LizOne of the best ways I've found to help keep my regular New Year's resolutions (eat more healthily, take more exercise…!) is to make really delicious 'on the go' snacks which not only taste good but also provide plenty of skin and energy-boosting nutrients. There is a clear correlation between what we eat and the way we look and feel; food nourishes us in so many ways and one of my first books published back in 1993 by BBC Books was simply called Eat Yourself Beautiful. The following recipes are two of my own favourites. The first is for Beauty Boost Bars and comes from my latest book, Skin Secrets. These are something I often make at weekends and cut into small squares to keep in the fridge ready for healthy snacks during the week. Packed with goodness, these bars are low GI (glycaemic index) so they help stabilise blood sugars and contribute to slow-release energy during the day – just the thing to lift the spirits and keep you going during the freezing weather. Their high seed content also provides a healthy dose of skin-smoothing essential fatty acids, which is why I named them beauty boosters. Another low GI family favourite is a very healthful carrot cake recipe with a twist – I make mine with a little added courgette which I find improves the texture and makes the mixture deliciously moist. Blackstrap molasses is an excellent iron-rich ingredient (also delicious drizzled over porridge on cold and frosty mornings), but you can substitute with black treacle if you prefer. I prefer to eat this cake plain, but the two pieces can also be sandwiched together with a little plain cream cheese or butter icing for a slightly richer result.
Beauty Boost Bars
50g each of dates, dried apricots and sunflower seeds
100g raisins
100g porridge oats
30g wheatgerm
25g medium oatmeal
20g linseeds
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons cold-pressed flax or rapeseed oil, plus a drizzle to grease the tin
Whizz all of the ingredients in a food processor until they form a firm dough ball. Lightly oil a 20cm loaf tin or one end of a rectangular baking dish. Press the dough into the pan to a thickness of around 2cm. Chill in the fridge and about an hour and then cut into sticks or cubes and enjoy!
Courgette and Carrot Cake
Makes 2 x 18cm (7 inch) cakes:
2 organic eggs
2 tablespoons crude blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons clear honey
150ml plus 1 tablespoon of walnut, hazelnut or olive oil
175g buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
50g natural wheatgerm
50g chopped walnuts
100g carrots, scrubbed and grated
100g courgettes, scrubbed and grated
4 tablespoons orange juice
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, 350°F (gas mark 4)
Lightly oil 2 x 18cm (7 inch) cake tins with 1 tablespoon of oil. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs together before adding the molasses and honey. Stir vigorously before pouring in 150ml oil. Fold in the buckwheat flour, bicarbonate of soda and wheatgerm, followed by the remaining ingredients. Pour into baking tins and bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until a metal skewer come out clean. Allow to cool before turning out and slicing into wedges. Store in an airtight container in a cool place.
Andrea said...
Hi Karen,
Please see our response below
March 17th, 2010 at 5:27 pm |
Andrea said...
Hi Mandy and Karen, thanks for posting you comments. We suggest that you could try adding just a little more of the ‘sticky’ ingredients (honey, cold-pressed flax or rapeseed oil). You could try processing the fruit, oats and seeds together to a fine paste and then add the juice, oil and honey. Also, grease and line the baking tin and really press the mixture firmly into the tin (you may find using cling film on the top will stop the mixture from sticking to your fingers. Finally, when chilling the mixture try placing a plate or another tin on top to weigh the mixture down. Hope this helps!
March 17th, 2010 at 5:22 pm |
mandy birkett said...
HELP – I have tried making the beauty bars twice now and theyjust crumble when cut. What am I doing wrong? On the last attempt i used a food processor with a dough attachment but the mix never formed a dough ball. Any ideas? Thanks in advance Mandy. p.s the mixture is delicious
March 17th, 2010 at 2:09 pm |
Karen said...
Hi there
do you have any tips for getting the beauty boost bars to stick together mine just crumble.
I have doubled the recipe as my 20cm loaf tin (for which I make bread in seems really long and thin and doesnt work so think you mean 20cm square) so the other tin I have is massive.
If one doubles the recipe do you need more oil or something
March 11th, 2010 at 5:07 pm |
Andrea said...
Hi Sarah, for best results, we would recommend that you use a food processor, but you could try thoroughly mixing everything together in a bowl.
February 8th, 2010 at 11:13 am |
Sarah Smith said...
i would love to try these but don’t have a food processor, any ideas ?
Many thanx
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:40 pm |
Andrea said...
Hi Rawasia, thanks for your post. When starting a new skincare regime, skin texture can often change and it’s common to experience a few more spots than usual. If you’re suffering with breakouts it’s important to change your muslin cloth after every use to prevent any cross infection. If you’re using our Skin Repair moisturiser, you might find the one that you are using is a little too rich. Our Skin Repair Light gives combination, oily and/or problem prone skin all the benefits of the original Skin Repair Moisturisers, but in a super-light formula. We hope this helps, but if you have any more questions please do give our skincare experts a call on 01983 813999.
January 29th, 2010 at 9:14 am |
Penelope Curtis said...
“BBB” is delicious. Thank you Liz.
Here is another breakfast recipe from Cyndi O’Meara, an Australian nutritionalist.
1/3 coconut including soft brown skin,
4 unstoned date,
10 unblanched almonds,
1 unpeeled apple incl pips & core.
Blitz in food processor. In my Thermomix it takes 1 second!
January 27th, 2010 at 7:41 pm |
Rawasia said...
Hey Liz! u are looking great..i admire ur skin and the way u look
i just recently bought the skincare treatment from lizearle website and have been using it for past week,i am very pleased to say that it definitely made a difference straight away but the only thing that i am worried about is that ever since i started using the cleanser, toner and moisturiser from lizearle although it has made a difference to my skin but am also noticing spots appearing on my face everyday when normally i dont get any spots, may be once in a month but not like everyday a new spot.i would really appriciate if i could get a feedback on this.
Thanks alot for taking time to read my post.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:09 pm |
Julia Dobson said...
Thank you Jennifer that is so helpful re: where is Buckwheat derived from.
And thank you for the tips on where to find the flour. I have just made another huge batch of Beauty Bars and am going to give them out to girlfriends who like me are all on a health kick!
..and a huge thank you as always to the amazing team at Liz Earle, superb products and amazing service ALWAYS. I’ve been a customer for 12 years now and have never looked back : )
January 19th, 2010 at 2:36 pm |
Jennifer said...
Hi Julia, we’re so glad you enjoyed the recipes – the bars are one of my favourites, too. The name ‘buckwheat’ comes from ‘beech wheat’ – the triangular seeds of buckwheat are like miniature versions of beech tree seeds. When it comes to plants, I am a huge fan of Latin for just this reason – common names can be very misleading! Buckwheat is related to rhubarb, not wheat, but because its seeds have been collected and ground into a flour the confusion persists. In fact, it is precisely because buckwheat is not related to wheat and other grains and therefore doesn’t contain any gluten, that it is such a good alternative for people with wheat and/or gluten allergies. Waitrose stocks buckwheat flour, so do http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk. Another good place to look would be health food stores.
January 19th, 2010 at 12:42 pm |
Julia Dobson said...
Dear Liz Thank you so much for these 2 recipes I have made BOTH this weekend and they are DELICIOUS! The Beauty Bar is lovely and moist and lemony and a perfect start to the day. I’m going to send my husband off in the morning with some on his train commute to London! And the carrot cake is just delicious I’ve just had a (large!) slice. I couldn’t find Buckwheat flour so I used Plain WHite Gluten and Wheat fee flour instead – a few of my friends assumed Buckwheat flour was from wheat so maybe that is a general misunderstanding?!
THANK YOU again me and my husband and girls age 4 and 2 ALL LOVE these two tasty and healthy treats : )
January 17th, 2010 at 6:20 pm |
jean leather said...
Thank you for the carrot cake recipe Liz, I am very interested to try it because it is almost gluten free I will leave out the wheat germ and I am always looking to extend my choices
jean leather
January 14th, 2010 at 6:41 pm |
Linda Jeffrey said...
Many thanks Liz for the recipies I will give them a try. My Mum makes a lovely danish carrot cake recipie but I am going to pass on yours to her and hope we can sample some in due course.
Linda Jeffrey. x
January 14th, 2010 at 5:05 pm |
Jennie Finlayson said...
Many thanks for the recipes Liz – I wonder whether you would like to try one of mine for breakfast.
One grated apple into a cereal bowl
A pinch of cinnamon
A cup of the best granola you can find (I use the wheat free Dorset brand)
Squeeze in the juice of an orange
Add a teaspoon of flaxseed oil
Top with two desert spoons of fat free live yoghurt
Drizzle honey on top.
Yummy! Everybody I feed it to – loves it:-)
I also like to eat the granola on its own with hot milk … picked up that tip buying a cup of hot granola from Pret.
Enjoy and thank you again for posting your recipes. Its good to share.
January 14th, 2010 at 1:33 pm |
Lulibags.blogspot.com said...
Thanks for these. I currently use a Nigela recipe for breakfast bars, but yours sound healthier! I look forward to testing them out.
January 14th, 2010 at 12:46 pm |