Groovy Food Company

Enjoy A Healthier Pancake Day With The Groovy Food Company

Looking for a more natural way to enjoy Pancake Day this year? The Groovy Food Company’s organic agave nectar range and virgin coconut oil are the great alternatives to processed sugar and fats.

Agave nectar currently taking the UK by storm, is delicious in taste, versatile and has a low GI (glycemic index), it’s the perfect sugar replacement. The Groovy Food Company Agave Nectar is 100% natural, unrefined and free from any artificial nasties. Lovingly extracted from the Blue Agave plant in Mexico and sweeter than sugar. So whip up your pancake mix and enjoy Shrove Tuesday.

The Groovy Food Company Agave Nectar comes in two tempting varieties; Light and Mild – which delivers a natural sweetness and golden in colour and Rich and Dark – a delicious sweetener similar to maple syrup and darker cane sugars, both perfect for drizzling over your pancakes.

The Groovy Food Company Virgin Coconut Oil is derived from the flesh of freshly picked coconuts – traditionally made and enriched with the taste of sunshine. Used as an alternative to other vegetable oils and butter, it’s a healthier sweet vegetable fat that is solid at room temperature and has a high heat threshold.

Perfect to cook your pancakes with, infusing the mixture with it’s delicious fragrant coconut taste.

The Groovy Food Company Agave Nectar and Virgin Coconut Oil can be found nationwide in major supermarkets and independents retailing from RRP £2.50 for 250ml and £6.99 for 283ml respectively.

For further information on The Groovy Food Company please visit www.groovyfoods.co.uk

Date and Lemon Slices

The ingredients in many commercial flapjacks and cereal bars are bound together with a butterscotch mixture high in sugar and saturated fat. These delicious bars are sweetened naturally with dates and agave nectar. The oats and wholemeal flour are a great sources of fibre and complex carbohydrate.  These slow down the rate of release of sugars into the bloodstream helping to maintain high energy levels throughout the day.  These tasty date slices make a nourishing breakfast on the go, treat for lunch boxes or healthy afternoon snack.

Makes 16 bars

Grated zest and juice of 4 lemons

90ml (6 tbsp) apple juice

225g (8oz) dried dates, chopped

5tbsp The Groovy  Food Company’s Agave Nectar Light and Mild

150ml (¼ pint) rapeseed or mild olive oil

150g (5oz) rolled oats

175g (6oz) self-raising wholemeal flour

30ml (2tbsp) sesame seeds

30ml (2tbsp) sunflower seeds

½tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g (4oz) chopped dried dates

50g (2oz) desiccated coconut

80g (3oz) ground almonds

Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4.

Place the lemon juice, zest and 225g chopped dried dates in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1-2 minutes then take off the heat and cool for 10 minutes.  Add the agave nectar and oil and blend using a hand blender or food processor to form a thick puree.

Place the oats, flour, seeds, soda, dates, coconut and ground almonds in a bowl and mix well. Add the date puree and combine thoroughly.  Press the mixture into a greased shallow rectangular cake tin approximately 25cm by 30cm. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin then cut into bars.  Store in an airtight container. As it contains a high proportion of fruit it is best kept in the fridge. It is also suitable for freezing.

Fruity Tea bread

A scrummy fruity tea bread bursting with omega-rich seeds, dried fruits and warming spices. Using soy flour and soy milk makes it a wonderful dairy free option. It’s also rich in phytoestrogens from the seeds and soy making it beneficial for heart and hormonal health. An additional bonus is this tasty cake contains no added fat!

Makes one 2lb cake

125g (4oz) soy flour

125g (4oz) self raising wholemeal flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 piece of stem ginger chopped

1 tsp ground cinnamon

50g (2oz) cracked flaxseeds

50g (2oz) each of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds

125g (4oz) raisins

50g (2oz) dried cranberries

50g (2oz) dried blueberries or sour cherries

500ml (17floz) soy milk

4 tbsp The Groovy Food Company’s Agave Nectar Rich and Dark

100ml (4floz) apple puree (unsweetened stewed apples)

Place the flours, baking powder, spices, seeds and dried fruit in a large bowl.  Warm the milk gently with the agave nectar and apple puree and stir in to

the bowl. Mix well and leave to soak for 30 minutes.  Spoon into a greased and lined 2lb loaf tin. Bake in the oven at 180ºC (gas mark 4) for 60 -70 minutes until golden brown. Half way during the cooking cover the top with foil to prevent it browning too much. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out. Slice and serve warm, cold or lightly toasted plain or spread with a little fruit compote or tahini (sesame seed paste).

 Quick Tip – Make up a batch of apple puree using bramley apples stewed in a little water or apple juice and freeze in containers ready to add to cakes, muffin recipes and desserts.  Alternatively you can buy jars of apple pieces in natural juice.  Just drain off the juice and puree with a hand blender.