Mocha Almond Energy Bites

The idea for these Mocha Almond Energy Bites started when my good friend, Brian, the author of Climbing Nutrition, reached out. Brian is the kind of guy that just knows things: friendly botanist, guy with the killer butternut squash pie recipe, latte art consultant, board game extraordinaire, and handstand master. The list goes on. But what people know him best for is his expertise in nutrition: he's a a Certified Sports Nutritionist from the International Society of Sports Nutrition. So, when I want to know what kind of nutrients I’ll need in order to stay fueled on a climbing trip, Brian is the guy I ask. 

He's known for bringing along some odd (but delicious) snacks when we go climbing—including a 1-gallon bag of cooked sweet potatoes- but don’t hold that against him. It’s usually because those snacks are really good for you. Which brings me to the point (finally!): Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be working on a series called Trail Snacks, recipes for food you can take with you on your adventures, inspired by some of Brian’s insights (bag of sweet potatoes not included). The goal is to bring "yum" and science together to give you on-the-go bites that work! 

These Mocha Almond Energy Bites are first. They are easy to make, and easy to transport (and a whole lot lighter in your backpack than a gallon of sweet potatoes). But they’re also functional: made with dates, they’ll provide your body with easily, snackable, and accessible energy while you are on the go (read Brian's research on carbohydrate timing if you're an athlete!). These little bites have just a touch of coffee, which has my inner coffee-addict cheering. You’re not going to feel wired or get the shakes just from eating a few. But a bit of caffeine in your system might just do you good! I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been out climbing and I’ve said, “I could really go for an espresso right around now.”

No cook, real food, easy to pack, tastes like chocolate and good for you. What more could you ask for? 

These are some of the first pictures I took with my new camera! I have 1,000,000 things to learn about how to use it, but am so excited to be creating again!

Mocha Almond Energy Bites

Published March 13, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Yields: 20   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup pitted medjool dates
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup shredded desiccated coconut
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder (I used Starbucks Via)
• 1/16 teaspoon salt 
• For dusting: 1/2 cup cocoa powder or finely shredded desiccated coconut

Directions:

1. Place first seven ingredients in a food processor (I an old version of this one (affiliate link!), and love it!) Lock lid on food processor.
2. Run food processor. Every minute or so, pause to unlock the lid and scrape down the sides with a spatula.
3. Repeat step 2 until the mixture begins to clump together — this is how you know it’s almost done! Repeat step 2 one or two more times to ensure everything is evenly chopped and the mixture is quite sticky.
4. Now, use your hands to roll the mixture by the tablespoonful into spheres. Set spheres on a plate or cookie sheet.
5. Put the 1/2 cup cocoa or finely shredded coconut in a bowl. Two at a time, toss energy bites in the cocoa/coconut to coat. Set aside, and repeat until all are coated.
6. Store in an airtight container.

Easy Sweet Potato & Chicken Curry

The bad news first: I was in the middle of photographing some oatmeal banana chocolate chip cookies when my camera took a field trip… off the kitchen counter, to the floor. It took the hit hard. So, without a way to take pictures for a little while, I’ll be posting less for the next few weeks. I have a enough recipes in my backlog that I’ll be posting one recipe a week for the next few weeks instead of my usual two. My new camera is on backorder, so I’m crossing my fingers it gets here ASAP! 

The good news: I have curry to drown my sorrows in. 😉

Do you have a food you can’t live without? Maybe peanut butter? Or chocolate? Those are really good choices, and I would put them on my must-have list for sure (especially chocolate). An oddball item on my list is curry.

This sweet potato & chicken curry is one actually an oldie from the blog – something I originally published over two years ago! It needed a bit of a face lift, and I was more than happy to accommodate... This sweet and savory curry is welcome in my house anytime, but especially when we have a foot of snow outside (which we do right now!). It offers a ying and yang of spicy and creamy; of hot and cool; of sweet and savory. Few other dishes are quite so satisfying. 

Easy Sweet Potato & Chicken Curry

Published February 20, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 serrano chile, minced
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ground curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (whole)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Optional: dash of cayenne pepper, for extra heat
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced (or 1 large)
• 2 14-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes (diced works too, will just be a chunkier curry)
• 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
• For serving: minced cilantro, roasted cashews, and your choice of rice/cauliflower rice/quinoa/etc

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil glisten, add diced onion, minced garlic, and minced ginger. Sauté until onions are transparent.
2. Add the cubed chicken to the pan, browning on each side for about 3 minutes, and then turning to cook the other side. Add the minced serrano chile, spices, and salt, and stir.
3. Add the diced sweet potato, along with the canned tomatoes, and coconut milk. Stir to incorporate everything.
4. Bring to a simmer and place lid on pan, cooking until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Prick potatoes with a fork to ensure they are soft all the way through.
5. Serve curry hot, sprinkled with cilantro and toasted cashews, along with a side of rice/cauliflower rice/quinoa/etc.

Immune Boost Green Juice

I’m not much of a juicer. Never have been. I’ve always been a little down on what I see as a glorified consumption of sugar. That might sound a little harsh, and I admit that it is. But more often than not I’d rather drink a smoothie with all of its fiber, or just eat a piece of goddamn fruit.

But, last week, there I was. I felt a tickle in my throat. Oliver had just finished reading me a news story about how the flu was out of control this year. And I decided I needed a boost. Green juice.

Have you been there? The “please, please, please don’t let me get sick,“ feeling? That’s what this juice is for.

It is SUPER high in Vitamins C, A and K. Like nature’s Emergen-C! But, 100% natural.

I drank that green juice down (and loved it, citrusy, with a touch of ginger). The next morning, The tickle at my throat was gone, but two days later Oliver complained of a sore throat too, so there I was again making green juice again--the same green juice I had made for myself just a few days before.

Now, I’m still not that into juice. You'll find no recommendations on juice cleanses here. But this juice is like a multipurpose vitamin... like an insurance policy. You drink it with a wholesome breakfast and you get all those extra vitamin packed in.

So far, I'm still flu free: maybe it had something to do with this juice, or maybe not. Either way, I fell in love with green juice somewhere along the way. At least this green juice. The insurance policy.

Immune Boost Green Juice

Published February 8, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 leaves of dino (lacinato) kale
• 1/2 cup sliced cucumber
• 1 lemon, peel sliced off
• 1 blood orange, peel sliced off 
• 1 and 1/2 apple, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 cup water
• 6 ice cubes, for serving 

Directions:

1. Place ingredients in a high powered blender: first the kale and then the cucumber, lemon and orange, apple, ginger, and water.
2. Purée until smooth (I use a BlendTec (affiliate link!), and set the blender to the “Whole Juice” setting).
3. Place a nut milk bag (affiliate link!) over a bowl or wide-mouthed jar, and pour purée through the nut milk bag to strain out the pulp.
4. Optional: If you like, stir back in a tablespoon or two of the pulp.
5. Divide ice cubes between serving glasses and pour juice over ice. Serve.