Inspired Eating
Raw Desert: Iron Ball (or) Bars
These bars were inspired by 2 occurrences: one, I found out I was deficient in iron and wanted to get some in my diet, and 2, my friend, Kirsten, was busy up a ladder doing window design throughout the Christmas season, getting weaker and weaker and needed something she could pop in her mouth.
So I went home and threw the following in a bowl:
Wet ingredients:
½ cup fancy molasses (hi in iron!)
½ cup maple syrup (St. Lawrence Market at kiosk)
1 cup tahini (ground sesame seed butter)
Dry ingredients:
2 tbs.cinammon (it’s a lot, I actually use more!)
½ tbs. nutmeg
½ cup goji berries (health food stores)
½ cup cocao nibs (tons of iron)
¼ cup cocoa powder (hi in iron!)
1 cup ground (sprouted if avail) flax seeds (this gives it a great texture)
4 tbs. coconut
Topping
4 tbs. coconut to press on top
Throwing it all Together:
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl; Mix wet ingredients in a bowl; Put it all together; it gets pretty rugged (thus the name Iron Balls) and you will probably need to knead it with your hands, then press it down in a pan, or you can make them into iron balls by using a melon ball scoop, which is pretty adequate, but then the balls may need some smoothing. Then eat them. These are so popular I cannot keep them on hand. At Christmas time people say they are like rum balls.
Cost to make and share: $2.17 / 100 g
Protein Bars (raw)
These bars were inspired by my personal need for protein without wanting to go to a protein
powder, which is often stripped of digestive enzymes and hard to digest.(to put it mildly).
I like to make 2 kinds:
1. Moist; using quinoa (grain high in protein)
2. Chewy: using hemp seeds
1. Moist Protein Bars
Wet ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 + ¼ cup tahini
Mix in separately:
1/2 cup molasses
Dry ingredients:
1 ½ cup pea protein (NOW sports is the brand I use)
2 tps. Cinnamon (I, personally use more!)
¼ tsp. nutmeg 2 cups sunflower seeds
Topping:
Toasted hemp seeds
Putting it all together: Mix wet ingredients all together, mix dry ingredients all together;
then add molasses to wet ingredients. Combine wet and dry together. Put into a pan and press
down. Now press toasted hemp seeds (great site: Hemp Oil Canada if buying a large amount).
Store in refrigerator.
Cost to make and share: $2.17 per 100g.
¾ cup maple syrup
Chewy (raw) Protein Bars
This bar hardens nicely on the outside and is chewy on inside, this was an instant hit. No
cooking required.
Dry ingredients:
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup hulled hemp seeds
2/3 cup pea protein (NOW Sports brand avail. at health food stores)
1 ½ tbs. cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
Wet ingredients:
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup tahini (ground sesame butter)
¼ cup molasses
Putting it all together: Mix dry ingredients together; mix wet ingredients together; slowly
fold in dry ingredients as you mix. It gets pretty stiff so you may start to knead it together with
hands and then push it into a giant ball. Then make it into bars, or hot dogs by rolling it into a
log(s) and then cut into 4 inch bars or as you wish.
Cost to make and share: $2.17 per 100g.
Chocolate Mousse (Raw)
A Yoga House Favourite—Chocolate Yoga
Ingredients
3 avocados
3/4 cup maple syrup, or 1 – ¼ cup soft dates (as an alternative sweetener).
1 tbsp non-alcohol vanilla extract
1 – ½ tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
2/3 cup organic cocoa powder (add a touch more for "darker" chocolate) adding
more to taste if needed
1 pint strawberries or raspberries
Fresh mint leaves
Technique
If you are using dates: pit the dates and cover with fresh water to soften for 5 to
15 minutes.
In a food processor: blend avocados with sweet ingredients, vanilla and coconut
butter or olive oil until smooth.
Spoon in cocoa powder and blend until creamy.
Layer with fresh berries in a wine or martini glass and top with fresh mint
Will stay fresh in sealed container in fridge 3-4 days
Crumble Crust:
½ cup almonds, soaked in fresh water for 8 hours
¾ cup pecans
¾ cup walnuts
4 – 6 soft dates pitted
2 tbsp maple syrup or raw honey
2 tbsp cinnamon
Pinch sun dried sea salt
Technique:
In a food processor: Chop nuts into a fine meal.
Add dates and maple or honey and chop until well mixed
Add cinnamon and a pinch of salt
The texture should be crumbly and sticky.
Press evenly into a pie plate
Sliced strawberries or bananas can be layered into the bottom of the pie crust
Spread the mousse evenly into the pie crush and generously top with fresh berries<
and mint