We absolutely know how hard it can be to avoid snacking on sugar-filled treats after Christmas. You’ve indulged a little and now those cravings just hit you mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Well, we’ve found that with a little planning, you can fend off the sugar fairy and keep on track. Popping some healthy bars (we love Nakd bars) and dried fruit and nuts into your Ocado shop can really help, and we love homemade snacks as you know just what’s in them. Hemsley + Hemsley, Madeleine Shaw and Honestly Healthy all have great recipe ideas and we'll be showcasing our favourites next month.
This week we’re sharing a super snack recipe by Sam Waterhouse at Divine and Delicious. If you really want to feel good about yourself, how about giving these Quinoa Bars (yes, you read that right) a go? They take a bit of prep, but then they’re to hand for the whole week.
Quinoa Bars
Main Ingredients
3 cups cooked quinoa (160g uncooked)
2 eggs or 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
150g pitted prunes or dates (soaked)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g dark chocolate 85 – 100%
30g unsweetened cocoa powder (Green and Blacks)
2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten-free)
1 tsp liquid Stevia (or other liquid sugar substitute, we used Agave Nectar)
60g ground flaxseed or almond flour
120g cooked apple or pear
Topping ingredients
70g sunflower seeds
70g chopped pecans
70g dried cranberries
Method
1) Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a 24cm x 30cm tin with parchment.
2) Cook the quinoa according to the packet, once done set aside.
3) Cook the pear or apple in a little water until soft. Set aside.
4) In a food processor, blend the chocolate until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
5) Add all the other main ingredients, including quinoa and apple/pear, to the chocolate in the food processor and process until completely incorporated.
6) Spread the mixture evenly in the tin and sprinkle the topping over.
7) Cover with tin foil and cook for 1 hour on the middle shelf. Take the cover off for the last 20 minutes.
8) Lift onto a wire rack to cool before slicing.
Sam is a registered Nutritional Therapist and private chef, combining her health and nutrition knowhow with real and delicious food. Sam studied nutritional cookery at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), upstate New York, read a BSc in Food Science and Nutrition in 2000, and has a Masters degree in Nutritional Therapy. Having been a personal chef to health-conscious celebrities for many years, she launched Divine and Delicious to bring her expertise to a broader audience. As a mum of two, she also knows a lot about eating well post-baby!
divineanddelicious.co.uk / @samDandD