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THANK YOU ☺

Our names are on the front of this book but really we have relied on the massive and continued help and support of so many people to get it over the line.

First, thanks to our families for putting up with the extra workload while we were writing and shooting. To Justyna, May, Theo and Ned; to Janet, Elsie and Issy; to Mum and Dad, Ismay and Donal, for always being there when we need support; to Darragh for being the engine in the HP and as much a part of this story as we are; to Mark for your help and support from a distance and for your clear brotherly perspective; to Yeşim for putting our recipes into a coherent form for sending off to Penguin, and for your Mom’s wonderful Turkish leek recipe which we first ate at your and Darragh’s wedding in Turkey and have enjoyed many times since!

Thanks to the fantastic Sarah Fraser in Penguin's art department for putting so much into this project, it really is such a pleasure working with you and it’s great to see our friendship grow over three books now! From styling shots to the final design your great eye for beauty and detail has been invaluable in creating this lovely book. Thanks also to the other designer who contributed to this book: Gail Jones. Thanks for David Ettridge for all the behind-the-scenes logistics in the art department. And a massive shout-out to John Hamilton for overseeing and driving on this project and for keeping a watchful eye on it – you are brill and a total dude!

Thanks to Alistair Richardson for doing such an amazing job photographing this book (and our previous two). We always look forward to book shoots with you and Sarah, such a lovely team has formed. Your photos get better and better and we greatly value what you do. You have become a lovely friend over the three books now. Also to Seánie Cahill for shooting supplementary photography throughout the book – thanks for working so closely with us and for your friendship. You are a great man and a dear friend and thanks for all your input into this book food-wise too!

Thanks to Orla Neligan for your fantastic work styling all the recipe photos – your eye for detail is second to none. And a big shout-out to Article Dublin, The Props Library, Folkster, Meadows & Byrne, M&S, Avoca and Dunnes Stores who provided all the necessary pots, pans and props needed to help make the food and the final photos look amazing. Thanks also to Bella O'Keeffe for all the good energy you brought during the shoot and for your hard work.

Thanks to Geraldine Carton for your fab help, particularly with the two-week reboot and the fundamentals of happiness chapters. You are always such a pleasure to work with, a brilliant writer and a lovely friend.

Thanks to Susan McKeever for editing the recipes so brilliantly. And thanks to Annie Lee for all your top-class copy-editing. You are a pleasure to work with as always and have an amazing eye for detail.

Thanks to our agents, Faith O'Grady and Eavan Kenny, you guys are brill and a pleasure to work with.

Thanks to our wonderful editor, Patricia Deevy, for putting your heart and soul into this project too. You are amazing and we love you dearly and thanks for all your support and guidance and your incredible work ethic, our respect for you has only grown over three books now! Thanks to Michael McLoughlin, Patricia McVeigh, Cliona Lewis, Carrie Anderson, Brian Walker and all the team in Penguin Ireland. In London, thanks to Joanna Prior for your support and always being so lovely to deal with. Also at 80 Strand, thanks to Keith Taylor (happy retirement, Keith!), Emma Brown, Annie Underwood, Amelia Fairney, Poppy North, Rose Poole, Cat Mitchell, Sam Fanaken and Catherine Wood – all of whom have been vital in helping us in different ways.

Thanks to our dear friend Tamsin English for getting the whole process started three books ago. This third book would not have happened without you kicking it all off! We love you dearly!

Next, thanks to the fantastic team that makes the Happy Pear what it is. Without you there would be no Happy Pear. Thanks to Donal, Darragh and Paul Murphy for directing the show. Paul, as our new financial director, you have been wonderful to work with and spend time with – your tastings and feedback were very much appreciated! Thanks to Sarah Dunne who keeps us in check and organizes our lives in so many ways, you’re brilliant and we love you and are so grateful.

Thanks to Jonny O’Donohue for being the ‘Lord Mayor’ of Pearville and always going the extra mile. Thanks to Gerard and Sean in NPD, Paula in Quality, to Lindy for your brilliant designs and your contagious zest for life. On our People Ops team, thanks to Conor Kirwan, Anne-Marie Griffin for doing such an amazing job this year along with Natalie. In IT, thanks to Alan Keighery and Michelle. In Finance, thanks to Jane, Val and Lorraine for being so meticulous and so lovely to have around. In Sales and Marketing, thanks to Patrick and Avril, Chris Peare, Fiona McBennett, and Roisin. On the road, thanks to Jer, Gerry, Catherine, Cousin Paul, Joan and Brian. In the Warehouse, thanks to Wayne, Maurice, Sandis, Andrezej, Szymon, Peter, John, Jordan, Kris Tate and Dennis. On the blending team, thanks to Dee, Anne Crotty, Alan, Darren, Apple, Lillian, Stephen and Helen for being such amazing people and being so consistent and hard-working. In Fermenting, thanks a mil to Magda. In Church Road, thanks to Enya, Katie, Marty, Kate, Adam, Giuliano, He Cha, Jamie, Shane, Serene, Daniel, William and Fiona. In our newest cafe and shop in Clondalkin, thanks to Mark Matanes, Lauren, Nikki, Nadya, Peter, Noeleen and Sadhbh and all our wonderful team there – you are doing an amazing job, thank you! On our farm, thanks to Stephen, Niamh, Tomek, Dylan and Lene. In our cafe in Shoreline, thanks to Elaine, Anto, Julie and Ciara.

Thanks to Hannah Mangan for testing lots of the desserts and for being the lovely face of the front desk of Pearville, you’re a great part of the team. A special thanks to Kevin Mulvaney for trialling loads of the recipes and being a part of this book – it was brilliant to have you help so much on the shoot days and to have someone that understood how we work from helping with our previous book, thank you.

Thanks to our cousin, Naomi Smith, for putting your heart and soul into the HP (and to little Paddy Lyons). To Juan, our head chef, for your commitment, your wonderful manner and your great work and food. Thanks to Jennifer, our head baker, for all your hard work and being so accommodating with all our requests! Thanks for trialling and looking over many of the cake recipes. Also, thanks to Leah and the rest of the fab bakers – Netty, Laura, and to Gong Ping, He Qiang, Toni, Giuliano, Will, Santan, Michael and Mickey for your incredible hard work.

Thanks to Paul Grimes and Shane Murphy, the coffee maestros – you are both legends! Thanks to Namey D, Yuri, Santo Christiano and Dougie. Thanks to Rajdeep Singh, for all your incredible cheer, constant support and wonderful friendship – you’re one in a million!

Siobhán Hanley, our woman-of-all-trades and fairy godmother, thanks for being so supportive, caring and amazing over the years.

Thanks to all our elders – Alan Smith, Ashley Glover, Rod Large, Aidan O’Byrne and Amory Schwartz, you guys are a great sounding-board and wise dudes whose help we are very grateful for! Thanks to all our lovely suppliers – thanks for your great produce and service, you are all central to what we do.

Thanks to our brilliant Swimrise and training family – you guys are amazing and we love you dearly! Julie, Thomas, Niall, Caroline, Ciara, Ed, Hugo, Treasa, Haelee, Enya, Sarah, Ciara, Katie and Joe, Olivia, Conor, Orla, Innes, Michelle, Ruth.

Finally, thanks to the people of our hometown of Greystones and our extended community. Thank you for your support – without it there would be no Happy Pear!

Lastly and so importantly, thanks to all our customers and supporters – we’re so grateful.

Yours

Dave & Steve xx

HOW TO DO A HANDSTAND!

We got into doing handstands years ago and love to spend time upside down each day – it gives us a different perspective and pumps oxygen around our bodies, making us feel good and waking us up when we feel tired. Handstands may not be for everyone (and we had to twist our editor's arm to put this in the book) – consider this a bonus track for the truly hard-core fans!

Getting started is usually the hardest part. The handstand does not require great strength, and the strength needed is easier to build than most people think, so long as you practise frequently. The big challenge is overcoming your fear of being upside down or falling over. With practice, you'll overcome that.

Practising handstands just once a week is not enough, particularly if you want to master it in a month or two. Even three times a week isn’t ideal. In our experience, doing it correctly for five minutes a day over one to two months is a realistic time frame and will produce the best results. We give you the basics below. Once you can do each of these steps the world is your oyster in terms of handstands and you will be ready to start freestyling away from the security of the wall you use in practice! This is a super-basic guide, so watch a few beginners' videos on YouTube to better understand it … and stay safe!

1. 60-second wall plank: Go into a plank pose – feet towards the wall. Move your hands towards the wall and toes up the wall slightly. Hold. Try to keep your body straight, and parallel to the ground. Practise this until you can hold it for 60 seconds. Practise getting your hands closer to the wall and your toes further up it.

2. 60-second wall handstand: Walk your legs up the wall until your face and belly button are facing it. Remember to keep your back straight and your head down. Work at being able to hold this position for 60 seconds. As you get more confident, start bringing your hands closer to the wall so that eventually they are just 30cm from the base of the wall and you are practically fully upside down. You’re doing a handstand!

3. Bailing out of a handstand: This is the most important part of learning to do a handstand. Push one of your feet against the wall hard enough that your weight shifts away from the wall. Gravity will take its course and you will be able to come down safely.

4. Freestanding handstand: There are two methods here. First, follow steps 1 and 2 but then tap your feet away from the wall so you’re no longer using it for support. Once you’re confident doing it this way, face the wall and kick up into a handstand (so your back is facing the wall) – it will take practice to be able to kick into a handstand. Lean the backs of your feet against the wall and slowly learn to hold one foot off the wall and then both feet – hold for one second at a time until you can gently kick off the wall and hold it for 15 seconds. Bail out safely. Practise until you no longer need to lean your feet on the wall at all. Once you’ve mastered that, you can do your handstands anywhere!

CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS & KITCHEN KIT

CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS

STARCH

Being Irish, we’ve stayed true to our roots and embraced the humble oat! Whether it be to bump up a veggie burger, part of a breakfast smoothie or in its most wholesome form – as porridge – we can’t get enough of the stuff. We love nothing more than kicking the day off with a big bowl of porridge made with oat milk and topped with our favourites – figs, coconut yoghurt, granola, maybe some fruit compote … Starting the day off with this slow-releasing energy source keeps us on form for the rest of the day and we couldn’t rate it highly enough.

We’ll always have some form of whole-grain cracker in our cupboards. We go for Ryvita, as it’s cheap and keeps for ages. These are an easy base for our much-loved on-the-go open sandwiches!

Wholemeal couscous takes 5 minutes to cook and you can include whatever spices/salt/pepper you like. Literally all you need to do is cover the couscous up to just above the surface with boiling water, cover with a lid, leave for 5 minutes and it’s done.

Brown rice. Short-grain is that bit nuttier and more flavoursome than long-grain basmati.

Quinoa is another staple that you just can’t go wrong with. Can also be used in salads if the weather is hot and you want to keep things light.

Wholemeal pasta. Our preference is fusilli. If you’re gluten-free, brown rice pasta is a good option.

NUTS, BEANS AND PULSES

The age-old question: ‘How do people on a plant-based diet get their protein?’ Well, here’s a list of great sources of plant-based protein.

Nuts. Our favourites are walnuts, almonds and pecans.

Almond butter – but any nut butter does the job.

Light tahini butter (the dark tahini butter is a bit more earthy and slightly less palatable).

Red lentils. We mostly use these for dahls, but they’re also great for soups when you have leftover veg. Just put the veg, lentils and some spices to liven things up in a pot, together with water or vegetable stock, bring to the boil, simmer for about 15 minutes and wham bam, you’ve got yourself a healthy, super-nutritious soup/dinner!

Canned beans are really handy to have in the cupboard. Chickpeas, butter beans, black beans and kidney beans work really well in curries and stews to bump up the nutritional profile and make things go a little further on the cheap. You can also blend these to form the base of a gorgeous, nourishing hummus or your plant-based spread of choice!

CONDIMENTS

Tamari. This is just soy sauce that has been aged for longer and is gluten-free. Dave loves the softer, sweeter umami flavour that it gives to food.

Liquid sweetener. We go for maple syrup, but it can be expensive, so this depends on whatever your budget can allow.

Nutritional yeast, or ‘nooch’ (as it’s often referred to in North America). This is a great one for anyone following a dairy-free/plant-based/vegan lifestyle, as it adds a ‘cheesy’ flavour to food and is also packed with vitamin B12.

SAUCES

Tinned tomatoes and tomato purée (or tomato concentrate). Vital for any tomato-based sauce.

Coconut milk. Full-fat is typically 20% fat content, while low-fat is generally about 10%. Scoop the solid fat off the top of the liquid and whip it to make a great alternative to dairy cream (it goes lovely with raspberry jam!).

Vegetable stock. Great for soups – just have a look at the ingredients when you’re buying it and try to get one that’s lower in salt.

VEGETABLES

Whatever you like that’s in season, but always have fresh onions, garlic and ginger in your veg basket. These are long-lasting, really handy and flavourful basic components to any meal.

SPICES

Ground cumin. Use in everything.

Smoked paprika. Adds a lovely smoky meaty flavour and works great in chilli. A little goes a long way, so use lightly!

Ground coriander. Not for everyone, but we’re big fans!

Chilli flakes. These are great for anyone who can handle a bit of heat. They add a lovely texture and colour to whatever dish you decide to sprinkle them in.

Medium curry powder. A brilliant way to liven up a dish! Mix with a few tablespoons of coconut milk and you’ve got yourself the easiest sauce going.

OTHER

Non-dairy milks. You can get these in every health food store, and we’re delighted that they are now more readily available in supermarkets too. We recommend going for the unsweetened versions, to keep your sugar levels even.

Oils. We try to limit our use of oils (see here for our two cents on oil). That aside, we have olive, sunflower and rapeseed oils in our kitchens. Our friend Keith lives near us in Wicklow and grows and presses his own rapeseed (Wicklow Rapeseed), so this tends to be our default option. However, rapeseed has a distinct taste. Sunflower is typically more neutral-tasting, while olive oil can often be … grassy or olive-tasting! Depending on your needs, each has its own purpose.

KITCHEN KIT

Here are a few bits and bobs that we use time and time again. We have accumulated these over time, so pick and choose what you think you will use and build up your own kit.

A decent food processor. We use this a lot for the bases of desserts and for whizzing up many of our snacks.

A stick blender. Great for blending soups. These are usually inexpensive and are well worth having. You can use a food processor, of course, but it can be a lot messier.

A high-speed blender. A regular blender will do fine for most things, but if you want to grind flax seeds, turn quinoa or oat flakes into flour, or want super-smooth smoothies, a regular blender usually won’t do this.

A sharp chopping knife. We are often asked what type of knife we would recommend, and our answer is always a sharp one. A blunt knife is the most dangerous knife in the kitchen. A sharp chef’s knife will do the job for most things. We do use a serrated knife too (e.g. a bread knife), for tomatoes, aubergines and other thick-skinned veg.

A decent non-stick frying pan. Essential if you make pancakes. If your pan is not non-stick, you will need to use more oil and things will stick so much more.

Decent medium and large pots/saucepans. Again, non-stick versions will make life easier. For the last couple of years we have been using Circulon products, which are great. Our preference is for heavy-based, wide-bottomed, shallower pots/pans rather than taller ones.

Finally, oven temperatures … all electric oven temperatures in the recipes are for a conventional oven. If you use a fan oven, simply reduce the temperature given by 20°C/35°F.

PUMPKIN SPICED LATTE PANCAKES

— MAKES 3 LARGE OR 7–8 SMALL PANCAKES —

The title says it all. These pancakes make such a tasty breakfast treat, any time of the year. In Ireland tinned pumpkin is not readily available, so we recommend you bake your own pumpkin/butternut squash/sweet potato at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for about 30 minutes, scoop out the flesh, and use that.

1. Put all your ingredients, apart from the oil, into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Place a non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Lightly drizzle some oil into the pan to prevent the mixture from sticking. Once the oil heats up, reduce the heat to medium.

3. Pour enough batter into the pan to lightly cover the surface (about 5 tablespoons for a large pancake and 2–3 for mini ones). Move the pan around to spread the batter out nice and evenly.

4. Once bubbles start to form around the edges and in the middle, and the top starts to dry out, it’s time to flip your pancake over and cook on the other side. Once browned on both sides, it’s done.

5. Repeat the process until all your pancakes are cooked. Now plate them up and devour.

SOME SERVING IDEAS

Top with maple syrup, banana, fresh berries, almond butter, coconut yoghurt, fresh mango, apricots, passion fruit, cacao nibs, bee pollen, goji berries … the list goes on!

FRENCH TOAST

— MAKES 6–8 SLICES —

This vegan French toast is a perfect mix of sweet and savoury that will have you dancing round the kitchen on a Sunday morning! Perfect for a weekend brunch or for a special celebratory brekkie. Here we make it with caramelized bananas, which takes it to the next level. Also goes great served with fresh berries, maple syrup and toasted nuts.

1. Put all the ingredients except the bread, oil and bananas into a blender and whiz together until smooth. Pour into a wide bowl with a flat bottom and soak the bread in this mixture, moving it around and turning, making sure that the bread really absorbs the liquid.

2. Put a non-stick pan on a high heat, add the oil and spread it round the pan. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium-high and add a couple of slices of the soaked bread. Fry for a few minutes on each side, until the bread starts to turn golden on the outside. Once both sides are crispy, remove from the pan. Repeat till all your French toast is done.

3. Prepare your caramelized bananas while the French toast is cooking. Peel the bananas and cut them in half lengthways, then in half the other way, giving you four pieces from each banana. Put a dry pan on a high heat, then add the bananas and dry-fry for a couple of minutes on each side, until they start to char and smell amazing. Serve on top of your French toast, with a drizzle of maple syrup, some berries/other fresh fruit or whatever you fancy.

HEALTHY WAFFLES

— MAKES 4–5 WAFFLES —

This is a great recipe that works perfectly for pancakes too. Dave uses this recipe most weekends to make either pancakes or waffles for his daughters – the same batter works great for both. To make waffles, you will need a waffle iron or waffle maker, but don’t let that put you off – we got ours for €20 online and it’s a great toy! We like to serve our waffles/pancakes with coconut yoghurt, homemade chocolate spread and berries, with a drizzle of maple syrup – just delish!

1. First step, turn on the waffle iron.

2. To make the batter, whiz all the ingredients together in a blender until smooth.

3. Once the waffle iron is hot, spray it with vegetable oil to prevent the waffles from sticking. Pour in the batter, ensuring that you have added enough to cover the full iron, and leaving a bit of room for the waffles to rise slightly.

4. Cook in the waffle iron until they turn nice and brown. Remove and add toppings of your choice (see intro, and see the photo for other serving ideas).

BREAKFAST BURRITOS

— MAKES 4 BURRITOS —

This makes a super-tasty Mexican-style weekend breakfast or brunch. It’s full of flavour, with great colours and textures that will satisfy all the family.

1. Start by making the guacamole. Peel and de-stone the avocados and chop the flesh into small pieces. Put into a bowl with the lime juice, salt and black pepper. Chop the cherry tomatoes in half and add, along with the cumin and chilli flakes. Mash with a fork until the avocado breaks up and comes together. Finely chop the coriander (including the stalks) and add. Mix, taste and adjust the seasoning if you think it needs it.

2. Peel and finely chop the garlic and roughly chop the mushrooms. Put the oil into a medium pan on a high heat and leave to heat up. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute, stirring regularly. Add the tamari and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for a further minute, until it wilts right down. Remove from the heat.

3. Put the baked beans into a pan and heat up on a medium heat, stirring occasionally.

4. Now it’s time to roll up your breakfast burritos. Lay out one of your wraps, then, in line along the middle of the wrap, spoon on a few tablespoons of beans, some guacamole and some mushrooms, leaving lots of wrap on either side. To roll your burrito, start by folding both ends in, then roll lengthways. Fold the other end of the wrap over or under, while tucking in both ends as you do so. Eat as it is, or put back into the pan for a minute to crisp up the outside. Make the rest of your burritos the same way.

FIVE-MINUTE ONE-PAN GRANOLA

— MAKES ABOUT 300G —

Most people think granola takes ages to make. We wanted to see if it was possible to make it in 5 minutes in one pan, and it turns out it is! This recipe is quick, easy, gluten free and grain free and will keep for months in an airtight jar. Some ideas for how to pimp out your granola – add cacao nibs, goji berries, raisins, sliced dried mango, dates, even freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries.

1. Put the mixed nuts, desiccated coconut, sunflower, pumpkin and chia seeds into a food processor and pulse until all the ingredients are roughly chopped but still have some texture remaining.

2. Put the coconut oil and maple syrup into a large wide-bottomed pan on a high heat until the coconut oil is melted. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn.

3. Add the nut and seed mixture to the pan, along with the vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon, and mix everything thoroughly. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the nut mixture starts to colour and brown, making sure you stir continuously.

4. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

5. When serving, take your granola to the next level by adding some of the extras listed in the intro. You could sprinkle it over porridge, or have it on its own with a splash of non-dairy milk or a dollop of coconut yoghurt.

MEL’S PORRIDGE FOR POWER

— SERVES 1 —

This is our friend Mellen’s breakfast recipe, complete with her own intro. We love it!

‘It’s not always easy to fit in all the foods you’re supposed to eat these days! This breakfast recipe, which I’ve been making for a few years in various combinations, comes pretty close to doing it, though. The seeds are packed with protein, calcium and minerals, but they need to be soaked for those nutrients to be absorbed. Turmeric and ginger have anti-inflammatory properties but must have a bit of pepper and oil to work. Seaweed has calcium and other minerals. Depending on the milk you choose, this recipe can be gluten-free and vegan.’

1. The night before you want to eat this, soak the ground chia seeds along with the sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds in the milk or apple juice and leave overnight in the fridge. If you are using milk, add some dried fruit to the mix to sweeten it up. Cut larger dried fruits like apricots, dates, prunes or figs into smaller pieces before adding. Make sure everything is well covered with milk.

2. Next morning, soak the dillisk seaweed in water and leave aside while you make the porridge.

3. Put the millet/quinoa flakes into a pot and add the milk, along with a pinch of turmeric and ground black pepper. You can add some ground cardamom and cinnamon at this point if you wish. Cook this mixture on a medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens. Do not let it cook for too long or you will lose the goodness of the turmeric.

4. Drain the water off the seaweed and rinse, then cut into smaller strips with scissors and sprinkle on top of your soaked seeds. Grate in some fresh ginger to taste. Cut up your fresh fruit of choice and scatter on top of the seeds, along with some berries.

5. Add the coconut oil to the hot porridge and pour on top of the seed and fruit mixture. Stir everything together well. Add a little more milk of your choice and some maple syrup if you like it extra sweet.

ACAI BOWL

— SERVES 2 —

This acai bowl is like eating ice cream for breakfast! We use dried acai powder and blueberries to give the striking purple colour. The texture should be thick, so that once you pimp it up, it all sits on the top and does not sink.

1. Put your bananas, blueberries, acai powder, coconut water and almond butter into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and pimp it up with your choice of the toppings below!

• Fresh berries

• Freshly sliced ripe mango/chopped dried mango

• Freshly sliced kiwi

• Roughly chopped almonds/any other chopped nuts

• Goji berries

• Cacao nibs

• Bee pollen

• Desiccated coconut

• Pistachios