whole grain Archives - Page 4 of 5 -

September 8, 2014

Peach Ginger Crumble

I love the changing seasons and autumn is always one that I look forward to, but now that the school year has started, I already miss the slower and more carefree days of summer. Peaches are still abundantly available around here and this peach ginger crumble is my way of letting summer linger just a little bit longer.

I made three versions of this peach crumble before it was just the way I wanted and as a result, we have been eating lots of peach crumble for breakfast. Having sweet baked juicy peaches first thing in the morning has been such a pleasant way to begin our days though. The crumble topping is a simple mixture of oats, almonds, a little bit of whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Substitute almond flour for the whole-wheat flour to keep it gluten-free. The ginger flavor is mild, but leave out the fresh ginger if you have an aversion for ginger. It will still be delicious! As I made this I had it in my mind to serve it with a big dollop of greek yogurt, but in the end I enjoyed eating it plain the most. Make this peach ginger crumble as a sweet and whole-grain way to keep summer around for just a little longer.

Peach Ginger Crumble

Ingredients

Peach Filling

5 cups sliced peaches, about 5 medium peaches
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon salt

Crumble Topping

1½ cups rolled oats
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
In a mixing bowl, gently combine the peaches, cornstarch, maple syrup, lemon juice, ginger, and salt. Pour into a 10-inch round baking dish.
In another mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almonds, flour, and salt. Add the coconut oil and maple syrup and mix together until mixture is evenly coated. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the peaches.
Bake for 40 minutes, until crumble is golden and peaches are softened and bubbly. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or chilled.

August 31, 2014

Rainbow Sprinkle Energy Bites

Happy Labor Day Weekend! Celebrating with some sprinkle fun today.

A few weeks ago, I came across these gorgeous naturally dyed sprinkles. Not exactly healthy, but also not filled with lots of artificial colorants so it makes me feel a little better about serving them to my kids. My poor kids… whenever they see colorful cakes and candy, they ask, “Mom, does this have artificial coloring? Is this okay for me to eat?” I have to admit, I am a party pooper when it comes to artificially dyed food. I am no fun at all. But! I just purchased a 2.9 pound container of these sprinkles. Enough sprinkles to last a lifetime. I must get cool mom points for that, yes?

These Rainbow Sprinkle Energy Bites are no-bake, naturally sweetened, whole-grain, and are the perfect little snack to pack on-the-go or in lunch boxes. The little bites are filled with the goodness of oats, coconut, flax, wheat germ, raw honey, and almond butter. Cacao powder gives them a rich chocolate flavor and adds an extra boost of antioxidants. Sprinkles are completely optional of course, but don’t they add such a glimmer of fun? I used almond butter, but use any nut butter that you prefer. I’m going to try a sunbutter version next to keep it nut-free for school. Using a stand mixer breaks down the oats and gives the mixture a finer texture. A finer texture helps the sprinkles to adhere better, but feel free to mix by hand, especially if you are leaving off the sprinkles. From start to finish, the whole batch took me 20 minutes to make. These are easy, healthy, and deliciously satisfying!

Rainbow Sprinkle Energy Bites

Serves: makes 15 1¼-inch bites

Ingredients

½ cup creamy almond butter, peanut butter, or almond butter
⅓ cup raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup old-fashioned oats
⅔ cup unsweetened flaked coconut, chopped
¼ cup ground flax seed
¼ cup wheat germ
3 tablespoons cacao powder
rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

Using a stand mixer, combine the almond butter, honey, and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, combine the oats, coconut, flax seed, wheat germ, and cacao powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the almond butter mixture and mix together on medium-low speed until thoroughly combined. Shape into balls of desired size and dip in a bowl of rainbow sprinkles to coat. Press lightly on the sprinkles to adhere. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Notes

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

July 14, 2014

Nectarine Oat Bran Muffins

The very first oat bran muffins that I ever really liked came from a little bakery near our house in one of our old neighborhoods. It was always such a treat to go there on Saturday mornings and bring home warm freshly baked muffins to go along with our morning tea and coffee. Since we no longer live near that bakery, I miss my favorite oat bran muffins and I have been wanting to recreate a recipe similar to that one. I’ve tried several oat bran muffin recipes, but I’ve never truly been satisfied with the results. These Nectarine Oat Bran Muffins finally turned out exactly the way I wanted them to. They are completely whole-grain, moist, and lightly sweetened with honey. I adapted them from Cookie + Kate’s Blueberry Honey Bran Muffins by using oat bran instead of wheat bran and increasing the flour to bran ratio. I also added vanilla to complement the flavor of the nectarine, which intensifies and sweetens with baking. For the best results, choose nectarines that are ripe, but not too soft. As with any muffin recipe, fruit such as berries or raisins can be substituted for the nectarines, but the nectarines really are lovely in these muffins. I love these warm from the oven, but they can also be frozen for longer storage.

Nectarine Oat Bran Muffins

Ingredients

1½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oat bran
1½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
⅓ cup olive oil or melted coconut oil
⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large nectarine or 2 small nectarines, small diced
2 teaspoons raw turbinado sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325. Grease or line 12 muffins cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg. Add the buttermilk, oil, honey, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
Gently fold in the diced nectarine.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with a little turbinado sugar.
Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

Adapted from Cookie + Kate