No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Ingredients:

3 cups crisp brown rice cereal 

1.5 cup puffed millet 

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup honey

1 cup natural creamy peanut butter 

1 cup protein powder of choice (I use ½ cup unflavored whey and ½ cup vanilla casein) 

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (chilled in freezer)

Directions:

Line a 9 x 13” baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the honey and nut butter in a small saucepan over low heat and stir together. Cook for a few minutes until they are melted and thoroughly combined then remove from heat and set aside.

Add the brown rice cereal, millet, and protein powder to the saucepan and stir everything together until well-combined and slightly cooled. Lastly, add the frozen chocolate chips (this helps keep them from completely melting) and stir a few times. Sometimes I need to add a bit of water to make the mixture stick together better.

Transfer the mixture to the lined baking dish and use a damp glass to press and roll the mixture (re-wetting as necessary to prevent sticking) until the surface is as even as possible. Freeze for about an hour, cut into bars and return to the freezer until ready to eat.

Adapted from this recipe

 

Greens and Quinoa Waldorf Salad With Creamy Orange Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the Salad:

mixed greens
2-3 chopped celery stalks (chop really small)
1 pint halved cherry tomatoes
1-2 chopped apple(s)
2-3 tbs chopped fresh basil
Crumbled feta cheese, to taste
Cooked quinoa (1 cup quinoa cooked in 2 cups water)
½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
Homemade Creamy Orange Basil Vinaigrette

For the Dressing:

3 tbs apple cider vinegar
1-2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs plain Greek yogurt
3 tbs fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well until combined.

A note on dressing: the olive oil, orange juice, and honey will all make it “sweeter” and the vinegar (or lemon juice in other recipes) will make it more tart. Always taste the dressing and adjust until you like it.

Directions

1. Put celery, tomatoes, apple, and basil in a bowl the size you would normally fill for your family
2. Top with enough mixed greens to almost fill the bowl
3. Add cooked and cooled quinoa (you can run it under cold water for a bit to cool it if it wasn’t prepared ahead of time)
4. Add dressing and feta to taste and toss to coat evenly

This will serve 4-6 as a main course. Could add grilled chicken if desired.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

This recipe is only slightly adapted from this website. It is awesome--the best "healthy" banana bread I have tried--and I have tried a lot. It's a great after school snack that everyone will enjoy!

Yield: 1 (9x5-in) loaf or 4 mini loafs

Ingredients:

For the wet ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups (320 g) mashed very ripe banana (about 4 medium or 3 large. On occasion, I have only had 2 bananas and I have used enough apple sauce to make up the rest.)
• 2 tablespoons (15 g) ground flaxseed
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) milk (I like almond milk)
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract

For the dry ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (60 g) coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup (50 g) rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups (210 g) white whole wheat flour
• Chopped walnuts, and/or mini chocolate chips, for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with oil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth, and make sure you have 1 1/3 cups.
3. Stir the wet ingredients (ground flax, milk, melted oil, maple syrup, and vanilla) into the banana until combined.
4. Stir the dry ingredients (sugar, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour) into the wet mixture, one by one, in the order listed. Stop stirring when there are no flour patches at the bottom of the bowl.
5. Spoon the dough into the loaf pan and spread out evenly. Add your desired toppings and gently press them into the dough to adhere.
6. Bake the loaf, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes, until lightly golden and firm on top. The top of the loaf should slowly spring back when touched.
7. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Then, slide a knife around the loaf to loosen it and gently remove it from the pan, placing it directly onto the cooling rack until completely cooled.

Almond Chocolate Protein Bars

 These are a true protein bar, with about 19 grams of protein per bar.

Ingredients:

·      2 cups vanilla protein powder

·      ½ cup oat flour (I just put whole rolled oats into the blender until it resembles flour)

·      1.5 cups almond meal (I use the blender for whole almonds and blend until a coarse meal forms)

·      1 cup chopped almonds (once again, with the blender—just pulse a few times or use sliced or slivered almonds)

·      ½ cup pumpkin seeds, coarsely chopped

·      1 cup crisp brown rice

·      2 tbs almond butter

·      2 tbs honey

·      ¾ cup almond milk (or other milk)

·      ½ tsp vanilla extract

·      ¼ tsp almond extract

·      100 grams dark or semi-sweet chocolate

Directions:

1.     Place chocolate in a bowl over a small sauce pot of water and melt over medium heat

2.     Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and mix well.

3.     Combine wet ingredient in blender

4.     Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Mixture will have the consistency of cookie dough.

5.     Put mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish lined with parchment paper. Put more parchment paper over the top and press with hands or rolling pin or a glass until it is pressed in and packed tight. Remove paper and spread chocolate evenly over the top. Freeze for several hours. Cut into 20 equal portions. Store in freezer for up to 3 months or refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Slow Cooker Apple/Pear Butter

Ingredients:

• Apples and/or pears--enough to fill your slow cooker
• Cinnamon--to taste. I added about 1 tsp

Directions:

1. Wash, core, and cut apples/pears into eighths--no need to peel them
2. Add to slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours. Stir a couple of times to make sure it doesn't stick.
3. Scoop the chunks into a high-speed blender and blend until the skins are pulverized. If you  have a Blendtec, I ran the "sauces" setting twice using the wild side jar in two batches.
4. Add it back to the slow cooker along with about 1 tsp. of cinnamon
5. Cook on high, uncovered for about 45 minutes

I used honeycrisp apples and whatever pears I have on my trees and it didn't need any sweetener at all. This has been the case each year when I have made it. You could add a bit of maple syrup if you feel it needs it. I scoop it into glass jars with room at the top and freeze it. I have no idea if it works for canning.

No-Bake Coconut Granola Bars

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup crisp brown rice cereal
• 1 cup puffed millet
• 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup unflavored protein powder
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons ground flax
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup roasted almond butter
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• Optional: dried tart cherries, mini chocolate chips-to your taste

Directions:

1. Line a 9X13" baking dish with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, brown rice cereal, puffed millet, almonds, protein powder, unsweetened coconut, and ground flax.
3. In a medium pot over low heat, melt the coconut oil. Stir in the almond butter, brown rice syrup, and vanilla.
4. pour wet mixture over dry and stir well until thoroughly combined. Add optional ingredients (if you are using chocolate chips, they will be added later), and a pinch of salt and stir again.
5. Spoon mixture into the pan and spread out. If using, sprinkle on the chocolate chips (about 3 TBS). Wet hands and the bottom of a drinking glass and press the mixture in firmly until even, re-wetting hands and glass as needed. You will want to pack it in really tight so they hold together better.
6. Transfer pan to the freezer for at least 10 minutes, slice into bars and store in the freezer or refrigerator.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars

This was one of the first grain-free baked goods recipes I tried. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical--but pleasantly surprised with the results. I think they're better than bars made with grain. They are so moist you won't believe it! I have no idea how long they can be stored because they are always gone shortly after they are pulled from the oven. Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup almond butter
• 2/3 cup honey
• 4 whole eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9" x 13" pan generously.
2. Combine pumpkin puree, almond butter, honey, and eggs in a medium mixing bowl and beat well until a smooth batter forms.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well until it is all incorporated.
4. Transfer the batter to the greased pan and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the center is firm.
5. Allow to cool completely in the pan, then cut and serve!