Never heard of a "Nanaimo Bar"? Well, you kind of have to be Canadian! Named after the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia, which is just one hour's drive south of us on Vancouver island, they are a wildly popular item in coffee bars and during the Christmas holidays. The first time this square was published under that name was in the early 1950's in the Vancouver Sun newspaper. I believe it was for a recipe contest.
I've always thought these were way too sweet, so I've been promising myself to make what I call a "grown-up" version-- vegan, of course, less sweet, with better ingredients, a little Kahlua, and a modern touch. Yesterday I worked on this as a Valentine's Day treat for my sweetie, and...success! The recipe will be in a new book coming out at the end of 2010.
Here are the Nutrition Facts: Nutrition (per bar): 142.0 calories; 56% calories from fat; 9.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 100.3mg sodium; 45.9mg potassium; 13.7g carbohydrates; 1.1g fiber; 6.2g sugar; 12.6g net carbs; 2.0g protein; 3.4 points.
I compared it with an ordinary Nanaimo bar and these have less sugar, less fat, NO cholesterol, and twice as much fiber and protein!
On a more practical level, I've been pretty busy with some deadlines, and some family stuff, so dinners have tended to be fast and simple. This is one quick meal we had on the spur of the moment:
"Breast of Tofu" Soft Tacos: corn tortillas heated quickly in a dry cast iron skillet, and filled with sliced pan-fried "Breast of Tofu" (which is in almost all of my books), organic baby greens, guacamole, vegan cheeze shreds (Galaxy Foods soy mozza singles, in this case), and salsa.
A plate of stir-fried asparagus and mushrooms with garlic, roast potatoes, and a zucchini "meatloaf" that I devised for the Fieldroast book I'm working on-- very yummy, like a "turkey" meatloaf!
Enjoy!
Your nanaimo bars look fantastic! I guess you do have to be Canadian to know what they are. It hadn't occurred to me since I ate them most of my omnivore life. They are something I do miss as a vegan. I can imagine yours are far superior to the fat-filled and overly-sweet original varieties.
ReplyDeleteis it possible to get that fieldroast stuff up here in Canada?
ReplyDeleteYum, I can't wait to try out your meatloaf! I hope you'll let us know when your book comes out.
ReplyDeleteHi Bryanna!
ReplyDeleteOh, I am so excited to try your Nanaimo bars. They used to be one of my favorites, though I agree with you about them often being too sweet. My kids are going to be thrilled!
I hope things aren't too crazy for you, but I know how it goes with book deadlines. Good to see that you're still doing some cooking for fun.
The zucchini loaf looks delish too!
Julie
Thanks for your comments, guys! Anonymous, Fieldroast products are not sold in Canada yet. The owner is trying to find a Canadian manufacturer.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - that "custard" in the nanaimo bars looks AMAZINGLY delicious!! I never heard of nanamimo bars before, but by the look of them, I know I am going to love them!
ReplyDeleteDelish! I can't wait to see the fielf roast cookbook. I love their products, but they are only available at Christmas in my area. I think your nanaimio bars will drive my DH crazy until I make them. :o)
ReplyDeleteThanks for introducing me to those Nanaimo Bars! There's *so* many foodstuffs just waiting to be discovered out there in the world. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh my, Bryanna!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I'm a subscriber!!
Well I'm not Canadian, but I did grow up close to BC (on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington) and I know what they are. Some grocery stores and coffee shops had them and yes, they're always way too sweet! Those look soooo good.
ReplyDelete