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March 24, 2015

Muesli Pancakes

We’re now getting back to our normal routine after my daughter was sick with a fever last week and missed nearly the entire week of school. It wasn’t all bad since it gave us a chance for us to slow down a bit and get in lots of extra snuggle time. I made her homemade chicken noodle soup among some other favorite foods, but for about five days, she ate nothing besides smoothies and these muesli pancakes. Something about these pancakes worked for her in her sickness and I felt comforted that she would at least eat something. They are a variation of these blueberry oatcakes, which are also a favorite, except raisins and dried apples replace the blueberries and a combination of oats, barley, rye, and seeds replace the plain oats. This multi-grain muesli is such a wonderful mixture of grains, seeds, and fruit and I’ve been finding all sorts of uses for it. Note that the muesli does need to be soaked overnight in yogurt the evening before you make these so plan ahead accordingly. These pancakes are pleasantly hearty, soft and tender, and full of so many wholesome ingredients. Hope you enjoy!

Muesli Cakes

Ingredients

2 cups multi-grain muesli
2 cups plain yogurt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons honey
1 mashed banana, about ⅓ cup
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Unsalted butter for frying

Instructions

The evening before, mix the muesli and yogurt together in a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, add the eggs, honey, and mashed banana to the muesli and yogurt and mix together with a wooden spoon.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the flour, flax, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until dry ingredients are just incorporated. Batter should be fairly thick.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet or griddle. Ladle the oat batter into the pan, spreading batter if necessary to make circles about ⅓" thick. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the underside is golden brown and then flip to the other side and cook for another 2 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve warm along with maple syrup, if desired.

January 5, 2015

Chewy Almond Butter Bars

Let’s start 2015 off with a wholesome, satisfying, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, dense, and chewy energy bar. I have always been a perpetual snacker- I purposely leave room at mealtimes just so that I have room to snack. Healthy treats with various whole grains, nuts, seeds, and natural sweeteners are my usual preferred snacks and these slightly adapted chewy almond butter bars from Maria Speck’s Ancient Grains for Modern Meals fit the bill for my ideal snack. These delightful bars are comprised of oats, brown rice crisps, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, dried fruit, and bound together with a blend of almond butter and honey. They are mostly no-bake (oven is used at the beginning just to toast the oats and seeds) and come together in minutes. Happy New Year!

Chewy Almond Butter Bars

Serves: 12 2 x 2½-inch bars

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 cup brown rice crisps cereal
¼ cup currants
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
¼ golden raisins
¼ cup creamy almond butter
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
¼ cup honey
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
On a large rimmed baking sheet, evenly spread oats, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. Bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until mixture is toasty and fragrant. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the flax seeds, cereal, currents, apricots, and raisins. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
In a small saucepan, stir the the almond butter, coconut sugar, honey, and sea salt together over medium-low heat until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla.
Working quickly, pour the almond butter mixture over the oat mixture and mix together until thoroughly combined. Use the back of a rubber spatula or lightly oiled hands to press the mixture firmly into prepared pan. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes, before cutting into bars. Store in the refrigerator or at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Notes

adapted from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals

August 7, 2014

Toasted Coconut Mocha Hazelnut Raw Brownies

These toasted coconut mocha hazelnut raw brownies are vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and completely DELICIOUS.

Really, if you’ve never had a raw brownie you must give them a try. In my chocolate milkshake post, I mentioned how cacao powder has transformed our dessert life. These brownies are the perfect example. Ever since discovering raw brownies over at My New Roots, I have never gone back to making brownies the white-flour-refined-sugar way. I do not miss them at all! I almost always have a batch of these stored away in the freezer and often serve them for dessert if we have some last minute guests for dinner. Everyone I have served these to raves about them. They are incredibly rich and just one small piece is very satisfying.

These brownies are naturally sweetened with Medjool dates and the cake-y consistency comes from walnuts, which are ground in the food processor or blender until they become light and fluffy. Studded throughout these chocolatey confections are chopped hazelnuts and toasted coconut flakes. If you want to keep them completely no-bake and raw, simply leave out the toasting coconut step and just use the dehydrated coconut as is.

There are so many possible variations for add-ins here. Instead of coconut, hazelnuts, and espresso, you could add any combination of:

almonds

pumpkin seeds

sunflower seeds

pecans

chili powder

or cayenne (for a little kick!)

However you decide to make these though, I promise that they will be soooo good.

Toasted Coconut Mocha Hazelnut Raw Brownies

Ingredients

¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 cups whole walnuts
2 cups Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup raw cacao
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
¼ tsp sea salt
½ cup hazelnuts, chopped

Instructions

Toast coconut flakes in a 350 oven for 5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
In a food processor or high speed blender, blend the walnuts until they are finely ground and fluffy. (Do not over process and make nut butter!)
Add cacao, espresso powder, and salt. Pulse to combine.
With the food processor or blender running, at the dates one at a time through the feed tube. Process until mixture resembles cake crumbs and sticks together when pressed.
Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add hazelnuts and ½ cup toasted coconut flakes and use a rubber spatula to combine.
Transfer to prepared pan and press to distribute evenly around the pan. Top with the remaining ¼ cup coconut flakes and lightly press to adhere. Place in the freezer for at least one hour before cutting into squares. These are best served chilled from the freezer or refrigerator.

Notes

adapted from My New Roots