Browsing Category

Breakfast

Oat Fig Bars

October 11, 2012
oat-fig-bars

As the days seem to be getting colder, darker and gloomier – I just have to bake. I find it awfully therapeutic. The oven gets switched on, I toss together some ingredients while music plays in the background and I can dance my heart out. Guilty pleasure? Yes, definitely.

Peak season for fresh figs is June through October, but you can find good dried figs year-round. They’re perfect to keep in your drawer at work for snacking or to take along while traveling. Figs have the highest overall mineral content of all common fruits. They’re high in potassium, calcium, iron and a good source of vitamin C and fiber. In fact, they’re a good natural laxative; those tiny seeds contain a substance called mucin, which apparently helps clean toxins and mucus out of the system.

I wanted to come up with a recipe using figs after reading one of my favorite raw-foods authors, Dr. Arnold Ehret, who called figs one of his top three “mucus-dissolving foods.” Dr. Ehret was writing about raw foods back in the 1920s; if you can get your hands on any of his books, I highly recommend them.

Delicious enough for dessert yet healthy enough to fuel your day… these bars are filled with healthy ingredients: flax and chia seeds, dates, warm spices, oats, banana, almond milk and plenty of figs. Lightly baked to intensify their candy-like sweetness.

These bars are delicious warm or enjoy them cold. Also handy as a grab-and-go breakfast or snack.

vegan-oat-fig-bars

Vegan Oat Fig Bars

Makes 6 large bars or 12 smaller portions

Ingredients:

Filling

  • 12 dried figs
  • 3-4 medjool dates, pitted
  • 2 cups hot water
  • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

Crust

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup raw coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp. flax seed (I used milled flax seed, but whole will work too)
  • 1 tsp. chia seed
  • 1.5 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 banana, mashed
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).  Grease a small bread pan with coconut oil.
  2. Place the figs and dates in a medium sized bowl and pour the hot water on top.  Allow to soak while preparing the rest of the recipe.
  3. Place the oats, coconut sugar, flax seed, chia seed, cinnamon, baking powder and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond milk, banana and vanilla.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.  Set mixture aside.
  6. Now make the filling: drain the fig and date mixture and place in a food processor. Add the maple syrup, lemon juice and cinnamon.  Process until thick and smooth, adding a splash of water if needed.
  7. Time to assemble – spread half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Next, spread all of the fig filling over the oat base.  Finally, cover the fig paste with the remaining oat mixture.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.  Allow to cool before cutting into bars.
15 Comments

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

September 21, 2012
stawberry-rhubarb-compote

Yeah, I kind of had to make another dish with rhubarb. I may be obsessed. I was silly to doubt the power of a classic combination like rhubarb and strawberries. It really is a perfect balance of sweet and tart.

This simply delicious and easy recipe makes the perfect addition for breakfast or brunch on oatmeal, pancakes,waffles or toast. I can also say that the compote is great eaten by the spoonful, straight from the fridge or as an afternoon snack. I imagine it would also be delicious spooned onto a freshly baked dessert. Lovely.

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup honey (or for vegans who don’t eat honey, any other liquid sweetener will work fine, adjust as needed as some sweeteners are more or less sweet than others)
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:

  1. In a medium sized sauce pan add all the ingredients except for the honey. Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil over medium high heat.
  2. Turn down to a simmer and cook until the mixture has thickened. Stir frequently. This should take about 15-20 minutes.
  3. When the compote is done remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes before adding the honey or other sweetener and stir to combine.  Taste for sweetness as it will depend on your rhubarb, the kind of sweetener you use and your own tastes.
  4. Let the compote cool slightly before pouring it into a mesh strainer over a bowl to drain some of the liquid.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

(Photo Credit: my sister, Jenny Norris – jjnorris.com)

 

2 Comments

Buckwheat Pancakes

June 30, 2012
buckwheat-pancakes

Although we manage to find time for a few nibbles in the morning, we’re just not that into scarfing down a big meal at the beginning of our day. Instead, we’d much rather enjoy a big breakfast as the day is winding down and truly take our time and savor such traditional and comforting flavors. These homemade pancakes are especially popular in our house as they’re quick and easy to make plus they make for a delicious, wholesome treat.

Perhaps it’s because buckwheat used to be a lot more popular a hundred years ago, but there’s something about buckwheat pancakes that hearkens back to an earlier time – the days of pinoneering, log cabins and pot belly stoves. It may surprise some people to learn that buckwheat is actually a fruit even though it is commonly thought to be a grain. Buckwheat is a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb.

Numerous health benefits are buckwheat`s prime claim to fame. Firstly, it does not contain gluten, so it makes an excellent substitute for other grains in the diet. Studies have indicated that consuming buckwheat may combat high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Also, buckwheat does not lead to peaks in blood sugar levels. The protein in buckwheat contains the eight essential amino acids and is also high in lysine. Buckwheat is also rich in many B vitamins as well as phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. Plus it’s an excellent source of fiber.

gluten-free-pancakes

Buckwheat Pancakes with Nectarines and Blackberries

Vegan, Gluten-free, Wheat-free, Sugar-free

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup buckwheat flour
  • 2 cups water
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Coconut oil for frying
  • fresh nectarines
  • fresh blackberries
  • maple syrup, for serving

Directions:

  1.  Place flour into a medium mixing bowl. Gradually add water and stir using a whisk or fork to remove lumps. Mix until paste is formed. Leave to settle for about 20 minutes.
  2. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add a little coconut oil. Ladle just enough batter onto hot pan to coat whole surface.
  3. Cook for about a minute and a half on the first side or until the surface is covered with small bubbles and the underside is nicely browned. Flip and cook for about a minute on the second side. I always need a few practice tries (munching the unsuccessful ones is a bonus!).
  4. Serve stacked high with plenty of maple syrup topped with fresh fruit.

What are a few of your favorite ways to whip up a little breakfast for dinner?

 

22 Comments

Granola with Raw Cashew Cream

June 1, 2012
granola-with-raw-cashew-cream

As granola recipes go, some are simpler and some are more complex, and this one lies squarely in the middle. I love the idea of a bare-bones, just-the-essentials granola – oats, nuts, oil, and a sweetener of some sort – but to my palate, a great granola needs a little more. It needs a variety of nuts and seeds, and maybe a couple of different sweeteners for flavor complexity, and some warm spicing too, like cinnamon and ginger. It may require buying a couple of extra pantry ingredients, but once you’ve got them, you’re set for a while – and for a lot of granola.

This granola makes for a lovely breakfast, snack, or even dessert. When the granola is topped with raw cashew cream, it supplies just the right amount of indulgence – without the guilt.

Cashew Cream

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp. agave nectar (or maple syrup, raw honey etc)
  • Seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
  • Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

  1. Place the soaked cashews and water in a blender. Turn the blender onto a low-medium speed to break up the nuts and stop when the pieces are starting to form a puree.
  2. Add the coconut oil, agave nectar, vanilla bean seeds, salt and more water if necessary. Turn the blender to high until the mixture is as creamy and smooth. This may take a few minutes.
  3. Scrape cashew cream into a container and chill thoroughly.

granola-raw-cashew-cream

Fig’ n Pear Granola

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup nuts or seeds of your choice (I used a mix of almonds and hemp seeds)
  • 1/2 cup fresh or dried figs, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh pears, cored & roughly chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar, maple syrup or honey
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F  (177° C).
  2. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Stir to mix well. In a small bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Stir to mix well. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones, and stir well.
  3. Spread the granola evenly across a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir periodically to help it bake evenly.
  4. Let cool completely, store in airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for longer shelf life.

To assemble: Place sliced/chopped fruit into a bowl and spoon some granola mix evenly on top of the fruit and put a nice dollop of cashew cream on there. Then devour. 

6 Comments