Cardamom and Cashew Granola Bars

I apologize, you will be seeing a lot more healthy recipes on this blog for a bit.  I'm in a French culinary school.  Everything I cook and eat there is laden with butter and cream and other love handle-friendly ingredients.  I need to eat healthy at home when I can... But that doesn't mean it has to be boring!  Look at these delicious cardamom and cashew granola bars.  They're healthy if you eat them in the right..amounts... See, granola bars are a weakness of mine.  I try not to make them because if I make a batch I usually eat it all in one go.... I was better this time, I ate them in two goes. 

I was really craving these.  I have a friend in class who has a granola bar everyday and I shamelessly ask for some everyday.  Eventually, after a month, the guilt got to me and I decided to make a batch and give her some.

makes about 10 bars
Ingredients
2 cups oats
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup natural cashew butter (can replace with other nut butter if you can't find or make this)
2 tbsp cashew pieces
4 cardamom pods, crushed, seeds removed and grounded. 
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tbsp water

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 8 inch square baking tin with baking paper.

Mix the cashew butter with the coconut oil, agave nectar and water in a small pot and warm over low heat until melted.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, chia seeds, salt, cashew pieces and the ground cardamom seeds.  Stir in the wet mixture. Pat the mixture into the prepared tin.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden.  Cut into pieces.