Summer Lovin’ Bowl

“My favourite film of all time is Grease . . . so you can see where the name comes from. This is basically a combination of all the things I love about summer. It’s a real mixture of things, but it really packs a punch. Take this to work and say hello to flavour and goodbye to soggy lettuce in tupperware!” – Madeleine Shaw, nutritional health coach, blogger and author

(Serves two)

INGREDIENTS:
2 large beetroots
1 tbsp avocado oil or melted coconut oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
100g buckwheat
1 cucumber, chopped into 1cm chunks
1 mango, peeled, stoned and chopped into 1cm chunks
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 jalapeño chilli, deseeded
4 tbsp hummus
1 tbsp chopped walnuts

For the dressing
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp nutritional yeast (if you can find it)
1 tsp tamari
pinch of chilli powder
pinch of smoked paprika
1 tbsp cold water

METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Peel and cut the beetroots into 2½cm chunks. Put in a roasting tray and mix with the oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 30–40 minutes until cooked through.

While the beetroots are cooking, cook the buckwheat and make the dressing. First rinse the buckwheat in warm water, then place in a pot with 250ml of cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 12 minutes until cooked through and all the water has been absorbed. Whisk the dressing ingredients together.

Mix the cucumber, mango and lime juice together with the coriander and jalapeño. Plate up the roasted beets with the cooked buckwheat, hummus and walnuts, plus the cucumber and mango salad. Drizzle over the dressing.

Recipes from In a Year of Beautiful Eating by Madeleine Shaw, £20/£10.99

Bestselling nutritional health coach Madeleine Shaw shows you how to eat your way to health and beauty all year round. With over 100 nutritious and wholesome recipes, packed with flavour and medicinal benefits, Madeleine focuses on the importance of eating in tune with nature and supercharging your plate with what your body needs to look and feel beautiful season by season.

Blueberry and Toasted Coconut Pancakes

(Makes 4-6 pancakes)

INGREDIENTS:
225g plain wholemeal flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
125 ml whole milk
125 ml plain yogurt
2 eggs
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp coconut oil, plus extra for frying
225 g fresh or frozen blueberries, plus extra to serve
3 tbsp desiccated coconut
Maple syrup, to serve

METHOD:

Mix the flour, baking powder and cinnamon together in a bowl, leaving a well in the centre. In a separate bowl or jug, combine the milk, yogurt, eggs and honey. Melt the coconut oil and pour into the mixture, whisking constantly.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing well until a smooth batter forms. Stir in the blueberries and let the batter rest. Meanwhile, warm a pan over a medium heat and add the desiccated coconut, stirring constantly, until it becomes toasted and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Place the pan back on the heat, adding 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. When the pan is hot and the coconut oil is melted, pour cup of the batter into the pan. Cook for 3–5 minutes, or until the underside is set and bubbles are starting to appear on the surface.

Flip and cook the underside before removing from the pan and keeping warm on a plate in a low oven or under a low grill. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more coconut oil to the pan before cooking each pancake.

Serve the pancakes with maple syrup, some fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of the toasted coconut.

Recipes from Coconut Oil by Laura Agar Wilson, £9.99

Certified holistic health coach, health and food author and blogger, Laura Agar Wilson, share her quick, easy and nourishing recipes for home, health and beauty.