yoghurt grains & date-carrot loaf

Yoghurt Grains

I got this recipe from my friend Erica. I really love it!

Ingredients

1/4 cup bulghur (cracked wheat)

1/4 cup boiling water

2 cups flavoured non-fat yoghurt

1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (I use apricots, cranberries and sometimes raisins)

1/2 cup rolled oats

Method

Put bulghur and water into a container with a tightfitting lid (I use a small saucepan) and let the water soak into the wheat. In another bowl combine yoghurt, fruit and oats. After bulghur is ready, mix it in too. Cover it and put it into the fridge and let it sit overnight - it needs this time to sit. Serve by itself or with fresh fruit. Very yum!

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Date and Carrot Loaf

This is from the Family Circle published "Rosemary Stanton's High-Energy Cookbook"

Ingredients

180 g (6 oz) pitted dried dates

1/2 cup (80 g / 2 and 3/4 oz) soft brown sugar

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking powder)

1 carrot, grated (I use more than that... maybe 2 or 3)

1 1/2 cups (185 g / 6 oz) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (I used ginger when I didn't have any cardamom, turned out great)

Method

1. Combine the dates, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and 1 cup (250 ml/ 8 fl oz) water in a pan and bring to the boil Turn off the heat and leave until cool.

2. Preheat the oven to moderate 180 degrees C (350 degrees F/ Gas 4). Grease a 22 x 11 cm (9 x 4 1/2 inch) loaf tin. (I didn't grease mine - I used nonstick pans. This recipe will fill two miniature loaf tins. If you wait until the loaves are cool then they'll come out without much trouble, just run a butterknife around the edges and gently prise it out.)

3. Add the carrot to the date mixture. Sift the flour and spices together and stir into the date mixture. Mix well and spoon into the loaf tin(s). Bake for 40 - 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition info: 100 cal, 0 grams. Makes 15 slices if making one loaf.