Chewy coconut granola bars

Remember I mentioned my coconut overload? Well, I’m still hot on the coconut infused recipes and this one is no exception, although you can easily change things around and sub the coconut if you want as it’s a super versatile concept.

This recipe was originally generated by accident…following a batch of chocolate granola gone wrong. That will teach me to mess with things when they are perfect as they are. Anyway, this particular batch was a little lacking in flavour and was very crumbly, still edible but not enjoyable as a snack on its own.

So chewy granola bars to the rescue!  This could easily have been a no-bake recipe as the banana holds everything together, however to me they were like chunky versions of smoosh bars, and  I wanted something a little firmer… so I baked them for 10 minutes. Just enough to firm them up but so they still retained the lovely chewy texture.

You can use any fruits and nuts you like and if you don’t have granola you can toast some oats and use those. I used chocolate granola, but if yours is plain feel free to throw in some cacoa powder or maybe even some cocoa nibs for a bit of raw chocolately goodness!

Recipe: chewy coconut granola bars

Makes one 8” pan

Ingredients

1 medium banana- mashed well

2 tbs chia seeds

1 cup mixed fruit ( I used raisins/dates/cranberries/figs

½ cup coconut flakes (or crushed nuts)

1 cup granola (I used homemade choc granola)

Method

Blend all ingredients, except the granola, together in a food processor on medium speed (so the fruit doesn’t break up too small) or mix well by hand. Add the granola last, mixing through well.

Press firmly into a lined square pan. You can either keep these raw and simplychill until firm or you can bake them for approx.10 mins at 180C.

Once cooled/firm cut into bars and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

‘Peanutty’ soup

I was a late starter with my ‘love for peanut butter’, actually make that a very late starter since it is only really in these last few months that I’ve begun to get on board with what all the fuss is about!

Growing up I just didn’t like the stuff. The ‘smoothness’ was too intense for me and the way it stuck to the roof of your mouth as you ate it – nope not for me! My perception of PB was also very limited…. a sandwich spread was all I knew… oh how wrong I was!

Moving to a largely vegan diet opened my eyes to the world of nuts and seeds in all forms and the idea of nut butters in all their many varieties came into view.  

Nuts have so much to offer, not just in terms of huge health benefits which I just hadn’t fully appreciated before, but in terms of their recipe potential. This revelation was kick started in part by the arrival of my Thermomix which made making your own nut butters a piece of cake (note- many other food processors can also be used!).  Strangely until these last few weeks I’d still not attempted to make my own PB even though I use PB in so many recipes. Along with cashew butter and coconut butter it is probably one of my key ingredients in many recipes… so I had to give it a go.

Not wanting to simply slather it on toast, I decided upon a recipe where it could take centre stage. This is based on a recipe by The Covent Garden Soup Co.

So here you have it… my little tribute to the good old faithful peanut butter.

Recipe: Peanut (and vegetable) soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large onion- finely chopped

100g crunchy peanut butter (or smooth PB but throw in extra nuts if you want some texture)

400g tin chopped tomatoes

900ml vegetable stock

170g potatoes- peeled and chopped

1 red pepper           

175g carrots- chopped

Small handful of chopped jalapenos (to taste!)

75ml soy milk

½ - 1 tsp cayenne pepper

½  - 1 tsp parika

Fresh coriander- to garnish (optional)

Method

Fry the onion with the peanut butter and 1 tbs of water in a large saucepan (or TM) for 5 minutes until soft. Add remaining ingredients except the soy milk and spices. Bring to the boil and simmer for approx. 20 mins until vegetables are tender. Stir in the soy milk and spices. Blend (to break down larger chunks) if preferred or leave chunky. Serve with a sprinkling of coriander.

(Note- I also ate a second portion or this soup the next day and to change it up a little topped it with some chickpeas and sliced kale- plus some homemade potato wedge chips on the side!)

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Chili veg pitta pockets

Sometimes a meal comes together very haphazardly and not at all how it had been planned. This is one such example….

I will admit I am solely to blame for this scenario since labelling the leftovers to go into my freezer is not always my strong point. I often make the mistake of thinking ‘well it will be obvious what it is, I won’t need to write a label on the bag’.   Hmmm, once frozen solid with ice fuzzing up the outside it isn’t always quite that obvious!

You see, I had thought that I had taken out a portion of soup from the freezer and the plan was to serve this along with a salad and homemade bread rolls, however upon investigation it turned out to be a portion of vegetable chilli… quick rethink, so instead we have an alternative meal for two:

A dish of vegetable chilli

A dish of roasted veg (in this case parsnip, pepper and carrots)

A serving of toasted pittas cut into pockets

A quick and easy DIY fill-your-pittas experience…. the soup can wait for another day!

Recipe: Vegetable chili

Serves 4 

Ingredients

Large glug of olive oil

1 onion- diced

2 peppers- cut into chunks

1tsp mild chilli powder, 1tsp cumin seeds, 2 cloves of garlic

2 medium sweet potatoes- peeled and cut into chunks

1 large carrot- peeled and cut up

400g tinned tomatoes

150g red lentils (pre-soaked)

200ml hot vegetable stock

400g can red kidney beans

50g green beans

1 courgette- cut into chunks

100g frozen peas

Tomato puree and hot water- if needed

(Other vegetables can be added or substituted)

Method

Pre-soak red lentils in hot water for approx. 20 mins. Fry onion in oil for 5 mins, add the peppers, garlic and spices and cook for 2 mins. Stir in the carrot and sweet potato then add the tomatoes, lentils, and vegetable stock. Simmer for 15 mins. Add remaining ingredients- kidney beans, green beans, courgette and frozen peas, and simmer for approx. 10 mins until all vegetable are tender. Add  tomato puree with extra water if more sauce is needed. Serve with wholegrain rice or pasta if desired. 

Note- in this recipe I served one portion size of chilli with some extra roasted veggies- I simple cut the veg into batons drizzled over a little olive oil and some salt and pepper then roasted for approx. 20 mins. Warm the pittas in the oven right at the end.

Freeze left over portions in individual bags- label them up (don’t say I didn’t warn you!)