peanut toffee bars

i like to always have something small to snack at home. usually i prefer something savory (a piece of bread will do just fine), but it can also be something sweet. i really like the super chewy muesli bars, but since i do need to change it up every once in a while, i made peanut toffee bars (recipe from deli). they don’t contain sugar per se, as they are sweetned by the bananas, but don’t get your hopes up too soon, they still aren’t too healthy. toffee isn’t made out of nothing and in this case soft toffee candies are used. nonetheless they are still rather on the “good side” 🙂

savory cantuccini

the christmas holidays were already a while ago, but i still haven’t given you all the recipes from my homemade gift baskets. of course there wasn’t only sweet stuff, but also some salty snacks. i liked the savory cantuccini best – hearty mediterranean. i love to have some small savory snacks at home – this can be a piece of bread or nuts, but these cantuccini with sundried tomatoes (and if you like olives), rosmary and parmesan are a favorite too. quickly made and stored airthight they keep a bit. either you snack them yourself or give them as a present for a dinner invite.

puff pastry twists with ham

last saturday i finally attended the lichterfest at the alte donau. for those of you who don’t know what that is: the alte donau (old danube) then is full of boats, all lighted in some way with candles and such and when it’s dark there are also fireworks. we were a bigger group, had 4 paddleboats a where busy paddling around beforehand. of course that makes everyone quite hungra and everyone brought something along picknick-style. my contribution where onion jam rolls, meat balls with tzatziki and puff pastry twists with ham. the latter are easy to make in a bigger quantity and for vegetarians just make them with cheese and herbs (i wouldn’t use tomato paste in this case). they are similar to the pizza spirals but still different. i made 2 portions (so 2 rolls of puff pastry) – they were gone in the blink of an eye 🙂 they are also a hit at every party and totally easy. you can also use mustard instead of tomato paste (wouldn’t use herbs here, since in my opinion they don’t go well with mustard).

fruity overnight oats

these fruity overnight oats are currently my favorite breakfast or snack for the office and they are healthy as well. until now i only made overnight oats with milk and on the chocolatey side. but they are also srumpitous with fruit juice, fruits, greek yoghurt and nuts! the oats are fruity, topped with creamy yoghurt (if you want it a bit lighter use natural yoghurt) and a fresh, crunchy apple and nuts. sooooo good 🙂 quickly set up the night before, the next morning just put yoghurt and apple on top – done. if you prepare it in a screw-top jar you have a ready breakfast to go or a small snack for the office. the mixture reminds of bircher muesli, but you can also put raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches and and and on top of the yoghurt or mix different kinds of dried fruits like apricots, plums, raisins etc in with the oats. since i am not the biggest fan of dried fruits, the freeze dried bananas and strawberries are the perfect compromise for me. you can also use any kind of juice that you like, i just happen to really dig peach juice. the amounts in the recipe are approximately – i usually just fill the oats in so they fill about half of the glass and top them with the juice. be aware that they will swell and you still need enough room for the yoghurt and fresh fruits.

fruit balls

dried fruits are perfect as a simple, quick and most importantly healthy snack to fuel up on energy. of course also here it is essential to moderate yourself because the inherent fructose (even if no other sugar is added) packs a punch. i am not a big fan of dried fruits (besides the fabulous peaches and nectarines i got at the farmers market in the ferry building in san fran), but a lot of other people do like them a lot and because of that i sometimes make something that’s not so much too my liking. especially if its a present… although my favorite energy balls (aka bliss balls) are based on nuts and contain cocoa for a chocolate kick, it doesn’t always have to be them. try this fruity version, they are amazing especially as a snack during a hard work the to get your energy up. supplemented with spices like cinnamon, cardamom and ginger they power up your metabolism and digestion.

pumpkin muffins with feta

i’m trying, at least at the beginning of the week, to prepare my lunches for the office. since i only work “part time” (which often means 5 pm, if i don’t have a yoga class scheduled), my time needs to be used efficiently. so there mostly is no time to go out to eat and usually i have a quick bite to eat in between the office and the yoga studio. perfect to take to the office (or as fingerfood at a party) are savory muffins. i already posted a recipe with zucchini, this time you’ll get a version with pumpkin, feta, pecan nuts and sundried tomatoes. i was positively surprised how moist and more importantly delicious the muffins were. the original recipe said it would yield 6 muffins, but i got 9 (way too many for me). that’s why, much to the pleasure of my colleagues, i took them to the office 🙂 of course you can change the ingredients to your hearts desire e.g. add ham, salami, walnuts, different herbs etc.

savory pastries with ham

since the fall happening at tante fanny was canceled, i received a very nice package with their products, a pumpkin and a bottle of wine. i use puff pastry a lot but usually for pizza, quiche or simply filled with jam. somehow i was in the mood to try something different, that’s why i made these savory pastries with ham. do you know the feeling when you know exactly how something is supposed to taste but aren’t 100% sure how to make it? that’s how it was for me with these savory pastries. i’ve eaten them plenty of times and a long time ago also really liked the frozen kind, but for some reason i never made them myself. although it’s so easy and the perfect fingerfood for a party or in my case as a snack 🙂

savory muffins

one more time muffins, this time in a savory version. since i got a bit sloppy with my diet due to rushing home from the office, grabbing a bite to eat and then running to teach yoga, i had to act. that’s why i now prepare my office lunch the day before. to get some inspiration i got 2 books with lots of office lunch ideas.

first i made these savory muffins with zucchini, feta and sundried tomatoes. just to my liking, they are quite handy and easy to transport. of course you can make a mini version of them as well, that way they are the perfect fingerfood for a party or a snack.

the basis of these muffins can of course be refined however you like it – depending on what you have in your fridge or what you’re craving.

breakfast to go – muesli muffins

for me muffins are small, handy cakes that i can bake and eat without much effort. i barely ever have breakfast, but these muesli muffins (from cynthia barcomi “let’s bake”) are the perfect breakfast to go. i christened my new mini muffin form with them and in this smaller size there are a great snack. my yoga students where delighted by this small fortification before and after class. of course you can adjust the muffins to your liken – use different berries, a different muesli each time, maybe add some chocolate or coconut flakes. whatever you’ve got at home.

empanadas

when flipping through the jamie magazine i discovered this recipe for empanadas and immediately was red-hot for them. i really like south american food (even if if i barely cook it myself) and the idea behind these filled dumplings – just using what you’ve got on hand – is really practical. that way you can create something new everytime, be it using different spices, using chicken or minced meat or making a sweet version. empanadas are as varied as your imagination.

the recipe called for eating them hot, when they are definitely best, but also cold on the next day they still were to die for. especially now with the soccer championship going on, empanadas are a perfect snack for watching the game together or as fingerfood at a party (maybe make them smaller then). serve this variaty eg with some sour cream or a homemade tomato chutney.