Road food, simple, delicious no-cook low-carb breakfasts

Breakfast-on-the-road real time, in the camper van. That's my favorite flaxseed and ground almond cereal with fresh blueberries and raspberries and a handful of freeze-dried strawberries topped by a generous splash of hemp milk. PK chose the flax granola atop plain yogurt with berries. Recipes below. 

We're on the road for a couple weeks, traveling Highway 1 along California's spectacular coast,  and then perhaps heading to Death Valley to witness a predicted "super bloom".  It's so great to be back to ordinary life after my (our) involuntary descent into cancer hell.  I am grateful that the fearful episode appears to be closed, at least for now. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?

Our current  trip is a consolation prize for having had  to cancel an adventure to Ecuador due to my joining the Cancer Club in late December. 

You may know how it is when an ugly unexpected crisis prompts a  life reset. What's really important, and what can I let slide?  Do I really want to cook breakfasts on the road? Or even at home, except for special occasions? I decided before this little excursion that I prefer no-muss, no fuss, and turned to two tried and true on-the-move options. The breakfast treats featured here  are make-ahead treats that, consumed with berries, are delicious, and meet my new standards: they have health-promoting and cancer-defeating properties. Not at all like the corn flakes or cocoa puffs or bran pellets or other slurried-and-extruded-in-the factory breakfast shapes with added chemicals and vitamins that most of us gobbled in childhood.

•  

  Flax granola has been a favorite in ours house for at least a decade.  It's not low calorie but is definitely low-carb, and it tastes fabulous.  It isn't the kind of granola you pour into a bowl and eat like cereal. It's more like a topping for yogurt and fruit, and is also great atop a substantial smoothie. Not bad as a snack, either. 

Flax Granola - (sans oatmeal)

Adapted from Dana Carpender’s Every Calorie Counts cookbook 

This granola is high in fiber, protein, and healthy fat, but low in carbs. It is great with fruit and yogurt, sprinkled atop cottage cheese, or eaten alone as a crunchy snack. It has scads of ingredients, which require about 15 minutes to prep and assemble. Baking takes a couple hours. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Ingredients

2 cups ground flax seed meal 

1/2 cup oat bran

3/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder

1/2 c Splenda or other sweetener (I skip this)

1/2 cup sesame seeds

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tsp, cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted 

1/3 cup real maple syrup (or sugar-free pancake syrup for lower-cal, lower-carb.) 

1/4 cup water

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, roasted (or not. Doesn’t seem to matter.)

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup dried cranberries (add last, do not bake), Optional (dried cranberries add carbs)

Preheat oven to 250 Fahrenheit

Here's the first 10 or 11 (if using Splenda) ingredients baked into a crunchy
sheet to break into pieces and bake again with nuts and seeds, in the bowl.

Instructions

• In large bowl combine flax meal, oat bran, protein powder, Splenda, if using, sesame seeds, coconut, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
• Melt the coconut oil and stir together with the syrup and water. Pour this mixture over the stuff in the mixing bowl and combine until it’s evenly dampened.
• Spray a jelly roll pan with cooking spray or melted coconut oil, and turn the flax mixture into it. Press it into an even layer. Bake for an hour at 250 degrees F.
• Pull from oven, and after loosening with a spatula, break the mixture into bite-sized clumps. Then stir the nuts and seeds with the clumps. Return the whole thing to the oven  for another 60 minutes, stirring once or twice, It should be lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool. Store in a tightly lidded container in a cool place.

Flax and Almond Hot Cereal

From Dana Carpender's 500 Low-Carb Recipes 

Did you once love cooked oatmeal and cinnamon? Try this. It actually tastes better, and contains lots of protein and healthy fat. 

Ingredients

1 cup ground flaxseeds 

1 cup ground almonds (I use my Cuisinart. Any food processor will do. It's noisy but effective.)

1/2 cup oat bran

1 1/2 cups wheat bran

1/2 cup vanilla flavored whey protein powder (this adds a touch of sweetness as well as protein)

2 tsp cinnamon

Flaxseed meal is readily available for purchase. Ground almonds? Not so much, although almond flour seems ubiquitous. I grind whole almonds coarsely then roast at a low temperature (275) until fragrant and starting to get a tan, about 20 minutes. 

I usually double the recipe to save time later. The mix stays fresh refrigerated.

I LOVE this stuff.

Here it is, in all its simple glory: flaxseed meal, oat and wheat brans, whey protein powder, and, in the food processor, ground almonds ready to be roasted.

Directions

After grinding and roasting the almonds, mix all ingredients and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

To prepare -  see if you can handle this work load: 

Boil a cup of water, add as needed to 1/3 to 3/4 cup dry cereal mix. Wait a couple minutes to see if you want to add more hot water. Add your liquid of choice -  cream, almond, coconut or other "milks"  and berries sweetened, perhaps, with stevia, maple syrup or honey. 

NOTE:  Start your day on the road (or at home) with the simple breakfasts above, but think also about preparing easy camping (or everyday) dinners in advance. A post coming soon about what we carry in our tiny freezer that translates into quick and easy on-the-move dinners. And also! Something good from an e-ffing box!