bos.kitchen

I had a real craving for carrot cake this week. I don’t often have carrot cake, but I’m a huge cinnamon fan and love all those warming spices, ginger, cloves and nutmeg, so I tried to make my version of carrot cake, in a jar. It also had to be healthy enough to pass as breakfast. I have to say, this recipe is a winner, it was so creamy with the right amount of sweetness. I’ve been trying to use more buckwheat of late, it’s always so satisfying. Buckwheat is really easy to digest and full of protein, fibre, nutrients and anti oxidants, which makes it a great way to start your day. If you don’t have buckwheat, oats would work well too.

I kept this recipe raw because I just really like cold buckwheat porridge. It’s probably because the weather is getting ever so slightly warmer too. I’m sure you could heat it up after blending if you prefer, in which case I’d suggest using one mashed banana rather than two frozen bananas.

I’ve added some soaked sultanas and raw grated carrot after blending to bring some texture to everything. Another nice addition would be some nuts or pumpkin seeds. Feel free to customise with whatever you have in the cupboards.

I’ve also added this baobab from Organic Burst, which comes from the stunning organic baobab trees of Malawi. Baobab is loaded with Vitamin C and iron and also helps regulate acidity in the body (perfect for those of us who can’t give up that morning cup of coffee, or glass of wine in the evening). It also has a pleasant citrus flavour, which pairs beautifully with the carrot in this parfait.

Recipe –

• 1/2 cup buckwheat (soaked overnight in water)
• 3/4 cup cashew mylk (or any other non dairy mylk)
• 1 tbsp roasted peanut butter
• 2 frozen bananas
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• A grate of nutmeg
• 1 tsp Organic Burst baobab
• 1 grated carrot
• 1/2 cup sultanas or raisins (soak overnight in enough water to cover)

Today is Easter Sunday. I don’t know exactly why people eat so much chocolate on this day, it almost makes me want to not eat any… but despite my best attempts to resist I had to indulge in a little dark chocolate for breakfast. Despite its sweet exterior, this little pot is packed full of the good stuff, bananas, buckwheat, dates and acai. This parfait takes a minute to prepare but the buckwheat needs soaking overnight.

It’s lightly sweetened with bananas, dates and a lavender buckwheat cream. The lavender is completely optional, but I think it turns this into a super fancy breakfast pot that could easily pass for a dessert.

Recipe

• 1 cup soaked buckwheat, drained and rinsed well (soak overnight in 2 cups water)
• 3 frozen bananas
• 4 pitted dates
• 1/2 cup almond mylk (or any non dairy mylk)
• 1 tbsp Organic Burst Acai 
• 1 tsp edible dried lavender
• Chocolate granola, dark chocolate, rice syrup and edible flowers for decorating

1. Add soaked buckwheat, 2 frozen bananas (save 1 for the lavender cream), dates and almond mylk to a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Layer three quarters of the mixture into two jars, leaving a small gap at the top.
2. Add the remaining banana to the leftover mix and blend with Organic Burst Acai and lavender. Blend this until extra smooth. Taste and add more lavender or acai if required. Layer on top of your buckwheat parfaits and decorate. I used chocolate granola, dark chocolate, rice syrup and edible flowers.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll already know about my obsession with beetroot. Although it’s crazy good for you, I think I’m just drawn to the beautiful rich pink it gives anything it touches. Plus it’s much cheaper and far easier to get hold of than pitaya! Don’t fear though, with the right balance of ingredients you can’t even taste the beetroot. I couldn’t taste it at all in this bowl. Of course if you’re new to beets in your smoothie, just add a little at a time to make sure you like it.

Beetroot has been proven to increase athletic performance, lower blood pressure, increase blood flow and slow down the progression of dementia. Beetroot also contains choline. Choline maintains the structure of cellular membranes, assists the transmission of nerve impulses, assists in the absorption of fat and reduces chronic inflammation.

Recipe

• 4 frozen bananas
• 2 raw peeled beetroot (mine were small, use less if you want to)
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 small apple
• 1 kiwi (don’t worry about peeling)
• 1 tbsp acai powder (I used Organic Burst)
• 1 cup almond mylk

1. Blend all ingredients together with half the almond mylk. Add more almond mylk until thick and pourable, but not too runny. Add a little water if it’s still too thick.
2. Pour into bowl and top with fruit, buckinis, dairy free chocolate, coconut and rose petals.