CARROT CAKE OVERNIGHT OATS

I definitely find that eating a nutritious, filling breakfast sets the tone for my whole day's eating. However, with two little girls to get fed, dressed, kitted up and out the door by 8.30am, mornings in our house can be hectic and if I'm running short on time I often find myself skipping breakfast.

That's why I'm loving overnight oats right now. When I get up in the morning, all I have to do is grab the bowl from the fridge, take a spoon out the drawer and dig right in! Sure, they take a bit of pre-preparation but I can honestly say that I put can them together in five minutes flat (usually while I'm cooking our evening meal) and one batch will last me two breakfasts.

Overnight oats need never become boring because it's so easy to change up the ingredients for new and exciting flavour combinations. Carrot might seem like an odd ingredient to use but, trust me, it totally works!

Carrot cake is my absolute favourite cake so these carrot-cake-inspired overnight oats were always going to be a winner for me. They marry together all the delicious flavours of the a traditional carrot cake - the sweet carrot, warming spices, juicy sultanas and hint of zesty orange - and the walnuts add a welcome crunch against the soft oats.

Carrot cake for breakfast? Yes, please!

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

Serves 2

80g rolled oats
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground mixed spice
40g sultanas
25g walnut pieces
1 carrot, peeled and finely grated (about 80g prepared weight)
finely grated rind of 1 orange
400ml semi-skimmed milk or unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp maple syrup

Put the oats and spices in a large bowl and mix until the spices are evenly distributed. Add the sultanas, walnuts, grated carrot and orange rind and stir well.

Divide the mixture between two bowls (or jars/leak-proof containers if you intend to transport the overnight oats). Pour half the milk into each bowl - it should just cover the ingredients. Top each with 1/2 tablespoon of maple syrup and stir gently, then cover with clingfilm or a lid and chill in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, simply give the mixture a good stir and dig in.

Tips

• I prefer to use finely grated carrot in this recipe because it softens nicely overnight; coarsely grated carrot retains more of its crunch.
• I've used cow's milk but you can, of course, use non-dairy milk. I've tried this recipe using unsweetened almond milk and it was equally delicious.

LAYERED PRAWN PASTA SALAD JARS

For my lunch today I celebrated the unseasonably warm weather we've been enjoying here in south-west England with a salad. And not just any old salad –  a salad in a jar!

I fear I'm a bit late to the party when it comes to food in a jar. No longer the preserve (see what I did there?) of jams and chutneys, it seems that jars are being used to package and present all kinds of foods – from breakfast oats (see my overnight oats recipe) to salads like this one, even cakes and desserts. And, whilst I don't go out on the town much these days, I wouldn't be in the slightest bit surprised if the next time I order a cocktail in a trendy bar it was served up in a jam jar!

I think a lot of the appeal of jar food is its convenience. Many foods will keep for several days in a sturdy, well-sealed jar so, with just a little forward planning, you can prepare tasty meals ready to enjoy when you're pushed for time. The jar also offers a perfect way to transport food and negates the need for any crockery – just eat straight from the jar! Sure, it'll probably turn out to be a passing fad, but you can't deny that jar food is aesthetically pleasing, especially when it includes colourful fresh fruits and/or veggies arranged in pretty layers.

I think salads work particularly well as jar food because the jars can be packed in such a way as to keep delicate salad items separate from any heavier ingredients (that may crush them) and sauces or dressings (that could make them soggy). So whatever ingredients you're using, I'd highly recommend putting any sauces or dressings in the base of the jar along with any heavy ingredients (such as pasta or beans) and popping the salad leaves right at the top.

I freely admit that this salad isn't entirely my own invention – it is my version of a pre-packaged salad I used to buy from a high-street supermarket when I worked in town. I added the red pepper, mainly because I thought it'd look pretty, and swapped the shop-bought version's iceberg lettuce with spinach because I've read darker leaves offer more health benefits (plus spinach is the only salad leaf that has my eldest daughter's seal of approval!). I also lightened up the Marie Rose sauce by replacing some of the mayo with fat-free yogurt. This makes two rather generous portions.

Layered prawn pasta salad jars

Serves 2
80g small pasta shapes (I used conchigliette)
200g cooked peeled prawns, defrosted if frozen
½ red pepper, deseeded and diced
1 carrot, grated
100g sweetcorn, defrosted if frozen
¼ cucumber, diced
2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves

Marie Rose sauce
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
2 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tsp ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
squeeze of lemon juice, to taste

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the pasta, bring back to the boil and cook for 6 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain well.

While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Put all the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Add the prawns and stir to coat thoroughly in the sauce.

Divide the ingredients between two 950-ml jars, starting with the prawn mixture, then adding the pasta, red pepper, carrot, sweetcorn, cucumber and spinach (in that order) to create colourful layers in the jars.

Eat immediately or chill and eat within 48 hours. You can eat straight from the jar or tip the contents onto a plate before tucking in (the latter method is easier, unless you have a really long-handled fork!).