Chocolate
Blueberry Energy Bars
By: Brendan Brazier - The Thrive
Diet
Adapted by: Louise McGill RHN
1 cup fresh or
soaked dried dates (soak with boiled water 20-30minutes)
¼ cup almonds
or pepita seeds (raw pumpkin seeds)
¼ cup
blueberries or dried cranberries
¼ cup roasted
carob powder or organic chocolate powder
¼ cup ground
flaxseed
¼ cup hemp
protein or protein powder of your choice
¼ cup sesame
seeds
1 tsp fresh
lemon juice
½ tsp lemon
zest
Sea salt to
taste
½ cup cooked
quinoa* (see below on how to cook)
¼ -½ cup
frozen or fresh blueberries
In a food
processor briefly chop almond or pumpkins seeds and then process all the
ingredients except for the quinoa and berries until desired texture is
reached. If you prefer a uniformly
smooth bar, process longer. If you would
rather a bar with more crunch and texture, blend for less time. Pulse the
quinoa and berries into mixture or knead into mixture by hand.
Remove mixture
from food processor onto a clean surface.
Your choice whether to shape into balls (tablespoons) or shape into
bars. If bars, flatten the mixture with
your hands, place parchment paper or plastic wrap on top and roll to desired
thickness. Cut mixture into bars. As the bars dry, they become easier to
handle.
These bars
store well in the freezer; they will not freeze solid. So you can individually wrap and grab one or
two as you head out the door. They can
be eaten straight from the freezer—no thawing required.
QUINOA
(keen-wah)
Preparation: To cook, use 2
parts liquid to one part quinoa. Combine the liquid and rinsed quinoa in a
medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15
minutes and then remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.
TIP:
Thoroughly rinse
to get rid of bitter taste on exterior of the seed by putting in a sieve and
rubbing the seeds with your fingers.
Quinoa is
excellent in hot casseroles and soups, stews, stir-fries, cold in salads, or by
itself!
Instead of water, use broth, and/or herbs. Add turmeric or cinnamon for variety.
Nutritional
Highlights of Quinoa:
- Contains all the essential amino
acids- excellent choice of protein
- A very good source of magnesium, 3
times more than calcium, but also a good source of calcium
- Also a very good source of vitamins,
B2, vitamin E, and dietary fibre