Saturday, September 15, 2012

Crunchy Granola Bars - great for kids and adults :)


Crunchy Granola Bars

1 ½ cups Puffed Rice
1 ½ cups Rolled Oats
½ cup Quinoa Cereal
2/3  cup cranberries
½ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup almond butter
¼ cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup honey
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line and 8- or 9-inch square pan with a long sheet of parchment paper (so ends extend over edges of pan).
2. Mix the puffed rice, oats, quinoa cereal, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the almond butter, brown rice syrup, honey, brown sugar and vanilla until sugar has melted and the almond butter has thinned.
4. Pour the liquid mixture on top of the dry ingredients, mixing well. When everything is equally coated, spread the mixture into the pan. Press the mixture down with the bottom of a measuring cup or the back of a wooden spoon. Bake for about 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. When you remove the pan from the oven, again use the back of a wooden spoon to press the bars flat. Allow to cool completely before touching them again.
6. When totally cooled and hard, lift the ends of the parchment and put onto a cutting board and cut into bars or squares. Store them in a ziploc bag at room temperature.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Gambas a la Plancha!


A great recipe from one of my favorite shows, Take Home Chef...

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons/45 ml olive oil
2 teaspoons/less than 2 g chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon/less than 1 g dried crushed red pepper
12 large shrimp (1/2 pound/240 g), peeled and deveined
Salt
1/2 lemon
PREPARATION:
  1. Combine the oil, tarragon and crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Marinate the shrimp at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt.
  2. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and cook for 1 1/2 minutes per side, or just until the shrimp are cooked through. Squeeze the lemon over the shrimp and toss thoroughly to coat with the lemon juice. Transfer the shrimp and the pan sauce to small tapas dishes and serve.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Lean, Mean and Green - a tasty breakfast smoothie

1/2 cup of coconut milk
1/2 strawberries
1/2 frozen banana
3 stalks of kale
1 serving of protein powder - I like pea protein (http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Pea-Protein-lbs/dp/B001DB4MFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347374762&sr=8-1&keywords=now+pea+protein)
1 TBS chia seeds/hemp seeds OR flax (if using flax seeds grind them in a coffee grinder first)
some honey to taste - depending on how sweet you like it
some water to thin

Blend and enjoy! This morning shake has 28 grams of protein, omega 3's and omega 6's, more than 6 grams of fiber and a cup of raw veggies!!

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