About Italian Salsa Verde
Italian salsa verde, also known as salsa verde all'italiana or green sauce, is a sauce made with a base of fresh herbs, capers, (anchoives if not vegan), and is often used as a condiment for meat, fish, and vegetables. It is similar to the Mexican salsa verde in that it is a green sauce, but the two sauces have different flavor profiles due to the use of different ingredients.

My recipe doesn't have capers, so I guess it isn't quite salsa verde, but I might try adding capers in the future! I honestly didn't realize this when I first made the recipe, so it might evolve over time! (but I still love this sauce as is so it is what it is and I'm still sharing it)

About my *kinda sorta* Salsa Verde
This is a simple tasty condiment that should be in everyone's repertoire. It's a delicious and versatile way to finish off a variety of dishes. Roasted Potatoes, Veggie Cakes, Vegan Egg Scrambles, Tacos, spooned on top of grilled veg, I even like it  instead of a typical salad dressing on crunchy chopped salads. Every time I makeMujaddara (one of my favourite Middle Eastern rice and lentil dishes, I want this on the side with chopped romaine lettuce.)

Chopped parsley (I will add cilantro sometimes if I have it), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic S & P, and a sprinkle of chili flakes if desired. Simple. You can adjust the amount of garlic and lemon to your personal taste. I think it depends on what you like and what you are serving it with. (I personally love garlic, and I like to make it bright, but sometimes I serve extra lemon on the side of certain dishes which would add more acidity overall)

I tend to go through a batch of this quickly and always wish I had more. I'll probably start doubling it for my purposes!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch parsley, chopped (100 g for reference but I don't bother weighing it every time)
• 2 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( I start with lesser amount then add a bit more just until it starts to pool around the chopped herbs a bit.)
• Juice from 1/2 to 1 whole lemon
• S & P (1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp pepper)
• a pinch of chili flakes (optional)

Method:

1. Simply stir ingredients together in a bowl. Store in a container in the fridge if not using right away. It will need to sit at room temperature to loosen before using. 10 - 15 seconds in the microwave does the trick too)

Healthy Chocolate Trail Bars Recipe Notes
These chocolatey, chewy, no bake trail bars are delicious! Perfect for when my energy is dipping mid day, and need something quick. The mixture is made from oats, toasted almonds, pitted dates, shredded coconut, cocoa powder, cashew butter (or tahini), maple syrup, vanilla & sea salt. It gets pressed into a 9"x13" pan with a generous sprinkling of mini chocolate chips pressed into the top. I like to sprinkle the top with extra sea salt before eating. My recipe was inspired by brownie granola bars by the Minimalist Baker. ​

Why I love these chocolatey trail bars

• They are no bake, except I do toast the oats and nuts in oven for 10 minutes.
• Trail or energy bars (especially homemade chocolatey ones with oats and nuts and coconut) make a delicious, quick grab and go breakfast or snack.
• They satisfy my chocolate cravings in a healthy way.
• Naturally sweetened treats using dates and maple syrup are my fav. 
• They are wonderfully chewy.
• They are made using whole food ingredients

I use mini chocolate chips to press into the top of these granola bars. (I wouldn't use regular sized chips here.) 

HOW TO PREP CHOCOLATE TRAIL BARS

1.  Toast oats and almonds in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes. You could probably skip this step but I           prefer to add it in. 
2. Blitz half the nut/oat mixture until fine crumbs in a food processor. Then add the other half, and        pulse a few times. You want some chunks remaining. Don't wash the food processor, you'll use it        again for pureeing dates. 
3. Add to a large bowl with cocoa powder, unsweetened coconut and salt. 

4. Soak whole pitted dates in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and discard water. Add to the food processor along with the vanilla. Blitz scraping/pushing down the sides a few times until it is as smooth as you can get it. Add to the bowl along with tahini and maple. (I like to heat it until drizzly first.)
5. Using clean hands, mix everything together until evenly combined. 

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