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Gut guru, Dr Megan Rossi”s new book, Eat Yourself Healthy, is packed full of information on how to look after your gut and features a flavourful selection of tummy-friendly recipes. We’re sharing her Banana, Walnut & Courgette Loaf which makes a great breakfast or snack.

This is one of my favourite ‘accidental’ creations. Throwing in a bit of this and a bit of that turned into something pretty magical. The loaf was devoured within an hour (I promise, I did share) and, thanks to all your requests on social media, I decided to repeat the ‘accident’ the next day, this time measuring out all the ingredients so that I could share it with you. Offering over 5 grams of fibre per portion, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a loaf to match.

INGREDIENTS – serves 8

Base:

100g teff grain

120g wholewheat spelt flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

a pinch of salt

40ml olive oil

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 extra-ripe bananas, mashed (300g peeled weight)

70g dried figs, diced

½ a small courgette, grated (80g prepped weight)

1 large carrot, grated (100g prepped weight)

50g walnuts, roughly chopped

Toppers

METHOD

1 banana (100g peeled weight)

10g coconut flakes (optional)

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (teff, spelt, baking powder, cinnamon and salt).

In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (olive oil, eggs and vanilla extract) with an electric beater before adding the fruit, vegetables and nuts (bananas, figs, courgette, carrot, walnuts). Fold in the dry mixture.

Line a loaf tin (approx. 23 x 13cm) with baking paper, then pour in the cake mixture. Top with banana halves any way you fancy and coconut flakes, if using.

Pop in the oven for 70 minutes, or until cooked through. Cover with foil after 30 minutes of cooking to prevent burning the coconut. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, before lifting out with the baking paper on to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.

Teff grain is a traditional staple in Ethiopia. This tiny gluten-free grain packs quite a nutritional punch, offering 10 grams of protein and 7 grams of fibre per cooked cup. It also offers a slightly sweet taste with undertones of cocoa and hazelnut. You can buy it from most health food stores or readily online.

Eat Yourself Healthy by Dr Megan Rossi, published by Penguin

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