Dora Loves LEON

LEON is a London based fast food joint with a difference. When it was started in 2004, the brains behind it "tried to imagine what a high-street fast food joint might be like in heaven: a place where fresh, unprocessed, satisfying meals are served with pride". Luckily for us on the other side of the globe, there are 2 cookbooks available, and we highly recommend them. Apart from containing fabulous recipes, the books are also an amusing read.

One half of Dick & Dora is a dab hand at school lunches, but for the other, they are a new experience. This morning we've knocked out some of "Sally Dolton's Musesli Bars" from LEON "Naturally Fast Food", Book 2 (page 182) and they are SO good, we're going to share them (well, the recipe anyway, we'll be lucky if there are any left for school lunch tomorrow).

SALLY DOLTON'S MUESLI BARS

270g dried fruit (e.g. apricots, figs, dates, pears etc - a mixture of just choose one)

40 g nuts (we left these out because of nut free school policy and just topped up on seeds)

80g seeds (e.g. pumpkin, sunflower)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

80 ml fruit juice (apple or grape)

2 level tablespoons honey

60g wholemeal flour

120 g rolled oats

1. Preheat oven to 190 C/ 375 F

2. Put dried fruit into food processor and blitz until well chopped.  Do the same with the nuts.  Put the fruit, nuts, seeds and cinnamon into bowl.

3. Warm the fruit juice and honey together in a pan large enough to eventually hold all the ingredients, until the honey is dissolved.  Add the flour and oats, and stir in the fruit and nuts.

4. Smooth the mixture into a 25 x 30 cm baking tray about 2.5 deep.  Line with baking paper if tray is non-stick.

5. Bake in the oven for 20 mins - longer if you would like your bars more crunchy.

6. Allow to cool, then cut into rectangular bars.  They will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container (we challenge you!!).