Thursday 31 January 2013

Lemon Breakfast Bars



My morning ritual is a glass of OJ with some almonds while I make my earl grey tea sweetened with honey. That's all my stomach can handle. It's not until about ten o'clock that I'm ready for a real breakfast...and I do love my breakfast. They say eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch, and a peasant for dinner.

Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfasts because the fuel you get from this very healthy and whole carb is unbeatable. I don't much care for the runny texture or the mess of making oatmeal every morning and this recipe came from that struggle, lol. Oh I've also been craving lemon squares but couldn't find a recipe that didn't call for a pound of sugar.


Just a note on the ingredients, anything with a star is not essential but highly recommended. If you want to get really simple with it, or go vegan, omit the crust and just lay a thin layer of coconut shreds on the pan and put the oatmeal mixture over this; doing a good job of pressing it down. Its no bake this way too! This is the first way I tried it and it turned out beautifully.


Crust:

1 Egg
1/4+ c Water
1/2 c Shredded, Unsweetened Coconut Shreds
1/3 c Quinoa Flour - (Or any other flour)
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil - (Or any other Oil or Butter)
*1 Tbsp Almond Butter

Heat the oven to 350. Beat the egg and water together and then add all other ingredients. If your coconut oil is not liquid you can warm it up in the pan that you will use later for the oatmeal mixture. If the mixture is too dry, just add a bit of water at a time. Take a baking pan, 13 x 9 inches, and line with parchment paper. Spread the crust mixture into it. Cover your hand with cellophane wrap and press the mixture down into a thin layer. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.



Lemon Oatmeal:
1 c Almond Milk- (Soy, or Reg.)
1 c Water
*3 Tbsp White Quinoa
1 cup Oatmeal
3/4 c Prunes, diced
1/2 c Sultan Raisins
*2 Tbsp Sunflower Seeds
1/2+c Water
*2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 Lemon Squeezed
1/2 tsp Lemon Rind
1 Tbsp + Vanilla Extract
Slivered Almonds



Add the almond milk, water, quinoa, dried fruits, and sunflower seeds to a pan with a lid. On a low to medium heat, start bringing this to a boil. When you start to see bubbles add the oatmeal. Mix and allow this to come up to a boil again and then turn the heat down just enough to keep things bubbling. Add the rest of the ingredients. Put a lid on the pan and cook for 15 min, stirring regularly and adding water as needed to keep the mixture moist but not runny. Take a taste and either add more lemon or a sweetener such as honey to your liking. Take the pan off the stove and set aside for ten minutes.

Now spread the oatmeal mixture on top of the crust and sprinkle as many or as little slivered almonds as you please. Using the almonds as a barrier, press the mixture firmly into the pan.


You can either slice a piece off now and have it warm or leave it all in the fridge for a good hour before you cut it up. I like to make individual packages with tinfoil that I can grab-and-go.


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