Protein Bars ... Mix, Bake, Grab and Go!

Eat Clean Diet - Power Protein Bars
If you haven't discovered Tosca Reno's series called "The Eat Clean Diet." Walk, no wait - run to your nearest bookstore. Wondering where to start? Pick up a copy of The Eat Clean Diet - Recharged! Tosca's series offers a wealth of nutritional knowledge and a lifestyle of eating that is so easily accomodated into your day-to-day life. I've been following her principals of eating clean for over a year now and never once have I felt like I was unsatisfied or on some sort of unreasonable diet. Yes, the title does say "diet" - but trust me, this is a lifestyle! and if you're passionate about being healthy and giving your body optimal nutrition through food than this is for you!

These delicious protein bars are super easy to make and don't last long in our kitchen! Good for breakfast on the go and or pre or post workout energy snack! Look for the recipe in Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Cookbook!
For this recipe you will need to make 1 1/2 cups of yogurt cheese. This is super easy to make! Feel free to use this as a base for savory dips, spreads and dressings too!

YOGURT CHEESE

Method:
1. Place 4 layers of damp cheesecloth in a fine mesh sieve or colander. Place the colander over a bowl.

2. Add 1 1/2 - 2 cups plain non-fat yogurt and let it drain overnight in the fridge. *I've let it sit for as short as 2 hours and the recipe has turned out just fine. I also like to use non-fat plain greek yogurt*

3. Discard the water from the bowl.

EAT CLEAN DIET POWER PROTEIN BARSClean cooking spray (I like to use my olive oil Misto)
1 cup whey or soy protein powder (I like to use Promasil, by Rivalus - Vanilla)
1/2 cup quinoa flour or flour of your choice - oat, amaranth, millet, spelt, kamut
2 cups rolled oats - not instant
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup coarsley chopped flaxseed
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp sea salt (don't skip this!)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup Sucanat, Agave Nectar or honey (I use sucanat)
1 cup dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 1/2 - 2 cups yogurt cheese
1/4 cup avacado oil, canola oil - or healthy oil of your choice. (I love to use virgin coconut oil - warmed to liquid state)
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees Farenheit. Coat a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan with Eat-Clean Cooking Sray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine protein powder, flour, oats, oat bran, flaxsseed, wheat germ, seal salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sucanat or other sweetener. Stir in brooken chocolate pieces.

3. In another bowl, mix the Yogurt Cheese, oils and vanilla. Mix well. Add the Yogurt Cheese mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix with wooden spoon and then using clean hands lightly coated in olive oil continue to combine well.

4. Place mixture in prepared pan. Press it down and even out the top. Bake on middle rack in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool and cut the dough into bars. Place these bars on a cookie sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper and bake again for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer to wire cooling rack and let cool. Place in airtight container and store in refridgerator. Makes anywhere from 20-24 bars, depending on how big you cut them.

Nutritional Information:
Serving: 1 bar Calories: 290; Calories from Fat: 73 Protein: 15g; Total Carbs: 40g; Total Fat: 8g; Fibre: 5g; Sodium: 80 mg.

Favourite Banana Bread

I've tried many different banana bread recipes. This one is by far our favourite! I added some dark chocolate this time. I don't normally add it but decided to make it more of a treat for my sweetie! :)
 
Enjoy!

Ingredients

·         3 egg whites

·         3 ripe bananas, mashed

·         1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

·         1/2 cup Sucanat (you'll find this in the organic section. It is free-flowing organic brown sugar)

·         2 cups oat flour (could also use whole wheat flour or spelt flour, but they are slightly higher calorie)

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon sea salt

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·     50 grams of dark chocolate chopped into small chunks (optional). I like to use half of a Just Us Fair Trade dark chocolate bar.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl beat egg whites then add mashed bananas, applesauce & sweetener. Mix thoroughly. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt). Then add the wet mixture to the dry mixture & lightly blend together. Fold in dark chocolate pieces. Pour mixture into a non stick loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry. Let the loaf stand in the pan for 10 minutes, then slice & serve.

Nutritional Information

Per slice: Calories: 137 Fat: 2.5g Carbs: 32g Fiber: 6.3 Sugars: 6.2g Protein: 4.7g
Note: Nutritional information does not include chocolate.

Brown Rice Tortilla Chips! Yes, Please!

I've been on a mission to cut out gluten as I'm finally acknowledging a sensitivity, if not strong intolerance to it. I've tried on and off to stay away from it, but this is the first time I have fully committed myself to it. Going onto my third week and feeling amazing!

I've been trying to find ways to incorporate grain-based carbohydrates outside of my regular and abundant fruits and vegetables (a.k.a., Natures Vitamins!)

I recently bought a package of gluten-free brown rice tortillas and soon discovered that they weren't the soft tortillas that most of us are accustomed to. Not surprising, really. I didn't mind the texture or the chewiness and did manage to enjoy a banana, coconut, flax-seed and natural peanut butter roll-up (yummy quick grab complete snack!). So what to do with left over tortillas? Why not try my hand at baking tortilla chips. Seemed easy enough!

Many homemade recipes call for frying but since the idea of bathing any food in copious amounts of oil doesn't exactly fulfil my holistic approach to cooking I decided to bake them - and success!

Free free to use another whole-grain tortilla of your choice, although be sure to keep a close watch when baking as they may require less or more time.

When I was eating whole grains I preferred to eat 100% sprouted grains as they are unprocessed and often organic, both of which increase the health benefits dramatically. Sprouted grains are high in anti-oxidants, promote healthy digestion, are a good source of protein and have a low glycemic index, which helps you feel fuller longer. The Ezekiel brand offers you many sprouted grain products and can be found in the organic freezer section of most grocery stores.

Enjoy!

Brown Rice Tortilla Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Cut tortilla into 8 wedges (a pizza cutter works great!)

Spread out wedges on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

Mist with olive oil (I have a Misto which lets me use my own EVOO)

Sprinkle lightly with 1/8 - 1/4 tsp of sea salt

Feel free to get creative and sprinkle with other spices; such as garlic powder, chilli powder, smoked paprika, cumin, rosemary, cracked black pepper or thyme.

Bake for 5-7 minutes until light golden brown. Watch carefully because they will brown up pretty quick!

Now get a healthy dip and get dippin' :)

Nutritional Information * please note, this will change if you use a whole wheat or multigrain tortilla

Serving size: 1 tortilla = 8 wedges
Calories: 150
Carbs: 24g
Fat: 5g
Protein: 2g

So, here it is! The beginning of my first blog! I cannot wait to share with you my passion for healthy cooking! Stay tuned... new flavors and aromas will soon be coming to your own kitchen!