How to make jam with chia seeds

We’ve reached the end of our chia-fuelled week, and we saved our favourite recipe for last…

This raspberry and chia jam is taken from Green Kitchen Travels by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl (Hardie Grant; £20), and it’s as delicious as it is simple to make. Three ingredients and a quick stir is all it takes – that’s right, no cooking! We’ve been enjoying it spread on toast and dolloped on top of fat-free Greek yogurt. Why not whip up a pot ready for a Valentine’s day breakfast treat…   

RAW RASPBERRY AND CHIA JAM

PREP 5 min, plus chilling

SERVES 12tbsp

250g raspberries, thawed if frozen

2tbsp chia seeds

2tsp maple syrup or runny honey

1 Put the raspberries in a bowl and crush with a fork. Stir through the chia seeds, then add the maple syrup or honey and mix to combine.

2 Pour the jam into a sterilised jar, then chill for at least an hour for the jam to thicken. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Per tbsp

20kcal

0.7g protein

0.8g fat

0.1g saturates

2.6g carbs

1.5g sugar

1.6g fibre

0g salt

22mg calcium

0.4mg iron

LOW CAL

LOW SAT FAT

LOW SALT

HIGH FIBRE

VEG

GLUTEN FREE

DAIRY FREE

How to make a healthy festive starter

With the countdown to Christmas now in single figures and the prospect of cooking the big lunch soon to become a reality, we couldn’t have been happier to receive a preview of Abel & Cole’s festive recipe boxes. This smoked salmon starter went down a treat – a fresh and zingy prelude to the rich-tasting dishes that are to follow. Try it for yourself, then pick up a copy of the December issue of Healthy Food Guide for more festive inspiration.

Merry Christmas!

Smoked salmon salad with citrus and spice

Prep: 30 min

Serves: 6–8

• 150g watercress

• 2 red onions

• 1 cucumber

• 3 limes

• 2 tbsp brown rice wine vinegar

• Pinch demerara sugar or to taste

• Pinch dried chilli flakes or to taste

• 400g smoked salmon

1 Rinse the watercress and pick out and discard any thick stalks. Gently pat the remaining sprigs dry with kitchen paper, then set aside.

2 Peel and very finely slice the red onions. Halve the cucumber lengthways, then use a vegetable peeler to make thin strips, stopping when you reach the seeded core.

3 Finely grate or pare the zest from the limes, then add to a bowl. Squeeze in the lime juice. Add the brown rice wine vinegar, sugar and chilli flakes. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Taste and add more sugar/chilli as needed.

4 Divide the watercress, red onion and cucumber ribbons among 6–8 small serving plates, or pile it all onto one big platter. Top with the smoked salmon, then spoon over the dressing. Serve straightaway.

Per serving (based on serves 6)

123kcal

18.4g protein

3.3g fat

0.6g saturates

5.2g carbs

3.9g sugar

1.7g fibre

3.2g salt

58mg calcium

1mg iron

LOW CAL

LOW FAT

LOW SAT FAT

LOW SUGAR

HIGH PROTEIN

GLUTEN FREE

DAIRY FREE

1 OF 5-A-DAY

This year, Abel & Cole is offering a choice of three Christmas Feast boxes with ingredients and recipe cards, each to serve 6–8. Take a look at what’s included, then place your order by 22 December at abelandcole.co.uk/christmas/feast-box:

The Merry Veggie Christmas Feast Box £80.00 (reduced from £100)

Cauliflower Soup with Saffron & Sage

Roast Stuffed Squashes with Christmas Spices

Hot Harissa Tomato Sauce

Potato Skordalia

Cumin Roast Celeriac & Parsnips

Broccoli with Sesame & Lemon

Red Cabbage with Pomegranate

Brilliant Baked Orange & Cardamom Cheesecake

The Brilliant Beef Christmas Feast Box £140.00 (reduced from £160)

Smoked Salmon Salad with Citrus & Spice

Roast Topside of Beef with Mustardy Onion Gravy

Dishy Horseradish Crème Fraiche

Yorkshire Puddingle Bells

Goose Fat Roast Spuds & Snips

Lemon & Cumin Carrots

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts & Lardons

Honeyed Red Cabbage with Bramley Apples

Jewelled Chocolate Torte

The Terrific Turkey Christmas Feast Box £180.00 (reduced from £200)

Smoked Salmon Salad with Citrus & Spice

Butter Roast Turkey with Cider Gravy

Sage & Shallot Stuffing Balls

Goose Fat Roast Spuds & Snips

Lemon & Cumin Carrots

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts & Lardons

Honeyed Red Cabbage with Bramley Apples

Jewelled Chocolate Torte

How to make gluten- and dairy-free banana bread

By Rebecca Almond

Here at HFG we love to tinker with recipes, both in the test kitchen and in our own homes – swapping out less healthy ingredients for nutrient-rich and allergy-or-intolerance-friendly alternatives. So when a friend with coeliac disease invited me to her new flat for coffee, I set about searching for a sweet treat I could bake to take along – one that everyone would enjoy.

Banana bread is a classic coffee break snack, and one that’s simple to make. Cookery books and recipe websites are filled with variations on the theme, but many are high in calories and contain gluten. For me, bananas are sweet enough, so I decided to leave out the usual maple syrup/sugar/agave nectar component. And to make the loaf gluten-free, I put the coconut flour I’d picked up at a health food store a few weeks ago (clueless as to what to do with it) to the test.

The result? A moist, subtly-sweet loaf that’s low in calories (only 117kcal per slice!), high in fibre and protein, and, crucially, something all of my friends and I happily tucked in to. Give it a go yourself and let me know how you get on…

Coconut, chia and banana loaf

PREP 10 min + resting COOK 40–50 min CUTS INTO 10 slices

3 ripe bananas (you want the skins to be nicely speckled)

6 eggs

1tsp vanilla bean paste

½tsp ground cinnamon

2tsp gluten-free baking powder

70g coconut flour (I used Sukrin)

20g chia seeds

Desiccated coconut, to sprinkle (optional)

1.     Put the bananas, eggs, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon and baking powder in a blender and whiz until smooth (the mixture will be quite runny, like a smoothie). 

2.     Sift the coconut flour into a large bowl, then stir through the chia seeds. Slowly pour in the banana mixture, whisking with a balloon whisk until thickened and combined. Cover and set aside for 10 min to allow the flour and chia to expand. Heat the oven to 170C/fan 150C/gas 3½ and line a 1lb loaf tin with baking paper. 

3.     Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin, then smooth the surface with a spatula. Decorate the top with a sprinkling of desiccated coconut, if you like (you could use sliced banana or chopped nuts, or leave plain – it’s just as delicious), then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40–50 min until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. If the top looks like it’s browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. 

4.     Remove the loaf from the oven and leave to cool for 5 min before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely. The loaf will keep, well wrapped, in the fridge for up to a week – if you can make it last that long…

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: A slice of this loaf is perfect as it is, but you could top with a drizzle of runny honey, natural seed butter or a little ricotta cheese, if you like.

Per slice

117kcal

6.6g protein

5.6g fat

2g saturates

9g carbs

7.1g sugar

4.7g fibre

0.4g salt

47mg calcium

1.2mg iron

LOW CAL

HIGH PROTEIN

HIGH FIBRE

VEG

GLUTEN FREE

DAIRY FREE

Low-fat gluten-free pudding recipes

In the October issue of Healthy Food Guide (out today!) we give you the ultimate collection of guilt-free comfort puddings. Sounds too good to be true, right? Turn to page 63 and try the 10 recipes for yourself. But wait, there’s more… Here we can serve you an extra slice, as we’ve tweaked two of the recipes to make them gluten-free and still delicious. Plus, try our chef’s tips using some of our favourite free-from ingredients.

Pear and berry crumble

Prep 10 min Cook 25 min Serves 6

Cooking oil spray

4 ripe pears, cut into 2cm chunks

300g raspberries and/or blackberries

125g gluten-free porridge oats

60g brown sugar

2tbsp runny honey

75g gluten-free plain flour

40g low-fat spread, melted

3tbsp orange juice

500g tub gluten-free low-fat custard (check it’s gluten free), to serve

1Heat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Spray a 1.5 litre baking dish with oil, then add the pears and berries.

2Combine the oats, sugar, honey and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add the spread
and orange juice and stir until combined. Sprinkle over the
fruit, then bake for 20–25 min until golden.

3 Serve the crumble hot, warm or cold with the custard.

CHEF’S TIP: For a cheat’s crumble, cook the fruit for 20 min or until tender, then scatter over 250g Nature’s Path Nice And Nobbly Gluten Free Granola and cook for 4–5 min more until hot.

Per serving

307kcal

6.5g protein

5.5g fat

1.6g saturates

60.2g carbs

32.7g sugar

7g fibre

0.1g salt

164mg calcium

1.9mg iron

LOW FAT

LOW SAT FAT

LOW SALT

VEG

GLUTEN FREE

2 OF 5-A-DAY

Mixed berry vanilla sponge
cake

Prep 10 min Cook 20 min Serves 8

3 eggs

115g caster sugar

125g gluten-free plain flour

½tsp gluten-free baking powder

A few drops vanilla extract

400g frozen mixed berries

4tbsp no-added-sugar black cherry or blackcurrant jam

200g 2% fat Greek yogurt

1 Heat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5 and line a 20–22cm diameter cake tin with baking paper.

2In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric hand mixer until the mixture is thick, creamy and trebled in volume (this will take 4–5 min) – the beaters should leave a thick trail on the surface when lifted.

3 Sift half the flour over the mixture, then fold in lightly using a metal spoon. Sift over the remaining flour, then fold in, along with the vanilla extract and 1tbsp water.

4 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, then tilt the tin to spread evenly. Bake for 15–18 min until risen, golden, firm to touch and beginning to shrink away from the tin. Cool in the tin for 5 min, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

5Meanwhile, heat the berries and jam together in a medium pan until the fruit is soft and juicy.

6 Spread the yogurt over the cooled sponge. Cut the cake into 8 slices, then serve topped with a spoonful of the berry mixture.

CHEF’S TIP: For a crunchy cake topping, crush 75g Nature’s Path Nice And Nobbly Gluten Free Berry Granola, then scatter over the cake batter before baking.

Per serving

218kcal

6.7g protein

3.3g fat

1.1g saturates

41.1g carbs

28.6g sugar

2g fibre

0.2g salt

67mg calcium

1.2mg iron

LOW FAT

LOW SAT FAT

LOW SALT

VEG

GLUTEN FREE

Nature’s Path Nice And Nobbly Gluten Free Berry Granola won the The Grocer New Product Award in the special diet and free-from category.