(Makes 12-16 squares)

Ingredients For Oat Base  

1.5 cups regular oats

1 cup whole-grain Kamut flour (or mix of white and whole wheat)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup Sucanat sugar (or brown sugar)

1 chia egg (1 tbsp chia seeds+ 4 tbsp warm water, mixed)

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Earth Balance, melted

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 tbsp almond milk

1 tbsp sesame seeds (for topping only)

For Strawberry Jam

2 & 1/4 cups chopped strawberries, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces OR approx 1 cup pre-made jam

3-4tbsp sugar, to taste

1 tbsp chia seeds

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a square pan (I used a 9×9) with parchment paper and oil the sides of the pan and base. In a medium sized pot, add the chopped strawberries and sugar. Heat over low until the strawberries begin to sweat and it gets a bit watery. Once it heats down a bit, add in the chia seeds, and stir well. Bring to a boil and then simmer over low to medium heat for at least 10 minutes. Once it has thickened a bit, remove from heat and cool for 5-10 mins. You may also add arrowroot powder to thicken it up more if desired, but I didn't have any.

2. In a small bowl, mix the chia or flax egg and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix the oat base dry ingredients: oats, flour, Sucanat/brown sugar, baking soda, salt. In a small bowl, mix the melted earth balance, maple syrup, almond milk, and chia egg. Stir well.

4. Add the wet mixture (reserving 1/2 cup of the mixture) to the dry and mix well, using hands if necessary. Pour the oat mixture onto the square pan and press down with fingers. Use a pastry roller to smooth out if desired. Pour on strawberry mixture and smooth out.

5. Now sprinkle on the reserved 1/2 cup oat mixture and sprinkle on. Now sprinkle on 1 tbsp of sesame seeds or coconut.

6. Bake at 350F for approximately 30 minutes. Allow to fully cool for at least 30-40 minutes before gently removing from pan. Slice and then store in a container in the fridge to keep firm.

Recipe and photo credit to Angela Liddon, founder of the blog Oh She Glows.

Description: This rib-sticking chili offers a hearty mix of wheat berries, beans, peppers and onion. Feel free to add an additional chipotle pepper to crank up the heat in this one-pot meal. Cooked wheat berries will keep for up to 1 month in your freezer and there's no need to thaw them; just stir them directly into the chili.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 large yellow bell pepper,chopped

 5 cloves garlic, minced

 2 tsp chili powder      

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

 1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed

2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (see Tip)

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tsp light brown sugar

2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries, (recipe follows)

Juice of 1 lime

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation: Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.

Recipe and photo credit to Eating Well Magazine.