Protein Bars–Quick, Easy, Nutrient Dense

Looking for a protein bar?  Are you properly overwhelmed at the offerings?   How about trying to find one that is soy free?  “Good luck!”  Because soy is so cheap and readily available and high in protein per ounce, soy is WAY overused in the protein bar market.  As are artificial sweeteners.  Is there an answer to the need for a quick, tasty protein fix that doesn’t affront you in the natural foods department?  That was the challenge.  We are quite pleased with the result.  Not cookies, but a decent protein bar.  Without soy isolate, which, by the way, I hate :(.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

First, the dry ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oatmeal

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup coconut, shredded

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

1 cup vanilla whey protein powder, if using a protein powder offends you, you could use oat or other grain flour

Then we will use the following for the “wet” ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup Greek honey yogurt, full fat

1 cup natural peanut butter

Mix all dry ingredients together and pour into food processor

Process to make into a coarse crumb

Dump dry ingredients back in to large mixing bowl.

Now for the wet ingredients:

Blend together

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup Greek honey yogurt, full fat

1 cup natural peanut butter

Whisk until fully incorporated

Pour over processed dry ingredients

Stir

it will be a thick batter

Line a sheet pan with foil…I am a big fan of the non stick foil

Pat into pan

Bake for 15 minutes

Cool 10 minutes on rack

Remove carefully from pan and cut into bars  (I use a pizza cutter)

Lift  bars onto baking sheets

leaving an air space between them

Bake another 15 minutes

Cool.  If your peanut butter always needs a chocolate fix, drizzle melted chocolate on the top

Chill to harden chocolate.  Wrap in foil.

A nice supply of additive free, natural protein bars.

Quick fix for the on-the-go crowd.

This recipe would lend itself to all sorts of changes (different dried fruit, seeds, etc)…I choose what I had on hand.  Adapted from http://www.healthygreenkitchen.com/homemade-protein-bars.html

This post is linked to Real Food Wednesdays: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2012/03/real-food-wednesday-3142012.html

~A

Homemade Pita for Everyone

I am consistently surprised at the price of bread; any and every kind.  It seems pita is especially overpriced and generally not very good.  One of my fall goals is to start making almost all of our bread again.  The past four or five years my work schedule has not permitted as much bread baking as I enjoy but this fall, I am determined.  I have scaled back my commitments so look forward to many more bread-y posts! As a follow-up to my ‘bread for everyone‘, I have been wanting to post on this wonderful Pita bread recipe.  It is easy, easy and turns out perfect every time.  I have previously posted a sourdough pita but not everyone has joined the sourdough wagon…..so here’s an easy pita for everyone.

Homemade Pita

In mixing bowl, stir together:

1 packet active dry yeast (about 1 tablespoon)

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup warm (110 degrees) water

Let sit until foaming, about 10-20 minutes (this depends on your room temperature–warmer is faster)

Add to bowl:

2 more cups warm water

1 cup unbleached flour

Mix thoroughly and add, one cup at a time:

2 cups white whole wheat flour (or unbleached white, if you prefer)

Let mixture set an additional 10 minutes.  These rest periods are the secret!

Now add:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

Mix in thoroughly and beat in

3 more cups unbleached flour

Knead with dough hook about 7-10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.

In a large bowl, place 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Now place the ball of dough in the bowl, roll it around to smother with oil.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.

The dough is doubled when you poke a finger and hole doesn’t fill.

Preheat pizza stone on middle rack of oven to 500 degrees.

Punch down dough, knead briefly and shape into a round.

Cut your round with a dough scraper into 16 pieces–to do this, cut in half; cut in fourths, cut in eighths, cut into sixteenths :).

Roll into small balls by stretching the smooth surface around the ball and let these balls rest under a cloth for 20 minutes.  Use as much flour as needed to not stick.

Roll the ball in to a disk and “throw” onto pizza stone.  Bake 2-3 minutes until lightly golden and puffed.

Wrap warm pitas in a clean cloth to keep them soft.

Serve with hummus……that recipe coming up next!

~A

This post is linked to Real Food Wednesdays