No Bake Peanut Butter Power Bars (gluten free)

This is from Melissa Nicalaou.  I can no longer find it on the website balanced platter.com.

Makes12 small bars or 24 squares.

Ingredients:
8 Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (or dry rolled oats)
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup unsalted smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup raw honey (or maple syrup, date syrup, molasses to keep vegan - up to 1 Tbsp molasses)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used hemp hearts instead)

Directions:
1)  Add the dates to the bowl of a food processor and process until chopped.
2)  Add the nuts, quinoa (or dry oatmeal) and seeds, including hemp and process until a meal has formed.
3)  Add the peanut butter and honey (or maple syrup) and process until a thick dough forms.
4) Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking pan. A square baking dish works well.
5) Place the bars in the freezer until set, about 1-2 hours.  Remove from the freezer and slice into bars.  Store in the freezer until you're ready to eat them.  They're tasty when they reach room temperature, but extra special when eaten soon after removing them from the freezer.

NUTRITION FACTS per 1 square of 24, using maple syrup as sweetener:

Total Fat  5.7 grams

Sat fat  0.8 gm

poly Unsaturated fat 2.3 gm

Mono Unsaturated Fat 2.3 gm 

Total Carbs 11 gm

Dietary fiber 1.9 gm

Sugars 8 gm 

Protein 2.8 grams

Quick Shake

In warm weather, sometimes all I want after a workout is a filling shake.  For years I shunned green shakes, probably because the first few I had were bitter.  But if there is fruit alongside the greens, it's quite tasty and nutritious.

In an effort to decrease the waste of produce from my fridge, I do a stir fry or slow cooker or veggie roast now and then just to use up odds and ends.

Today I tried to do the same with a shake.  This is just meant to be a rough guide.  Throw in anything you'd like and experiment!

Here's what I tossed in today:

1/2 avocado
large handful of spinach and arugula mix
1 banana
1 cup or so of frozen mango
~ 3/4 cup almond milk
5 oz vanilla soy yogurt.

Blend it up and you're good to go.  To decrease the sugar content, use plain yogurt, or add ice cubes.  If you use plain yogurt but want to sweeten it a little, you can add a swirl of honey.

Peanut Butter Spaghetti

http://www.nutritionmd.org/recipes/view.html?recipe_id=68


Peanut Butter Spaghetti

Makes 4 1-cup servings

Peanut sauce takes just minutes to prepare and gives spaghetti a whole new personality. Serve this spaghetti with lightly steamed vegetables.

8 ounces dry spaghetti
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or other sweetener
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In a saucepan large enough to hold the pasta, combine peanut butter, water, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar or other sweetener, garlic, and ginger. Whisk until smooth.

Heat gently until slightly thickened. Add cooked pasta and toss to mix. Serve immediately.

Per 1-cup serving

Calories: 472
Fat: 17.8 g
Saturated Fat: 3.6 g
Calories from Fat: 33.9%
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Protein: 17.9 g
Carbohydrates: 62.6 g
Sugar: 9.4 g
Fiber: 4.9 g
Sodium: 535 mg
Calcium: 31 mg
Iron: 3 mg
Vitamin C: 0.5 mg
Beta Carotene: 0 mcg
Vitamin E: 3 mg
Source: Healthy Eating for Life for Children by Amy Lanou, Ph.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Blueberry Ginger Smoothie

From Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes For the Single Cook by Joe Yonan

As ginger lovers looking for a new recipe to use our freshly picked blueberries, this was perfect!  Ginger adds a slightly spicy, pungent taste, which I love.  It does need to be fresh ginger, not the dried ground type.  The mint completes an interesting taste combination.  For more healthy smoothie recipes that include fruits, vegetables and nuts, see Joe Yonan's Eat Your Vegetables book.

This one is great as a breakfast 'main course' or as a post-workout boost.  Add a little milk if you prefer thinner smoothies.  I've actually never made one without liquid before, but this consistency was perfect for me, between the nonfat yogurt, chopped ice cubes and banana.

Ingredients:

1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries, stemmed
1/2 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
4 fresh mint leaves
4 ice cubes
1 teaspoon or more honey

Directions:

Puree all ingredients except the honey in a blender until frothy and smooth.  Add honey to taste.