protein party

this bowl is packed full of protein for your muscles! it has banana, nut butter, goji berries, coconut, and cacao nibs. it's terrific for after a workout, or whenever you want a filling, super healthy snack or meal.

i believe the perfect post-workout food is a green smoothie (greens, fruit and water/nut milk) with hemp seeds or some other high-protein food added. That being said, you need a variety of protein in your diet, just as you need a variety of all foods so you can get the most out of the nutritional landscape surrounding us.

after my workout today (and said green hemp smoothie) i did a few things around the house and on the computer but then started to get hungry again. i decided to make a healthier version of oatmeal. NOT that oatmeal isn't healthy. i've always loved it, personally. but i try to keep gluten out of my diet when i can, and use the most nutritious whole grains possible. thus, my "oatmeal" today had millet quinoa.

or maybe couscous... honestly i can't tell the difference because i don't use grains that much and the jar wasn't labelled. but you get the point. when i first got into raw food i was a whole lot stricter than i am now. i realize i can't eat 100% raw all the time and i am now quite comfortable with that reality. i also believe that eating mostly raw with some lightly cooked veggies and whole grains is probably more ideal for my body than eating all raw.

many hard core raw foodists suffer omega-3 deficiencies after some time, but whole grains such as quinoa, millet, barley, couscous, etc. are rich in omega-3's (as well as other vital nutrients that can be in short supply in a raw food diet). read this book for more info on this topic. another option is to simply sprout these grains instead of cooking them. in any case - my health is my primary concern, not the percentage of raw food i eat. so go couscous! ... or millet. i dunno (nope, apparently it was quinoa. thank you, knowledgeable readers.)

whole grain protein bowl: serves one

1/3 cup whole grains (like millet, couscous, quinoa, oat groats, etc.) cooked in 2/3 cup water
1 sliced banana
1 tablespoon nut butter
1 tablespoon raw sweetener (or throw in some dates or raisins)
2 tablespoons dried goji berries
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
3 tablespoons dried coconut chunks 

throw it all together and eat it up! 

"Instant" Steel-Cut Oats!

Steel cut oats are incredibly nutritious, and make the most satisfying cereal. But, they take a little long to cook, and for many of us, we need quicker fixes in the morning. The trick to making these oats quickly is to first grind the oats in a blender. The oats become more like a porridge, similar to the “cream of wheat” I remember from childhood, and cook in a mere five minutes! (Plus, children that might be fussy about the texture of the steel cut oats in whole form should love this.)  Now, you can have your morning steel cut oats… in - well - almost an instant!

3/4 cup steel cut oats flour (see note)
2 cups water
pinch salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
few pinches freshly grated nutmeg (if desired)
4-6 tbsp vanilla non-dairy milk for serving (plus more for serving if desired, see note)

In a saucepan, combine oats, water, and salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg over medium heat. Whisk almost continuously, while mixture starts to come to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium-low as it is thickening and starting to bubble. Once thickened, add non-dairy milk and whisk in. Serve oatmeal immediately, topping with another drizzle of non-dairy milk (as oatmeal will thicken more as it sits), and adding chopped fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruit, and/or a sprinkle of unrefined sugar (see note on coconut sugar) or drizzle of maple syrup if desired.  Serves 2-3.

Note: Place steel cut oats in a blender and puree until you have a flour-like consistency. I usually do this in batches of about 2-3 cups, and store the extra ‘flour’ in a container for quick use in cookies and this porridge.

Note: If using a vanilla non-dairy milk, it will add extra sweetness and a light vanilla flavor to this oatmeal. Feel free to sweeten more to taste with a sprinkling of unrefined sugar, or a drizzle of agave nectar or pure maple syrup.


Note: If, like me, you have memories of oatmeal or cream of wheat topped with brown sugar, try coconut sugar. It has a caramel-like flavor and color, and while it's not in the oatmeal photo, it really is delicious sprinkled on top!

Recipe copyright Dreena Burton 2010.