Everything-Free Mango Coconut Bars

Go free with these goodies!

They're screaming: EAT ME!!!

An early post for this week! This is because I took Thursday off. I took Thursday day because I am currently sitting in the living room of my home in Calgary. I'm sitting in the living room of my home in Calgary because I have finally made it... an interview with med school. This is all very exciting, hence, it's past midnight and I have to wake up at 7am, yet I'm not going to sleep. Instead, I'm writing. To hopefully put me at ease.

It has been a crazy week too with a midterm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Finger crossed I did alright on them. I have mixed feelings. Despite my studying for midterms, I am still constantly thinking of new ideas and something to post for the week, especially when it needs to be something easy, simple and portable, as I brought these bars from Victoria to Calgary. My sister loves me, or she loves my food. 

This was inspired by a recipe on The Spunky Coconut. The original recipe is pumpkin chai bars but the recipe didn't really call for things out of my pantry. I do still have a can of pumpkin I've been dying to bake something with, but none of the other fancy stuff. And, let's get real here, after a week of craziness, I don't want to go buy fancy things, I just want to make something good.

So I wrote a recipe. Then prayed that it would turn out. And it did. And it's pretty much everything free, except for nuts, which happens to be a problem since the guy I've been seeing is allergic to tree nuts. Damn, I should've figured that out earlier! Ah well, future recipe inspiration: allergen free! You're probably thinking good luck with that right? I know I am.

Mango coconut bars. Gluten-free. Sugar-free. Dairy-free. Soy-free. Casein-free. Vegan. Raw. I was just trying to make the list as long as possible, but seriously, all of that in this simple little recipe. Ok, so I just checked out something. Cross out vegan. I put gelatin in it. Dang! I was close though!

These bars were super simple. And if I had a proper food processor, or just a better blender, it would have been as easy as A-B-C. They're good for you too! Packed with all sorts of good stuff from the apricots, the walnuts, and coconut and mango. Nothing artificial, nothing bad. Just full of goodness!

MANGO COCONUT BARS

Time: 15-20 min (with proper equipment)

Oven temp: 0C--> no cooking required!

Need: 8" square pan and blender/food processor

Base

1 cup walnuts

1 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1. Microwave the apricots with 1/3 cup of water for 1 min. Then cover and let soak until you're ready for them.

2. Throw the walnuts in the blender and blend until it's fine. Slightly more coarse than brown sugar.

3. Throw the apricots in the blender and blend away until it's quite fine (not as fine as the walnut though).

4. Mix all the ingredients together and press on the pan until tightly pack.

***If you have a good blender or food processor, you can just throw everything in there to pulse until it forms a ball.***

Coconut, Walnut. Photo taken by a nut (me)

Pack it all in!

Topping

2 cups mango

1/3 cup natural coconut spread- melted

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

juice of half a lemon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2/3 pack of gelatin

1. Puree everything together except for the gelatin.

2. Microwave half the puree 3 x 30sec on high (or until the mixture steams)

3. Slowly mix in the gelatin into the hot mixture, be sure it does not clump up.

4. Add the rest of the mixture in there.

5. Pour on the base.

Final step: refrigerate for at least an hour for it to set.

Wait for it to set. Wait for it.

Then you can enjoy the healthy deliciousness of these bars:)

NOW GO FOR IT!

Dear Busy Bodies: Slow Cooker Coconut Lime Chicken

Fall off the bone chicken goodness. 

Last post of the reading break. Am I bored of cooking yet? Not a single bit. Wish so dearly I can cook like this all the time. If only eh? So Friday night, and I'm already thinking of my schedule for the next week and cooking for the next week. I guess this whole chicken business will last me at least 2 weeks. Assuming I don't eat it every meal. Which I can't. This is not a dish to have all the time. Now I know.

This dish is super easy. Honestly took me 5 minutes to throw everything together. Maybe I could've trimmed the chicken a bit. There was a significant amount of chicken grease. I spooned it out. As much as I could anyway. 

By cooking the chicken in a broth in the slow cooker, the meat just melted off the bones. I have no bones in the stuff that's in the fridge/freezer right now. It just falls right off! So if you are wanting to make this healthier, you can definitely go with chicken breast. All the meat gets juiced up and soaked in the sweetness of coconut and freshness of lime. Serve this on a bed of rice, quinoa, noodles, potatoes, or any starch and have whatever veges you want on the side and you've got yourself a meal. In my case, I've got myself at least 10 meals. My meals aren't big, I'm more a snacker than a mealer.

So here it is, last post of the reading break then it's back to one post a week. 

SLOW-COOKER COCONUT LIME CHICKEN

Total time: 4 hours

Actual working time 5 min

1 whole chicken (or whatever form of chicken you like)

1 can coconut milk (the standard size one)

1/2 can water

juice of 2 limes

3-4 slices of fresh ginger

2 tbsp brown sugar

salt to taste 

1. Put all your ingredients (except brown sugar and salt) in a slow cooker. Put chicken breast side down.

2. Cook on high for 4 hours.

3. Stir in the brown sugar and salt to taste at the end to prevent over-salting (I'm saying this because I over-salted)

*If you want to have natural sweetness instead, add some raisins into the cooking. I wish I did that instead of adding the brown sugar at the end. To be honest, the brown sugar was for compensating my over-saltedness, BUT, it really brings out the coconut milk sweetness, so I suggest add a little bit of sweetness to the mixture, whatever form you like.

Voila! You have yourself a super easy meal. No tending is needed. Although I tended quite a bit because I was impatient. Then the chicken burnt me. Some liquid splashed out. I have a small scar. Damn chicken. Now I shall have my revenge in devouring you!

My noseyness... I stabbed the chicken breast to let in the juices.

Enjoy!