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Vegan Friendly, Fiber Fuelled Granola

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Saturday Kitchen

Hello,

A very long time ago, on a Saturday, I used to share a favourite recipe or something I had made that week… It was a very popular email… but then I stopped doing it… 

If it’s of interest I will restart it. My focus on food is how to improve my gut health

There is a lot of information coming out on ‘healthy gut microbes’ and what we can do to help improve that health. 

Your gut microbes are involved in immune function, hormone balance, detoxification, mood, and energy… and that’s just the stuff they have been able to prove! 

So the recipes I share will be as diverse as possible to help you fuel your gut…

It’s recommended that we try to get 30 different types of fibre sources each week – don’t worry that’s not 30 serves! If you make something with a mix of herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds each different variety counts!  

Homemade Granola – Fiber Points Up to 20

I love granola, it’s easy to make. Keep it in a jar to keep fresh and then add it to yogurt, or pancakes, have it as a snack or even whack it into your smoothies when you are making them. You can add whatever ingredients you like. The best thing about making your own granola over shop bought is controlling the amount of sugar that’s in it.

Depending on the size of the batch you want to make:

1 or 2 bags of mixed raw nuts is usually from Aldi or Lidl, then any other nuts I have in the cupboard – always raw, because you are going to roast them.

For mixed nuts, I usually include walnut, almond, cashew, peanut, brazil nuts, pecans, and pistachio.

1 or 2 cups of mixed seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, linseed, sesame, hemp, nettle, and chia.

½ – 1 cup of dried fruit: raisins, sultanas, cranberries. goji berries, dates, figs, apricots.

¼ – ½ cup of coconut flakes or desiccated coconut.

¼ – ½ cup of coconut oil (other oils don’t set as well)

¼ – ½ cup maple syrup (or honey, but I find honey stays sticky)

1 or 2 cups organic, gluten-free oats.

Spices depending on what flavours you like – cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cacao

The more variety of nuts, seeds, fruit, and spices you use, the more diversity you have (remember you are aiming for 30 per week)

In a large mixing bowl, I put the oats, mixed nuts, seeds and spices – about a tablespoon of each. Once you have made your first batch, you will get an idea if you want more or less of the spices. Mix all these dry ingredients through.

You could even give it a kick with some smoked paprika if you fancied. .

On the stove, I warm the coconut oil and maple syrup so it’s runny, but not boiling, just melted together.

Mix the warmed oil and syrup into your mix to lightly coat your mix (it shouldn’t be wet or overly sticky). It’s okay if it’s still a bit dry – but add more oil and syrup if you feel it needs it.

Put the oven on at about 160c On a large baking tray spread out your mix to about 1 – 1½ cm thick – depending on the size of your tray you might need to use a couple of trays.

Pop into the oven and leave for 15 mins, then turn the mixture to bring the bottom ingredients to the top and add in any of the dried fruit and coconut you want to include then pop back into the oven for around 15 mins. The nuts should look roasted then it’s ready. You might want to leave it in the oven for a bit longer.

Leave to cool then put in a jar (I use a 2 litre mason jar and a 1 litre if it doesn’t all fit).

I use a ¼ cup scoop when I am serving it with yogurt or pancakes. It is also good for a snack on its own. 

Let me know if you make it, and/or if you would like me to keep sharing these weekly.

 Be kind, be curious

Jen 

Breakfast Bowl for gut health

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I am delighted peach season is back with us… I LOVE peaches! And yes, I keep the skin on them for additional fibre benefits (washed of course!)

This breakfast bowl is not only delicious, but it’s great for the gut too! I have been including additional nuts, specifically brazil and flaxseed as they are highly beneficial for women’s health, particularly for those of us in the midlife years! 

Breakfast bowl fibre points 15+

1 cup of kefir – Note, if you are new to kefir, start with a tablespoon in some natural yogurt and gradually increase the kefir and decrease the yogurt. Too much too soon could give you the runs! 

3-5 brazil nuts – these are an excellent source of selenium which is essential for thyroid health, boosts your immune system, also good for brain and heart health

1 tbsp ground flaxseed – excellent source of omega 3’s and antioxidants to support the arteries, blood pressure, blood sugar, help reduce excess estrogen (great if you get tender breasts throughout the month)

Fruit – I stick with seasonal fruit as much as possible, in the warmer months peaches, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, in the cooler months apples and pears. Frozen fruit is great, but make sure it’s defrosted overnight. 

homemade granola you can view my recipe here > https://iamjenwilson.com/blog/vegan-friendly-fiber-fuelled-granola/

1 tbsp chia seeds – an excellent source of fibre omega 3’s and antioxidants which also help with blood pressure, and supporting general health

Instructions

In a bowl place your kefir (and natural yogurt if you are using it), add the chia seeds and stir through. Allow to sit for at least 10mins to allow the chia seeds to soak up some of the liquid, this creates a gel-like substance around the seeds which is great to help clear out your colon. If you are constipated it will help move things on and if you are loose, it will help bulk things up. 

Add your fruit, nuts, seeds and granola, serve and enjoy. 

It’s that simple. 

Gluten Free Coconut & Almond Pancakes

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I don’t know about you, but I struggle for breakfast ideas. Moving into perimenopause and learning about nutrition in these years (40+) a higher protein breakfast is suggested. Eggs if you like them are the perfect breakfast. Unfortunately for me, I don’t like eggs, so I need to find a way to get them in without tasting them… Enter the pancake! 

I had almond and coconut flour I needed to use up so this was a perfect way to utilise what I had in the cupboard and make a lower carb (carbs are not the enemy, just have them later in the day) breakfast, that’s also high in fiber points.

Coconut and Almond flour pancakes Fiber points 6+

Pancakes

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 cup almond flour

2 tbs ground flaxseed

1 tsp baking soda

2 or 3 eggs (the more eggs, the more protein)

1 tsp vanilla essence 

Milk (the volume of milk will depend on how many eggs you use, so add this last)

Toppings

Whatever toppings you would like. I used some berries (they are lower in sugar than other fruits), chopped brazil nuts (great source of selenium for the perimenopause years),and homemade granola

Instructions

In a blender or food processor put all the pancake ingredients (except the milk) and blitz together. once everything is blended add a small amount of milk and blend again. You want the mix to be wet and gloopy, but not runny – coconut and almond flour have a different texture to regular flour. 

Heat a skillet or frying pan with some oil then tablespoon your mix on to the heated plate. When it starts to bubble, that’s when you turn them. I always use that first pancake to determine if I have the right consistency. 

Then serve with whatever toppings you fancy. 

How do you make your chocolate healthier?

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This one is for the health-conscious chocolate lover… I am not a fan of milk or white chocolate. I find them too sweet. I was put off at the Cadbury’s factory in Tasmania, and the guide told us that the white chocolate was just the leftovers after they had taken the goodness out of the cocoa bean. That was back in 2006, and I haven’t had white chocolate since!

There are a lot of benefits you can get from the cocoa bean. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar the more benefits. 

According to Healthline, their blog https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cocoa-powder-nutrition-benefits lists the benefits including: 

It is rich in antioxidants (which can help reduce inflammation), it might help with blood pressure, and we can experience sensations of pleasure, making it a potential mood enhancer. The bitterness (from dark chocolate) can suppress appetite, it can have some magnesium, iron and zinc in it… 

The darker the chocolate, the better (70%+), and RAW chocolate is even better as the heating process degrades any vitamins, minerals and polyphenols (that provide the antioxidants). 

That said, you can boost the nutrient value of a bar of supermarket-bought dark chocolate… 

Dark Chocolate Brittle Fiber points 13+

250g 85% dark chocolate

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 tablespoons tahini

Selection of raw nuts chopped up, I used brazil, walnut, pecan, cashew

Selection of raw seeds, I used hemp, flaxseed, sunflower and pumpkin

I also added shredded coconut (unsweetened if you can get it) and topped with goji berries and sea salt. 

Gently melt the chocolate (I do this in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water), then add the coconut oil and mix until it is fully melted. Take off the heat, stir through the tahini, and add your nuts and seeds. For this batch, I used a soup bowl of nuts and seeds, which was much more than I had done previously. 

Cover a large baking tray with greaseproof paper, pour your mix and level it out. Because I had a bigger batch than usual, I used a couple of trays so the mixture wasn’t too thick… You can make yours as thick or thin as you prefer. 

Sprinkle over your coconut, goji berries and salt. 

Pop in the fridge to chill until the mix has solidified. Then, chop it into small pieces and keep it in the fridge. It’s great as a snack if you are feeling peckish but don’t know what to have, if you are craving something sweet, or want to add some luxury to your yogurt and granola. It can also make a lovely gift if you package it up. 

What are you going to add to yours? 

Baked Apple (well grilled really)

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Warming up my breakfast…

I like to have Greek yogurt with fruit, homemade granola, brazil nuts & kefir for my breakfast. I am getting my protein, fats, carbs, fiber, and ferments all in the first meal of the day…  BUT

I live in Scotland, and November is cold and damp… according to Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, eating cold and wet food isn’t good for your health in the winter… If you haven’t done the Rebel Quiz yet to see how you can tweak foods for your health, check it out www.iamjenwilson.com/rebelquiz

Traditionally, here in Scotland, along with soup season, we would be in porridge season… And I do like porridge… I am just not ready to make the change just yet. And I have two tubs of Greek yogurt that need to be used in the fridge!

Something I have a strong dislike for is cooked fruit! Hot fruit, nope! Mushy fruit that should have a bite, nope!! Bananas or sultanas in a loaf, or cake, yes… but otherwise, cooked fruit is a hard no for me… 

BUT… 

I was telling my friend who was all stuffy and mucusy from an earth imbalance (do the Quiz to find out what this means), and I was talking about a baked apple with cinnamon… and it made me want to try it! 

So, rather than baking the apple and risking it getting mushy, I chopped it up into quarters, took out the core, and grilled it for a few minutes with cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled. This took the chill off it, without losing the bite… And do you know what, it was good!!

I sat the yogurt and kefir out for an hour at room temperature to allow the chill to come off them. So when I made the breakfast, it didn’t chill me to the bone, and I got the warming benefits of the cinnamon and nutmeg! 

Baked Apple Fiber Points 3+

1 apple

sprinkle of cinnamon

sprinkle of nutmeg

Just writing this, you could use allspice, which also includes clove and black pepper, so that would boost your fiber points by another 2! I haven’t tried it though… 

Do you like cooked fruit? 

Saturday Kitchen – Thai Lentil Soup

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Over the last few years, I have got serious about doing everything I can to support my gut health.  

You may or may not be aware that I have Crohn’s disease which is an inflammatory condition of the bowel and early 2022 I got very sick, ended up in the hospital, on very potent antibiotics, and had so much inflammation in my body that I couldn’t even stand up without support or lift my arms to wash or dress. I was in a bad way!

In hindsight and through research, I believe that flare was a reaction to having covid over the Christmas period. 

Gut health research has come on leaps and bounds over the last couple of years. 

It’s now well understood that fiber places a massive role in improving gut health and supporting your gut microbiome (gut bacteria). 

It’s also known the important role of those microbes in your immune function, hormone balance, food cravings, sleep, energy and mood. Basically everything, 

The best way to support the microbes is by a diverse range of fibers. Getting a diverse range means eating the rainbow, adding herbs and spices, nuts, seeds and whole grains into your diet. And looking to get 30 different sources each week. 

It can be as simple as adding a variety of dried herbs to your meals and mixing nuts and seeds (like the granola recipe I shared last month). 

Eating locally and seasonally is also beneficial, not just for your gut environment, but also for the global environment!

Now would be the perfect time to start planting some seeds to grow your own! 

I write a column for Scotland Grows Magazine (which at the moment is free). It’s a hugely useful resource and the only digital magazine for Scotland’s climate for growing plants and veggies!!  Check that out here https://scotlandgrowsmagazine….

Thai Lentil Soup                                         Fibre Points 7+

4 small or 2 large onions finely chopped and sautéed

2 large spoons of Thai green curry paste

2 cans of green lentils or 2 cups soaked overnight if using dry lentils

Water to cover ingredients (with approx. 1 inch above – keep an eye on the level as the lentils love to soak up the water)

3 teaspoons of bullion or 2 stock cubes

Chop everything that needs to be chopped, put it all in a slow cooker, put it on high and leave for 1 hrs or low and leave for 2 hrs to get the lentils cooked. 

If making in a pot on the stove, chop, and put everything in the pot. Bring to a boil then simmer for approx 30 mins until the lentils are cooked.. 

Blend till smooth and add to a can of coconut milk. 

This is your soup base. 

Then, options to add:

Veggies – peppers, carrot, broccoli, broccolini, baby sweet corn, runner beans, mangetout 

Prawns 

Chicken

Continue to cook until the veg, prawns or chicken is cooked. The veg can keep a crunch if you desire. 

Nice served with some rice or rice noodles if you want this as your main meal.

Greek Fruit Salad

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Recipes to help improve the health of your gut.

Your gut microbes are involved in immune function, hormone balance, detoxification, mood, and energy… and that’s just the stuff they have been able to prove! 

The recipes I share will be as diverse as possible to help you fuel your gut, and you can add and take away ingredients to suit your tastes, location, and the season…

It’s recommended that we try to get 30 different types of fibre sources each week – don’t worry that’s not 30 serves! Remember, if you make something with a mix of herbs, spices, nuts, and seeds each different variety counts!  

Greek Fruit Salad             

Fibre Points It’s Up to You

Super easy for this one. 

I use Greek yoghurt as a preference. Greek Yogurt is made with goat’s milk and Greek Style is made from cow’s milk so if you are sensitive to lactose, Greek yoghurt might be a better choice. It’s high in protein and low in sugar. 

Kefir is also a great gut-friendly source and natural probiotic. Kefir is fermented milk where kefir grains break down the lactose, so many people who are lactose intolerant find that they can take kefir. Kefir is sourer than yoghurt, some people love the taste, some people don’t – you can take a couple of spoonfuls and mix it with your other yoghurt. If you are buying kefir in the supermarket, check that it doesn’t have any sweeteners added or that hasn’t been pasteurised post-production (the milk used will be pasteurised before it’s added to the grains). 

Sweeteners disrupt the ‘good’ gut microbes and pasteurising kills off the microbes. 

Seasonal fruit of your choice – frozen fruit can be a quick and easy option – I take frozen berries out the night before to let them defrost. Remember, the more varieties of fruit you use, the more fibre points you get. 

You could almost hit your 30 points for the week in your breakfast alone. 

2 or 3 Heaped tbsp Greek Yogurt (or any natural yoghurt of your choice)

1 handful of fruit

2tbsp Granola (recipe from last week) https://iamjenwilson.com/blog/vegan-friendly-fiber-fuelled-granola/ 

If you haven’t made the granola, you can add nuts, seeds, oats etc instead

Serve & enjoy

Let me know if you make it, and what additions you include.

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