Why "Bressert" Might be Your New Favourite Dish

Recipe, Words and Image by Jo Hodson

‘Bressert’ is my favourite kind of meal and I reckon that pretty soon it could be your favourite too! When ‘breakfast’ and ‘dessert’ join forces you know you’re onto a good thing!

When it comes to eating healthily I have an undeniable sweet tooth… and I know I am not alone. Sweet cravings are the source of sabotage and lifelong frustration for so many BUT why fight the cravings when you can work with them and create easy healthy sweet dishes (that are healthy enough for breakfast) by cutting out the refined sugars and use all natural ingredients.

As well as using natural wholefood sweeteners, I also like to pack veggies in my cakes and desserts wherever possible!  You may already be familiar with chocolate beetroot cake or sweet potato brownies, but why just hide the veggies in chocolate when you can also celebrate them in their own right too…

As a celebration of Springtime, I created this carrot cake inspired ‘bressert’ for a touch of sweet snacking whatever the day.

This ‘Carrot, Orange & Ginger Oat Bake’ uses the natural sugar from dates and orange juice paired with the sweetness of carrot and is great served hot or cold at any time of day. Healthy indulgence is just a few moments away. There is always the option to add a little extra sweetness if you need it, but once you start focusing on natural sources of sugars you will very quickly find your taste buds adapt and a lower level of sweetness is needed to hit the spot.

 You can also follow the same recipe principles using other fruits and veggies. I suggest always finely grating the veggies so that the flavour subtly blends throughout. How about some of these creative combinations:

- beetroot and summer berry

- courgette and pear

- sweet potato, banana and cinnamon

On my recipe blog; Including Cake I have a whole category on my recipe index dedicated to ‘bresserts’ of all kinds!

I also love simplicity when it comes to cooking, and this is definitely one of those ‘mix it up and throw it in the oven’ recipes ...healthy, foolproof and it tastes amazing. It will keep nicely in the fridge for a couple of days so make a large serving and just grab a spoonful whenever the cravings strike.

Recipe Carrot, Orange & Ginger Oat Bake

Serves approx. 2 (can easily be doubled)

Ingredients:

¾ cup oats

1 tbs ground flaxseed

1 cup orange juice

1 medium carrot finely grated (approx 2/3 cup)

¼ heaped cup finely chopped date pieces*

1tsp ground ginger (or to taste)

1 tsp baking powder

¼ ground nuts such as almond or desiccated coconut

To decorate- a handful of dark chocolate drops (or use 100% chocolate to be entirely sugar free!)

*if you are happy to add a touch of refined sugar you can swap the dates and ground ginger for finely chopped crystallized ginger pieces (as shown in the photo)

Method:

Mix all ingredients (except dark chocolate) together in a medium bowl. The mix should be loose and wet but without any excess liquid. Add a touch of water if you feel it needs it.

Spoon evenly into a medium pie dish- approx 20cm diameter (the mixture should be approx 2cm deep). Press the choc drops into the top.

Bake at 180C for approx 30 mins until the top is golden.

Jo is the health and mindset coach who works with the ‘square pegs’ trying to force themselves into ‘round holes’. Her passion was born from a personal journey of plant-based nutrition being the gateway to stepping away from convention and conformity into a deeper connection with her true sense of self. When she’s not whipping up incredible dishes in the kitchen, you can find her sharing her recipes and words of wisdom over at www.includingcake.com and on Instagram @johodson

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