Bird Bars

I recently visited my good friends Betsy, Fipp, and their newborn son James in Bloomington, Indiana (if anyone is a Parks & Rec fan, you understand why this was doubly exciting). The wonderful Betsy wanted to make sure I was well-fed for my plane ride home, so we stopped by the speciality co-op grocery store to grab some snacks on our way to the airport. Who knew there would be such a plethora of gluten / dairy / processed-free cuisine in Indiana? It's true. I had as many options as any kale-laden California Whole Foods could dream up. One of the things I grabbed was this housemade sesame and sunflower seed bar. I loved it; chewy, crunchy, rich, sweet, satisfying (Betsy, on the other hand, wasn't interested since she had Isabella's cookies at home). 


I had been meaning to make something like this for a while - an "energy" bar for a sweet super filling portable snack / dessert. And the sesame seed based dessert appealed to the Israeli in me. So the next morning back home, I found a similar seed bar recipe, cooked it up...and have been making them every week since. 


The combinations are endless, like granola. Pick your nuts, seeds, dried fruit if you like, binding agent, mix together and set in the fridge. This is just one variation, but we love it. Plus, it has oats for fiber and flax for brain to balance out the seed/nut fat content.

INGREDIENTS
oats (1/3 cup) gluten-free version if desired
unsweetened coconut (1/3 cup) I use shredded coconut, you can also use flakes
peanuts (1/4 cup)
cashews (1/4 cup)
sunflower seeds (1/4 cup)
toasted sesame seeds (2/3 cup)
ground flax (4 T)
honey (1/3 cup) I use Acacia honey for a low glycemic index; vegans can use maple syrup
peanut butter (1/3 cup) salt and sugar free

DIRECTIONS

1. Finely grind oats and coconut in food processor and then pour into mixing bowl.
2. Pulse peanuts and cashews in food processor until evenly ground. Leave slightly chunky. Add to oat/coconut mixture. 
3. Add sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax.
4. Melt and mix together honey and peanut butter in small pan. Remove from heat, let cool, then add to seed/nut mixture and combine with hands. Make sure everything is evenly mixed, it takes a sticky second.
5. Pour into 8x8"-ish glass dish and press down firmly (this is key) until it forms a solid brick mass. Cover and pop in the fridge.

Enjoy! xo, J

Vegan Cookie Dough (thanks, Amanda!)

The great Amanda Karkoutly (brilliant cook and friend) introduced this recipe to Justin and me a few months ago. She takes great pride in her healthy, delicious, diverse cooking and always abundantly feeds her friends and guests. I am super fortunate to have her as a culinary guide and inspiration. Justin near lost his mind over this vegan cookie dough. I finally got around to making it last week, but keep eating most of it before anyone else has a chance (I get gremlin sometimes).


INGREDIENTS
chickpeas (1 can) rinsed well, skin peeled off for a smoother texture (although I have never taken the time to do so)
peanut butter or almond butter (3 Tbsp) peanut butter will lend it a more PB flavor
maple syrup (2 Tbsp) add more if you want it sweeter
oats (1 Tbsp) I get the gluten/wheat free ones 
almond milk (1 Tbsp) use as desired for a thinning agent
dark chocolate chips I get ones with at least 72% cocoa to minimize blood sugar spikes/falls or break up a dark chocolate bar. You can also get a vegan variety. I usually always prefer cookie dough without any chips at all (I know this is sacrilege to most people).
vanilla extract (2 tsp) preferably the kind without added sugar, most vanilla extracts are mostly sugar


DIRECTIONS

1. Blend everything in the food processor until the texture is creamy smooth.
2. Add chocolate chips.
3. Chill in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors settle. (I rarely do this before eating half the batter straight from the processor.)

Great with apples, alone, on toasted brown rice bread with some kosher salt and maple syrup drizzled on top, or combined with the vegan chocolate pudding and berries.

Vegan Chocolate Spread & Pudding

After researching The China Study, seeing/reading Forks Over Knives, and learning about plant-based lifestyles, I'm playing around with eating only fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains these days. I am curious how it will effect my health and change the meals in our home. The first thing I did was make a bunch of snacky dishes to last through the week (shout out to Amanda Barnes who is amazing at doing this all the time, i.e. her garbanzo bean cookie dough dip). So this week I made some hummus, Cranberry Applesauce, and vegan CHOCOLATE PUDDING. This is a solid dessert recipe. The avocado provides a creamy texture and soaks up the cocoa flavor. If the avocados totally freak you out, peanut butter also works deliciously well (see below for ratio). You can also create more of a "spread" or "pudding" consistency depending on your preference. It's great with raspberries or spread on toasted brown rice bread with peanut butter. 


INGREDIENTS
avocados (2)
unsweetened cocoa powder (1/2 cup) 
dates (1/2 cup) pitted, soaked in water for an hour, drained (I don't soak them, but they don't blend as easily); if you have a sweet tooth, double the quantity
pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)


PEANUT BUTTER VARIATION

peanut butter (1 cup) organic with no added salt or sugar; this ratio can be used instead of the avocados

FOR A PUDDING TEXTURE
almond milk (1/4-1/2 cup) wait until all ingredients are combined and then incorporate a little at a time until desired consistency is reached

DIRECTIONS

1. Throw the dates in the food processor and pulse into a paste. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. (This can be a little tedious since it's so thick and spits up on the sides. If you end up digging this recipe, make a larger batch so it mixes easier.)
3. Transfer to a bowl or individual serving bowls and chill several hours before serving.