Pear, Coconut & Chocolate Quinoa Porridge
* easy * vegan * gluten free * healthy * 20 mins prep and cooking *
We’ve only recently discovered quinoa porridge. It makes a great alternative to oats if you’re looking to vary the grains in your diet. Quinoa is packed with protein and fibre and although it takes longer to cook than oats, it’s worth the time investment, particularly as it will easily keep in the fridge for a few days’ worth of breakfasts.
The addition of cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla along with pear and coconut means the porridge is sweet enough to not need to add any sugar but by all means splash on a bit of maple syrup if you have a sweet tooth. This makes a really nutrient dense breakfast bowl rich with antioxidants - we love it and we’d really like to know how you get on. Tag your photos @the_geographer_store
Ingredients (2 generous portions)
1/2 cup quinoa
2 cups coconut milk
2 level teaspoons cacao or cocoa powder
1 level teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 ripe pear, sliced
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
Instructions
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a very fine mesh sieve and add to a small pan along with the coconut milk, cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt. Bring to the boil, stir thoroughly and then reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently, covered, for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the grain is cooked through.
Remove the heat and pour into two bowls. Top with the sliced pear and desiccated coconut. Can be enjoyed hot or cold.
5 minute Chia Seed Jam
* very easy * vegan * healthy * 5 mins prep and cooking *
If you love slathering your toast with jam but don’t really want the extra sugar in your diet, then this is the recipe for you. Using just three ingredients, you can whip this together in just 5 minutes and vary the sweetness with just a small amount of maple syrup. You can use fresh berries but we find that defrosting frozen fruit releases more juice which are soaked up nicely by the chia seeds. If you like a tart jam, you can leave out the maple syrup all together. If you haven’t tried chia seeds before, you’ll find them at any supermarket or health food store. The seeds swell up in liquid, giving that thick consistency you’d expect from jam, but with the added bonus of some extra fibre and protein.
Try on toast, crumpets, on your breakfast cereal, with yoghurt, as a cake filler or spooned onto ice cream.
This jam will keep in the fridge for up to a week so you can vary the quantity you make accordingly.
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Ingredients
300g frozen fruit (try raspberry or blueberry)
3 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
Warm the fruit in a small pan on the hob. When defrosted, take off the heat and stir in the chia seeds and maple syrup. Leave to thicken. When cool, spoon into a clean glass jar.
Beetroot Red Velvet Cake
* requires a little effort * 15 mins prep * 35 mins cooking time *
If you’re looking for a celebration cake with a bit of a wow factor, look no further than this red velvet recipe. Many red velvet recipes use artificial colour but this one achieves a lovely (and healthier!) result from beetroot. You might be surprised by the addition of vinegar; it’s function is to create a chemical reaction with the bicarbonate of soda and the buttermilk to release carbon dioxide, resulting in a light, fluffy and moist cake with just a hint of chocolate.
A top tip before icing; chill the cake for a few minutes in the freezer to reduce the chance of dark crumbs transferring to your white icing.
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Serves 10
Ingredients
1 cup of cooked chopped beetroots (about 3)
170g butter, softened
180ml buttermilk
Juice of one lemon
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
200g plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
350g caster sugar
3 eggs
For the frosting
50g butter, softened
300g icing sugar
125g full fat cream cheese
Fresh berries to decorate
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 180 C (160 C fan, gas mark 4). Lightly grease two 20cm (8 inch) cake tins (or, if you prefer a single layer, one 9” tin) and line the bases with baking parchment.
Puree the beetroot, buttermilk, lemon, white wine vinegar and vanilla essence together in a food mixer or using a stick blender. Aim to get the mixture as smooth as possible.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Gradually beat in the eggs. Sift in the flour, cocoa and remaining dry ingredients and then stir in the beetroot mix. Pour the mixture into your cake tins and bake for 30-35 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the icing. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and stir in the soft butter and cream cheese. Whip together.
When the cakes are completely cold, sandwich together with half the icing. Spread the remaining icing over the top and decorate, if desired, with fresh berries.
Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
* easy * vegan * 15 mins prep * 25 mins cooking time *
These muffins are moist, flavoursome and nutty and wouldn’t be out of place in the nicest of coffee shops. As with our chocolate cake recipe, it really doesn’t matter if you are vegan or not, they are a delicious treat and are lower in sugar than many other muffin recipes.
With the absence of butter and egg, you can make them mostly with store cupboard ingredients and the recipe holds up well with substitutions. For example, switch the raisins to tinned pineapple, shredded coconut or any other dried fruit. If you’re not a fan of cinnamon, leave it out of the cake recipe and replace in the frosting with lemon juice. You can also make this gluten free (with gluten free flour) or nut free as you prefer.
The muffins will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Makes 15
Ingredients
560g self raising flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp baking powder
120g brown sugar
2tsp cinnamon
80g pecans or walnuts, chopped (reserve a few for toppings)
1 large carrot, grated
350ml soya milk (or any other plant milk)
320ml vegetable oil (rapeseed, olive, coconut)
100ml maple syrup
2tsp vanilla essence
75g raisins
For the frosting
2 cups (400g) icing sugar
3-4 tbsp soya milk (or alternative)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180 C (150 C Fan, Gas Mark 4). Line your muffin tins with cases (this recipe makes approximately 15, depending how large you like them).
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir through the grated carrot, nuts and raisins. Mix together all the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Using a metal spoon, stir briefly until all ingredients are combined, being careful not to overmix. Do this quickly and spoon the mixture immediately into the muffin cases - do not let the mixture sit. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until risen and golden brown. Leave to cool in the trays before icing.
To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Start with just a few tablespoons of soya milk and add more gradually until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Drizzle each muffin with icing and top with a nut (chopped, if you prefer) and a dusting of cinnamon.
They go beautifully with a cup of premium coffee like our Colombian ground!
Dog Biscuits
* very easy * sugar free * 5 mins prep * 15 mins cooking time * makes around 35 little biscuits
If you’re tired of buying (plastic) packs of treats for your pooch, then try this simple recipe for bake at home dog biscuits. You’ll be saving on money as well as packaging! This recipe uses peanut butter, but if your dog isn’t a fan, you can replace with mashed banana or cooked sweet potato.
Most dogs love peanut butter and it’s packed with protein, but a word of warning - make sure your brand is natural and doesn’t include an artificial sweetener (most don’t) as xylitol is toxic to dogs. Similarly, if your dog doesn’t tolerate gluten, you can substitute the flour with a gluten free alternative. And finally, needless to say these biscuits are intended as an occasional treat and not a substitute for their usual well-balanced diet.
You can use any cutter shape and make these whatever size you or your dog prefers! They will keep for a week or so in an airtight container. We tend to keep surplus biscuits in the freezer and just fill a jar as required. Pair these with our All Natural Doggie gift box for the ultimate in pet gifting!
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Ingredients
2 cups plain wholemeal flour
1 egg, beaten
Two thirds of a cup of peanut butter (see note above)
Water - a few tablespoons
Instructions
Pre heat the oven to 190 C (170 C fan, gas mark 5). Measure the flour and peanut butter into a large mixing bowl. Add the egg and a few tablespoons of water, just enough to bring the mixture to a firm dough.
Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Have fun cutting your desired shapes! Bake in your pre-heated oven until the edges are beginning to darken. This will take about 15 minutes, depending on the size of your biscuits. Leave to cool before storing in an airtight container.
The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
* requires a little effort * vegan * 15 mins prep * 35 mins cooking time *
Regardless of whether you are vegan or not, this really is one of the best chocolate cake recipes we have come across. It’s rich and decadent, moist and fluffy plus made with straightforward store cupboard ingredients. Makes a wonderful celebration cake and freezes well (for up to a month) in the unlikely event it’s not eaten in a few days!
The recipe will also make lovely vegan chocolate cupcakes; just reduce the baking time to 15-20 minutes.
Recipe credit https://veggiedesserts.com
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Serves 10
Ingredients:
300ml dairy free milk (coconut, soy, oat or almond)
1 tbsp lemon juice (or white vinegar)
150g dairy free margarine
3 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp instant coffee granules
275g plain flour
175g caster sugar
4 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the frosting:
75g dairy free margarine
200g icing sugar
4 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp water
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 180 C (160 C fan, gas mark 4). Lightly grease two 20cm (8 inch) cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
Stir the lemon juice into the milk and set aside to thicken or curdle slightly (like buttermilk).
In a pan over a medium heat, melt the margarine, syrup and coffee granules together. Set aside to cool slightly.
Sieve the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl.
Pour the milk and melted margarine mixture over the flour mixture and stir well until it becomes a smooth batter taking care not to over-mix or beat.
Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake for 30-35 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, to make the icing, beat together all the ingredients until smooth.
When the cakes are completely cold, sandwich together with half of the icing. Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake.
Carrot, Cannellini Bean & Cashew Soup
* easy * healthy * gluten free * 10mins prep * 15 mins cooking time *
One of our favourite warming soups for winter, this recipe really packs a punch in terms of both protein and flavour. Once blended, the cashew nuts and beans make for a really creamy soup, delicious with sourdough toast. The anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of the spices mean that this really is a recipe to turn to when you feel a cold coming on!
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Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chilli powder
6 carrots (approx 550g)
1 cup of cashew nuts
1 tin cannellini beans
800ml stock
small jug of milk (optional)
salt & pepper
Instructions:
Peel and slice the onion and garlic and soften them in the oil on a low heat. While they are cooking, wash and slice the carrots. Add the spices to the pan, followed by the carrots and cashews. Stir to combine, season, then add the drained beans and stock. Let it simmer for about 15 mins or until the carrots are cooked through.
Remove from the heat and blend with a hand held stick blender until smooth. Add a small jug of milk, cream or yoghurt (or just some extra water) to your preferred consistency.
Lebkuchen
* takes a little time * 20 mins prep * overnight resting * 12 mins cooking
Thank you so much to former staff member Sally for sharing this recipe with us. We would make these every Christmas at the cafe; the sweet, spicy biscuits are perfect with a cup of coffee. Once you have all the spices in your store cupboard, they are very satisfying to make at home and make fantastic presents, especially as the biscuits will keep well in a tin. The dough does benefit from resting for a few hours or ideally overnight.
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Makes approximately 36 biscuits
Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup clear runny honey
1/2 cup dark molasses or treacle
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
1 and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup mixed candied peel, finely chopped
For the icing,
1 1/2 cups icing sugar,
1 egg white,
1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions.
Beat together the egg, brown sugar and honey. Stir in the molasses. Mix all the dry ingredients together well, and add the combined wet ingredients along with the mixed peel to make a sticky dough. Cover the dough and allow it to rest in the fridge for at least a few hours or ideally overnight. Heat the oven to 170C and line some baking trays. Roll balls of the dough by hand to around 3cm diameter and place on the tray, pushing down a little to flatten the underside so that they are domed shape. Remove from the oven after 10-12 minutes and allow to cool.
Mix the egg white with the icing sugar and lemon juice to form a thick but runny icing. Dip the top of each biscuit into the icing and leave to set.
Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
Sweet Potato, Lentil & Coconut Soup
* easy * healthy * vegan * 10 mins prep * 40 mins cooking time *
Serves 4
This was one of the most popular soups served in our cafe and it’s easy to see why - there are so many flavours going on and they all complement each other beautifully. We also love this soup as sweet potatoes are a hero vegetable! Unlike regular potatoes, they count towards one of your 5 a day, and are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals including beta-carotene to support your eye health.
Depending on the strength of your curry powder, start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more if you like it spicy. If you don’t have coconut milk, you can substitute with any other milk including dairy. This is a blended soup and we find using a hand held stick blender is easier (and safer!) than pouring the hot soup into a blender.
Enjoy! Let us know how you get on or tag us in any photos the_geographer_store
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
small piece of ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
500g sweet potato
1 apple
75g red lentils
1/2 - 1 tsp curry powder
500ml vegetable stock
400ml tin coconut milk
juice of 1/2 lime
Method
Peel and slice the onion, ginger and garlic and soften them in the oil on a low heat. While they are cooking, peel and core the apple and slice into chunks before adding to the pan along with the curry powder (to taste).
Peel the sweet potato and cut into chunks. When the onion is soft, add the sweet potato, lentils and vegetable stock and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the lentils cooked through.
Stir through the coconut milk, remove from the heat and blend until smooth. Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper before serving.
The Geographer homemade nutty granola
* easy * healthy * vegan * 5 mins prep * 45 mins baking * makes 850g
Our all-time favourite breakfast recipe, but you can enjoy this at any time of day - sprinkled over yoghurt or ice cream for a tasty dessert for example. It contains much less sugar than most shop bought cereals. If you are feeling very virtuous, you can even leave out the maple syrup altogether as the cinnamon and raisins have plenty of sweetness.
Oats are fantastic for controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, the seeds are packed with protein, vitamins & minerals, and nuts are a great source of omega 3 fats for heart health.
You can play around with the ingredients: more or less spice to taste, any other dried fruit at the end (cranberries or chopped apricots work well). Any other vegetable oil will do if you don’t have rapeseed oil. For a real treat, sprinkle coconut chips on the top for the last 10 minutes (keep an eye on them so they don’t burn) and stir through dark chocolate chips at the very end. The granola will keep nicely for a couple of weeks in an airtight container.
Ingredients
350g jumbo oats
150g mixed seeds
2 heaped teaspoons cinnamon
1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger
125g chopped mixed nuts
50g flaked almonds
1/3 cup rapeseed oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
175g raisins
Method
Mix all the dry ingredients (except the raisins) together thoroughly in a large bowl. Add the oil and syrup and stir until the mixture is evenly coated. Line two baking trays with parchment and spread the mixture evenly across the trays. Bake at 130 C for 45 mins, turning the mixture over every 15 mins. Leave to cool completely on the trays before stirring in the raisins.
The Geographer homemade houmous
* easy * healthy * vegan * 10 mins * makes 300g
Once you start making your own houmous, there really is no reason to go back to shop bought. You’ll save money, can tweak the recipe to your taste and you’ll be reducing your single use plastic. Wins all round!
This recipe makes a a big bowl. It will freeze if you need to, but humous is so versatile that you can use it over the course of a few days in different meals. It’s great on toast, with a salad, on a baked potato, on crackers as well as being dipped into with fresh veggies.
Chickpeas are packed with fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals and can even lower cholesterol levels in the blood. Also taste amazing roasted with spices or added to a curry, so it’s really worth keeping a few a tins in your cupboard.
Traditionally, houmous is made with extra virgin olive oil, but we prefer the milder taste of rapeseed oil which makes it more family-friendly. Adjust the garlic and lemon juice to taste. White wine vinegar will also work (or water if you don’t want to use vinegar). It’s worth using a good quality tahini (we use Suma) as you can taste the difference. You can also use this recipe with butterbeans instead of chickpeas. The humous will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Ingredients
400g tin chickpeas
1/2 cup rapeseed oil
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp tahini
1 garlic clove
Plenty of salt & pepper
Smoked paprika
Method
Rinse the chickpeas in a sieve with plenty of water. Add them to a blender with all the remaining ingredients. Blend in short bursts for a few minutes until creamy and smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of your blender every now and again, or add a little water if the mixture is too thick. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate before serving. Garnish with smoked paprika before serving.