snacks

no bake almond joy snack bars

These little goodies are packed full of flavor and nutrition and make a satisfying snack. Adapted from howsweeteats.

Ingredients

⅔ cup oat bran
¼ cup ground flaxseed
¼ cup almond flour
⅓ cup unsweetened, flaked coconut
¼ cup sliced toasted almonds
¼ cup mini chocolate chips or cocoa nibs
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
pinch of salt
¼ cup creamy almond butter
¼ cup honey
2-3 Tbsp. coconut oil (or 2 Tbsp coconut oil and 2 Tbsp coconut butter)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

to top:
⅓ cup unsweetened, flaked coconut
⅓ cup sliced toasted almonds

1. In a large bowl combine the oat bran, flax, almond flour, coconut, almonds, chocolate, chia seeds, and salt.
2. In a saucepan, combine the almond butter, honey, coconut oil and vanilla over low heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring swell until a wet dough forms. Press into and 8 x 8 greased or parchment lined pan and top with the coconut and almond pressing to adhere. Let cool and cut into bars. Store in fridge.

Labels: snack

energy bites

This comes from a cookbook, The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, but I added some things to pack in even more nutrition. These are great to have around when you are hungry and in the mood for something sweet. Snack on one of these instead of the other sweets or cookies that are in abundance especially around the holidays!

makes 1 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds or walnuts (or combination)
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
½ cup raisins or goji berries
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cardamom (optional)
handful hemp hearts (optional)
raw cacao nibs (optional)
¼ cup peanut butter or almond butter
½ cup shredded coconut

Directions:

1. In a food processor or heavy duty blender, process the nuts until finely ground. Add dates, raisins, and spices (and optional hemp and cacao nibs) and grind to a find meal. Add the nut butter and process again until thoroughly mixed.
2. Form mixture into balls and roll in shredded coconut.
3. Store in a sealed container on the countertop for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

brown rice crispy treats

These treats are so tasty and are great for lunches or an after-school snack. Brown crispy rice cereal can be found at health food stores or online. Adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook.

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbsp. coconut oil, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup brown rice syrup
3/4 cup almond butter or unsalted natural peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 cups brown rice crispy cereal

seeds or chopped nuts or chopped dried fruit are some fun additions
you can also make a chocolate topping with dark chocolate chips and coconut oil

Directions:

1. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with coconut oil.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown rice syrup and nut butter and heat until bubbles form, stirring constantly with a whisk. Take pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
3. Place the cereal in a bowl with any optional additions. Pour hot syrup mixture over it and mix together.
4. Pour the mixture into pan and press the mixture flat.
5. If you would like to add the chocolate topping, melt 3/4 cup dark chocolate and 3 Tbsp. coconut oil together and pour over top. Cool and slice into squares.

graham crackers

I love making healthy snacks. These graham crackers are quite healthy (for a sweet treat) with whole grain flower, flax, and coconut sugar. I got the idea from Lovetobeinthekitchen.com. (sadly I can't take credit for the photo since I forgot to take pictures of the finished product)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup whole grain flour (I used kamut)

2 Tbsp. ground flax

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup chilled butter, cubed

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, flax, sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda. 

2. Add cubed butter and cut in by hand or in mixer or food processor.

3. Add honey, water, and vanilla and mix until combined. Add a bit more water if dough is too dry.

4. Shape dough into a flat disk and place between 2 sheets of wax or parchment paper

5. Roll dough out until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into squares or use a cookie cutter to make shapes. Combine scraps and repeat.6. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Prick in several places with a toothpick. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon-sugar if desired and bake for about 15 minutes.

kale chips

Salty and crunchy and so nutritious. This super yummy superfood snack makes eating your greens so easy.

Ingredients:

2 large bunches kale (I used some local no sprays purple kale)

Sauce:

1 cup raw cashews (soaked for a couple hours if you don't have a high power blender)
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (besides adding amino acids and protein, minerals, and B vitamins, it adds a cheesy flavor)
1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves)
1 tsp. sea salt

1. Rise the kale and remove tough center rib. Tear leaves into large pieces and place in large bowl
2. Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour sauce over kale and massage it in.
3. Place kale in single layer onto large baking sheets lined with parchment paper (you may have to do a couple batches) and bake for about 2 hours at 200ºF, or until crispy. Flip kale chips part way through baking. As soon as they have crisped up remove from oven and let cool before storing in containers or bags at room temperature. These should stay fresh for at least a week (if they can last that long without being eaten)

fruit pops

Tasty and colorful without any harmful food dyes, these fruit popsicles are super easy to make and fun to eat. Use as much organic fruit as possible. Recipe adapted from the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook.

 Ingredients:

3 cups watermelon puree (about 1/4-1/2 of a melon) or another type of melon puree

about 2 1/2 cups of fresh fruit. Here is one of the many options (mango is also a delicious addition):

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries

1-2 kiwis, peeled and sliced

1 peach or nectarine

Directions:

1. Cut the watermelon into chunks and puree in blender until smooth. strain out seeds if any.

2. Set out about 12 popsicle molds (you may need more or less depending on the size).

3. Fill each halfway with the fruit mixture then pour in the watermelon puree until filled. Place a popsicle stick in each and freeze for  6-8 hours.

4. To serve, run molds under warm water until the popsicles release.

"skinny" chocolate

What could be better than chocolate that is 100% good for you? It is called skinny because it is slimming as long as it is eaten without carbs. What's more it is also a treasure for those who thought they had to renounce chocolate forever due to sugar. Sweetened with stevia and packed with health benefits this superfood is a staple in my house. It only requires a few ingredients and takes just a few minutes to make. Plus there are so many variations on the basic recipe that you can enjoy whatever kind you are in the mood for: sweet, salty, fruity, spicy; it is up to you.  Adapted from Trim, Healthy Mama

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut oil, heated just until it liquifies
1/2 cup cocoa powder
dash vanilla
stevia to taste (I use 2 packets of stevia in the raw)
optional: almond or peanut butter, nuts, coconut, dried fruit, mint or fruit extract, spice

Stir ingredients together. Pour onto wax paper lined plate or pan (I use an 8 x 8 baking pan). Chill in refrigerator or freezer. Snap pieces off as needed. It's that simple.

chocolate turtles

These chocolate turtles are a delicious and fairly healthy indulgence when you are in the mood for something sweet. You can substitute pecans for the almonds if you like.
recipe adapted from (and photo courtesy of) thegraciouspantry.com

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cocoa powder

4 Tbsp. coconut oil

3 Tbsp brown rice syrup

1 Tbsp honey (raw if possible)

72-84 raw almonds (6-7 almonds per turtle)

1. Add cocoa powder to melted coconut oil. Stir until smooth. Add brown rice syrup and honey and stir until smooth.

2. On a sheet of wax or parchment paper, arrange almonds in a turtle shape: head, legs, middle, and tail.  Spoon a dollop of chocolate over each cluster, rearranging pieces as needed and smoothing chocolate with fingers if you want a neater finish. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Store in refrigerator.

It doesn't take much imagination to see these as turtles. Kids will love them too.

homemade granola bars

These make a great nutrient packed snack or breakfast on the go. I am excited to play more around with flavors, maybe substituting honey for the molasses and raisins or chocolate chips in place of apricots.

ingredients:

1 cup pitted prunes
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp molasses
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
2 1/2 cups rolled oats, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
2/3 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds (or combination)
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

1. Preheat oven to 325º. Line an 8x8 or 9x9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Lightly grease or spray with nonstick spray.

2. Cover prunes with hot water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and place in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add syrup, molasses, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Process to form a thick paste, about 20 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides a couple times. Add 2 cups of the oats and pulse 8-10 times, until the oats are coarsely chopped. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in remaining 1/2 cups oats, apricots, nuts, and sunflower seeds.

3. Using slightly dampened hands, press the mixture firmly and evenly into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes.

4. Cool dish for 15 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to freezer and chill until completely cooled (about 30 minutes). Cut into 10-12 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

pumpkin cream cheese muffins

these are a fun and healthy treat with a surprise filling
adapted from annies-eats.com

makes 21-24 muffins

Ingredients

for the filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. honey

for the muffins:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

for the topping (optional):
4 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
7 Tbsp. rolled oats
3 Tbsp. turbinado (coarse) sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces

1. To make the filling combine the cream cheese and honey in a bowl. Beat with mixer until smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag and pipe 24 equal dollops onto parchment or wax paper. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.
2. To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line muffin pans with paper liners or grease. In medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda; whisk to blend. In a large bowl combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin, oil, and applesauce. Mix until blended. Add in dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
3. To make the topping, combine flour, oats, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. whisk to blend. Add in the butter and cut into try ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks (or handy dandy tupperware food mixer) until mix is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to refrigerator until ready to use.
4. To assemble muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom (about 1 Tbsp). Place the dollop of cream cheese on top. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, covering the cream cheese completely. Sprinkle each with topping if desired.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving (because the filling is hot).

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

pumpkin bran muffins

A healthy fall treat. Great for breakfast, snack, or along with soup.
adapted from womansday.com

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup wheat bran

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs

2/3 cup buttermilk (or add slightly less than 1 Tbsp. vinegar to milk)

1/4 cup oil or applesauce (if you choose applesauce then spraying the paper liners helps the muffins not to stick)

orange mascarpone cream for serving (optional) Mix mascarpone with orange zest and honey to taste

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, wheat bran, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a separate large bowl whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, buttermilk, and oil (or applesauce).

4. Fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.

5. If desired serve the muffins with orange cream.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

apricot mango fruit roll-ups

100% real fruit roll ups. Simple to make. Adapted from Great Kitchen Stories
I decided to make these for our daughters first day of kindergarten. This is a new phase for us and I sure I will be delving into healthy lunch recipes!

makes 8-12 roll-ups per batch

Ingredients:

1 large ripe mago

7 oz dried apricots

1 orange (the juice)

1. Preheat oven to the lowest temperature (mine is 170º). Puree ingredients in blender until smooth. Spread 1 1/2-2 cups (so you may have some pure left) on greased or sprayed parchment paper (I lightly greased mine with coconut oil).

2. Put in oven with door slightly open. Leave in for 5-8 hours until puree is not sticky

3. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut and roll them with wax paper or parchment paper when they are still warm. Depending on how many you want you can cut them along the short or long side of the pan and can choose the width.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013

white bean hummus

a super healthy and delicious dip that is great for crackers, chips and veggies.
Pita chips and the new 34˚crispbread crackers pair marvelously well with this hummus.

serves at least 4 people

1 head garlic

3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1-15 oz. can white beans (or dried, prepared)

1 small lemon, juiced

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper

2 tsp. tahini (sesame paste), optional

1. Cut garlic in half across to expose all the cloves. Drizzle with a little olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool.

2. Add beans, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper and tahini to food processor or blender. Squeeze garlic halves; the cloves should slide out. Process until mixed. Add olive oil and mix until smooth. Adjust seasoning if desired.

Serving suggestion: drizzle with some more olive oil and sprinkle with parsley and pine nuts.