Snacks and treats
Posted by Health-Fitness | Under Food for Fitness Wednesday Apr 14, 2010
Fruit and nut bars
makes 12 bars
• 60 g (2 oz.) margarine or butter
• 3 heaped tsp honey
•2 x 125 g (4.5 oz.) cartons plain yogurt
• 225 g (8 oz.) low fat soft cheese or cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• 60 g (2 oz.) chopped nuts e.g. almonds, walnuts, brazils
• 85 g (3 oz.) sultanas
• 225 g (8 oz.) wholemeal self-raising flour
• 60ml (2 fl oz.) skimmed milk
• Optional ingredients: 25 g (1 oz.) sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, 40 g (1.5 oz.) desiccated coconut, 60 g (2 oz.) dried apricots, 60 g (2 oz.) chopped figs
1. Combine the margarine or butter, honey, yogurt and soft cheese. Beat in the eggs.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Add extra milk if mixture seems dry.
3. Spoon the mixture into a lightly oiled 18–28 cm (7 x 11 in.) baking tin.
4. Bake at 160 °C/325 °F/Gas mark 3 for 35–40 minutes until firm and golden brown. Cut into bars.
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Walnut and date flapjacks
Oats have a low GI and are also a great source of iron, B vitamins and fibre. The walnuts provide omega-3 oils for improved post-workout recovery and heart-health. What better excuse, then, to indulge in these tasty treats?
makes 12 flapjacks
• 150 g (5 oz.) butter or margarine
• 60 g (2 oz.) light brown sugar
• 5 tbsp golden syrup
• 200 g (7 oz.) porridge oats
• 60 g (2 oz.) chopped dates
• 100 g (3.5 oz.) chopped walnuts
1. Pre heat the oven to 180 °C/350 °F/Gas mark 4. Lightly oil a 23 cm (9 in.) square baking tin.
2. Put the butter or margarine, sugar and syrup in a heavy-based saucepan and heat together, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat.
3. Mix in the oats, dates and walnuts until thoroughly combined.
4. Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin, level the surface and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes until golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle.
5. Leave in the tin to cool. While still warm, score into 12 bars with a sharp knife.
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Muesli bars
makes 12 bars
• 175 g (6 oz.) oats
• 85 g (3 oz.) muesli
• 150 g (5 oz.) dried fruit mixture (e.g. raisins, dates, apricots, figs, apple, pineapple)
• 3 heaped tbsp honey
• 1 egg
• 175ml (6 fl oz.) apple juice
1. Combine the oats, muesli and dried fruit in a bowl.
2. Warm the honey in a small saucepan until it is runny. Add to the bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
3. Press the mixture into a lightly oiled 18 x 28 cm (7 x 11 in.) baking tin. Bake at 180 °C/350 °F/Gas mark 4 for 20–25 minutes until golden. When cool, cut into bars.
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Apricot bars
makes 8 bars
• 125 g (4 oz.) ready-to-eat dried apricots
• 6 tbsp orange juice
• 125 g (4 oz.) self-raising white flour
• 60 g (2 oz.) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 125 g (4 oz.) sultanas
1. Blend together the apricots and juice in a food processor until smooth.
2. Mix together the flour and sugar in a bowl.
3. Add the apricot purée, eggs and sultanas. Mix together.
4. Spoon the mixture into a 18 cm (7 in.) square cake tin. Bake at 180 °C/°F/Gas mark 4 for 30–35 minutes until golden brown. Cut into bars.
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Fruit scones
The secret to making light scones is to mix together the dough very quickly and handle as little as possible. These scones make a nutritious low fat sweet snack, great for refuelling after a workout.
makes 10
• 125 g (4 oz.) wholemeal self-raising flour
• 125 g (4 oz.) self-raising white flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
• 60 g (2 oz.) butter
• 40 g (1.5 oz.) sugar
• 175ml (6 fl oz.) skimmed milk
• 60 g (2 oz.) raisins
1. In a large bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
2. Roughly chop the butter and then rub into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Alternatively, mix in a food processor.
3. Stir in the sugar.
4. Add the milk gradually, mixing quickly with a fork until it forms a soft dough. Do not over mix.
5. Press the dough to a thickness of about 1.5 cm (0.5 in.) on a floured surface. Cut into approximately 10 rounds using a scone cutter.
6. Transfer onto a lightly oiled baking tray, brush with milk, and bake at 200 °C/400 °F/Gas mark 6 for 10 minutes until lightly browned on top.
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Blueberry and walnut muffins
This recipe is a delicious way of adding antioxidant-rich blueberries to your diet. These muffins are lower in fat than ordinary muffins, providing mostly healthy monounsaturated fats, and richer in fibre and vitamins.
makes 12 muffins
• 125 g (4 oz.) self-raising white flour
• 125 g (4 oz.) self-raising wholemeal flour
• 60 g (2 oz.) sugar
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200ml (7 fl oz.) skimmed milk
• 125 g (4 oz.) fresh blueberries or 85 g (3 oz.) dried blueberries
• 60 g (2 oz.) walnut pieces
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C/400 °F/Gas mark 6.
2. Line 12 muffin tins with paper muffin cases.
3. In a bowl, mix together the flours and sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, egg, apple purée, vanilla and milk then pour into the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
4. Gently fold in the blueberries and walnuts.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins to about two-thirds full and bake for approximately 20 minutes until the muffins are risen and golden.
Credit By : E-book “Food for Fitness”.
