Ingredients

• Ingredients 50g quinoa, rinsed and drained 3 tbsp tahini 2 tsp olive or coconut oil 2 tbsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener Pinch Himalayan pink salt (or other good salt) 20g pumpkin seeds 350g frozen pitted cherries, or 200g fresh 50g flaked almonds

Preparation

• Method Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. After rinsing, place the quinoa in a saucepan with 100ml water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer until the water has evaporated (about 10 minutes). Leave covered for another 5 minutes. While the quinoa is cooking, simmer the cherries in a saucepan on a medium heat. Mash with the back of a wooden spoon or fork to transform them into a jam-like consistency. This will take around 10 minutes. Once the quinoa is ready, add it to a mixing bowl with the tahini, oil, maple syrup, salt, pumpkin seeds and half of the flaked almonds. Give it all a good stir and pour it into your baking tin, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Next, pour on the cherries and smooth out the surface. Sprinkle on the remaining flaked almonds, pressing down to give an even coverage. Place on the top shelf of the oven and cook for 30 minutes. NOTES: I find frozen cherries work really well in this recipe, as they cook down more easily. However, if you use fresh cherries, add a tbsp or two of water to the pan when simmering to help the cooking process.