Friday, April 1, 2011

Sunbutter, sweet potato bars


Sunbutter, sweet potato bars
I've stayed free of colds and sinus issues for almost one year now thanks to following an anti-candida diet (ACD). My candida overgrowth was the result of taking too many broad spectrum antibiotics prescribed for sinus infections.My recommendation is: never take antiobiotics unless you absolutely have to! If you do, then make sure you load up on probiotics to replace the good bacteria killed off by the antibiotics. I'm still replenishing good bacteria one year later by taking probiotics.

One year later I'm still following a low-glycemic diet but find that I can lighten up just a bit by adding a few more good quality carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes. I combined sweet potatoes with my personal favorite, sunbutter, to create Sunbutter/Sweet Potato Bars. They are free of sugar and artificial sweeteners, eggs, dairy, gluten, soy, corn and nuts but they still have the texture of cheesecake and the taste of a peanut butter bar.

Sunbutter/Sweet Potato Bars

Filling Ingredients:
  1. 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and pureed
  2. 1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk
  3. 2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
  4. powdered stevia (SweetLeaf is my personal favorite.)
  5. 2 flax eggs ( Usually made with 1 T. flax dissolved in 3 T. water. I used 2 T. Nutri-Flax ground flax seed powder dissolved in 4 T. hemp milk.)
  6. 1/2 tsp. salt
Crust Ingredients:
  1. 1/2 cup each toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
  2. 1/2 cup amaranth flour
  3. 1/2 cup black quinoa, ground in a coffee grinder to a coarse flour
  4. 2 T. olive oil
  5. powdered stevia
  6. 2 T. + water
Directions:

Grind seeds into a coarse powder in the food processor. Grind black quinoa in a coffee grinder. Add black quinoa flour, amaranth flour and stevia to seeds and pulse to mix. Remove all but 1/4 cup to a large bowl and add oil and water until the dough clings together. Press into a sprayed 8 X 8-inch pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

In the meantime, microwave sweet potatoes until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Cool and peel. Put sweet potatoes in food processor and puree. Add sunbutter, hemp milk, stevia, salt and flax eggs. Pulse until mixture is smooth and thickened.

Once crust is set, pour in filling mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved flour mixture on top.

Return to the oven and bake another 30 minutes until filling is set. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Garnish with a teaspoon of chocolate sauce for an extra special treat.

2 comments:

Ricki said...

These sound great! One of my favorite combinations is sweet potato and almond butter, so I know I'd love these , as well. Thanks for the recipe! :)

Sheree Welshimer said...

I'm thinking of trying a chocolate version. Yum!