BLAMO: Super Protein Bars

I made some protein bars last week that the kids were really jazzed about. They said they tasted like CLIFF bars, but i didn't. 

Anyhoo, I forgot to blog them and they are LONG gone. ah well. I was taken by how STUPID EASY these things are to make. 

The HEALTH FOOD business is pulling a huge one over on us, people.

Today before my run i wanted to get something made for when THE VEGETARIAN comes back from her 2 dance classes. Something sweet and healthy, that feels like a treat and has all the protein she so desperately needs ...being the no eggs, no fish, no garbanzo bean kind of vegetarian she happens to be. 

sigh.

I quickly adapted a simpler recipe from the internet, as it was really boring and just not nutritious enough for my taste. 

These came out great. Maybe even TOO sweet, although you'd never hear my kids say that.

New challenge= I need t make my own chocolate chips. I just can't buy 'em anymore. There has to be any easy, low cost and less sugary version i can achieve. 

I'm on a mission.... stay tuned. But not today. There are attics to be cleaned, teen bathing suits to be shopped for (lord help me), flowers to be planted and tonight...Cauliflower pizza crust. 

Yes it's happening.

Welcome to my relaxing weekend.

BLAMO: Super Protein Bars

1/4 cup steel cut oats (for a real crunch)

1/8 cup hulled hemp seeds

3/4 cup rolled/old fashioned oats (i always used Gluten free)

1/8 cup chia seeds

1/8 cup honey

1/8 light agave

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/8 cup unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup peanut butter

2 tbsp protein powder (i use RAW vanilla, because it's awesome)

Note about ingredients: You don't HAVE to have chia...you could use ground flax! You don't have to use hemp, you could use quinoa flakes or just more oats, you could use regular agave or even just more honey....See what I mean? It's pretty easy to adjust.

In a large bowl, mix them together. Take half the mixture and shape into a large log on a long piece of saran wrap. close the saran wrap around the length of the log and roll into a thinner log. When it is the shape you desire, slightly flatten for a more bar like shape.  

pop them in the freezer for at least 1/2 hour and then cut to desired length.

(You don't have to do any of this. You could just roll into bite sized balls or put in a pan and cut..It's up to you.)

Keep in the freezer until you are ready to eat or pack in a lunch! 

A KEEPER: Scallion Ginger Tofu Marinade

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• Good Luck. 
• My newly vegetarian teen keeps reminding me(she's TRYING to be patient)that she doesn't like SOY all that much. 
• Have you ever tried to find a tofu marinade without soy??? It's ridiculous. I FINALLY ran across this... which has a small bit of tamari and tried it.
• A complete hit!
• I cut the drained & de-watered tofu in slices, marinaded it for 3 hours and then fried it up in a pan with a bit of coconut oil. 
• It came out beautifully. Not too spicy. Made the house smell like heaven.
• Even THE PICKY ONE tolerated it. I'd say this is a total keeper. The next time I will double the batch as this was BARELY enough for one block of extra firm Tofu.
• Now as you can see we like our stuff CRISPY (ok, it looks burnt...But i assure you thats 1000% tasty.)
• You could obviously roast this or do it in a pan. I just wanted to try something different since my oven could use a break, and I thought the pan would give it that extra crisp WE like. It did!
• This would really work as a marinade on anything, I think.
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• A KEEPER: Scallion Ginger Tofu Marinade

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp reduc sodium tamari (or shoyu or soy sauce)
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger (minced, or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 1 tbsp garlic (minced fresh, or 1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic)
• 1/2 cup scallions (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

NEW FAVORITE: Tahini cookies

• These got a great response from everybody. TRULY AMAZING!I think it's a first for this blog. 
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• The kids said they would prefer LESS sesame seeds...BUT WHO CARES?!?!? They actually ate them. My idea is to try them with some other toppings like coconut etc. 
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• These are just sweet enough and come out lovely, IF you remember to smash them down! 

Mine came out perfectly chewy in the middle and crunchy on the outside.

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• THE NEW GIRL: Tahini Cookies

• 1 ¼ cups almond flour
• 1/8 cup almond, coconut or GF flour
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp maple syrup
• ⅓ cup agave nectar or honey
• ⅓ cup tahini 
• 1 tblsp Coconut oil
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sesame seeds (unsweetened coconut or very fine topping of your choice)
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• In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda. 
• In a smaller bowl, blend together agave, tahini, oil and vanilla. 
• Blend the dry ingredients into the wet. With slightly damp hands and a small spoon, Form the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the sesame seeds. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and FLATTEN with a fork.

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes until lightly brown. Cool on baking sheet

FAMILY TALLY: ALL GAVE A THUMBS UP!

BEST BITE: Frozen Raw Brownie Bites

• 
  
  
  Ok I am obviously romanced by the weird new health things like Quinoa flakes, Hemp and the like. My cupboard is filling up and I feel like I should be wearing John Lennon glasses and a moo moo. I don't know what's happening to me. I have been known to chow down on McDonalds back in the day, I confess.

I also feel a strange urge to bake all the time. I HATE baking. I'm talking card carrying, cake from a box tastes better and is a F*** lot easier than a homemade cake kinda baker. Die Hard.

...hated.

A change has come, I guess. Go figure. I'm going with it for now, even though the dishes are getting me down and our tiny kitchen is starting to explode...

Anyway- THESE ARE AMAZING. To the point Very VERY chocolaty. A HUGE HIT.

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• BEAUTIFUL BITE: Frozen Raw Brownie Bites

• ¼ cup raw shelled hemp seeds or fine add in of your choice 
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp chia seeds or ground flax seeds
• ½ cup unsweetened vanilla non dairy milk
• 1 tsp agave
• ⅔ cup + 2 tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
• ¼ cup coconut flour

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. Combine hemp seeds with 1 tsp sugar & maple syrup in a non stick pan. Cook at LOW heat for about 5 minutes, until they start to brown, stirring often so they don’t burn. Set aside to cool.
4. 
   
5. Mix milk and chia/ground flax seeds in a small bowl and set aside
6. 
   
7. In a large microwave safe bowl, melt together ⅔ cup chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa powder, agave and coconut oil on the 50% setting for 90 seconds at a time. Stir and repeat till everything is melted.
8. 
   
9. Once it’s completely melted, add vanilla extract, chia mixture, coconut flour, hemp seeds and 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips. Mix until all the ingredients together. THIS WILL BE VERY VERY GOOEY.
10. 
    
11. Spoon mixture into paper liners in a cupcake or muffin pan and freeze until they harden (this usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour). I used mini cupcake liners, for the small bites...But you could use any size really.
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13. Thaw for a few minutes to serve!

GIGGLY: La Paltrow's Tahini Dressing (Vegan version)

I don't know if I can get in the Vegenaise fan club list.

In a mad rush I realized I needed more dressing for my salad at work today. 

Popped open La Paltrow's 3rd book and decided now was as good a time as any to try hers. There is a huge part of me that feels like if you are a super star and you have a private chef....your cookbook better be pretty f**ing good- across the board. So far it's been 50/50.

Anyway...Ok so I threw it together with the Vegenaise option...

Right off the abt I felt like it needed more lemon...it just lacked bite and seemed TOO thick. I suspect making it with yoghurt would solve this problem.

I also used garlic powder since I didn't have time to chop.

And that stuff was GIGGLY. Which freaks me out a bit.

The jury is out and my greens and tuna are chilling as we speak.... 

• GIGGLY: Yogurt-Tahini Dressing

• 2 tablespoons Tahini
• 1/2 small garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/2 cup Vegenaise
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
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mix altogether with a whisk or small hand blender, add more lemon/salt/garlic to taste. chill.

FAMILY TALLY: Jury is still out...

HE MADE IT: Roasted Lemon Broccoli

Come on spring, You can do it.

I came home to amazing Roasted Broccoli and divine pan fired marinated fish, with a lovely Greek Salad to boot! We took a walk in the yard, looked at the lake (our yard...) and generally felt life seeping back into our blood. 

Again I say....Come on spring, You can do it.

This recipe is cozy enough for those still chilly nights, but bright and fresh enough to welcome the green.

HE MADE IT: Roasted Lemon Broccoli

to a cookie sheet or baking pan add:

2 crowns of Broccoli, including stems

Olive Oil ( enough to lubricate pan + drizzle around broccoli crowns)

Garlic (sliced or chopped finely according to your taste)

Salt to taste

after the first 45 minutes add...

1/2 of a Lemon, juiced

Parmesan to coat, But not overwhelm.

Roast for 45 at 325 (convection setting) 

and THEN add the parmesan and lemon juice for another 15 minutes. 

Keep an eye on it so it gets JUST crispy but not burnt!

BLAMO Deliciouso!

FAMILY TALLY: only 2 of us home and we gave it a A+++.

HEAL ME: Low Fat Garlic-y Tahini Dressing + Health Salad

AND...... I have a cold.  

Totally healthy all bloody winter than BLAMO! this month. First the 3 week low level, but you definitely are not ok Flu and now....The endless winter you can't be well for more than 2 weeks Cold. 

I don't feel like cooking and instead of eating my weight in tortilla chips....

Garlicky garlic garlic. 

I remembered I made this CRAZY garlic-y tahini dressing the other morning in a haze. Perfect.

Throw in all sorts of crap from the fridge and BAM. Nice right? Pour a ton of this healing,seriously low fat dressing all over it and that's a LUNCH!

red peppers

chick peas

cauliflower

cucumber

black Beans

S&P to taste

       Tahini Dressing !!!!  

BEWARE: If you don't LOVE garlic, cut it down to 1 clove. HOWEVER you won't get all that alone time and health that comes with the MORE garlic-y version.

HEAL ME: Low Fat Garlic-y Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoon Tahini
2 cloves FRESH GARLIC
2 teaspoons fresh ginger
S&P to taste

you could also add:
  1/4 tablespoon Tamari or Soy
  1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
           ...if you like that kind of thing.

Blend until smooth and refrigerate.

A note about Tahini: pour off 3/4 of the oil slick from the top of the jar. It works exactly the same and cuts down on the fat by ALOT.

DISAPPEARING ACT: Gluten Free/Vegan Banana Chocolate Marble Bread

So yesterday, I was in the BANANAS GOING WILDLY SOUTH zone, but wanted to make something 'treaty', as we say in this house.

This went fast. Wildly fast. 

THE PICKY ONE came home from school and said....where did this whole loaf go!?!? I lied and said THE MEAT EATER took some to work. THE VEGETARIAN ate it happily, with nary a teen aged "eh" to be heard.

THE PICKY ONE also requested it for breakfast this morning. I obliged because we have a strict-Yes, you may have dessert for breakfast- rule in this house.  I do draw the line at candy, so don't worry. And honestly, this 'treaty' chocolate-y bread is better for her than a stack of processed pancakes with a lake of fake syrup.

By far the best Vegan baked item we've had. and it doesn't really have the nasty weird Gluten Free mouth feel to it either.

I added quinoa flakes (because I am obsessed with them), and made a few other substitutions.. and It rose just fine. Not big and tall like in a bakery, but just fine.

Like I said, It goes fast. You might think about making two....

DISAPPEARING ACT: Banana Chocolate Marble Bread

3 mashed ripe bananas (no more than 1 cup)
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1/3 cup any non dairy milk
1 cup Gluten Free all purpose flour

1/2 cup Quinoa Flakes (you could just add more flour if you don't have )

3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup chocolate chips (fit to your dietary needs)

3/4 tsp salt
3 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

6 tbsp boiling water, divided

Prep boiling water, no need to measure yet. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl until pretty smooth. Spoon the mashed bananas into a measuring cup to make sure, then return to the mixing bowl. Beat in the sugar, oil, milk and vanilla.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt and gently mix just to incorporate. DO NOT over mix, it will all come together and the more you mix the denser it gets..

Scoop one cup of the batter and transfer it to a separate mixing bowl. Now, in a small cup mix the cocoa powder with 3 tablespoons boiling water and stir vigorously with a fork until it's dissolved. Add this to the one cup of banana and mix until the chocolate is thoroughly smooth and incorporated.

Now back to the original plain banana batter; add 3 tablespoons of boiling water and mix the batter until just a bit smoother.

Lightly grease an 8×4 loaf pan. Scoop alternate 1/2 cupfuls of chocolate/banana batter into the loaf pan, Randomly. Then, take a dull knife and swirl it through the batter a few times. Don't over do it or it won't come out marbled!

Bake for 55 minutes, test as you would any ole cake or bread....

Not the best 'Marble' picture,
But it did REALLY work!

FAMILY TALLY: FULL FLEDGED MOTHER ****ING HIT!

(Humbly Adapted from a Isa Chandra Moskowitz recipe.)

TOO EASY: Oven Zucchini

Long before I started eating more vegetarian/vegan food, long before my kids could cook this themselves (not that they would), 

and long before i thought about blogging badly...

I made this every week. I still do. It's one of my die-hards. My i-can-make-this-in-my-sleep recipes.

I come from a long line of squash lovers, So it's no surprise i could eat all of this in one sitting. What IS a surprise is that my fairly veg loving offspring can't get on board with zucchini yet. Oh well.

This is the easiest thing ever, and really.....still the most delicious. Something about the sweetness of the zucchini with the caramelized outside bits. You can always throw these in soups and pastas, But I doubt there will be any left. 

And really, While i like a nice crunchy veg too..when you let these go just a little longer than that....magic happens.

OVEN ZUCCHINI

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Dried Italian seasoning

1 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar (if you like it)

several sprinkles Garlic powder

several sprinkles Onion powder

3 medium Zucchini, cut lengthwise into logs

1 sprinkle red pepper flakes

grated Parmesan

Add the first 6 ingredients to a foil lined baking sheet and mix together well , lay down the zucchini logs and gently coat by hand. Place them green end DOWN on the tray and sprinkle with the amount of red pepper flakes you can handle (Please be careful!)

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes on the second oven shelf, then check to make sure they are beginning to get soft.

after checking, quickly broil until golden (again....be careful and don't leave them. HOWEVER, I've eaten the burned version of these a million times...and believe me, it aint terrible ) 

(For decadence, Grate Parmesan over the top before broiling)

Best ever Oven Zucchini

HEY LOOK MY PICTURES ARE GETTING BETTER!

OPEN SESAME: High Protein Quinoa Date Granola Bar

                                           

Why am I calling it the Open Sesame Bar?  It's clearly a version of G. Paltrow's Bummer Bar (which PS...that name makes me NOT want to eat it) But it tastes SO like those goofy little sRemember those sesame bars from back in the day?

These Quinoa bars take me right back to being 8 years old, sitting in the back of some crappy car listening to

Fleetwood Mac sing GO YOUR OWN WAY....not a bad thing :)

Anyway, I didn't expect these to taste at all like those...and it's more of an essence, than an all over flavor. Weird, there isn't a bit of sesame in them. 

I also made this recipe my own. I wanted to try adding Hemp and I prefer dates over raisins. In retrospect I think apricots would work better for a slight tang to balance the spices.

OPEN SESAME: High Protein Quinoa Date Granola Bar

1 ½ cups quinoa flakes (you could use GF oats)

1/8 cup ground flaxseeds

1/8 Hulled hemp seeds

A pinch of fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup good-quality maple syrup

2 tablespoons light agave syrup

½ cup chopped dates

½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a brownie pan (I used a 9 x 11-inch dish that’s 2 inches high, which actually seemed a bit big) with parchment paper 

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and pour the mixture into the brownie pan. Pack the mixture down with a rubber spatula, slightly damp. 

Bake for ½ hour, or until the bars have firmed up and are golden brown. Let cool before removing from the pan. If you used a brownie pan, use the parchment to lift the bar out of the pan, and cut. Serve right away or store in an airtight container.

FAMILY TALLY: 2 yeahs, 1 no thank you, 1 not so much. HOWEVER! My entire office loved them and asked for more.

These are AMAZING. who knew?

Inspired by Bummer Bars

It’s All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen

CONFUSED: Kale Granola "Greenola" by New York Naturals

We like to trade foods here at the office. Most if us are in some sort of food restriction health kick. That's doesn't stop us from eating M&Ms...

Today F. Was "sweet" enough to bring me  some gluten free vegan granola.

 (I found this out later...

When he was going for said candy and I tried to keep him on the straight and narrow by offering him some of the snack he gave ME, he confessed he had tried it for breakfast with no success)

Raisin coconut "Greenola".

Yep it hits all the right buttons-vegan, green, gluten free etc

But it's just really odd. 

Massive chunks of dehydrated Kale with your average granola super stars thrown in. Its pretty much exactly like all the popular Kale chips, But in granola flavor. Nothing subtle here folks.

It's actually quite pretty and the ingredients are obviously high end.

But:

At first I wanted to spit it out. Then....I wanted more. 

I resolved to not eat it ever again. Then I ate more, and was sorry. 

It's very confusing.

I guess if you love kale, no matter what, this is for you. I personally cannot imagine inviting yoghurt to this particular party.

I think it's like putting broccoli in a cookie. We have to draw the line somewhere!!  But that's just me.

Family Tally: who are we kidding? I didn't bring it home. It would have gotten absolutely zero play there.