Seed "Bread"

With all the classes I teach being exactly during meal times, I've been loving having food that is easy to transport and eat, but also nutrient packed and filling.  The life-changing loaf of bread was a real win, so I was excited when I found a similar bread on Oh She Glows recently that actually looked even easier to make.

This "bread" is baked in an 8x8 pan and then cut into triangles.  It is super dense and packed with four different types of seeds, oats, and spices.  It is not anything like yeast bread, but I'm not really sure what to call it besides bread.  It's also not like a cracker... So, I'll just call it "bread" and then not worry too much about it!

I was super impressed by this bread and have been loving it.  Unfortunately, Mark did not like it at all!  I guess that goes to show that we are not the same person.  haha!  We are similar in a lot of ways so it always surprises me when we are completely opposite on something.  I think this bread has tons of flavor, so I haven't been eating it with anything on it.  The oregano and thyme in it remind me vaguely of pizza.

This seed bread really is dense.  Each triangle slice has about 200 calories, 13 grams of fat (from those seeds!), 9 grams of protein, and 7 grams of fiber.  I  keep it in the freezer and take out a slice on the days that I'm teaching.  It defrosts in a couple of hours.  It makes the perfect small meal with some cut up veggies and fruit.  

If this bread sounds like your thing you should give it a try.  Let me know if you like it!

Seed "Bread"
*If you use certified gluten-free oats, this bread is gluten-free

yield: 8 slices

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 tablespoons chia seeds
• 3 tablespoons flax seeds (whole)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (roasted or raw)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (roasted or raw)
• 3/4 cup oats, ground into a flour in a blender or food processor
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup water
• black pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 325F and line an 8x8 pan with foil or parchment paper.  Spray with cooking spray.

2) In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except water.

3)  Pour water over mixture and stir to combine.  Within 2 minutes most of the water will get absorbed by those chia seeds!

4)  Transfer to the prepared baking dish.  Spread it out and press it down with a spatula so it is in one even layer.  Sprinkle with a bit of black pepper, more salt, and/or any other spices you like that you think would taste good.

5)  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

6)  Remove from the oven and lift up the foil to remove the bread.  Cut into 8 triangles.  Transfer the triangles to a baking sheet. Flip the triangles over so the side that was originally on the bottom of the pan is now on the top.  Return to the oven to bake for another 5-10 minutes until edges are slightly crispy.

7)  Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.  Store any pieces you won't eat within a day in the freezer and defrost at room temperature or reheat in the toaster (slices will be crispier that way) if desired.

(recipe adapted from Oh She Glows)