… a.k.a. “Stone Cold Breakfast”
NEEDED:
1 cups water
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup flax seeds
Traveling container, such as tupperware
A coffee grinder
THE NIGHT BEFORE:
Grind the flax seeds in the coffee grinder. Combine oats, flax, and water in container. Stir or seal ‘n’ shake. Set on countertop.
THE MORNING AFTER:
Add milky substance and reseal. Put container in your bag and leave the house. Don’t forget to bring a spoon!
Serves 1
This recipe is adopted & adapted from Kristina Turner’s great macrobiotic Self-Healing Cookbook. Published in 1987, it has some of my favorite style attributes of homemade cookbooks — calligraphic titles, line drawings to illustrate the recipes, and use of a Courier/typewriter font. Plus the recipes are simple, healthy, and are tuned into the healing powers of food.
Anyhoo. Don’t get all freaked out about these biscuits being “healthy”, just make them and eat them and see what you think and how you feel. They’re in the granola bar family, are gluten-free & egg-free, and are unsweetened except for my addition of chopped apricots. I can imagine the appeal these would have for those scone-lovers out there if you glazed the tops after baking — which, if that gets you to eat ’em, go for it. These’ll power you all morning. Whole-grain city here. Yee haw. Yum-o.
You will need:
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup oat flour, or a combination of oat, barley, or brown rice flours
2 cups cooked millet
1 1/2 Tbsp. oil (ghee, walnut, sesame, corn, etc.)
1 cup carrot, finely grated
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ginger, finely grated
2 Tbsp. seeds (flax, sesame, poppy, sunflower, etc.)
1/4 tsp. salt
Water or other liquid for added moisture
Heat oven to 350°. Toast oats and flours in a skillet over a low flame, stirring occasionally and removing from heat when fragrant. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except the liquid. Incorporate the flour mixture one cup at a time. (Personally, I like mixing with my hands, but it’s your call.) Add the liquid in small doses until the dough is moist and holds together, but is neither sticky nor gummy. Shape into flat biscuits between your palms and arrange on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, let cool, and store in a sealed container (or wrap for on-the-go eating).
Makes about 9 biscuits
Granola bars are easy and flexible — they take less than an hour to make and are a simple combination of things you love. Low on the glycemic index and packed with all sorts of powerful, healthful treats, this combination is a favorite. There are so many options — different varieties of grain, dried fruits, nuts… coconut flakes, carob chips, cardamom, molasses, lavender… the mind boggles.
Keep in mind that the dry measurements are approximate, and should add up to 5 cups total. You may like your granola bars chewier or drier; what you’re aiming for is a good ratio between wet and dry ingredients. Experiment!
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cup rolled spelt
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup agave nectar or other wet sweetener, such as honey or brown rice syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup almond butter
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup dried gooseberries
Spread your dry ingredients, minus the fruit, onto a cookie sheet. Let them toast in a 350 degree oven, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, for about ten minutes. While the toasting is happening, combine the salt, vanilla, cinnamon, agave nectar, brown sugar, and almond butter in a saucepan and stir over a medium flame until the sugar dissolves. You could also add a few pats of butter here, if you’re so inclined.
At this point, you have two options: to bake or not to bake. Either way, you’ll have a baking dish lined up and over the sides with parchment (if baking) or wax paper (if not) ready to go. An 11×9″ dish will yield thinner bars than a square 9×9″ dish. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, fruit included, in a large bowl. Spread the mixture into the dish with a spoon and cover with paper or plastic wrap so you can press it down with your hands.
If baking, put into a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. For both baked and non-baked varieties, you will want to wait until the mixture has cooled entirely. The you can remove it from the dish with the help of the paper, which you’ll then peel off. Cut and trim; wrap in plastic for easy transport or store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers to prevent sticking.
Makes about 10 bars
The Odd Kitchen 