Squash gives this rustic loaf a soft texture. Although not gluten-free, spelt is normally tolerated more easily by people who can’t eat wheat. MAKES 1 LARGE LOAF
400g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
450g spelt flour, plus more to dust
50g rolled oats
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp Himalayan or Celtic salt
200g natural yogurt
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Roast the squash for 30 minutes, until soft, then mash and set aside to cool.
2 Mix the flour, oats, bicarb and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the squash and yogurt. Stir lightly until it just comes together.
3 Put on to a floured, non-stick baking tray. Roughly form into a round and make a cross on top with the handle of a wooden spoon.
4 Bake for 40–50 minutes, until golden and cooked. Serve warm or cool. This is especially delicious toasted.
I call this a fast-track mood elevator! Banana and vanilla both lift the spirits, while the cinnamon and the protein in the nuts help balance blood sugar, smoothing away any potential sugar-induced mood spikes engendered by the sweetness of the fruit… MAKES 12 SLICES
4 bananas
4 medium eggs, lightly beaten
75g nut butter, such as almond or cashew
50g coconut oil, melted
75g ground almonds
25g rice flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
50g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of Himalayan or Celtic salt
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Line the base and sides of a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment, so it rises about 2cm above the top of the tin edge.
2 Mash the bananas into a lumpy paste. Beat in the eggs, nut butter and coconut oil until everything is well combined and fairly smooth. Fold in the remaining ingredients and immediately pour the batter into the prepared tin.
3 Transfer to the oven and bake for 1–1¼ hours, until golden and well risen, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
When I was a student in the USA I ate bagels every day and loved them. But when I gave up wheat and sugar, bagels were suddenly off the menu, so I had to come up with a youthing substitute pretty quickly. These are the closest I can get and (though I say it myself) they taste pretty darn good… MAKES 6
1 tsp fast-action yeast
1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
200g tapioca flour
75g potato flour
75g rice flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
pinch of Himalayan or Celtic salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp coconut oil
1 Sprinkle the yeast and maple syrup into a measuring jug and pour over 100ml of lukewarm filtered water. Stir to combine and set aside for five minutes, until the yeast is slightly frothy.
2 Meanwhile, sift the flours, xanthan gum and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the frothy yeast mixture, the egg, cider vinegar and coconut oil, with 50ml more lukewarm filtered water. Stir briskly to make a soft but not wet dough, adding a little more filtered water if it is dry. Knead the dough by hand or in a food mixer for five to 10 minutes, until smooth.
3 Roll the dough into six balls and flatten each slightly to make rounded discs. Make a hole in the centre of each using your finger and widen it until it is about as large as a 50p piece. Cover the bagels with a damp tea towel.
4 Bring a large saucepan or stockpot of water to the boil and preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
5 Carefully slide two or three bagels at a time into the boiling water and simmer for one or two minutes, until they start to puff up slightly. Transfer to a nonstick baking tray using a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
6 Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Easy and nutritious, packed with omegas and protein! These crackers are cooked at a low enough heat that they remain full of enzymes and goodness and can be eaten as part of a raw diet. Make them spicy or sweet as you like; they’ll last for a week at room temperature (don’t store them in the fridge, or they will lose their crunch). As you’ll see in the rest of the book, I find them so versatile that I eat them with almost everything. MAKES ABOUT 30
FOR THE CRACKERS
120g pumpkin seeds
120g flax seeds
120g chia seeds
120g sunflower seeds
120g quinoa, oats or coconut flour
a little coconut oil, for the tray
FOR THE FLAVOURINGS (CHOOSE FROM)
nigella seeds
chilli flakes
cumin seeds
thyme leaves
rosemary leaves, finely chopped
dates and/or unsulphured dried apricots, pitted and finely chopped
1 Preheat the oven to 120°C/fan 100°C/250°F/gas mark ½.
2 Mix all the seeds together in a bowl. If you would like some larger pieces in the crackers, take one-quarter of the seeds out. Grind the rest to a powder in a food processor or coffee grinder. Stir in the quinoa, oats or coconut flour.
3 At this point decide whether you want the crackers spicy or sweet and add your chosen flavouring. The amount of flavour is up to you and you can experiment. If you like subtle tastes, add less, if you want something very savoury or very sweet, add more. Return the whole seeds, if you took them out in the last step.
4 Gradually add 250–300ml of filtered water while, with a wooden spoon or your hands, bringing the mixture together. It may need more filtered water to bind, so add accordingly. The mixture should come together like soft cookie dough.
5 Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. To help the paper lie flat, put some oil on the sheet and stick the parchment on top.
6 Put the dough on the baking sheet and roll it out thinly until it is about 5mm deep. Score into equal squares or rectangles (this will make the crackers easier to break when cooked).
7 Place the sheet in the heated oven and leave to dry out for about an hour or until crisp. Don’t be tempted to raise the oven temperature as this will brown the seeds and they will lose their nutritional value. Break along the scored lines and store in an airtight container.
