Strawberry Oat Squares

Before you say anything,no,it's not the oat squares you buy from the supermarket.

I have always pictured oats as something like plain cereal with absolutely no taste,but this recipe changed my perspective.

These oat squares are well-suited for a light snack,when your teeth "hunger" for food and you want a little something in your stomach.

Before we get started,here's a question to ponder on:

How far of an extent does going vegan benefit your body?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Ingredients(for 12-16 squares):

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(butter spread), melted
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds/shredded coconut (for topping only)

For Strawberry Jam:

• 2 & 1/4 cups chopped strawberries, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces/approx. 1 cup pre-made jam
• 3-4 tbsp sugar, to taste
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Time to cook!

Step 1:Preheat oven to 350F(176.67C). Line a square pan (preferably a 9 x 9) with parchment paper and oil the sides of the pan and base. In a medium sized pot, add the chopped strawberries and sugar.

Step 2:Heat the pot 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.

Step 3:Bring the pot to a boil and then simmer over low to medium heat for at least 10 minutes.(Here you may choose to add arrowroot powder to thicken up the mixture more) Once it has thickened a bit, remove from heat and cool for 5-10 minutes.

Step 4:In a large bowl, mix the oat base dry ingredients: oats, flour, Sucanat/brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and in a small bowl, mix the melted earth balance, maple syrup, almond milk, and chia egg.Stir each mixture well.

Step 5:Pour the mixture in the small bowl,while retaining 1/2 cup of the mixture,into the large bowl mixture,using your hands if necessary.

Step 6:Pour the mixture made from step 5 onto the square pan and press down the mixture with your fingers(you may choose to use a pastry roller to smooth it out).Pour the strawberry mixture(the medium sized pot) next and smooth it out.

Step 7:Sprinkle the retained 1/2 cup of mixture onto the square pan,followed by the 1tbs of sesame seeds or shredded coconut.

Step 8:Bake the square pan mixture in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes.After which,allow it to fully cool for 30-40 minutes before gently removing it from the pan

Step 9:Slice up the baked mixture and store it in a container in the fridge to keep firm,or just eat it straight away!

Credits go to ohsheglows.com

Source:http://ohsheglows.com/recipage/?recipe_id=6001725

-Brandon