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Gingery Pepita Energy Bars – a little spicy, a little salty and a little sweet and only around 150 calories!

Dairy Free, Dessert, Favorites, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Raw, Six Ingredients or Less, Snack, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 1 Response »

May 182013

Gingery Pepita Bars – a little spicy, a little salty and a little sweet.

Gingery Pepita Energy Bars

100% delicious.

Gingery Pepita Energy Bars

These are so satisfying and EASY to make – you’ll never spend money on pre-made bars again. I’ve been making tons of variations of these with whatever is on sale. I simply add enough dates, raisins or prunes so that the mixture just stays together and then shape into bites or bars.

Bars are perfect to grab on a busy day when you just won’t have a lot of time to eat and make a great breakfast or snack. The cashews and dates will give you tons of energy, ginger aids in digestion and has anti-inflammatory powers, and pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, are a great source of zinc, protein and iron.

Say no to store bought bars!

Gingery Pepita Energy Bars

Gingery Pepita Energy Bars

Serves 4
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe
**Ingredients on sale now at Native Sun Natural Food Market, May 7 – June 6

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped dried dates
1/3 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger (ginger chews)**
1/8 tsp coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp whole pumpkin seeds (pepitas)**

Directions

1. Place all ingredients except whole pumpkin seeds in a food processor and pulse until combined. Mix pepitas in by hand and roll into a ball; press onto parchment paper and form a square; cut into four sections.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 156.4
Total Fat 5.8 g
Saturated Fat 1.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 77.6 mg
Potassium 221.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 26.8 g
Dietary Fiber 2.4 g

Sugars 17.3 g
Protein 2.5 g
Vitamin B-6 4.0 %
Vitamin C 0.2 %
Vitamin E 5.4 %
Calcium 1.5 %
Copper 15.5 %
Folate 4.0 %
Iron 5.1 %
Magnesium 9.7 %
Manganese 9.3 %
Niacin 2.8 %
Pantothenic Acid 4.0 %
Phosphorus 8.7 %
Riboflavin 2.4 %
Selenium 4.9 %
Thiamin 2.3 %
Zinc 5.0 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Enjoy my Gingery Pepita Energy Bars!

Warm Fruited Quinoa

Appetizer, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Favorites, Kid Friendly, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Main Meal, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Jan 182013

Warm Fruited Quinoa

Olive oil, various fruits, nuts and warm spices are typical in Moroccan cuisine – so here I did a twist on that with quinoa and olive oil and then added some dried fruits and seasoned it simply with salt and pepper.

If you feel adventurous try adding any of the following herbs and spices:

Fresh Mint
Cinnamon
Cumin
Ginger
Saffron

Each of these or any combination will change the flavors of this dish and make it unique.

Dates, Raisins and Walnuts

Why did I not add any of those spices?

Because, in this case, simple is perfect. I love the soft, warm quinoa and the flavorful olive oil with the crunch of walnuts; the sweet dates and raisins and the touch of sea salt. Mmmm…….

Add a grilled protein on top and up the serving to half cup and you have a lovely entree!

Warm Fruited Quinoa

Serves 8, 1/4 cup servings
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe
**Ingredients on sale now at Native Sun Natural Foods Market

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa**
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth**
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup chopped dates (I used Medjool dates)
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil**
1/8 tsp coarse grind sea salt and some fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Rinse quinoa and heat in a small saucepan with vegetable broth over medium high heat; bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover; cook 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. Separate 2 cups of the cooked quinoa and reserve the remaining for a later use.

2. Add walnuts, dates, raisins, olive oil, salt and pepper to the quinoa. Stir to combine and serve warm.

Nutrition Facts
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 129.1
Total Fat 4.9 g
Saturated Fat 0.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 20.5 mg
Potassium 84.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19.8 g
Dietary Fiber 1.9 g
Sugars 7.4 g
Protein 3.0 g

Vitamin B-6 1.9 %
Vitamin C 0.4 %
Vitamin E 1.7 %
Calcium 0.7 %
Copper 3.8 %
Folate 1.1 %
Iron 9.0 %
Magnesium 2.2 %
Manganese 6.8 %
Niacin 0.8 %
Pantothenic Acid 0.5 %
Phosphorus 16.5 %
Riboflavin 32.6 %
Selenium 0.5 %
Thiamin 1.4 %
Zinc 0.8 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Cocoa Truffles

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Quick and Easy, Raw, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 2 Responses »

Mar 102010

Moving forward with the truffle idea that originated from Chocolate Covered Katie, I whipped up some simple yet delicous ones with my mini food processor. I got to eat a few of them and somehow my mom ended up with the rest. Mom this recipe is for you!

Cocoa Truffles

Ingredients

1 cup dates
1/4 cup prunes
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts
3 Tbsp dark cocoa
2 Tbsp Sunbutter

Directions

1. Mix everything together in a food processor.

2. Form desired size truffle balls.

3. Refrigerate leftovers.

Raw Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cup Truffles

Dairy Free, Dessert, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Raw, Soy Free, Vegan 4 Responses »

Feb 152010

Weekend visits with my grandmother while I was growing up were magical. First on our list to do was a trip to Kings Castle Land. Upon arriving at this small amusement park in Whitman, Mass you would cross a drawbridge over a moat. As a child I found this sort of thing very entertaining.

Nothing is better than a drawbridge and moat.

Ok maybe there are a few things just as good.

Such as a roller coaster, petting zoo with very cute goats, play ground, slides, house of mirrors and the most wonderful gift shop you ever saw filled with all kinds of enchanting trinkets and toys.

Now for the Debbie Downer part. Very sadly, the park closed in 1994 and became a used car lot and later a Stop and Shop but the memories from there are irreplaceable. Is that even legal? To crush childhood dreams for a used car lot and a Stop and Shop? Well it most definitely should not be.

Back to the point. Secondly on our list of things to do was to head for the local natural food stores. My grandmother followed a macrobiotic diet which is grain and plant based and promotes whole, unprocessed foods. I love the smell of the small, local natural food stores. Don’t you? They just smell healthier. Maybe because they don’t use harsh chemicals for cleaning. While we were there she would buy me dates rolled in coconut flakes. Have you ever had those? There is no candy out there that can compare to how sweet and soft they are with just the right hint of coconut.

Fast forward to 2010. I came across a charming blog called Chocolate Covered Katie. Here I was reminded of those date rolls my grandmother always bought me because she makes what are called Fudge Babies. Aside from the memory factor what appeals to me about them is they are raw and contain no butter, white sugar and white flour that severely tamper with my insulin levels. And no one likes an insulin level that has been tampered with.

Raw Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cup Truffles

Vegan, Gluten Free

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup dates
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp agave nectar
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp flax seeds
1 tsp cocoa powder, I used Hershey’s Special Dark
1/2 cup rolled oats, I used Bob’s Red Mill
1/4 cup carob or chocolate chips sweetened with natural sweetener such as SunSpire
2 Tbsp PB2 Chocolate (optional)
Directions
1. Add the puree through rolled oats to a food processor; blend well, scraping down the sides of the food processor frequently until mixed to desired consistency.
2. Fold in carob or chocolate chips.
3. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls into balls and place in small muffin cups. Sprinkle with optional PB2 chocolate and a few carob or chocolate chips.