3-Seed Almond Butter

I know what you're saying... Almond butter is already a heart-healthy snack. But wait, there's more! Throw in some omega-3 goodness from flax, hemp and chia seeds and round it out with some tasty cinnamon and you've taken almond butter to a whole different level.  If you like your almond butter a touch sweet, add a tablespoon or two of honey.

Ingredients:

2 cups raw almonds


2 tablespoons ground flax seed


2 tablespoons hulled hemp seeds


1 tablespoon chia seeds


1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1/2 teaspoon sea salt



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place almonds on a cookie sheet and roast for about 10-12 minutes or until you begin to smell the nutty aroma of the almonds.  Allow almonds to cool a bit and place in your food processor (or Blendtec/Vitamix) and add the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Sometimes it takes a few minutes to get creamy, so be patient!

Recipe courtesy of Katrina Gangsaas at http://deliciousyetnutritious.blogspot.com/2013/05/3-seed-almond-butter.html

Flax, Almond, and Date Muffins

These gluten-free muffins are made primarily from nut and seed meal instead of refined flours, giving them a boost of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and fiber.  Grab one of these muffins along with a piece of string cheese or a hard boiled egg for a quick and healthy breakfast or snack.

Flour Mix:

½ cup (2 ½ ounces) brown flax seeds, ground (makes about ¾ cup meal)

½ cup (1 ¾ ounces) almond meal

1 tablespoon potato or tapioca starch

4 tablespoons (1 ½ ounces) dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

whole golden flax seeds for tops of muffins, optional

Liquid Ingredients:

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon molasses

3 tablespoons water

3 ounces medjool dates, pitted and chopped

finely grated zest of a ½ lemon

Heat the oven to 350° F.  Arrange nine fluted foil baking cups on a baking sheet, or grease a muffin pan with gutter or gluten-free nonstick cooking spray, or line with paper baking cups. 

Combine the dry ingredients (except whole flax seeds) in a large bowl and stir with a whisk to break up any clumps.  Whisk the eggs to mix, then whisk in the molasses and water.  Stir in the dates, grate the lemon zest on top, and mix well.  Pour over the dry ingredients and stir until smooth.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups.  Bake for 20 minutes until springy to a light finger touch.  Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Refrigerate or freeze any extras.

Makes 9 muffins

Preparations time: about 40 minutes

Adapted from Gluten-Free Living Magazine

Sprouted Grain Bread

This is so simple to make that you won’t believe it’s realy possible until you try it!  Enjoy the variety of ways you can enjoy this easy recipe:  hearty crepes, pancakes, and bread to eat by itself or dip into hummus!  All you really need is a cast iron skillet and a blender.

 Ingredients:

2-3 cups whole grain (can be quinoa, buckwheat, barley, farro, etc)

Water

1 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp Oil (choose from ghee, butter, olive oil, grapeseed oil, etc)

Herbs or spices to taste

Cast iron skillet required for optimum product! 

1. Soak 2-3 cups of whole grain in a container filled with ample water to allow for grain to expand (should be at least twice as much water as grain).  In the morning, pour into a colander and rinse well, leaving the colander propped in a bowl to drain, with a lid lightly covering the top of the grain (good to have air flow, but not be fully exposed).

2. For quinoa, after 6-8 hours of sitting out to sprout, it should be ready.  For some other grains, it may take a little longer (buckwheat takes the longest).  For these grains, rinse twice a day until sprouted.  Look for sprouts to begin before proceeding to the next step.

3. Rinse grain and scoop into a blender.  Fill blender with water (to cover grain up to a ½ in over) and add salt, oil, and any herbs or spices you’d like.

4. Blend on high until a batter-like consistency.  You now can pour the entire batter into your warmed and well-oiled skillet, baking it much the way you would corn bread.  OR, you can pour a little out at a time for hearty whole grain crepes or pancakes.  

Feel free to experiment with adding seeds or sprouted lentils to the mix!

Recipe by Heather Davis