In the warmer months, I’m always looking for easy, throw-together meals that are more about “assembling” than actual cooking. Smoothies are great, of course, but in looking to change things uplittle I found these amazing breakfast bars. I know they look like candy, but they’re actually protein-packed, whole grain and totally capable of being a breakfast food. (* If you remember, I posted these to instagram a few weeks ago and I promised I'd post it) You could always omit the chocolate part, but I believe there’s nothing wrong with just a hint of decadence at breakfast. Not only are they completely addicting, but because they can double as a sweet treat and feed a crowd.

Puffed Brown Rice Bars with Tahini & Bittersweet Chocolate (gluten-free, vegan) Makes 18 bars - Inspired by Gk stores

9 medjool dates, pitted and mashed
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup peanut butter(or almond butter!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup almond meal (I even use my leftover almond pulp, that I dehydrate at 200 until golden brown - works great for this recipe)
1 cup puffed brown rice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Generous pinch of sea salt
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

Using a fork, mash the dates on a plate into a thick paste. It’s ok if there’s a few chunky bits, but make sure the dates are generally broken down. Add to a large mixing bowl with tahini, peanut butter, vanilla, and coconut oil. Using a fork or whisk, mix ingredients until well combined.

Add sunflower seeds, almond meal, puffed brown rice and cinnamon. Add a generous pinch of sea salt and mix together until ingredients form a thick, cohesive batter.

Line a square dish, 8 or 9 inch is best, with parchment paper then add mixture in. Using the heel of your palm, flatten until it’s in one even layer.

Double broil the chocolate*. Once all chocolate has melted, spoon over the prepared bars, either coating entirely or in a zig zag shape. Add another pinch of sea salt over top, then add to the fridge to set for 1 hour. Cut into 18 bars and serve. You can store these in the fridge for a week or store in the freezer as a treat.

*Add a heat-safe (glass) bowl fitted over a saucepan with 2-3 inches of water. Make sure the water does not touch the bowl. Add chocolate to the bowl and bring to a rolling simmer, stirring chocolate until it melts completely. You can also melt chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals until chocolate melts completely.

Man, has it been hot in New York. Every year, I forget this kind of heat - the sweltering humidity right before it storms, the heat waves. It’s like seasonal amnesia. If you grew up in dry heat like me, I genuinely believe we can’t tolerate humidity - it’s not in our bones.

This time of year, I’m always too hot and looking for cooling things. My favorite warm weather snack is a huge bowl of super chilled watermelon - my all-time favorite Summer love. I’ve been using my popsicle molds like crazy since I’m always looking for some kind of chilled treat. Sometimes it’s leftover green smoothie popsicles, berry & yogurt pops or something a little more decadent. This recipe is from Virpi & Tuulia’s lovely new book N'ICE CREAM - which should be your Summer staple. It’s filled with vegan (or non-dairy) ice creams and desserts that you can whip up in 5 minutes with simple, pure ingredients. These pops are like ice cream - super creamy with nothing but a blender. Plus, I love anything that marries tahini & chocolate together. 90 percent humidity might not be fun, but eating ice cream pops isn't so bad either.

Creamy Tahini & Cacao Popsicles (Gluten-free, Vegan)

Tahini Layer:

2 cans fun fat coconut milk (refrigerated overnight)
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons maple syrup or other sweetener
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

Chocolate Layer:

2 large bananas
2 heaping tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder
2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs
Pinch of sea salt

For tahini layer: Once coconut milk has been chilled, scoop out thick, solid white cream & add to a blender. Add banana, tahini, maple, vanilla, and sea salt then blend until smooth. Add to a mixing bowl and set aside.

For chocolate layer: In the same blender, puree banana, nut butter, cacao/cocoa powder and sea salt in a blender. Mix in cacao nibs by hand then, set aside.

To assemble: Layer tahini & chocolate (using chocolate a bit more sparingly) between eight popsicle molds. Chill for 4 to 6 hours. Serve & enjoy.