Apple and cheese rolls:
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- 250 ml cheddar cheese, diced
- 125 ml celery, finely chopped
- 60 ml French style mayonnaise
- 30 ml roasted pecans, chopped
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 1 Granny Smith apple, finely diced
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
- handful small basil leaves (optional)
- salt and pepper
- 6 mini rolls
To serve:
- 150 g grilled chicken strips
- 4 lime wedges
Method:
- For the rolls, combine the cheese, celery, mayonnaise, pecans, lemon juice, apples, spring onions and basil leaves.
- Season lightly.
- Cut a lid off of each roll and hollow it out slightly, leaving a thick rim all round.
- Fill each roll with some of the filling and close it up with a lid.
- Serve the rolls with the chicken strips and lime wedges on the side.
Tip: For fish lovers, simply leave out the chicken and stir a tin of flaked tuna into the filling
Cheese griller hand pies.
Cheese griller hand pies:
Ingredients
For the hand pies:
- 400 g ready-made puff pastry, thawed
- 60 ml plain cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 (400g) thick cheese griller sausages
- 2 large eggs, whisked
For the dip:
- 250 ml plain yoghurt
- 45 ml basil pestosalt and pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two large baking trays with baking paper.
- Unroll the pastry and cut into four large rectangles.
- Spread each piece of pastry with some cream cheese and lay a cheese griller on a short side of each pastry.
- Roll each into a cylinder shape and cut into one centimetre thick discs.
- Arrange the discs on the baking trays, leaving some space between each.
- Brush each disc with the whisked eggs and bake until golden and puffed, 15-20 minutes.
- For the dip, whisk the ingredients together and season to taste.
- Serve the hand pies with the dip on the side.
TIP: The pies can be prepared in advance, wrapped and stored in the fridge for up to five days. Simply cut and bake them during the week as needed. The cheese griller sausages can easily be replaced with smoked viennas, Bockwurst or Russians, if preferred. A flavoured cream cheese can be used instead of the plain version. Chive- or bacon-flavoured cream cheese works really well.
Raw peanut butter date bars.
Raw peanut butter date bars:
Ingredients
- 8 dates, soaked in warm water
- ¾ cup oats
- ¾ cup shredded coconut
- 40 g buckwheat or mixed seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup roasted giant peanuts
- ½ cup dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup agave or maple syrup
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cocoa nibs
Method
- For the base, blend together the oats, shredded coconut, buckwheat (or mixed seeds), ½ teaspoon salt and three or four soaked dates until the dough comes together.
- Press the base in to a square bread tin lined with baking paper.
- For the crunchy peanut butter filling, blend together four to five dates soaked in water for 30 minutes; add the peanut butter, ½ teaspoon salt and a splash of vanilla essence.
- Fold the peanuts in to the raw date filling and then mix well; scoop onto the base.
- Smear flat with a tablespoon until nice and smooth; place in the fridge to set while melting the chocolate.
- Melt ½ cup chocolate or dark chocolate for the top. A tablespoon of coconut oil can be added to make the chocolate smooth out easier, or make your own chocolate by melting the coconut oil, adding the maple syrup or agave, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt.
- Pour onto the filling, smooth out with the back of spoon or a butter knife, sprinkle over the cocoa nibs or salt flakes and place back into the fridge until set, and then slice with a very sharp knife.
- Keep in the fridge for up to one week.
Notes: To make the bars more carb-friendly, substitute the oats with coconut flour. Almond butter and roasted almonds can be substituted for the peanuts if you are allergic to peanuts.
