If you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a fan of hearty baked goods. . .
. . . particularly when they are packed with. . .
. . . beautiful spices. . .
. . . whole food nutrition. . .
. . . and tons of busy-day-sustaining-protein! So. Good.
Gluten Free Vegan Breakfast Toast
Adapted from here
Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free)
3/4 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup dried cherries
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pepitas
1/2 cup whole flax seeds
1/3 cup psyllium husks (don't skip this- it holds the loaf together)
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cardamom
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
While this loaf takes a bit of advance notice, the actual time spent on its preparation is next to nothing.
Roughly chop the cashews, pepitas and cherries. Pour all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until all of the moisture has been absorbed.
Line an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of extra paper on the sides (these will act as handles to help you lift your loaf out of the pan). Oil the ends of the pan that are not lined with parchment, and pour the mixture in. The pan will be quite full (I used a slightly larger pan, so my loaf was a thinner).
Press the mixture in the pan so that it is quite compact. Push any fruit that is visible from the top down into the loaf as these bits tend to burn faster than the rest of the loaf.
Cover and let the loaf sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight, whatever timing works with your schedule.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Before baking allow to sit on the counter for an hour or so to bring back to room temperature. Then, bake for an hour and a half or until an instant read thermometer shows and internal temperature of 190°F. Check often during the last half hour and tent with foil if the top begins to get too brown (it should be a nice deep golden).
When the internal temperature reads 190°F remove the loaf from the pan by using the parchment paper wings (insert a knife along the ends first to make sure they are loose) and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. If you don't let it cool it will be gummy in the center.
Slice in thin slices and toast for the perfect granola-meets-bread-wholefood-goodness!
Keeps for 5 days on the counter and freezes well. Make sure to slice before freezing.
Happy eating!
~ Sarah
*Last time in Recipes: 10 Warm Winter Soups
