Rebecca Katz and Mat Edelson team up to supply an impressive array of recipes loaded with health benefits in The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, Second Edition.
You never know when hunger will strike, but when it does, take advantage of those moments to nourish yourself. That’s the whole idea behind these Anytime Bars. My clients often take these portable packets of pleasure to chemo sessions. Many people actually want to eat during a treatment, and these bars are delicious, healthy alternatives to the bowls of sweets often found around infusion centers. You can change the ingredients in this recipe to fit your taste preferences. Split the batter and make half with currant and cranberries and the other half with walnuts or whatever you’d like. These bars come together very quickly with a food processor, but if you don’t have one, hand-chopping the fruit and nuts works well.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly oil a 9-inch square pan.
- Spread the pecans in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and toast for 7 to 10 minutes, until aromatic and slightly browned. Watch them carefully, as they can burn easily. Repeat this process for the almonds. Turn down the oven to 325°F.
- Combine the flour, flaxseeds, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a food processor and process for 5 seconds to combine. Add the pecans and almonds and pulse 5 times to coarsely chop the nuts. Add the oats, dates, and apricots and pulse 10 to 15 times, until the mixture is well chopped but still coarse.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla together until thoroughly combined. Add the fruit and nut mixture and use your hands to mix thoroughly, being sure to separate any clumps of fruit. Spread the mixture in the oiled baking pan in an even layer and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until set and golden brown; don’t overbake, or the bars will be too dry. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then cut into 25 squares. Leave the bars in the pan until completely cool so they’ll hold together when you remove them.
Reprinted with permission from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen 2nd Edition, copyright by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, 2017. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
