I.

Breakfast 1. Muesli

7 cups millet flakes cups sunflower seeds 1 cup nuts 1 cup coconut flakes/ cup desiccated coconut 1 cup dried fruit *(optional)

Method: Mix all the ingredients together and store in a container.Serve with milk and/or fresh fruit or yogurt

2. Light muesli

4 cups puffed rice cereal cup mixed nuts cup sunflower seeds 4 cups millet flakes cup mixed dried fruits *(ex: chopped dates, apricots, figs, raisins or sultanas) cup desiccated coconut

Method: mix the ingredients. Serve with milk or yogurt.

3. Millet/ Porridge oat

1 cup millet flakes 2 cold water

Method: place the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Serve plain with soya almond or rice milk or fresh fruit/ dried fruit, nuts & seeds pilled on top.

4. Soaked muesli

340 g rice flakes 115 g raisins & crystallized pineapple or mixed dried fruit 255 g millet flakes *(oat) 55 g sunflower seeds 55 g / cup nuts/ whole almonds

Method: mix all the ingredients together. Soak the muesli in sufficient water to cover the ingredients. Allow to stay for 15 mins or soak overnight. Serve with any kind of milk or yogurt or just as it is.

5. Rice porridge *(1 person)

170 g brown rice flakes 2 ml/ teaspoon cinnamon 1 ml ground cloves *(cuisoare) 570 ml boiling water 10 ml / 1 teaspoon dried fruit *(raisins , dates) piece fresh fruit *(apple, pear , banana)

Method: place all the ingredients except the fresh fruit into a pan, bring to boil & simmer gently for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Cut the fresh fruits into pieces and add to the pan for 2 mins before the end of cooking.

6. Breakfast rice

Nuts and seeds Spices, nutmeg *(nucsoara), cinnamon Finely diced dried fruit Chopped fresh fruit Carob powder Desiccated coconut Rice *(150 g) Milk/ fruit juice/ yogurt Stewed fresh fruit Stewed dried fruit

7. Breakfast into a glass

1 banana or another soft fruit 40 ml / 2 heaped tablespoons cooked rice A pinch of nutmeg 90 ml soya, almond or rice milk

Method: place all the ingredients into a food processor and liquidize until smooth. Pour the mixture into a glass and eat as you would a yogurt.

II.

Dessets

1. Chocolate cupcakes Icing: 165 g dark chocolate, cut into small pieces 135 ml whipping cream 35 g unsalted butter, diced 1 tbsp Amaretto liqueur 2 free- range eggs 115 ml soured cream 80 ml sunflower oil 20 ml black treacle 20 g unsalted butter, melted 60g caster sugar 60 g light muscovado sugar 120 g plain flour 35 g cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder tsp bicarbonate of soda tsp salt 40 g ground almonds 200 g dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

Method: heat the oven to 170 , whisk together the first 7 ingredients in a large mixing bowl until they are just combined. Dont mix over. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder & bicarbonate of soda. Add them to the wet mix, along with the salt & almonds, and fold together gently. Fold in the chocolate pieces, spoon the batter into the cupcake cases, fillimg them up completely. Bake for 20- 25 mins. Remove from the oven & leave to cool, then take the cupcakes out of their tins. Incing: place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Put the cream in a small saucepan and heat almost to boiling point, then pour it over the chocolate. Use a rubber spatula to stir until all the chocolate has melted. Add the butter & Amaretto and beat until smooth. Transfer the icing to a clean bowl and cover with cling film. Leave at room temperature until the cupcakes have fully cooled down and the icing has started to set.

2. Pistachio and ginger biscoti

80 g unsalted butter 110 g caster sugar 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten 1 tbsp brandy Grated zest of 1 orange 150 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting tsp ground ginger tsp salt 80 g shelled pistachio nuts 60 g stern ginger in syrup, drained & roughly chopped

Method: line a baking tray with baking parchement. Cream the butter & sugar together until they lighten in colour and texture. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir in the brandy and the orange zest, followed by the flour, ground ginger and salt. Lastly, fold in the pistachios and stern ginger. Lightly dust the line baking tray with flour and spoon the mixture on the tray. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 mins. So it firms up a little. Preheat the oven 170 . Take the dough out of the fridge and using your hands and a bit of extra flour form a log shape 25 cm long. It does not need to be perfect, as the mix will spread during baking. Bake for 20 mins. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Adjust the oven temperature to 130 . As the log has cooled down use a separated knife to cut it across into slices 1cm thick. Lay them flat on the baking tray and return to the oven for about 40 mins.

3. White chocolate and cranberry biscuits

90g plain flour tsp salt tsp baking powder tsp bicarbonate of soda 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla essence 110g soft brown sugar 25g caster sugar 1 egg lightly beaten 80g whole rolled oats 60g white chocolate, chopped into choc-chips sized pieces 75g dried cranberries

Method: preheat the oven at 170 . Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and set aside. Put the butter, vanilla and sugars in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is lighter in colour and texture. Gradually add the egg, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding more. Add the flour mixture and the oats, then the chocolate and the cranberries. Once the dry ingredients are blended in stop mixing. Chill the mixture slightly to help yoou shape the biscuits. Scoop out a bit of the mix with a spoon and use your hands to roll it into a ball, press the balls lightly on to baking trays lined with baking parchement. Make sure you space them. Place in the oven and bake for 10mins, until theyre a good brown colour.

4. Almond and orange Florentines

Vegetable oil for brushing 2 free-range egg whites 100g icing sugar 260g flaked almonds

Grated zest from 1 orange

Method: preheat the oven to 150 . Next to you, have a small bowl with cold water. Put the egg whites, icing sugar, flaked almonds and orange zest in a bowl and gently mix them together. Dip your hand in the bowl of water to make little mounds on the lined tray, well spaced apart. Dip a fork in the water and flatter each biscuit very thinly. Bake for 12mins, until the biscuits are golden brown.

5. Champagne chocolates

60g milk chocolate 200g dark chocolate 150g unsalted butter 80 ml champagne 40 ml good-quality brandy

To finish: 150g dark chocolate for coating 50g cocoa powder for dusting

Method: take a cake tin and line it with cling film. Using a shap knife, chop both kinds of chocolate into small pieces and place them in a heatproof bowl, large enough to accommodate all the ingredients. Warm the chocolate for a couple of minutes in a microwave or over a pan of simmering water until it is semi-melted; be careful not to heat it much. Cut the butter into small pieces and keep it separate. Pour the champagne and brandy into a small saucepan and place on the stove until they warm up to around 80 , they should be hot to the touch but not boiling. Pour the alcohol to the chocolate and stir gently with a rubber spatula until it melts completely. Stir in the butter in a few additions, then continue stirring until the mixture is smooth. Pour it into the lined tray and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours, until it has set firm. Place the chocolate for coating in a mixing bowl and put it over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionnally and as soon as the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the steam bath. Scatter the cocoa powder over a flat plate. Turn the chilled chocolate block out of the tin on to a sheet of baking parchement and remove the cling film. Use a very sharp knife to cut it into 2cm squares. Clean the knife in hot water after every time you cut. Using 2 skewers or forks, dip the squares in the melted chocolate, quickly roll the squares in the cocoa powder. Allow the chocolate to set in the fridge.

6. Sour cherry amaretti 180g ground almonds 120g caster sugar Grated zest from 1 lemon 3 drops of natural almond extract A pinch of salt 60g dried sour cherries, roughly chopped 2 free-range egg whites 2 tsp honey Plenty of icing sugar for rolling

Method: preheat the oven to 170 . Put the ground almonds, sugar, lemon zest, almond extract and salt in a large bowl and rub with your fingertips to disperse the zest and the essence. Add the cherries and set aside. Using a manual or electric whisk, beat the egg whites and honey until they reach a soft meringue consistency. Gently, fold the meringue into the almond mixture. At this stage you should have a soft malleable paste. With your hands form the mixture into 20 irregular shapes. Roll them in plenty of icing sugar, then arrange them on a baking tray. Place them in the oven for 12 minutes.

7. Sweet pastry

330g plain flour 100g icing sugar Grated zest of lemon tsp of salt 180g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 1 free-range egg yolk 2 tbsp cold water

Method: Put the flour, icing sugar, lemon zest and salt in a bowl and add the butter. Rub it in with your hands or, more easily, using a mixer. Mix the ingredients, until you get a coarse breadcrumb consistency, making sure there arent any large lumps of butter left. Add the egg yolk and water and mix just until the dough comes together, being careful not to mix any longer than necessary. You might need to add a tiny amount of extra water. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and knead very lightly for a few seconds, just to shape it into a smooth disc.

Wrap in cling film and chill until ready to use. The pastry will keep in the fridge for a week, in the freezer for a month.

8. Tartlets

Pre-baked cases: 40g melted unsalted butter for brushing - 1/3 quantity of sweet pastry Plain flour for dusting

Method: start by brushing