Today, I’ve got a whole slew of snacks to share with you, of the “bar” variety – protein bars, energy bars, snack bars, etc. First up: PureFit protein bars.

I’ve reviewed PureFit bars before, a long time ago, but what’s changed since then is that they’ve officially gone gluten-free! Of course, they also still contain no dairy, whey, artificial sweeteners, or hydrogenated oils, and the nutritional stats are the same: 18 grams of plant-based protein per bar.

The Almond Crunch and Berry Almond Crunch flavors are my faves, but since today is National Peanut Butter Day, I’ll show you a pic of the PB bar. All the flavors are delightful, though, and super-filling.

Some new-to-me bars I tried recently are Good Greens Bars.

Each bar is packed with their Z-52 superfood formula, purportedly containing 100% of your daily fruits and vegetables, and nice amounts of protein and fiber to boot.

I tried the Wildberry bar first, and was a little surprised to find that it seemed like a pretty standard dried fruit bar. Not bad, but not mind-blowing.

The other three flavors, though, are a different story! The Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Coconut (shown below) taste more like candy bars than nutrition bars, with chewy, melt-in-your-mouth fillings and a light coating of chocolate on the exterior. I would buy these three varieties again in a heartbeat!

That’s It fruit snack bars are different from the other bars here. They include no nuts, grains, superfoods, or anything else, for that matter; they’re literally just fruit!

The cherry bar, for example, contains 1 apple and 10 cherries. They’re chewy enough that they take some time to eat, but at just 100 calories a pop, they’re a great fix for a sweet tooth.

A very unusual new bar I got to sample recently is Thunderbird Energetica.

The ingredient lists are nice and short, and what’s more, all three varieties are soy-free, gluten-free, agave-free, added-sugar-free, non-GMO, and vegan, with 2 servings of fruit per bar. They also come in compostable wrappers and are – get this – shaman-blessed. Whoa!

They’re very dense and satisfying, and I love the flavor combos: Cherry Walnut Crunch, Cacao Hemp Walnut (shown below)…

…and Cashew Fig Carrot (shown below)! Thunderbird Energetica bars will definitely be making more appearances on my snack shelf in the future.

These last two aren’t exactly “bars,” per se, but they ARE handheld, all-natural, fruit-and-nut-based sweet snacks!

Awhile back, I had the pleasure of sampling raw cookies by Derrick Sky.

These gluten-free, soy-free, vegan cookies are absent of sugar, dairy, and additives. All the ingredients are in their natural state, crafted at low temperatures to keep the flavor, nutrients, and vitality of the food alive and jumping. With flavors like Meyer Lemon, Oatmeal Raisin, Coconut Macaroon, Chocolate Midnight Sky, and (my favorite) Snickerdoodle, these cookies make deliciously decadent (yet surprisingly healthy) snacks. They’d also make a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift for your sweetheart!

Lastly, I’d be surprised if any of you weren’t familiar with Chunks of Energy. They’re all vegan and gluten-free, and some are raw and organic as well. They’re sold in bulk as little poppable squares at most health food stores (I’ve posted about them before), and with the seemingly endless flavor varieties they offer, you’ll probably have a hard time choosing a favorite.

I think I know my fave, though: the Carob Supergreens, which you’d never guess contains spirulina, chlorella and wheatgrass. The Cacao-Goji and Chocolate Almond Chip chunks, though, are fantastic too!

QUESTION: Of all the bars/snacks shown above, which would you most like to try? (Perhaps in the form of, say, a giveaway? Hint hint!)

3 years ago this week…
Peanut butter banana bread
Tofu parmigiana alla marinara
2 years ago this week…
Roasted potatoes with garlic-cumin aioli
Pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies
1 year ago this week…
P90X week 3: hearty winter meals
Mini microwave peanut-pumpkin protein cake
Hot Raw Chef contest + caramel-fudge brownies

Hi all! Today, I’m so excited to get to share with you some lovely photos from a few of the amazing folks who tested recipes for my cookbook, Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make (which, in case you didn’t hear, is now available for preorder!). This’ll give you a fun sneak peek at a few of the delicious raw dishes you’ll find inside the book!

Jennifer made this incredible photo collage of all the recipes she tested from the Milks and Smoothies chapter.

Lisa‘s photos of my dishes are gorgeous too, including this one of Le Matin Parfait (a breakfast parfait with fresh berries, Coconut Yogurt, and Date-Nut Crumble)…

…and this one of her interpretation of Parisian Street Crêpes with Chocolate Silk Ganache and Strawberry Coulis (which you also see on the cover of the book).

My tester Billie made these Almond Butter Sesame Noodles (another dish pictured on the book’s cover)…

…as well as Deconstructed Sushi Bowls…

…and Spanish Garden Paella.

Dessert time!  My tester Samantha photographed two interpretations of my Crunchy Salted Cashew Cookies, one with Mesquite-Candied Pecans pressed into the tops…

…and this one, a cookie sandwich with firmed-up Chocolate Silk Ganache inside!

Speaking of cookies and chocolate, Samantha also made a big batch of my Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies.

While Samantha pressed my Famous 5-Minute Blondies into heart-shaped silicone pans…

…Billie cut them into classic square shapes.

I love how Samantha used a crunchy, coarse-grained sugar to coat my Sugared Doughnut Holes.

I’ll end with one more impressive collage from Jennifer, this one of some recipes from the Desserts chapter.

Thank you to Jennifer, Lisa, Billie, and Samantha for providing these photos!

So tell me, have you preordered Practically Raw yet?!
Which of the dishes pictured here are you most excited about?

3 years ago this week…
Vegan lemon bars
Creamy chickpea soup
2 years ago this week…
Random 2009 leftover madness
1 year ago this week…
P90X week 2: getting into a routine
Trials & tribulations of an almost vegan raw chef
The 5-minute, single-serving, raw vegan blondie

• In case you missed it last week, be sure to read my recent guest post on the Living Harvest blog: Three Simple Diet-Based Changes for Your Health.
• You can still enter to win a copy of Bryanna Clark Grogan’s World Vegan Feast—the giveaway closes on Thursday morning!

I haven’t done a leftovers post in far too long, so it’s high time I catch up and show you some of Matt’s and my random eats from November and December.

First, a yummy pre-workout smoothie I made for Matt one day. It turned out particularly good, so I wrote it down and shared it on Facebook. Here it is again, in case you missed it!

MALTY CAROB-BANANA POWER SHAKE
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 large ripe banana, peeled
3 small pitted dates
1 tablespoon carob powder
1 teaspoon maca powder
1/2 scoop SunWarrior Natural raw protein powder
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Add water and ice as desired to thin and chill. Serve immediately (optimally 30-60 minutes before a workout).

I wrote another recipe for GG Bran Crispbread in November: Low-Fat, High-Fiber Peanut Butter Bean Dip. Check it out!

I received the completely adorable Rabbit Food Cookbook by Beth A. Barnett, and though I haven’t cooked from it yet, I did read it cover to cover! (Don’t you just love the spiral binding?)

Matt went to Austin, TX on business awhile back, and ate at Mother’s Café and Garden while he was there. He considerately snapped a photo of his vegan burrito dish…

…and the blueberry pie he enjoyed!

I made us a “soyful” brunch one weekend of organic tofu scramble with tempeh “sausage” crumbles. (All local and non-GMO, mind you.) We don’t eat soy-heavy meals like this too often, but sometimes I do enjoy a big bowl o’ high-quality soy.

I made a batch of classic raw chocolate truffles for Matt one weekend. (Ooh, be spellbound by the Vitamix’s hypnotic chocolatey gaze!)

Even better, though, were the raw white chocolate truffles I created for myself. They turned out GREAT! I’m filing this recipe away to share with you in the future in some form or another.

One particularly hedonistic weekend, Matt and I indulged in a delicious junk-food-vegan dinner at one of my favorite Kansas City establishments, Waldo Pizza! They have separate vegan AND gluten-free menus, complete with desserts. That night we shared an order of cheezy garlic bread…

…and a large pizza on wheat crust, both made with Daiya Vegan Cheese; the pizza was also topped with vegan Italian sausage and pepperoni (on my half) and mushrooms and vegan hamburger (on Matt’s half). We left stuffed and happy!

Finally, I made a whole bunch of goodies for the New Year’s Eve party that we attended, but I only managed to snap a photo of one thing: Dreena Burton’s Maple-Pecan Sticky Blondies (from this book). Divine!

QUESTION: What’s the best thing you’ve eaten recently?

3 years ago this week…
Vegan lemon bars
Creamy chickpea soup
2 years ago this week…
Random 2009 leftover madness
1 year ago this week…
P90X week 2: getting into a routine
Trials & tribulations of an almost vegan raw chef
The 5-minute, single-serving, raw vegan blondie

News & Notes

• I guest-posted this week on the Living Harvest blog with an article entitled Three Simple Diet-Based Changes for Your Health. If you made new year’s resolutions for 2012 – or if you didn’t! – you’ll want to check out my recommendations.
• I’m very thankful for all the comments that are still rolling in on my last post, a response to a very unfair and poorly-researched New York Times article portraying Kansas City, my home, as a vegetarian wasteland. Let me help illustrate a little further just how off-the-mark that is: I can point out 20+ vegan meal options available within a one-minute walk of each other in Midtown Kansas City. And that’s just off the top of my head!
• Russell James’ new DVD and e-course is now available! It’s like attending raw chef school, but in the comfort of your own home.

On to today’s post: three quick cookbook reviews, a recipe, and a giveaway.

The Vegan Slow Cooker: Simply Set It and Go with 150 Recipes for Intensely Flavorful, Fuss-Free Fare Everyone (Vegan or Not!) Will Devour by Kathy Hester

Since the weather in Kansas City has been so unseasonably warm the last couple months, I hadn’t yet delved into Kathy Hester’s all-vegan, all-slow-cooker cookbook…but the night before last, we got our first snow. Boo! Pulling out the crockpot suddenly sounds incredibly appealing.

Not only does Kathy’s book give you advice on which slow cooker to buy and how best to use it to cook simple staples like beans, grains, and broths, she provides us with dozens and dozens of truly creative slow cooker recipes. (The book also has full-color photos sprinkled throughout, which is always a plus.) Yes, there are the usual soups, stews, and sauces, but there are also curries, casseroles, pasta dishes, breakfasts, party snacks, jams, and even desserts (!) and BREADS (!!). First up for me will be the Butter Chick’n (mmm, I can almost smell it just thinking about it!) and Turkish Delight Tapioca Pudding. If you’re in the dregs of winter right now too, you better grab your own copy, cuz ya can’t borrow mine!

Another Fork in the Trail: Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for the Backcountry by Laurie Ann March

I’m most assuredly not the target audience that Laurie Ann March had in mind when she wrote this unique cookbook. I’ve never camped in my life (nor do I want to!) and much prefer the comfort of my apartment to the great outdoors. Yet I still found lots to get excited about among Laurie’s recipes for trail-friendly (and thus travel-friendly) food. Packed with lightweight recipes for backcountry adventurers (or road-trip-travelers like me), Another Fork in the Trail focuses on easy-to-prepare meals and snacks.  Many of the recipes are prepped and dried at home, saving valuable time at camp or anywhere else you may travel. With recipes for desserts and baked goods in addition to the staples, the book covers menu planning and recipe creation and discusses other important considerations for vegetarian and vegan outdoor adventurers. Though you’ll find me in a motel, not a tent, on any given trip, I’m particularly loving Laurie’s recipes for hot cereal mixes, granolas, and energy bars.  I can only imagine how much I’d use this cookbook if I were an “outdoorswoman”!

World Vegan Feast: 200 Fabulous Recipes from Over 50 Countries by Bryanna Clark Grogan

This much-anticipated, globally-minded, and very ambitious cookbook from longtime vegan superstar Bryanna Clark Grogan might just be my current favorite. As you know, I’m a huge fan of ethnic flavors and international cuisines, so as soon as I heard Bryanna was coming out with a book called “World Vegan Feast,” I immediately placed it on my wish list and anxiously anticipated its release. It’s surely no surprise to Bryanna’s fans that this cookbook DELIVERS, in a big way.

I’m positively dazzled and stunned by the impressive array of dishes and cuisines represented in this book. Every recipe is labeled with its country of origin, and we’re not just talking the usual places like China, Mexico, and Italy, but truly exotic and fascinating locales like Bali, Tunisia, Peru, Iran, Sweden, New Zealand, Lebanon, and SO many more. No corner of the globe is passed over on Bryanna’s culinary adventures. All along the way, Bryanna offers numerous tips, tricks, and fun stories and tales about various dishes’ origins. When a book can make me feel like I’ve flown around the world without leaving my own kitchen, I know it’s worth calling a bible among cookbooks.

Best of all, I get to share a recipe with you today straight out of World Vegan Feast!

ANZAC cookies (or “biscuits”) originated in Australia and New Zealand as travel-friendly snacks for military men (ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), but are popular all across the region today. I decided to make them last week since I had the tail end of a jar of golden syrup to use up. If you don’t have golden syrup, you can easily sub in agave nectar.

ANZAC Biscuits

Recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or a gluten-free flour blend)
1 cup packed brown sugar (I used half xylitol, half Sucanat)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup melted vegan margarine (I used coconut oil)
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons golden syrup or agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, coconut, and baking soda and stir to mix well. Add the margarine, water, and golden syrup or agave nectar. Stir well with a wooden spoon, mixing with your hands if necessary.

Form tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on two parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Flatten the balls with your hands or a flat-bottomed glass moistened with a bit of water.

Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes or until almost set. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: about 20 cookies
Per cookie: 104 calories, 4g fat (2g sat), 16.5g carbs, 2g fiber, 1.3g protein

I loved these! They’re super-chewy from the oats and coconut, a little bit caramelized from the sugar, and just sweet enough for my taste.

I bet you want to win a copy of World Vegan Feast for yourself, don’t you?

Giveaway: World Vegan Feast

The winner of this giveaway will receive a free copy of Bryanna Clark Grogan’s cookbook World Vegan Feast, mailed directly to your home.

There are six ways to win (please leave a separate comment below for each entry):

1) Comment below telling me your favorite slow cooker meal, on-the-go snack, or international food dish.

2) “Like” Almost Vegan on Facebook AND Vegan Heritage Press on Facebook and comment below confirming you’ve done so. (Bonus: “like” my FB post about the giveaway.)

3) Follow Almost Vegan on Twitter AND Bryanna Clark Grogan on Twitter and comment below confirming you’ve done so (include your handle).

4) Tweet the following message and comment below confirming you’ve done so:

I entered to win @VeganFeaster’s World Vegan Feast cookbook from @AlmostVeganChef! #Giveaway here: http://wp.me/pYLdq-14D

5) “Like” World Vegan Feast AND Practically Raw on Amazon (you can find the “like” button beneath the title at the top of the page) and comment below confirming you’ve done so.

6) Subscribe to my blog by email (at the top of the right-hand sidebar), RSS feed, or Google reader and comment below confirming you’ve done so (or already are a subscriber).

This giveaway is open to the continental U.S. only.
The deadline for entries is next Thursday, January 19th, 2011, at 10:00am CST.
I’ll be choosing the winner at random. Good luck!

3 years ago…
Mini berry cobblers
2 years ago…
No-bake peanut butter-chocolate-oat cookies
1 year ago…
2010 review roundup: supplements

Hold it right there.

My first reaction to the article was confusion. My second reaction was to laugh. My third reaction was anger. Though I already vented a little on Facebook, I feel a need to respond in full here.

This article really bothers me—in fact, it very nearly offends me. I’m tired of people thinking Kansas City is a rural, podunk little cowtown, when in fact it’s an urban metropolis of over 2 million people with thriving communities of vegetarians, vegans, raw foodists, and locavores. The author of this article seems to have barely tried to find vegan options here. In reality, they exist in abundance—I’ve been blogging about them for 3.5 years!

KC is no New York City. Or Los Angeles. Or Portland (yet). That much is true. But if anyone comes here expecting us to be – and, moreover, is disappointed that we’re not – then they need a reality check.

We certainly do have our share of barbecue restaurants and steakhouses…but to lament a lack of veg options at such establishments seems downright silly. (I will say, though, I’ve even gotten a decent vegan meal prepared for me at Jack Stack Barbecue before!) Most of the time, all you have to do is ask.  It’s not hard to do a little menu sleuthing and make some specific requests.

But that’s beside the point, because with Kansas City’s vegetarian/vegan eateries (FüD! Eden Alley! Mud Pie Bakery!), ethnic restaurants galore, hip tapas and wine bars, contemporary restaurants, artsy hangouts, and more, resorting to eating at a barbecue restaurant just isn’t an issue.  Whether you’re looking for a relaxing vegan brunch, a quick snack and soy latte, a meatless ethnic food feast, a stylish and date-worthy vegan dinner, or even veg bar food, you can get it, at dozens of non-vegan restaurants around the city. It’s shoddy reporting, in my eyes, to go to a meat-centric restaurant and then write an article (for the NY Times, no less!) about having to eat a salad.

The assortment of restaurants in Kansas City that are veg-friendly is downright dizzying.

Sure, you’ll encounter the occasional jerk here who wants to give you crap about being vegetarian or vegan. But those people exist everywhere. And as long as you are friendly (in other words, don’t be one of those vegans who go around scoffing at and lecturing omnivores all the time), the local meat-eaters are not only harmless, but most of the time are very understanding, even accommodating.

Besides all the stellar veg and veg-friendly places to eat here in Kansas City, we also have a 100% vegan meal delivery service, numerous health food stores (including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and some locally-owned ones too), several farmers markets (such as the impressive City Market), large vegan and raw food meetup groups, multiple CSAs and year-round organic/local produce home delivery services, a growing city-wide enthusiasm for local and organic foods, and even a new Café Gratitude location on the way.

We’re doing just fine in the veg department, if you ask me, and getting better every day.

A poorly-researched article like this simply shouldn’t show up in publications like the New York Times. I’m very disappointed that something so easily refutable has to cast another unfair blemish on the reputation of Kansas City’s culinary culture. Those of you that don’t live around here, I entreat you to NOT take A.G. Sulzberger’s word for it. Kansas City is not a vegetarian wasteland—it’s a wonderful place to grow up, live, eat, and be vegan.

Please feel free to share this on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Let’s combat the spread of the original article by sharing this post just as far and wide!

Need proof? Click here to see a list of 20+ vegan meal options available within a one-minute walk of each other in Midtown Kansas City—and that’s just off the top of my head!