Peanut & Chia Energy Bars

I made two variations of these no-bake energy bars - one small batch made with chia seeds, and one small batch made without chia seeds . Chia seeds are a great pre-workout energy booster, and a favorite in our house as an addition to bars and smoothies.  If adding chia seeds to energy bars, it is a good idea to soak them in a little bit of water to get them to soften and "gel" a bit before adding them to the mix so that they aren't dry and crunchy in the finished product.  I have made a couple of batches of these bars over the past couple of weeks and have found that the longer they are left to set in the pan, the better they hold together.  So if possible, letting them sit in the pan for a whole day will yield a less crumbly bar, which is much better for transport.

Peanut & Chia Energy Bars

Makes 12 bars

Ingredients

1/4 cup dry roasted salted peanuts

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup raisins

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup toasted rice cereal

2 Tbsp wheat germ
2 Tbsp chia seeds

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Peanut oil (for oiling pan)

Directions

1. Combine chia seeds with 2 Tbsp water in small dish and let soften while combining other ingredients.

2. Lightly toast wheat germ over medium heat in heavy pan, stirring constantly.  Will know it is toasted when turns slightly more golden color and becomes fragrant. 

3. In medium mixing bowl, combine peanuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, oats, rice cereal, and toasted wheat germ.

4. In microwave-safe glass bowl, or in a small pan on the stove, combine peanut butter, brown sugar and honey. Heat until melted and stir to evenly combine. Stir vanilla into peanut butter mixture. Stir peanut butter mixture in to oat mixture and evenly combine.

5. Press mixture into oiled square baking pan. Let sit for 24 hours (or at least several hours) before cutting. Cut into 12 squares.

(Recipe adapted from eatingwell.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of these energy bars? Sunflower seeds are packed with antioxidants, particularly vitamin E, and minerals, including selenium, magnesium and copper. Oats are high in soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol levels. Wheat germ is high in folic acid, iron and zinc. Peanuts and peanut butter are excellent sources of protein and potassium, as well as poly- and mono-unsaturated fats. Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, antioxidants and calcium.

Nutrition Information Per Bar (if batch is cut into 12 bars)

With Chia Seeds: 236 calories, 9g fat, 5.1g protein, 32g carbohydrate, 20g sugar, 3g fiber

Without Chia Seeds: 228 calories, 8g fat, 4.8g protein, 31g carbohydrate, 20g sugar, 2.5g fiber

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Thai Chicken Soup

If you are a fan of thai, this soup is right up your alley! It is a nice change from a plain old chicken and vegetable soup and makes a lot so can easily be frozen or eaten as leftovers for a couple of days. The original recipe that I worked from called for a jalapeno pepper, but I decided to leave it out so it wouldn't be too spicy for my 2 year old son, Charlie.  I also put in only a fraction of the fish sauce because I didn't want that flavor to be too strong.  

I made this soup first thing this morning when I got up and let it simmer while I  prepared and ate breakfast with Charlie. I tossed it in the fridge and and just simmered it on the stove to re-heat it at dinner time. This could definitely be made the day before as well. If you haven't gathered from previous posts, pre-making dinner as much as possible is kind of my thing!

Thai Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup green onions, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 cup organic carrots, finely chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms (I used cremini)
1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
1/3 cup organic green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 pound organic free range chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups organic chicken stock
1 can (14oz) organic unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp fish sauce, or to taste
1 cup sugar snap peas, julienned
Salt, to taste
2 limes, one juiced and one cut into wedges for garnishing
Fresh organic cilantro and basil leaves, for garnishing

Directions

1. Heat canola oil in large pot over medium-high heat. 

2. Reduce heat to medium and add green onions, garlic and ginger and cook until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. 

3. Add carrot, jalapeno (if using), green pepper and mushrooms and cook until softened, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Add chicken, stock, coconut milk, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

5. Add sugar snap peas and lime juice.

6. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro, basil and lime wedges.

(Recipe adapted from doortodoororganics.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this soup? Green onions are rich in vitamins A, C and K. Garlic contains flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), and is a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Carrots are very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Mushrooms  are an excellent source of minerals selenium and potassium as well vitamins riboflavin, and niacin, and are the only item you will find in the produce section that supplies some vitamin D! Bell peppers are one of the best food sources of vitamins A and C. Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Coconut milk is abundant in vitamin C and E, as well as several B vitamins. Sugar snap peas are a great source of fiber, as well as folate and vitamins C and K.

Salmon Burgers

I have been wanting to try making salmon burgers for a while, and I finally found a recipe that looked good - and they were amazing! This is a Paula Deen recipe, which surprised me because it is a pretty healthy recipe. I liked how  she used raw salmon fillets that you chop, rather than canned salmon.  I think it makes a huge difference in the flavor and texture.  The prep work in terms of removing the skin from the salmon and chopping them along with the bell peppers and garlic takes a little bit of time. If you do all the chopping ahead of time (I did it a few hours ahead when I had 20 minutes), then all you have to do is toss the ingredients together at dinner time.  The garlic sesame mayonnaise is key with these burgers! I used light mayo, and since I only used  a teaspoon or two per burger, it really didn't add much fat or calories, but did add great flavor that complimented the salmon. A little lettuce, tomato and avocado, along with a whole wheat bun, topped these burgers off well.  I am excited to try these burgers out in the summer time on the grill!

Salmon Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients

1/4 cup organic red bell pepper, diced small
1/4 cup organic orange bell pepper, diced small
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound wild salmon fillets, skinned and finely chopped
1 large organic free range egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp organic tamari (or soy sauce is fine too)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. In medium mixing bowl combine peppers, panko bread crumbs, garlic, and salmon.

2. In small mixing bowl, combine egg, miring, lemon juice, and salt; add to salmon mixture and toss gently to combine evenly.  Form into 4 patties.

3. Heat grill pan, with top, over medium-high heat until hot.  Reduce heat to medium and place patties on pan and place top on burgers. Grill for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

4. Serve on whole wheat buns with garlic sesame mayonnaise (recipe below).

Garlic Sesame Mayonnaise

Ingredients

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp organic miring (or say sauce is fine too)
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir until evenly combined.

(Burger and mayonnaise recipes adapted from Paula Deen's recipes on foodnetwork.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Wild salmon gives nice dose of omega-3s and protein. Bell peppers are one of the best food sources of vitamins A and C. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that have been shown to boost HDL (good cholesterol), and are an excellent source of vitamins C,E and carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and lycopene. Choosing whole wheat buns, as opposed to white buns, provides more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron because they are less refined.

Turkey Tenderloin with Cranberry-Shallot Sauce

I am always looking for something different to do with turkey, and this was a  great new recipe that I found on eatingwell.com. It was pretty easy, taking about 45 minutes total to make, with prep and cook time combined. To complete this meal, I made steamed broccoli and roasted red potatoes to go with the turkey tenderloins. To roast the potatoes, I just cut them into 1-inch pieces, seasoned them with a little salt, pepper and olive oil and baked them, uncovered at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes.  There was more than enough food for the three of us in our house, so we had this for dinner two nights in a row (and no one seemed to mind because it was so good!).

Turkey Tenderloin with Cranberry-Shallot Sauce

Ingredients

3 all natural turkey tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

3/4 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp pepper
4 tsp canola oil, divided
4 shallots, peeled and quartered
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup organic chicken stock
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp pomegranate vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Season tenderloins with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp oil in large pan over medium heat. Brown tenderloins on all sides, cooking a total of about 5 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until tenderloins reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

3. While tenderloins are roasting, add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan used to brown the turkey. Add shallots and cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add thyme and broth. Cook for about 1 minute, scarping brown bits from bottom of the pan. Stir in fresh and dried cranberries and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, vinegar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 1 minute. Cover and remove from heat.

4. Remove turkey from oven and baking sheet and let rest on a clean cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

(Recipe adapted from eatingwell.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Turkey tenderloins are low in fat and very high in protein. Just one 4oz serving of turkey tenderloin provides 28g of protein! Turkey is also a great source of iron. Cranberries are a good source of vitamins C and E (which are both antioxidants) as well as fiber. Shallots are a good source of fiber and potassium. Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium. Leaving the skin on the potatoes adds a good amount of fiber as well. Broccoli is packed with vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate and calcium. 

Strawberry Pecan Bread

My mom used to make this bread when I was growing up, and it has always been a favorite of mine.  It is really good with a cup of coffee, as a side with some eggs, or along side a grilled chicken salad.  To make the recipe a little healthier, I substituted 2/3 of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour.  It makes the bread a little more dense, but by using a third all purpose flour, the bread does not come out like a brick.  I personally really like the nutty flavor that whole flour adds to baked goods like these.

This bread is completely dairy free, so is nice for those with cows milk allergies.  Another plus of this bread is that it freezes very well, so doubling the recipe and freezing a loaf for an easy accompaniment to a future breakfast or salad can be a nice gift to yourself for later.

Strawberry Pecan Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
6 Tbsp sugar sugar
1 packages frozen sliced strawberries (10 oz), thawed
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Oil and flour a bread pan with canola oil and all purpose flour.

2. Beat eggs in medium mixing bowl until fluffy; add oil, sugar and strawberries. In separate bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Gradually mix flour mixture in with strawberry mixture. Fold in pecans.

3. Pour batter in prepared bread pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out of pans and continue cooling on wire rack.  Let completely cool before slicing.

What are the nutritional benefits of this bread? Strawberries are packed with vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber. Whole wheat flour is less refined than all purpose flour so provides more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron. Pecans are a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids and phenolic antioxidants, vitamin E, B vitamins and minerals manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium.

Spinach & Zucchini Frittatas

Ted's mom got us a book called Feed Zone Portables for Christmas - a book of recipes for portable "real" food to use for fuel during endurance exercise, as opposed to pre-packaged shakes, bars, gels, etc. This book has some really great looking recipes in it, and has a section in the beginning of the book that provides in-depth explanation of what the body needs for fueling activity and how the body uses nutrients, specifically from food versus supplements.  If you are an athlete, this book is a great resource to pick up.

Here is the first recipe I made out of Feed Zone Portables - spinach & zucchini frittatas. I made them for dinner at home, but they would also make a nice breakfast on the go. Ted heated up a leftover frittata the morning after for breakfast and he said it still tasted really good. 

Spinach & Zucchini Frittatas

Makes ~6 frittatas

Ingredients

2 cups zucchini, sliced into small "matchsticks" (about 1 whole large zucchini)
1 cup fresh organic spinach leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 organic free range eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups day-old multigrain bread, cubed with crusts removed
(I just let bread sit out for a few hours to "stale" a bit)
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini and spinach and cook until zucchini is tender.

3. In medium mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add bread, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Fold in zucchini and spinach.

4. Lightly oil muffin tin (6 forms) and fill with egg mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, or until centers are firm.

(Recipe adapted from Feed Zone Portables: A Cookbook of On-The-Go Food for Athletes by Biju Thomas & Allen Lim)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Eggs are an excellent source of high quality protein, and are also one of the best food sources of choline. Spinach is packed with fiber,  vitamins K, A, C, B2, B6 and folate, and the minerals iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Zucchini is a good source of fiber and vitamins A, C and folate. Multigrain bread is high in complex carbohydrates, protein, fiber, magnesium, copper, iron, and B vitamins.

Apricot & Walnut Energy Bars

These are great-tasting energy bars with a nice consistency that hold together very well for a transportable snack.  They are a perfect pre and/or post cardio-workout snack, as they provide plenty of carbohydrate and not too much protein.  My husband, Ted, took these for pre and post-wokout snacks for running and computrainer, and said that they were great fuel.  I had two after my hour long spinning class over the weekend, and found them to be great for recovery.  I had a recovery shake after the last spin class I went to, and found that these bars made me feel just as good as the shake.  Shakes and pre-packaged bars are very convenient and a really good tool, but whenever possible, Ted and I prefer to have "real food" for fuel.

Another thing I like about these bars is that there isn't any table sugar added to them.  The dried fruit and maple syrup provide plenty of sweetness, and plenty of carbohydrate combined with the oats for recovery. I will be making these again!

Apricot & Walnut Energy Bars

Ingredients

1 Tbsp canola oil, for oiling baking pan
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried dates
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup non-fat powdered milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 large organic free range eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil 9 x 13 inch baking pan with canola oil.

2. Lightly toast wheat germ over medium heat in heavy pan, stirring constantly.  Will know it is toasted when turns slightly more golden color and becomes fragrant.

3. Place all ingredients, except for syrup and eggs, in large food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Add syrup and eggs and pulse until mixture forms a coarse paste.

4. Spread mixture into baking pan evenly.  Mixture will be sticky, so using a heavy wooden spatula, or similar, is helpful for spreading. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool in pan; cut into squares or rectangles of desired size (I cut into 20 squares).

(Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger's energy bar recipe on food network.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of these energy bars? Oats are high in soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol levels. Wheat germ is high in folic acid, iron and zinc. Whole wheat flour is less refined than all purpose flour so provides more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron. Dates are packed with potassium, magnesium and fiber. Apricots are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and E, as well as the mineral potassium. Walnuts are very high in omega-3 fatty acids, and are also high in vitamin E and B vitamins. The eggs add some protein, and are also one of the best food sources of choline.

If cut into 20 bars, each contains the following: 110 calories, 16g carbohydrate, 11g sugar, 4 g fat, 3g protein, and 3g fiber