Raw Mesquite Chia Pancakes

I am not exactly sure why I am posting this recipe when I consider that I ripped it from a page of O Magazine while in a doctor’s waiting room and it’s all over the internet anyways. However, when I consider how much I actually enjoyed both eating the finished product and the way I felt after, it is totes obvious. These things are so weird, yet so good! You feel like you’ve just eaten power pellets.

I got most of the ingredients from the bulk section of my hippie grocery store, but they can be procured all over the internet. Warning: not cheap. Just so you know.

I don’t have a dehydrator, so I just stuck a loaded baking sheet in my oven on very low heat overnight.

EQUIPMENT YOU WILL NEED:
A spice grinder, nut grinder or appropriated coffee grinder
A silicone baking mat or parchment paper
The usual suspects: bowl, fork, spoon, measuring accoutrements

INGREDIENTS:
1 C. chia seeds, finely ground
1/2 C. pecan or macadamia nuts, finely ground
1/2 C. dried mulberries
1/2 C. mesquite powder
1/4 C maca root powder
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Coconut butter and maple syrup for eating

THE RECIPE:
Mix ingredients in a bowl. Add 2 C. water and blend with a fork. Form rounds on a baking tray and put in an oven set to warm over night — no more than 115F — or dehydrate at 115F for 7 hours. Peel them off the tray and put on a plate; serve with the coconut butter & syrup.

Chia Horchata Pudding

Everybody loves horchata! Not everybody loves chia pudding, though — not YET, anyways, but they will. Chia seeds are like the thing these days. You can easily do a cheater’s version of this recipe with boxed horchata in a pinch.

This takes time! 8 hrs. for horchata, 8 hrs. for pudding. (It’s a whole bunch of passive action, hanging around waiting for water to be absorbed.) So if you want pudding in your evening meal, start the horchata soaking the night before, finish it up the next morning, and set the pudding in the fridge for the day. You might not know what’s for dinner, but you will definitely know what’s for dessert.

Lazy Man’s Oatmeal

… 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

Beet, Apple, & Mint Salad

This raw-food salad is based off of a dish I had at a Middle Eastern restaurant on West Broadway many years ago.  It’s excellent alone or as part of a larger survey of food, such as a composed salad plate. I have served this along with a French lentil-feta salad, pureed sweet potatoes with coconut milk, roasted peppers, vegetarian kibbeh, and fresh-baked pitas to positive reviews.

Leftovers: Tofu Salad with Cilantro & Green Beans

1 package extra-firm tofu
Green beans, enough to fill a soup bowl
1/2 onion, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup soy sauce or Bragg’s
Salt & pepper to taste

Rinse tofu and crumble into a colander. Let this sit on a plate or a bowl or in the sink while preparing the rest. Chop green beans horizontally so that they are no bigger than a pencil eraser. Press excess water from the tofu and turn into a mixing bowl. Add the vegetables and seasonings and mix well. Serve on rice cakes with Sriracha or other favored hot sauce.

2-3 servings