Ingredients

200 g cooked lentils
200 g pomegranate kernels
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
the juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons apple vinegar
1 tablespoon rice malt syrup
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
a large handful of fresh parsley, cleaned and chopped

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Combine the lentils and the pomegranate kernels in a sald bowl. Add the salt, olive oil, lemon juice, apple vinegar and rice malt syrup and toss. Stir in the cumin and coriander, finish with the chopped parsley, toss and serve slightly cold or at room temperature.

Ingredients

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (and a little more when ready to serve)
1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 small carrot, cleaned and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, cleaned and finely chopped
13-15 Piccadilly tomatoes (or other baby tomatoes), cleaned and diced
half a large yellow pepper, cleaned and diced
1 teaspoon powdered vegetable stock
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
350 g plain seitan, finely chopped (you can use a food processor)
100 ml filtered water
400 g tomato purée (with no other added ingredients)
1 teaspoon rice malt syrup
2 handfuls olives (I used Taggiasche), seeded and halved
1-2 teaspoons dried oregano
half a teaspoon ground celery seeds
chili powder, to taste
freshly ground green pepper, to taste

Makes at least 6 servings (you can refrigerate it for up to 2 days or freeze it and save it for later).

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, tomatoes, pepper, vegetable stock and salt and sweat until the vegetables are slightly soft. Add the seitan and sauté for a few minutes. Pour the water and tomato purée, add the rice malt syrup, olives, herbs and spice and stir well. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour. Remove from the heat, add 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and stir again. Serve with your favorite pasta. Alternatively, it’s excellent on polenta but also to make risotto.

Ingredients

a small fennel bulb, cleaned and cut into thin slices or shaved
a few endive leaves, cleaned
5-6 radishes, cleaned and cut into halves or quarters
half a red beet, cleaned and cut into two halves and then into slices
5-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
the guice of half a lemon
2-3 teaspoons apple vinegar
2 teaspoons rice malt syrup
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
dried thyme, to taste
freshly ground green pepper, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

In a salad bowl, combine the fennel, endive, radishes and beet and toss gently. Pour the olive oil, lemon juice, apple vinegar, and rice malt syrup in a jar, add some salt, secure with a lid then shake to mix. Drizzle some vinaigrette over the vegetables, sprinkle with the thyme and green pepper and and serve.

Ingredients

500 ml mixed berry tea (use your favourite blend)
a little squeeze of lemon juice
one quarter of a teaspoon vanilla powder
one quarter of a teaspoon powdered cloves
5 tablespoons rice malt syrup
3 teaspoons powdered agar agar

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Pour the mixed berry tea into a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and cloves and stir. Stir in the rice malt syrup and cook for a couple of minutes then add the agar agar, and keep cooking for about 5 minutes, while stirring continuously. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the hot berry tea mixture into a baking pan (use a steel or ceramic oven pan), then set aside and allow to cool, first at room temperature then in the ridge (at least 2 to 3 hours). When it is cold and completely firm, you can cut the jelly into squares and serve.

Ingredients

6 sweet, organic oranges, cleaned
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
a 6 cm piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
400 g rice malt syrup
250 g muscovado sugar

Makes 4 small jars.

Directions

Prepare the oranges by peeling them and discarding the white bitter skin. Save the peel. Chop the orange pulp -removing any seeds-, chop the peel and place the prepared oranges in a heavy steel saucepan. Add the vanilla powder, the ginger and toss. Stir in the rice malt syrup and muscovado sugar and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Change heat to low and simmer for around 40 minutes, or until the jam is rather thick. Stir constantly to keep the jam from sticking to the saucepan. When the jam has reached setting point, remove from the heat and fill the sterilized jars. Use a damp cloth to wipe the jar rims, let cool and seal with sterilized lids. Store the jam in the refrigerator or in another cool place.

Ingredients

half a very small head celeriac, peeled and shaved thin
1 red apple (I used Red Delicious), cleaned, quartered and cut into very thin slices
1 very small lemon, cleaned and cut into thin slices
lemon juice, to taste
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
whole sea salt, just enough to taste
rice malt syrup, to taste
whole grain, old style mustard, to taste
apple vinegar, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

In a salad bowl combine the celeriac, apple and lemon slices and drizzle with some lemon juice. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, rice malt syrup, mustard and apple vinegar until completely mixed. Transfer the vegetables into individual serving plates then pour the dressing over them just before serving.

Ingredients

100 g dark chocolate (70% cacao), preferably Fairtrade
220 ml almond cream (or other vegetable cream)
a pinch of whole sea salt
4 tablespoons rice malt syrup
3 tablespoons hazelnut butter
chopped hazelnuts, for garnish

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Melt the chocolate in a bain marie, then stir in the almond cream, rice malt syrup and hazelnut butter. Stir until you reach a smooth consistency, remove from the heat and transfer the mixture into individual ramekins or glasses. Let cool, refrigerate for at least 3 hours, top with the chopped hazelnuts and serve.

Ingredients

For the custard

500 ml unsweetened and unflavoured almond milk
3 teaspoons agar agar powder
6 tablespoons rice malt syrup
3 tablespoons almond butter

For the berries

black berries (1 small basket)
blueberries (1 small basket)
3-4 tablespoons rice malt syrup
a few pinches of vanilla powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
lemon zest (from organic lemons), julienned, for garnish

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Pour the almond milk  into a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the agar agar, stirring constantly to avoid lumps (you can even mix the agar agar with an equal amount of cold almond milk or filtered water). Stir until dissolved. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, making sure the milk does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture into a low ceramic casserole dish. Set aside and allow to cool for at least 2 to 3 hours, or until completely firm. When it’s time to prepare the custard, break the gelatin into pieces and put it in the bowl of a mixer. Add the rice malt syrup and the almond butter and process until very smooth. Pour the custard into ramekins or glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until serving time.

In the meantime, clean the berries and combine them in a bowl, add the rice malt syrup, vanilla and lemon juice and toss. Refrigerate until serving time.

Serve the almond custard cold, topped with the berries and lemon zest.

Ingredients

2 kg extra ripe purple plums (I used the Italian variety), cleaned
1 cup (250 ml) filtered water
the juice of 1 lemon
100 g muscovado sugar
300 g rice malt syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
2-3 cm long fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

Makes about 4 jars, 300 g each.

Directions

Divide each plum in half, taking the stones out. Transfer the fruit in a large heavy-based saucepan. Pour the water and the lemon juice, add the sugar, rice malt syrup, vanilla and ginger and toss. Let the fruit stand there for a couple of hours, then start cooking over medium heat, stirring now and then. When the plums start to soften, change heat to low and simmer for around 40 minutes, or until the jam has thickened. Stir constantly to keep the jam from sticking to the saucepan. When the jam has reached setting point, pour it into individual, clean sterilized jars. Let cool before covering each jar with a tight-fitting (and sterilized) lid. Store in a very cool and dark place (you can keep it in the fridge).

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa, cold (here’s how to cook quinoa)
1-2 chilled nectarines, sliced
1 banana, sliced
2-3 handfuls of chilled blueberries
a squeeze of lemon juice
2-3 pinches of vanilla powder
rice malt syrup, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

Combine the cooked quinoa, nectarines, banana and blueberries in a bowl (or use two separate serving bowls). Add the lemon juice and vanilla and toss gently. Top with the rice malt syrup and enjoy.

Ingredients

half a teaspoon powdered saffron
400 ml coconut milk
6-7 tablespoons rice malt syrup
3 tablespoons cashew butter
a pinch of whole sea salt
a few pinches of dried ginger powder

Makes 4 servings. 

Directions

Dissolve the saffron in the coconut milk, stirring. Combine all the ingredients in a mixer, processing until smooth. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before pouring it into your ice cream maker. Process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 40 minutes should be enough to reach a creamy, thick texture. At the end of the cycle, remove the ice cream from the machine and divide it into bowls. Eat the ice cream right away or keep it in the freezer until serving time.

Ingredients

For the apricots

700-750 g fresh and ripe apricots, cleaned, pitted and cut into thin slices
4 tablespoons rice malt syrup
the juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
half a teaspoon dried ginger powder
half a teaspoon cardamom powder

For the crumble

300 g almond meal
5-6 tablespoons muscovado sugar
a few pinches of cinnamon powder
1 large tablespoon cocoa powder
a pinch of whole sea salt
70 g pure cocoa butter, melted
30 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon almond butter

Makes 4-6 servings.

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the apricots, rice malt syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, ginger and cardamom powder. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, muscovado, cinnamon, cocoa powder and salt. Add the cocoa butter, olive oil and almond butter and rub ingredients together using your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

Remove the apricots from the fridge, arrange the crumble randomly on top of the fruit and serve cool.

Ingredients

50 ml GMO-free vegetable cream (I used almond cream), unsweetened and unflavoured
50 ml almond milk, unsweetened and unflavoured
120 g rice malt syrup
50 g hazelnut butter
50 g almond butter
100 g dark fairtrade chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces and melted in a bain-marie
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1-2 handfuls of dried sour cherries
1 large handful of coarsely chopped hazelnuts

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Pour the vegetable cream and almond milk into the bowl of your mixer, add the rice malt syrup, hazelnut butter, almond butter and process for a couple of minutes until combined. Slowly add the melted chocolate and process again until smooth. Put the mixture into the fridge for about 10-15 minutes then transfer it into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 30-40 minutes should be enough to make a creamy, thick ice cream. 3-4 minutes before the end of the cycle, add the dried sour cherries and chopped hazelnuts. At the end of the cycle, remove the ice cream from the machine and divide it into bowls or glasses. Eat your ice cream right away or keep it in the freezer until serving time.

Ingredients

150 g rice malt syrup
130 g raw almond butter
20 g raw coconut oil
50 ml almond milk (unflavoured and unsweetened)
65 ml almond cream, or other GMO-free, vegetable cream (unflavoured and unsweetened)
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Put all the ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture into the fridge for about 30 minutes then pour it into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 40 minutes should be enough to make a creamy, thick ice cream. At the end of the cycle, remove the ice cream from the machine and divide it into bowls. Eat the ice cream right away or keep it in the freezer until serving time.

Ingredients

For the cake

150 g semi-whole wheat flour
150 g millet flour
a pinch of whole sea salt
half a teaspoon cream of tartar
4 Granny Smith apples
160 ml unsweetened and unflavoured almond milk
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
170 g rice malt syrup
a few pinches of vanilla powder

For the rice malt caramel sauce

250 g rice malt syrup
150 ml vegetable cream (I used almond cream)
a pinch of whole sea salt
2 tablespoons muscovado sugar
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons filtered water

Makes 1 cake (20-22 cm). 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180° C. In a bowl, combine wheat flour, millet flour, salt and cream of tartar. Peel, core and thinly slice 2 apples. Line a cake pan (20-22 cm) with parchment paper and arrange the apple slices in a single layer on it on concentric circles, making sure there are no gaps. Peel, core and cut into pieces the remaining apples and put them in the bowl of a mixer, add the almond milk, olive oil, rice malt syrup and vanilla and process until very smooth. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and fold together quickly. Pour the batter on top of the sliced apples and bake for 40-45 minutes.

To make the rice malt caramel sauce, combine the rice malt syrup, vegetable cream, salt, muscovado and vanilla in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down a bit and continue  to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly. Do not overcook. Add cornstarch, cook for a few more minutes, until the sauce thickens further to your preferred sauce consistency. Turn off the heat.
Remove the cake from the oven, let cool slightly for 5-10 minutes, transfer the cake onto a wire rack or a plate, pour the rice malt caramel sauce on top of it and let cool completely before serving.

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, maple syrup, flax seeds, hazelnut butter, olive oil, hazelnut oil and almond milk. Fold the wet into the dry ingredients, stir well then add the chocolate as soon as it has melted. Stir again until combined and 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 cool.

Ingredients

150 g whole oatmeal flour
50 g semi-whole wheat flour
50 g whole kamut flour
a pinch of whole sea salt
half a teaspoon baking soda
80 ml almond milk, plain (unflavoured) and unsweetened
90 ml extra virgin olive oil
150 g rice malt syrup
60 g unrefined cane sugar such as muscovado

Makes 18-20 cookies.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180° C. In a large bowl, mix oatmeal, wheat flour, kamut flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk together almond milk, oil, rice malt and muscovado, using a blender or food processor. Stir the liquid into the dry mixture. Make sure that everything is well combined. Line a baking tray with parchment-paper, scoop up a spoonful of batter and drop it onto the tray. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Bake 15-20 minutes, until deep golden. Be careful not to overbake. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a glass jar.

Ingredients

400 g stale wholemeal bread
600 ml oat milk, plain (unflavoured) and unsweetened
200 ml apple juice, with no added sugar
150 ml vegetable cream, GMO-free (I used almond cream)
100 g rice malt syrup
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
4 red apples, cleaned, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
200 ml filtered water
2-3 tablespoons apple juice concentrate, with no added sugar
half a teaspoon vanilla powder
maple syrup (grade B), to serve 

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 170° C. In a large bowl, mix together oat milk, apple juice, cream, malt syrup and vanilla. Cut the bread into small cubes and stir it into the liquid mixture. Let soak for at least 40-45 minutes. Now and then, mash the bread with a fork. Add some more oat milk and apple juice if necessary (it shouldn’t be, but that depends on the kind of bread you use).
In the meantime, put the sliced apples in a pan, add the water, apple juice concentrate and vanilla, stir well and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove the apples from the heat. Transfer some of the bread mixture into a lightly oiled baking pan (or divide it between small oven safe ramekins), add one layer of the sliced apples and repeat with remaining mixture and apple slices. Bake for about one hour. Check for donness by piercing with a knife: it should come out clean. Cook a bit longer if necessary. Serve either warm or cold drizzled with some maple syrup.

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.