Quinoa Energy Bars

Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons almond butter

1/2 cup cacao nibs or bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Mix well.
2. Line 8x8 baking dish or pan with plastic wrap with it overhanging the edges.
3. Press mixture into dish.
4. Chill until firm at least 20 minutes.  
5. Take out of refrigerator and flip onto a cutting board.  
6. Peel off plastic wrap. 
7. Cut into 16 portions.
8. Individually wrap or layer in an airtight container with plastic wrap or wax paper.

I found this recipe in a publication called Bottom Line Health. June 2013 Issue.

http://magazine-order.com/bottom-line-health.html?adt=420580&kw=bottom+line+health

Changes I made

Substituted walnuts for raw sunflower seeds(problems with digesting sunflower seeds)

Substituted dried cranberries for dried cherries(cheaper)

Substituted old-fashioned oats for quick oats(I like the texture of old-fashioned oats better)

Quinoa with Pesto and Kale

Ingredients
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon wheatgrass powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups kale, sliced into thin ribbons about 2 inches long

Directions
1.  Soak sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 30 minutes or until soft.  Drain. Slice thinly.
2.  Use a food processor to blend basil, pine nuts, oil, wheatgrass powder, and
sea salt into pesto sauce.
3.  In a large bowl , toss pesto with quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes, and kale.   Serve cold or gently heat.
Serves 4 to 6

I based my recipe off of one in the magazine Mother Earth Living called Quinoa with Secret Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes but I made quite a few changes. I don't know what issue I took it out of.

Here is a link to order the magazine.  It is not available online.
https://www.motherearthliving.com/subscribe/subscribe.aspx?promocode=EMLGODAB&gclid=CNj-lY6g_rgCFfFDMgodWzEASQ

The changes I made:
Used pine nuts instead of hemp seeds
Omitted 1/3 cup essential fatty acid (EFA) oil
Omittted 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
Omitted 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
Used kale instead of baby spinach

Cacao Almond Butter Fudge

Ingredients

2 cups almond butter (use raw and unsalted if you can)

¼ cup cacao powder

½ cup pure maple syrup (no high fructose corn syrup)

1 TBSP vanilla extract

Optional

sea salt

1 cup chopped walnuts or your choice (optional)

Directions

1. Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. If it's hard to mix, microwave for 1 minute.

2.  Line pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap and flatten. Use a 7x9 or 8x8 pan.

3.  Optional - sprinkle with sea salt

4.  Place pan in freezer for an hour.

5.  Remove from freezer and flip out of pan.

6.  Cut into squares.

7. Place squares in air tight container.  Place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.

8.  Store in freezer.

Notes:  

Chances are your almond butter was in the refrigerator.  Allow it to become room temperature.  That will help make the mixing easier.

Everything is raw except the maple syrup.  That has to be cooked.  Super yummy.  

Careful, you might eat too many!

Hazelnut Protein Bars

Ingredients
2 Cups Cheerios or oat cereal
1 cup chocolate meal replacement shake powder or chocolate (soy or whey) protein powder
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
1 Tablespoon water
 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions
1 Microwave the honey, maple syrup, Nutella, water and vanilla on high for one minute.  Mix until smooth.
2.  Add the powder, oatmeal and rice cereal.  Mix together.
3. Press into an 8x8 pan and freeze for 10 minutes to harden.  Cut into 8 equal portions for meal replacement or smaller for a snack.  Wrap or put in snack size baggies and keep in refrigerator or freezer.

Notes
To decide whether to use meal replacement shake powder or just straight protein powder just depends on your protein needs.  The protein powder will make the bars higher in protein.

To make this recipe vegan use soy protein for the powder and use maple syrup or agave nectar instead of the honey.
This recipe is gluten free if you use gluten free certified ingredients.  I don't have Celiac's disease I just like avoiding wheat gluten because my body doesn't digest it very well. :)

This recipe was originally a Herbalife Meal Replacement Bar recipe.

                                             

No Bake Vanilla Protein Bars

Ingredients
2 Cups Rice Krispies or rice cereal
1 cup vanilla meal replacement shake powder or vanilla (soy or whey) protein powder
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup almond butter
1 Tablespoon water
 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions
1 Microwave the honey, maple syrup, almond butter, water and vanilla on high for one minute.  Mix until smooth.
2.  Add the powder, oatmeal and rice cereal.  Mix together.
3. Press into an 8x8 pan and freeze for 10 minutes to harden.  Cut into 8 equal portions for meal replacement or smaller for a snack.  Wrap or put in snack size baggies and keep in refrigerator or freezer.

Notes
To decide whether to use meal replacement shake powder or just straight protein powder just depends on your protein needs.  The protein powder will make the bars higher in protein.

To make this recipe vegan use soy protein for the powder and use maple syrup or agave nectar instead of the honey.
This recipe is gluten free if you use gluten free certified ingredients.  I don't have Celiac's disease I just like avoiding wheat gluten because my body doesn't digest it very well. :)

This recipe was originally a Herbalife Meal Replacement Bar recipe.
                                                                  

Immunity Soup

1 T. olive oil or use water to cook the onions if you are avoiding fat

1 large onion chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

4 cups homemade or low/reduced vegetable broth

1 cup dried lentils – any color – I used green

1 cup chopped button mushrooms

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomato

1 medium sweet potato chopped

1 cup fresh brewed green tea

1 cup fresh spinach or 1 10 ounce package frozen spinach

Sea salt to taste

Pepper to taste

In large pot heat oil on medium heat.  Add chopped onion and cook until light brown approx. 8 minutes stirring to avoid burning.  Add spices and stir.  Add broth and lentils.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Bring back to a boil and then simmer again for 10-15 more minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.

Anti-inflammatory Green Drink

2 cups spinach
1-2 medium cucumbers approx. 2 cups
1 stalk celery
1 inch ginger root peeled (2 tsp.)
1 bunch chopped parsley
2 apples, cored
juice of 1 lime  (2-3 Tablespoons)
1 lemon juice of (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 cups of water
a handful of ice cubes(optional, probably best for when it's hot)

Put everything in the blender and blend!

I'm trying this instead of ibuprofen!

I replaced water for apple juice in the original recipe.  It cuts down the calories and I figured it had apples in it already.  If you do use apple juice, use natural unsweetened.
I think I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Mary Docter.