Banana Oat Granola Bars

These granola bars are fat-free, sugar-free (unless you add chocolate chips), egg-free and gluten-free. They are surprisingly delicious for such a healthy treat.


Preheat oven to 350 F
Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.

Mash 3 large bananas or the number of bananas to equal 1-1/2 cups. It does not matter if you add a little extra mashed banana

Add 2 cups of large flake rolled oats

Add 2-1/2 cups of a combination of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, trail mix. We used a bag of trail mix, some hulled hemp seeds, roasted and ground flaxseed, and a handful of chocolate chips.

Add some flavouring and 1/2 tsp of salt. You can flavour with 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon or a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract.

Mix everything together well and spread ingredients evenly in the baking pan.

Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and cut in squares.  (32 squares)

Nutrients for 1/32 of recipe

Very Nutritious Multigrain Waffles

We bought a small, inexpensive waffle maker at a recent Boxing Day sale. I am not a huge waffle fan but daughter #1 told me about alternate uses of this appliance so a $20 expenditure seemed worthwhile for some experimentation. The first recipe I tried was a super healthy, low fat concoction that tasted, well...very healthy. I tweaked the recipe and made it again today and was happier with the outcome. The nutrient profile is amazing!!

1. Assemble wet ingredients:

• Beat one egg with beaters until frothy, OR, if you want to take the time, separate the yolk and egg white. Beat the egg white in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Beat the yolk in the bowl you will use for liquid ingredients.
• Add 1-3/4 cups of milk. I used plain, unsweetened soy milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or the equivalent amount of mashed banana (replaces fat)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla or almond flavouring if desired

Let this sit for at least 5 minutes until the chia seeds swell.

2. Assemble dry ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 rolled oats
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
• seasoning of choice- I used 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. If you want a savoury waffle you could add rosemary, parsley, or anything else that sparks your imagination

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix together. Fold in the beaten egg white if you separated the egg. 

Add batter to a preheated waffle maker according to the manufacturer's directions. I used medium heat and each waffle took 5 minutes to cook.

Serve with a topping of your choice. I used apple butter and some Greek yogurt and then tried a falafel sandwich with sprouts and tahini dressing. (see next post)

My waffle maker holds about 3/4 cup of batter and the recipe made 5 large waffles. The nutritional facts are for 1/5 of the recipe using soy milk. The waffles freeze well once they are cooled. Reheat in toaster oven or microwave.

Our Favourite Sourdough Bread Recipe

2017

2024- the starter is 10 years old now, more practice- it just gets better...

My sourdough starter is a mature 3 years old and I have tried several bread recipes. This is our favourite and I bake 2 loaves a week. The entire process takes about 18 hours depending on the room temperature. It is possible to speed up or slow down the rising time by using a slightly warm oven or by letting the dough rise in the fridge. (slow!) The recipe is versatile and the bread is moist, slices easily and resists mould due to the acidity. 

Basic recipe: 

3/4 cup of starter, 1-1/4 cups water, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 3 cups of flour

I use a combination of flour types and like to add flax seeds and hemp seeds. The baking soda helps neutralize some acidity, but you can use 1-1/2 tsp salt with fresh starter and skip the baking soda. Sometimes I add 1/2 tsp instant yeast to speed up the rising process.

I generally use 2/3 whole-grain flour and 1/3 unbleached white flour for the bread. 

The total amount of flour needed depends on several factors that are beyond my control such as humidity. After making the bread a few times, it becomes easier to know when you have enough added flour. It is not necessary to knead the bread for 10 minutes as the sourdough starter does that work in the extended rising period.

Put the dough in an oiled, covered container and leave it for 8-12 hours.  After the first rise, I place the punched-down dough on parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, coat the dough in flour for the second rise. 

The second rise is faster and takes 2-4 hours depending on the room temperature. I use a 1.5-litre cast iron pot with a lid for baking. You really can use any pot you want as long as it has a lid. The bread is less crusty in a lighter pot. Slash the top of the dough before baking.

Heat the pot in a 450 F oven for 30 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper and dough and place it in the pot. Put the lid on. The bread is basically steaming for the first 15 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 15 minutes of baking time. Lately, I have started baking the bread at 425 F for 18 minutes with the lid on and 18 minutes with the lid off. 

I have made this bread with 100% white flour and it rises higher due to larger air bubbles in the dough. I would recommend slashing the top of the dough with a sharp knife in a couple of places if you use predominately white flour. This allows some of the air out so the bread is not too "holey".

Looking after the starter:

• Feed the starter before each use and let it ferment. Feed weekly if you do not use it for baking.
• Take the starter out of the fridge, feed it and it will bubble in a few hours
• The starter may separate with greyish water on top. Stir it up before using it and feedinging
• If you don't use the starter in a week, discard some of it and add fresh flour and water (1/4 c flour and 1/4 cup water at minimum)
• Occasionally, the starter may get too sour. I use a clean jar, add 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water and a couple of tablespoons of the sour starter to start a fresher sponge.
• Keep in mind that sourdough starter has been used to make bread for millennia. It is quite resilient and you do not need to be scientific about its care. Breadmaking is more art than science. 

Hot Cross Sourdough Loaves

I have kept a healthy jar of sourdough made with just flour and water for almost 2 years now. It needs to be fed weekly so I make sourdough flatbreads, injera with teff flour, or whole wheat sourdough loaves on the weekend.

In the beginning it took two weeks of daily feeding and fermentation to develop the natural yeast so that it could be used for bread. I followed S. John Ross' instructions on this page and use his recipe for my bread. Natural yeasts take longer to rise but the fermentation provides a number of health benefits including a lower glycemic index, a break down of starches and gluten, and the presence of beneficial bacteria. Due to its acetic acid content, it is resistant to developing mould.

This weekend I planned to make hot cross buns but the dough was slow to rise due to cool temperatures overnight. In a rush this morning, I made 2 loaves instead and the results were even more gratifying than expected. I read a few recipes for hot cross buns using instant yeast and modified my standby sourdough bread method.

Ingredients and method for 1 loaf:

• 2 cups developed sourdough sponge (1:1 water and flour with 1/4-1/2 cup starter from jar)
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• you could add 1/4 cup powdered milk if desired. I added 2 tablespoons of 10% cream.

Mix these ingredients together until well blended. Gradually add

• 3 cups Graham flour (or white/whole wheat blend)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon or powdered chai spice- mix the spices in 1 cup of the flour

The amount of flour is approximate and can vary from week to week. Add flour until you can knead an elastic ball of dough that is not sticky. You don't want to add too much flour either so add it gradually at the end. 

Flatten the kneaded dough into a rectangle and sprinkle it with 

• 3/4 cup of raisins, craisins, candied peel or whatever you want. You can add some grated orange or lemon rind for extra flavour. Fold the dough up and knead until the fruit is distributed evenly.

At this point I let the bread rise overnight in my wok that has a lid. Today it did not rise well because it was cold so I turned the oven on briefly to100 F and put the wok in for a couple of hours. Do not leave the oven on. 

When the dough has risen to at least double, knead it down and form into a loaf. Place in greased loaf pan and cover with a tea towel while the the dough rises again.  This rise usually takes less time.

When the dough has doubled again you can make the cross. 

• Combine 1 tablespoon white flour with 1 tablespoon water and pipe the shape of a cross on the top of the loaf. I put the mixture in a sandwich bag and cut the corner off to squeeze it out in a controlled way. 

Place loaf in oven and set to 350 F. (I do not preheat the oven) Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and place on a rack. Brush the top of the loaf with some warmed honey. 

Let the bread cool and enjoy!

I used Graham flour and Mangal tea masala for the spice

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Costco stopped carrying the 10 inch whole wheat flour tortillas we like and I find most store-bought flour tortillas heavy and very filling. I adapted this recipe from a couple I saw online and substituted 1/4 cup of the whole wheat flour with wheat gluten. It makes the dough so much easier to handle. This made 12- 6 inch tortillas that were very delicious and easy to fold and roll.

1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat gluten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix dry ingredients together and add

2/3 cup water
4 tablespoons oil

Stir together, roll into a ball and knead for a couple of minutes until dough is well mixed and smooth. Cut into 12 equal pieces and roll each section into a ball. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel while you work so the dough does not dry out. I used my tortilla press to flatten the dough and then rolled each circle as thin as possible with a rolling pin on a floured board. This is where the wheat gluten helps keep the dough from breaking apart.

Heat a frying pan (no oil) and cook one tortilla at a time. Turn the tortilla when the surface starts to bubble. Each tortilla should cook in about minute once the pan is hot enough. Keep tortillas covered  in a bowl with a tea cloth or lid to keep them soft.

Variation: (double amount)

Pour 1-1/3 c boiling water over 1/2 cup wholegrain cornmeal (like Uncle Bob's). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Add 8 tbsp oil and mix well.

Measure

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat gluten
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt

Add to cornmeal mixture and mix together. Knead dough for a couple of minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide into 16-20 balls and roll into thin circles with rolling pin. This dough is very easy to work with and cooks quickly because it is warm. Cook as described above in an ungreased frying pan.

Corn Tortillas

I have made some pretty awful corn tortillas with masa flour in the past. Our daughter brought me a tortilla press from Mexico this summer and taught me how to use it. When I was in California I tasted delicious corn tortillas that were made with a little wheat gluten. They were very flexible and easy to handle when making tacos. I added some gluten to the masa flour when I made tortillas today and they were every bit as good as the ones we had in California.

1-3/4 cups masa flour
1/4 cup wheat gluten or white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together in a large bowl and add

2 cups very hot water (I let boiled water cool for a couple of minutes)
Stir until combined adding a little more water if necessary to get the ingredients to stick together in a dough you can shape into balls.

Divide into 16 balls and cover with a towel to keep the dough from drying out.

Flatten each ball in a tortilla press or by pressing it with a round plate. Place each tortilla on an ungreased hot skillet and cook until brown spots form and the tortilla puffs up. Place warm tortillas in a clean tea towel or tortilla cover.

You can freeze these in an air tight bag and heat them in a moistened tea towel in the microwave.

Granola

Mom used to make granola for me in the 1970's. I would take a jar of it back to the one room I lived in when I went to university. I have never made it myself but my daughter was making some today so I looked up a recipe, modified it and made this batch. I have one complaint about it...
It is too good, and rather addictive.
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon or less salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup walnuts
1/4 cup coarsely ground or whole flaxseeds (optional)
1/3-1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit
(Add 1 to 1-1/3 cups of nuts/dried fruit of your choice to 2 cups of oats)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.
In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cinnamon and salt.
In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.
Pour the mixture over the oats and flaxseed mixture and and mix thoroughly until all grains are coated.
Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture.
Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the walnuts over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Bake for 5-10 minutes until nicely toasted, then remove from the oven. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the dried fruit over the granola.

August 2012

I experimented with a yummy variation of this granola. Forget the cocoa krispie cereal!

Chocolate Granola

Add 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Use coconut oil 
Substitute 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses and agave syrup for the sweetener
Use dried cherries for the fruit

Quinoa Salad

This delicious salad can be made ahead and keeps for a couple of days in the fridge. Other grains such as couscous or rice could be substituted for the quinoa.

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed under hot water for 3 minutes and drained in a fine sieve
1-1/2 cups of water
Dash of salt

Rinse quinoa and put in pot with water and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7-10 minutes until grains are tender and water is absorbed. Put quinoa in a medium sized bowl.

Cut up finely and add available vegetables to quinoa such as:

celery
carrot
green onion
sweet peppers, red and/or green
seeded tomato
roasted mushrooms, zucchini, peppers
fresh cilantro

Add 1 tin cooked lentils (about 2 cups)

Mix together and add the juice of 1-2 fresh limes or lemons to the salad. Add a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil to the juice if desired.

Fruit Bars

This recipe was in our newspaper earlier this month and featured raspberries and peaches for the filling. I have modified the recipe and doubled the size. These bars are not sweet and make a good breakfast-on-the-run on a busy morning. Increase the sweetener if you prefer a bar that is more dessert-like. Experiment with different combinations of fruit in season.

Prepare 6 cups of fresh or frozen fruit. I used 2 cups each of strawberries, peaches and blueberries.

Combine fruit in a medium sauce pan with:
4 tbsp cornstarch
2/3 cup orange juice

Cook until filling is thickened. (I cooked the strawberries and peaches in some of the juice for a few minutes and then added the rest of the juice with the cornstarch and blueberries)

Mix together in a large bowl to make crumbs:
3 cups large flake rolled oats
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar ( I used 100% Splenda in the squares pictured above, but they do brown better with at least half sugar. You could also use honey or maple syrup)
1 cup soft butter

Reserve 1-1/4 cups of the crumbs in another dish
Add one egg to the remaining crumbs and press batter into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Spread thickened fruit on top and sprinkle with reserved crumbs.

Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until filling is bubbly. Cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

Turkey Stuffing

Picture by The Becka

My family always made dry stuffing with stale bread cubes, chopped onion and poultry seasoning. My husband's family made a moist dressing in a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch way. Our children love this dressing, even the one who will not eat turkey. We cooked a small 10 pound turkey this Thanksgiving and this amount of dressing fit it perfectly. This recipe is one that you create and adjust as you go along. Here is an approximate method.

8 slices stale bread, cubed (I use whole wheat bread)
Poultry seasoning
1 diced onion
1 egg
1 cup broth
Milk
1 tbsp oil

Dice bread in small squares and sprinkle generously with poultry seasoning. Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok and add onion. Cook until softened. Add broth and bread and stir until all is moistened. Add a little milk if necessary. Beat one egg and add it to the mixture stirring it in quickly. Adjust seasonings adding salt, pepper and more poultry seasoning or sage if desired. Stuff bird with the dressing, season the outside of the bird with salt and place in oven. We roast the turkey at about 300F for several hours (approximately 30 minutes a pound) until it is starting to fall apart. Our turkeys are never carved at the table but are moist and delicious.

Crepes

We visited a new restaurant in our area called Cora's last weekend. They serve breakfast and lunch only and feature decadent but healthy platters of fruit, crepes, pancakes, sandwiches, omeletes, etcetera. Crepes were very popular in the 1970's before people felt guilty about eating eggs and creamy sauces. Our weather today is horrid, so Becka and I experimented with making crepes. The results were delicious! Here is a basic crepe recipe, easy to make and handle.

In a blender mix:

1 cup flour (I used high fiber white flour)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter

Lightly oil and large skillet (10") and add about 1/4 cup batter. Tip the pan quickly to let the batter cover the entire pan in a very thin layer. Cook until bubbles form on the surface and then turn crepe for until done. Each crepe takes a minute or less to cook once the pan is hot.

Makes 8 -10 inch crepes. Fill as desired with a savoury or sweet filling.

Whole Grain Tabouleh

This recipe is from the cookbook Simply in Season. You can be creative with this dish.

Prepare 1 cup uncooked bulgar, quinoa, or couscous according to package directions. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool. You should have at least 2 cups or more of the cooked grain.

Add
1/4 c green onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, mint or parsley
1 cup chopped vegetables: cucumbers, sweet peppers, diced summer squash
1 cup chickpeas (optional)

2 tbsp lemon or lime juice (preferably fresh)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix and pour over salad.
Yields 6 cups

Oatmeal Plus

I love breakfast and have the same thing 99% of the time. This breakfast keeps me going until mid-afternoon and I never tire of it. Porridge made poorly is awful, and porridge made well is the best of foods. Too bad so many have had bad breakfast experiences.

Oatmeal for one

1/3 cup large flake oats
3/4 cup water
dash of salt (don't forget it!)
1-1/2 tbsp ground flaxseeds

Place in cereal bowl and cook in microwave on 50% power for 3 minutes.

Add one beaten egg to hot cereal and mix well. Return to microwave for 30 seconds on high to cook the egg.

Serve with fruit and milk. (I use soy milk)

Variations: My daughter uses soy milk instead of water and adds no milk when eating the porridge. She also adds a tablespoon of natural peanut butter instead of the egg.