PROTEIN-PACKED FLUFFY PANCAKES W CHOCOLATE + PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE, FOR ONE

FINALLY. Pancakes that suit my little celiac, insulin-resisting sensibilities (read: gluten-free, flour-free, dairy-free). It's been a saga. Failure, after failure. Now, nearly 2 years since my diagnosis of celiac, and nearly 5 (!) since my insulin resistance diagnosis, I have succeeded! Cue the fanfare and Hallelujah chorus.

Pancakes that suit my needs but also don't taste like cardboard and have the consistency of rubber. These babes make a fluffy stack of pancakes that are charmingly-golden spheres of joy and happiness.

Oh and there's topping. Because let's be real, gluten is so widespread because, you know, it's delicious. So these little ones here need a teensy bit of sprucing up. And really, you can't go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter, even before 8 am on a Sunday morning. (To be honest, a cashew cream and berry compote situation would be a close second. Suggestions below.)

Also, as their name suggests, these little pancakes pack a mean protein punch. Rounded out with all of the good fats from the almond meal and peanut butter, and you've got a balanced, hearty meal that will keep you going until mid-afternoon. Perfect post-yoga, post-gym, post-sleep (anytime?).

Now friends, prepare for some pancake porn.

PROTEIN-PACKED FLUFFY PANCAKES W CHOCOLATE + PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE
serves 1 person with 4 perfectly proportioned pancakes

Recipe Notes: these pancakes are fluffy like babes, but they do tend towards the drier side of things, which is why your chowing down on them with a delish chocolate + peanut butter sauce. If you're not into chocolate first thing in the morning (YOU CRAZY), may I suggest a berry chia jam? Or cashew cream? Or really, just go wild with the maple syrup (or honey). ALSO: this sauce is killer. Drizzle it over sliced banana or berries or nice-cream for a quick and wicked dessert.

2 eggs
1/4 c unsweetened protein powder (like sprouted brown rice)
1/4 c almond meal
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp bicarb soda
tiny pinch of salt
3 tsp neutral oil (like rapeseed or grapeseed)
1 tbsp unsweetened almond mylk

25 g dark chocolate (70%)
1 tbsp smooth, natural peanut butter
2-3 tbsp unsweetened almond mylk

banana slices, desiccated coconut

Place a fry-pan over medium heat with 1 tsp of the oil, and allow to slowly heat up while you make the batter. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, protein powder, almond meal, vanilla, bicarb, salt, almond mylk and remaining oil. Whisk until thoroughly combined and there are no lumps. Once the pan is hot, use a scant 1/4 cup measure of batter to form each pancake (I cook mine one at a time). Allow to cook until a few bubbles burst and hold their shape on the surface, then flip and cook for another 30-45 seconds. The pancakes should be golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter.

Either make the sauce while you're cooking the pancakes, or keep the pancakes covered with a clean tea towel to preserve their warmth while you finish the sauce.

To make the sauce, melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a small bowl in the microwave for 1 minute or so, or in a double boiler over low heat. Whisk them together to form a smooth liquid, then continue whisking as you add almond mylk 1 tbsp at a time. The mixture will seize up a little to begin with, but keep adding almond mylk 1 tbsp at a time until your reach your desire consistency. You may need to return it to the heat or microwave again for 30 seconds.

Arrange pancakes on a plate and top with banana slices. Pour over sauce and sprinkle with a little coconut. Enjoy!

RECENT HAPPENINGS

A great many things have been happening, and so many good things, that I thought these recent happenings deserved a round up.

That drool-worthy Lemon Almond Ricotta Cake? You can find the recipe here. A Hedy Journey is a kick-ass blog about women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Medicine) with a focus on Engineering. Co-run by one of my amazing past yoga students, Yvette.

I've been practicing at the most charming little yoga studio in Oxford, Yoga Quota. And a few weeks ago I joined there already stellar teaching team.

Yoga Quota is a charity that for every 50 students we have through the studio, a class is taught for an under-privileged group. I recently spent the afternoon with the amazing charity KEEN Oxford, and wrote about my experience here.

Speaking of lovely experiences, Adam and I spent out second Valentine's day in a row hosting a Partner Yoga Workshop.

And one of our lovely students wrote a review of my regular class.

There's also been lots of new winter experiences, curried-cauliflower salads, and PB+banana on toast.

Bliss, gratitude, and high fives all rounds folks! xx

EASY PEASY GRANOLA + SINGLE SERVE COFFEE CHIA PUDDING

When I'm travelling, food priorities go something like this:

1. Protein
2. French pastries
3. Nourishing fats
4. Wholegrains

TWO WAYS: GINGER + LIME PEAR MILLET PORRIDGE

I really fucking love pears.

I can honestly tell you that the last time I went a whole day without eating a pear, I was truly upset. A sure-fire way to make me really happy is to present me with a bag full of pears. What can I say, I'm crazy like that. Pears for life.

I'm sure you can tell that I consider myself a bit of a pear-expert (pearxpert?), so I was RIDICULOUSLY excited when a friend recently blew my mind by roasting pears with ginger and lime and brown sugar. Words cannot convey the divinity of those pears. Tart and sweet, spicy and pear-y. It took all of my self control not to immediately start stopping people in the street to inform them of this glorious development in my world of pears.

Pears this good, in my humble (pear-addicted) opinion, should not be restricted to dessert. (Although we should probably stack them on top of some coconut ice-cream, ok?) Their zingy awesomeness should be the flavour that starts any day off on a spectacular foot. So here we are: two ways to start your day with the goodness of ginger and lime pears. If you've got a leisurely start to the day, roasted and caramelised. Or if you're in a hurry, a fresh salsa. Both atop some kickass creamy vanilla millet porridge, which you can whip up in no time (or prepare in advance).

Enjoy! x

CREAMY VANILLA MILLET PORRIDGE

serves 4

1/2 c millet meal
1 tsp vanilla paste or powder
pinch of sea salt
2.5 cups water
1/2 cup creamy coconut milk

In a small saucepan, bring the water to boil. Whisk continuously while you pour in the millet meal. Continue whisking for 3-4 minutes, during which time the porridge will begin to thicken considerably. Quickly add the vanilla and salt, reduce heat to lower, and simmer for 8-10 minutes. The porridge should have some tooth to it, but be mostly soft. Stir regularly, and when you're happy with the consistency, add the coconut milk. Millet porridge (rather like polenta) thickens as it cools, so it's best to err on the side of thinner, rather than thicker millet porridge. Divide between bowls and top with one of the two toppings below.

GINGER + LIME ROASTED PEARS

serves 4

4 pears, quartered and deseeded
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tbsp demerara/panela sugar OR maple syrup
2 handfuls of hazelnuts, halved

Turn on the grill in your oven, and set to 210C. Place the quartered pears in a roasting tray and sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Roasted for 15 minutes, keeping a close watch for the last few to make sure they don't burn excessively. Remove from oven and serve on top of creamy millet porridge, making sure you scoop out the delicious caramelised hazelnuts. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.

GINGER + LIME PEAR SALSA

serves 4

4 pears, cored and roughly chopped
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tbsp demerara/panela sugar OR maple syrup
2 handfuls of hazelnuts, halved

Toss pears with ginger, lime zest and juice, and sugar. Spoon on top of creamy millet porridge, sprinkle with hazelnuts. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.

GINGERBREAD BUCKWHEAT BISCOTTI

It's funny how we minimise the stress and stuff that goes on in our lives. The night before last I slept for 10 hours (!), woke up at 9am and shot out of bed because, you know, a friend was coming over for breakfast right at that moment. Fast-forward 15 minutes and I'm standing in the kitchen, barely wearing any pants, coffee in hand, whipping up breakfast. My friend arrived, and we made our way through breakfast, and still sipping coffee afterwards, I was sort of revelling over the sleep I'd had and remarking that it's been ages since I'd been that tired. My friend looked at me, obviously shocked, and then kindly listed everything that I've done and achieved and that's just, you know, happened in the past two weeks. No wonder I was tired.

So I looked at what I'd done, of course, of course I was tired. I'd had a big two weeks. Stressful, busy, productive, successful, worthwhile two weeks. And I was shocked, legitimately, that I wasn't even tuned into that. Suddenly I could understand the mild out-of-sorts-ness that I'd been struggling with the past few days. Because folks, there is nothing like stress to make me irritable. And grumpy, and craving all sorts of junky stuff.

Given all of this, I can feel some slower moments coming on. More tea. More reflection. More reading and rest. More honesty about what's going on and how I'm feeling and what I need. Phew.

On to the biscotti. I know what you're thinking: another baked good made with buckwheat? Madness. I will totally admit to being 100% utterly addicted to this sweet-ass pseudo grain. I actually can't remember a day in the past week when I haven't eaten it in some form. It's versatile, and I love the nutty, winey flavours it brings. Biscotti are the perfect cookie for afternoon teas, dipped into coffee, chai, or tea.

P.S. See that new button in the sidebar? I'm holding a retreat with Meg from Adventuring Home. Check out all the details here.

P.P.S. Feeling like stretching out that achey back? I'm running a mini-workshop on restorative yoga for backs on Saturday 9 May to help celebrate Stretch Yoga's first birthday!

GINGERBREAD BUCKWHEAT BISCOTTI

makes 20-24 biscuits

If you're not keen on grinding your own flour, no sweat! Just use the same weights of pre-ground flours. These are a pretty basic recipe, so feel free to add in 1/2 cup of add ins (hazelnuts, almonds, dried figs, cashews, anything!).

190 g buckwheat
40 g brown rice
2 tbsp chia seeds + 1/2 c boiling water
2/3 c or 110 g panela sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
pinch of ground clove
1/3 c rice bran oil

Preheat oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.

Using a coffee or spice grinder, grind buckwheat and brown rice in batches until a fine-ish flour appears. It isn't going to be as fine store-bought flours, but you're just aiming for a flour that isn't completely grainy.

Combine water + chia, give a quick stir and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flours with sugar, baking powder, and spices. Whisk to combine. Add chia gel + oil to dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to combine thoroughly. Separate dough into two balls and form into two logs that are about 1.5 cm thick and 20 cm long. It doesn't have to be perfect, these are definitely rustic biscotti. It's definitely easier to form the logs on the baking tray you're going to use.

Place logs in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 160C. Remove biscotti from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then using a sharp knife, slice diagonally into 1.5 cm slices. Lay the slices in one layer on the second baking tray and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are crispy and golden. Allow to cool completely.

Biscotti is best served the same day. The next day they'll be a little chewier, but you can crisp them up again in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

BUCKWHEAT, HAZELNUT + PEAR LAYER CAKE W VANILLA CASHEW CREAM + TOASTED BUCKWHEAT BRITTLE

I celebrated my birthday yesterday with a special kind of joy that comes from knowing you're going to spend a happy amount of time in the afternoon making a damn fine cake. I love my birthday, but feel no great need to do anything in particular to note it's passing. I was taking to my man about it, and what I love about birthdays is the opportunity to take an ordinary day and make it extraordinary. To do all those little things you might usually do (grab a coffee and breakfast, have dinner with your family, head to the grocery store) with a little bit more intention, a little bit more wonder and joy. Which sort of sounds like something we should be doing everyday, right?

The other thing that felt extra good about this birthday was that I finally feel like I'm growing into the age I've always been. At 25, I'm getting every closer to the thirteen-going-on-thirty that I seem to have been for the past twelve years. I hope that makes sense. Feeling like you're perpetually older than your biological age can (in an ironic way) make you a little wary of other people and their opinions. To have people not be shocked when I tell them my age ("You're only 24?! ETC) is something I'm looking forward to. I'm getting ever more comfortable with just doing me, but occasionally I get sick of dealing with other people's assumptions. Here's to feeling and wearing our ages authentically and personally, I say.

So: the opportunity to connect, to be excited, to have fun. That's what I love about birthdays. Give me that over a party with lots of people and loud noises and late nights anytime. So in the spirit of extra special joy and wonder, I made this ridiculously delicious and high-vibin' cake.

Layers of buckwheat, hazelnut and pear cake (soaked in ahem, chai syrup) are sandwiched together with the most luscious vanilla cashew cream cheese, topped with a crazy-looking toasted buckwheat brittle. There's so much about this cake that I really really dig. It's a balance of nutty, fruity, spicy, creamy, and toasty flavours that just works so well for me. The toasty-bitter combo of the brittle from the combination of toasted buckwheat and unrefined panela sugar is the perfect counterpoint to the sweet-but-tangy cashew cream and the toothy, fragrant cake. And the textures! Toothy cake, smooth wet cashew cream, crunchy brittle. Trifecta. My last point here: I learnt the trick of basting cakes in syrup as soon as the come out of the oven from a pastry chef at a bakery I used to work out. In cases where the cakes end up working best refrigerated (here to keep the cashew cream cold) then a moistening syrup to stop things drying out is necessary. And why not make it chai-flavoured?

It's sort of like if this cake, and this cake, and this cake all got together and had a very strange love child.

This is a profoundly happy cake.

BUCKWHEAT, HAZELNUT + PEAR CAKES

makes 3 8-inch diameter layers

This recipe calls for organic eggs, which I happily use from time to time. If you'd prefer to make this cake vegan, you could try using a flax or chia egg (1 tbsp ground seed + 4 tbsp hot water = 1 egg) but I haven't tried this. Also, this might look like a lot of components and ingredients, but basically everything can be done in advance, and then you can just assemble it when you're ready to go. In fact, I'd highly recommend making the brittle and the cashew cream first, so you can chill out and get on with the cake.

2 + 2/3 cups buckwheat flour
1 cup + 2 tbsp hazelnut meal
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
7 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 c maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla paste
4 organic eggs
1/2 cup almond mylk
3 pears

Preheat oven to 180C. Line the base of 3 8 inch circular cake pans with baking paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk flour, meal, baking powder, salt, and spices together. Wash pears, then slice into quarters and cut away the core. To get nice flat pear slices for fanning, cut of the curvy cheeks, then slice thinly. This will give you nicely uniform slices. Start placing the pear in the tins: make a cross with 4 slices, then layer 1 slice onto each of the 4 existing slices (check out this photo), repeating until 1 pear layers the bottom of each tin. Set aside.

In the standing bowl of a mixer, beat eggs for a minute or two, until frothy. Then add the oil, syrup, vanilla + almond mylk, beating until combined. Add the dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time and combine thoroughly. Evenly divide the batter between the three tins and smooth out to cover the pears. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. When the cakes are done, remove to a wire rack and immediately spoon over 3 tbsp or so of hot chai syrup. Allow to soak for 5 minutes, then pour off any excess. Allow to cool for a further 10 minutes in the tin, then carefully turn out and allow to cool completely.

CHAI SYRUP

makes 3/4 cup

3 bags organic chai
1 cup hot water
1/3 cup panela sugar

Steep the tea bags in water for 10 minutes, until you have a strong brew. Add to a small saucepan with the panela and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes, until the syrup has thickened and reduced to 3/4 cup liquid. Keep warm.

VANILLA CASHEW CREAM CHEESE

makes ~3 cups

If this yields too loose a cream cheese, increase the coconut oil and decrease the almond mylk by the same amount, which should firm things up a bit.

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup almond mylk
2 tsp vanilla paste
pinch of salt
juice of 1 lemon

Drain and rinse the cashews. Blend with the remaining ingredients in a blender on high until silky smooth. Scrape down the sides as you need too. Pour into a bowl and allow to chill until needed. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days if necessary.

TOASTED BUCKWHEAT BRITTLE

makes ~2 cups

If this is your first time making brittle, my advice is to trust your instinct. Depending on humidity and temperature, your conditions will be different to mine. If you burn the sugar or take it too far, don't stress and just start over. Take care though, hot sugar burns nastily. As an aside, this also makes a fantastic gift or treat. If panela sugar isn't your thing, you could use more traditional refined or raw sugar, but I love the molasses-y notes of the panela.

1/3 cup raw buckwheat
1 cup panela sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp water
generous pinch of flaky sea salt

In a dry pan, toast the buckwheat over medium heat for 10 minutes or so, until a deep golden brown and toasty smelling. Set aside. Place a sheet of baking paper on your bench or flat baking tray.

In a small saucepan, combine water + sugar over medium-high heat. Stir a few times and then allow to come to rapid boil. Boil for 4-5 minutes, then quickly stir in the toasted buckwheat and pour the whole lot out on the baking paper, spreading quickly with the back of your spoon/spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. During this time the brittle will harden. Once cool completely, use your hands to snap the brittle into shards (generally, I found I need thinner,smaller pieces then I anticipated). Store in a cool, airtight container until required.

BUCKWHEAT, HAZELNUT + PEAR LAYER CAKE W VANILLA CASHEW CREAM + TOASTED BUCKWHEAT BRITTLE

Serves 10-12

TO ASSEMBLE

Place one layer of cake onto the bottom of your cake stand/plate. Spread about 1/3 of the cashew cream cheese on top, smoothing with a spatula. Add another layer of cake and another 1/3 of cashew cream cheese. Add the final layer and press gently down to create some decadent oozes of cashew cream cheese from between the layers.Spoon the remaining cream cheese on top of the cake. At this point, I would recommend a quick chill in the fridge or freezer to help things firm and set (you can also do this in between layers if your cream cheese or cakes aren't completely cool/cold). Finally, skewer the brittle on top of the cake. Serve immediately. Leftovers will store in the fridge for a few days, though the brittle may soften or melt into the cream cheese a little.

MANGO SWIRL CASHEW ICE CREAM

Around the corner from my new house is a roadside stall that for the next few weeks will be selling the last of this summer's mangoes. Grown only a few kilometres away, gas free, and only $15 for a whole heap. Needless to say, I have been eating a lot of them. A few weeks ago I finally remembered to share a photo of a mango-macadamia mousse I made for a dinner party with my best ladies ages ago, and decided to recreate it as an ice cream. This is oh so good, and a good base method for lots of different fruits (ahem, blackberry). The creaminess of the cashews, significant flecks of vanilla, and mango's undeniable awesomeness, work together like a song. This is a recipe that requires little consideration beyond whether or not you have enough cashews in the cupboard (I question to be faced daily in my house).

While I've got you here, there are about a bazillion very exciting things to tell you about:

• I'm running a Valentine's Day Partner Yoga workshop for the very wonderful Stretch Yoga. Partner yoga is both hilarious, fun, and like getting a 90 minute massage.
• Every Tuesday from 6 am I'll be running a 1 hour yoga session at the very lovely and high-vibe Sol Natural Foods. $15 snags you yoga + a coconut water OR $20 gets you yoga + a seriously relish and healthy breakfast.
• Cherish Women's Cancer Foundation is running their annual Battle Against Ovarian Cancer, which is a massive volleyball battle, and I'm so stoked to be donating some private yoga sessions to their prizes.
• Coming up in March and June, I'll be holding some workshops to help you transition through the seasons. An Autumn Equinox session on Friday March 20, and a Winter Solstice session on Sunday June 21. Tickets are super affordable -- check out Stretch Yoga for more details and to book your spot.

All of these events are up on my events page, which I keep updated with my latest timetable of classes as well.

Phew. Enough of the self-promotion: go forth and make delicious ice cream! xx

MANGO SWIRL CASHEW ICE CREAM

makes about 3 cups

flesh from 2-3 mangoes (about 300 g)
2 cups cashews, soaked overnight
1 tsp ground vanilla pods or seeds from 1 vanilla bean
pinch of sea salt
2/3 cup cashew/coconut/almond mylk
1/3 cup maple syrup
extra chopped cashews, to serve

In a blender, puree mango flesh until smooth. Reserve just under 1 cup for swirling, keeping the remaining puree in the blender. Add the cashews, vanilla, salt, mylk, and maple syrup to the blender. Blend on high for a few minutes, scraping down the sides at intervals. Resist the urge to add more liquid -- you want the cream to be really thick (otherwise it will be very icy when it freezes). Pour the cashew ice cream mixture into a rectangular container (I use this amazing silicone one). Spoon the mango puree over the cashew ice cream in two rows. Using a toothpick or cake skewer, trace across the surface, dragging the puree through the cream and vice versa. Seal the container and freeze for 2-3 hours -- at the point the ice cream should be at perfect scooping consistency. If you freeze any longer, make sure to thaw at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving, as it will be less scoopable than commercial versions. Top with more chopped cashews and enjoy!