Tasty burritos and chocolate caramel bars
If you’re looking for some inspiration to get those energy levels up for a bank holiday weekend and half term week with the kids then look no further!
Lively twin brothers and dads to four children Steven and David are the Happy Pear, and are here with some healthy tasty treats for all the family to enjoy making together and eating this weekend.
For the burritos
Serves: 6-7Cost: £7.50Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
For the cous cous mix
250g cous cous1 tsp cumin½tsp paprika½tsp saltCup of boiling water3 cloves garlicKidney beans1 limeChopped coriander for garnish
For the guacamole
1 avocado8 cherry tomatoes½ clove of garlic finely choppedJuice of 2 limes½tsp salt½tsp cuminPinch ground black pepperPinch ground chilli100g cooked sweetcornChopped coriander
For the mayonnaise
4tbs Tahini (you can use smooth peanut butter if you want or plain yoghurt)Juice of 1 lime1tbsp honey / maple4tbs water
6-8 tortilla wraps
Method
Mix the cous cous with your hand. Add enough boiling water to cover the cous cous, cover and leave for 5 minutes.
For the refried beans, finely chop 3 cloves of garlic, add oil to a hot pan, add garlic and fry until golden around edges, Add the beans to the pan, stir, add the juice of lime add 2tsp of cumin, ½tsp salt, 3tbs water stir and garnish with loosely chopped coriander. Fluff up the cous cous and mix in.
For the Gaucamole, add one chopped avocado to a bowl, add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, salt, cumin, pepper, chilli and sweetcorn. Mash with a fork to mix the seasoning, garnish with chopped coriander, lime juice, 4tbs water and mix.
For the tahini garlic mayo, add the tahini to a bowl, the lime juice, water and mix together
Now heat the wraps on a warm pan or in the oven for a few minutes. To serve, add a dollop of mayo, guacamole, bean mix, roll and if you prefer, heat the rolled burritos through on a pan and tuck in!
For the caramel bars
Makes: 10-12
Ingredients
For the base
90g pitted dates (Medjool or regular)240g ground almondsPinch of salt1tsp vanilla extract
For the filling
180g pitted dates (Medjool or regular)90g cashew butter (or almond butter or peanut butter)1 tablespoon water1 tablespoon coconut oil
For the chocolate coating
300g milk or dark chocolate (70-85%)
Method
Place the dates into a food processor and blend until smooth. If using regular dates add a little water if needed, to reach a nice thick paste. Add the ground almonds, salt and vanilla to the date paste.
When the base ingredients are fully mixed, shape into 10 bars about 7cm long and 0.5cm high and put them on a baking tray (one that will fit in your freezer) lined with greaseproof or silicone paper. Place in the freezer. Leave them in for 15 minutes, as if the ‘biscuit’ layer isn’t set it makes it harder to shape the rest.
In your processor, blend together the filling ingredients. While cashew butter is better, almond butter or coconut oil also works here. Again, if using regular dates, add a little water if needed to reach a nice thick paste. Remove the biscuit bases from the freezer and spread a thick layer of the date filling (the ‘caramel’ layer) over each one, smoothing the sides with a knife. Return to the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Remove the bars from the freezer. One at a time, roll them in the chocolate and put them back on the cold tray. The chocolate will harden almost instantly! Place in the fridge for an hour to firm up fully.
Store in the fridge