Tag: hemp seeds | Nourished Roots

Dark Chocolate Oat and Seed Snacks

September 4, 2014

Chocolaty oaty goodness!

When I was a kid, occasionally my mom would make Chocolate Chow Mein Noodle Cookies. I, of course, thought they were the bomb and gave no thought to all the processed ingredients in the noodles or conventional chocolate chips! I still often feel a nostalgia for some of the “treats” of my childhood but now I have begun to look for ways to make them healthier. This recipe came out of that nostalgia.

I knew I wanted to keep the feeling of the noodles covered with chocolate but without the unhealthy fat you get from using a fried noodle. I decided to use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Oats to take the place of the noodles. Also, I wanted to incorporate more protein and healthy omega-3’s in this snack so I added Trader Joe’s Organic Tricolor Quinoa, Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Chia Seeds, and Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts. I added cinnamon for its blood sugar balancing and anti-inflammatory properties and cardamom to aid in digestion. Finally, instead of using regular milk chocolate, I switched to Newman’s Own Organic Premium Chocolate Bar, 70% for all the heart healthy flavonoids that come with dark chocolate. These were VERY easy to whip up and don’t require any baking!

Everything all mixed up and ready to go in the muffin tins.

I made sure to press hard on the oat mixture as I added it to each tin so all the ingredients would be compressed and hold together better.

Chocolate oat mixture before it hits the fridge.

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how these would end up. I worried the oats wouldn’t offer the same feel as the fried noodles. However, between the oats and the seeds you still got the feel of crunchy, chocolaty goodness! These turned out super yummy! Unfortunately, this recipe only produced 7 treats so the next time I make them, I am going to be sure to double the recipe! (These are best stored in the fridge because the chocolate tends to melt quickly.)

Treats all ready to eat.

Dark Chocolate Oat and Seed Snacks

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup of oats
2 tbs of quinoa, toasted
1 tbs of chia seeds
1/4 cup of hemp seeds
1/4 cup of dried cherries
1/3 cup of coconut oil
2 tbs of cocoa powder
4 squares of dark chocolate
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of cardamon
a dash of salt, to taste
1-2 tsp of maple syrup, use to taste

Instructions

Toast quinoa in a dry pan.
Shake pan often to keep from sticking and/or burning.
Remove from fire when quinoa is lightly toasted.
Put chocolate, coconut oil and cocoa powder in double boiler and melt over light heat.
Once melted, stir in the cinnamon, salt, maple syrup and cardamon.
Taste to see if sweet enough for your taste. If not, add more maple syrup.
Once combined, stir in the oats, quinoa, chia seeds, hemp seeds and dried cherries.
Stir until all the dried ingredients are covered with chocolate.
Spoon "dough" into lined muffin cups.
Place in fridge to set.
These will keep best in the fridge.

http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/dark-chocolate-oat-and-seed-snacks/

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This post was added to Fiesta Fridays.

Filed Under: Blog, Snacks

Tiny Tip Tuesday: Eat Hemp

June 11, 2014

Hemp seeds.

Hemp seeds are one of the new darlings of the health food world and when you take a look at their nutritional profile, you understand why. Hemp is known for its ideal concentrations of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids(1-3 ratio) which have the potential to beneficially influence heart disease and improve overall health. Hemp seeds contain all of the essential and non-essential amino acids making it a complete protein- a perfect vegan protein source. (In fact, 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds contain 11 grams of protein.) They contain GLA (gamma linolenic acid), a building block of anti-inflammatory hormones. Hemp seeds are chock full of disease-fighting, plant-based phytonutrients and anti-aging antioxidants such as vitamin E. It also adds vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, Vitamin D, zinc, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron.

Hemp seeds have a mild flavor similar to chopped walnuts. They are excellent in both smoothies and baked goods, sprinkled on salads or in yogurt and are often made into a source for vegan protein powder. They are an incredibly versatile source of nutrition. Tell me about your favorite recipes for hemp seeds.

Buy your hemp seed here: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts Shelled Hemp Seed, 8 Ounce Bags (Pack of 2)
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Shared on Simple Lives Thursdays.

See more photos by Ruby Ran on flickr.

Filed Under: Blog, Health Information

Glo Bar Obsession

May 22, 2014

Glo Bars all ready to eat.

About a week ago, I picked up Angela Liddon’s The The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out
. Since then I have become totally obsessed with making recipes out of this book. Now, neither I nor my family are vegan but it has not mattered. Everything I have made from this book has been super yummy! As I have stated before, I am always on the hunt for healthier snack bars to feed my family so when I saw the recipe for her Glo Bars, I knew I had to make them. Usually I make some substitutions or additions to recipes but these sounded so good I made no changes.

Oats and crispy rice cereal- the two main components of the bars.

These bars were very easy and required very little time spent actually cooking- right up my alley. These bars are gluten free, no bake, refined sugar and oil free- yummy!!

Finished bars.

Glo Bar Obsession

Ingredients

1 1?2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 1?4 cups rice crisp cereal
1?4 cup hemp seeds
1?4 cup sunflower seeds
1?4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1?2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1?4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1?2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon, brown rice syrup
1?4 cup roasted peanut butter or almond butter (I used almond butter.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1?4 cup mini non-dairy chocolate chips (such as Enjoy Life brand) (optional)

Instructions

Combine ingredients through sea salt in a large bowl.
Place brown rice syrup and nut butter on the stove until begins to liquefy.
Watch carefully and stir frequently.
Pour hot liquids over the dry ingredients.
Stir well till all dry ingredients are coated with syrup mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips after mixture cools a bit. (I got impatient and stirred them in before it was cool and the chips melted a little. Fortunately, I like having the chocolate distributed throughout the bars!)
Spread mixture in parchment lined pan and put in fridge until hardens.
Once hard, take out of pan by lifting from parchment paper edges.
Use pizza cutter to cut into bars.
Store uneaten portions in the fridge.

http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/glo-bar-obsession/

My son on as a sous chef!

Eat up!

Enjoy these tasty bars!

This post shared with The Nourishing Gourmet, A Glimpse Inside, The Idea Room, Food Renegade, Urban Naturale, Hello Veggy and Homespun Oasis.

Filed Under: Blog, Snacks

Dark Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Cookies

March 27, 2014

As I have adapted my families diet, one of the biggest requests I still get from my boys is for some sort of “treat”. To them, a “treat” means something sweet. (Unfortunately, their definition of “treat” reflects the language I used with them as young kids. How I wish I had realized that referring to apples and nuts and other healthy fair might have made them as excited to eat whole foods as they are to eat junk!) To help combat this idea of “treat”, I am always looking for recipes for whole foods that are packaged like “treats” but contain some good for you ingredients. It seems like a never ending quest which is why I was so happy when my school introduced me to these super yummy gluten free, dairy free cookies.

These cookies contain oats filled with fiber, manganese, molybdenum, B vitamins and phosphorus. They also have hemp seeds for a shot of omega-3’s and hazelnuts for increased fiber, folate, manganese and copper.

These cookies offer another health benefit. Instead of using butter or margarine, they are made with coconut oil. Coconut oil is a saturated fat, however, it is made of medium chain triglycerides not the long chain triglycerides found in cheese or red meat. Medium chain triglycerides go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source of energy or turned into ketone bodies. These fats have been shown to increase daily calorie expenditure by about 5% a day. Also about 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil is lauric acid. Lauric acid has anti microbial properties including killing bacteria, viruses and fungi. Lauric acid has also been shown to increase HDL (the “good”) cholesterol and reduced LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol. When buying coconut oil be sure to buy organic, virgin coconut to enjoy all these amazing benefits.

I made these cookies gluten and dairy free because these are two substances we are trying to reduce in our house. However, if you don’t have these same restrictions, regular flour and non-vegan chocolate chips would be just as tasty.

Dark Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Cookies

Ingredients

DRY Ingredients
2c GF all purpose flour
1c vegan chocolate chips (could use chopped dark chocolate or regular chocolate chips)
1/4 c unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup of hemp seeds
½ c hazelnuts chopped (could be replaced with walnuts)
½c dried cherries
¾c oats
½tsp sea salt
¾tsp baking powder
¼tsp cinnamon
1/8tsp nutmeg
WET Ingredients
2/3c maple syrup or agave (I used maple syrup)
2/3c safflower oil or coconut oil (melt first)
1tsp vanilla extract
3tb water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl from the wet ingredients.
Combine wet and dry ingredients together until well combined.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Scoop dough into equal size balls and place on oiled parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.
Slightly flatten.
Bake 12-15 minutes until slightly brown on the edges.

http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/dark-chocolate-chip-gluten-free-cookies/

Dry ingredients.

Wet ingredients before refrigeration.

The ingredients might look and seem a little runny when first combined. However, once the mixture spends 15 minutes in the fridge, the dough will stiffen up, making it easy to scoop into cookies.

Dough scooped out and ready to head to the oven.

Cookies cooling on the wire rack.

Yummy! Yummy! Cookies!

This post is part of a linky party on Rock My Vegan Socks, Tip Junkie and a Southern Fairytale.

Filed Under: Blog, Dessert

Dark Chocolate Cherry Snack Bars

March 19, 2014

Finished Bars.

In our house, I am always looking for the easy grab and go snack for my active family. As I have moved through this journey towards healthier eating for me and my family, I have been appalled at some of the ingredients listed on food boxes- especially foods marketed towards kids. My kids love their snack bars so I like to try to develop recipes that appeal to their desire for a bar but without all the extra “special” ingredients of commercial bars. With these Dark Chocolate Cherry Snack Bars, I think I have scored a winner.

They are crunchy, chewy, chocolaty, nutty mounds of goodness with tons of healthy omega-3’s, protein and other vitamins and minerals. And best of all they have no “mystery” ingredients that you need a science degree to pronounce!

Chopped and roasted pistachios.

In this bar, I have used both quinoa, a seed most people are familiar with and millet, a grain most people aren’t familiar with eating. (Even though people in Europe have been eating it for centuries, most Americans will only recognize it as one of the ingredients in bird seed.) I like to add millet to baked goods because it is a gluten free, high protein, high fiber grain that adds a little crunch to whatever I am whipping up. Millet is high in amino acids, B-complex vitamins including niacin, folate, thiamine, and riboflavin, and is high in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and potassium. It also is a good source of calcium and zinc. However, if the thought of eating “bird food” makes you squeamish or can’t find millet, you can replace it with quinoa or another of your favorite grains.

Oat mixture before the almond butter.

Oat mixture combined with the almond butter mixture.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Snack Bars

Ingredients

1 cup soaked uncooked old fashion oats
1/4 cup soaked uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup soaked uncooked cup of millet
3/4 cup unsweetened dried cherries
1/2 cup of salted dry roasted pistachios, chopped
1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup of hemp seeds
2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds
1 ounce of dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup of almond butter, smooth
6 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

Soak oats, quinoa and millet for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight- (if you are going to soak).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain oats, quinoa and millet and then spread on a baking sheet.
Bake at least 10 minutes but until lightly brown. Stir to break up any clumps that form.
Let cool.
Place oat mixture in a large bowl and add the coconut, cherries, pistachios, flax meal, chocolate and hemp seeds.
Combine the almond butter, coconut oil and maple syrup in a pot.
Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly.
Pour almond mixture over the oat mixture. Stir to combine.
Press mixture into an 8x8 pan greased with coconut oil.
Bake for 13 minutes or until lightly brown.

http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/dark-chocolate-cherry-snack-bars/

Finished product. Yum! Yum!

This post is part of a link-up party on Tip Junkie.

Filed Under: Blog, Snacks

Seven Seed Bars

March 15, 2014

Photo by Naomii on flickr.

One of the major bonuses of being in a Wholistic Nutrition program is having other students and teachers cook for you. We have shared some seriously tasty meals in the year we have been in school. In one of our beginning classes, the Wellspring teachers brought a snack bar that has become a stable in our house. This bar is something I can cook up in a short amount of time and know the boys are getting some good, healthy nutrition in a grab and go package. These bars do not hang around very long in our house.

Measured quinoa.

Roasting macadamias and quinoa.

Stirring up some seeded goodness!

Seven seed bars ready for consumption.

Seven Seed Bars

Ingredients

½c quinoa toasted
1 ½c almond butter
½c maple syrup (I don't like mine really sweet, so I often short my 1/2 cup a little.)
½c brown rice syrup or agave (I will also short this a little too.)
¼tsp cardamom
¼tsp cinnamon
½c sunflower seeds toasted
¾c pumpkin seeds toasted
¼c hulled hemp seeds
½c macadamia nuts toasted & chopped
¼c cacao nibs (sometimes I leave these out, depending on if I have them or not)

Instructions

Toast nuts and quinoa in 350 degree oven or on the stove top in a heavy pan.
Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Mix almond butter, syrups and spices.
Add all seeds.
Mix well.
Oil a 9x13 pan and spread batter evenly.
Bake 15 minutes til golden brown.
Cool before slicing.
Stores well in the fridge for about a week but only if they don't all get eaten in the first hour.

http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/seven-seed-bars/

As you can see, these are an amazingly dense bar, packed with nutty nutrition. These bars offer a high amount of protein in a small package. Quinoa is a gluten free seed which is an excellent source of vegetarian protein. It contains eight essential amino acids our body needs to thrive. One cup has 5 grams of fiber and is an excellent source of manganese, potassium, copper, B6, phosphorous and thiamine.

Almonds have been recommended for years as a quick source of healthy protein. They contain two essential brain nutrients, the amino acid, l-carnitine and riboflavin. Both nutrients have been shown to increase brain activity. Almonds help raise the HDL cholesterol, “good” cholesterol, and lower the LDL (bad cholesterol) in the body. They also contain high levels of phosphorous with helps build strong bones and teeth.

Depending on the other nuts or seeds you choose to use in this recipe, you can create a nutritional powerhouse for your own family based on the flavors and textures they enjoy.

This post shared with Gluten Free Homemaker.

Filed Under: Blog, Snacks

Tag Archives: hemp seeds

Dark Chocolate Oat and Seed Snacks

Tiny Tip Tuesday: Eat Hemp

Glo Bar Obsession

Dark Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Cookies

Dark Chocolate Cherry Snack Bars

Seven Seed Bars