So I thought I'd wind down by posting one of my new favorite recipes. I've been experimenting with game day food (race food) for Daniel and ultimately for his athletes and our friends. A race food that fuels one's body but isn't full of shit (pardon my french, but yes that is what I said)! I liked these so much that only a week and a half later the pan is gone- yes yep just disappeared. Problem, I'm not really training or racing right now, doh!
I took a peek at Lara Bars (too much sugar for me) but I like them, they are much better than say gu or roctane or something of that sort. They are made of real food. Then, as always, I took a look at the price and thought, "heck, I know I can make these cheaper." So, here they are!
This recipe is packed full of whole real food goodness.
Cherries- get the tart, unsweetened dried kind. These are a bit harder to find, but well worth it, really. Cherries help tame inflammation (woohoo, no one wants that) and supposedly reduce belly fat (everyone wants that)! But for the athlete that is performing, cherries can combat post-workout soreness (although you'd likely need more than are in these bars FYI)! They do so by reducing muscle inflammation! Tahini is rich in phosphorus, magnesium, lecithin, potassium and iron; a great source of calcium; full of B vitamins and E; helps maintain healthy muscle tone; promotes healthy cell growth and for those athletes on game day, is easy to digest! The same benefits of coconut oil (high in saturated fatty acids and medium-chain triglycerides which are both easily burned as fuel by the body) apply to Coconut Cream concentrate as well! However, unlike coconut oil that is fat soluble, coconut cream is both fat and water soluble. What does this mean? Coconut butter is made from the whole coconut flesh and Mark Sisson talks about the benefits of coconut in this article. Since magnesium helps produce energy and doses in this recipe are coming from both the tahini and the Cacao Powder (stick with organic only please, make sure it is not heated too high as well. That means say away from the Hershey's junk) contain magnesium, which helps to produce energy. Now, I'm well aware that Cacao is very very controversial. Although I'm currently using it, I don't plan to buy more when I'm out, at least not for a little while. But I think in these bars for healthy fit athlete, I don't think it is going to hurt! There are some claims that cacao may even be beneficial for asthma (I haven't done much research here, so it needs further investigation). All these terms are likely starting to sound redundant but here ya go, Dates provide dietary fiber, antioxidants, potassium and magnesium. Potassium is both a mineral and an electrolyte, that triggers enzymes crucial for energy metabolism and is needed for cardiac, smooth and skeletal muscles to contract efficiently. Makes sure these suckers are, well you guessed it, ORGANIC! If treated with chemical pesticides, your destroying most, if not all, of the health benefits you will receive. So there ya have it, the skinny on the main ingredients in this recipe.
I must add, as a recovering sugar addict, I don't believe I'm ready for this food/recipe quite yet. Case in point, as soon as I tasted it, it was a made dash for the whole thing, but for the performing endurance athlete that needs fuel during training or competition, I reckon these might be just the thing!
Test them out and I'd love your thoughts/opinions (honesty please)!
1/2 cup melted coconut cream concentrate
1/8-1/4 cup melted coconut oil
5-6 soft pitted dates (you can always soak them for an hour in water if you'd like. I usually go with medjool dates and don't soak but its up to you)
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs cacao powder
2 tsp vanilla extract- (preferably the home-made kind)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsweetened dried tart cherries
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
Optional: 1/8 cup Enjoy Life Gluten Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free Chocolate Chips
Add the melted coconut cream & coconut oil, dates, tahini, water, cacao powder and vanilla to the blender and blend until a thick cream. You may need to add a few more tablespoons of water but you DO NOT want it runny. Add the cherries and pulse a few times to dice them up. Move to a bowl and fold in the coconut flakes and chocolate chips (if you choose to use them). Cover a 6x9 glass pan with parchment paper and pour the mixture into it. Press the mixture into the square pan with your hands, between another piece of parchment/wax paper or with a spatula . Freeze for up to an hour, then cut into squares and store in the refrigerator!
Enjoy and please, let me know your opinions!