Tag Archives: chia seeds

Lemon Blueberry Muffins. Springalicious, Gluten-free, and Vegan

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IMG_9267 It’s been quite a while since I posted anything, though I’ve been whipping things up in the kitchen and just haven’t quite made it to the photo/blogging stage. I’m feeling re-energized now and despite the overwhelming grayness of the day, it feels like spring. So, tasty, lemony goodness in muffin form is what I present to you today.IMG_9271What you need:

2 cups of brown rice flour

2 Tbsp coconut flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 Tbsp chia seeds

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 cup blueberries (or more if you’re feeling fruity)

3 Tbsp almond milk (add 1 Tbsp spoon at time if batter is too thick)

IMG_9263What to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix dry ingredients (chia seeds included here). Mix wet ingredients. Combine the two and add almond milk as needed to keep the dough from being too dry (it took me 2 Tbsp of almond milk). Add blueberries.IMG_9266Grease muffin tins or use muffin papers (muffin cups? I just realized I have no idea what those are officially called) and fill with muffin batter. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a knife or toothpick comes out cleanIMG_9274Please note in the background my new favsie mug. Tea and a muffin = perfect second breakfast.IMG_9272Eat and enjoy!IMG_9275

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Buckwheat, Chia, Berry Bowl. Delicious, Nutritious, and Pink!

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P1020992I just got back from Mexico, and it was amazing! I have so many recipe ideas that I can’t wait to play around with. BUT, first I have to get over the wee bit of stomach irritation I came home with. I’m guessing it was ice cubes in the smoothies, but I also was eating way more spicy stuff (so much delicious spicy food to eat!) than usual…really, who knows. All I know is that everything tasted mighty fine, and I’d say a little rumble in my tumble was totally worth it. Anyway, you guys don’t want to hear about my stomach. WTH am I talking about?! So this morning I decided to start out with something relatively easy to digest, hearty, and tasty (and pink…I miss all the incredible color in Mexico).

This breakfast is super easy and quick to make, and again, it’s totally customizable. As long as you’ve got buckwheat groats, chia seeds, and some almond milk, add whatever fruit and sweetener you’ve got on hand.

P1020991What you need (serves 1):

1/3 cup buckwheat groats

2 Tbsp chia seeds

about 1/2 cup H20

1/3 cup almond milk

handful of fresh or frozen berries

1 Tbsp maple syrup

Mint leaves for garnish

P1020994To start, place buckwheat groats and water in a pot, bring to boil, and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes (groats will start to soften).

P1020995Add chia seeds, almond, milk, and berries, and cook over low heat for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add sweetener, and eat the sweet colorful goodness that’s in your bowl!

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Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Vegan and Gluten-free!) Say what?!

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Oatmeal, raisins, dark chocolate. There, that’s my post. It’s all you really need to know, and maybe all anybody really needs to know when it comes to cookies AND life.

Okay, that’s probably not true. Except the cookie part.

Anyway, today’s been one of those exceptionally grey Seattle days, a little bit drizzly, and absolutely no discernable patches of clear sky anywhere. I’ve been holed up working on school, and cookies suddenly seemed absolutely necessary. In times of such necessity, it’s best to just make the cookies.

These little delights are super easy, and through a combination of gluten-free all purpose flour, almond meal, and oatmeal, have the best texture; a little chewy on the inside, a little crispy on the outside, with lots of raisins and big dark chocolate chunks. I won’t lie, it’s taking most of my willpower not to eat about 10.

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Let’s make cookies! What you need:

1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

1.5 cups gluten-free oatmeal

1/2 cup almond meal

4 Tbsp chia seeds (2 combined into 6 Tbsp of rice or almond milk to form a gel, and 2 folded into batter)

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup coconut sugar

3/4 of a broken dark chocolate bar

1/2 cup raisins

3 Tbsp maple syrup

9 Tbsp rice, almond, or other non-dairy milk (6 for chia gel, the rest added to wet ingredients)

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch each of salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While chocolate bar is still wrapped, smash it to pieces with the bottom of jar. Very satisfying and keeping it wrapped prevents chocolate from flying everywhere. You can also use chocolate chips, I just didn’t have any.

In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. A note here about almond meal…you can buy pre-mealed almonds at Trader Joe’s or, if you have whole almonds, pulse them in a food processor or magic bullet until a crumbly flour is formed. Don’t go too far or you’ll make almond butter, which isn’t a bad thing, but not what you’re going for here. The conversion is 1:1 almonds:almond meal (or flour). Whisk together 2 Tbsp chia seeds and 6 Tbsp rice milk, let sit a few minutes until a gel is formed.

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In a separate bowl, combine sugar, oil, chia gel, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk together and add wet to dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate and raisins. Spoon onto parchment paper lined baking sheets, and bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Eat and be happy!

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Almond Coconut Date Chia Seed Pudding. YES.

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I’m a snacker. An every 2 hours snacker. If I don’t eat every 2 hours (maybe a slight exaggeration, but not that far off), I can get “hangry” and weak, and that’s a bad feeling. To fend off hangriness and keep myself going strong, I’m on a lifelong quest to find and make a multitude of healthy, delicious, and easy snacks to keep me going throughout the day. And luckily for me, I just got my new bulk bag of chia seeds, which led to this tasty little dish.

Pudding can be a hard texture for me to like, but I love chia gel, especially when it’s combined with my go-to MVP players, coconut and almond. Dates add a delicate sweetness, and vanilla rounds things out. Even better, it’s just about this simplest recipe ever and takes all of 5 minutes to make plenty.

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What you need:

2 cups of almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup chia seeds

5 dates, chopped

1/2 cup of unsweetened, shredded coconut

handful of almonds

apple slices and cinnamon for garnish

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In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (except garnish) and whisk. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until chia seeds have expanded and the gel is set. Spoon into bowls and garnish with apple and a dash of cinnamon. Eat and be happy, avoid hanger. Keeps in an airtight container in refrigerator for 3-4 days, though at my house, this doesn’t last long.

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Coco Almond Power Buddies (Vegan and Gluten-free)

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Life has been busy of late, and I find that if I don’t make myself a big batch of food to get me through the week, I wear out pretty quickly.  Today, while getting ready for a long week of work and school I had a hankering (that’s right, I said a hankering) for something kinda chocolately, kinda coconutty, kinda sweet, and really energizing. Hence, power buddies were born. They don’t look like much, but they more than meet all the requirements and taste delicious with a subtle sweetness. I’d say they’re less cookie, and more new and improved energy bar. Or energy lump.

Makes about 20 buddies.

1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

3/4 cup raw crunchy almond butter

4 Tbsp chia seeds (2 of which will be mixed with 6 Tbsp water to form a gel, the other 2 sprinkled in separately)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut sugar (or you could use maple syrup here, which would be absolutely delicious)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp cacao powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With an electric mixer (or an extremely powerful wrist), mix coconut oil and sugar, and beat in chia gel, almond butter, and vanilla. Sift together all dry ingredients, and add dry to wet and continue stirring or beating on low speed.

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When completely mixed, spoon batter onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and bake for 10-15 min. Eat!

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