Put a tablespoon of jam in the bottom of each small glass and top with 3 tablespoons of yogurt. Follow with the chopped fruit or blueberries another layer of jam and yogurt. Top each one with the seeds and nuts, the Spiced Granola and/or a few whole berries. Eat straight away or store for up to a day in the fridge.

Raspberry Chia Jam  

The tiny little white or black seeds from the chia plant have a magical way of thickening sauces without the carbs. If you use white chia seeds they will keep the jam bright red but black chia work the same magic, only the jam becomes a little speckled. By blending the seeds with the fruit they break up and work instantly. Use the jam for low-carb coconut pancakes or pour into glasses and chill in the fridge. It will keep for four days chilled.

To lower the carb count use erythritol to taste instead of the date.

Makes 300ml, serves 6

300g raspberries or strawberries or blueberries or a mixture

2 tablespoons chia seeds (milled or whole)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or half a teaspoon vanilla powder, to taste

1 medjool date, optional

Blitz the berries with the chia seeds in a blender for a couple of minutes or until the seeds have broken up. Taste the mixture and if the berries are sour add a vanilla to taste.

If they are still not sweet enough dissolve a date in 3 tablespoons of very hot water by mashing it with a fork. Pass it through a sieve and add to the blender and whizz again to combine. (If you don’t have a food processor, mix the ingredients by hand and wait an hour, the mixture will thicken up all the same.)

Per serving of raspberry chia jam with 1 date: 5.7g net carbs, 4.6g fibre, 1.2g protein, 1.4g fat, 53kcal

Per serving of raspberry chia jam with erythritol: 3g net carbs, 4.4g fibre, 1.2g protein, 1.3g fat, 42kcal

Cinnamon Granola

Instead of sugar-laden granola in shops try this easy way to make your own. I have added two dates for just a hint of sweetness but if you are on the lower end of the CarbScale leave them out. Do store the granola out of sight, if I leave it out at home it gets eaten within a day, its moreish! Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and the fat in the nuts and black pepper help it to be absorbed by your body.

Makes approx. 450g (1lb), serves 18 in portions of approx. 25g (1oz)

2 Medjool dates, stoned and finely chopped

300g mixed nuts – almonds, pecans, pistachios

60g mixed seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame

2 tablespoons flaxseed, optional

25g (1oz) desiccated coconut

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder

50g (2oz) unsalted butter or coconut oil

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional

½ teaspoon black pepper, optional

Heat the oven to 180oC fan/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with a silicone baking mat or baking parchment.

Put the dates into a large mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of boiling hot water. Use a fork to mash them to a thick pulp. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Spread onto a baking tray lined with a silicone baking mat or silicone paper and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Per 25g (1oz) serving: 2.7g net carbs, 2.2g fibre, 3.9g protein, 15g fat, 166kcal

Vanilla olive oil

This brilliantly simple idea comes from a restaurant in Palermo, capital of Sicily called Bio and Sicily. They used a local, delicately flavoured extra-virgin olive oil and in Marco Piraino, the manager’s words, “mixed it with vanilla pods and time”. We came across Marco and the recipe when writing our book Sicily: Recipes from an Italian Island published by Hardie Grant in 2016. He gave it to us over strawberries.

We make small amounts as although it keeps well, a little olive oil on a dessert goes a long way. Simply put around 100ml of extra-virgin olive oil in a jar and mix with the seeds of a vanilla pod and the bean cut into a few pieces so that it fits in the jar. Screw on the lid and leave in a dark cool place for at least 3 days. The flavour will develop with time. When you are going to use it, shake the jar to distribute the seeds and drizzle over coconut yoghurt and berries, swirl into porridge or pour over berries.

The nutritional value will be the same as any extra-virgin olive oil.

Learn more great recipes by joining us on one of our low carb cookery courses. See HERE for a list of upcoming dates.