chocolate covered bananas with walnuts other good stuff

There was nice lighting this afternoon while I was finishing up making another recipe in the kitchen (which will be posted tomorrow!) so I figured I may as well make something else to photograph. Fruit and chocolate recipes are easy and quick, so I covered bananas in chopped walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, coconut and goji berries. Yum!

chocolate covered bananas with walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, goji berries and coconut:

1 batch liquid raw chocolate or any other kind of chocolate you want 
5 bananas
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons each of hemp and chia seeds
Handful each of goji berries and coconut flakes 

Cover the bananas in the chocolate and roll them in the other good stuff. Freeze them if you like, for a banana ice cream treat! Dee-lish.

super food energy bars with cacao

These are chock full of super foods to provide your body and mind with long-lasting energy to get through your busy (or leisurely) day. What have they got? Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, cacao nibs, raisins, dates and coconut. You can't beat this recipe as far as nutrition goes. Try to find organic varieties of each ingredient - and of course raw! 

I was snacking on the mix as I made the recipe and immediately felt a difference, they gave me enough strength to get through a workout and then they made an excellent post-exercise snack, paired with my green protein smoothie. I had a bit of extra mix that I shaped into tiny cupcakes and I thought... hey, I could top these off with dark chocolate to make it a sweet super food treat. Done. 

If you want real, raw, cruelty-free, high quality, efficient and delicious energy bars - you've got 'em right here. Don't look at those sugar- and refined protein powder-filled candy bars in the grocery store that for some inexplicable reason happen to be called "power bars". It's a joke. The best brand on the market is the Larabar (or the Clif bar for more protein) but you can make better recipes yourself, plus add in a bunch of other awesome ingredients. You've got the power! Get it...

super food energy bars with cacao: makes about 15 bars

1 cup walnuts

1/3 cup chia seeds

1/3 cup ground flax seeds

1/3 cup hemp seeds

1/4 cup cacao nibs

1/4 cup coconut flakes 

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup dates 

1-2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, if needed

Throw the dry ingredients (keep a little bit of each ingredient to add in a second) in your food processor, then add the dates and raisins and process until everything it starts to stick together. If too dry, add more dates or coconut oil. Put in the remaining dry ingredients you left out and mix in with your hands. Press into a lined pan and set in the fridge for an hour or more. Cut into bars and store for up to one week. If you have extra, shape them into cupcakes and top off with raw chocolate.

walnut bliss balls with chia, coconut + carob

Wow, I love balls. This recipe has only a few ingredients, all of which are super foods in their whole, raw form. I had trouble restraining myself from eating all the mix before I rolled them out but I can proudly say I only devoured like... 1/4 of it. This is where you say "Good job, Emily." Even my kitty was tempted by the coconut flakes. I quickly googled "cats and coconut" and it turns out coconut oil is excellent for your animal companions! Holla.

I am starting to prefer carob over cacao. I had forgotten how deliciously sweet it is, and in my opinion, more florally (I don't think that's a word...) than cacao. Nutritionally it has less fat, 1/3 of the calories, many of the same nutrients and vitamins, and can be eaten without any processing, while you must process cacao seeds before they're edible. Having said that - I will never give up chocolate so don't worry. But still - carob is pretty legit. 

You know what else is legit? Chia seeds! They are way too awesome for me alone to explain so I will let this professional-sounding person do it for me. Finally we have raw coconut flakes that taste OUT OF THIS WORLD. I have much sympathy for those poor folks who are allergic to coconut. On your behalf, I am so sorry. Now if you excuse me, I am going to go fill my face with coconut... *runs away* 

walnut bliss balls with chia, coconut + carob: 

Balls:

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup oats

1 1/2 cups dates

2 tablespoons carob powder

Dash of salt and vanilla, if desired 

Coatings:

Coconut flakes

Carob powder

Chia seeds 

To make the balls: process the walnuts, oats and carob in your food processor until they become a rough flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it sticks together. If it is still too crumbly or dry, add 1 tablespoon of liquid coconut oil or a few more dates. Press the mix into balls with your hands. Roll in the coatings. Nom. 

cinnamon chia pudding with banana, dates & almond butter

This was what I had for breakfast this morning after finishing my short juice fast last night (I had raw zucchini noodles with kale pesto) because chia is a great cleaning food. Its soluble fire gels up when stirred with water and when you eat it, it literally goes through your digestive system soaking up toxins and junk you don't want in there. Think of it as a sponge. But then that's not very appetizing... hmm. A yummy sponge? No, never mind.

Anyways - it's delicious and SUPER nutritious. It is one of the most nutrient-dense seeds on the planet as a matter o' fact. Just look it up on the world wide interweb and see for yourself! Make it anytime of the day for a filling snack or meal.

cheery chia bowl: serves one

2 tablespoons chia seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 sliced banana

Small handful each of pumpkin seeds, goji berries and hemp seeds

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon maple syrup/raw honey/other sweetener

3 pitted, sliced dates

1 tablespoon almond butter (optional)

The chia seeds and water should make a gel-like substance after sitting for a few minutes. Add in the all the other ingredients - and whatever else you like - and enjoy!