Typically, I just snap off a few squares of dark chocolate and have that as an after-dinner snack, but sometimes, I like to switch it up! There are so many recipes that you can make using chocolate that are healthy, delicious and take only minutes to whip up. Like my Healthy 5 – Ingredient Peanut Butter Cups, for example. Or a 3 – ingredient brownie that I make using cocoa powder, bananas and nut butter. This chocolate bar recipe is no exception. It is quick, vegan and amazingly delicious. It tastes like a “Snickers” bar!

The MVP here is the Medjool Date. It’s caramel-y in texture and taste, and is the perfect vessel for the other ingredients. It’s also what gives these candy bars their sweetness, as there is no refined sugar added to this recipe. Nature’s perfect candy.

The chocolate: It is your choice whether you would like to make these bars completely vegan or not. If so, you can find vegan chocolate chips at the health section of your grocery store, or on Amazon, here. To start, melt your chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water, or carefully in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between. Try not to eat it out of the bowl at this point.

The assembly line: Set up your stations. It should go – dates, nut butter, shredded unsweetened coconut, melted chocolate and flaky sea salt. Now, we begin. Take a date, remove the pit and carefully tear it in half with your fingers. Use a knife to spread some nut butter over the open-side of one half and then dip the nut-buttered side into your coconut. Dip your filled date into the chocolate pool and use a spatula to help you coat the entire date. Scoop up the date with a fork and tap several times on the side of the bowl to let any excess chocolate drip off. Place your chocolate bar on a plate or tray lined with parchment and immediately sprinkle with a few flakes of sea salt. Continue with the rest of the dates and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before enjoying!

These are the perfect chocolate bar replacement. Chocolatey, caramely, ooey and gooey. And that sea salt just adds that extra hit of love. DROOL.

Vegan Chocolate Bars

Serving size: Makes 20 small bars

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Chill time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 140 g vegan dark chocolate
• 10 medjool dates, pitted and halved
• 1/4 cup nut butter (I prefer my Homemade Peanut Butter)
• 3 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
• flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions:

1. Fill a small pot with 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer on your stovetop. Place chocolate in a larger, heat-proof bowl and place the bowl on top of the pot, with a wooden spoon in between to let the steam escape. Stir regularly until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat. Alternatively, you can melt your chocolate in the microwave by placing it in a microwave-safe bowl and melting for 20 – 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth.
2. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a small baking tray or a large plate and set aside.
3. Take one half of a date and use a knife to spread nut butter on the open side of it. Dip the buttered side into the coconut flakes and then carefully place into the melted chocolate, using a spatula to help coat the entire date. Use a fork to scoop it up and tap on the side of the bowl a few times to allow extra chocolate to drizzle off. Place on prepared tray and sprinkle with a few flakes of sea salt. Repeat for the remainder of the dates.
4. Place dates in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving. When they have cooled completely, transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge.

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Although I love living in a country that experiences four diverse seasons, winter is always way too long. And as a teacher, it’s hard NOT to pick up a few illnesses during the winter season at school. This soup is my remedy. It has turmeric, an immune-boosting, detoxifying anti-inflammatory, and ginger, a nausea-relieving, cancer-fighting, all-round great-for-you root vegetable. Let’s fight that cold together!

The best days are the ones where you get to walk through your front door, sniff the air and remember back to this morning when you threw your dinner into the crockpot, and now it’s ready for you. Now all you have to do is take your bra off, put your sweatpants on, grab your ladle and slurp away. MMMhhhhmmmmm.

I recommend having your veggies all chopped the night before, that way you can just throw them in the crockpot when you wake up and away you go. If you are a morning person, firstly, please tell me your secret, and secondly, morning chopping is also an option. Note: This recipe may also be made on the weekend.

I always start this recipe by tossing my chopped onions into my crockpot with some olive oil, turning it to high heat and letting them warm up while I prep the rest of my ingredients. The heat begins to soften them before everything else enters the pot and starts to crowd them. After the onions have softened up slightly, I add in the garlic, ginger and spices and toast them up until fragrant. I then put everything else in the crockpot, put the lid on and say, “Bye, see you in a few hours. I love you. Keep warm.”

If you are still reading this:

1. Thank you.
2. I’m sorry.

Let’s make soup!

Crockpot Ginger and Turmeric Immune-Boosting Soup

Serving size: 6-8

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 3-4 hours

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 heaping tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsps turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup carrots, diced (about 2 medium carrots)
• 1.5 cups celery, diced (about 4 stalks)
• 1 cup butternut squash, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 2 big handfuls baby spinach
• 100g vermicelli noodles (optional)
• Fresh cilantro or parsley for garnishing (optional)

Instructions:

1. Turn your crockpot on high and add the olive oil and onion. Let this heat up while you prepare all of your other ingredients, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, basil, oregano, turmeric, paprika, salt and pepper to the crock pot and stir around with a wooden spoon. Let the spices begin to toast and the garlic and ginger to become fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste until everything is coated.
4. Add the carrots, celery, squash, bay leaf and stock. Put the lid on the crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.
5. About 45 minutes before the end time, open lid and add in the lentils. Close the lid again and let cook for the remaining 45 minutes.
6. When the soup is ready (vegetables are tender, lentils are cooked through), discard the bay leaf and taste, adjusting salt and pepper according to preference. Add the spinach and vermicelli noodles (if using), and put the lid on for 2 more minutes to soften.
7. Ladle soup into bowls and top with freshly chopped herbs.

NOTES:

Avocado is also a great topping for this soup.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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