I currently have my teeth sunk in to a meaty book called Meathooked – The history and science of our 2.5 million year obsession with meat by Marta Zaraska. So far, the book has presented a very balanced view of why humans started eating meat and continue to do so despite other sources of sustenance. It also shows that many arguments on both sides (from the “paleo” diet proselytizers as well as from the vegetarian diet proponents) have merit. So far, the book has not taken any sides. I am waiting for the punch line!
Recipe for No-Bake Fig Energy Balls
In the meantime, my obsession with dried figs continues. A lot of the no-sugar recipes call for using dates or date sugar to add sweetness. I think figs would work just as deliciously.
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| No Bake Fig Energy Balls |
Last weekend was a sweltering one again and I did not wait to turn on the oven. So I decided to make some no bake energy balls sweetened just with figs. The inspiration for the recipe came from several sources online for “bliss balls” but I totally made this one up as I went along.
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Recipe for No-Bake Fig Energy Balls
Makes around 15 balls
Ingredients:
- 8 oz (around 10) dried California figs (I picked up a bag from Costco)
- 4 oz (around 1 cup) quick cooking oats (opt for gluten-free if sensitive)
- 4 oz (around 2 cups) dried coconut flakes (I got this from the bins at Whole Foods)
- 4 Tbsp almond butter (~2 oz)
- 4 Tbsp raw cacao powder for dusting
Method:
- Soak the dried figs in enough warm water to cover for around 15 mins
- Dry roast the oats in a pan on low heat until it smells nutty and fragrant
- Dry roast the coconut flakes on low heat for around 5 minutes until fragrant
- In a food processor, grind the oats and coconut flakes together to a not-too-fine powder
- Drain the water from the figs, chop roughly and add to the food processor
- Add the almond butter and 2 tablespoons of cacao powder to the food processor
- Pulse until it forms an uniform mass and remove from the food processor
- Roll in to balls and dust with remaining cacao powder
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator
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| No-Bake Fig Energy Balls |
You won’t be able to stop popping these delicious balls in to your mouth. They are so sweet you won’t beleive there is no sugar in them! We have been having them for breakfast every morning with a boiled egg, some home-made sauerkraut and a few slices of avocado.
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| No-bake Fig Energy Balls |
(I apologize for the appearance of the blog. I am working on getting a new cleaner look and have somehow managed to mess things up. I promise to fix it soon! In the meantime, I could not resist posting this recipe!)