Blueberry Muffin Energy Bars

Hey it's Thursday! How's everyone doing? I'm great but I would be doing a whole lot better if Spring would hurry up and get here already. This winter has been pretty rough. So much dryness in the air and cold temperatures. That breif warm up last week was such a tease!

That's why I whipped up some tasty treats to share with you guys this week.

Granola bars and healthy fruit and nut bars are one of my favourite things to make. I certainly have a soft spot for them.

I'm should start by mentioning that these bars turn out to be a fail the first time I made them. Ugh! Not a great way to start the week. My dates were a bit dry so I added some water to the mix. Only I added a little too much and the whole thing became a giant mess of date paste instead of a nice dough that I could form into bars. I never would have thought it would be so easy to mess up no-bake fruit and nut bars, but I somehow managed to do it. Ha! Back to the drawing board I went and came out with these beauties.

It's a great idea to make these and keep them wrapped individually in the freezer. They don't freeze and this keeps them nice and fresh.

These no-bake bars are easy enough to make and can be thrown together in minutes. One of these would be a perfect snack before a workout. Or if you tend to be one of those people who skip breakfast or grab a muffin and a coffee at the drive-thru then you've gotta try these bars instead. They're loaded with super foods like walnuts, hemp seeds, and blueberries, and the only sugar in them comes from the dried fruit. Plus they taste like a blueberry muffin.

Blueberry Muffin Energy Bars no-bake, gluten-free, grain-free, vegan | Yields 6 bars

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup soft pitted dates
• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 tbsp raw hemp seeds (I used north coast naturals)
• 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder (I used vega sport)
• 1/4 cup dried blueberries

Instructions:

1. Place walnuts and hemp seeds in your food processor and process until finely chopped (like breadcrumbs). Pour the nut + hemp seed mixture into a bowl and set aside.
2. Place the pitted dates in your food processor and process into small sticky pieces. The mix will be clumpy.
3. Add the nut + hemp seed mixture back into the food processor along with the protein powder and dried bluberries. Process until evenly combined  and the mixture holds together.
4. To shape into bars: turn mixture out onto a long sheet of plastic wrap, then fold the wrap over the dough to cover it.
5. Flatten with your hands and roll out the dough with a rolling pin to desired thickness. Cut into bars.
6. Keep in a sealed contained, or individually wrap and store in the refrigerator or freezer. These bars can be eaten straight from the freezer as they will not freeze.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1 bar Calories: 248 Fat: 12g Fiber: 4g Protein: 8g Sodium: 7mg Carbohydrates: 28g Sugar: 16g

Clean Eating Basil Pesto

I have a confession to make.

I have never made pesto before in life! There I said it.

Every spring I grow my own basil right outside my back door and around this time of year it turns into a magnificent fragrant bush. And yet I have never made pesto... until now. I know shocking isn't it?

I wish someone would have told me sooner what I've been missing out on. There's nothing like fresh pesto with whole grain pasta.

The one thing that got me was how easy it was to make. I always thought it would be some long drawn out process. Boy was I wrong. You basically throw everything into your food processor and presto! ...you have pesto. You probably even have everything you need to make this in your cupboards and pantry already.

This sweet peppery herb has some pretty unique health benefits too...

Nerd alert! It's time for some health facts:

Research has shown that basil has anti-bacterial properties, anti-inflammatory effects, is a very good source of vitamin A & beta-carotene, vitamin K, magnesium, calcium, iron, and is a good source of potassium and vitamin C.

Beta-carotene is a very powerful antioxidant that can be converted by the body into vitamin A. It's usually found in dark orange coloured vegetables and fruits, but is also found in high concentrations in certain leafy greens such as spinach, basil, mustard greens and kale. Remember when your mom told you that you would see in the dark if you eat your carrots; well that may have been a lie to get you to eat your veggetables but there is some truth to it. It is essential for good vision, growth and development, and proper immune system function.

Clean Eating Basil Pesto (makes about 3/4 cup)

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Ingredients:

• 3 large cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 3 cups fresh basil
• juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Direction:

1. Pulse garlic and walnuts in a food processor until chopped. Add basil, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper. Continue to pulse until chopped.
2. With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until smooth. You may need to stop and scrap the sides down a few times.
3. Add the Parmigiano and blend until all ingredients are combined. 

*Note: This will stay good for up to a week when kept in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

This will be wicked on that whole grain pizza dough I made the other week, recipe here! Panini's, pasta, and pizza OH MY!

The other night when I came home from the gym I tried it as a topper for some chicken that we sauteed up in some olive oil (6 minutes per side on the stove top in a fry pan) it was like gourmet fast food. I think the next time I'll try it in stuffed chicken breast with goat cheese.

FYI. This hardly made a dent in my basil plant.