Baby flapjacks

Ingredients 50ml coconut oil, 1 banana, 150g oats, 75g mixed seeds (I like pumpkin, linseed, poppyseed, sunflower and flax seeds) 1 tsp vanilla essence, 50g dried fruit (I like cranberries & apricots but figs, raisins & dates are also great.)

Makes: 12 Preparation: 45 minutes

I adore flapjacks and granola for the same reason - the smell and flavour of those gorgeous toasted oats. Absolutely mouthwatering.
As a follow on from my baby breakfast muffins, which are sugar free and very low in fat, these flapjacks are also baby friendly in that unlike traditional flapjacks which are full of butter and syrup, these are bound by banana and coconut oil and stuffed full of glorious seeds and dried fruit instead of things that will make your kids hyper and unhealthy. So if you or your kidlets fancy a sweet treat that travels well then these will not disappoint.

1) Culinary coconut oil is usually solid at room temperature, so melt it gently in a pan to return it to liquid form and stir in the vanilla essence.

2) Mash the banana with a fork, or puree in a food processor and whisk into the oil until it has been fully incorporated. If you have an extra sweet tooth you can add a little honey too but it really doesn't need it if your banana is ripe.

3) Stir in the oats, dried fruit and seeds and allow to rest whilst the oven pre-heats to gas mark 5.

4) Rub a little of the coconut oil around your baking tray to grease it, then press the mixture firmly into the tray ensuring that it is packed as tightly as possible to allow it to bind fully in the oven and not fall apart when cut into bars.

5) Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown, then carefully turn out onto a cooling rack (it should just slide off the tray but if you've used a deep one, try putting the cooling rack over the top and just flipping it over) and slice into bars whilst still warm. Once cool they can be eaten or stored for up to a week.

Baby Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients 75g butter/oil, 125ml orange/apple juice, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 2 bananas, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp honey (or agave syrup), 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 250g self-raising flour, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 100g dried cranberries, 100g mixed seeds.

Makes: 16 Preparation: 45 minutes

OK, so this is not a baby recipe. Shaddap, it's not. It's NOT OK. It's a recipe for muffins which are sugar free and if you want them to be, dairy free. Healthy seeded breakfast muffins that are totally delicious and I just happen to feed to my twelve month old son... 

1) Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190 degrees and add the cranberries to the orange/apple juice.

2) Add the bananas, vanilla essence and honey to a blender and puree thoroughly. Add the eggs and melted butter/oil and pulse again until completely combined

3) Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarb of soda, then mix in the seeds.

4) Pour the puree in with the dry ingredients, add the juice and cranberries and mix roughly.

5) Spoon into muffin cases and add to a muffin tin, sprinkling some extra seeds onto the top. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the tops begin to colour and a skewer inserted to the middle cupcake comes out clean.

Peanut butter & banana flapjacks

Ingredients 1 banana, 2 tbsp peanut butter (I like Whole Earth Foods), 1/4 cup oats, 1/4 cup peanuts, 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, tsp honey (or agave syrup).

Serves: 8 Preparation: 20 minutes

These are without a doubt the world's best banana and peanut butter flapjacks. Chewy and crunchy and sweet and savoury... and surprisingly healthy as baked goods go!

1) Mash the banana and peanut butter with a fork and add in the other ingredients

2) Using a tablespoon, portion out the flapjacks and drop onto baking parchment. I think these work best as rough cookie shapes because they crisp up better, but you could spoon onto a tray and cut out flapjack bars.

3) Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees

Strawberry & white stilton salad

Ingredients   Spinach, salad leaves, cucumber, strawberries, white stilton, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin oil

Serves: 1 Preparation: 5 minutes

White stilton and strawberries are a wonderful combination - sweet and creamy. This salad is perfect drizzled with pumpkin oil.

1) Slice your strawberries (don't keep them in the fridge, they should be at room temperature or the flavour will be impaired), silton and cucumber into chunks.

2) Toss the salad leaves in a little pumpkin oil and mix with the rest.

3) Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve.

Ruby salad

Ingredients Rocket, radish, pomegranate, red bell pepper, feta, beetroot, lime, basil oil, pumpkin seeds.

Serves: 1 Preparation: 35 minutes

This salad is not only absolutely beautiful to look at, it's marvellously healthy and absolutely delicious. The peppery hit of radish and rocket, the sweet juicey pomegranate and the sharp tang of the feta and lime really does make this one of those salads that can't quite ever be boring. Should you be in the mood for red-themed valentines treats, this should get you in the mood for love.

1) Wash the beetroot and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then once it's cool slice thinly.

2) Slice the top from the bell pepper and remove the core and seeds. Slice between the membrane segments (usually leaves 3 or 4 slices of pepper) and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until slightly blackened.

3) Slice the pomegranate in half and hold over a bowl, fruit side down. Bang sharply with a wooden spoon to release the jewels. Alternatively, if the pomegranate is very ripe, it's sometimes as quick to just break it in half and peel off the membrane.

4) Finely slice the radish and add the rocket to a bowl and squeeze over the juice of 1 small lime and a drizzle of basil oil. Toss and transfer to your serving dish.

5) Dice the feta and layer with the beetroot and roast pepper, then sprinkle over the pomegranate and sunflower seeds.

Multiseed bagels

Ingredients      5 cups wholemeal bread flour, 1 egg, 1 tsp yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 100g mixed seeds, 3 cups warm water.

Serves: 8 Preparation: 1 hour and a half.

I love bagels - they're so versatile and can be topped with virtually anything, savoury or sweet. These multiseed bagels are a healthier nod to breakfast. They're gorgeously crunchy when toasted and taste great with hummus!

1) In one bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and warm water and set aside to stand for 5 minutes.

2) In a second bowl sift the flour and salt and seeds and add to the yeast mixture bit by bit whilst hand mixing (I mix with one hand and pour with the other but you might want to ask someone to help you, or use the dough setting on your blender if you have one) once the mixture begins to form a ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl without sticking you have the right consistency. Adding more flour may be necessary.

3) Once the dough forms a good ball, kneed on a floured surface for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, covered for an hour until it has risen to double its size.

4) Divide the dough into 8 pieces (half, half and half again!) and form balls. Set aside to rise further for 30 minutes.

5) Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch a hole through the dough and stretch until you leave a sort of gaping hole at least double the size of the usual bagel hole. Set them aside to rest for 10 minutes whilst you bring a pan of water to the boil.

6) Using a large slotted spoon or a fish slice drop the bagels one at a time into the water. They should sink to the bottom but then quickly begin to float like dumplings. The rule of thumb is that as soon as they float, they're ready but some recipes suggest leaving them to float for 2,3 sometimes 4 minutes!

7) Remove them from the water with the spoon and set them aside to cool a little and drain. Whisk one egg and using a pastry brush, glaze the bagel and sprinkle with more seeds, then bake for 25-30 minutes in the oven.

Once the bagels are ready allow to cool then slice and toast! Traditionally served with butter or cream cheese but personally I'm a sucker for hummus!

Fennel & cucumber salad

Ingredients Peashoots, Spinach leaves, salad leaves, cucumber, fennel, pumpkin seeds, basil oil, mint

Serves: 1 Preparation: 5 minutes

This salad is so fresh and simple, perfect on the side of something rich, or between courses to cleanse the palate. The fennel has a gorgeous licorice taste but is subtle enough not to overpower the other flavours.


1) Remove the first layer of the fennel and slice off the stalks, then cut the bulb into slivers.


2) Toss the salad leaves in basil oil and finely sliced mint


3) Slice the cucumber julienne and add to the salad leaves, along with the fennel and pumpkin seeds.

Butternut squash rice salad

Ingredients     Butternut squash, long grain rice,     wild rice, pumpkin seeds, sage, lemon, butter.

1) Peel the butternut squash and scoop out the seeds. Dice the flesh and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.


2) Mix the rice together and boil for 20 minutes.


3) Squeeze lemon juice into a little melted butter and finely diced sage leaves. Strain the rice and stir through the dressing and butternut squash. Spinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve hot or cold.