Israeli couscous & almond milk pudding

Makes a good breakfast for 2 or 3

This is a great porridge-type dish for vegans and those with a dairy allergy—as well as for everyone else, as the nuttiness of the almond milk works so well with the Israeli couscous. I like to top this with fresh seasonal fruit, then drizzle with a little date molasses or honey. Of course you can buy almond milk and prepare this pudding in 5 minutes, but making your own almond milk is such a nifty trick to have under your belt, it’s worth giving it a go at least once.

For the almond milk (makes 1 liter)

400g whole almonds (skin on)

600g/ml + 200g/ml water

For the couscous

1 kg/liter almond milk

250g Israeli couscous

a pinch of table salt

3–4 tbsp date molasses or honey

fresh fruit of your choice (I like peaches, strawberries or blueberries)

Soak the almonds in 600g/ml of water overnight. In the morning, transfer the almonds and water to a blender or food processor and blend. Strain through a cheesecloth or a very fine sieve into a large pan. Return the drained pulp to the blender with the additional 200g/ml of water and blitz again. Strain this into the pan too, then squeeze the pulp to wring out any remaining liquid (after this, you can discard the pulp).

Place the pan of almond milk on a high heat and bring to the boil. Add the Israeli couscous and cook until it softens and absorbs most of the liquid, stirring occasionally so that it doesn’t stick. This will take 10–14 minutes. Add the salt, then stir in 3 tablespoons of date molasses or honey.

Transfer to serving bowls, top with fresh fruit, drizzle with the remaining date molasses or honey and serve.

Puffed rice & dried fruit granola

Makes a large cereal container full of this great breakfast treat

Gluten-free

This light and crunchy granola is an excellent one for those with gluten allergies. You can of course make it using other grains and dried fruits; this is simply a base to build upon until you find the combination you like best.

75g unsalted butter

100g date molasses (or a rich dark honey, e.g. chestnut)

100g light brown sugar

175g puffed rice

70g walnuts, roughly chopped

70g pecans, roughly chopped

70g dried figs, diced

70g dried apricots, diced

70g raisins

1 tsp ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 375°F/350°F convection and line a large, flat baking tray with baking parchment.

Combine the butter, molasses and sugar in a small pan and bring to the boil. Stir the puffed rice and nuts together in a large bowl or on a tray and carefully pour over the boiling syrup. Use a large spoon to mix well, making sure to coat all the rice puffs with syrup. Transfer to the baking tray and flatten out a little so that there is an even layer.

Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool on the tray for 6–8 minutes. Add the dried fruit. Sprinkle with the ground ginger and stir to combine, allowing some larger clusters to remain, as they are the best bits.

Once the cereal is cold, transfer to an airtight container. This will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Ashura cereal

Makes a cereal container full of nutty crunchy goodness

Ashura is a traditional Turkish dessert also known as Noah’s Ark pudding. The legend goes that, running low on supplies in the Ark, Noah boiled together everything they had—dried wheat, beans, fruit, nuts, spices and honey. The whole store cupboard. The result is a very substantial dessert; a meal in itself, really. We use the same ingredients (minus the beans), but instead of boiling them we roast them to make a great alternative to granola. The puffed wheat keeps it light and is easier on your jaw than crunchy oats. We have served this for breakfast with yogurt, jam and fresh fruit since we opened the restaurant, but it’s great with just milk or even on its own as an addictive nibble (as many of our customers have discovered).

85g/95ml vegetable oil (e.g. canola or sunflower)

110g honey

110g dark brown sugar

1 tsp table salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground mahleb seeds

½ tsp ground cardamom pods

160g puffed wheat

85g pecans, halved

40g sunflower seeds

50g pumpkin seeds

30g sesame seeds

85g almonds, very roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 375°F/350°F convection and line a couple of large flat baking trays with baking parchment.

Combine the oil, honey and sugar in a medium pan and set on a high heat. Mix well and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to avoid it burning on the base. Put the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Once the honey syrup is bubbling, carefully pour it over the dry ingredients in the bowl. Use a large spoon to stir, turning the contents of the bowl over a few times until everything is well coated with the syrup. Transfer the mixture to the baking trays and flatten it out a little so that there is an even layer of cereal.

Place in the center of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove one tray at a time and mix the cereal around to make sure everything is getting roasted and crispy. Return the trays to the oven for an additional 5–6 minutes, then remove and leave the ashura to cool entirely on the trays before breaking into large clusters.

Once the cereal is cold, transfer it to an airtight container. This keeps for well over 2 weeks, if you don’t get addicted and eat it all long before then.