breakfast

No Bake Puffed Amaranth Oat Bars

Amaranth has taken the number one spot on my list of favorite breakfast porridge grains/seeds this season, but then I discovered that it comes in this popped/puffed version which is perfect for breakfast on those days when you just want something on the go.  The popping part can get a little tricky but see below for a few tips. This is my new favorite portable food and a way healthier and tastier alternative to commercial granola bars that are loaded with sugar and other additives. 

Ingredients:

1 C Puffed Amaranth
1/4 C Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
1 C Dried prunes & apricots, or whatever dried fruit you have on hand
1/2 C Date Paste (dates + water)
1 Tbsp Flax Seeds
1/2 C Shredded Coconut
Handful of chopped nuts
1/4 C Almond Butter
1/4 C Honey
1/2 tsp Salt

Method:

1. Combine puffed amaranth with oats, salt. coconut, cinnamon, flax seeds, nuts and dried fruit in a bowl.

2. Prepare Date paste with just 5 pitted dates and 3 tbsp water in a blender. Add the paste, almond butter and honey to your dry ingredients and still until ingredients bound well together. 

3. Press mixture firmly into a parchment paper lined glass baking dish, using your hands or the back of a spoon.

4. Let rest for 30 in the fridge for a chewy bar or stick in the dehydrator for a crispy bar. Then let the picnic outings and energy packed noms commence. 

Tips for popped amaranth: 

  • Make sure your pan is hot enough. If the amaranth doesn’t start popping almost immediately, the pan needs to heat longer.
  • Allow for a few test batches. Much like popping popcorn for the first time, it will take a few times to get into your groove. I usually start with 1 tablespoon at a time.
  • Accept the fact that not all of the amaranth will pop. If you wait for the last few grains to pop, inevitably some of your amaranth will be burned. The little unpopped grains are fine and can be eaten as well, so just throw them in the mixing bowl along with the popped ones.

Naner Creamy Breakfast Bowl

Naner aka Banana Creamies have become a staple of bloom diets. You know those bananas sitting on your counter, the ones with all those brown spots that you think are passed their prime. Well those bananas make the best dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, fat-free, frozen ice cream treat. No cream, or sugar added. Just pop em in the freezer, mix and match your favorite ingredients. Eating a bowl of ice-cream for breakfast has never felt this healthy. Naner Creamies definitely deserve a more elaborate post but we'll save it for our definitive guide coming in the future. 

Ingredients:

For the Creamies:
Frozen Naners
Nut Mlik (optional)

For the bowl:
Buckwheat (see muesli recipe for soaking/sprouting and health benefits)
Nuts & Fruit

Method:

1. Peel bananas and slice into 2 inch discs. Freeze overnight for firm, frozen naners.

2. Place the banana slices in a food processor or powerful blender. Puree banana slices, scraping down the bowl as needed. If you have a hard time creating a creamy consistency, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to help puree the banana slices. Puree until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Serve immediately for soft-serve ice cream consistency. If you prefer harder ice cream, place in the freezer for a few hours and then serve with fruit, nuts, grains, nut butter, or our delish muesli cereal.

For the fellow smitten Muesli lovers...

What better way to end your post party bangover weekend than cuddling up with a big bowl of raw muesli.  Muesli essentially is a raw version of granola, using nutrient dense nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and variations of grains. 

This muesli contains my favorite seeds of all including chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and buckwheat. Buckwheat is the base of our muesli and despite it's name it does not contain any wheat therefore, you've got the GF stamp of approval. Buckwheat stabilizes blood sugar, strengthens the kidneys, is rich in vitamin E and B vitamins, and is super filling.  Buckwheat that has been roasted is known as kasha and will have a deep amber color. Since this buckwheat will be sprouted, make sure you use raw buckwheat and not kasha. After soaking the buckwheat overnight, drain the water and rinse it thoroughly.  Buckwheat gets slimy as it sits so rinse it until it is no longer slimy. Let it drain well and then let it sit out at room temperature to sprout for 2 days, rinsing it every 4 – 8 hours or so.  At the end of two days, your buckwheat will have little tails and will be ready for the dehydrator. Along with your buckwheat, it would be a good idea to soak and dehydrate your nuts and seeds. This process will remove a lot of the phytic acid found in most nuts and seeds and activate the enzymes which assist with the digestion of nuts. Okay so this sounds more like a weekend project with all this soaking, sprouting and dehydrating, but trust us it's worth it. 

(Note: I have a 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator thats about 6 years old. It's one of my favorite kitchen appliances and it’s the perfect size for making large batches of cereal at once.)

Once your respected nuts, seeds and buckwheat have been soaked/sprouted you can start adding the rest of your ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Muesli is the most versatile, you can make it your own and vary it as you like—mixing your favorite grains and throwing in plenty of fruit and nuts.  A worthy mention why this muesli is the best: it’s contains zero added sugar except for the natural sugar of dried fruit.

Ingredients:

2 cups raw Buckwheat
Water for soaking and rinsing
Pumpkin Seeds
Chia Seeds
Sliced Almonds
Sprinkle of Flax seeds
Half a cup of dried Coconut
Half a cup of dried fruit (goji berries, raisins, unsweetened cherries, blueberries, cranberries, etc)
 

Method:

  1. Soak the buckwheat overnight, drain the water and rinse it thoroughly. Let it drain well and then let it sit out at room temperature to sprout for 2 days, rinsing it (and draining well) every 4 - 8 hours or so. At the end of two days, your buckwheat will have little tails and will be ready for the dehydrator.
  2. Lay buckwheat flat in a single layer on a dehydrator tray. Dehydrate at 115 degrees F for about 6 - 8 hours, until light and crispy.
  3. Once dried, mix buckwheat with your other ingredients like nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Store at room temperature in a mason jar or airtight container. Serve with a nut milk, yogurt and heat up this cereal on the stovetop if you'd like it warm.