Don't get me wrong - I could never give up baking. And I do normally bake every second day, as, knowing what's in what my kids eat, is more important to me than the time it takes to make something. With 4 kids, it will always be a part of my life.
But two things I've realised is: if it's not baked, chances may be that there could be some raw goodness to be gained; and, there is less chance of using wheat or grains (as they ALWAYS need to be cooked) which is definately not a bad thing for kids and adults alike! So this started me on a bit of a search for easy treats I could whip up without turning on the oven (not to say the microwave or stove-top wasn't used), were healthy, attractive to kids and wouldn't take me longer than 15 mins to put together.
No-Bake Delicious Muesli Slice
2 1/2 cups of Brown rice Puffs or Rice Bubbles (I actually used Pure GF Rolled Oats and Brown Rice Puffs)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used macadamias)
1/3 cup sultanas
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup choc chips (optional)
Basically you need 4 and 1/2 cups of dry ingredients so it can be ANY mix of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. You can just use them as is, or do as I did, and lightly toast them in the oven till they had taken on a little colour. I just mixed all the ingreds (except the choc of course), piled it on an oven tray and put it in the oven, keeping a careful eye on it and stirring it around every few mins. Pour back into a bowl.
Meanwhile melt 4 tbsps honey, 4 tbspns butter, 4 tbspns peanut butter & 1/3 cup brown sugar (I used 2 tbspns of maple syrup or just add extra honey) altogether till smooth. Pour over dry ingreds in the bowl and mix thoroughly. Leave to cool for a bit and then add the choc chips, mix quickly and then pour back onto the oven tray and smooth over with a spatula. Refrigerate till it hardens, then, slice up. Be prepared, this is seriously more-ish!
Another note: You must use butter for this as any margarine or oil will not allow this to set without baking. Just as well I looooooooooove butter.
Honey-coated Frozen Bananas
I love buying the little ladyfinger bananas from the organic shop, and they are the perfect size for this treat!
6 little ladyfinger bananas
1/2 cup of raw honey
toasted shredded coconut or crushed toasted nuts
paddle pop sticks
Put a paddle pop stick up the middle of the little bananas to create a "handle" for the bananas. Gently heat up the honey in a small m-wave bowl till it is nice and runny. Dip the bananas into the honey until completely covered and then quickly roll it in the shredded coconut (or sprinkle over, whichever works better) till coated. Lay on a plate covered in baking paper. Repeat with the other bananas and then place the plate in the freezer till the honey is set solid. Then yummy to eat! And just a quick note: yes, this can also be done with melted chocolate instead of honey - but you tell me which one would be better for you?!
OK, now for a very HEALTHY treat: Cashew and Coconut Bliss Balls
This reminded me of the Ferrerro Rocher chocolates Raphaellos but sooooo much better for you. You just have to remember to soak the cashews a few hours or overnight beforehand.1 cup raw cashews soaked & drained
1 cup shredded coconut
50g honey
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla (do not forget this very important ingredient, it makes all the difference!)
Process altogether until fine and the mixture clumps together. Taste to make sure they are sweet enough for you, just add more honey if needed. Roll into balls, and then roll balls in extra shredded or dessicated coconut to coat. Put on a plate in fridge to set. Seriously, this is the quickest recipe known to mankind!
And for the more adventurous: Raw Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse
1 ripe avo, peeled and cored
1 ripe ladyfinger banana, peeled (optional, but I think it disguises any avo flavour)
3 - 4 tbsp cacao powder
1/3 cup raw agave
1/2 scraped vanilla pod (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 - 1 glass of water
Blend all the ingredients with 1/2 glass of water to start off with. Gradually add the rest of the water until it reaches a very smooth thick consistency. Make sure there are no lumps and just add more water or sweetener to get the right taste. The banana should cover any avocado flavour but you need the avo for that perfect mousse consistency. I didn't tell my kids that this was made from avocado and they ate it all, and raved about it! I had a big bowl today for lunch with frozen berries sprinkled on top - really luscious and tasty.
My kids adore Smoothees so that is also a very filling snack that requires little effort and maximum flavour. For a successful smoothee you need a thick base (bananas), something icy cold to make it frothy (frozen berries), liquid (water or milk or both), sweetener (optional - we use honey/maple syrup) and any extra flavour (such as cacao powder or coconut oil or flavoured sugar free yoghurt). Smoothees are very filling and a great way to pump yr kids full of vitamins and anti-oxidants!
And last but not least - my most amazing discovery: No-bake vegan choc oat cookies
2/3 cup maple syrup4 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/4 cup coconut oil (or butter if you don't care about the vegan factor!)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups gf rolled oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Melt together the syrup, cacao, oil and cinnamon in a pot and then boil for 3 mins stirring constantly (watch this as you do not want it to scorch). Add to the oats, mix, and then stir in peanut butter and vanilla. I then left it to cool a bit and mixed in a handful of choc bits as well but they aren't really needed. Roll into balls, place on a tray, press down with a fork and then refrigerate till hard. YUM! 10 out of 10 from the kids, and soooooo easy. Just remember, they need to be kept refrigerated to stay firm.
WARNING: All recipes are tested on children, so adults may not get a look-in!
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