Amazing everything bars

Every time I go to the grocery store, I want to stock up on different flavors of granola bars, energy bars, breakfast bars…and then I remind myself that I can just make them myself. These bars are so good, you won’t believe they came out of your kitchen. They’re most like Clif bars, but immensely more tasty.

Plus, you can experiment and mix and match with the flavors and ingredients. You can try different fruits, spices, nuts, or probably different types of wheat. Once I made these with orange juice instead of milk. Another time I threw in a smashed banana just for fun. I’m pretty sure these are hard to destroy.

This recipe is my version of something originally found on about.com that tasted much more boring. You’ll probably have to buy some ingredients that you’ve never bought before, but I’m convinced it’s more economical in the long run to make your own bars instead of the pre-packaged ones!

 

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13×9 inch pan. (or just line the pan with baking parchment so it won’t get stuck)

2) In a medium bowl, combine and blend well the following. Let set 5 minutes.

1 cup bran flakes cereal

1/4 cup wheat bran

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 1/2 tsp finely grated orange peel

1 cup of chopped, mixed dried fruit (I like to use cranberries, apples, blueberries)

1/2 cup chopped nuts

2 tbsp flax seeds

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup milk (I use soy)

2/3 cup applesauce 

1/2 cup honey (or more if you want them sweeter)

1 tsp vanilla

3) In large bowl, stir together:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose white flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

4) Stir in the wet mixture into the dry and mix until all ingredients are combined. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Cool and slice into 20 bars. Keep in an airtight container.

*Wrap them individually and bag for freezing, because they will get dry tasting after a day or so. Thaw on the counter overnight or 15-20 seconds in a microwave.*

Let me know what you think!

Thai noodle salad with tofu

I love Asian food, and the best way for me to eat good Asian food is to cook it myself. This recipe from Cooking Light Magazine has turned out to be one of my favorites. It’s so much more complex and delicious than anything you can find at a restaurant here! It’s crazy good. It takes a little while to marinate the tofu, so it’s not a quick dish, but it’s worth making a huge batch. I actually enjoyed it as a cold leftover even more than the hot, freshly cooked version.

1) Prepare a pack of tofu (about 3/4 pound) by cutting it into slices and squeezing out liquid. Place tofu between paper towels and put a heavy object on top for a half hour until paper towels are totally soaked. Throw out the paper towels and cut up the tofu into cubes, about 3/4 inch in size.

2) Combine ingredients to make marinade. Add tofu and marinade into a sealed bag or container. Marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, turning occasionally:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

up to 1 tablespoon of chili garlic sauce (I used just 1/4 tbsp of Sriracha chili sauce and it was plenty hot for my weak American tastebuds)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or less for less spice)

2 minced garlic cloves

3) While tofu marinates, prepare 3/4 pound uncooked rice vermicelli noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water and set noodles aside.

4) Prepare dressing in a small bowl:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (only if you love spicy! otherwise just do about a half tablespoon)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons fresh peeled grated ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt (I left this out)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

5) Heat a skillet and add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add tofu without marinade. Discard marinade. Saute tofu for 5 minutes until browned. Remove from heat.

6) In a large bowl, combine vermicelli, 2 cups thinly sliced lettuce or cabbage or slaw, 1 cup shredded carrots, 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, and dressing together. Toss well. Top with tofu.

Makes about 6 servings. Enjoy!

Healthy happy banana bread

 

I finally have time to cook and bake and share the things that I find tastiest. I’ll try to post a success story weekly!

For years I’ve been tweaking banana bread recipes to include more fruit and healthy things. I love using wheat flour instead of white, yogurt and applesauce instead of butter, and oatmeal for texture. The final product combines all of these ingredients. If you come up with other substitutions, please share them with me!

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl:

1 1/2 cup wheat flour (or a combination of white and wheat flours)

1/2 cup quick oats

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 tablespoon of flax seed (optional, but super healthy)

3) Combine wet ingredients in medium bowl:

2 smashed ripe bananas

1 egg

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (or a bit less of milk/soymilk)

3/4 cup sugar (could probably substitute with a bit less honey)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

4) Slowly add wet ingredients into the dry

5) Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (walnuts are best!)

6) Sprinkle oats on top to make it pretty

7) Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry from the middle. Let cool and enjoy!