FOOD BLOG: MUESLI BARS

Little Patience: Watching the muesli bars cool down for eating

Our household practically keeps the manufacturer of a certain muesli bar, and muesli, in business.

And when we get caught out and about sans snacks (which happens far too often) muesli cookies are often the only 'healthy' option on offer. (Next up we'll have the recipe for the muesli cookies I just removed from the oven.)

So with muesli bars undoubtedly sitting at the top of Billie's favourite food list, I've been cooking them up in my head for some time now.

Finally last weekend Billie made it happen. 'Mum, can we make muesli bars?' 'How about we make something else - muffins, scones?' 'No. I wanna make muesli bars'. Okay, it's decided then.

I'm extremely happy with this recipe, made up on the go. I cooked them a little hot and fast the first time round - see blackened raisins above - but the taste was still superb.

If you have peanut allergies in the house then swap for another nut butter. If you're in a total nut-free zone then try a little more tahini and a little more honey. But really the peanut butter isn't that essential. (It just tastes great.)

Don't try and distribute and eat straight from the oven. Very crumbly. Wait an hour or so and they will set nicely. We rushed the hot muesli bars off to a gardening bee at our local Waverley Park Communal Gardens. The gardeners still enjoyed them though.

RECIPE: MUESLI BARS

100g coconut oil (or use 3/4 cup of another suitable oil such as rice bran, sunflower)

5 Tablespoons honey

1/2 cup shredded coconut or desiccated coconut  

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raisins/sultanas (use big juicy ones if you can) - optional

2 cups oats

4 Tablespoons peanut butter

1 Tablespoon tahini (If you can't get it just add 1 extra peanut butter)

 Preheat oven to 180 c or 350 F. Grease a large rectangle oven dish, or two square/round ones.

Melt oil and honey in small pot on low heat until just bubbling. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Remove oil and honey from heat and stir peanut butter and then tahini through until smooth. Immediately mix it through dry ingredients until well combined.

Spread out flat in oven dish and bake on middle shelf until just browned on top and cooked through - approximately 20-30 minutes.  If it is browning on top and not cooking through then cover with foil for a bit.

Leave muesli bars to cool before removing, and then slice into bars.

VEGETARIAN FOOD BLOG: BLISSED-OUT BALLS

I rolled them in coconut last night, but ground almond works better

I've just realised that I don't have any photographic evidence of these delicious Blissed-Out Balls, despite making them twice. Oh well, I'll just have to whip some more up tonight for the camera. As good an excuse for sweeting (making sweet food that doesn't require baking) as any I would say.

Billie 'helped'  - taste-testing all the way

The inspiration for these came from: a) some balls marketed as Bliss that I purchased from our local health food store - no idea who makes them so I can't give any credit where it's due
and b) some recipes I used to make with high school friends on desperate Saturday nights when there wasn't any chocolate in the house.

One of those friends has been asking for my 'barfi' recipe lately - which is a bit different as I think it involved cooking up milk and setting it - but so far I haven't been able to locate it. So Kura, give this a whirl, it's more like the balls we used to make with butter and sultanas, only MUCH HEALTHIER.

No butter. No Sugar. No gluten. Just good old milk powder. The important ingredient to get sorted is COCONUT OIL. It's that translucent fat the consistency of ghee that you find in most health food shops these days. It shouldn't be expensive - although some will try it on cause it's newish and all.

I was a bit concerned these bliss balls may not meet everyone's taste. However, I made them for our office Food Club and they got the thumbs up from a variety of palettes. There was even a bit of discussion about who could have the last one. I think they passed the test.

RECIPE: BLISSED-OUT BALLS

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3/4 cup dessicated coconut

2 T sesame seeds

3/4 cup milk powder

3 T coconut oil

3 T honey

ground almonds for rolling (or use extra coconut)

Melt coconut oil and honey in small pot over gentle heat. Remove from heat and mix rest of ingredients through quickly. 

Wet your hands with hot water and roll in teaspoon-full balls, then coat with ground almonds, or coconut. It's worth rolling them into nice round smooth balls as they can look a bit weird with a rough job. Unless you're planning to eat them yourself right away.

Place on plates or tray in a single layer and place in fridge to set. Store in container or jar in fridge, but remove from fridge a few minutes before serving.

Yes, those are fingers you see: Billie was eating them faster than I could roll

SLURPING NOODLE SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

It may be bad manners to suck and slurp on spaghetti, but with noodles it's the only way.

And Billie has become a pro noodle-sucker. At times tonight she seemed to be competing with me for how fast she could slurp them back. While she managed to dodge any actual vegetables, she at least sucked back a fair few sesame seeds and bits of fresh coriander.

This is a delicious meal that's quick and easy to prepare, and is designed to be eaten cold (perfect for feeding the whole family).

Note that I've used honey - so best avoided if you're feeding an under-one-year-old. Substitute with maple syrup, which is what the original recipe calls for (yes, it's American).

You may have already guessed where this salad came from - Cynthia Lair's Feeding the Whole Family. I've just made a couple of changes.

 Lair suggests serving this tasty vegetarian dish with salmon. However, it's served us well twice this week as a main - just add a vegetable or two.

Feeding the family

NOODLE SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

Salad: 

1 pack of soba noodles (225g/8oz)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup chopped coriander/cilantro leaves

Dressing:

2 T sesame oil (Lair suggests toasted, but I just used plain)

3 T tamari or shoyu

3 T balsamic vinegar

1 T honey/maple syrup

1 T olive oil

fresh cracked pepper

Optional extras:

I used broccoli florets on Saturday and both broccoli and thinly sliced carrots tonight.

Lair suggests chives, red cabbage, radishes and scallions.

Toast sesame seeds in dry cast iron fry-pan/skillet on medium heat for about five minutes.  Stir frequently and remove when browning and crackling. Don't over-do them.

Cook soba noodles in medium-sized pot of boiling water for a few minutes (check package). Drain and rinse under cold tap immediately. 

Steam any vegetables, such as broccoli and carrot.

Whisk together dressing ingredients. Combine with noodles, coriander and sesame seeds. Gently stir through any vegetables.

Billie masters the art of noodle-eating