Muesli Cookies

Nut free muesli bars for schools are virtually impossible to find, and who doesn't like a cookie? Well if you don't like cookies your probably not my friend anyway.

Most recipes I found use pre-bought muesli which A. I never have and B. always seems to contain nuts - again a no-no for school. So my apprentice chefs and I made our own recipe with homemade nut-free muesli, making these great for the kids lunchboxes for school if they survive afternoon tea. They also store well for a few days in an air tight container... sheesh like anything lasts a few days in this house.

Muesli Cookies

Ingredients
125g butter, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
handful of dried blueberries
handful of dried cranberries
8 dried turkish apricots, chopped roughly
6 dried pineapple chunks, chopped roughly
1/4 cup coconut flakes
3/4 cup self raising flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

In a small saucepan over a low heat, combine the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup, stirring until the butter has melted and all combined. This should only take about 2 minutes.

In a big mixing bowl combine the rolled oats, dried fruit, coconut, flour and cinnamon then stir through the melted butter mixture and combine.

Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls, giving them a squeeze as you roll helps a little in keeping them together, then place on the tray. Flatten them very gently, and sometimes another little shaping together is needed to help any of the "bits" that always fall out. The mixture is quite wet and crumbly, but they will hold together once they cool and then bake.

Pop in the oven for approx 18 minutes or until just golden. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then using a spatula (using hands always ends up in broken cookies when we do them as they will still be soft) gently place on a cooling rack until cooled down or the kids drive you crazy asking if they are ready yet.

3..three..trois..tre..

Little Miss Eva turned three last week. There was dinner with Nanny, Poppy and the Godparents, a mini party with her bestie who's birthday is the same week, and cake with us Monday night. Oh and singing herself

Our Bibimbap

Rice, mince, vegetables are some of our kids favourites... throw them all in a bowl together from a mish-mash of recipes (certainly not authentic!) I found and they are happy as little piggies in mud. Properly known as Bibimbap or Korean Mixed Rice this is our version, which is a hit with the whole family.

This recipe involves cooking everything separately and setting aside then combining at the end. Grab yourself a medium sized frypan, a bunch of small bowls to put the vegetables and toppings in separately when they are done and some deep bowls for serving.

Bibimbap/Korean Mixed Rice
Serves 2 adults and 3 hungry kids

Ingredients
2-3 cups long grain rice (Use as much as you like.. my family loves rice!)

Toppings
2 lebanese cucumbers, julienned
1 tablespoon salt

2 carrots, julienned
200g baby spinach
1 teaspoon garlic
Sesame oil

4 eggs
Vegetable oil

Meat sauce
500g beef mince
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic

Bibimbap sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon apple vinegar
2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon miso paste
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cooking wine

Method
Start with your rice, pop it on to cook then leave aside when done. Add all your meat sauce ingredients together in a bowl and leave aside to marinate while you prepare the vegetables.

Combine cucumbers and salt in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Leave for 20 minutes, then rinse and set aside.

Combine all the bibimbap sauce ingredients together, mix well and set aside. I use a jar with a screw top lid and give it all a good shake.

In a frypan on medium-high heat, add some vegetable oil and the carrots with a sprinkle of salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more vegetable oil in the frypan and add garlic, baby spinach and a couple of drops of sesame oil and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

If needed, add some more vegetable oil and brown off the marinated meat for 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Lastly, fry an egg for each person. Sunny side up is good, but however you like them.

To serve, divide the rice into bowls and place the meat and vegetables on top. Top with the eggs and bibimbap sauce.