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Simple Overnight Oats

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Rushing in the morning with no time to prepare breakfast? Try these very simple overnight oats; you can even make them up in a small lunchbox to eat on the bus or train.

Ingredients

50g oatmeal
150g plain soy yogurt snack
150g berries (fresh, frozen, canned) of choice
1-2 tbsp nut butter (optional) 

Optional toppings: 

Suitable-for-vegans granola
Suitable-for-vegans chocolate chips
Suitable-for-vegans sprinkles
Suitable-for-vegans cookie crumbs
Toasted or ground seeds

Directions

1. Mix the oatmeal with the soy yogurt. 
2. Meanwhile, heat the berries briefly (1 minute or so) to soften. 
3. Layer the berries and oats into a sundae glass. Top with peanut butter or one of the other optional toppings, if desired.

Peanut Tempeh Lettuce Wraps

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This budget dish serves 2 (but you can easily scale it up) and it takes under 15 minutes. For an even cheaper dish, you can substitute tofu for the tempeh (cube and fry; no need to steam).

Ingredients: 

200g tempeh
1/2 head round lettuce, divided into leaves and cleaned
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/4 cup sweetcorn
1 spring onion, sliced
2 tbsp peanuts, chopped

For the peanut sauce:

2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hot sauce (or to taste)
1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions: 

1. Steam the tempeh until tender, and then cut into chunks. 
2. Mix the peanut sauce ingredients. 
3. Place the lettuce leaves on a plate and top with the red pepper, cucumber, and sweetcorn. 
4. In a frying pan with a little spray oil, fry the tempeh until lightly coloured. Add 1/4 cup water and the peanut sauce, and stir to coat. 
5. Top the lettuce and vegetables with the tempeh, and sprinkle with peanuts. To eat, roll the leaves around the filling and enjoy!

Peanut-Butter Chocolate Energy Balls

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These sweets are just as delicious and moreish as chocolate truffles but far less processed and very quick to make. They make a fantastic pick-me-up after a workout, or are delicious with a cuppa as a sweet treat.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dates
1/4 cup pecans
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 tbsp maple syrup
Coconut flakes, ground almonds, or crushed pecans for dusting, if desired

Directions:
1. Process all the dates and pecans in food processor until very fine.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, and process further to combine.
3. Roll into small balls, roll in the coconut/ground almonds/crushed pecans, and refrigerate for 30 minutes for best results (although you should probably eat one while you wait for “research” purposes).

Overnight Oats Bowl: Budget Recipe

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This Overnight Oats Bowl cost €0.54 per serving at the time of posting, is very easy to put together, and is almost guaranteed to fill you up until lunchtime.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:
90g rolled oats
Large pinch cinnamon
100ml soy milk (or other all-plant milk)
100ml water
1/4 cup dried fruit
1 apple, chopped
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp flaxseeds, ground

Directions:
1. Mix the oats with the cinnamon. Stir through the soy milk and water, and leave to soak overnight or for at least 15 minutes.
2. Divide between two bowls and serve topped with the rest of the ingredients.

Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

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Ideal for those who don’t like to cook, this is more a breakfast suggestion than a recipe. It’s really simple to put together, and although it’s a single-serving, it’s easily doubled or even quadrupled for a great family breakfast.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate almond milk (or other chocolate plant milk)
1/4 tsp fairtrade vanilla essence
1 banana
1 tbsp peanut butter
Cacao nibs or suitable-for-vegan fairtrade chocolate chips to garnish, if desired

Method
1. Stir the milk and vanilla essence through the oats. Leave to soak overnight or for at least 20 minutes.
2. When ready to serve, add a little more milk through the oats, if desired. Layer with peanut butter and banana, and top with chocolate chips.

Peanut butter, chocolate breakfast bar with dates and figs

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Simple, nutrient dense, no baking, no gluten, no added sugar, no added oil, and covered in chocolate.

Ingredients

1/4 cup whole grain teff
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk (I use soy)
1T cocoa powder (I use a Dutch-processed, fair trade brand)
A pinch coarse sea salt
1/4 cup unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter (I use crunchy)
1/4 dried, soft figs, stemmed and finely chopped (I use calimyrna)
1/4 dried, soft dates, pitted and finely chopped (I use medjool)
2T boiling water
1T tapioca flour dissolved in 2T  water
80g dark chocolate (I use a fair trade, organic bar)

Optional: Add a little chili to the chocolate. Double the chocolate for more of a dessert. Use cashew or macadamia nut butter or even sesame seed butter as an alternative to peanuts. Add a tablespoon or two of coconut sugar for a sweeter tooth.

Method

In a small, heavy-bottomed pan with a lid, toast the teff on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the water and bring the pan to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low and and simmer for about 20 minutes (until the teff is pulling away from the sides of the pan), stirring more frequently at the end).

Add the plant milk and cocoa powder. Stir to combine. Increase heat to medium low. Simmer another 5 minutes. While the teff finishes, add the boiling water to the figs and dates and rehydrate a little. Add the tapioca mixture to the teff slowly, stirring continuously until it thickens. Remove from heat.

Mix the peanut butter in with the dates and figs but leave it marbled rather than fully combined. Pour into a 3″ x 9″ loaf pan and let cool 1 hour to setup.

When the bar has setup, turn out of the pan onto plastic wrap top down. Let stand about 15 minutes. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler, two doubled up pans, etc. When the chocolate has melted, turn the bar over. Spoon the melted chocolate over the bar and spread evenly.

Let stand about 30 minutes at room temperature for the chocolate to firm up. Chill uncovered about an hour. Wrap with plastic and chill until ready to serve (at least a few hours, or overnight).

Peanut butter panna cotta with lime, cashew topping and shaved chocolate.

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A simple, rich, no-bake dessert with a brightly flavored lime topping and a little chocolate.

Ingredients

For the panna cotta
1 1/2 cups of unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup of sugar (1)
1T heaping of agar-agar
1/2 cup of unsweetened peanut butter
A pinch of sea salt
2T of shaved chocolate for garnish (2)

For the topping
50g of extra firm tofu
2T cup of cashew butter
2T cup of unsweetened soy milk
2% cup of sugar (1)
1T of lime juice
A pinch of sea salt

Directions

Puree the soy milk, sugar, agar-gar, peanut butter and sea salt until smooth.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer on medium low for 15 minutes.
Pour into two ramekins and chill uncovered for 20 minutes.
Cover with saran wrap and chill further for 2 hours.
Puree the ingredients for the topping.
Let chill 2 to 3 hours to setup.
When you’re ready to serve, turn the panna cotta out carefully onto a plate.
Spoon the lime cashew sauce over the top.
Garnish with shaved chocolate

(1) Production methods are changing, but some white cane sugars are still bleached using animal bone charcoal. Beet sugar, organic sugar and other unbleached sugars are typically fine.

(2) I use a nice fairly traded chocolate bar with organic beans and organic sugar.

Single-serve salted peanut butter and bourbon pudding with bittersweet chocolate shell

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A rich, nuanced and hearty dessert that you get to set on fire.

Ingredients

1/2 water
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk (I use soy)
1t apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey, divided
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2T unsalted, unsweetened peanut butter
1T tapioca flour dissolved with 2T water
20g bittersweet chocolate (1)
Sea salt to taste

Instructions

In a sauce pan with a lid, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil with 1/4t sea salt.
Add the oats, cover and simmer on low until most of the water has been absorbed (about 20 minutes).
Puree the cooked oats with 1/2 cup plant milk, peanut butter, and apple cider vinegar and set aside.

In a small sauce pan with a lid, bring 3T bourbon to a rolling boil and reduce to about 1T on medium.
Add the coconut sugar and reduce heat to low.
Swirl the sugar in the pan until it melts with the whiskey.
Add the remaining 1T bourbon and — very carefully — light the pan to burn off remaining alcohol.
Simmer on low heat for about 2 minutes to further caramelize the sugar.
Add the oat mixture to the pan and stir to combine.
Simmer on low for 5 minutes.
Slowly add the tapioca mixture to the pan and stir continuously until thickened.
Let stand 2 minutes to cool, and pour into a martini glass.
Sprinkle the top of the pudding with a pinch or two of coarse sea salt.
Shave the chocolate using a box grater, and sprinkle in a thin but continuous layer over the warm pudding.
Let stand to cool uncovered 15 minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap and let chill at least 2 hours to setup before serving.
Freeze for 10 minutes before serving for a crisper chocolate shell.

  1. I use a nice fairly traded bar with organic beans and organic sugar.

Peanut butter and chocolate millet mousse

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Millet provides a light, airy texture to this very simple, rich dessert, garnished here with a few blueberries.

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup millet
1 1/4 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter
A pinch coarse sea salt (or to taste)

Directions

In a small sauce pan with a lid, bring the water to a boil.
Add the millet, cover, reduce to low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes to fluff.
Puree the cooked millet with 1/2 cup soy milk until smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.
Refrigerate cover for 2 – 4 hours to setup (the millet will continue to become lighter while it does).
Spoon out and serve.

Peanut butter frozen dessert with salted chocolate, walnut and maple fudge sauce

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A time honoured flavour combination sweetened with maple syrup.

Ingredients

1T heaping and 1t chopped walnuts, separated
2T cocoa powder (I used a fair trade, Dutch processed brand)
2T warm water
2-3T maple syrup, separated
1/4t coarse sea salt
3 medium frozen bananas (about 2 cups)
1/4t vanilla extract
1T unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter

Optional: 1t powdered maca

Directions

Puree 1T walnuts, the cocoa powder, water and 1T
maple syrup until emulsified and thick, but fluffy.
Add the sea salt and stir to combine.
Puree the banana, vanilla extract, peanut butter, and 1T
maple syrup (including the maca if you’l be using it).
Add additional syrup to either the peanut butter mixture and/or the fudge to sweeten to taste.
Spoon out into an appropriate container.
Add the fudge and garnish with the 1t chopped walnuts.