Fruit & Oat Cookies - Sugar Free

My daughter doesn't like dried apricots...

My husband doesn't like ground flax seeds...

But I can get them BOTH to eat these cookies!!!

Fruit & Oat Cookies

(Makes 20)

You'll need:

2 over-ripe bananas

1/2 cup applesauce

1/3 cup each: raisins, dates, dried figs, dried apricots

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

1 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups oats

In a large bowl combine the bananas and applesauce. Mash until smooth.

Finely chop all the dried fruit.

Stir the fruit, flax, cinnamon & vanilla into the banana/apple mixture.

Gently stir through the oats until well combined.

Using wet hands, roll 2 Tablespoons of mixture into a ball shape and press firmly til the ball holds together. Place onto a lined baking tray and press down gently to form a cookie shape.

Bake in a preheated 170C oven for 25 minutes until lightly golden brown.

(You may notice the fruit in my cookies looks brown and not coloured - that is because I use non-sulphur dried fruit. I highly recommend you use it too - its available in health food stores.)


Question of the day:
What food do you dislike but enjoy when it's cooked into something else?

Meatless Monday - NUTS

Today's Meatless Monday food is nuts.

 FRUIT & NUT MUFFINS

To make 12 muffins you'll need:

2 cups self-raising wholemeal flour

1/2 cup mixed nuts (I used almonds, cashews, walnuts)

1/3 cup sultanas

1/4 cup craisins

1/4 cup currants

2 Tablespoons diced prunes (or sub extra sultanas)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 Tablespoons boiling water

1 cup unsweetened apple juice

In a large mixing bowl combine all the fruit with the sugar, cinnamon and flour. Crush the nuts into small pieces and stir them into the fruit/flour mixture.

Make a well in the center and add the applesauce, flax mixture and the apple juice. 

Stir until just combined, don't over stir.

Pour into a lined muffin baking tray and bake in a preheated 180C oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

Kids Lunchbox Club - Homemade Muesli Bars

Homemade Muesli Bars

Line up the kids lunchboxes cause they'll all want a piece of this.....

This is so easy to make - and very versatile - you can substitute many different flavours and varieties to make muesli bars options that are endless!

This is what I used: (for the batch pictured!)

2 cups home made summer muesli 

1/2 cup soy or coconut flour
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1/2 cup rye flakes

1/2 cup wholemeal flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy yogurt (I used blueberry flavour, any would work)

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/2 cup soymilk

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons vinegar

Pour the soy milk into a measuring jug and stir in the apple cider vinegar - this will curdle the milk and make it thick. 

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre and add the yogurt, apple sauce, milk mixture and vanilla. Stir until well combined and all dry ingredients are coated with wet mixture.

This mixture will be very sticky.

Line a 25cm square baking pan with baking paper. Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 180C for 25 minutes.

Allow to cool before slicing.

This makes 12 bars - depending on how wide you slice them.

To avoid arguments I recommend slicing them evenly ;-)

Variations:

* You can sub any muesli you like or just use oats. 

* I don't normally use coconut flour due to it's high fat content but had some on hand that needed to be used up - you can sub almond flour or other ground nuts,  dried plant-milk pulp or nut/seed milo.

WIAW and a Product Review

Happy Wednesday to all my readers :-)

Today I'm not only going to share with you What-I-Ate but also one of my favourite products.

Recipe links:
Lunch - Cabbage Shiitake Stirfry
Dessert - Chocolate ice cream

Now let me share with you a product that I totally LOVE:

Lowan Rice Porridge

This is such a great alternative to oats for breakfast. Don't get me wrong, I do love my oats but sometimes I like something different. 

This porridge is just brown rice (in flake form) with dried fruit. No added nasties. 

Its cooks really quickly and tastes delicious (even when cooked just with water).  It totally ticks all the boxes - low fat, high fibre, low salt, no additives, and made in Australia by an Australian owned company. Its also gluten free for those who need that option. Its readily available in the health food section of grocery stores & is very reasonably priced.

Put it in your grocery trolley this week and I promise you won't be disappointed! :-)

I first tried this porridge when I initially went vegan. I was won over straight away, however I did used to put quite a bit of brown sugar on it - which I realise now was my massive sweet tooth that I previously had! I still LOVE this porridge but I am now pleased to say that I am perfectly satisfied with the sweetness coming just from the dried fruit!

Isn't it amazing how our taste buds can change over time?!?

 

Question of the day: 

Have you noticed that your taste buds have changed over time? 

Did you do something to help that process or did it just occur naturally?

Apple-Almond Cookies

Apple-Almond Cookies

4 simple ingredients to make delicious healthy cookies!
Now that is something I can manage even after a hard days work!

You'll need:
2 overripe bananas
1 cup oats
1 cup dried apple pieces
2 Tablespoons almond butter


Mash the bananas in a large bowl.
Add the oats.
Chop or cut the apple into small pieces.
Add in the almond butter.
Stir until well combined and the mixture holds together.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place rounded tablespoons of the mixture onto the tray.
Bake at 180C for 10-12 minutes. 

They will brown quickly so don't forget about them!!!

This recipe is my submission of the week towards Healthy Vegan Friday.
You can add your link at these blogs:
carrie on vegan                    veggie nook                    greenthickies

Kids Lunchbox Club - Butterfly Snacks

Butterfly Snacks

An easy lunchbox treats that the kiddies are sure to love!

You'll need:

An assortment of nuts, seeds and dried fruit

A snack size zip lock bag (I use 15cm x 9cm)

A twist tie

 Pour a mixture of the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit into the ziplock bag. 

Separate the mixture in half down the middle and close the bag releasing as much air as possible.

Place the twist tie in the middle where the gap is and gather the bag. Twist the ends together. 

Twirl the ends of the twist tie around your finger to create a circle shape. 

These will become the butterfly's antennae.

 Butterfly snacks complete!   

 

Add your healthy recipe to these blogs:
carrie on vegan                    veggie nook                    greenthickies

DIY Summer Muesli

Ever buy a bag of muesli and like it all except for one bit?!?
Perhaps its one of the grains or the choice of fruit, or nuts that's in the mix.
Problem solver: make your own!
You can choose your own flavours!

My daughter loves fruit muesli & asked if we could make our own. 
So here's our Summer Muesli that she absolutely LOVES.

You'll need:
2 cups oats
1 cup puffed brown rice
1 cup bran sticks
1 cup rolled rye
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried apple rings
1/2 cup dried mango
1/4 cup dried paw paw
1/4 cup dried pineapple
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pepitas
1 teaspoon mixed spice 

I would of added wheat flakes but when I went shopping for the ingredients I couldn't find any!

If any of the dried fruit is in large pieces, cut it up into bite size pieces.  Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, or a cereal contain & mix well!

DONE! Seriously could if be any easier!
The kids will love getting involved in this! Let them pick which fruit, nuts or seeds they want & of course the shaking part is so much fun ;-)

Delicious with almond milk!

You could make your own dried fruit too if you want to, even if you don't own a dehydrator.
Slice fruit & place on a lined oven tray. Put your oven on a very low temperature (this will vary between ovens as some ovens go lower than others) and leave to dry for 4-6 hours.




This is the start of my new plans to attempt going unprocessed for 10 weeks! Stay tuned for more details coming soon.........

 

Coconut Apricot Bars

Here's a great idea for a healthy treat for kids lunchbox...... or for adults who enjoy snacks too! (I include myself in that list!)
Bonus: Its so easy to make.

In a food processor combine:
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup almonds

Process until mixture resembles crumbs and then add:
2 Tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 Tablespoon vanilla soymilk

Continue to process for a bit longer until mixture holds together. It will be slightly sticky but not too sticky too handle.

Press into a muesli bar maker or roll into balls.
NB: This may work if you press it into a baking tin & then cut it but I haven't personally tried it that way.

This mixture makes enough to perfectly fill the Tupperware T-bar set which is an ultra easy way to make healthy bars at home!

Love Bites

This is a really simple recipe that can be made up with no fuss in no time at all.
Its easy to alter the quantity to make as many or as few as you please.

These are a winner to everyone tastes buds so bite away!!! ;-)

You'll need:
--> a packet of round gow gee pastry  (just be careful to double check that it doesn't contain egg as some brands do)
--> mixed dried fruit
--> grated dark vegan chocolate

Simply place a teaspoon of dried fruit in the center of the pastry along with a sprinkling of the grated chocolate.

Gather all the edges of the pastry and gently press together til a bundle is formed.

Repeat process for as many bites as you desire.

With a basting brush, gentle coat the pastries with a bit of water (you could also use mik if you rather.)
Bake in a 200C oven for 12 mins until lightly golden brown.

The chocolate insides will melt to be soft & warm......... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
sooooooooooooo good!

Mini Treat Fruit Puddings

Much more moist than muffins, these mini fruit puddings are sure to cure any chocolate craving! They are guilt free & so delicious.

You simply can't stop at one..... well I can't at least.

Nice afternoon treat, or morning one with coffee, or a dessert! Actually you can just eat them anytime you want to ;-)

You'll need:

1 cup wet okara

3/4 cup dried fruit

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup wholemeal flour

1/4 applesauce

1/4 cup ricemilk (or other nondairy milk of choice).

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Spoon into a mini muffin pan.

Sprinkle the tops with demerara sugar if desired.

Bake for 25 mins at 180C or until cooked through.

Makes 12-20 muffins depending on your tin size. 

Serve warm or cool, nice with coconut cream!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :-)

Mini pudding magic.

My kinda treat :-)

Quick bites

Yep, I love fruit balls of any description really....
So I've just decided to add another variation to the collection!

I have downsized in order to make them no longer sit in a container in the fridge and tempt me to be greedy for days on end!

This recipe makes just 6-8 balls depending on the size you choose.
Great for a little afternoon treat as they take no time at all & can be eatten straight away.


In a bowl crush one weetbix. Add 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder & 3 Tablespoons mixed dried fruit (you could also just use raisins, or dried cranberries for a varied flavour).  Combine. Stir in 2 heaped Tablespoons natural peanut butter & mix well. This will take a few minutes for the peanut butter to spread around well but eventually the mixture will all come together and hold its shape.
Using wet hands take a tablespoon of mixture and roll into bite size pieces.

Optional: Roll in coconut.

You can chill these for half hour before serving if you desire.... or else just comsume straight away (that was my preference!).

Quick breakfast bites

Do you like to sleep in & miss time for breakfast?
Do you not feel like eating first thing in the morning but know you should?

Never fear! Breakfast bites are here!!!!
My daughter loves these & has them anytime of the day. But I originally planned them as a treat for breakfast!

You'll need:
8 weetbix
3/4 cup coconut cream
1 cup mixed dried fruit
1/4 cup sunflower kernels
1 tablespoon cocoa

Place the weetbix into a plastic lunch bag & crush up with your fingers until no big pieces remain & the weetbix are very crumbly.
Pour the weetbix crumbs into a bowl & add the remaining ingredients.
Mix together til well combined. The mixture will hold together.

Wet hands & roll mixture into bite sized balls about a tablespoon of mixture in each.
Optional: You can roll these in coconut or crushed peanuts for a taste variation.
Place in the fridge to cool.

How's that for quick & easy breakfast!

Fruit balls

This recipe is so easy & yet it tastes simply wonderful!   

Sure beats giving kids processed afternoon treats - these are sure to please.

Fruit balls

2/3 cup cashews (raw unsalted works best)

2/3 cup raisins

2/3 cup dried apricots

2/3 cup dried figs

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup dates, pits removed (can use fresh or dried)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup cocoa

Put cashews & all dried fruit into a food processor and process until all pieces are small.

Add the peanut butter & cocoa and continue to process until mixed well & mixture sticks together.

Roll into bite sized pieces.

Best served refrigerated.

Makes about 40 pieces depending on the size.

You can use different fruit and nuts to suit your own taste.


This recipes comes from the nutritionmd website. I have just added less raisins because I didn't have the 2 types mentioned!

Quick & Easy Fruit Cake

Can you believe I finally remembered to take pictures as I was preparing the cake but then forgot to take a picture of the finished product! lol SORRY!
This cake has no fat or added sugar, so it's great for everyone.


QUICK & EASY FRUIT CAKE
Ingredients:
1kg dried fruit (either from a packet or chop your own)
850ml apricot nector (or pear juice)
2 cups self raising flour

1/ Pour dried fruit into a mixing bowl.

 2/ Pour over the nector or juice.

3/  Leave covered (or in the fridge) to soak for 12-48 hours. The nector will have been absorbed into the fruit.

4/ Pour into a lined baking dish. I tend to use my roasting dish because it is quite a large cake.
Bake for 1 hour at 180C, until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool before cutting.