Food Recipes

Healthy Flax and sesame- varied bars with EFA’s and other nutrients

What you need :

-2 cups of either flax seeds and sesame seeds

-¼  to 1/3 cup of molasses (great for nutritional content) Or  Honey. I do a mix of each for the combo mix of each great properties

-cocoa powder- optional

-carob powder- optional

-cocoa nibs- fresh ground yourself- by coffee grinder  Note: all powders use to your taste start with ¼ cup.

-Add spices: for example cinnamon, clove, ginger, mint etc. Start small and taste to see what your preference is. Lindsey- beware of cinnamon- use in only small amounts!

-Can add dried fruit like lyceum berries, goji berries, blueberries, pineapple chunks, etc. Start with ¼ cup it looks small but can overwhelm quickly.

First decide whether you want roasted nuts and seeds or not (some think it is easier to digest if lightly roasted)

If you want them roasted- get baking pan and cover bottom with a decent layer of seeds and nuts until all is covered, turn oven up to 425 and watch 1-2 minutes should be either ready to stir around- if you hear light popping stir around for a few more second about 20 or and pull out of oven (Note: sesame seeds do not pop- so watch them more carefully. Flax pop but can be quiet)

Steps- you will need at least 1 cup of each seed or nut mix- depending on your preference and what you have on hand.

-          Put into a flat bottomed – preferably glass surface like Pyrex baking dish the size will determine the amount of seeds you will need.

-          If you toasted you seeds you have a pile so load it into the baking dish.

-          -If you did not want to toast that’s fine its tasty an you have a few other choices- you can bake the entire dish on 325 for about 10-20 minutes if you want to crisp it up at the end- if not it is delicious as is

-          – Take your cups of seeds and decide if you want to lightly grind 1 cup of seeds- you can do this in anything from a coffee grinder, blender etc. it only needs a few seconds if you do it too much it will be come clumpy and turn to too much powder.

-          -If you want to just make it with whole seeds take measured amount and go on to next step

-          Next steps:

-          Put all powdered ingredient of choice and preference- or your own creative intuitive addition, into the Pyrex container, grab two long big spoons- for eating- and mix all powdered ingredients together.

-          At this time if you want to add all dried fruit or berried do so and disperse- save a handful for attractive color on top- fruit is optional.

-          Warm up the honey and molasses according on below medium, Do not let boil and stir often to prevent burning the bottom- heat it up till it gets runny and easy moves about.

-          Slowly pour honey, molasses etc over the powdered ingredient, doing it slowly and taking a moment to stir all in with the spoons. It will start to get sticky and soon you will run out of your honey mix. You may still have powder and it probably looks like you need more honey mix- You do NOT- either keep stirring and incorporating or you can wash your hands make sure clean. Then get them all dirty and gooey by mixing it all together manually! You will be covered with stuff go scrub off!

-          -Now take spoons or something else with a flattish area and start pressing down on your mix forming a flattened area, pour rest of the dried fruit- on top as decorating finish and aesthetic appeal- its yummy too! optional.

-          Let sit for a few minutes and it compacts forming bars- if you wait overnight them have better consistency.

Enjoy!

By Jamie lynn Thomas CCH, CN