Introducing 'Wholeplus' Fitness Bars

It’s been a crazy few weeks and a lot of cryptic clues (sorry about that- now you know why my Lent Challenge has suffered so badly!) …but now it is all finally taking shape and so I can reveal more about what I’ve been up to!

“Wholeplus is a new venture for me, one that takes my passion for 
whole foods and fitness and my love of creating recipes, textures and flavour 

combinations to a new level- one that I can share with the world”.

I’m starting small, who know whether this will work out and where it could lead, and I am still very much intent on keeping my blog exactly as it is- the main outlet for my creativity and the door to my website and other ventures that may pop up along the way, such as this.

I have always been active and so fitness is a hugely important part of my life, however it has only been in the last couple of years as I have grown into the whole foods plant based lifestyle that I realised just how important the relationship between diet and exercise really is, and most importantly the way in which dietary choices can optimise your overall health and fitness both physical and mentally.

The idea for this range of fitness bars, stemmed from my growing dissatisfaction in the refined, sugar laden, chemically enhanced commercial fitness bars that were all too prevalent in the fitness industry. I knew I already had the tools and knowledge to create my own, and after a number of ‘joking’ conversations in which I’d said things along the lines of ‘just look at those ingredients, I could do so much better than this’ I was challenged to do so.

My ideas and principles are not so dissimilar to other products already out there. This is nothing new. There are already a number of fruit and nut ‘raw’ bars, ‘flapjacks’, ‘protein bars’ the list goes on….

So, how is Wholeplus different?

I wanted to make my mark and combine what I felt to be the best of what these various bars currently offered. There were a number of criteria which were critical to my philosophy. The bars should all be:

• organic

• sugar free (dates being the only form of sweetener)

• plant based (vegan)

• gluten free

• soy free

• uncooked (preserving as many nutrients as possible)

• substantial in size (too many similar bars just don’t satisfy my needs)

• incorporate foods know to assist and complement fitness and recovery

• cover a range of different fitness requirements

So the Wholeplus range was born. The specific flavour combinations are still under development…my kitchen, my fridge and my freezer, have been full with bite sized samples of all the various tests for weeks and weeks now, but the core principles within each have remained.

Whole+ Protein: 

A fitness bar with added protein power in the form of Hemp and brown rice.

Whole+ Energy: 

A bar consisting of fruit and nuts/seeds for quick release energy when you need it most.

Whole+ Sustain: 

An endurance bar infused with oats and buckwheat to provide longer term sustenance.

These are some of the bite size samples..the full bars are as per the background sold in packs of two.

These bars will be sold through gyms and potentially health food shops and local outdoor establishments in the Hertfordshire area (south East England) It’s all early days and I will keep you posted on further developments over time.

Quinoa ‘meat’ balls

Remember these ‘meat’balls’?

And these burgers?

Well, it was really just a matter of time before I combined the two to get a gluten free, high protein hit with a nice spicy smoky kick!  I typically eat a lot of nuts, seeds and beans to maintain a good protein intake, but what I love about these balls is that they focus more on pulses and grains, plus the fact they are perfect for a snack on the go, to toss on top of a salad, to wrap up in a tortilla or to slather in sauce….

I’ve now made these countless times and I pretty much keep to the same proportions and flavours each time, although I nearly always double or triple the batch so I have plenty to freeze.  The ones  in the photos were rolled in polenta prior to baking to give a little crispy coating for my wrap but I often just leave them plain and then they look more like the original ‘meat’ balls.  The only significant difference between these balls and the originals that used rice,  are that these balls tend to be slightly dryer, I think it was the rice that gave them more of a chew so feel free the substitute rice for the quinoa to get a GF version closer to the original if you prefer.

Right, I’m off…I’m on a huge baking mission today since yesterday was sabotaged by my broken down car which had to get to the garage at short notice, therefore my plans for the day had to be totally re-written. Oh well, I guess that’s life… you just have to roll with it sometimes.

On my list to do:  this month’s Daring Bakers Challenge, soup, dips and these meat balls to stock up my freezer. Some more smoosh bars, and also some chia pudding experiments planned…watch this space!

 P.S The tortilla sauce in the photo is a lentil and peanut dip (soon to come)....so good!

Recipe: Quinoa ‘meat’ balls

Ingredients

½ cooked lentils

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup mixed wholegrain high protein flours  (gram, buckwheat, oatmeal)

2 tbs ground flax

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs oilve oil

2 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp salt

½ black pepper

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Pinch nutmeg

½ chilli powder

½ parika/cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp molasses

2 tsp mustard

Method

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Mixture should be sticky but manageable. From apricot sized balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.(optional- rolls in polenta for a cripy coating prior to baking). Bake at 180C for 25- 30 minutes turning over half way through. These freeze well.

(Adapted from my regular 'meat' ball recipe)

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Veggie Quiche- a gluten free/soy free delight

It did work!

The very much experimental Bank Holiday Monday trial dinner paid off, and I think it offers a versatile recipe that may well be back in various forms.

I have never made a vegan quiche before even though I have come across numerous recipes in the past, it was simply something I had not got round to doing. So finally I have… and to give myself a double challenge I opted for a GF crust (as opposed to spelt as I would have typically gone for).

Most quiche recipes I have come across use a tofu mix as the ‘eggy’ part. I personally don’t have any objection to soy, but I know many people do and also others have allergies so I was intrigued to see what other options were out there. Ok, I’ll admit, that being the person I am I don’t like to do things the easy way so thought I may as well go all the way in ‘experimentalness’ (new word?)  The answer...? Chickpea flour...well I never!

Before some of you scroll down and loose the plot with my unusually long list of instructions, let me just say three things:

1-      This quiche is worth the effort

2-      You could opt for any crust recipe if you have a favourite (or buy one if you insist!)

3-      These firm up really well and would make great crust-less quiches in muffins tins if you want to speed things up and make less work for yourself  (note: I have not tested this idea but now i so want to!)

I did a lot of research before attempting this quiche and therefore I give credit below to two recipes that inspired the filling and the crust, as usual I changed things up a bit  (partly due to ingredients I had to hand) but they gave me the basis to work from. The crust itself is quite thick and very filling,  so you could make it a little thinner if you like (maybe 4-5mm)  and I think it would still hold together well. It was really crisp with a slight flakiness which I loved although my mum (who I was making dinner for also) said she thought it was harder than a regular wheat crust but she enjoyed it all the same.

I had a left over portion for my lunch the next day and it was just as good. I warmed it up before serving but you could just as easily have it cold as it firms up really well as a 'veggie slice' hence why I think it would make really good crust-less mini quiches even you allow them to cool in tins before serving.

P.S. I apologise for the not so great photos- these were taken with my makeshift night kit (I misjudged the timing and it got dark by the time it was served) and for some reason I just wasn't really having much success with the lighting, so having to rely on Photoshop instead... oh well. I can already anticipate Foodgawkers blunt critique!

 

Recipe: Veggie Quiche (gluten free/soy free)

Makes approx. one 9’quiche to serve 4

Ingredients- crust

Inspired by this recipe  

¾ cup buckwheat flour

¾ cup brown rice flour

4tbs arrowroot

4tbs tapioca starch

1 tbs ground flax or chia (optional- I think this helps to bind)

½ tsp salt

3 tsp soft (not melted) coconut oil

3 tsp olive oil

2 tsp white wine vinegar (or any mild vinegar)

2tbs cold water (or more as needed)

Method:

In a medium bowl, mix together the flours and starches. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with your hands until and firm dough forms (add a little extra water if the dough is too dry or a little extra buckwheat flour if too wet).

The dough will be firm and should hold together well, it should roll out fairly easily, mine was a little crumbly but that is fine since you will mainly press it in the pie dish anyway. Roughly roll the dough into a circle the size of you dish then place the dish upside down over the dough circle before flipping it over the allow the dough to fall into the dish (does that make sense?)  Alternatively you can get your hands in and simply using your fingers to press the dough evenly to cover the pie dish right up to the rim.

Prick the pasty with a fork and then pre-bake for 10 mins at 180C.

Whilst the crust is baking, prepare the filing. Feel free to vary the veg from the ones I have used below.

Ingredients- filling

Inspired by this recipe

1 medium courgette- chopped into half-rounds
½ a large red bell pepper- chopped into strips

½ cup soy beans or peas (thawed if using frozen)

1 small onion- thinly sliced
½ tsp garlic powder
½ cup chickpea flour
1 tbs potato starch (or other starch)
3 tsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ tsp mixed herbs
pinch paprika

Large pinch baking powder
1 tbs olive oil

1 cup water

Method:

Chop the veggies and set aside.

In a separate bowl (or a food processor as I did), whisk together the remaining ingredients, other than the water) once you have a smooth paste add the water and whisk again until smooth. It should be about the consistency of pancake batter and have no lumps.

Once the quiche crust is out if the oven, fill it with the veggies so that it is just about full. Pour the batter on top of your veggies making sure to fill all of the gaps. Lightly tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

Bake for approx. 30 minutes, until the filling appears set and every so lightly golden brown on top. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. The leftovers can also be eaten cold the next day (which is what I did!)

 

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.