a full Thanksgiving dinner that’s cooked in just one slow cooker pot!

Kathy describes these as ‘Breakfast Burritos’ but I’d happily eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Kathy’s latest book is specifically designed for single and couple households, and includes over 100 recipes for the smaller 1.5 litre slow cookers. The majority of the recipes take 7-9 hours, so you can quickly prep the ingredients in the morning, then come back from work to find your dinner ready and waiting for you. The breakfasts also take 7-9 hours, so you can switch the slow cooker on before bed, then wake up to a warm bowl of ready-made porridge.

Kathy’s recipes are simple to follow and she provides soy-free, gluten-free and oil-free options for each meal. Most of the ingredients she uses are easy to purchase in the UK. There are a few recipes that call for ingredients such as vital wheat gluten flour or liquid smoke, but these are available from online stores, including Amazon.

After reading Kathy’s book, I couldn’t resist ordering a slow cooker so that I could try out her recipes for myself. The idea of slow cooking on days when we have after-school activities especially appeals to me. When we get back home, rather than having to start cooking (and invariably eating late into the evening), dinner will be ready and waiting for us. We won’t even need to warm it up!

On my study class night, I’m usually rushing around at the last moment, trying to get dinner cooked for the boys and grabbing a quick bite for myself before running out the door, but not this week! I spent 10 minutes in the morning prepping the ingredients for a curry based on Kathy’s Navratan Korma recipe and threw the ingredients in the slow cooker. Dinner was sorted! It was delicious too!

Last Friday, I made another of Kathy’s recipes and, this time, I chose something from the ‘Sweet Treats’ section… Pumpkin Coconut Caramel Sauce. As soon as I read the ingredient list I knew that I was going to love this sauce. It includes some of my all-time favourite spices – cinnamon and cardamom – and with the addition of pureed pumpkin, it has got to be the perfect sauce for this season.

Kathy recommends that the sauce be cooked on low for 7-9 hours but I just couldn’t wait that long to try it, so I cooked it on medium/high for 3 hours instead.

And the verdict? This sauce is scrumptious! After testing it, Lil’ L declared it to be “very Autumny!”

In the mornings, we’ve been stirring a couple of tablespoons of the sauce into our porridge/oatmeal. It’s warming, sweet and, for me, it’s the most perfect porridge flavouring for this season.

We’ve also been enjoying the sauce in our apple & yoghurt compotes for dessert.

The recipe quantity yields 3 cups of sauce. Kathy tells me that the sauce will keep about a week in the fridge, so I’ve frozen half of it in ice cube trays. That way we can be enjoying the sauce for the next couple of months (and it will stop me from devouring the whole lot in one go 😉 )

Here’s Kathy’s recipe, reproduced with permission from Fair Winds Press:

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Pumpkin Coconut Caramel Sauce (Soy-free / Gluten-free / Oil-free)

Kathy says:”This rich, gooey sauce embodies fall. It’s lightly spiced and perfect in a cup of coffee. But don’t limit yourself – try it on vegan ice cream, dip cookies into it, or stir a bit into your morning oatmeal.”

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 7 to 9 hours
Yield: 3 cups (700 ml)

Ingredients
1 can (13.5 oz / 400ml) full-fat coconut milk
1 cup (225 g) packed brown sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom*
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice (I used mixed spice instead)
pinch cloves (omitted, as I used mixed spice)

*Ground cardamom isn’t readily available in UK supermarkets. I’ve heard that freshly ground cardamom is the best anyhow, so I grind my own. I simply remove the cardamom seeds from the pods, lightly toast them for 2-3 minutes until they are fragrant, then pulse them in a grinder into a fine powder. 1 tablespoon of cardamom pods makes about 1.5 teaspoons of ground spice. I store the spice in a glass jar in the fridge.

Method

Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. Store in the fridge and use a few teaspoons (15-20 ml) in your hot or iced coffee.

Per 2-tablespoon (28ml) serving: 42.9 calories; 0.5g total fat; 0.4g saturated fat; 0.2g protein; 13.1g carbohydrate; 0.4g dietary fiber; 0mg cholesterol

Products I used
– Chaokoh Coconut Milk, from the World Food aisle at Tesco. I like this brand as it doesn’t contain any strange preservatives, thickeners or E numbers.
– Coconut sugar, available from online stores, including Elements for Life and Amazon
– Libby’s 100% Pumpkin Purée, purchased from Waitrose

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GIVEAWAY TIME!

Are you already a fan of slow cooking? Or, like me, are you a newbie that’s intrigued to try it out? Either way, Kathy’s latest book is bound to give you lots of inspiration. Would you like to check it out for yourself? If so, I’m very pleased to tell you that the publishers have kindly offered me a second copy to give away 🙂

The main way to enter the giveaway is to leave me a comment below, answering the question featured in the Rafflecopter. Do make sure you tick the box in the Rafflecopter to register that you have done so!

If you’re new to Rafflecopter, it’s pretty easy! You simply ‘log in’ by clicking the ‘Use Your Email’ button and entering a name and email address (which won’t be published anywhere) or you can log in via the Facebook button. A quick demo of how to use Rafflecopter can be accessed via this link.

There are a number of additional ways you can enter in order to increase your chances of winning. You will find these listed in the Rafflecopter. All entries will be verified prior to the winner being selected.

The giveaway is open to residents (aged 18 and over) living in the UK, USA & Canada

The closing date is Thursday, 31^st October 2013 at midnight GMT.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!

Please note: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links – if you click on the link and purchase something I will receive a small percentage from Amazon which will goes towards the development of Bit of the Good Stuff. Thanks in advance!