This is another energy bar recipe I developed, which is high in protein and full of flavor and texture. The dominant flavor here is definitely peanut butter, but a different type of nut butter could be used if preferred. Likewise, ingredient substitutions could be made - such as chocolate chips for the raisins and chopped nuts for the sunflower seeds.
Peanut Butter Energy Bars
2 cups granola or multigrain cereal mix
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup raisins
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup pitted dates
water, to cover
1 1/3 cups smooth natural peanut butter
1/3 cup smooth almond butter
2/3 cup honey
Place the granola, oats, flax, raisins, seeds, and spices in a large bowl and mix well.
In a large saucepan, bring the dates with just enough water to cover them to a boil. Boil for a few minutes until dates soften, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the peanut butter, almond butter, and honey and heat until melted and smooth.
Pour this mixture over the dry mixture in the bowl and stir to coat. Press this mixture into a parchment-lined 9x13-inch rectangular pan. I find it easier to use your hands to mix and press this mixture. Refrigerate for several hours until firm, then cut into bars.
I always find pumpkin spice a welcoming flavor combination, whether it is autumn or not. Here, I have combined them to make a smoothie, or perhaps more accurately a milkshake. It adds a little flavor to a morning drink of milk, as well as some extra vitamins and nutrition. Since the pumpkin is already puréed, this drink does not even require the use of a blender. Just place ingredients in a cup with a lid and shake.
Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
1 cup milk
2 heaping Tablespoons pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Blend all together until smooth. Enjoy!
Machine Bran Bread
1 cup water
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 Tablespoon oil
3 Tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup natural wheat bran
1/2 cup ground flaxseed2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
Place all ingredients in bread pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle, large loaf.
Machine True Whole Wheat Bread
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1 cup cereal mix (see note)
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine.
NOTE: For this recipe, I used my own homemade hot cereal mixture that I keep on hand, which contains oats, oat bran, wheat germ, flax, and wheat bran. The recipe can be found at this link: {Hot Cereal Mix}.
These are just like the {No Touch Biscuits}, except this is a whole grain, healthier version I devised. The trick is to handle the dough as little as possible. Of course whole grain biscuits don't tend to be as fluffy and light, however, they are still tasty and hearty with whatever spread you like best. I made these more hearty biscuits, but if you prefer them sweet, add up to three Tablespoons of granulated sugar along with the dry ingredients.
No Touch Multigrain Biscuits
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons each: ground flaxseed, oat bran, wheat germ, natural wheat bran
1 HEAPING Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 425◦F. Line a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Cut in the yogurt like you would butter until crumbly. Mix together the applesauce, milk, and water, and stir in to form a soft dough. Stir just until dough comes together, adding a little extra water or flour if needed. Dough should be slightly sticky. Gently pat dough into a shape about 1/2 inch thick, DO NOT KNEAD, then cut into biscuits of any shape. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing apart for crisp sides or placing together for soft sides. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden.
Peanut Butter Banana Porridge
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 - 3/4 cup milk or water
1/2 large ripe banana, mashed
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
cinnamon, vanilla extract, honey, if desired
Cook the oats in the liquid in the microwave or on the stove as directed. Meanwhile, mash together the banana, peanut butter, and flax. Swirl this mixture into the cooked oatmeal, and add a flavoring or other garnish is desired. Serve immediately.
Peanut butter, banana, and oatmeal are three of my favorite foods - put them together and you've got a warm, hearty, and delicious breakfast.
This recipe makes one large, light and fluffy loaf of bread with the addition of a little flavor, texture, and nutrition from some flaxseed.
Flax Machine Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tablespoons oil
3 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
2 1/2 + 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon yeast
Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine.
Multigrain Wheat Machine Bread
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup each ground flaxseed, natural wheat bran, oat bran, and wheat germ, mixed together
4 cups whole wheat flour
5 1/2 teaspoons wheat gluten (optional)
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine.
This is a really soft, moist, and flavorful bread. It is not very sturdy, so not ideal for sandwiches, but is is great to enjoy as is - and barely requires and butter or jam.
Soft Molasses Wheat Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup each: ground flaxseed, natural wheat bran, oat bran, wheat germ
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup applesauce
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center.
In a small bowl, mix together the milk, molasses, and applesauce. Pour into well, stir just to combine. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
No-Cut Grain Biscuits
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup wheat germ
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 cup water or milk
Preheat oven to 375◦F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, then add in the wet and mix well. Let dough stand for 5-10 minutes. Drop dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes until set.
These are soft, sweet biscuits with a nice molasses flavor. There is no need of "cutting" in a fat such as butter or margarine - everything is simply mixed together. The result is a soft and fluffy biscuit that rises high and is easy to cut open and smother with jam or peanut butter.
Multigrain Machine Bread
1/4 cup each: ground flaxseed, oat bran, natural wheat bran, and wheat germ
1/2 cup oats
1 cup warm water
1 large egg, beaten, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
grain mixture from above
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
Mix together the grains and oats, set aside. Place all ingredients except in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine.
This is a bread machine recipe I came up with myself that truly combines all my favorite hearty grains. Some may find this bread a little bit heavier or dense, but it is certainly a nutritional powerhouse, and is meant to be sliced quite thinly. To ensure the bread rises better, as multigrain breads do tend to contain less gluten, a tablespoons or two of wheat gluten may be added along with the flour.
Can't decide between bread and cereal for breakfast? Have both in one with this healthy, homey bread.
Cereal Machine Bread
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons moalsses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cereal* (see NOTE)
2 1/2 + 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional, to promote rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine.
*NOTE: This recipe uses 1/2 cup of a hot cereal mixture. You can easily use a commercial mix - any multigrain mix should do, as long as it is a HOT cereal mix that cooks relatively quickly (think microwave and not awhile on the stove). Plain oat bran or oatmeal may be used as well.
For this recipe, I used my own homemade hot cereal mixture that I keep on hand, which contains oats, oat bran, wheat germ, flax, and wheat bran. The recipe can be found at this link: {Hot Cereal Mix}.
Seedy Yogurt Muffins
1 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (any kind)
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2-4 Tablespoons molasses or honey
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the first ten dry ingredients.
In a separate medium bowl, mix together the remaining liquid ingredients.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and stir until just moistened.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
Bake for about 20 minutes until golden.
Makes 12-18 (depending on size) healthy, hearty muffins with lots of great crunch and flavor. Perfect for part of a balanced breakfast slathered with nut butter, jam, or molasses!
Sunny Morning Pancakes
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons oats
1 scant Tablespoon each: shredded coconut, sesame seeds, chopped pecans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon raisins
1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed + 1 teaspoon water
1/3 cup milk
Heat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix together the first seven dry ingredients. Add the flax and milk mixture and mix until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan, this can make one big pancake or several small ones. Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.
For crispy pancakes: Heat the pan to medium-high and spread the batter thin.
For soft and fluffy pancakes: Keep the pan on medium and make the batter thicker.
Spread with: yogurt, nut butter, honey, maple syrup, molasses, or jam.
Top with: fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate chips.
These are sort of like a morning glory muffin, but with less tropical flavors. Different fruits and nuts may be substituted as desired for different flavors, but the principle idea here is a pancake with some texture, crunch, and lots of flavor. They are hearty and tasty and make one good-sized breakfast serving.
This is a bread machine recipe that I made a very similar version to in the traditional way once upon a time. It has a nice texture and flavor due to the added seeds and a nice crispy crust. I decided to try making a small loaf this time, but I discovered I would much prefer the large loaf setting. It is the same amount of work, but makes a larger loaf that rises better, forms better sandwiches, and lasts longer.
Machine Country Seed Bread
3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons honey
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
4 teaspoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sunflower seeds
1 1/4 teaspoons yeast
Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle, small loaf.
Nutella Milkshakes
1 large frozen banana
heaping 1/4 cup Nutella (regular or homemade)
1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon skim milk powder (optional)
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
about 2 Tablespoons honey, optional (not needed if commercial Nutella is used)
1/2 -1 cup almond milk (depending on how thick you would like it)
Blend all together in a blender until smooth. Makes two servings.
This is my final entry for my Nutella Day posts. I don't post many drink recipes on here, but you definitely need a Nutella drink to go with all the Nutella sweets. I used my own homemade Nutella for this too, which worked well, but I did add a little honey for some sweetness. If the milk powder is left out and a different sweetener is used, these milkshakes could be vegan. Otherwise, regular milk may be used as well as soy milk or whatever type you would like. Use ice cream for something really decadent. This could be classified as either a milkshake or a smoothie, depending on how thick you make it. I recommend using a frozen banana for the best texture and to keep it colder.
This is a very healthy recipe and also quite satisfying. Following this exact recipe, it contains about ten grams of protein per serving! Almond milk is actually very low in protein, so using soy or cow's milk instead would actually increase the amount of protein further.
Apple Split Pancakes
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup milk of choice
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
handful blueberries, fresh or frozen
Heat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, flax, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir in the applesauce, milk, oil, and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. I just made one large pancake, but several mini ones would also work. Sprinkle the blueberries over the batter. Cook for a few minutes until golden, then flip and cook again. Flip over onto a plate to serve blueberry-side up. Garnish as desired.
I love breakfast, in case that wasn't obvious by now! I don't mind taking a little extra time and effort in the morning to try a new recipe and make something a little special for myself. I especially like these recipes that make individual servings - not because I don't enjoy sharing, but usually everyone fixes their own style of breakfast in the house. That's perfectly fine, and I like hearty, well-rounded breakfast like this one. I call this an apple split pancake because I got the idea from a banana pancake topped with cherries and chocolate chips. Instead, this is a pancake made with applesauce and topped with blueberries. A single pancake doesn't take as long to make as you may think, and makes for a warm, yummy breakfast. Top it with some Greek yogurt and fruit/nuts to add some protein or spread it with almond butter and enjoy with a glass of milk, for an easy breakfast that includes all four food groups.
This is another Overnight Oatmeal recipe. There are several others on this blog, and I love them because they are tasty, hearty, and nutritious, and really quick to make and are prepared in advance. The other recipe variations can be found by typing "overnight oatmeal" into the search bar on this blog (I don't want to link them all in this post as it would be too long).
This recipe is especially hearty because it is high in protein and contains heart-healthy fats due to all of the tasty nuts and nut butters in the recipe. Of course the types of nuts can be changed as desired. This breakfast is a complete breakfast in a bowl and very filling - it got me through a rather tedious and demanding math exam this morning.
Very Nutty Oatmeal
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 Tablespoon ground nuts (or flaxseed)
1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 Tablespoon whole natural almonds
1 Tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup almond milk
2 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 Tablespoon natural smooth peanut butter
1 Tablespoon natural almond butter
In a jar or bowl with a lid, measure the first nine dry ingredients, then stir or shake to mix. Add the milk, applesauce, and peanut butter and mix well. Place in the refrigerator overnight, then heat or enjoy cold topped with the almond butter.
I always like to have some type of bread, muffin, or biscuit on hand. This time, I decided to try a little something different. I made a healthy snacking cake, then cut it into squares to have on hand in the freezer. This snack cake is soft and moist, yet contains several whole grains. It has a mild pumpkin and spice purée. The seeds are optional, and nuts or raisins would be a nice substitute. This cake is lower in fat and sugar, so modify amounts to suit your personal tastes. I use this more of a bread spread with a topping than a cake.
Pumpkin Grain Breakfast Cake
scant 1 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup each: ground flaxseed, wheat germ, wheat bran, oat bran
1/2 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (I used almond)
2 cups whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the first five wet ingredients together. Stir in all of the dry ingredients except the flour. Stir in half of the milk. Stir in 1 cup of flour, the remaining 1/2 cup milk, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Good and Grainy Machine Bread
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons hard margarine
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup natural wheat bran
3 Tablespoons skim milk powder
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseeds
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order given, or according to manufacturer's instructions for whole wheat cycle. This makes one large loaf, although size setting will depend on machine.
This bread has a good dose of healthy whole grains, therefore it will not rise as high as a whole wheat or white loaf would. Add a little wheat gluten if you would like a higher rise. Skim milk powder is used in this recipe to avoid using perishable milk. It is also easier because skim milk powder is stored at room temperature unlike fluid milk, and this is more cost efficient.
I apologize for publishing yet another bread (and bread machine at that) recipe so soon, but i promise I will have an awesome cake to show tomorrow.
