Week 18 Dish 1: Vegan Christmas mincemeat crumble bars

Christmas is just around the corner, and I'm feeling really festive! We finally managed to put up the Christmas tree and of course I made a yummy Christmas bake. So now the house smells and looks as festive as I feel :D. The bake required mincemeat so I made homemade mincemeat, and lots of it! I've used half of it in my yummy recipe today - vegan Christmas mincemeat bars inspired by Mary Berry's mincemeat streusel. I'm sure you can guess what I'm going to make with the rest of the mincemeat! I used the same crumble recipe as in one of my very first recipes - vegan blackberry crumble bars and it turned out perfect. Can I say, homemade mincemeat is just so much better than the shop bought jars and it's so so simple - definitely worth it.

Makes 8-10 bars

Ingredients

For the mincemeat (this makes DOUBLE the mince necessary for this recipe. I used half (~500 g) for the bars and half for the next recipe which is coming soon)

450 g mixed dried fruit (or make your own with a mixture of raisins, currants, sultanas and dried cranberries)

50 g mixed peel

75 g dried apricots, chopped

50 g glace cherries, chopped

75 g candied mixed peel

1 large cooking apple, peeled and diced

50 g chopped nuts of choice (I used a mixture of wholenuts and walnuts)

100 g soft brown sugar

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 tsp grated orange rind

1 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp cinnamon

100 g melted vegan margarine

4 tbsp vegan brandy, rum or sherry (I used Kingston black apple aperitif because that's all I had in the house)

For the crumble

2 cups oats
3/4 cup wholemeal flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed (I bought this from VB, too expensive in health food shops)

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients for the mincemeat together except the brandy in a large pan. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then stir in the brandy.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with grease proof paper.
3. In a large bowl mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, orange zest, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Pour in the coconut oil and mix to blend well. Reserve 3/4 cup of oat mixture for the topping.
4. Transfer the remaining oat mixture to the prepared baking dish, pressing firmly to the bottom to form an even layer.
5. Spoon the mincemeat in an even layer on top and then sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the dish on a wire rack for 30 to 40 minutes before cutting into bars. Christmas in a bar and perfect for tea time!

Original recipes: Mincemeat streusel and vegetarian mincemeat

Vegan, gluten free, no-bake pecan pie bars

It's my team's first netball match today, wish us luck! One of my teammates cannot eat gluten so I decided it's time for a gluten free recipe. Like my raw cheesecake, this is another no-bake yummy recipe which has absolutely no gluten! I hope my teammates like it, they are going to try it later today.

Makes 16 squares/ small slices

Ingredients
For the crust
1 cup dates, pitted and soaked in water for 5 minutes if dry
1 cup pecans (I used walnuts)
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
For the filling
1 cup dates, pitted and soaked in water for 5 minutes if dry
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup water, or more as needed for blending
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup additional pecans peices (or whole pecans if you prefer) for topping
Method

1. Line an 8x8 baking dish (I used a pie dish) with grease proof paper for easy removal of the bars.
2. In a food processor combine the crust ingredients and blend until a sticky dough is formed. Press into the lined baking dish until even. Place in the freezer to set.
3. Combine the filling ingredients (except the extra pecans for topping) in a blender until smooth - you will need to keep stopping and scraping down the sides to allow everything to blend smoothly.
4. Remove the crust from the freezer and spoon on the filling using a spatula to smooth the top. Sprinkle the extra pecans on top and press into the filling slightly. Return to the freezer and set for at least 6 hours before cutting and serving. Store in the freezer too!

Original recipe: No-bake pecan pie bars

Week 7 Dish 2: Vegan fresh strawberry crumble bars

It's the end of another week and what an eventful week it was! Highlight was definitely Malaysia night 2013 which was yesterday (4th October) in Trafalgar square. Brilliant atmosphere, some good entertainment, and most importantly yummy Malaysian food! I never knew that this was a yearly event, but now I do I will definitely be on the lookout for more events like it!

I've cut it close again this week, just finished my second recipe of the week today. This time it was because I bought a pineapple (yum) and wanted to make something from it but it still hasn't ripened! So I will have to use it next week. Instead, I came across some cheap strawberries (double yum) - 3 punnets for £2, bargain - and of course I made something scrummy from it. It was a big hit with my family, my dad even had 2 helpings! Win! Definitely give it a go....

Makes 10 bars
Ingredients
For the crust
6 tbsp soya margarine, chilled
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
For the filling
3 1/2 cups chopped strawberries (about 500-550 g)
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
For the topping
1/3 cup plain flour
2/3 cup oats
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 tbsp soya margarine, chilled
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line an 8x8 baking dish with grease proof paper.
2. Using your fingertips, combine the crust ingredients until like bread crumbs. Press into the baking dish and bake for 15 minutes until slightly browned. Remove and set aside.
3. Combine the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Add the flour and mix until well blended. Set aside.
4. For the topping, once again use your fingertips to combine the ingredients until like oaty bread crumbs.
5. Spoon the stawberry mixture over the crust, top with the crumbly topping and sprinkle with the ground almonds.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. To be completely sure, refregerate for 30 minutes too. Tastes really yummy while still warm but its very gooey :D - so up to you!

Original recipe: Fresh strawberry crumble bars

Week 7 Dish 1: Vegan banana oat bars

Happy world vegetarian day! I didn't actually know that such a day existed until a friend of mine pointed it out to me today. It is on October 1st every year, was established in 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society and is followed by Vegetarian Awareness Month. This ends on November 1st with World Vegan Day. Yep, you learn something new every day!

This week I started my surgery placement, which as I said before is not something I'm very interested in. But, it hasn't been too bad so far, and the consultant really makes it worthwhile by teaching us a lot. So I'm pretty happy! We also had a charity cake sale in the hospital today, and I thought I need to bake something myself! So, here is my (probably) most healthy baked recipe to date, with absolutely no sugar and only a tiny bit of oil in it - vegan banana bars. Did I mention it's also a ridiculously quick and easy to make?

Makes 12 squares
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas - about 3 large bananas (I only had 1 1/4 cups worth of bananas so I topped it up with unsweetened apple sauce. This makes it a bit less sweet so you can add a bit of honey/ agave nectar/ maple syrup to taste)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed/ linseed
1/4 cup canola oil/ rapeseed oil (you can even substitute this with water like in the original recipe to make it even healthier, just will be a little less moist)
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground mixed spice
3 cups oats (make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free oats!)
1/2 cup walnuts (or any other nuts)
1/2 cup raisins
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a 9x9 inch baking dish with grease proof paper.
2. Combine the mashed banana, ground flaxseed/ linseed, water, oil, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice in a big bowl and stir well.
3. Add the oats, walnuts and raisins and combine well. Spoon into the baking dish and press well. 
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into squares, place upside down on another tray (lined with grease proof paper) and bake for a further 15 minutes. Turn over and bake finally for 5 minutes.
5. Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Original recipe: Banana walnut oat bars

Week 2 Dish 1: Vegan blackberry crumble bars

I've made it to WEEK 2!!! WOOP!!! And what better way to celebrate than with a deliciously sweet, fruity and crumbly treat?! The inspiration for this recipe was the wild blackberry bush in my back garden, which (thanks to the gorgeous summer we've had this year) has been heaving with sweet blackberries for the past couple of weeks. I couldn't let all that go to waste now could I? So I braved the thorns (I have the battle wounds to prove it) and managed to pick enough to make double the recipe and some to eat- a treat for my family as well as the people I'm on firms with at the moment (lucky you!).

For any of you who want to make this recipe, now is the time: just go to your local park with a container and keep your eyes out for berries that are ripe for the picking - who needs to buy them? A tip if you have never picked blackberries before, the ones that are ripe and sweet will be slightly mushy and will come away easily from the bush. If you have to tug too hard, chances are they will be sour.

Makes 8-10 bars
Ingredients
3 cups fresh blackberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
juice of half an orange
1.5 tbsp cornflour (aka constarch if you're american)
2 cups oats
3/4 cup wholemeal flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed (I bought this from VB, too expensive in health food shops)
Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with grease proof paper.
2. In a saucepan heat the berries, granulated sugar, orange juice, and cornflour. Bring to the boil, stirring often until mixture is thick and the berries break down (about 15-20 minutes).
3. Mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, orange zest, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Pour in the coconut oil and mix to blend well. Reserve 3/4 cup of oat mixture for the topping.
4. Transfer the remaining oat mixture to the prepared baking dish, pressing firmly to the bottom to form an even layer.
5. Spoon the berry filling in an even layer on top and then sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the dish on a wire rack for 30 to 40 minutes before cutting into bars.

Original recipe: Blackberry crumble bars