Blackberry-Cherry Breakfast Bars

I hesitated when I titled this as a breakfast bar. They kind of remind me of a blackberry-cherry crisp or crumble. That said, I have been eating these for breakfast and they are a great way to start the day. Who needs a boring breakfast when you can snap your taste buds awake with this fresh, sweet and tart bar.

Above = morning bliss

I adapted this recipe from Colour me Vegan. The book's version has only able 150 calories per bar, but with my changes... they are definitely more than that, but my addition of peanuts and pecans also add some good fats and protein which is good to have in the morning.

Either way, these are worth the time it takes to bake them. The labour is minimal.

Blackberry-Cherry Bars (Breakfast or Dessert)!
*makes 12-16 bars and takes about an hour

• 2 cups of berries (I used about 1 cup blackberry and one cup cherry, but do as you like)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup ground chia seeds
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 handful (about 1/8-1/4 cup) of chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup melted margarine
• 2-3 Tbsp melted peanut butter

Alright, preheat the oven to 350 F. In a sauce pan, combine the berries, sugar, water, lemon, vanilla and cinnamon and stir well. Cover and bring to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer and stir often for about 8-10 minutes. While the sauce is cooking combine all remaining ingredients except for the margarine and peanut butter. Stir the dry ingredients well. Pour into it the melted margarine and peanut butter and stir until its combined. 

Action Shot!

Take half of the mixture and press it into a 8 X 8 pan. bake it for about 20 minutes or until it is golden. At this point the sauce should be done. Remove it from the heat and set aside while the base cooks. Once it is finished, pour the berry mixture on the base and then top with the remaining dry mix. Press lightly and then cook it again for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving if you can... If you can't wait, it will crumble, but still tastes good!

Yes, the plate is dirty because I couldn't wait and ate one before the picture! BUSTED

Whew, that was a lot of ingredients, but these bars pack a powerful punch. Full of healthy ingredients (and some not so healthy... but hey no one is perfect). I can;t think of a better way to start the day... All I have to do now is find some will power to not eat them all before the morning!

Cherry Pineapple Pie

Healthy? Well, I certainly think there are worse things out there!

I know I keep saying that I am going to make healthier food choices, but I have been craving cherry pie for ages now. Today I decided that not only would I fulfill my craving, but i would jazz it up with another favourite fruit.. Pineapple!

Making a pie can be as simple as purchasing a pre-made pie crust and dumping canned filling into it to making everything from scratch. I have provided the from scratch version here.

Now even though this is a pie recipe, it definitely has some nutritional benefits. First - Pineapple. It is full of Bromelain which is supposed to help with digestion, breaking down proteins. Also full of vitamin C, manganese and B1, Pineapple is great for your immune system and over all health. Want to know if your pineapple is ripe without cutting it? Pull on one of the leaves and if it comes out easily, it's ripe. If it doesn't, just leave it out for a day or two.

Cherries - well to start, they are beginning to be recognized as a super fruit. They are full of antioxidant and also contain other important nutrients such as beta carotene (19 times more than blueberries or strawberries) vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate. Cherries also contain melatonin, which has been found to help regulate the body’s natural sleep patterns, aid with jet lag, prevent memory loss and delay the aging process.

So even though this is a sugary somewhat fattening snack. Everything in moderation and there are lots of benefits!

Cherry-Pineapple Pie
The crust:

• 3 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup of shortening
• 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water + 3 Tbsp if needed

Combine all the dry ingredients together and cut in the shortening in 3-4 batches. Once the mixture is pebbly, combine the vinegar and water and add it in in 3 batches. Add extra water by the Tbsp until the mixture forms a dough. Chill in the fridge for one hour and then cut it in half. Roll out each half to 12" circles for the bottom and top of the pie.

Or... Buy pre-made vegan pie crust (be careful of ingredients, most pre-made contains lard

The Filling

• 5 to 6 cups fresh pitted cherries, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice or water
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch / Kuzu / arrowroot

First prep your cherries by pitting them. Combine the cherries with remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Cool and then pour into pie.

Or buy a large can of cherry pie filling!

Next, assemble the pie. First roll out the bottom crust on a piece of wax paper. Use the paper to transfer it to your pie plate. Next chop up a fresh pineapple to about 1/2 - 1" cubes (or use canned. You can use the juice from the canned pineapple to make the cherry filling). Put a handful of the chopped pineapple in the pie plate, add the cherry pie filling and then add more pineapple. Cut a small hole in the centre of the top pie crust and then place on top of the pit. Press along the edges to seal and cut of any leftover dough.

Preheat the over to 450 F. Bake the pie for 10 min and then lower the heat to 350 and cook for 40 - 50 minutes. Keep an eye on it. My crust started browning early, so to stop it from burning I put a loose piece of foil on top.

Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

See? Pie can be made in minutes if you're using the pre0made items, but a little bit of extra work and you can make a tasty pie from scratch.