I love versatile recipes and these muesli bars are exactly that. Making them is as easy as taking some of the already prepared muesli (which I generally have a batch sitting in my fridge so breakfast is ready to go) adding a few additional ingredients and baking to end up with sweet, chewy bars of goodness.

Ingredients:

350g Natural Muesli (get the recipe here)
50g LSA
3 free-range eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup cold-pressed olive oil
¼ cup honey

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Line baking tin with baking paper.
Combine muesli, LSA, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, oil and honey.
Spoon mixture into pre prepared tin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
Allow to cool before cutting.
Store in glass container in fridge.

Makes 16 bars

I found this recipe in The Healthy Chef cookbook and immediately fell in love with it. It's so easy to make and I always have some pre-sliced in the freezer to pull out when I (or my kids!) feel like having a snack or an alternative breakfast option. You can swap the spelt flour for almond meal to make it gluten free, making it suitable for many dietary needs.

Ingredients:

450g red apples, grated
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
3 free-range eggs
¼ cup cold-pressed olive oil
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 cups wholemeal spelt flour (or replace with 200g almond meal)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and line a loaf tin with baking paper on the bottom and sides.
Combine grated apple, baking powder, salt, eggs, oil, cinnamon and vanilla into a bowl and mix well.
Add wholemeal spelt flour and mix lightly. Make sure not to over mix so that the bread does not become too hard.
Spoon the mixture into your loaf tin.
Bake for 1 hour or until cake tester skewer comes out clean. Baking times may vary so check after 45 mins and cover with foil if necessary.
Remove from the tin and allow to cool for 1 hour.

Makes 1 loaf
Adapted from The Healthy Chef

Ingredients:
2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup mixed sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds
1/3 cup goji berries
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:
Combine all ingredients and keep stored in an airtight container in fridge.

To serve add ½ - ¾ cup milk of your choice. For a little sweetness you can drizzle one tablespoon of honey on top.

(Makes 4 cups. ½ cup equals 1 serve)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil1 leek, sliced and washed
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 large zucchinis, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

Method:
Heat oil over medium heat in heavy based saucepan. Add leek and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn.

Add zucchini and carrots, stirring for a couple of minutes. Pour in vegetable stock and season to taste.

Cook for about 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add fresh dill and then blend soup until nice and smooth.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 small sweet potato, peeled and grated
2 zucchini’s, grated
1 carrot, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup almond meal
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
Coconut oil or olive oil for shallow frying

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees

In a food processor, grate vegetables then transfer to a strainer and squeeze excess moisture.

Transfer to a bowl and add other ingredients, mixing well.

Heat preferred oil on medium heat and add 1 spoonful of the mixture for each fritter, flattening with a spatula. Allow to brown on one side (approx. 2-3 minutes) before flipping.

Once browned, remove onto a paper towel to allow excess oil to be drained.

Transfer onto tray and finish off in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 12 fritters

Ingredients:
1 cup pitted Medjool dates, packed
5 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1 cup raw almonds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
½ cup walnuts
½ teaspoon salt (more for sprinkling)
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tablespoon water (if needed)

Method:
Line an 8 x 8in pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap and set aside.

Place all ingredients in a large food processor and process for a couple minutes until the “dough” forms a ball. If it’s too crumbly, add 1 tablespoon water. You want the nuts in small pieces, so you may need to move everything around with a fork and keep blending.

Remove dough from food processor and press into lined pan until smooth and even. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Freeze for at least two hours before cutting into 8-10 bars. Store bars in fridge or freezer.