I struggled with a recipe to post this week. It's so stinkin hot and we don't have air conditioning (good riddance) so the oven is not an option. I tried making a raw quinoa pudding thing but it was weird. It's sitting in the fridge. I'm waiting to see if Graham gets desperate enough to eat it, lol. We had bands at our place yesterday for a show Graham was putting on so I cooked a bunch of food for them and didn't wanna cook anymore. Not very many people ended up coming to the show, but it was so nice. I'm half deaf in my left ear and it's been ringing all day. Rock n roll, guys. I've added some links at the bottom of this post for anyone interested.
Raw food is a good thing in the summer. I'm not a big fan of eating raw during colder months, when your body needs that extra heat, but when it's hot you can handle it. And who wants to bake when their butt is sweating? No one, that's who.
A big plus for these bars is that they're very allergy friendly. No nuts, no grains, no sugar. These are naturally fruit sweetened, full of seeds, oil-free, and extra high in protein. No flour necessary. You can, of course, sub in whatever seeds you have on hand, or replace some of the seeds with nuts instead. I suggest eating them right out of the freezer, especially if your house is warm. Topping the bars with chocolate and coconut is optional but really takes them over the top. I recommend it.
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
1/2 cup hemp hearts
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup raw cacao
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large spotty banana
3/4 cup medjool dates, packed
1 small, ripe avocado (~1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Line a baking pan with parchment paper or grease it very well. I used a long rectangular tart dish with a lift-out bottom. It doesn't really matter what kind of dish you use as a mold. If you're really crunched for time you can also just form the dough into balls and freeze them that way.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
In a food processor (or with a fork and some serious elbow grease) blend the banana, dates, avocado, and vanilla into a smooth paste. Add this mixture to the bowl with the seedy goodness and mix well. Get in there with your hands if you need to.
Press the bar dough into your prepared pan and press down firmly. Either wet your hands for this or use an offset spatula. Freeze for at least thirty minutes before cutting. You can top them with raw chocolate and coconut if you'd like. Store in the freezer.
The Unbelievable Bargains
The Psychics
MoledebaterLabels: bars, chocolate, gluten free, grain free, high protein, low fat, nut free, quick and easy, raw, refined sugar free, seeds, sugar free, vegan
