Tag: maple syrup

Pumpkin Chia Coconut Parfait

Pumpkin Chia Coconut Parfait

This Pumpkin Chia Coconut Parfait is a delicious solution to busy mornings! Mornings. They’re not what they used to be. Actually, they are. Mornings have always been rushed for me, pre-children I would stay in bed until the last second and guzzle black coffee from 

Banoffee Overnight Oats

Banoffee Overnight Oats

These banoffee overnight oats are inspired by the retro british dessert, and will save you time and stress in the morning! To be honest, It took me a while to warm up to the idea of overnight oats, It always felt more satisfying to tuck 

Lemon Pistachio Granola

Lemon Pistachio Granola

This lemon pistachio granola is bright, summery, and packed with zingy citrus flavour!

Lemon Pistachio Granola- Emma's Little Kitchen

Friends, before we get to this bright, summery lemon pistachio granola, may I tell you about my weekend?!

So, since James was about 5 months old, I made the decision to stay at home with him for a while. It was an agonizing decision at the time, never in my wildest dreams did I think the “SAHM” life was for me, but I’ve loved (*almost!*) every minute of it. I knew I wanted to return to the workplace one day, but not for a while, and not tied to a desk 9-5 (or more like, 7-5…!) anymore. Especially as we now live 1000s of miles away from our families. SO mulling this over I decided I would retrain as a Pilates Teacher. I can keep flexible hours, I can grow back into a full time position eventually, and I can do something I truly love. This weekend I  took my first step on my knew adventure learning about the body, doing some super-intense pilates moves, and meeting some truly inspiring and like-minded ladies.

And what have I been doing the rest of the time? Why, munching on this granola of course!

Lemon Pistachio Granola- Emma's Little Kitchen

There are so many things to love about this, the zingy citrusy flavour, the flecks of bright green from the pistachios, the fact that this was MADE for blueberries and yoghurt (two of my personal favourite things!), plus its vegan, refined sugar free, and all the rest of it. Believe it or not, this granola also got the toddlers stamp of approval…!

Lemon Pistachio Granola- Emma's Little Kitchen

Enjoy!

Lemon Pistachio Granola
 
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Author:
Serves: 10 servings
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups oats
  • 1 cup dried unsweetened coconut
  • 1 cup plain shelled and chopped pistachios
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
  • ½ cup maple syrup (or substitute honey if not vegan)
  • juice of 1 lemon
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 250F/120C and line a baking tray with parchment paper
  2. In a large bowl mix together, oats coconut, pistachios, seeds, and lemon zest
  3. In small bowl or measuring jug, mix together coconut oil, maple syrup, and lemon juice
  4. Add the dry ingredients to wet, and mix well until fully incorporated
  5. Spread the granola into a single thin layer on the baking sheet, and bake for about 45-60 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature before storing. Granola should crisp up as it cools!

 

Vegan Kale Ceasar Wrap with Tempeh Bacon

Vegan Kale Ceasar Wrap with Tempeh Bacon

This vegan kale ceasar wrap with tempeh bacon makes a quick and satisfying meal! Well, HI! Apologies, I didn’t intend to go off the radar for the past couple of weeks, it just kinda happened. I found myself with a major case of the burn-outs 

Lemon Chia Energy Bites

Lemon Chia Energy Bites

These lemon chia energy bites provide a delicious boost any time of day! If you have been reading this blog for a while, or you follow me on instagram, you probably know that running is a passion, or maybe even a compulsion of mine. If you 

Breakfast Carrot Cake with Whipped Coconut Yogurt

Breakfast Carrot Cake with Whipped Coconut Yogurt

A secretly healthy breakfast carrot cake topped with whipped coconut yogurt. Breakfast just got more delicious! 
Carrot Breakfast Cake with Whipped Coconut Yogurt Frosting

Cake for breakfast. Friends, I have good news, it’s totally a thing these days. This is a secretly healthy cake (Ssssshhhh! No one needs to know!), packed full of oats, dates, carrots, seeds, and most important of all, its topped off with a mixture of whipped Coconut Dream™ Non-Dairy Yogurt, and coconut cream. Kirk actually said that it felt indulgent enough to be dessert, and I was happy that 10 minutes of gentle kitchen pottering yielded a good four days worth of yummy nutritious breakfast food that even the babe would eat.

Breakfast Carrot Cake with Whipped Coconut

Make ahead breakfasts are such a lifesaver for us these days, it makes our mornings just a little less chaotic and stressful when we have something like this breakfast cake, baked oatmeal, or a mega filling smoothie prepped and ready to go. What is your favourite make-ahead breakfast? I’m always looking for fresh ideas!

Breakfast Carrot Cake with Whipped Coconut Enjoy!

Breakfast Carrot Cake with Whipped Coconut Yogurt
 
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Author:
Serves: 45
Ingredients
  • 2¼ oats
  • ½ cup dried coconut flakes
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp dried ginger
  • pinch of salt
  • 2½ cups almond milk (or whatever milk you have to hand)
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple
  • ¼ cup maple syrup (or honey, or agave)
  • ⅓ cup chopped dates (substitute for raisins or currents if you wish)
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds (walnuts, pecans or pumpkin seeds work well here too)
  • 1½ cups shredded carrots
  • 1 cup chilled coconut cream
  • 1 cup coconut yogurt (1 pot of Coconut Dream™ Non-Dairy Yogurt)
Method
  1. First, put your tin of coconut cream in the fridge the night before you want to make this. (I like to keep one in the fridge so I don't have to remember to do this...!).
  2. Preheat oven to 375F/190C, and grease a 9x9 baking pan
  3. In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt, set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix the milk, pineapple, and maple syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir to combine
  5. Fold in the dates, seeds and carrots, and dump everything into the greased pan
  6. Bake for about 35 minutes until the edges are golden, and everything looks set (it might seem a little undercooked in the center, but thats ok, it will firm up as it cools
  7. Take the tin of coconut cream, and scoop out one cup of the thick chilled cream (leave the watery part, you want the solid stuff!), and plop it into a large bowl. Add the container of coconut yogurt, and whisk the two together until thick and creamy
  8. When the cake is COMPLETELY cooled, spread the coconut topping on top. I usually make both components at night, and spread the topping on in the morning.

Notes

This is a versatile recipe in terms of the seeds/nuts/fruit you can use.

If we need to make this portable, we cut it into smaller squares and “sandwich” them so that the creamy topping becomes a creamy filling.

You can also serve this warm with a little doll of the topping on the side. If you want to serve it warm after its been topped with the coconut, only heat a little (about 20 seconds in the microwave), or your topping will melt into the cake 🙂

This post is sponsored by Coconut Dream™ Non-Dairy Yogurt. Opinions are my own, always.  Thanks for continuing to support ELK and the brands that help make this site possible!

Coconut Cashew Granola Bars

Coconut Cashew Granola Bars

These vegan Coconut Cashew Granola Bars are sweet, satisfying, and wholesome! I was watching a clip of my favourite lady Nigella making Granola Bars the other day, and she described medjool dates as “the most delicious edible glue”. Isn’t that perfect? She’s right (obviously…!), medjool dates 

Simple Almond Hearts

Simple Almond Hearts

These simple almond hearts are gluten-free, refined sugar free, and vegan! Plus they only require 4 ingredients, one bowl, and about 10 minutes to make! This was not supposed to be a post about cookies. For months I had a glorious Valentines breakfast bun recipe 

Roasted Root Salad with Goat Cheese

Roasted Root Salad with Goat Cheese

This roasted root salad with goat cheese is perfect for winter- resolution friendly, with a little oomph!

Roasted Root Salad with Goat Cheese- Emma's Little Kitchen

I have always thought that January is unfairly assigned the title of “worst Month”. The reasons are twofold:

  1. The worst month is obviously February
  2. My Birthday is in January

Roasted Root Salad with Goat Cheese- Emma''s Little Kitchen

Selfish of me yes, but oh to be a January baby! Look, I have nothing against the rigor at which people attack their resolutions, but there is only so many, “I can’t, I’m detoxing”, “I can’t, I’m skint”,”I can’t I’m on the cabbage diet/Beyonce cleanse etc. etc.” that one can take before you begin to get a little resentful.

Roasted Root Salad with Goat Cheese- Emma's Little Kitchen

So I’m meeting you in the middle with this one. I’ll give you some resolution friendly greens, but only if you promise to come out for a cocktail this month. Deal?! Ok, onto the salad Yes, it’s a salad, but it has some oomph. I feel like the universe is playing a cruel joke on us by forcing us to make resolutions in the deep winter, don’t you? Fear not, the robust bed of kale, tossed with roasted root vegetables, and topped with a smattering of creamy goat cheese makes this a satisfying, nourishing, and all round delicious winter salad.

Roasted Root Salad with Goat Cheese

Enjoy!

Roasted Root Salad with Goat Cheese
 
Prep time
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This roasted root salad with goat cheese is resolution friendly, with a little oomph.
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • For salad:
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large sweet potato, cut into chunks
  • 2 parsnips. cut into chunks
  • 2 beetroot. cut into chunks (slightly smaller than your other veg as I find they take longer to cook)*
  • 1 small bunch of kale, destemmed and finely shredded
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • ⅓ cup goat cheese
  • For dressing:
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tbsp dijon
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey if you wish)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • large pinch of salt
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 425F/220C
  2. Arrange the prepared veg in a roasting pan, and toss with olive oil. Put in the oven to roast until tender, and toss once or twice during cooking to prevent sticking or burning.
  3. While the vegetables are roasting, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
  4. Put the kale leaves in a large bowl, and and pour the dressing over the top.
  5. Spend a few minutes rubbing the dressing on the kale leaves until thy are will coated and beginning to wilt**, and then set aside in the fridge to marinate while the veg finishes roasting.
  6. When the vegetables are ready, removed the roasting pan from the oven, and throw in the pumpkin seeds so they toast in the pans heat. After a couple of minutes, add the vegetables to the kale leaves and toss everything together.
  7. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top, and serve!

Notes:

*A cheat for you: I adore precooked vacuum packed beets, because I always feel my roasted ones are hit and miss, and can be messy. So sometimes when I make this salad I will toss the precooked beets in at the end. But your call!

**The longer you massage, the more tender the leaves, and the longer you marinate, the more tender the leaves. My husband has reported that he prefers this salad on the second day for this reason. So you be the judge based on how you feel on the subject of raw kale 🙂

Roasted Root Salad with Goat Cheese

Peppermint Hot Chocolate (Naturally Sweetened!)

Peppermint Hot Chocolate (Naturally Sweetened!)

Take a few minutes to relax this holiday season with a this naturally sweetened peppermint hot chocolate. Good grief! How on earth did it get to be this close to Christmas? It feels like only yesterday I was hunting for my maternity pants so I