banana

Best ever banana brownies (vegan, gluten-free, no added sugar)

Zanne Cake, Healthy snacks , , 0 Comment

vegan-gluten-free-banana-brownies

I’m not even kidding you – these are the best brownies ever. Gooey, chocolatey, banana-ey and gloriously guilt free, because they’re packed full of nutritious ingredients, with no added sugar.

As most of my brownies, they’re based on chickpeas, oats and dates. I don’t follow a gluten-free diet, but I prefer using chickpeas because it means you don’t need eggs and can still get a dose of protein. (I’m not vegan either, by the way, I just like to avoid dairy and eggs as much as I can.)

These can be whipped up in a food processor in five minutes and are a great way to use up very ripe bananas.

HEALTHY BANANA BROWNIES (VEGAN, GF)
Makes one 24cm square tin – ca 16 brownies

100g oats*
1 can (240g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
150g dates
30g agave nectar
70g peanut butter (or other nut butter)
30g cocoa
1 tsp baking powder*
2 large ripe bananas (or three small ones)
250ml milk alternative (I use Oatly or Rice Dream, but nut milks work too
1 tsp coconut oil for the tin

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Brush a 24cm square (or equivalent size) brownie tin with coconut oil.

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and process everything into a smooth mixture.

Fill the mixture in to the brownie tin, spread evenly, and bake at 170°C for around 30 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle of the cake comes out clean. It’s ok if you still get a slight wobble in the middle; that will ensure you get a brownie-like consistency.

Leave to cool in the tin, then cut into squares or slices.

Store in the fridge. They’ll keep up to a week.

* To ensure the brownies are gluten-free us GF-certified oats and baking powder.

banana-brownies-photo-session

Vanilla protein porridge with banana and crunchy rye flakes

Zanne Breakfast , , , , , 0 Comment

This year, ever since going back to veggie in summer, I’ve been experimenting with adding some whey protein to my food, because I just wasn’t getting enough protein for my level of training from my vegetarian diet. (My IBS-prone system puts a limit to how many pulses I can eat…) I’ve discovered a surprising number of tasty ways to add protein powder into my diet – because I’m not a fan of the shake – and throwing a scoop into my morning porridge is one of them. It has the added benefit of making this porridge super filling, so I don’t even feel the need to snack until lunchtime.

So here’s my new favourite porridge!

banana-vanilla-protein-two-grain-porridge

TWO GRAIN VANILLA PROTEIN PORRIDGE WITH BANANA AND CRUNCHY RYE FLAKES
Makes one portion

For the porridge:
3 tbsp whole porridge oats
1 tbsp rye flakes (for example from Holland & Barrett)
200ml oat milk
100 ml hot water
Up to 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use PhD Diet Whey)
1/2 banana

For the topping:
1 tbsp rye flakes
1 tsp brown linseed
1/2 banana

Peel and slice the banana. Set one half aside for the topping. The other half will be cooked in the porridge for extra flavour and creaminess.

Put all the porridge ingredients (except the vanilla protein) in a small pan and cook until the porridge has your favourite consistency.

While the porridge is cooking, roast the remaining rye flakes in a pan until golden and crispy. (This only takes about half a minute once the pan is hot so keep an eye on them!)

When the porridge is ready, add a scoop (or half a scoop) of vanilla protein and whisk until it has dissolved. If the consistency gets too thick, add a splash of hot water.

To serve, put the porridge in a bowl, top with the remaining banana and sprinkle the linseed and crispy rye flakes on top.

Raw banana bread nutballs: a delicious and healthy energy boost

Zanne Healthy snacks , , , 0 Comment

I love banana bread. I could eat it for three meals a day – but that doesn’t exactly fit with my healthy lifestyle. So I’ve tweaked my recipe for nut energy balls – which have pretty much become my daily go-to snack for sweet cravings and pre-workout energy boosts – to add the flavour and goodness of banana and cacao to this clean and healthy treat.

banana-bread-nutballs

RAW BANANA BREAD NUTBALLS
(Makes around 30 balls)

125g whole rolled oats
200g mixed nuts (I use the broken cashew, brazil and walnut mix from H&B)
1 medium banana (100-120g)
4 dates
1 tbsp cacao or cocoa

Throw everything into a food processor or Thermomix and blitz until it forms a sticky dough. Roll into bite sized balls and store in an airtight container. 

They keep for up to a week in the fridge, but take them out of the fridge a while before you eat them as they’ll taste nicer when they’re not cold. 
Nom.