Healthy Melty Chocolate Bars

Healthy Melty Chocolate Bars

I had a sleepover with an esteemed member of the Global Supper Club, and she served me the most crave-worthy breakfast-on-the-go. This chocolate bar is a satisfying, salty-sweet snack that starts off cold and then literally melts in your mouth. It’s so tasty, you’d never know that it is jam packed with nutrients. I begged for the recipe, and now I happily keep a stash of these bars in my refrigerator for whenever a hunger pang, or chocolate craving, strikes.

Healthy Melty Chocolate Bars

Surprise number 1- these chocolate bars are made with dates! Pit 1.5 cups of dates, and add them to a food processor.

Healthy Melty Chocolate Bars

Follow up the dates with 2 cups of almonds, or another nut of your choice, 1/2 cup of ground flax seeds (the second surprise), 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut, 1/2 cup of sunflower seed butter (the third surprise), or another nut butter of your choice, and 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. I LOVE the sunflower seed butter in this recipe, so use it if you can. It adds a really interesting flavor, and it keeps me coming back for more. Also, did you notice Baby Rue’s first photobomb?! Run the food processor until all of these ingredients are ground up into small pieces.

Healthy Melty Chocolate Bars

Melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil, and then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to it. Pour the liquid into the food processor, and run it until the mixture looks kind of smooth and comes together into a ball. Much like a homemade nut butter would.

Healthy Melty Chocolate Bars

Dump the mixture into an 8×8 inch baking dish, and use the back of a spoon to press it into an even layer. Put the pan into the refrigerator to chill. Once the coconut oil solidifies, the mixture will firm up, and you can cut it into bars. Store them in the refrigerator– they’re delicious eaten cold.

Healthy Melty Chocolate Bars

As you take a bite of a chilled bar, your mouth will melt the coconut oil, and the bar will take on an almost fudgy consistency. But the almonds and coconut will give you something to chew on, and the salt will keep everything bright and flavorful. All of the nutrient-rich ingredients in these bars should give you a jolt of energy, and even though no sugar is added, they will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth!

This recipe is adapted from Dr. Frank Lipman.

Shopping list:

  • Dates- 1/5 cups
  • Almonds- 2 cups
  • Ground flax seeds- 1/2 cup
  • Unsweetened coconut- 1/2 cup
  • Sunflower seed butter- 1/2 cup
  • Cocoa powder- 1/4 cup
  • Coconut oil- 1/2 cup
  • Vanilla extract- 1 teaspoon
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Sesame-Miso Slaw

Sesame-Miso Slaw

Where have I been, people want to know. I’m flattered, really. I’ve been here all along, home on my computer, doing actual work. And when that work is done, the last thing I want to do is spend time at home on my computer doing leisure. Yes, I consider the website a leisure activity! I love it. The moral of this story is that I’m still trying to create a productive and fulfilling routine for myself here in Philadelphia, and I promise to do better. Starting with this crisp and refreshing summer slaw that I served to my family when I finally invited them over for brunch and a tour of our house. My aunt is the salad queen, and she liked this one, so I consider it a keeper. The veggies are crunchy and bright, and the dressing itself would be delicious on just about anything.

Sesame-Miso Slaw

To make the dressing, get your blender ready. Peel a 1-inch piece of ginger, and throw it in. Add in 1/2 clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons of white or yellow miso, 2 tablespoons of tahini, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1/4 cup of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Sesame-Miso Slaw

Blend the dressing very well until all of the chunks are broken up and combined and the whole thing is smooth. Taste the dressing. If you’d like it to be a bit spicier, add the second half of the garlic clove, and blend again. You’ll have more dressing than you need for this salad, which is a very good thing, so store any extra in a jar in the refrigerator.

Sesame-Miso Slaw

Next, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and salt it well. Boil 1/2 pound of whole sugar snap peas for 2 minutes until they are bright green and a little bit tender. Drain the peas, and submerge them in an ice bath to cool.

Sesame-Miso Slaw

While the peas are cooking and cooling, thinly slice 1/4 head of green cabbage into thin ribbons, and add them to a salad bowl. You should have about 3 cups of cabbage ribbons. If you don’t love green cabbage, use whatever kind you like. Cut 4 radishes into matchsticks, ideally using a mandoline. Thinly slice 3 entire scallions. Add all of these vegetables to the salad bowl. Then, drain and dry the sugar snap peas. Trim off any stems, and slice them on a diagonal into thin slices. Add the peas and 2 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds into the salad bowl. Drizzle the vegetables with half of the salad dressing, and toss it well to combine. Top the slaw with 2 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds (black ones are especially pretty here). Set out that salad bowl, and dig in! You should have enough slaw as a side for about 6 people, but you could easily double this entire recipe if you need more.

This recipe is adapted from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.

Shopping list:

For the dressing-

  • Ginger- 1 inch piece
  • Garlic- 1 clove
  • Miso paste- 2 tablespoons
  • Tahini- 2 tablespoons
  • Honey- 1 tablespoon
  • Rice vinegar- 1/4 cup
  • Sesame oil- 2 tablespoons
  • Vegetable oil- 2 tablespoons

For the slaw-

  • Sugar snap peas- 1/2 pound
  • Cabbage- 3 cups, sliced
  • Radishes- 4
  • Scallions- 3
  • Sesame seeds- 3 tablespoons
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Baby Rue Takes a Dip

Baby Rue Takes a Dip

I had a feeling that Rue would be a water dog. She started digging in her water bowl and almost jumped into a fountain. Her hair seems to repel water. And her toes are kind of webbed. She is very different from Stella, who tries to keep her feet dry at all times, whose hair frizzes in the slightest humidity, and whose toes are tufted with wild hair. We were surprised when Rue was hesitant about walking too deeply into a creek, and we were even more surprised when Stella tried to coax her in. Rue thanked Stella by jumping on her head and dunking her entire body under water, turning her into the most adorable looking drowned rat.

Baby Rue Takes a Dip

What really got Rue swimming though was having something to fetch. We started with a bottle cap and quickly upgraded to the entire water bottle. Her first few attempts were frenzied and full of splashes. But she very quickly found her groove and a love of the water. She would race into the creek after the bottle, leaving a wake behind her.

Baby Rue Takes a Dip

She’d grab it between her powerful jaws, and turn to swim it back in. I loved how she put her ears back, maybe to keep them dry, or maybe to help her swim a little faster.

Baby Rue Takes a Dip

When she reached the shore, she was SO proud of herself. This shy little doggy is getting more and more confident every day. Stella was very proud too- Rue is so lucky to have gotten the most patient big sister.

A video posted by @wittyinthecity on

Here’s a little video of Rue in action. We can’t wait for her next adventure!

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