SKINNIER OATMEAL DATE & ORANGE BARS, lower-sugar

A skinnier, healthier version of Oatmeal Date & Orange Bars is lower in sugar but just-as-nice as the original...

Healthier, Lower-sugar Date & Oatmeal Bars with Blueberries
Photo 24/5/17 

Oatmeal and Date bars were a favourite in school lunch boxes in Canada.  Because they're so easy to make and so good for you, they would follow kids through university, into early adulthood and eventually to parenthood.  

Though a bit unfashionable now, the bars are high in oatmeal (labelled a wonder food) which helps lower cholesterol and maintain fibre levels. 

That said, the Oatmeal, Date & Orange Bars are an indulgence - dried fruit packs a lot of sugar.  They do, though, give a good energy boost after intense physical activity. 

The original recipe was designed for large groups and provided too many tempting leftovers.  

The revised version: 

• replaces some sugar with unsweetened dried coconut
• reduces the amount of dates
• replaces some dates with blueberries to counteract sweetness and add goodness
• cuts the recipe one-third overall to provide fewer leftovers
• uses spelt flour instead of common wheat flour (though common wheat can still be used)

There's not much that could be done about the butter levels but we must all make sacrifices!

The bars will keep in an air-tight container for a week but frankly eating them on the day they are baked is an experience not to be missed. 

Cost: £3.00

Feeds: 16-20 (recipe halves nicely)

Ingred: 

   170g/6oz pitted dates, chopped coarsely
   1/2 cup water, incl juice of orange
   1/2 tsp vanilla 
   
   zest and juice of small orange

   1 cup/120gm/4.2oz rolled oats or Uber Granola  (67 used English cup measures)
   1 cup/142gm/ 5oz plain spelt (or common wheat) flour (a 50-50 mix with wholemeal is also good) 
   1 pinch salt
   1/2 tsp baking soda
   2/3 cup/127gm/.5oz light brown sugar less 2-3 tbsp
   2-3 tbsp dried unsweetened coconut 

    3.8oz/110g butter, softened 

     couple of handfuls blue or other berries (opt)

Method:

1. Pour boiling water over dates to remove preservatives; leave for 2-5 mins depending on how 'dry' the original dates are; drain
2. Remove pips if necessary; also the tough stalk; chop coarsely
3. Bring dates, water, orange juice & vanilla to the boil; turn down heat; simmer until mix is thick, gloopy and the dates have nearly broken down (maybe 10-15 mins) This step can be done a day in advance. 
4. Preheat oven to 350f/180c/170fan/gas4; line a 8x8 inch (20cmx20cm) tin with greaseproof paper
5. If butter isn't completely soft, zap it in the microwave on high at 20 sec intervals until it is, or pop it into the pre-heating oven for a minute or so 
6. In a large bowl, blend dry ingred, making sure the sugar is lump free; stir in zest, distributing evenly
7. Add butter; rub or stir together as if you were making crumble until butter is the size of peas
8. Spread under two thirds of the crumble mix in the pan, levelling the top with the spoon or the bottom of a measuring cup
9. Add the dates, spreading as you go; level with a spatula
10. Scatter over blueberries, if using
11. Cover with the final third of the oats, taking special care with the edges; cover the dates as evenly as you can
12. Bake 30 mins or until beautifully browned; half-way through you may wish to bring the back of the pan to the front for even browning
13. Place on a cooling rack; wait half an hour then use a sharp knife to cut into fingers or squares

Tips:

• If the budget doesn't stretch to blueberries, replace with coarsely chopped segments of orange, pith and membranes removed
• The Blogger has not yet tested spelt flakes instead of oatmeal but there is no reason why they would not work.  You might have to add a touch more butter                                                                  

                                                                     
                                                                                More bars on NavBar: Recipes I/baking 

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.  

LEFTOVERS: HOW TO USE UP SALAD INGREDIENTS

Waste not, want not...

first published 15/9/15

67goingon50 is used to using salad ingredients for cooking -- Asian chefs often use them in stir fries and as a garnish in soups.   These cheaper-than-chips recipes are two great clean-out-the-salad-drawer meals.    

The first is a surprisingly quick vegetable stock.

Broth Cup*

67 intended to use a (copious amount) of end-of-the-week salad ingredients to intensify the flavour of classic veg stock.  But after just half an hour of cooking, the stock was sweet and deeply flavoured enough to stand on its own. 

1.  QUICK VEGETABLE STOCK

Costs: little
Feeds: depends on how much salad & veg you have

Ingred:
Any or all of: lettuce, cucumber, mushrooms, radishes, tomatoes, carrots, celery and any other raw veg except beets 
onion
1-2 small chillis, seeds & membrane removed
several cloves garlic, grated
fresh ginger, peeled & grated
potato (opt)
fresh herbs including parsley or thyme
enough water to cover veg by at least 2 inches

Method:

1. Discard any dead leaves; remove any spoiled portions of tomato.  Remove stems from mushrooms; peel.  Top & tail radishes; slice thickly.  Cut cucumber in thick slices.  Using a peeler, make long strips of carrot.  
2. Peel onion; cut into wedges.  Scrub potato if using.  Wash herbs.
3. Place everything in a large pot with grated garlic and ginger. Add enough water to cover veg by 2in/4 cm
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Turn down heat to med-high; leave to bubble gently for at least 30 mins.  
6. Taste.  The stock should be fragrant and beautifully flavoured; if not, continue cooking for another 15 mins.  
7. Serve as broth or in a soup.  

2.  LEFTOVER SALAD VEG FRIED RICE (See The Art of Stir Fry)

Leftovers Fried Rice, Frugal & Healthy

This is not a dish for guests unless they're very close friends and not likely to be offended by leftovers.  As a means of using up some of the things in your fridge, it's ace. Tasty as all get out, any cooked meat or fish, leftover cooked veg and salad veg can be used.  Firm-set tofu, plain or spiced, is also good. 

Don't be afraid of stir-frying cucumber, radish or tomatoes -- they add a wonderful edge and help moisten rice which can sometimes be a little dry.

Cost: max £1
Feeds: 1-2

Ingred:
   1/2 mug diced raw cucumber
   1/4 mug sliced radish
   5-6 thickly sliced mushrooms   
   at least one heaping mugful of cold cooked rice  
   1-2 med tomato, seeds and all, diced, sprayed lightly with olive oil and lightly salted
   1 tsp grated fresh ginger
   1 tsp grated garlic  
   at least half a mugful of cold cooked diced meat OR flaked fish OR firm tofu (marinade plain tofu in a 1-1 mix of soy sauce and sherry/wine/grape juice for 20 mins)
    Oyster Sauce, Hoisin Sauce or Reduced Salt Soy Sauce (used sparingly)

Method:

1. Stir fry cucumber, radish & mushrooms over high heat in a pan lightly sprayed with groundnut (peanut) or other light veg oil for 1-2 mins
2. Add rice, tomato, ginger & garlic.  Stir quickly; add protein.
3. Reduce heat to med-high, cover pan and allow to steam gently for a couple of minutes or until heated through.
4. Add a scant tablespoon of oyster or soy sauce; stir through rice mixture.
5. Taste for seasoning.  Add pepper but only a little salt.
6. Serve.

*Waitrose

Tip: it is a good idea to serve salads plain with dressing on the side; that way leftover salad leaves can go into the stock pot.

 Also see: Improve your health with soup stocks

This information and recipes have been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises. They may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.

EASY HUMMUS WITH CRISPY LAMB, skinnier,

An exotic twist on the classic chickpea dip...

More than a snack; not quite a meal: Hummus with Spiced Crispy Lamb
'This was perfect for my supper; it was tasty and satisfying' Taster

This recipe is perfect for light lunches or as a party-pleaser.  Often seen in restaurants in the Middle East, it's an exotic combination of rich thick chickpea dip and crispy spiced lamb.  

Hummus is now a cupboard standard but this version, with contrasting layers of creamy, crunchy and crisp,  conjures up images of souks and blue-stained arches & cupolas embroidered with elegant Arabic writing.   

London tv chef Ottolenghi was the original source for this recipe but it involved three stages, including a lemon sauce.   Thomasina Meirs' version was simpler, easier and more wallet-friendly, and 67 adapted that.   

67 served it with soup and wraps cut in triangles and baked.  The dish also works very well layered on yeast-free 15-min flatbread, fresh from the oven, with salad.

Cost: £2.50. (2018 prices)
Serves: 2-3 but doubles nicely

Ingreds:
   1 tin chickpeas, including liquid
   
   1/4-1/3 tsp chilli flakes or a small chilli, seeds & membranes removed and finely diced (opt)
   1.5 tbsp olive oil
   small onion, in fine dice
   1/4 tsp cinnamon
   generous pinch nutmeg
   1/4 tsp oregano (opt)

   125gm/4 1/2oz minced lamb

  35-50mlml olive oil 
  juice & zest of a lemon, pref unwaxed
  1 large garlic clove
  1.5 tbsp tahini
     
   smoked paprika
   handful parsley, coarsely chopped 

  1.5 tbsp pinenuts

Method:

FOOD FOR UNI STUDENTS SEPT 2018

Easy-peasy Cheese & Walnut Bread
no common wheat option

10-minute Soup Noodles + other noodle dishes 

'Instant' Bagels from scratch + other no-knead breads

High Protein Vegetarian
& Vegan Salads

One-pot Bacon 'n Egg Rice supper + Stir-fries