Thursday, December 13, 2012

Breakfast Fruit Bars and Chia Seed Spotlight

Chia Seed Spotlight
The chia seeds offer a large serving of omega 3's and are a power food as well. The Incan, Mayan and Aztec cultures used this as a staple food and said it made them run faster and longer. It is hydrophilic and can hold 10 times it's weight in liquid. It makes a great gel for jam, replacing eggs (1TBSP chia to 4 parts water), and so much more. It is a great source of antioxidants, calcium, potassium, iron and omegas. Not to mention the trace element boron which helps transfer calcium to your bones and high in protein too. It can also level blood sugar....I could go on but please research more if you like.

 
Breakfast fruit bars
If you plan on this for breakfast, it saves a lot of time by making the fruit filling the night before. These are also fabulous packable foods for lunches, picnics and potlucks.



Ingredients:

Jam:
1 12 oz bag of frozen fruit
2 TBSP maple syrup or agave (could use stevia)
4 TBSP chia seeds

1. Add fruit and sweetner in a sauce pan and boil till soupy
2. Add in chia and mix around. Let this sit over night in the pot

Bars:
2 C old fashioned oats
3/4 C whole wheat pastry flour (soft white)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 C maple syrup
1 TBSP chia seed + 4 TBSP hot water
1/2 C melted coconut oil
2 TBSP milk (nut, hemp or coconut)

Preheat oven to 350*
1. Combine chia and water to an "egg" and set aside
2. Combine the dry ingredients and add the wet to them including the "egg"
3. Line an 8x8 dish with parchment and put 3/4 of the bar mixture in the bottom, pressing to make even
4. Put the jam mixture on top and spread evenly
5. Crumble the remaining bar mixture on the top and put in the oven for 30 minutes
6. Let this cool for 30-60 minutes before serving

Healthy Energy Bars

 This is a delicious recipe I've mildly adapted from a co-worker of my husbands.  It is healthy, hearty and great for a snack or even chilled for a dessert or potluck. Flax seeds in their whole form cannot offer omegas but are a healthy dose of fiber which everyone could more of. We use raw honey which offers enzymes, anti bacterial properties and many more healthy benefits, (although heating kills enzymes, we still feel better about). Coconut oil needs to be UNREFINED and COLD-PRESSED. Organic is best, but is has many, many health benefits which I will cover later in another post. And instead of chocolate chips sometimes I will melt down a bar of solid 100% cocoa and add some sweetner and coconut oil and put that on top instead, it tastes darker and I really love the benfits.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 C old fashioned oats
3/4 C dried cranberries or raisins
2/3 C sunflower or pumpkin seeds (can do chopped nuts as well, or a combo of all)
1/2 C oat bran
3 TBSP flax seeds
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 1/2 C natural peanut butter or almond butter (no sugar or hydrogonated oils)
1 C honey
4 TBSP coconut oil
1 C dark chocolate chips


1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Combine the dry ingredients and mix well
3. In a small sauce pan combine peanut butter, honey and oil and over low heat, stir and mix only till softnened
4. Add wet to the dry mix and combine well, then put in a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 15 minutes
5. Put chocolate chips on top and melt and spread
6. Chill for about 2 hours in the fridge for a solid granola bar