Black Forest Smoothie

I have memories of visiting the black forest when I was about 11 or 12, it was a snowy paradise and we stopped off in a little village for a winter hike through the forest and a bite to eat and of course we just had to try a piece of black forest gateau. Little did we know just how boozy this cake really was and my 12-year-old self really didn't appreciate it, so my parents and older brother finished it off. 

But that's not to say I didn't love the rich chocolate and cherry combo that are the hero ingredients of this cake. This version in smoothie form is safe for breakfast (and for kids) as I've omitted the booze, for a rich chocolatey smoothie, with sweet, slightly tart cherry flavour, served ice cold for that frozen-milkshake texture.

Mint Choc Chip Smoothie

When I was younger I never used to like chocolate ice cream, but I would always choose mint choc chip instead, and I couldn't help but be a little disappointed when it was white in colour rather than green, believing that the colouring made it taste right. This smoothie is inspired by mint choc chip ice cream, but naturally coloured green with avocado and a little spinach, which I promise you can't taste at all, for that proper mint choc chip experience!

It's super creamy and delicious and uses a mix of fresh mint and peppermint extract for that classic minty flavour. I also used cacao nibs for a little extra texture, but dark chocolate will also work in this recipe.

Raspberry Ripple Overnight Oats

Next up in my dessert-inspired breakfast series are these overnight oats inspired by the classic ice cream flavour, raspberry ripple. Creamy vanilla chia oats, layered with ripples of crushed raspberries.

Incredibly easy to make, packed with fibre, protein, calcium and vitamin C and a great way to start off your day! Simply mix up your overnight oats, crush your raspberries, layer up in a glass or jar and pop in the fridge ready for the next day. These will last a few days in the fridge, so are perfect for a little meal prep for an on-the-go life!

Cherry Bakewell Smoothie

What if you could have a smoothie that tastes just like a dessert? This Cherry Bakewell smoothie is so simple to make, with just a few ingredients, but tastes exactly like a Cherry Bakewell tart! If you haven't had one before, they're little shortcrust pastry tarts filled with jam, frangipane, and icing, topped with a glace cherry. 

I absolutely love a smoothie but I am a little guilty of only making the same handful of recipes time and time again, so I'm kicking off a new series of dessert-inspired smoothie and breakfast recipes, following on from these carrot cake overnight oats. Perfect for breakfast, with just a few simple ingredients, coming together in just a few minutes.

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are the perfect make-ahead breakfast, ready to grab and go during busy mornings. These are inspired by carrot cake, with apple and raisins for sweetness, walnuts and pumpkin seeds for crunch and spices for that authentic carrot cake flavour. 

Simply mix together, serve out into portions, top with Greek-style vegan yogurt and pop in the fridge for the simplest and most delicious breakfast the next day, and the next few days after that.

Ultimate Scrambled Tofu on Toast

The ultimate vegan brunch, crispy sourdough toast topped with avocado green goddess dressing, soft scrambled tofu, smoky mushroom pancetta, quick-pickled onions and crumbly vegan feta.

Inspired by a dish I ate recently in Stockholm, in a cute café called Mahalo and one too good not to share. Serve up with your favourite hot drink or juice for the ultimate brunch!

Savoury Za'atar Oats

This next dish has become a breakfast staple for me recently and if you've never had savoury oats before, I would really encourage you to try this recipe. Creamy savoury oats made with veg stock, spinach and a dash of nutritional yeast, topped with vegan yogurt or crème fraiche, fresh tomatoes and za'atar - a wonderful Middle Eastern seasoning made from sumac, sesame seeds and herbs.

Savoury oats, oatmeal or porridge may seem a little strange at first, but with the exception of the UK, most cultures around the world have a traditional savoury porridge dish that's enjoyed for breakfast, made from anything from oats, rye and buckwheat in Nordic and Central European countries to rice, beans and other grains in Eastern Asian and African countries. I'm much more of a savoury person than sweet and find that I'm often left hungry after sweet oats, but this keeps me full all morning. It's super quick to pull together and feels like a real treat in the morning to take the time to enjoy a delicious and nourishing breakfast, setting good intentions for the day ahead. It could also be enjoyed a little later as a brunch if savoury first thing in the morning isn't for you.

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Vegan pumpkin spice pancakes, served with pecans and maple syrup. Fluffy, seasonal and a great weekend breakfast or brunch treat!

These pancakes are super easy to make, simply mix the wet ingredients - including pumpkin puree, stir in the flour and baking powder and then simply cook your pancakes. You'll want a non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron pan for these. Then serve up with a good drizzle of maple syrup, handful of pecans and a sprinkling of cinnamon. 

Vegan Apple Cheesecake Breakfast Jars

Breakfast oat jars in the style of apple cheesecake - a biscuity oat base, topped with thick vanilla yogurt and stewed cinnamon apples. These cheesecake jars perfectly celebrate autumn produce, with a delicious on-the-go breakfast or sweet snack that's packed with nutrients!

I picked these apples from the community orchard near my house - the apples were a little tart so I stewed them down with some dates, mixed spices and cinnamon. The base is made from toasted oats, nuts and seeds, blended together with dates for some sweetness - the base is a perfect mix of crisp and chewy. The filling is a mix of thick dairy-free greek-style yogurt with a little vanilla extract. You really can't go wrong with these jars and there are even some stewed apples spare for another recipe or to pop in the freezer for another day!

Overnight Oats Trio

A trio of overnight oats recipes - mango & turmeric, chocolate and raspberry and banoffee nut. Overnight oats are exactly that, breakfast oats prepped ahead of time and enjoyed cold - a great breakfast for warmer summer weather, and all 3 recipes can be whipped up in under 20 minutes!

Essentially here you're making a smoothie as the base of the oats - which is a great way to pack in all those nutrients, before stirring through oats before letting it sit and mix together. You can eat these after just 20 minutes, or do a little meal prepping for the days ahead and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. The longer these sit the more the oats will soften, almost turning into a brownie batter-like texture, where the oats are melty and really delicious! 

Smashed Pea Pesto & Chipotle Mushroom Toast

Smashed pea pesto with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs layered up with sweet and spicy chipotle mushrooms on toast. A delicious recipe to give you a great start to the day, your new go-to breakfast or brunch!

Everyone loves avocado toast, but the avocados need to be perfectly ripe, which takes planning and sometimes you just want something a little different. This smashed pea pesto is the perfect alternative to avo and can be made at any time, from frozen peas! It's fresh and flavourful and you can even make it ahead of time and it won't discolour. 

Vegan Sesame Mushroom Savoury Oats

When I visited Copenhagen a couple of years back I was told about a place selling savoury oats, which really intrigued me -  I didn't actually get to try them whilst I was there, but the thought did stick with me enough to try them out for myself shortly after that trip. I don't usually have sweet porridge, or oatmeal for breakfast as I find I like to add far too much maple syrup to it and then am hungry a little while later, but I actually prefer savoury oats to sweet and they keep me full for hours! 

This next recipe is a cross between those Nordic-inspired savoury oats and Congee, a savoury Chinese rice porridge. Asian-inspired savoury oats with chestnut mushrooms, wakame seaweed and miso, served with vegan creme fraiche and kimchi, with a drizzle of sesame oil. These are pretty full-flavoured, so could also be served a little later in the day as a brunch or lunch dish.

Cinnamon Crunch Granola

Crunchy, cinnamon-spiced granola with buckwheat, pumpkin seeds and chewy crystallised ginger. Perfect to be enjoyed with some fruit & vegan yogurt as a breakfast or morning snack, or serve up with some baked fruit and ice cream for a delicious dessert!

I love to have mine as a mid-morning snack with some yogurt and fresh fruit - even after a few hours it remains crunchy and delicious, thanks to the buckwheat! With a whole range of plant-based ingredients, this granola is full of wholegrains, fibre, protein, your daily ALA (short-chain omega 3), iron, magnesium, manganese and when paired with fruit and live vegan yogurt, will also give you a good helping of vitamin C, calcium and probiotics too [1]! 

Pan Roasted Tomatoes on Toast

In light of what's going on in the world, I have a little more time on my hands, as I'm sure many of us do. So, I'll be sharing lots more recipes over the coming weeks, which you might have already noticed; many will be slightly simpler recipes, focused around one or two ingredients - some will take longer than others and some will be super simple like this next one.

Pan roasted tomatoes, juicy, full of flavour and served up on toasted sourdough - a little sweet, tangy, garlicky and the perfect food for breakfast, brunch or lunch. I cooked these up in my cast iron, but don't worry if you don't have one, any heavy-bottomed pan will do. This recipe is also completely done on the hob, so you don't have to heat your whole oven for just a few tomatoes! 

Turmeric & Ginger Spiced Oats

Warming turmeric and ginger oats with spiced apple, sweet raisins and toasted almonds. A nutritious breakfast loaded with great ingredients, to keep you full throughout the morning!

On a cold winter's morning, there's nothing better than a warming bowl of oats, for that cosy feeling before braving the world. The turmeric adds a subtle savouriness to the oats that really compliments the slightly sharp and acidic flavour of the stewed apple, all brought together with sweet, chewy raisins, a drizzle of maple syrup and crunchy toasted almond flakes. 

Chai Latte Mix (Christmas Gift)

I'm a huge fan of homemade gifts, something useful (or edible) makes the best Christmas present - it's super thoughtful and means you're not just buying something for the sake of needing a gift to give. This chai latte mix is super easy to make and would make the perfect present for a friend, family member or even as a secret Santa gift.  

Nothing beats a homemade chai latte; one that tastes of real, warming spices rather than just spiced syrup. This mix is loaded up with delicious spices like cinnamon, cardamom and cloves to name a few, as well as rooibos tea and vanilla. It also only has a little sugar (from the candied ginger), so you or your recipient can choose to drink it however they like. I'm a fan of using sweetened almond or oat milk to make chai lattes and find that's plenty sweet for me.

Laverbread Cakes & Mushroom Sauce

Welsh laverbread cakes - oat and seaweed cakes served with a creamy mushroom garlic sauce and vegan bacon. Funnily enough, I actually first had this Welsh dish in Edinburgh, Scotland last year, it was absolutely incredible and I just had to recreate it. Serve it up for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, whatever time of day, you're guaranteed to love it!

With the simplicity of the ingredients in this meal, it's incredible how delicious it really tastes. The savoury oat cakes are lightly fried and crisp on the outside, coming together with the creamy,  garlicky, mushroomy sauce and smokiness of the vegan bacon.

Blueberry Pie Smoothie

This smoothie is my go-to breakfast at the moment, it's packed full of all the right nutrients to fuel you through the morning. This blueberry pie smoothie has blueberries, a banana, soy yogurt, flaxseed, almonds and cinnamon, it tastes like dessert, but is super healthy.

Whilst I'm a complete savoury person usually, I always find that I need a hit of something sweet in the morning to boost my blood sugar. By adding a mix of protein and healthy fats, it also ensures the sugars have more of a steady release, helping to keep you full throughout the morning! 

Mexican Tofu Scramble Wraps

Weekends were made for brunching and what could be better than a delicious tofu scramble? This Mexican inspired tofu scramble is flavoured with smoky paprika and cumin, mixed with black beans, tomatoes and coriander, all folded into a grilled wrap and drizzled with a lime-coriander crema. 

This scramble is super simple, coming together effortlessly in under 20 minutes, so whether it's a lazy Sunday brunch or a post-workout refuel, you'll still have plenty of time to relax and enjoy your weekend. Simply scramble the tofu in a skillet, warm up the wraps in a griddle pan and blend the cashew crema.

Immune-Boosting, Cold-Fighting, Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Tea

This next recipe is a miracle for when you're feeling under the weather, but can't afford to take time off work, a little cup of this immune-boosting tea that will make you forget you're even ill! A co-worker made something similar for me during my time at uni when I had a horrid cold, but I still had to show up to work - I drank a few of these on shift and I almost forgot I was even ill! I've ramped it up a bit, with a couple of extra ingredients, to make it extra good for you! 

This anti-inflammatory tea is steeped with lemon, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, coconut oil and a squeeze of date syrup for a touch of sweetness. Packed with cold-fighting goodness and it tastes delicious too! Many people rely on the classic combo of honey and lemon...until they go vegan of course and this soothing tea is my go-to for any time I'm feeling under the weather. I thought it was about time you all felt the magic, too! 

Ginger and lemon are a classic combo, lemon is rich in vitamin C, has anti-bacterial, anti-microbial properties and anti-inflammatory properties and quickly soothes a scratchy throat, ginger is also a fantastic anti-inflammatory, whilst also providing some relief to any nausea brought on by the illness.