Pumpkin Pie Amaranth Porridge

Few things make you appreciate food more than being personally connected to it. I first tried harvesting amaranth in California, and quickly understood why it is such a precious (and costly) little seed. The grains are so incredibly tiny, and need to be fully separated from the husk, which takes, oh, forever. The patience and attention to detail required to collect a measly few tablespoons took the better part of an afternoon, no exaggeration. However, the divine pleasure of actually consuming the cooked amaranth was unparalleled. Consequently, I don’t absent-mindedly wolf down amaranth, or quinoa, rice, buckwheat, millet - any other grain for that matter. The little seed truly humbled me and for that I am grateful. Sometimes we need a visceral reminder of the abundance we experience on a daily basis, especially when it comes to what we eat.

What is Amaranth?

Amaranth, like quinoa, is often lumped into the “grains” category, but it is in fact the seed of a cereal-like herb. The Aztecs greatly valued amaranth, and used it not only as a dietary staple, but also in their worship rituals. They must have recognized the extremely concentrated nutrition in this special, gluten-free seed, which in recent years has experienced a resurgence in popularity.

Amaranth can be used to fulfill protein and calcium requirements, and is especially helpful for those with consistently elevated needs such as nursing or pregnant women, infants, children, and those who do physically demanding work. For the same reason, it is also a very good food for those transitioning to a vegetarian diet.

Amaranth has an extremely high protein complex, with unusually concentrated amounts of lysine, an amino acid rarely found in plants. A combination of amaranth and other low-lysine grain, such as wheat, creates a very high amino acid profile, even higher than those found in meats and other animal products. [1]

Are you still drinking dairy milk for calcium? Amaranth has got you beat; it contains more calcium, and the supporting calcium cofactors (magnesium and silicon) than milk. The calcium found in amaranth is therefore highly absorbable and easily utilized by the body. [1]

Amaranth is available at most health food stores and natural/gourmet grocery shops. Yes, it is a little expensive, but keep in mind how concentrated the nutrition is – in my opinion, it’s worth every penny. 

How to use Amaranth

Amaranth is delicious when combined with other grains such as millet and quinoa to make a light and fluffy pilaf. Try it in taboule as a replacement for cous cous. Stir it into soups or stews for a protein boost. You may have even seen amaranth sold in puffed form, as a cereal or granola ingredient, but this is very easy to make yourself at home. Simply heat a skillet on the stove, add a couple tablespoons of uncooked amaranth, place a lid on top and swirl the pan until the seeds pop. You can combine puffed amaranth with nut butter and honey to make a delicious and simple energy bar. 

Dessert for Breakfast

The idea for this delectable porridge came from the desire to shake up my own amaranth routine. I used to love making it for breakfast, but I’ve lost interest recycling the same old flavours and toppings. Since my Banana Bread Pancakes were such a hit, I got to thinking about “dessert for breakfast”, and Pumpkin Pie Amaranth Porridge was born.
I also thought about how the flavours of pumpkin pie would work well with amaranth for most peoples’ first experience, as it has a distinct flavour and takes some getting used to. The sweet, creamy, and luscious qualities of the pureed pumpkin and coconut milk will conceal everything but the amazing texture of the seeds themselves, which pop and crunch in your mouth. Consider this porridge the “gateway” dish to amaranth love – and a very sneaky way to eat vegetables for breakfast! 

If you cannot find amaranth, try using quinoa instead. 

A Note on Soaking

All grains (rice, wheat, barley, quinoa, millet, amaranth…) are most nutritious and digestible if soaked prior to cooking. When we purchase grains in the store, they are in a sense, dormant (i.e. not growing), and therefore have all of their nutrients “locked up” waiting to be released when it is time to germinate. If we take the time to soak our grains in pure water 8-12 hours before cooking them, we not only release that dormant energy, but also the grains’ inherent nutrients and greatly increase their digestibility. 

It is not imperative that you soak grains, but to receive the highest amount of nutrition and experience optimal digestion, I highly recommend it. I know it is not always the easiest thing to remember to carry out these steps so far in advance during our busy days, but try to make it a habit and part of a new, healthy routine. 

Pumpkin Pie Amaranth Porridge

Serves 2

Ingredients:

½ cup amaranth, soaked if possible (minimum 8 hours)

1 cup coconut milk, or water (you may need more if using un-soaked grains)

1/3 cup pumpkin puree (preferably fresh, or canned) 

pinch of sea salt

pinch of: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove (or substitute all with pumpkin pie spice)

1/3 vanilla bean pod 

maple syrup to taste

1/3 cup coconut flakes, toasted

Directions:

1. Soak amaranth for as long as possible, 8 hours minimum, 24 hours is optimal.

2. Drain and rinse amaranth. Combine with coconut milk, pumpkin puree, sea salt, spices, and vanilla bean (seeds scraped, and empty bean pod). Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, stirring often to prevent scorching on the bottom. Simmer on lowest heat for 15 minutes with the lid on (watch to see if liquid level becomes too low. If so, add a little extra coconut milk or water) Turn heat off, and let sit for 10 minutes with the lid on to thicken. 

3. Sweeten with maple syrup to taste (1-2 tablespoons). Serve. Drizzle with coconut milk, sprinkle with coconut flakes.

*   *   *   *   *

I also have some exciting news to share with you all. I am now teaching cooking classes here in Copenhagen, starting with an Ayurvedic Cooking class for yogis and those that would like to learn to prepare traditional and medicinal Indian-style food for a sattvic life. If you are living in Copenhagen, or traveling in the area, please feel free to contact me for more information. 

Peace and Porridge,

Sarah B

Source: [1] Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 2003.

Gluten-free Banana Bread Pancakes

Oh, it was a lazy weekend. The kind where you sleep for the better half of the morning, and the major event of the day is boiling the kettle to make tea. Read a paragraph of some book, then pass out again. Stare out the window. Consider going for a walk; have a nap instead.

So far, 2012 has been ram-jammed with all sorts of excitement, and I guess I just need to catch my breath. I seldom slow down enough to let two days pass without doing anything of real "consequence", but boy when I do, I become the queen of Sloth Ville. Luckily for you, the lazy sometimes leads to crazy-yum kitchen creations.

The one thing the sloth queen did accomplish this weekend, was making pancakes. And not just any pancakes, but Banana Bread Pancakes. Hilariously, they started off as a desire to make the Coziest Banana Bread (since it was the coziest of weekends), but I was totally too lazy for that. Having to get out a cutting board and knife? Daunting. I let the food processor do the chopping and mixing. 

My lethargy led me to making walnut flour, instead of chopping the nuts by hand and leaving them chunky – turns out that was the best idea ever. I have never worked with walnut flour before, but it lends the most delectable nutty taste to the final product, like a walnut whisper wrapped in a warm oat-y hug. And as walnuts are best friends with banana, their complimentary flavours give high-fives all the way from your tongue to your tummy. There’s a lot of love going on in one lazy little pancake.

The bonus is, these babies are gluten-free, which can be a nice change from the typical, wheat-centric breakfasts we all gravitate towards. Yes, they contain oats, but if you purchase gluten-free oats you’ll be guaranteed that you are getting a product that is safe even if you are Celiac.

Gluten-free Gospel 

Gluten-free diets have become uber-trendy in the past couple years as celebrities have plugged the lifestyle as a savior for their overall health and wellness. But why would someone go gluten free if they didn’t have to? Good question. Does it seem like cool-kid train has left the station heading towards the Promised Land, while you’re still standing on the platform? It’s okay; I think you’re cool. But here’s the low-down on gluten-free eating in case you want to buy a ticket for later. 

What is Gluten?

Gluten is the natural protein found in many grains, such as wheat, rye, barley, and spelt. Despite recent uproar and confusion, gluten is not bad for you. Some people however, have an autoimmune form of gluten intolerance known as Celiac disease and cannot digest it. Celiac disease affects nearly 3 million Americans, and those affected must avoid all foods and food products that even come into contact with gluten-containing grains. 

Are oats gluten-free?

Short answer, yes. Oats are inherently gluten-free, but are very often grown with or processed in facilities that also handle wheat and/or other gluten-containing grains. Because oats become contaminated with gluten in this way, they are often not safe for Celiacs. However, some companies have developed dedicated processing facilities for oats only, making them safe for those who cannot tolerate any gluten whatsoever. These companies include: Bob's Red Mill, Cream Hill Estates, GF Harvest, Avena Foods, Legacy Valley (Montana Monster Munchies), and Gifts of Nature.

Click here for a discussion on oats in the gluten-free diet or visit Health Canada's website for an extensive technical review on the safety of oats in the GF diet.


Should you go gluten-free?

Many people who are not affected by Celiac disease are making the switch to a gluten-free diet, claiming that it helps them lose weight, gain energy, improve concentration etc. Of course there can be something to that as we are all very different and react to foods in very different ways - some people find that eliminating gluten, or even just wheat makes them feel dramatically better than they did before. Great! But as we all search in vain for the "miracle diet" that will make us feel amazing, look our best, and allow us to take over the world, we must remember that there isn't one right answer. We have to take time to listen to ourselves, and give our own bodies a real chance to tell us what is best for us. Even if your best friend gives up gluten and feels incredible, it may not necessarily be the right choice for you.

Often the reason many people do shed a few pounds and generally ‘feel better’ eating foods without gluten, is not the avoidance of gluten itself, but the fact that they are making healthier food choices. We all know what happens when we polish off the breadbasket at lunch; we feel sluggish, foggy, tired and often bloated. It’s not a coincidence – what do you think will happen when you down a loaf of white flour? 

Conversely, when you choose a gluten-free diet, your horizons are forced to expand just a little, and suddenly quinoa, amaranth, and millet make their way into your dinner. You choose fruits and veggie snacks instead of cookies and crackers. Breakfast becomes smoothies instead of cereal. Variety comes into play, and that is what makes the difference! More freshness! More produce! Less dead, nutrition-less, life-sucking white bread. Just sayin’.  

But let me be clear about another thing: wheat is not the enemy! Whole wheat is good for you. So are rye, and barley, and spelt and kamut. These grains contain gluten, yes, and are also full of protein, fiber, phytochemicals, B vitamins, folate, calcium, selenium, iron, and zinc. When prepared properly and eaten in their whole, unprocessed forms, they have many benefits. 

The problem is many of us eat wheat three times a day, often in its over-processed forms (boxed cereal, sandwich bread, pasta…), which has been stripped of most of its valuable nutrition. It’s not necessarily the wheat, it’s the way we process and consume it.   

If you want to give gluten-free eating a shot, go ahead. Perhaps you do have an insensitivity lurking around, and eliminating gluten will certainly shed some light on it. Or, perhaps you want to cut back on the wheat and introduce new and exciting foods to your diet; experiment with the amazingly diverse seeds, nuts, and grains that are on the market for you to explore. Sometimes imposing a few limitations on oneself forces creativity, which can be a very good thing when it comes to what we eat. PB&J sandwich again? We can do better than that!

Why do I create gluten-free recipes on My New Roots?

For the same reason I try to make as many of the dishes vegan, sugar-free, soy-free etc. - so that everyone can make them. I want to create all-inclusive meals that all people can enjoy, even if they’ve chosen a particular diet or they have some kind of allergy or insensitivity. And I feel it’s important for others to know that eating with ‘restrictions’ is not all that restrictive. 

Besides, you have that raw lacto-vegetarian coming over for dinner next week and you need something yummy to serve them, right? I shall deliver. 

Gluten-free Banana Bread Pancakes

Serves 2

Dry ingredients:

1/3 cup walnuts

2/3 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free oats if you have a sensitivity)

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch sea salt

Wet ingredients:

1 very ripe banana

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. olive oil

2/3 cup nut milk 

2 tsp. maple syrup

For garnish:

maple syrup

1 banana, sliced

a handful of walnuts, chopped

extra-dark chocolate, grated (for a special treat!)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse walnuts until they resemble a sand-textured powder (do not over process – you’ll end up with walnut butter!). Remove walnut ‘flour’, add oats and pulse until you get a shaggy flour. Place walnut and oats flours in a large bowl. Add baking soda, sea salt and stir to combine. 

2. Add all wet ingredients to the food processor and blend to combine. 

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until the two come together. Let batter sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. 

4. Heat a little coconut oil (or ghee) in a skillet and drop in 3 large spoonfuls of batter (you are after three, 8 cm / 3 inch sized pancakes). Spread slightly with the back of the spoon to even out the batter. Turn heat down to low. Let cook on the underside until the topside is opaque, which will take more time than a regular pancake. Check to see if the bottom has browned, and if so, flip over to cook the other side. Cook until the underside is crispy and brown (although the middle is a little moist, this is okay).

5. Put pancake on a baking sheet in a warm oven, and cover with some foil while you make more (this will also give them time to firm up a little in the middle). Serve with pure maple syrup, fresh banana slices, chopped walnuts, and grated dark chocolate for a special treat - they are banana bread pancakes after all. 

I really liked these pancakes, and I am not ashamed to admit I ate the whole plate you see in the photo (what? – they’re little!) I will mention however, that these are not your diner-style fluffy white pillow pancakes. They are rich, nutty, and quite moist due to the banana holding everything together. The middle is not going to be a sponge, but almost like a just under-done cookie. Once the syrup goes on, who cares anyway? And, I did discover that these pancakes make really great snacks later on in the day. Once they cool down, they firm up substantially and are kind of nice to eat with your hands (hey, can we please remember how lazy I was? I didn’t want to wash another plate.)

If anyone wants to get lazy next weekend and make up a batch, feel free to experiment and get back to me with results. I love hearing what you do to change up and even improve my recipes!

Sending love from my lazy bones,

Sarah B.

ps - fun stuff in case you've missed it:

The Weekender Magazine - I somehow made it on cover. Nuttiness.

Interview at Hello Giggles.

Yes, I am on Twitter now. You can follow me and stuff. 

Simple Gourmet Granola + MNR Healthy Holiday Gift Guide

It has taken me years to convince my family and friends that I actually get more exited about a luxurious bottle of olive oil than a cashmere sweater. Clothes, shoes, jewelry? Um, can I eat those? No. All I really care about at Christmas are the edibles, and I unapologetically accept all the ridiculously expensive items that I would never buy myself.  Oh…you want to give me a kilo of raw wildflower honey? Thanks. Heirloom chia seeds? Organic truffles? My Christmas stocking is now usually full of the most exclusive, decadent food products that keep me motivated to experiment and stay healthy in the kitchen, all year round.

But it’s not all selfish, of course not! My true pleasure during the holidays is giving incredible gifts. I love hearing my friends squeal with delight when they feel the weight of a glass jar, all wrapped in brown craft paper, anticipating the implausible deliciousness inside. I really do make a point of creating all my own gifts, more often than not in my kitchen. I’m not just passing on something delicious, but also planting a little seed of healthy inspiration – that is the best gift that lasts far beyond December.  

Although I have posted a granola recipe before (in fact, one that was specific to the holidays, here), this is usually the one I make huge batches of for Christmas and pass it along to just about anyone hosting a party, my boss, in-laws, the postman. It doesn't look like anything fancy, but trust me, kooky-delicious. Addicting, in fact. You’ve been warned.

The other reason I bake this granola so often is because it’s very customizable. Switch up the basic ingredients or even add to them to make an endless variety of designer cereal. I’ve included some of my favorite combinations. 

If you’ve never made homemade granola before, give this foolproof recipe a shot. You will be blown away at how simple it is and how much more delicious it tastes compared to the store bought brands.
So will your friends. And the in laws. And the postman.

Simple Gourmet Granola

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats (not instant)

1 cup raw almonds, chopped

1.5 cups flaked coconut

1/4 tsp. finely ground sea salt (1/2 tsp. coarse, pummeled)

1/3 cup liquid honey (or maple syrup, agave)

4 Tbsp. coconut (or sunflower oil, ghee, or butter)

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350°F.

2. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, whisk oil and honey together. 

3. In a large bowl combine oats, almonds, coconut, and sea salt. 

4. Pour oil and honey mixture over dry ingredients and stir very well to coat. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes; remove from oven and stir. Place back in oven but remove and stir every 5 minutes or so until the oats are golden brown (approx. 25-30 minutes). 

Optional Additions

Flavours: 

vanilla bean

cinnamon

cardamom

orange zest

lemon zest

cocoa powder

Nuts & Seeds:
pecans
cashews
brazil nuts
walnuts
hazelnuts
macadamia nuts
pistachios
pumpkin seeds
sesame seeds
sunflower seeds
poppy seeds

Dried Fruit (add after baking):

dates

figs

cranberries

raisins

cherries

goji berries

mulberries

apricots (unsulphured)

Superfoods (add after baking):

bee pollen

cacao nibs

hemp seeds

flax seeds

chia seeds

Sarah B's Favorite Combinations

Pecan + Date 

Cardamom + Pistachio + Mulberry

Walnut + Fig

Vanilla + Cashew + Cacao Nibs

Pumpkin seed + Cranberry

Hazelnut + Apricot 

Goji + Hemp

 ~ My New Roots Healthy Holiday Gift Guide ~

Here are just a few of my favorite things to give and receive during the holidays. Inspire someone you love and give the gift of healthy inspiration (or cut and paste the lot to your own wish list). I even rounded up the best edible presents from My New Roots, perfect to prepare ahead of time and grab last minute – one can never have too many hostess gifts! 

My New Roots Edible Gifts

Holiday Granola or Simple Gourmet Granola

Orange Cranberry Hazelnut Cantuccini

Zata’ar Spice Blend

Chai Tea Spice Blend

Detox Tea Blend

Keep in the fridge until giving:

Chocolate Fudge

Hazelnut Butter

Raw Salted Caramel Apple Dip

Fig Lavender Walnut Jam

Chlorella Cream

Green Giant Cilantro Pesto

Energy Orbs

Luxury Edibles

Need a gift for the healthy gourmet foodie in your life? Needing ideas on what to wish for yourself this year? Look no further than this indulgent pantry list!

saffron

vanilla beans

raw cacao

spirulina 

chlorella

smoked sea salt

wild rice

dried shiitake mushrooms

raw nut or seed butters (cashew, almond, hemp, pumpkin)

macadamia nuts

raw organic honey

pomegranate molasses

high quality balsamic vinegar

truffle oil

hemp seed oil

high-quality olive oil

organic Medjool dates

goji berries

acai powder

matcha green tea

Kitchen Equipment

Here is a very short list of things I use in my kitchen almost daily. Some are major investments, while others you can find inexpensively. In my opinion, a healthy kitchen functions best with the following items:

Vita-mix blender

food processor

ceramic knife

mortar and pestle

microplane zester / grater

wooden spoons

wooden cutting boards

nut milk bags

glass food containers

glass tea accessories

Best Healthy Cookbooks

1. Earthly and Divine: Whole Recipes for a Healthy World 

Eva Cabaca
2. Enlightened Eating: Nourishment for Body and Soul
Caroline Dupont
3. Nourishing Traditions
Sally Falon
4. Supernatural Cooking
Heidi Swanson
5. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Deborah Madison
6. The Savory Way
Deborah Madison
7. How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
Mark Bittman
8. Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods
Sandor Ellix Katz
9. Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning
The Gardeners and Farmers of Terra Viviante
10. The Sacred Kitchen: Higher Consciousness Cooking for Health and Wholeness
Robin Robertson and Jon Robertson

Lastly, I want to send out a huge thank you for all the recipes that you’ve been submitting! I am blown away with the creativity and enthusiasm you have for healthy holiday foods, and as a result I have a very tough job ahead of me. Wanna come for dinner?

Totally Baked: Hemp Protein Granola Bars

First off, no. You won’t get high.
I promise that no matter how many Hemp Protein Granola Bars you scarf down, the only thing you’ll be feeling is really, really full (and happy, of course).

Unbeknownst to many people, hemp is one of the oldest and most versatile crops in the world, and has been cultivated for centuries. The question on everyone’s mind is undoubtedly, what is the difference between edible hemp and smoke-able hemp?
Industrial hemp, the kind grown for seeds, oils, fibers, etc, is known as Cannabis Sativa L. Cannabis cultivated for medicinal or recreational use, on the other hand, is known as Cannabis Indica (more commonly referred to as "marijuana"). This variety is bred specifically for its flowers, and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol - the psychoactive substance that produces the "high").
Hemp grown industrially is heavily regulated (by Health Canada) and is required to have less than a 0.03% THC content. This is different from marijuana, which often has 7 to 20% (or more) THC present. Comparing hemp to marijuana is really like comparing a Brussels sprout to a rutabaga - they may belong to the same family, but they're completely different!



High on Health
Hemp is available in many edible forms these days, all derived from the hulled seeds, and often referred to as “hemp hearts”. You can of course eat them in this state, which I like the best, but dried and pulverized seeds are sold as protein powder. You can even find hemp seed butter (so delicious), and hemp oil. No matter how you gobble it up, hemp is a vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, trans fat-free, cholesterol free, and THC-free (I promise!) whole food that delivers an incredible amount of nutrition! Hemp is usually very safe even for those unable to tolerate nuts, gluten, lactose, and sugar, so we can all get totally baked!

Protein - Hemp protein is totally remarkable, as it is complete (meaning it contains all 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential ones), something not so easy to find in plant-based protein, making it an ideal choice for vegetarians and vegans. The protein in hemp is also highly digestible and easily absorbed by the body. Especially perfect for post-workout recovery, hemp is a good source of branch-chained amino acids, needed for repair and growth of lean body tissue.

Essential Fatty Acids - Hemp provides the essential fatty acids (EFAs) omega-3 and omega-6 in an ideal 3:1 ratio. Hemp is also one of the few sources of the hard-to-get gamma linolenic acid (GLA), another important source of omega-6 EFAs. All these essential fats are found abundantly in hemp and are great sources of energy. Essential fats found in hemp may reduce food cravings and inflammation and improve circulation.

Fiber - Hemp is a good source of healthy carbohydrates and dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. In one serving of hemp protein powder (2 tablespoons or 30 grams) you’ll be receiving 8 g of fiber! That’s almost one-third of the total daily requirement of 30 g (but feel free to get more, of course!). The fiber in hemp stabilizes blood sugar, and ensures regularity, won’t cause bloating, gas or bad breath (unlike other types of protein supplements).

Vitamins and Minerals – Hemp is delivers a solid dose of vitamins A, B1, B3, B5, D, and E. Hemp is also a good source of iron, containing 2 to 3 mg. Hemp protein provides 48 percent of the recommended daily value of magnesium at 100 to 200 mg per serving. It even boasts trace minerals, and chlorophyll (which you will all remember from Green Dream Chlorella Cream, right?)

Earth Lover
In addition to being unbelievably healthy, hemp is also a healthy choice for the planet. Hemp is a sustainable crop, takes a low toll on the soil, can be grown in a variety of environments the world over, and can be replanted time and time again. Hemp fibers are among the strongest and most durable of any plant, making them perfect for clothing and paper products (did you know the US Constitution was written on hemp paper? Totally true.) Look for clothes made from hemp fiber instead of cotton, which requires substantially less (if any) pesticides during cultivation.



Who’s got the munchies?
Hemp has a gourmet nutty flavour that blends easily into smoothies and baked goods. I love putting the hulled seeds into my morning power shake for extra Omega fats and protein. It lends an amazing creaminess and richness and gives me energy for hours and hours. Baking with the protein powder is also a breeze, as you can pretty much substitute it for flour in small amounts (try ¼ cup at a time). This will increase the protein, fiber, and healthy fats in all of your cakes, cookies and bars and no one will even notice! In fact, this recipe started off as just a granola bar, but because I had some hemp protein powder in my pantry…voila! An even better version of this already awesome treat was born.

In lieu of my travels back to Canada for summer holidays (I am actually on the plane as I write this), I actually whipped up these protein bars to get me through the long trip across the Atlantic. Airport and plane food be damned, this tasty little snack is most certainly keeping my fork out of the freaky mini-meal in front of me (how DO they manage to make fruit salad taste like a science experiment every single time?). In fact, I will be so bold as to say that these are the must-have snack for summer - delicious, filling, packed with whole foods. Best of all, Hemp Protein Granola Bars are perfect for road trips, picnics in the park, days at the beach, forest hikes, or lazing in hammock with a frosty glass of lemonade. They even freeze beautifully, so make a double batch, cut them up and pop in the freezer for smart snacking all summer long – just take them out half and hour before munching! So easy.



Hemp Protein Granola Bars
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (or any other nut)
1 cup dates, chopped (or any other dried fruit)
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup hemp protein powder
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup sunflower oil (or coconut, olive, walnut…)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
6 Tbsp. water

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds and water together. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients.
4. In a food processor or blender, mix bananas, oil, vanilla, and maple syrup (you can also just mash everything together with a fork). Add chia gel and pulse to mix. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
5. Spread the batter evenly into a baking pan (mine was 9" x 11"), and smooth out the top with the back of a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Let cool completely, store in airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for longer shelf life. You can also freeze these – take one out half an hour before you want a perfect snack!

I am a huge hemp lover and I am not afraid to admit it! Once you try these granola bars, I know you’ll be just as hooked as I am…c’mon…everybody’s doing it.

Green Queen Barley Risotto at Blogpaper Magazine

Blogpaper is a brand-spanking-new fashion and lifestyle online magazine out of Denmark. They asked me to be a part of their premier issue and come up with a fresh spring recipe. My heart said: risotto, my head said: risotto makeover.

To see the recipe for Green Queen Barley Risotto (yes, I made risotto with barley! Soooooo yummy.) and accompanying article, go here, flip to page 12-16. And don't worry! It's all in English! :)

Peace, Sarah B

Black Rice is the new Brown

I got a whole lotta love for brown rice, but let’s face it - it is so 2010.
Moving into the now, let’s get a handle on the newest and hottest whole grain to hit the health food store shelves: black rice. Oh yeah.

Some of you may already be familiar with this powerhouse grain, sometimes referred to and sold as “forbidden rice”. Sounds sinful, eh? The reasons behind that could be hearsay, but according to legend, in ancient China consuming black without approval from the proper authorities can have life threatening consequences for those involved. I don’t know about you, but my taste buds are pretty stoked that the black rice prohibition has been lifted and we can all indulge in a little forbidden naughtiness.

Once you go Black...
Black rice is an heirloom variety of rice cultivated in Asia. It is typically sold unmilled with the fiber-rich black husks still intact. It is this outer layer of bran that sets black rice apart from other types of unpolished rice, as the deep, dark pigments that it contains boasts special phytonutrients, called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are responsible for the reds, blues, purples, and magenta colours also found in blueberries, grapes and açaí, all of which we know to be powerful antioxidant-rich foods. These compounds decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer. They may also aid in the prevention of macular degeneration by protecting the eyes from free radical damage, increasing circulation and stabilizing collagen structures (which hold tissues together).

In addition to its high antioxidant content, black rice has also been shown to help prevent diseases associated with chronic inflammation, such as diabetes, and dampen allergic reactions.

Rice in general is rich in complex carbohydrates, good quality, digestible protein, yet low in fat and calories. Rice aids in digestion, as it is high in dietary fiber (assuming it is not white rice, of course). Rice bran, the husk on the outside of unprocessed rice helps to lower cholesterol, and some studies have shown it may help prevent bowel cancer.

Cookin’ it up
Like other unmilled, unprocessed rice, the black variety takes longer to cook than traditional white rice (yup, get over it). It should also ideally be stored under refrigeration and used within three months, to prevent spoilage. Rinsing and soaking the rice before cooking will help to bring the cooking time down. As a general rule, black rice should be cooked with two cups of water to every one cup of rice, and it will need to cook for 20 to 30 minutes after soaking, or up to 60 minutes if you cook unsoaked rice.

Although the grains appear to be black when uncooked, they are in fact a deep purple-burgundy, which will dye just about everything it comes into contact with. On one hand, this makes it perfect for combining with regular brown rice as it will turn all the grains a lovely colour, but be careful with ceramic or enamel cookware (I totally wrecked my white enamel saucepan!), as well as clothing and countertops. You’ve been warned.




I first tried black rice a few years ago when a good friend of mine gave me a bag for my birthday (my buddies know me so well). I instantly fell in love with its very rich taste, sweet nuttiness and chewy texture. It really is that delicious.
Here I’ve used it to make a delectable and satisfying cold salad, as picnic season is upon us! Black rice is also delicious, and most often used to make puddings and desserts. It is not entirely fluffy in nature, so be aware that you will not end up with a light, airy style of grain. For this reason, I think black rice would be ideal in other savory dishes such as paella or risotto. Give it a shot!

My Black Rice Sesame Salad is incredibly versatile, and with many of the recipes here at My New Roots, I encourage you to just use the vegetables you have on hand in the fridge, or whatever is in season. The dressing provides the background flavour, so mix up the produce to suit your tastes.

Black Rice Sesame Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked black rice
sea salt
knob of ghee or coconut oil (optional)

1 red pepper, julienned
2 carrots, julienned
5 radishes, sliced into discs
4 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
½ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted

Dressing:
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. cold-pressed sesame oil (or olive oil)
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. tamari
¼ tsp. ground cayenne
1 tsp. liquid honey (or other sweetener)

Directions:
1. Prepare the black rice; you can either soak it overnight for optimal digestion, or simply wash it well 2-3 times, and drain. Place rice in a pot with 2 cups water and a couple pinches of sea salt (add the ghee or coconut oil if you like). Cover with a tight-fitting lid, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. If you are using soaked rice, check for doneness after 20 minutes, and drain any excess water. Otherwise leave it to cook for 50-60 minutes. The rice should be soft, yet chewy.
2. While the rice is cooking, prepare the dressing. Place all ingredients in a jar and shake well. When the rice is finished cooking, place in a large bowl and pour the dressing over while still warm.
3. Prepare the vegetables. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they pop. Remove from heat. Add vegetables and sesame seeds to the rice. Stir well to combine. Season to taste. Store leftovers in the fridge.

The My New Roots Cooking Show - How to Cook Quinoa

My New Roots - How to Cook Quinoa from My New Roots on Vimeo.

A new day has dawned, people. Have I got a surprise for you.

Behold, the My New Roots-style cooking show. No 10-minute blab-a-thons. No bad lighting. No deep-fryers or microwaves. No clip art. No unnecessary information. No kids screaming in the background. No elevator music.

Nope. I would like to make some serious changes around here, so I’ve set out to make a video series that is under two minutes (because we’re all busy people), a pleasure to watch (because you want food porn in motion, I get it) and that teaches the basic techniques that I use so often in my own kitchen and in My New Roots recipes. Clear. Concise. Pretty. Deal?

Please, please, please give me your feedback on this one! I want to know what you think of this endeavor, and what you would like to see in the future. How to make nut milk? How to cook beans? Granola? Green Smoothies? Almond butter?
I know that I am feeling all kinds of excitement over these little films and I hope you can get on board with me too. I give you full permission to post this on Facebook, your own blog or website too – spread the word! Let’s make some changes! Today, a new kind of cooking show is born. Yay.

Black Quinoa Corn Muffins

Sometimes it’s so easy. Writing a recipe, that is.
I started meditating on cornbread months ago back in California, where I mowed down on my fair share of the golden goodness. Lucky enough to be in a place where people don’t believe in gluten, the goat milk is raw, the ghee is flowing, and the corn is grown 50 meters from the kitchen, I repeat: I ate a lot of cornbread. Inspiration ensued, especially upon returning to Denmark - land of no cornbread.

We all know that I am always looking for a challenge, a way to (foolishly?) take something that is already delicious and healthy and make it even better. This cornbread has gone through five, count ‘em FIVE incarnations. What kept me going you ask? Stubbornness? Stupidity? The projected moment of total bliss when I nibble that first bite of corny perfection? All of the above. I can’t quite believe how far I went for you cornbread, but now you are so high-vibe it was worth the fight. Gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, egg-free, wheat-free, soy-free – and after all that you are NOT flavour-free! I did it. Fist. Pump.



Corn: Your queries answered.
1. GMOs - Hot Topic! The first thing I gotta address with corn, is of course, GMOs. It is common knowledge and of wide concern that a large percentage of the conventionally grown corn in the United States and Canada come from genetically modified (GM) seeds. Boo. If you are looking your exposure to GM foods, choose organically grown corn, since the current USDA organic regulations prohibit the use of GM seeds for growing foods to be labeled as organically grown. Yay. Some conscious food manufacturers are now using non-GMO corn and labeling their products as such, which is also helpful for those of us who don’t want to be treated like a science project. I still feel that it is better to purchase organically, as this will also support healthier agricultural practices.
If you live in Europe, all GM products are labeled, including imported foodstuffs. Even if the product is not certified organic, it still must indicate if it contains more than 0.5% GM ingredients.

2. Allergies – Yes, corn is very allergenic, and sadly, increasingly difficult to avoid. If you chose to eat a whole-foods diet, you can steer clear of the incredible amount of corn-derived additives in everything from soft drinks to chicken-fried steak, but if you like your TV dinners, you can bet you’re getting a good dose of corn without ever nearing a single kernel. That being said, you can even gain exposure to corn through some envelopes and stamp glue, plastic food wrappers, bath soap, emollient cream, toothpaste, bath powder, mouthwash, liquid medication, and dietary supplements. Yikes!
To prevent developing an allergy or sensitivity to corn, or to manage an existing one, it is imperative to read the labels of everything you expose your body to, both internally and externally to prevent yourself from ingesting corn on a regular basis (i.e. every single day). Once in a while it is totally cool to eat corn – it is so darn tasty after all.
If you suspect you may have food allergies or insensitivities, pay close attention to how you feel after eating corn, or ingesting corn-containing products.
Sorry, was that scary? On to the good news!

3. Nutrition – Corn and milled cornmeal contain a whole host of vital nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, folate, vitamin C and vitamin B1 (thiamine). It is also a good source of dietary fiber.
New research published in October's issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reveals significant health benefits in milled yellow corn products, such as corn meal, grits and corn flour. The study, authored by Mario Ferruzzi, Ph.D., associate professor, department of food science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., demonstrates milled yellow corn products are rich in antioxidants, especially carotenoids, such as lutein. Carotenoids are yellow and orange plant pigments known for their association in the prevention of chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration.
Though high in protein, corn itself is not an adequate protein source. It lacks two essential amino acids required to be a complete protein: lysine and tryptophan. But don’t worry about that ya’ll - I actually made up for this amino acid deficiency by including quinoa for lysine and chia for tryptophan. You see? It may just seem like a run-of-the-mill recipe, but I am so behind-the-scenes making sure to cover all the bases. It’s not just about the taste, it’s about the nutrition.
You can also make up for the lysine and tryptophan by eating corn with legumes (hence the classic corn-and-beans combo) or rice.



As I have already mentioned, this recipe did not come together all that easily (understatement of the year), but I am quite pleased with the final result; a moist, rich, savory cake, beautifully golden and studded with black quinoa, green cilantro and red chilies. Soooo pretty. If you cannot find black quinoa, use whatever kind you have on hand – this recipe is actually the perfect way to use up leftover quinoa from last night’s dinner!
Don't forgo the chia seeds – they are a key ingredient here, as they act as the binder in place of eggs. If you don’t have chia seeds on hand and you would like to use eggs instead, 2 would be sufficient. Happy baking…and please let me know how they turn out for you!



Black Quinoa Corn Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup organic corn meal
¼ cup organic corn flour
1 cup cooked black quinoa (any colour will work)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 cup almond milk (or any milk)
3 Tbsp. chia seeds + 9 Tbsp. water
1/4 up high oleic sunflower oil (or oil of your choice)
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 chili, minced or ½ tsp. ground chipotle (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Put 8 muffin liners in a cupcake pan.
1. Mix chia seeds and water in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Add the cooked quinoa.
3. Check the chia gel to make sure it is thick a gloppy (it should take 15 minutes or so to obtain the right consistency). In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients together, including the chia gel.
4. Add the wet to the dry and combine in as few strokes as possible. Fold in the cilantro and minced chili.
5. Spoon batter in to muffins cups and bake until the edges are golden brown and they pass the toothpick test (approx. 25 minutes).

Remember last month when I posted that awesome black bean and sweet potato soup recipe? Yeah. I mentioned that it would taste really good alongside some cornbread, and this is the very recipe I was “working the kinks out of”. This means that you need to make black bean soup immediately. They are best friends. Please let them play together.

A New Year, A New Breakfast

Happy New Year dear readers! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and that you’ve started 2011 on the right foot. If not, I’m always here to help ;)
My big goal for this year is to improve my breakfast routine. Somehow over the last few months I’ve gotten really lazy in the morning, eating copious amounts of the freshly baked bread at work (I still love you), or grabbing a piece of fruit on the go. Either way, I know it’s one place in my diet that could use some improvement.

One of the most popular foods on the breakfast table in this country is boxed cereal. It’s fast, convenient, moderately filling and inexpensive – I can see the appeal. But cereal that comes in a package with a cartoon tiger on the front is a far cry from the actual grains that were used to make it. Even the definition of the word cereal, which actually refers to the group of grains as a whole, has gone from a natural whole food, to a barely recognizable distant relative with an underwhelming nutrient content that has surely suffered from over processing. Don’t even get me started on all that sugar.
It’s time for a change, don’t you agree?

Cereal Extreme Makeover
I’ve come up with the perfect breakfast solution for those of you who “just don’t have time in the morning”, because you can make a huge batch in one go, dole out the amount you want every day and simply add the toppings you have on hand. It's the Real Deal Cereal and it's so simple! The ingredients are inexpensive, easy to find, and of course, delicious.

I chose a quinoa and millet combination because both are gluten-free grains, and we could all stand to take a break from our wheat-centric diets. Hooray for variety! Remember that quinoa is a good source of iron, calcium, magnesium, and a complete protein. Millet is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available, plus it’s loaded with B-vitamins, phosphorous and potassium. Appropriately, both are warming grains so will help to heat the body during the cold winter months ahead. Indeed.

You can use any kind of grains to make your breakfast cereal base, but choose grains with relatively similar cooking times. Brown rice, for example, takes about 50 minutes to cook, so it would be best paired with rye or spelt. Amaranth and buckwheat are another excellent gluten-free combo that take about 15 minutes to cook. Experiment with various mixtures that suit your tastes, and change it up from week to week. You can always cook and eat your favorite grain all on its own, but I prefer the range of flavours and textures when they are combined in the same pot.

Once cooked, store your cooled grain mix in an airtight container in the fridge for five days. I make my mix on lazy Sunday nights, so I have breakfast for the entire work week. It takes about 3-4 minutes to assemble in the morning, and I’m good to go. You can even keep your re-heated grain mix in a thermos to enjoy at work and add your toppings there.

No more bread, bagel, danish, doughnut binges! No more packaged, processed, frosted, freaky cereal! No more excuses! Let’s do it.



The Real Deal Cereal
Grain Mix Base
1 cup quinoa
1 cup millet
4 ½ cups water
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
1. Rinse grains very well. Place in saucepan. Add water and salt.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
3. Let cool slightly. Store in a container in the fridge.

For each portion:
1 cup cooked grain mix (½ cup for kids)
¼ cup water or milk (rice, almond, hemp, soy, dairy…)
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
generous pinch ground ginger
fresh or frozen fruit
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
Optional additions:
1 tsp. chia seeds – Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fibre, calcium
1 Tbsp. hemp seeds - Omega-3 + Omega-6 fatty acids, protein
handful chopped nuts, such as pecans and walnuts
dollop of yogurt (sugar free)

Directions:
1. Measure out one cup of the cooked grain mix and place in a small saucepan with the water or milk. Heat over medium heat until warmed through. Add fruit if frozen, warm until fully thawed. Remove form heat.
2. Stir in the cinnamon, ginger, and chia and hemp seeds if you have them.
3. Place grain mix in a bowl, drizzle with maple syrup, add nuts and chopped fresh fruit, plus a dollop of yogurt, if desired.


I truly hope that this recipe and new system works for you and your family. A healthy start to the day is the best gift you can give yourself, and that does NOT include Count Chocula, Cap’n Crunch, or that weird little leprechaun, if you know what I mean.

Warming Winter Wheat Berry Salad

Whoa, is it actually this close to Christmas? Where the deuce have I been? I got a bit of a shock the other day when my dear friend Kiki asked me if I could share with her my favorite healthy holiday meal ideas. Yikes! I have actually thought of doing some kind of “festive favorites” round-up every year, but never got around to it because I seem to have a serious aversion to things I am “supposed” to do. Oops. So now…err, uh…I guess I will give it a go! And thanks to Kiki for putting a fire under it. ;)

I am going to start with this dish that I came up with at work last week, which I feel fits the bill just so. And it re-introduces many people to this groovy grain we all know as wheat, but in its whole form! I feel it’s holiday-appropriate because the familiar flavours of the spice mix in this dish are reminiscent of Christmas, but with an exotic edge. In the back of my head I was going for some sort of Moroccan thing - I love cinnamon in savory dishes, especially when hanging out with coriander and cumin. Totally winter-warming! Secondly, we got those beautiful wheat berries, which spend a heck of a lot of time boiling away, sucking in all that heat energy. AND, the roasted carrots that turn from crispy-cold to caramelized with love from the oven. Sigh. Everything coming together for a good cause: feeding your beautiful body with warmth! What could be better than that during the holidays?

Wheat Berries…have we met?
Yes, you have. Wheat berries are just kernels of wheat (the kind that would otherwise be ground into flour), totally unprocessed in their whole state. Exciting, eh? I think so. I would put them in a category with short-grain brown rice, as they too are plump, hearty, and satisfying with the most amazing chewy texture. I love eating wheat berries in salads because they maintain their shape and suck up dressing like a good grain should. They are also wonderful in warm dishes and add awesome texture to soups and stews.

Because wheat berries are unprocessed, they contain all the goodness of the whole grain. We’re talking oodles of B vitamins (except B12) for extra energy and battling holiday stress; lots of fiber for keeping us, ahem, regular, as well as protein, folate, vitamin E, and calcium. Sounds like a pretty good deal, no?
The other wonderful proponent of wheat berries that I get a kick out of, are the plant lignans! Remember those fun-loving phytonutrients? They are commonly found in flax seeds, nuts, and legumes – I wrote about them here. According to the World’s Healthiest Foods, lignans are converted by friendly flora in our intestines into mammalian lignans, including one called enterolactone that is thought to protect against breast and other hormone-dependent cancers as well as heart disease. Lignans have also been shown to decrease insulin resistance, which, in turn, reduces bio-available estrogen, which also lessens breast cancer risk.
Just a couple more reasons to eat your wheat!

You can find wheat berries at health food stores, most often in the bulk section. It's rather inexpensive and is great to store in your pantry, as it keeps for months. Make it your new staple!



Warming Winter Wheat Berry Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups wheat berries
7 - 9 carrots (1 lb. bag)
1 small red onion
6 cloves garlic
melted ghee or your oil of choice
½ cup dark raisins or chopped dates
2 tsp. sea salt
flat leaf parsley
about 25 Kalamata olives (optional)
1/2 cup almonds (optional)

Dressing:
1 ½ lemons – juice and zest
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. raw honey
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
1. If possible, soak wheat berries overnight or for 8+ hours. Otherwise, rinse wheat berries well until the water is clear. Measure 6 cups water and add to a large pot with wheat berries. Add 1 tsp. sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer until cooked, approx. 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
3. Wash and slice carrots lengthwise from top to bottom, then again once more on each half. Then slice the carrot across widthwise so you have eight carrots slices.
4. Mince garlic and combine with ghee or oil. Drizzle over carrots and toss to coat on a baking sheet. Season with 1 tsp. salt. Place in oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and slightly caramelized. YUM!
5. Make dressing by combining all ingredients and whisking well.
6. Remove wheat berries from heat, drain and rinse under cool water (you will know they are cooked when some of the berries have split open. They will still be very chewy). Combine wheat berries with dressing, raisins, slivered red onion, olives, and chopped parsley. Let sit and marinate for as long as possible, or fold in the carrots as soon as they are roasted to your liking. Serve warm or cold, garnished with roughly chopped almonds and a grind of fresh black pepper.

As a side note: remember that wheat berries contain gluten, so if you are gluten-intolerant try substituting with quinoa (which I did, it was delicious!!!), whole buckwheat, short-grain brown rice, wild rice, or amaranth.

So ya’ll, here is my first holiday dish that you can enjoy without feeling like you’ve done a serious disservice to your body…and that’s just the beginning! In my next post I think I will actually put a real menu together. Wow. Probably good timing too, as I am having a holiday dinner party this coming Saturday and should perhaps begin planning something? Really? Do people actually do that? I sense a New Year’s resolution coming on…

Morning Glories

While cruising the aisles of my local grocery store recently, I stumbled across a serious abomination: Quaker Oat Breakfast Cookies. Now, the concept of breakfast cookies have been around for quite some time, as we have all found someway of justifying desserts to jump start our day: danishes, crepes, cupcakes without icing - a.k.a. ‘muffins’. However, these cookies take the cake, ahem, and have absolutely no redeeming value. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they are BAD for you. If you have a sec, go check out that ingredient list… Yowza! What were they thinking?!
High fructose corn syrup? Partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil? C’mon Quaker, get with times. That garbage is so 2005.

I can do way better than that. My version of the breakfast cookie, Morning Glories, are loaded with fiber, healthy fats, and get this…beans! But I promise, no bean taste. I promise. They are not only great for breakfast on the go, but sooo delicious at tea time, or a nutritious pick-me-up when that 4 p.m. tummy starts to growl.
Morning Glories are also a complete protein, thanks to their grain and bean combo. The perky lemon paired with the mellow, licorice-flavoured anise is totally unexpected and delightful. They are a bit little crunchy on the outside thanks to a healthy coating of calcium-packed sesame seeds, and so soft and chewy on the inside – you won’t believe it’s not cake!

The super fiber in Oats
The star ingredient in Morning Glories is oats, an energy-packed grain that is a familiar guest at the breakfast table. But did you know why oats are such a smart choice for you and your family?
Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fiber known as beta-glucan.
Beta-glucan has been shown to have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels by removing it from the digestive system that would otherwise end up in the bloodstream.
In laboratory studies reported in Surgery, beta-glucan significantly enhanced the human immune system's response to bacterial infection. Beta-glucan not only helps neutrophils (the most abundant type of non-specific immune cell) navigate to the site of an infection more quickly, it also enhances their ability to eliminate the bacteria they find there.
And Type 2 diabetes patients given foods high in beta-glucan or given oatmeal or oat bran rich foods, experienced much lower rises in blood sugar compared to those who were given white rice or bread. Starting out your day with a blood sugar stabilizing food such as oats may make it easier to keep blood sugar levels under control the rest of the day, especially when the rest of your day is also supported with nourishing fiber-rich foods.
You’ll be doing your busy body a real favour by noshing a couple of these cookies before you run out the door.

Morning Glories
Ingredients:
-2 cups whole, rolled oats (not instant oats)
-1 cup whole grain flour (I used spelt)
-2 tsp. aniseed, crushed in mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or use the bottom of a glass
-1 tsp. baking powder
-1 tsp. baking soda
-Zest of one, non-waxed lemon
-1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt
-One 15-ounce can white kidney, great northern, or navy beans, rinsed & drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans)
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 cup evaporated cane juice (or brown sugar)
-1 large organic egg
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-1/3 cup chopped dates
-2/3 cup sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees and place a rack in the top third. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Pulse the oats in a food processor (or blender) until they resemble a very rough flour. Transfer the oats to a large mixing bowl and whisk in the flour, aniseed, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest and salt.
3. Pulse the beans and olive oil in the food processor until they are creamy. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and pulse until smooth. Add dates and pulse a few times until chopped and incorporated. Scrap down the sides of the bowl once or twice along the way.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until the ingredients start to come together. Stir until everything just comes together.
5. Place the sesames seeds in a bowl. With a tablespoon, scoop out some dough about the size of a golf ball, then roll it into a rough log shape. (Yes, the dough at this point is very wet, but it becomes very easy to handle once coated in sesame seeds.) Roll the log of dough into the sesame seeds, remembering to dip the ends too. Set each log on the prepared baking sheet and with the palm of your hand flatten the dough just a bit, into a bar shape. You want the bar to be the same thickness all the way through – do not make the ends flatter than the middle. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving at least an inch or so between each bar - they'll spread a bit, but not much. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the sesame seeds around the bottom start to get golden.
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies, give or take a couple.
Store in an airtight container for a week (if they last that long!).


Now, in an ideal world I would omit the sugar entirely and use some alternative sweetener, but for now this version will have to do. I am still unsure about substituting a solid (evaporated can juice) for a liquid (such as maple syrup). If any of you experienced bakers know the answer to this, please let me know!
I have yet to try different flavour combinations in these Morning Glories, so I think my next batch will feature coconut flakes and bananas, or maybe cinnamon, cranberries and orange zest! This batter is the perfect blank canvas to experiment with different tastes, so get creative and get baking! No matter what personal flourishes you decide to employ, you can rest and wake assured that a healthy, whole food breakfast is waiting for you – because you’re one smart cookie yourself and every morning should be glorious.

info source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=54
recipe inspiration: 101cookbooks.com

Reader Request: Confetti Quinoa Salad

I’m back in the saddle everyone. After a very nice break and some time to think, I realized that what I really needed to do was call in the troops for some healthy reinforcement to cure my writer’s block. I want to thank all of you who responded to my email – I now have an entire warehouse of ideas, well stocked the next year of blog entries!
Your emails inspired me so much in fact (and I received so many) that I have decided to add a section to the blog called “reader requests”. Once or twice a month I will respond directly to a relevant question or two and indicate this in the post’s title. I will also post the question in the article – so look for yours!

This post will cover several questions:
What can I do with quinoa!?
Do you have any recipes that are good for traveling?
How can I incorporate fresh herbs into my food?
I am single and unmotivated to make huge, one-off meals just for myself. Do you have any ideas for fast, healthy food that can keep for a few days?

Sigh…I just happen to have the perfect answer to all of these questions. Introducing Quinoa Confetti Salad, otherwise know as my “life saver salad”. It is easy to make when I’m short on time (because quinoa only takes 15-20 minutes to cook), and it uses up whatever I have on hand in the fridge. You can also adapt it to the seasons – raw fresh vegetables in the spring and summer, and a blend of fresh and steamed or roasted veg when the weather cools down. I love it with garlic-roasted sweet potato and beets on chilly fall days. Holy delicious! When fresh herbs are no longer in season, just use good quality dried ones. And we all know the goodness of quinoa – high in protein, rich in fiber, loaded with health-promoting minerals – it’s the seed of the gods. Read more about the benefits of quinoa here.

The other bonus about this salad is that it travels very well, which is important for me, as I don’t often find a lot on the menu at drive-through highway Wendy’s, and quite frankly, plane food scares me. In fact, as I write this, I am on a trans-Atlantic flight from Copenhagen to Toronto and you can guess what I ate for lunch. That’s right.


Quinoa Confetti Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup dried quinoa (any colour you like – white, red, black, purple - or mix it!)

An array of seasonal vegetables - be creative!
-rainbow carrots (pictured)
-string beans
-cucumber
-cherry tomatoes
-spinach
-spring onion

A lovely legume - for a complete protein meal!
-chick peas
-lentils
-navy beans
-black beans
-lima beans
-kidney beans

A selection of fresh herbs - don't be scared!
-flat-leaf parsley
-mint
-oregano
-cilantro
-dill
-basil

Sunshine Dressing:
2-4 Tbsp. Cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 un-waxed organic lemon
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp. Honey
pinch of sea salt

Place ingredients in a jar and shake. If you have extra, you can use this dressing, for up to 4 days, stored in the fridge (but the sooner, the better). You can drizzle this on just about anything - green salad, steamed vegetables, cold rice, or pour it into the center of half an avocado and scoop it out with a spoon - my favorite snack!

Directions:
1. Rinse quinoa very well 2-3 times in the pot you are cooking it in, draining it with a strainer. Add 2 cups fresh water, and about a teaspoon of sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked.
2. While the quinoa is simmering, make the dressing by zesting and juicing the lemon, mincing the garlic and combining all ingredients in a jar and shaking. Set aside to allow flavours to blend.
3. Chop the vegetables and herbs you are using. Place in a large bowl. Pour dressing over. (I like to add the dressing before the quinoa, because quinoa will continue to absorb liquid and you risk it becoming a little soggy.)
4. Once the quinoa is cooked you can add it directly to the dressed vegetables. The quinoa will cool down quite quickly as you mix it in.
5. Devour.

This salad is rather large, but like I said before, it can keep for at least a day or so in the fridge. If you really want to plan ahead, mix the vegetables, herbs and quinoa when you have time and dress it when you’re ready to eat. This will help the salad keep for 2 or more days in the fridge. If you’re eating for one, this will undoubtedly save your life - or at least save you from eating those weird microwave-popcorn-and-peanut-butter-cracker dinners.

I hope that this delicious, and simple recipe comes to your tummy's rescue, and feel free to change things up to suit your preferences. If you have a favorite dressing, pour it on. If you don't like chick peas, leave them out! If you love nuts, throw those in too. For me, this recipe is a little different every time, so be creative and have fun with it.

Thanks again for writing in and giving me some great ideas. Over the coming months I will try to answer as many questions as possible. Keep up that healthy curiosity!

Holy Moley, Bread

Now that you have mastered milling your own flour, you’re ready to put that beautiful, nutritionally dense, flavourful stuff to good use.
This recipe hails from the Bible. That’s right the from good ol’ word of God to straight to your bread board, this loaf is packed with healthy whole grains and high-protein legumes – it’s like a meal in itself! They really knew what they were doing back in those days.
This is the very same bread that is said to have kept Ezekiel alive in the desert for two years. You think I’m kidding around? Here is the scripture taken from Ezekiel 4:9 - “Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof; according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, even three hundred and ninety days, shalt thou eat thereof.” So there.

The amazing this about this bread is that when these six grains and legumes are combined, they create a complete protein that closely parallels the protein found in milk and eggs! There are 18 amino acids present in this unique bread, including all 9 of the essential ones, from exclusively vegetable sources – naturally balanced in nature.

A word about Complete Proteins
Protein is essential for many bodily processes, including building and repairing tissue. You use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. It is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, blood, hair and nails.
Protein is made of smaller components called amino acids, 12 of which are manufactured by the human body. Another 9, called essential amino acids, must be obtained from food.
A complete protein or whole protein is a protein that contains all of the essential amino acids. These can be found in animal foods such as red meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy. The vegetarian sources of complete proteins include soy, spirulina, hemp seeds and quinoa.

Since most vegetarian foods do not contain all nine essential amino acids, foods must be combined to cover the entire spectrum, otherwise a deficiency will occur. Traditional combinations include beans with rice or corn, beans and grains, beans and nuts, and grains and beans, which all form complete proteins. When you eat hummus and pita, nut butter on whole grain bread, pasta with beans, lentil stew with rice, you are eating complete proteins. It is essential for vegan and vegetarians to pay close attention to combinations of foods so that they obtain all the essential amino acids and stay healthy!
The good news is these foods don't necessarily need to be eaten at the same time in order to be used by the body to build protein, as once was thought. Recent studies show that the body has an amino acid “pool” with about a 24-hour window. The beans you ate for lunch and the rice you had with dinner will make a complete protein once digested, and your finely-tuned-machine-of-a-body will assemble the amino acids for you, without you giving any it further thought. Incredible!

Here’s the recipe for Ezekiel bread. I am telling you, this is not a loaf of Wonderbread, people, this is the real deal. God does not fool around. If you don’t like heavy breads, don’t make this. If you cannot find wheat berries or spelt berries, buy the flour pre-milled. Everything else should be right on your grocer’s shelf.

The next time I make this recipe, I will bake half the dough and freeze the remainder since the loaf is rather large.

Ezekiel Bread
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups wheat berries
1 1/2 cups spelt berries
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup millet
1/4 cup dry green lentils
2 tablespoons dry kidney beans
2 tablespoons dried pinto beans
2 tablespoons dry Great Northern beans (if you cannot find these, use 1 extra tablespoon each kidney and pinto beans)
3 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sea salt
2 cups warm water



Directions:
1. Begin by milling the wheat berries. Place in blender and process until the flour stops falling into the center of the container. Sift to desired texture. Set aside. This should yield about 2 cups wheat flour
2. Combine all other grains and legumes in blender and process until the flour stops falling into the center of the container. Sift to desired texture. This should yield about 3 cups of flour.
3. In a large bowl, mix water and yeast until dissolved. Add 3 cups of the grain and legume flour and mix by hand 500 times (or a lot).
4. Add 2 cups of wheat flour and mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Drop dough onto a floured board and knead for approximately 5 minutes.
6. To make a braided loaf, which was the traditional shape used in Biblical times, form a ball with the dough and slice into 3 pieces, and then form these into “snakes” (see photograph). Pinch dough at top and braid to the bottom.
7. Let this rise in a warm place for about an hour.
8. Preheat oven to 350F. Once heated, place bread on a baking stone or baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30-35 minutes.
9. Break bread with loved ones, eat and enjoy.
Few things are more satisfying than baking bread, especially when you know exactly where your ingredients come from. This is an exceptionally healthy bread, the way they it used to be eaten, so bake a loaf today and have a holy moment. Lordy, it’s a good thing.

p.s. If you still haven't gotten around to making hazelnut butter, you'll be really sorry when this hot loaf of bread comes out of the oven.

It's Miller Time

So, I’ve just discovered something amazing.

You can mill flour. At home. In your blender.

For years I’ve known that buying flour pre-ground in the store as opposed to making your own, is like eating frozen TV dinners instead of having your grandmother cook you up a delicious Salisbury steak. Okay, strange example, but you get the picture. Moving on.

Why mill you own flour anyway?
I think that the number one reason you should grind your own grain flours is for the health benefits. All commercially made grain flours have had the germ removed. This is the part of the grain that contains the majority of the nutrition, since it is the part that allows the seed to germinate. Without the healthy oils, vitamins and minerals that make up the germ, the (dead) flour can happily sit on the shelf for months or even years and still be edible.
In addition, when flour is milled, the bran or “shell” of the grain is broken, leaving the insides exposed, causing the loss of vital nutrients and oxidization of fats. Ever noticed how right after you peel and apple, it starts to turn brown? The delicate, vulnerable interior of a grain goes through the same degradation process and almost as quickly.
Whole Wheat in fact, loses 45% of it's nutrients within the first 24 hours after it has been milled, and by the time 72 hours has passed it has lost a whopping 90%! That is 90% of the original nutritional value of a very wholesome grain that does not make it in to your body. Is it any wonder we have to take nutritional supplements?
Milling your own flour ensures that you preserve the grains’ vital nutrients for your consumption since you will use it immediately.

The second reason is flavour. The taste of the flour I made myself actually tastes like something. Even the “good flour” I used to buy at health food stores, never tasted this good, and often they were dry and sometimes tasted bitter (this indicated rancidity!) With home milled flour my bread is moister and has a wonderful fresh and nutty taste that comes from the inclusion of the germ.

Finally, grinding your own flours can give you access to flours that you might not be able to get otherwise. For example, spelt flour or kamut flour can be hard to find in a regular supermarket. However, finding the whole grain is often easier as whole grains keep a very long time and so are easier for stores to carry. Also, these specialty flours are cheaper when ground at home. A pound of spelt grain is much cheaper than a pound of spelt flour assuming you can find it. Also, you have control over how much you have on hand, how fine or course it is ground, etc. For those that are gluten-sensitive or intolerant, you can even make high-protein flours from beans and lentils. I baked a loaf of bread from all the grains in the photograph at the top of this post. It's a meal in itself, I guarantee!

How to become a Genuine Miller
Most people don’t believe that they can grind flour in their home blender (isn’t it only good for making milkshakes?), but it’s true – even a very cheap one, like mine, can get the job done. All you have to do is add enough grain so that it doesn’t just fly around inside the container. If you add at least 2 cups of grain, the weight of it will keep the kernels down around the blades.

1. Place at least 2 cups of the grain (or legume) of your choice (wheat, kamut, spelt, barley, quinoa, rice, millet, lentil, chick pea…) in a blender.
2. Turn the blender on high and watch the show. The grain will continue to ground finer and finer, and it will rise up the sides of the blender. You will know that is finished grinding when the flour stops falling into the center of the centrifuge.
3. Remove flour from blender and sift according to your preferences. I used a rather large-holed sieve because I like eating grainy bread, but I recognize not everyone shares my love of sand-textured baked goods. If you like a lighter flour, use a fine-mesh sieve. You can see the grit that comes out of the flour in the photograph. I actually saved these and sprinkled them on top of the bread I baked, but the birds love that stuff too, if you don’t.

That’s it. I wish it were more complicated and impressive, but now you really have no excuses to keep buying dead, nutritionally void store-bought flour.
Stayed tuned for the next post when I will walk you through baking a loaf of bread, step-by-step, made with flour that you milled all by yourself. Even your blender will be flabbergasted.