I like making healthy muffins and biscuits to keep in the freezer. I find walnuts go particularly well in muffins, but you can also add in some pistachios, or use mixed nuts. Almond meal is a lovely ingredient to use in biscuits, but you can also use other nut meals in your baking.

 

 

I love this recipe for roasted cauliflower which is finished with a scattering of toasted pistachio nuts. It's simple to make and turns a plain vegetable into something really special.

 

 

This is probably the most common way I use nuts. A scattering of nuts can spark up a plain salad, adding a contrast in texture and flavour. Two lovely examples are this Cabbage with Almonds, Blood Orange and Ginger Vinaigrette and Mostly Eating's Brussel Sprout and Gruyere Salad.

 

As I mentioned in my last post, I regularly bake bars, muffins and biscuits, to keep in the freezer and use as snacks. Here are five of my favourite recipes:

These bl ueberry muffins from Harvard School of Public Health are delicious and easy to make. They include wholewheat flour and almond meal, they also have orange juice and zest, which makes them both moist and full of flavour. I haven't made them with frozen fruit yet, but suspect that could be done when bluberries are out of season.
 
Speaking of muffins, I also love these deliciously spicy carrot muffins from Where's the Beef. While Cindy calls them cupcakes and covers with a cream cheese topping, I usually just make the basic cake recipe and don't bother icing. Which makes them more like muffins. I've made this recipe a lot.
 
I also regularly make these almond chewy biscuits from Have Cake Will Travel. They don't completely conform to my "rules" as there's not fruit or veg in them, but they're a highly satisfying little biscuit, that can also be frozen. I make with whatever jam I have on hand and use vanilla essence instead of almond extract.  I use two teaspoons of mixture per biscuit and always sandwich them together using a smidgeon of jam.
 
Lovely, moist, spicy banana booty bars from Pattycake. They're particularly fine made with candied ginger addition - see the optional suggestions at the end of the ingredients list. I tend to cut these bars quite small as I find them filling. 
 
These fruit filled muffin top cookies from Lite Bite are also delicious. I tend to drop the sugar very slightly, but otherwise make them as is. They're packed with fruit and have a scattering of chocolate chips on top. I like their chewy texture and spicy flavour.