Crazy Kiki’s Energy Bars

Are you looking for an easy, healthy and delicious snack? Something that will boost your energy level and mood too! In case you do, keep on reading.

Having spent most of my leisure time in outdoors, hiking, biking, running or beach combing, I realized that physical activity and fresh air increases our metabolism leading to a greater and healthier appetite. This was something my mom always said and she always kept snacks ready whenever my brother and I escaped into the outdoors as kids.

Now whenever I head off for a hike I know that after all the cardio, I will look for a place on top to rest my limbs and indulge in picnic. In fact I often hike just so I can have picnic on top of a beautiful mountain. But the question is what kind of food is appropriate for this much craved picnic?

Something that is healthy, yummy, full of energy, and compact enough to carry irrespective of the weather conditions or how long I stay outdoors!

After experimenting with different options I concluded that energy bars are the best. And not only for outdoors but these bars are also perfect as small energy bites at work or on short road trips, etc.  They are so easy to carry and super healthy. They also are a great choice for your children’s morning snack, while at school. They are perfect for so many occasions and they can keep us away from junk foods.

Since I prefer cooking at home, obtaining the raw materials from organic market in general, one day I decided to make my own bars so as to be 100% sure of its ingredients, quality and health benefits. I anyway love experimenting and trying out new things.

After several hits and misses the bar, or Kiki’s Bar if you please, became an instant hit with all my friends, so much so that we always ate up most of the bars even before reaching our picnic point. No matter how much I tried, but the bars would vanish like magic. So after trying many different recipes and requests from friends, I have now decided to share the secret recipe of Kiki’s Energy bars!

I am not a firm follower of any recipe as I like to improvise and experiment. I don’t follow any set rules but prefer to add my own twists and tempers into life as I go along. And I love getting lost as well, both in life and in cooking, only then can I make my own path rather than following a set of routes made by someone else.

I cook as if it’s a game, exciting, unknown, and impulsive where the end result can never be predicted or ordained precisely. Being creative while cooking brings in unique and undiscovered secrets that wouldn’t happen if we only follow recipes to the letter. I don’t pay much attention to the quantities, I just mix and match, sprinkle and fold as I feel, depending upon the mood and character of the moment. Therefore I urge you to lose your inhibitions and allow your imagination to take wings and trust your instincts as you follow my recipe. Modify it by all means if you feel so. Be confident and relax and the result will surely reward you.

Before you start, be sure that all the ingredients are of the best quality. Always prefer organic products. You may also take advantage of some typical local products in your area that might be suitable. For example Tahini is a local produce for me and I use it for a typical taste apart from its nutritious benefits. Even the different kind of honey gives a different result. Or even different kinds of dried fruit. Experiment with a variety of tastes and ingredients. It’s like a trip with no final destination. So, get on board and don’t fasten seatbelts!



Ingredients  

·         Oat flakes

·         Buckwheat flakes

·         Linseed

·         Almonds Brazilian nuts

·         Raisins

·         Dry berries

·         Dark chocolate plain 70% or even better 85% cocoa.

·         Tahini

·         Honey

·         Love (this is the most important…so put some more!)

 About the proportions you just have to remember one thing. The more liquid the mix will be, the softer the bars will become. Melted chocolate (when solidifies) will act as a binding glue to hold the mixture together. I normally use 1 cup of solid mixture to 1/3 cup of liquid. Stick to this golden proportion and experiment.

Though internet abounds with thousands of similar recipes with precise quantities and instructions I prefer the impulsive and ‘follow your heart’ methodology. Life without rules is freedom and it’s up to us to lead our lives in the way we feel.  Even if we do mistakes once in a while, we only learn from them and get stronger. So practice and love will bring the success.

Procedure

In a large bowl mix the oats, buckwheat and linseed. Crush some almonds and Brazilian nuts into coarse pieces and add into the oat mix.  Mix together.

Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and put them in a bain-marie. Not in high temperature. Stir until it melts. Add honey and tahini. Stir for a minute.

 Add the chocolate-honey mixture to the dry oat mixture and mix until everything is moist and smooth. Gently stir in raisins and berries. Press the mixture into a pan (in which you will place a transparent film or butter paper) and then using the back of a measuring cup or just your fingers (I prefer the second one!) press the mixture into the pan until it is tightly packed with an even surface. Cover and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Cut into rectangular bars and then return to the freezer. You can wrap each bar into silver foils or butter paper for carrying outdoors.

That was all my friends. So easy, so delicious!

And remember. You can add any ingredient you feel that might match. You can add any kind of dried fruits or cereal and seeds.Or even remove any ingredient you feel so.
It’s up to your taste and mood. There is nothing right or wrong in this recipe. And even if the result doesn’t match your expectations the first time, don’t give up. Try again adding some imagination and fantasies. You are the chef and you decide how sweet or bitter will it taste or how soft or hard will it become. Eventually you will end up with a super nutritious snack that will keep you energized until dinner time!