Posts tagged peanut

Raw Date & Cashew Energy Bars

L

et’s be honest, energy bars are a real hot topic these days and a bit of a buzz word. Millennial’s all leading such ‘busy’ lives, being on-the-go and needing said energy! There are some great brands out there, most trying hard to keep ingredients lists to a minimum but they can get pricey. So, if you’ve got a blender then chuck everything below inside and make your own! These are really tasty and you can play around a bit with the ingredients depending on your tastes.

My athlete of a husband is adventuring off to Scotland for a 4 day cycling voyage from Carlisle to Glasgow so made these to help fuel his assertive legs. Good luck!

Makes 8 large bars or about 24 small ‘bites’

  • 400g pitted dates
  • 200g cashew nuts
  • 100g salted peanuts (Optional. I like the salt but you can use 300g cashew or 100g of another nut)
  • 4 tbsp cocoa powder (dark)
  • 1 tbsp nut butter of choice
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  1. Blend everything in a food processor until the nuts are in tiny pieces
  2. Add 1 tbsp of cold water and blend again. The mixture should start to stick together. Add another splash of cold water until it blends into a nice ‘dough’.
  3. Line a 20 x 20cm baking tray with parchment.
  4. Tip the mixture into the tray and press into the tin.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  6. When ready to slice, makes sure its really cold – i put mine in the freeze for an hour or so before cutting (don’t let it get rock hard though!). Slices into bars.

Raw Noodle Salad & Peanut Dressing

S

uch a delicious rainbow salad, you can just feel your body thanking you for the amazing vitamins. The dressing is amazing (courtesy of Bill Granger) and can be used over hot noodles, salad leaves or some simply grilled salmon. It’s got fantastic peanut depth and sweetness. I served mine with some sesame crusted seared tuna steaks. 

I’ve mentioned this before but if you don’t have one of these julienne peelers then get on Amazon Prime and have one delivered tomorrow! They make such light work of this salad, and are great for raw vegetable noodle dishes. If you don’t have one, you can hand cut or use a grater but you won’t end up with the same texture. 

Serves 4 (as a side)

  • 1 carrot
  • 1 courgette
  • 1 red pepper, thinly slices
  • 1/4 red cabbage, finely sliced
  • Handful coriander, chopped
  • Around 80g fresh grated coconut (you can use a few handfuls of toasted desiccated coconut f not)
  • A few handfuls of roasted peanuts (salted or unsalted to preference)

Dressing

  • 1 1/2 tbsp runny honey
  • 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter (I use Pip & Nut. Not added BS and runny for dressings)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp unflavoured oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  1. Thinly chop or julienne the carrot and courgette into a large bowl. Add the finely sliced red pepper and red cabbage and the chopped coriander.
  2. Add your coconut if using and stir to combine
  3. In a jam jar, add the honey, peanut butter and lemon juice and shake with the lid on. Or whisk well in a bowl.
  4. Add the oils, soy and vinegar and mix well to combine. 
  5. Only when you are ready to serve, dress your salad with the dressing and scatter over the peanuts. Serve immediately! If you let it sit around it will get soggy.

 

Thai ‘Papaya Noodle’ Salad

 

image

I bought a Papaya on a wim. As an extremely disciplined person by nature, I find it annoyingly frustrating that I can never resist a supermarket food offer! After freely placing it in my basket without a second economic thought, my mind began racing over what to make with it. On my walk home, sat in the cinema that same afternoon and whilst relaxing in the bath the culinary devil sat on my shoulder. With salmon in the fridge I couldn’t resist the flavoursome attraction of Thai ingredients to combine with from the pantry.

This recipe is loosely based on one by ‘The Hairy Bikers’. However it does emit some of the ingredients suggested as the pantry let me down (shocker) on tamarind water….but it tasted delicious! And who knows, it could taste even better? The important thing here is to make the dressing seperately and taste as you go along adding more of any ingredient you need depending on the taste which is how I came up with the below. Only then, once you have it to your liking, should you dress the salad. This may sound hard but trust your instinct and taste buds! See below for help.

Serves 2-3 depending on appetite!

  • 1 large papaya, peeled and chopped into matchsticks of julienned with a peeler
  • 3 oz red camague rice
  • 1 small red chilli, finely copped
  • 2cm knob ginger, half grated, half finely chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, grated
  • Juice 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 ½ tbsp sugar (palm or brown sugar)
  • Bunch mint leavves, chopped roughly
  • Bunch basil, chopped roughly
  • Large handful roasted peanuts
  • 2-3 salmon fillets
  • 1 head broccoli
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  1. Start by simmering the rice in boiling water for about 20 minutes until cooked. Drain and keep warm
  2. Next make the dressing. In a large bowl, mix together the chopped chilli, garlic, ginger, lime juice, soy, fish sauce and sugar. Give it all a good mix and taste. Add more of what you think it needs. This may be hard but use your instinct. Add more lime for sharpness, sugar for sweetness and soy for savoury saltiness. Quantities will all depend on the ingredients you start with. The soy I used here for example was even new to me –  a very dark, intense type unlike my usual light soy which is less pungent.
  3. Set aside the dressing when you’re happy with it while you julienne the papaya. I have a special peeler for this which I highly recommend if you’re into your raw vege noodles (see here). If not, chopp into matchsticks.
  4. You want to assemble the salad at the last minute when ready to eat so cook your salmon and broccoli before this. Heat a large fryng pan until medium-hot. Add a tbsp olive oil and fry the salmon fillets, skin side down for about 3 minutes on the skin side. Once the skin is nice and crispy turn onto the flesh side and cook for a further 2 minutes to brown it all over and create a lovely charred crust on the outside. Don’t be tempted to cook the salmon longer, the crust on the outside will be a delicous contrast to the soft just-pink inside. No matter what thickness the salmon, it should (generally) never take more than 5 minutes in a medium hot pan. Additionally, it will continue cooking while you bring it to the table.
  5. Steam or boil your broccoli and drain. Drizzle with the sesame oil.
  6. When ready to serve, combine the rice with a few tablespoons of dressing. Add the papaya, chopped herbs and peanuts and mix (reserving a handful or herbs for garnish). Add enough dressing to your liking but make sure its not swimming in the stuff!
  7. Top the salad with your tender salmon fillets alongside your freshly cooked broccoli and scatter with the reserved herbs.

WINE: Excellent served with a delicious Riesling (see here for a suggestion)

image