The Great Goji Groatmeal

National Whole Grains Month inspired us to venture more into actual whole grains (none of that ‘made-with-whole-grain’ partial credit here) in this breakfast recipe. What is an oat groat? It’s the whole grain form of oatmeal, before it is steel-cut, rolled, or pulverized into an instant oatmeal package. These oat groats are chewy and take some time to cook, which is why we called upon our trusty slow cooker to work the overnight shift.

 

Ingredients

2 cups oat groats

2 tablespoons chia seeds (and/or flax seeds)

1/3 cup shredded coconut

3 cups water

3 cups of non-dairy milk (i.e. DIY almond milk)

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 apples, cored and blended

1/8 cup of goji berries (or substitute with raisins)

1/3 cup cacao nibs (optional)

 

Instructions

Use a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Put oat groats, chia, shredded coconut, water, non-dairy milk, coconut oil, and goji berries (and cacao nibs if desired) inside. Blend cored apple and add to slow cooker. Stir all ingredients and cover, cooking on low for about 8 hours (automatic slow cookers should then switch over to ‘warm’ setting). Stir and serve with additional fruit (i.e. berries), nuts, seeds, or sweetener on top and enjoy a warm belly of food to start your day!

Recipe: The Best French Toast

The Best French Toast is super-delicious and nutritious. Its list of credentials continues: it’s gluten- and dairy-free as well as vegan! Incredible.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 30 minutes total
Serves: 2-4 people

Ingredients

8 pieces of gluten-free bread (we used Canyon Bakehouse)
1 medium banana, mashed
1 1/4 cup almond milk (DIY here)
1/2 tbsp flaxseed
1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond meal (this will be used to coat the bread and add texture)

Instructions
Put all ingredients (except bread and almond meal) into a blender and run until well-mixed. Then transfer to shallow bowl. Preheat skillet to medium heat,  using coconut oil to grease the pan. Dip each slice of bread into the batter for about 10 seconds on each side then sprinkle almond meal carefully on each side. Place bread on skillet, cooking until golden brown on underside, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and repeat the process. Lastly, add your desired toppings! We chose blueberries cooked with maple syrup.

Recipe: Raw Chocolate Energy Bites

Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
• 1 cup raw, old-fashioned oats
• ⅔ cup toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes
• ½ cup creamy peanut or almond butter
• ½ cup freshly ground flaxseed
• ⅔ cup chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
Grind flaxseeds first and, in a large mixing bowl, combine peanut/almond butter, honey, and vanilla extract. Mix well and add in remaining ingredients until fully incorporated. Cover and chill for 45 minutes. Roll into balls of about an inch or to preferred size. Wetting hands with water will help with rolling the balls. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.