Paleo Coconut Power Bar Bites

Mmmm! A new recipe is here!

With a little time on my hands and some ripe bananas to use, I created a new bar recipe. This one is Paleo Coconut Power Bar Bites...and since it's Paleo, it's also gluten-free, dairy-free, with only naturally occurring sugars, (and accidentally vegan). These are a sweet treat, not unlike a cookie--so that's why I'm cutting mine into square inch bites.

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large Pyrex baking dish, combine:

• 5 small/medium ripe bananas (mashed)
• 2 cups shredded UNSWEETENED coconut
• 1 cup hemp hearts
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/3 cup goji berries
• 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)

In a separate bowl combine:

• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1 cup pitted dates (blended *I did mine with a hand blender along with the top two ingredients)

Mash the date blend into the Pyrex dish with the other mixed ingredients. Press evenly into the pan, and smooth edges.

Bake at 300 degrees for 50 minutes. Allow to cool. Cut into little bite size squares!

Enjoy :)

Roasted Chestnuts

It's that time of year (in Vancouver anyways...) that the roasted chestnut vendors scatter the streets downtown. Those difficult to peel, but delightful and filling bites are such a treat when you're doing your Christmas shopping, but have you ever considered making them at home? I sure hadn't...until I saw raw chestnuts on display at my local No Frills.

This is a super easy recipe that takes about 40 minutes. When shopping at the grocery store, pick the large round chestnuts with a smooth glossy shell. Keep them in the fridge until you're ready for them. From my research, they should last in the fridge about 2 weeks...but I wouldn't keep them that long.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Hold the pointy end of the chestnut from your forefinger to the flatter end with your thumb. Make a thin slice across the rounded part of the chestnut shell, making sure you cut through the shell part (but don't go too deep). Use a serrated knife, versus a smooth blade.

3. Toss the chestnuts into a pie pan, making sure there's only one layer (don't stack them)

4. Bake for 35 minutes.

5. Enjoy!

Superfood Superpower Nut Bars (Paleo Version of the Oat Bar)

I've been doing a lot of reading on the Paleo way of eating, and I think I might give it a try! In the meantime, I've been trying to eat up all the non-Paleo foods in my house (I hate wasting things), and have been buying a whole lot more veggies, fruit, and meat at the grocery store!

Because I'm OBSESSED with my new oat bars, I decided to play around with the recipe to try to make a Paleo version! They turned out great! Give them a try if you're trying to eliminate ALL grains.

If you're also looking to eliminate the maple syrup, I would suggest adding an additional banana to the mix- keep the apple sauce the same- OR use the equivalent amount of canned pumpkin in place of the maple syrup.

Here's the new recipe:

Paleo Fruit and Nut Bars:

¼ cup Goji Berries
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup black chia seeds
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
½ cup chopped almonds
3/4 cup hemp hearts
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped pecans

1 small mashed banana

½ cup unsweetened apple sauce

¼ cup maple syrup (or if you don't want to use this- try the equivalent of canned pumpkin!)

Here's a close up! Look at all that Paleo goodness!

Superfood Superpower Oat Bars

Tonight I created a recipe for an oat bar filled with healthy seeds, needs, and superfoods! Think protein,  healthy fats, and the added benefits of raw cacao, chia, and goji. Your body will love you.

Absolutely delicious- I hope you enjoy!

You will need:

½ cup roasted pecans, finely chopped

¼ cup goji berries

½ cup raw hemp hearts

2 tbsp raw cacao bits

2 tbsp black chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ cup rolled oats

1 small mashed banana

½ cup unsweetened apple sauce

¼ cup maple syrup

Roast chopped pecans in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes.

Add all ingredients into a bowl, and stir thoroughly.

Line a glass roasting dish with tin foil, pressing into the edges of the pan.

Press mixture into pan--trying to keep even throughout.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan.

Homemade Maple Caramel Popcorn

This is Canadian popcorn at its best. MAPLE caramel popcorn without the corn syrup!

Maple syrup is honestly a gift to man. It is absolutely glorious in all its forms. Have you ever had frozen maple on a stick? So good. Pick one up at your next Canadian farmer's market.

Recipe:

1-3 tbsp Avocado Oil (Coconut oil would also be a great option)
1 cup popcorn kernels

1/2 cup butter
1 cup maple syrup (the real deal!)
 dash sea salt

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Popcorn time! Add your oil to a large pot at medium/high heat. Cover, and gently shake occasionally until the popping stops.
3. Add your butter, maple syrup , and sea salt to a small saucepan. Stir continuously over medium heat. Once you see bubbles, stir for 5 more minutes.
4. Pour over popcorn immediately and stir.
5. Spread mixture onto baking sheets, and bake in oven for 10 minutes- stirring once halfway through.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Next time...I'll add bacon bits!

Product Review: Lander's Australian Macadamia Shortbread

So the time may have passed for shortbread...if you only eat cookies during Christmas! I say, cookies all year round!

In my stocking this year I found a box of Lander's Australian Macadamia Shortbread. Boxed gluten-free goods, you say? I'm always skeptical. I waited to open the box for a week or so before one night my sugar craving was so intense I tore open the box hoping to find greatness on the inside.

Sooooooooo yummmmmmmmmy........

I could easily eat 5 of these cookies if I didn't hold myself back. So deliciously buttery, and a texture just like traditional shortbread. They DO contain dairy, so if you're exceptionally allergic to dairy, unfortunately you can't eat them. I'm not sure how much--- I really don't find myself reacting to them at all.

I haven't seen them anywhere except London Drugs. They were sold out at one location, so it appears that others may have discovered the greatness of these cookies. They come in at $4.50 a box. London Drugs carries a fantastic amount of gluten-free goods--from cookies and crackers, to cereal, to flours! It's an awesome place to check out for a little bit of grocery shopping! The London Drugs on Georgia/Granville has a much larger grocery section than the one on Davie/Cardero. I haven't been to others in town.

Mexican Hummus Recipe!

Hello!

So I created a delicious recipe I wanted to share with you all!

I named it Mexican Hummus because of it's delicious lime flavour, and cayenne and cilantro tones.

This hummus is dairy-free, and gluten-free, but most importantly GARLIC-FREE, so you can eat as much as you want without the embarrassing post-hummus bad breath!

Not only is making your own hummus easy, but it's incredibly healthy! Choose to use canned chickpeas or make your own from dried chickpeas! (The trick is to add a touch of baking soda when soaking the chickpeas- this will help keep their skins on!)

Mexican Hummus

You will need:

2 cups Chickpeas

4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tbsp Organic Tahini

1/4 cup Lime Juice

1 Jalapeño (I used a White Jalapeño)

1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1/8 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender.

Blend on a low speed until mixed. You may have to stop and stir- this could be too thick for some blenders.

Garnish with a cilantro sprig, and serve with chopped vegetables, or corn tortilla chips!

I love snacks.

Who doesn't love the crunch of a potato chip? I have spent many years training on how to eat entire bags of chips in one sitting.

Potato chips are risky if you've got allergies though.

Watch out for MALT vinegar- GLUTEN

Watch out for all sorts of dairy ingredients. I used to ignore dairy if it was in chips...but it really isn't something you should do.

Watch out for WHEAT. It's sneaky and can show up in the chip, or in the seasoning.

I went out to Whole Foods, and under recommendation from a friend, bought Pop Chips. They are always gluten-free, and some of their flavours are vegan.
My verdict:
Disappointing...They're "popped" so they have the consistency of more of a rice cake than a potato chip. I wasn't crazy about the Salt and Vinegar flavour either. Probably won't buy them again.

There are so many wonderful brands of gluten-free snacks. Mostly made of corn or rice, they are sure to satisfy.

Buy some blue corn chips and dip them in some fresh salsa.
Buy some Kettle Brand chips- but watch out for dairy and malt in a few of their flavours.
Buy some rice crisps...my favourite are Lundberg Rice Chips- try the Sesame and Seaweed flavour.


HOWEVER: If you like to avoid chips in general- there is a solution....

KALE CHIPS!

I've found that Black Kale is the best type of kale to go with if you're going to use this recipe. The leaves are thicker and make for a better "chip". Look for darker, denser kale at the grocery store that looks like this...





LAURA'S KALE CHIP RECIPE:

Heat oven to 275 degrees F.

In a bowl, separate the leaves of kale from their thick stems. (A trick for this is to pinch the stem between two fingers, and slide up towards the top of the leaf. It separates the tough stem from the leaf. Any stem that comes with the leaf is fine enough to eat)

Drip a SMALL amount of olive oil over the leaves, and massage in with your hands.

Add some freshly cracked sea salt...or if you don't have a garlic allergy like me, sprinkle some garlic powder over the leaves.

Arrange leaves (leave spaces between each....this is very important!!) on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Bake in oven for approximately 10 minutes- leaves should be crispy, but NOT brown.

And finally...

CONSUME!