Becoming Popeye…

Do you still remember the sailor man Popeye? I am sure you do 🙂 who can forget that he always have eaten spinach to get energy. I really like spinach but today I have something which I like more and gives you lot of energy as well. That’s why I call them the ultimate energy bars.

As January is almost over I am sure that some people could need a little energizer. It seems that this is the month which is pretty difficult for a few people. Starting into the new year, having lot of New Year’s resolutions, trying to stick to them, failing, starting again, failing again and ending up in a bad mood because of failing. Why can’t people have resolutions in any other month instead of January? I am sure that it would be much easier in any other month, for example some when in summer. 😉 I also had two resolutions in 2012 and I am still successful with both of them. I think I made them because I just realized that it was the right moment for having a change. I don’t believe that it needs New Year for making a change, even it can help some people. In the end, this is fortunately a self-decision. 🙂

The following recipe can be used as an energizer, a healthy and even a vegan snack. I love to store them in my airtight can as they even look very good in there. 😉 And isn’t it much more inventive if you store some self made bars in your kitchen instead of buying any in a store? It is definetly…

being prepared with all the ingredients

after pressed into the baking pan, add the sliced almonds

cutting into rectangles when cooled down completey

ready for storing or giving away

Healthy Energy bars adapted from The Bojon Gourmet (adjusted):

preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, line the bottom and sides of an 20×20 cm square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside

120g chopped dried sour apricots,

120g chopped dried dates,
put together in a bowl

1/2 juice of a large orange,

let simmer in a pan over medium heat and toss the juice into the bowl with the dried fruits, stir from time to time while you go further with the recipe

 

100g sliced almonds (toasted), plus a few extra for the top which can be set aside to use later on

140g oatmeal,

2 tbsp ground flax seeds,

2 tbsp flour (for me spelt flour as usual) :),

1/2 tsp fine sea salt,

1/4 tsp cinnamon,
stir together in a large bowl

 

zest 1/2 of large orange,

100g almond butter,

4 tbsp olive oil,

5 tbsp maple syrup,

mix first in a seperate bowl and then stir into the dry ingredients until well combined

 

Scrape the mixture into the lined baking pan and use moistened fingers to press it evenly into the pan. Press the extra sliced almonds onto the top and bake for approx. 45 minutes or until golden (I wanted them to be tight when finished, if you want them more soft then bake for 30 minutes). Let cool completely before cutting with a sharp knife into rectangles.