Category Archives: Morning

Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter with Flax

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Almonds

Nut butters are an easy way to consume healthy fats and add protein and staying power to a meal.  I have been hooked on almond butter for some time now.  For the past year I’ve eaten a bowl of oatmeal topped with a scoop of almond butter almost every day for breakfast.   Those empty jars were adding up!  I’ve made my own nut butter a couple of times, but never really settled on a recipe I love.  My favorite store bought almond butter is roasted and contains flax seeds, so using this as inspiration I went about creating a recipe I would love.  It worked too well!  I’ve been meaning to share this with you for months now, but the almond butter has been eaten up before I got a chance to snap photos every time.

Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter with Flax
Nut butters are relatively simple to make at home with a food processor.  I love being able to control extra ingredients as well as how dark the roast is.  When I began to create this butter, I knew I wanted to roast the almonds because I love the nutty flavor they take on.  You can roast them for longer if you prefer a stronger taste, or leave them raw if you prefer. If almonds aren’t your thing I think this would be equally delicious using pecans or sunflower seeds.  The almond butter is super creamy and drippy, but you could also add some chopped almonds after you are done processing if you want a crunchy batch.

This is a snack that packs quite the nutritional punch. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, which have been associated with lowered risks of heart disease.  They are also high in magnesium, potassium, and Vitamin E.  They are also a good source of protein, which helps you feel full longer and assists with muscle repair.  I also added a good amount of whole flax seeds, which are pulverized with the almonds.  This breaks them down, which allows the essential fatty acids they contain to be digested.  Along with Omega 3 fatty acids, flax is a fantastic source of B vitamins, fiber, and many antioxidants.  The maple syrup and cinnamon add a touch of sweetness and turn a run of the mill almond butter into an addictive snack.

Almond Butter with Apple

Ingredients:

3 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt

  1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix the ingredients together.  Transfer the mixture to a rimmed sheet pan.  Roast the almonds for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned
  2. Immediately transfer the almond mixture to the bowl of a food processor.  Process the mixture, scraping the sides occasionally, until smooth and drippy, about 15 minutes.
  3. Store the almond butter in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Makes about 2.5 cups

Blueberry-Banana Flax Muffins

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Stacked MuffinsBananas are a staple of our household; we eat them by themselves, in our cereal, in smoothies and even give them to our dogs as treats.  No matter how fast we eat them a few bananas do occasionally end up over ripe and covered in brown spots. When they turn brown and mushy I usually stick them in the freezer for smoothies, but with winter in full swing smoothies aren’t sounding very appealing. When I was recently left with a collection of blackened bananas I knew it was time for something different.

With muffins in mind, I set about building a baked good I could grab as a healthy snack. Mashed bananas bring sweetness and moisture, so I was able to reduce the added fat and use less sweetener than usual. I like using maple syrup to sweeten things because it is less processed than table sugar and thus still retains its minerals.

These muffins contain a large amount of flax, which not only holds them together well, but adds a super boost of omega-3′s. Many Americans are deficient in this essential fatty acid, which can lead to fatigue, poor memory, immune weakness and depression. Getting enough omega 3′s can reduce inflammation, increase brain function, help stabilize moods and contribute to heart health. Adding flax to your diet is a great way of increasing this vital nutrient, which can only be absorbed when the flax is ground. Film StripMuffin AnimationIngredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup pure maple syrup
3 large over-ripe bananas, mashed
2 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup ground flax (sometimes sold as flax meal)
1 1/4 cup brown rice flour (I like the Bob Red Mill brand)
3/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup tapioca starch
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (sometimes sold as “Sugar in the Raw”)

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12 muffin pan with muffin liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla together.  Stir in the mashed bananas.
  3. In another bowl mix together the dry ingredients.  Slowly mix into the wet ingredients.  Carefully fold in the frozen blueberries.
  4. Spoon the batter into the ready muffin pan.  Sprinkle each muffin with a small amount of the turbinado sugar.
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until dark golden brown.  Let cool completely before storing in an air tight container for up to a week.

*Note: If you don’t need to make gluten free muffins you can replace the brown rice flour and tapioca starch with whole wheat pasty flour and omit the xanthan gum.

Makes 12 muffins

 

Sprouted Buckwheat Granola

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Cereal In BowlFor a long time I avoided granola as many store bought granolas are fat and sugar laden bombs masquerading as health food. A year or two ago I stumbled upon a raw sprouted buckwheat granola at Whole Foods with good health stats and to my delight it was tasty too. The only downside was the price – $8.99 for a small bag. This granola became a once in a blue moon treat until I was given a food dehydrator last year. My immediate thought was of buckwheat granola.

I start by sprouting the buckwheat. This step adds major time to the recipe, but most of it is inactive time. Buckwheat is gluten free, contains all eight essential amino acids, and is said to lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol. Sprouting the buckwheat activates food enzymes, increases the vitamin content, and neutralizes anti-nutrients like phytic acid which binds up minerals and prevent you from fully absorbing them.
The buckwheat is added to a variety of goodies that not only taste great but are packed with nutrients. This granola is full of healthy fats (omega 3’s!), Magnesium, Iron, Vitamin E, and a good amount of protein. It’s perfect with fruit & almond milk, or on its own.

Granola Indgredients

Sprouted Buckwheat

Sprouting The Buckwheat: Start with 2.5 cups of raw buckwheat groats (NOT kasha, which is roasted buckwheat groats). Soak the groats for about half an hour. Remove groats from soaking liquid and rinse until the thick goopy feeling is gone. Leave groats in strainer (with something underneath to catch the runoff) for 1.5-2 days, rinsing 2-3 times a day. By the second day the groats should have little “tails”. Give the groats a final rinse and dehydrate 8 hours or overnight.

The Ultimate Raw Granola:

2.5 cups sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat groats
2/3 cups raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
2/3 cups raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup raisins (or more to taste – I sometimes use up to 2/3 cup)
1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/3 cup cacao nibs
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
4 Tablespoons ground Flaxseed
4 Tablespoons hemp seeds or Chia seeds, or a combination of both (optional)
Pinch of sea salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup pure maple syrup or raw agave, or a combination of both (I use 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/3 cup agave)
2 Tablespoons flax oil (or coconut oil)

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl; toss to coat. Dehydrate 10-12 hours. Store in an air tight container for up to one month (if it lasts that long!).

Alternatively, if you don’t have a food dehydrator, you can make this granola in your oven.  After sprouting the buckwheat, mix all the ingredients together, omitting the water.  Bake on a parchment covered baking sheet at 250 degrees for 45 minutes-1hour.  Let cool 15 minutes before breaking apart into pieces.

Sources:

The Basics of Buckwheat
Sprouted Grain