Protein & Fiber Rich Blueberry Bars

This summer FLEW by for our family and fall has sneaked up on me like a ninja in the night. I didn't do HALF of what I had planned to this summer, but one thing I did do was go blueberry picking-- twice! So, my freezer has an abundance of blueberries.  

So although blueberry season is over, I wanted to share this new-favorite recipe I developed that uses blueberries (fresh or frozen!) and is full of healthy redeeming value. You can feel good about your family indulging in these puppies!

I had to hide away two of these bars to photograph soon after I made them because they were disappearing so fast! They were yummy right out of the oven, but also once they cooled.  They have a buttery, whole-wheat and oatmeal crust, a sweet, lemony tofu-based filling, and are topped with blueberries and more buttery wheat and oatmeal goodness. 

The whole wheat, oatmeal and blueberries provide a significant amount of healthy fiber, and the tofu adds a shot of protein that make these bars not only yummy, but pretty darn healthy for a delectable dessert! 

This was my first experience using tofu in a dessert. I was a bit apprehensive. I didn't tell my family what was in these until they had tried them.  I was THRILLED that they turned out so well and were so enjoyed! Win-Win!!

I made these at night and quickly snapped a picture of them right out of the oven.  Although it's a bit dark, I'm glad I did. This pan was attacked soon after this photo was taken.

Protein and Fiber Rich Blueberry Bars

Makes 32 bars

Ingredients

Crust and Topping:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened

Lemon Tofu Filling:

24 oz firm tofu, drained

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon extract

Blueberry Layer:

4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 10"x15" baking dish with aluminum foil.  Two 8"x 8" or  9"x 9" square dishes will work. Coat lightly with cooking spray.

2. In large mixing bowl, whisk wheat flour, powdered sugar and oatmeal together. Cut in softened butter until well incorporated (I used my cookie-dough paddles for cutting in the butter).  Reserve 2 scant cups of this mixture in a separate dish, and press the rest of it into the prepared pans. 

3. Using the same mixing bowl (no need to clean out the crumbs), beat the tofu, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and extract together. Mixture may seem chunky (no worries!).  Spread the tofu mixture evenly over the first layer.

4. Sprinkle sugar, lemon juice, and flour over the blueberries and mix gently. Spread the berries over the tofu layer. 

5. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over the top of the blueberries.  Place in center of oven. Bake 50-55 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. 

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"New Fashioned" Oatmeal Pie

Oatmeal Pie. If you've never had it, you are missing out. It is NOT like eating a bowl of hot breakfast with a crust around it, so don't even go there.

It is a closer relative to the best pecan pie you've ever had. NOT the kind that is 80% sugary gel sandwiched between a crust and some nuts.  Think about the ideal  pecan pie, where everything is perfectly melded together in each bite. Sweet, but not so sweet that your throat burns and you feel a diet coming on.

An ideal Oatmeal Pie is like the perfect oatmeal cookie and the perfect macaroon were in a tornado and they ended up combined in a way only fate could orchestrate;  and they are resting together after the storm in a flaky crust made of their close relatives, butter and coconut oil.

This is a "New-Fashioned" Oatmeal Pie because I based my recipe on one from a cookbook that belonged to my grandmother, but I changed it to make it more conducive to today's health knowledge. (i.e.: ALOT less sugar, more oats and coconut).

We had it last night for our family night treat, but since I was out of natural light by that time, I had to vigilantly guard the last piece so I could get a decent photograph this morning to show.  My boys wanted it for breakfast, for lunch, for snack, etc.  I think I may need to whip up another.

Here it is fresh out of the oven. The house smelled heavenly.

"New Fashioned" Oatmeal Pie

Ingredients:
1 unbaked pie crust (I used Yesterfood's Coconut Oil Pie Crust #1)
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat together eggs, sugars, and butter.  Add oats, coconut and vanilla and mix well. Pour into pie crust.

Bake 30-35 minutes, until no longer liquid in the middle.

Allow to cool at least 1/2 hour before serving. Delicious warm or cold or in-between.

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Saturday Dishes