Power food - savoury and sweet

Nuts and seeds provide awesome energy on the go. With similar base ingredients, these recipes produce very different outcomes, one sweet and one savoury, so everyone's tastes are covered, Nicola Brown writes.

A small amount of trail mix or granola goes a long way so you may find that the output from these recipes lasts quite a while.

Use whatever nuts and seeds you have, you'll create your own uniquely delicious combinations.

 



 

Triple chocolate muesli. Photo: Nicola Brown
Triple chocolate muesli. Photo: Nicola Brown

Triple chocolate muesli

This recipe was inspired by one from Sarah Britton, whose blog "My New Roots'' is filled with wonderful ideas for healthy foodies.

This version incorporates an amazing ingredient which we have available in Otago, cocoa flakes from Ocho (you'll find Liz on the platform at the Otago Farmers Market).

Feel free to leave out any of the chocolate elements if it seems too chocolatey for your liking. Each to their own (although if that's your take on life, it's possible we will never be friends!)


Ingredients

2 cups mixed raw nuts (pecans, walnuts,cashews, almonds or hazelnuts, all work well)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup rolled oats (or buckwheat flakes tomake it gluten-free) 
½ cup chia seeds 
½ cup shredded coconut 
1/3 cup cocoa flakes 
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon 
½ cup coconut oil 
1/3cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract 
¼ cup cacao nibs

Method

Heat oven to 170degC (fanbake)/340degF.

Line a large oven dish with baking paper.

Place nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Place in a large bowl with the oats/buckwheat flakes, chia seeds, coconut, cocoa flakes, cocoa powder and cinnamon.

Melt coconut oil and maple syrup together; add vanilla extract.

Pour over nut/seed mixture and stir well.

Place mixture in prepared baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

The mixture may still be moist but check if it is cooked to your liking by tasting one of the nut pieces: you want them to be lightly roasted.

Allow to cool completely before adding cacao nibs.

Store at room temperature in airtight jars.

Makes approximately 6 cups. 

 



 

Supercharged trail mix. Photo: Nicola Brown
Supercharged trail mix. Photo: Nicola Brown
Supercharged trail mix

This is very easy to throw together. Once cold, you can make up little packets of trail mix and have them ready to grab whenever you need to leave the house with no decent meal in the foreseeable future. 

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds
½cup pecan nuts or cashew nuts
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp tamari
1 tsp savoury yeast flakes
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp smoked or regular kelp granules (optional)
1/8 tsp chilli powder

Method

Heat oven to 160degC (fanbake)/320degF.

Lightly spray a large oven dish with oil, or line with baking paper.

Place nuts and seeds in oven dish. Combine tamari, yeast flakes, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, kelp granules (if using) and chilli powder in a small bowl; pour over nut/seed mixture and combine thoroughly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Remove when lightly browned.

Allow to cool completely before storing at room temperature in airtight jars.

Makes 2 cups.

• Note: Savoury yeast flakes, kelp granules, buckwheat flakes and cacao nibs are available at health food and specialty food stores. Flaxseed (also known as linseed) can be used in place of chia seeds in the muesli recipe if desired.  



NIBL

Want more portable, scrumptious plant-based recipes? The snack recipe ebook Feeling Peckish is now available on the Nibl website. It contains 22 plant-based snack recipes, plus some variations - a mixture of sweet and savoury, some super-fast to make and some requiring a little effort, mostly gluten and dairy-free - and all delicious! Visit nibl.co.nz/feeling-peckish-ebook/ for more information.

And if you like to be organised, there's also a series of snack kitchen prep plans available to buy, look for the ‘‘Snack Attack Pack''.

 

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