Ingredients

200 g fair trade dark chocolate (70% cacao)
90 g quinoa flour
a pinch of whole sea salt
a pinch of cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
115 g rice malt syrup
55 g maple syrup, grade B or C
4 tablespons powdered flax seeds, mixed with 12 tablespoons filtered water
50 g hazelnut butter
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon hazelnut oil
6 tablespoons almond milk, unflavoured and unsweetened

Makes 30-35 brownies.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 170° C. Lightly oil and flour a 20 cm square (stainless steel) baking pan. Melt the chocolate in a bain marie.
Combine the quinoa flour, salt, cinnamon, cream of tartar in a medium bowl and stir. In another bowl, combine the rice malt syrup, the maple syrup, flax seeds, hazelnut butter, olive oil, hazelnut oil and almond milk. Add the chocolate as soon as it has melted, and stir well. Fold the wet into the dry ingredients, stir again until perfectly combined then spread evenly in the baking pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the center comes out slightly moist with batter. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then unmold the cake and transfer onto a cutting board. Cut into squares and let cool a bit more before serving.

Ingredients

150 g semi-whole wheat flour
100 g whole oat flour
50 g coconut flakes
50 g golden flax seeds, finely ground
2 tablespoons cornstarch, GMO-free
a pinch of whole sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
110 g rice malt syrup
130 g coconut milk
150 ml oat milk, unflavoured and unsweetened
2 handfuls of sultana raisins, soaked in filtered water for 10-15 minutes then drained
a handful of hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
100 g dark chocolate (70% cacao), coarsely chopped

Makes about 12 muffins.

Directions

Preheat oven to 180° C. In a large bowl, combine the wheat flour, oat flour, coconut flakes, flax seeds, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and baking powder and stir to blend. In another bowl combine olive oil, rice malt syrup, coconut milk, oat milk and whisk well. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently until the ingredients are combined but don’t over mix the batter. Add the raisins, hazelnuts and chocolate and stir just to make sure they’re evenly incorporated into the batter. Fill the muffin cups or muffin tray with the batter, using a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for a couple of minutes, unmold the muffins and place them on a wire rack to let cool.

Ingredients

half a small head of cooked Romanesco broccoli (which should be about 180-200 g)
215 g cooked whole Baldo rice (which is about 150-170 g uncooked), preferably al dente
1-2 tablespoons raw sesame oil
1 tablespoons tahin
half a teaspoon powdered coriander seeds
half a teaspoon powdered cumin
half a teaspoon dried ginger powder
freshly ground black pepper, just enough to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
a small handful of parsley leaves, preferably fresh, cleaned and finely chopped
1 teaspoon cleaned and chopped chives, preferably fresh
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons ground white sesame seeds (you can grind them yourself in a spice or coffee grinder)

To complete

3 handfuls of peeled almonds
1 tablespoon flakes of nutritional yeast

Makes 16-18 balls.

Directions

Using a potato masher or fork, mash the broccoli until no large pieces remain. Transfer the broccoli mash into a large bowl, add the cooked rice, sesame oil, tahin, spices, salt, parsley, chives and sesame seeds (whole and ground) and stir well to combine all ingredients. To shape the balls, wet your hands with a little water to prevent the mixture from sticking. They should be slightly smaller than a golf ball. Set the balls aside on a sheet of parchment paper or a tray. In a coffee grinder, finely grind the almonds with the nutritional yeast. Roll the rice balls in the almond-yeast powder and serve at room temperature.

Ingredients

150 g whole rice, washed in cold water, well drained then cooked in water until very tender
160 g rice malt syrup
3 tablespoons light and fruity extra virgin olive oil
zest of 1 organic lemon, grated
3 tablespoons whole rice flour
80 g corn flour (GMO-free)
a pinch of whole sea salt
a few pinches of vanilla powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch (GMO-free)
3 handfuls of sultanas, soaked in 3 tablespoons mirin for about 15 minutes then drained and pat dried
powdered brown cane sugar or extra fine almond flour, to serve

Directions

Preheat the oven to 170° C. Place cooked rice, malt syrup and oil in the bowl of a mixer and process until very smooth. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, add all remaining ingredients and stir well until everything is incorporated. Place a sheet of parchment-paper on a baking tray and scoop up a spoonful of batter and drop it onto the parchment-paper. Repeat with remaining mixture. Once the fritters have been placed on the baking sheet bake for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden on both sides (you can turn the fritters over with a spatula). Remove from the oven, transfer onto a plate, absorb any excess oil with kitchen paper (this step shouldn’t be really necessary), sprinkle with some powdered sugar or almond flour and eat warm.

Ingredients

For the cake

200 g semi-whole wheat flour
80 g wholemeal flour
120 g almond flour
40 g unsweetened cacao powder, sifted
50 g muscovado sugar
half a teaspoon vanilla powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
a pinch of whole sea salt
180 g barley malt syrup
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
200 ml almond milk, unsweetened and unflavoured
100 ml almond cream (or other vegetable cream, GMO-free)

For the chocolate sauce

300 ml almond milk, unsweetened
4 tablespoons rice malt syrup
2 teaspoons ginger juice
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 teaspoon dried ginger powder
a pinch of whole sea salt
3 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder, sifted
half a teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon filtered cold water

For the chocolate ganache

150 g dark chocolate (70% cacao), broken into pieces
200 g rice malt syrup
50 ml almond cream (or other vegetable cream, GMO-free)
half a teaspoon fine ground Himalayan salt

To complete

chopped candied ginger (candied with dark brown sugar), to taste
dark chocolate curls (made with a vegetable peeler dragged down one side of the chocolate block from top to bottom), to taste

Makes 16-20 squares.

Directions

Preheat oven to 180° C, lightly oil and flour a 20 cm square (stainless steel) cake pan, or alternatively, lay down a sheet of parchment paper on your cake pan. In a large bowl, sift together the semi-whole wheat flour, wholemeal flour, almond flour, cacao powder, muscovado, vanilla, cream of tartar, cornstarch and salt. Mix well.
Place the barley malt syrup, extra virgin olive oil, almond milk and almond cream in a bowl and stir well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is blended. Make sure everything is well combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 50 minutes. The centre of the cake should be firm but still a little moist (use a wooden stick to check donness). Let cool before removing the cake from the pan.

To make the chocolate sauce, place the almond milk, rice malt syrup, ginger juice, vanilla extract, ginger powder and salt in a saucepan and start cooking over low heat. Add the cacao powder while you keep stirring. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add the cornstarch and cook for another minute or until the sauce is slightly thick (don’t stop stirring while it thickens). Let cool for a few minutes but not too long as the sauce will thicken a bit further as it cools.

When the cake has cooled, remove it from the pan and cut into squares. Poke a few holes in the squares, using a fork or stick. Pour some chocolate sauce over them little by little and let it soak in. Set aside for a while, to let cool again and let the sauce make everything moist. In the meantime you can make the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a saucepan together with the rice malt syrup, almond cream and Himalayan salt and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat as soon as the chocolate has completely melted and everything is combined. Let cool for a bit then pour the ganache over the top of  the cake squares and garnish with the candied ginger and chocolate curls.

Ingredients

100 g quinoa flour
200 g semi-whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
a pinch of whole sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
half a teaspoon cardamom powder
200 ml plain (unflavoured) and unsweetened rice milk
70 ml extra virgin olive oil
80 g rice malt syrup
20 ml maple syrup (grade C)
100 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces
3 handfuls of dried sour cherries

Makes 10-12 muffins.

Directions

Preheat oven to 180° C. In a large bowl,  combine the quinoa flour, wheat flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, cardamom powder and stir to blend well. In another bowl combine the milk, olive oil, rice malt syrup, maple syrup and whisk well. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently until the ingredients are combined but make sure you don’t over mix the batter. Add the chocolate and cherries and give another stir just to make sure they’re evenly incorporated into the batter. Fill the muffin cups or muffin tray with the batter, using a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for a couple of minutes, unmold the muffins and place them on a wire rack to let cool.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

If you want to enjoy the bits of melted chocolate, eat the muffins while they’re still warm. Or whenever you fancy one, you can always warm it up. Anyways, they’re equally good cold. 

Ingredients

100 g dark chocolate, fair trade
2 tablespoons plain oat milk
1 pinch whole sea salt
100 g barley malt syrup
200 g almond butter
70 g whole puffed barley

Makes 20 treats.

Directions

In a saucepan in a bain-marie, melt the chocolate with the milk and salt, stirring constantly. As soon as it’s melted, remove the chocolate from the fire and add the barley malt syrup. Stir to combine and add the almond butter. Stir very well and add the puffed barley. When everything is well incorporated and the barley is coated with the chocolate and almond butter mixture, wet your hands and roll the mixture into balls with a flat bottom. Place on a sheet of parchment paper or a tray and let cool for about 30-40 minutes (you might want to refrigerate them if your kitchen is to warm). When they’re set, enjoy at room temperature. They keep for up to 3-4 days (if it’s too warm, store them in the fridge, but remember that they’re more gooey at a standard room temperature).

Ingredients

For the mini loaves

150 g semi-whole wheat flour
50 g chestnut flour
50 g whole rice flour
50 g cornstarch
half a teaspoon powdered cinnamon
a pinch of whole sea salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
70 ml extra virgin olive oil
100 g rice malt syrup
230 ml oat milk
3 small apples (I used Fuji), peeled and pureed using a food processor

For the hazelnut sauce

6 tablespoons rice malt syrup
5 teaspoons hazelnut butter
a pinch of whole sea salt
5 teaspoons oat milk

Makes 5-6 mini loaves.

Directions

Preheat oven to 170° C. In a large bowl combine the semi-whole wheat flour, chestnut flour, rice flour, oatmeal flour, cinnamon, salt and cream of tartar.
In another bowl pour the oil, rice malt syrup, and milk. Whisk well and add the apple puree. Mix again then fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (preferably using a wooden spatula). Stir gently until the ingredients are combined (add some more oat milk if necessary). Lightly oil the mini loaf pans and sprinkle them with flour. Fill them with the batter, using a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the loaf pans.

To make the hazelnut sauce, combine the agave, hazelnut butter, salt and milk in a bowl and whisk until perfectly smooth. Refrigerate until shortly before serving (the sauce might get a bit sticky and hard when refrigerated: all you have to do is leave it at room temperature for a while and stir it).

Serve the loaves topped with the hazelnut sauce.

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, peeled
a pinch of whole sea salt
a pinch of white pepper
a pinch of chili powder
6-8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
fresh thyme leaves, to taste
fresh oregano, to taste
250-300 g plain seitan, broken into small, bite-sized chunks

Makes 2 servings (or more if served as finger food).

Start by pounding the garlic in a mortar and pestle, then add the salt, pepper, chili, oil, lemon, thyme and oregano. Using the pestle in a circular motion, coarsely grind the mixture then set aside. Break the seitan into small, bite-sized chunks. Place a heavy bottomed pan on the heat and wait until it’s hot. Dip the seitan chunks in the marinade making sure they’re completely covered and cook until they’re evenly golden brown. Transfer the seitan onto a serving plate, pour the left-over marinade (if any) over, and serve. You can also enjoy the seitan as finger food, using toothpicks or skewer sticks.

Ingredients

200 g semi-whole Manitoba flour
100 g whole rice flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
a pinch of whole sea salt
70 ml extra virgin olive oil
100 ml agave syrup
100-120 ml oat milk
half a teaspoon of essicated ginger powder
half a teaspoon cinnamon powder
2-3 pinches of powdered cloves
3-4 pinches of grated nutmeg
a pinch of mace powder
a pinch of vanilla powder
a pinch of cardamom powder
2 firm apples (I used Golden Delicious)

Makes 12-14 muffins.

Directions

Preheat oven to 170° degrees C. In a large bowl combine the Manitoba flour, rice flour, cream of tartar, salt and spices. In another bowl combine the oil, agave and milk. Whisk well and fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (preferably using a wooden spatula). Stir gently until the ingredients are combined but make sure you don’t over mix the batter. Add the apples and stir againg just to make sure they’re evenly incorporated into the batter. Fill the muffin cups or muffin tray with the batter, using a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tray or muffin molds.

Tips, thoughts and ideas

You can either use single greaseproof muffin cases or paper cases placed in a muffin tray. If you spoon the batter directly into the muffin tray, make sure you lightly oil the molds and sprinkle them with flour.

Ingredients

2-3 cups filtered water
2 teaspoons dried mint
a pinch of powdered cloves (or 1-2 whole cloves)
a pinch of powdered star anise (or 1 whole star anise)
200 g whole grain cous cous (I used whole spelt cous cous)
Himalayan salt, just enought o taste
2 tablespoons raw sesame oil
2-3 handfuls of raisins, soaked in filtered water for 10 minutes then drained and pat dried
3-4 chopped medjol dates, stones removed
2 handfuls of pistachios, peeled
2 handfuls of almonds, peeled
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
a pinch of chilli powder
seeds from 1 pomegranate
fresh mint leaves, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

First, make the spicy mint tea. Bring the water to a boil, add the mint, cloves and star anise, stir, remove from the heat and let everything infuse for about 1 minute. Filter and set aside.

Place the cous cous in a salad bowl (preferably large and low) and pour some of the mint tea over it (just enough to cover the cous cous). Cover with a lid and let the cous cous ‘cook’ for 1 to 2 minutes. Check doneness and add some more tea (which should be still very hot) if necessary, pouring it little by little. When the cous cous is ready (it should be al dente) fluff with a fork, add the salt and sesame oil and toss. Add the raisins, dates, pistachios, almonds, cinnamon, chilli and pomegranate seeds and toss again. Sprinkle with some fresh mint leaves. Serve at room temperature.

Ingredients

100 g dark chocolate, fair trade
65 g whole puffed rice
3 tablespoons rice malt syrup
2 tablespoons plain rice milk
1 pinch whole sea salt

Makes 8 bars, 4×4 cm each. 

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the chocolate with the milk and salt, stirring constantly. As soon as it’s melted, remove the chocolate from the fire and add the rice malt syrup. Mix well and stir in the puffed rice. When everything is well incorporated press the mixture evenly into a low, baking tray (mine was 16×8x3 cm), trying to be very quick as the rice is sticky and hardens very quickly as it cools, taking up pretty much any shape. Set aside and cut it into squares before it’s completely cool. When firm, serve at room temperature (they keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days).

Thoughts, tips, ideas

These bars are simple and delicious, plus, you can make them in a flash and the final result is almost always appreciated. Kids don’t usually go for dark chocolate but if you use more malt syrup (5 tablespoons instead of 3), this turns out to be a great recipe to make for parties where you know you have to please a very young crowd (avoiding the refined sugars and extra fats of milk chocolate).