Need a Snack? – Fruit and Nut Mix

 

A great snack while your watching a film, to take out and about or feeling peckish at work. This is much healthier than chocolates or crisps and really tasty so give it a try.

To be economic I mix cheap raisins from the baking section of shops with more expensive dried fruits like cranberries, apricots, dates, prunes in one jar and mix up different types of nuts in another.

A handful of each makes a lovely munch.

Why is it good?

raisins; lots of b vitamins, high energy, fibre, calcium, oleanolic acid for a healthy mouth, potassium and magnesium to reduce acidity and toxins.

cranberries; high in vitamin c, antioxidants, fight bacterial infections, strengthen immune system.

apricots; loads of beta-carotene, fibre, vitamin a, vitamin c, antioxidants, potassium.

dates; a rich source of protein,amino acids and fibre for digestion, B vitamins, vitamin a, vitamin c, natural sugars for energy, iron.

cashews; source of monounsaturated fats, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus.

hazelnuts; unsaturated fats such as oleic acid, magnesium, manganese, b vitamins, vitamin e – great for your skin.

walnuts; phenolic acids, omega 3 fats, manganese, copper, tannins, flavonoids, vitamin e,

To be wary of;

Dried fruits that contain loads of sugar, they don’t need it, it’s not good!

Fruits dried using sulphites, 1 in 100 people are sensitive to it. – organic products do not contain them.

Salt in nuts, again they are delicious and creamy without it. Try looking in the baking section or whole food shops for unsalted nuts.

 

 

Tasty Treats, Cinnamon Swirls and Danish Pastries

These marvellous treats were cooked up by my mum on a whim. Wonder Woman!

What you need;

ready-made puff pastry (check it’s vegan)

ready-made marzipan (check again)

agave syrup

chopped nuts

raspberry jam (optional)

brown sugar

raisins

cinnamon

icing sugar

lemon

Here’s her recipe;

I just made a square of ready-made puff pastry put a thin square of ready-made marzipan in the middle and pulled the corners in, then I put a teaspoon of agave syrup and some chopped nuts on top. I wanted to put raspberry jam on the top but didn’t have any and the magic is done  easy-peasy.

The other ones I just added some brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins into an oblong of pastry, rolled it up into a swiss roll shape and cut it up into circles….. Oh and i made some icing with icing sugar and lemon juice and dribbled it over. I should have waited for the pastry to cool first though as it just disappeared but did leave a slight lemon taste, would have been nicer if you could see it too.