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

Pancakes and Blue berry syrup

Blueberry Syrup recipe:
1 bag frozen or fresh blueberries
agave nectar or maple syrup
Combine the blueberries and a little water and bring to a boil then simmer on low for 1-2 min. Transfer to a blender and add sweetner- blend and put in a glass jar. You can keep this for quite some time in the fridge.

 We served this pancake at our 4th of July community breakfast we put on last year and everyone raved about them and much preferred them over the yucky white ones you make out of the bag. Yahoo!!
The trick to pancakes is to NEVER flatten them with the spatula while cooking. These are real buttermilk kind, fluffy, soft and full of flavor and nutrition.
Recipe:
2 C soft wheat and barley mix flour (or as always just wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 C honey
1/4 C oil (coconut melted)
2 eggs
2 C buttermilk or water or milk alternative

Combine all ingredients and let sit for a moment to soak together. Then put on a greased pan (use coconut oil) and do not press down on them when flipped. Watch them rise and then eat with pure maple syrup or blueberry syrup and fruit.

Potato Salad

This potato salad always gets compliments and is so very easy.
Recipe:
Around 5-6 Red and Gold pototaos cut
2 green onions chopped
5-6 Hard boiled eggs chopped
dash of dried mustard
S&P
Vegan mayonaise (we like veganaise)
Combine and serve

Black bean burger

I came up with this one night when we have some leftovers and all the fixins for a burger but no burgers. I wondered why all of the black bean burgers on the web look so lifeless but mine came out the same way and when you bite in- you get a wonderful surprise. It is much more flavorful than it looks.
Recipe:
In a food proccesor combine:
1 C chickpeas
1 C black beans
1/2 C oats
handful of fresh parsley
handful of bell pepper chopped
1 egg
S&P
Put in a hot pan with melted coconut oil and cook.
Serve with burger fixins.
(I think I will try adding some carrots and sweet potato next time too)

Veggie cups

I have to give credit here to a friend of mine who served these at her little boys birthday party. I thought it was such a great idea and tried it at home for a snack before lunch. They really like it.
Recipe:
(Cut all the vegetables in stick like shapes)
Cucumber
Jicama
Carrot
Red, yellow or orange bell pepper
Celery
Broccoli
Or any combination you like
Put dressing in the bottom of a slender dish and stack the veggies on top. Voila!