This month’s recipes are a delicious, satisfying muesli slice and a nutritious vegetable pizza. Both recipes are quick and easy to prepare and will warm you up on cold days.

Easy Muesli Slice

• 6 cups of natural untoasted muesli
• 14oz/400g tin of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup/6oz dried fruit chopped (raisins, dates, apricots)
• 2 tbsps mixed sunflower seeds, linseeds and pepitas
• 4oz/125ml low fat milk

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F/180C.

2. Line a 20 x 28cm baking try with baking paper.

3. Mix all ingredients.

4. Press firmly into lined tray

5. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden.

6. Cool in the tin. Cut into snack-sized pieces. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Note: If used as school lunchbox snacks, ensure the muesli is nut-free. This is a great high carbohydrate, low glycaemic index (GI) snack for maintaining energy levels during prolonged exercise, such as bike riding or hiking. It is nonperishable and keeps well in an air-tight container or plastic wrap.

Nathalie Cook

Colorful Vegetable Pizza

Preparing your own pizzas is easy, quick and fun. The hard part is deciding which tasty toppings to try next! Make them as colorful as possible with a variety of vegetables and herbs to add plenty of vitamins and antioxidant flavonoids. As well as adding extra flavour, the cheeses also add calcium for strong bones.

• 4 large or 6 small Lebanese pita flatbreads, preferable whole grain.
• ½ -1 cup tomato paste

• 1 red and 1 green capsicum/bell pepper, finely sliced.

• 1 large onion, finely sliced

• 6oz/200g mushrooms sliced

• Pitted back and green olives

• 3-4 large tomato, finely diced

• 14oz/400g tin red beans, drained

• 8oz/2 cups grated Mozzarella or Tasty cheese.

• 3-4oz/100g feta cheese, cubed

• Basil Pesto ((recipe in MPNforum October2012)

• Chopped fresh herbs- oregano, thyme etc.

1. Preheat pizza oven on hot or a conventional oven at 480°F/250°C.

2. Spread pita breads with tomato paste and sprinkle with grated cheese.

3. Top with chopped vegetables, beans, olives, feta , herbs and spoonfuls of pesto and feta.

4. Place in a pizza oven and cook until golden and cheese has melted or on a tray in a conventional oven for 12-15mins.

5. Serve hot. Enjoy with a colourful garden salad.

Serves 4-6.

Nathalie Cook