Banana, Date & Pecan Flapjacks

Posted on January 30, 2013 Written by Leave a Comment

Sticky, gooey and sweet – that’s exactly how flapjacks should be and these are no different….. except they’re not loaded with golden syrup, they’re sugar free!  All the sweetness comes from the bananas and dates, although you can add a little Stevia if you want some extra sweetness.  This recipe has been slightly adapted from a recipe given to me at a recent  Sips & Tips event.

 

Banana, Date & Pecan Flapjacks

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Ingredients
  • 175g oats
  • 175g dried dates, chopped
  • 3 medium bananas, mashed
  • 50g pecans (or nuts of your choice)
  • 1 heaped tsp cinnamon
  • 1 sachet Nu Naturals Stevia (optional)
Directions
  • Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees celsius. Lightly grease and line an 8 x 8 baking tray.
  • Spread your pecans (or other nuts) on a baking sheet and toast for a few minutes. Allow to cool slightly and then roughly chop .
  • In a large bowl mash your bananas then add your chopped dates, nuts, oats, cinnamon and stevia (if using).
  • Stir well and then tip the mixture into your tray, pressing down firmly.
  • Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins or until the top starts to turn golden brown.
  • Cut into slices whilst warm and enjoy!

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Filed Under: Home, Recipes

Magic Brownie Bars

Posted on January 3, 2013 Written by Leave a Comment

Happy New Year.  I hope you had a fantastic Christmas with your family and friends.  We had a lovely time with our family but two weeks of rather indulgent eating left me feeling a bit bloated and sluggish so its back to the ‘clean eating’ with a vengeance.  With the leftovers gone it was nice to get back into the kitchen and start baking again and I’m really excited to share this recipe with you.

I take absolutely no credit whatsoever for these delicious brownies.  I found the recipe on Juli’s blog www.paleomg.com and it’s received rave reviews.  I’ve had mixed results baking with coconut flour but I’ve made this recipe several times now and each time the results have been great.  I strongly recommend using proper measuring spoons, particularly for the flour.  When something calls for a tablespoon of an ingredient I usually just pull a large serving spoon from the drawer and use that.  However, coconut flour is incredibly absorbent and if you use too much your brownies will be dry, crumbly and not very tasty.

Magic Brownie Bars

Snack
Cooks in   
Ingredients
  • For the brownie layer
  • 15 large dried dates, stones removed
  • 35g coconut oil, melted
  • 2 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 21g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • For the magic layer
  • 135g unsweetened desiccated coconut
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 Tbsp coconut cream
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 2 egg whites, whisked until foamy
Directions
  • 1. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees celcius
  • 2. Add your dates to the food processor and pulse until you get a clumpy paste
  • 3. Add the melted coconut oil and cocoa powder and mix well until the mixture becomes smoother
  • 4. Then add the eggs, coconut flour, honey, vanilla extract, bicarbonate of soda & baking powder and puree until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of your bowl a couple of times to make sure all the mixture is incorporated.
  • 5. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with some extra coconut oil, pour in your brownie mix and spread evenly throughout the dish.
  • 6. Now to make the top layer. Put the desiccated coconut, coconut oil, coconut butter and honey into a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until the coconut oil melts and then mix the ingredients together.
  • 7. Add the whisked egg whites and mix well.
  • Spoon the topping over your brownie batter and gently smooth out so that it completely covers the brownie mixture.
  • 9. Put in the middle of the oven for 20-25 mins. TIP: the coconut topping can \'catch\' easily and burn so check on your brownies after 15 mins or so and if the top is cooking too quickly turn the heat down a little.
  • 10. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

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Filed Under: Recipes

Healthy crisps? Oh yeah!!

Posted on November 20, 2012 Written by 1 Comment

Over the last few months I’ve become slightly obsessed with finding healthy snacks to munch on.  I’ve experimented with making chocolate brownies from black beans, coconut flour muffins, avocado chocolate mousse… you get the picture; I’m on a quest to find delicious food that is actually good for you.  And there are so many ways to make your favourite snacks healthier but you still need to eat them in moderation……until now! 

What if you could sit down in front of your favourite movie with a huge bowl full of crisps and munch your way through the whole lot knowing that they are incredibly good for you – in fact the more you eat the better!  Sounds too good to be true?  Well it isn’t.  Let me introduce you to kale crisps.

Kale is packed with calcium, iron, vitamins A, C and K and has incredible antioxidant power These crisps are so easy to make with just 3 ingredients and they take just 10-15 minute in the oven. The most common kale in UK supermarkets is curly kale which usually comes shredded in large bags.  For these crisps you need to buy it unshredded – I got mine from Waitrose but I’m sure your local farmers market will sell it too.

Kale Crisps

Snack
Cooks in   
Ingredients
  • 1 bag (150g) Kale
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala
Directions
  • Pre-heat your oven to 160 degrees celcius.
  • Wash and thoroughly dry the kale leaves. Remove the tough stalks & stems and tear the kale leaves into bite size pieces.
  • In a large bowl mix together the oil and garam masala. Toss the leaves in the oil/spice mix. Use your hands to gently rub the oil into the leaves.
  • Lay the leaves on baking sheets in a single layer making sure they do not overlap. Place in the oven for 10 mins. Keep a close eye on the crisps as they can over-cook very quickly. Allow them to cool completely before eating and store in an air tight container.

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Filed Under: Nutrition, Recipes, Uncategorized
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