Tahini Balls, Fruit, nut and breakfast bars plus Red Quinoa Salad!

Tahini Balls

Ingredients:
1/2 cup tahini3/8 cup raw honey1/2 cup desicated coconut1/2 cup mixed pre-soaked chopped nuts (e.g. macadamias, almonds, brazil nuts)1 cup finely chopped mixed dried fruits (e.g. apricots, figs, currants)

Method:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl to a firm consistency. Roll into walnut size balls and toss lightly in coconut. Keep in the fridge or make a big batch and have some tucked away in the freezer.

This recipe is from http://www.missorganic.com.au/


Fruit, nut and tahini breakfast bars
Ingredients:
Date Mixture:

1/2 cup diced dried dates
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tahini
Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wholemeal spelt flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/3 cup mixed nuts, chopped – I used almonds, pecans & brazils
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds / pepitas
1 cup mixed dried fruit – I used sultanas, apricots and apple
I made these up, according to Cassie’s instructions – missing out the flaxseed stage and adding the tahini to the cooled date puree.
And they’re really good. Full of flavour, slighly chewy, plus they keep me going for most of the morning. Cassie’s other breafast bar recipe is here.

Update – in response to a couple of requests here’s the nutritional breakdown per bar:
Energy: 650kJ
Protein: 4g
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Carbohydrates: 14g
Fibre: 3g
Sodium: 14mg
Cassie's Breakfast and Snack Bar -
- can use rolled oats and ground amaranth instead of quick oats and spelt flour. Any dried fruit works! Be creative with this recipe!

Date Mixture:
1/2 cup diced dried dates
1/2 cup water

Flax Mixture:
5 teaspoons freshly ground flax seeds
1/2 cup water

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup whole spelt flour (try a different flour if you'd like)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, or more if desired
1/3 cup chopped raw almonds
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped if they're large
1/3 cup diced dried apricots
1/3 cup diced dried pears
1/3 cup diced dried apples

Lightly coat a 9"x9" baking pan with cooking spray or oil and set aside.
Prepare Date Mixture: Add 1/2 cup water and diced dates to a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dates are soft. (Mixture will be thick.) Allow to cool.

Prepare Flax Mixture: Combine 1/2 cup water and 5 teaspoons ground flax. Set aside for five minutes to thicken then stir.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add flax mixture to date puree, stir well, and pour into dry ingredients. Mix to combine and press into baking pan.
Bake at 350 F for approximately 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Yields 15 bars.

This recipe is from http://www.kathrynelliott.com.au/blog/2007/11/26/fruit-nut-and-tahini-breakfast-bars


Red Quinoa Salad - from the lovely Rachel Russo!
1 cup Red Quinoa
1 cup Rocket
1 cup Spinach
1 cup of beans (eg. Chickpeas)
feta cheese
½ avocado
dressing
1 orange rind grated
1 lemon rind grated
1 tablesppon lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ cup sunflower oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon tamari (if tamari is wheat free than the recipe will be gluten free)
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
pinch cinnamon
sea salt and pepper

Cook red quinoa as the package entails. Place rocket and spinach in a bowl. Place hot quinoa on top to gently warm the rocket and spinach. Add avocado, beans and feta once the quinoa with spinach and rocket has cooled. Place all of the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar with 1 teaspoon of sea salt and pepper. Shake Well.

Gently toss together. Sprinkle with coriander and serve.

Great option to add:
Roasted vegetables (pumpkin, spinach , squash and capsicum) to the recipe. Avocado and fetta is optional.