Homemade KIND Bars (Vegan)

 

Recipe from Five Heart Home

Husband Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 16 small squares OR 8 rectangular bars

These homemade KIND bars are FREAKIN' AWESOME!  They are very easy to make.  These little bites of deliciousness will make a great gift, a super lunchbox addition, or on-the-go snack.

Cooking spray

2 cups nuts, chopped (I used 1 cup cashews; 1/2 cup pecans; and 1/2 cup almonds)

1/2 cup puffed rice (You can find this in the cereal aisle of most supermarkets.  I used puffed brown rice.)

1/2 cup dried fruit, chopped if the pieces are large (I used dried cranberries, so I didn't need to chop the dried fruit.)

3-4 Tablespoons seeds such as sunflower seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, pumpkin seeds (I used a mixture of sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds and pumpkin seeds.)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

1/4 cup brown rice syrup (I used Sweet Dreams Brown Rice Syrup.)

Optional: (But in my opinion, totally necessary if you are a chocolate fan.)

1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped or use dark chocolate chips

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Preheat oven to 325F.  Grease an 8-inch by 8-inch square baking pan.  Line it with parchment paper so that it slightly extends above the top edge of the pan on at least 2 sides.  (Greasing the pan first with cooking spray will help make the parchment paper stay put in the pan. This will make removing the bars easy to do.) In a large bowl, mix together the nuts, puffed rice, dried fruit, seeds and salt until well combined.  Warm the brown rice syrup and vanilla either in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove.  (Warming this will help make it easy to pour over the nut/seed mixture.)  Pour the warmed brown rice syrup/vanilla mixture over the nut/seed mixture. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix  until the nut/seed mixture is completely coated.  Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using wet hands, firmly press the mixture into an even layer, making sure to press into the corners.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.  Using the parchment paper "sling", lift the contents onto a cooling rack to cool completely.  Once the bars are completely cool, cut into the desired bar size.** Store the bars in an air-tight container in the fridge.  

**Optional Chocolate Drizzle/Dip: Place the coconut oil and chocolate in a small bowl and microwave until the chocolate is melted.  Stir well.  Drizzle over the cooled bars or dip the cooled bars in the chocolate.  Store in the fridge.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 10 bars without chocolate) 220 calories; 15 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 67 mg sodium; 185 mg potassium; 3 grams fiber; 6 grams sugars; 0.1 mg vitamin C; 29 mg calcium; 1.3 mg iron

Quinoa Bowl with Berry “Milk”

Recipe from Simply Quinoa

Adapted & Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 2 generous servings (Can be halved or doubled.)

If you are in a breakfast rut and you wish to try a little something different, give this yummy bowl a go. By preparing the quinoa in advance (it freezes beautifully) this breakfast is a snap to make.

¼ cup Hemp Seeds

¾ cup Water

1 cup Berries

1 Maple Syrup or Honey

2 cups Cooked Quinoa*

Add the water, maple syrup, hemp seeds, and berries to a high power blender.  Blend on high until smooth and the consistency of milk.  Set aside.  Portion out the quinoa between two bowls and sprinkle on toppings.

Topping Options:

¼ cup Seasonal Fruits/Berries

2 Tablespoons Nuts and/or Seeds or Homemade Coconut-Buckwheat Granola** or your favorite granola

*How-To Prepare Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah). Just 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield almost 4 cups cooked. Here's what you will need to cook the quinoa: 1 cup uncooked quinoa; 2 cups water for cooking; a sieve; water for rinsing; a saucepan with a cover and a kitchen timer.  Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a sieve (strainer.) Quinoa has a bitter coating (called saponin) that must be rinsed off.  An effective method for rinsing off the bitter coating is to place the quinoa seeds in a fine-meshed strainer and run cold water over the quinoa while gently rubbing the seeds together in your hands. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and add the 2 cups water. Bring the cooking liquid to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. (Set a kitchen timer to 15 minutes so you won't forget to check for doneness.)  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.  Cooked quinoa can be frozen once cooled.

**Coconut-Buckwheat Granola

Serves 12 (serving size: about 1/3 cup)

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

1½ cups old-fashioned oats

½ cup unsweetened flaked dried coconut

½ cup almonds, coarsely chopped

½ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

¼ cup uncooked buckwheat groats

2 Tablespoons canola oil or coconut oil

2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.  Combing the oil, honey, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add the honey mixture to the oat mixture; stir well to coat.  Spread oat mixture in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes** or until golden brown, stirring once after 10 minutes.  (If your oven bakes hot, check the granola at 15 minutes to make sure it’s not burning.) Cool completely before storing and serving.  The granola will crisp up as it cools.