This time of year we are so busy, easily distracted, grabbing something to eat on the go and quite stressed, not to mention cold! This is a recipe for catching whatever germ is popular! The recipe I have today is a great way to keep energizing snacks close at hand to grab when you know you won't have time to eat something nourishing, helping your body to stay strong. The ingredients include nuts and coconut oil for energy and warmth, dried fruits for sweetness and some Kashi puffed cereal for that wonderful, puffy, crunchy texture. Feel free to add, subtract, substitute ingredients according to your taste, what you have on hand, or what sounds good to you. Just remember to keep the ratio of dry ingredients to wet ingredients roughly the same!
If you are unfamiliar with some of these ingredients, check out the health food section of your favorite grocery store - it may have these. As a general rule, HyVee usually has all of these ingredients. Otherwise try Whole Foods Markets. Many of these are available in their bulk food section and are less expensive than their packaged counterparts.
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1/4 cup whole or roughly chopped almonds
1 tablespoon golden flax seeds (or chia seeds, hemp seeds, etc.)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 tablespoons melted extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened whole-grain puffed cereal (like Kashi)
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup apple juice sweetened cranberries (or raisins, or dried blueberries or cherries)
3/8 cup Whole Unrefined Cane Sugar (Rapadura) OR Turbinado Sugar or Sucanet
3/8 cup honey
3/8 cup almond butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Optional ingredient - Kelp flakes or powder OR Dulse flakes
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13 x 9 inch pan with a little oil or butter (If you like thicker bars, use a smaller pan. If you like thinner bars, use a larger pan).
2. Mix oats, seeds and nuts in a large bowl. Drizzle melted coconut oil on top and stir well.
3. Spread mixture on a large baking dish with sides (I use the broiler pan bottom that came with my oven).
4. Bake in oven for 10 minutes and stir. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes being careful not to burn mixture.
5. When mixture is lightly toasted, pour into a large bowl. Mix in cereal and dried fruit.
6. Combine almond butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and sea salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low stirring frequently until the mixture bubbles lightly, about 10 minutes.
7. Immediately pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon or spatula until entire mixture is moist. Spread into prepared pan. Press mixture down firmly with your hands to create an even layer (cool slightly if necessary to avoid burning hands). Refrigerate until firm - or not! Cut into bars.
Tips: This recipe is set up to use whatever ingredients you like. Use more or less nuts, more or less oats, cereal, seeds, dried fruit, etc. Use whatever dried fruits you like - you don't have to use the ones listed here. If you don't like dried fruit - use more nuts, oats, cereal or seeds. I haven't tried this with peanut butter instead of the almond butter, but it should work well. If you try this, let me know! Also - if you cool the toasted oats, nut mixture until it is room temperature or cooler, you can add some chocolate chips. The chips will melt slightly when the hot almond butter mixture is added so the bars will get a little chocolaty in color, but not so much that you completely melt the chips. You can make the dry mixture ahead of time - even double the recipe and store some of it in an airtight container such as a mason jar to use later.
As for the optional ingredients - kelp or dulse - I often add either one of these to almost everything I cook or bake. They are both loaded with minerals - something most of us miss getting in our diet. Start by sprinkling some into everything you cook. You will probably NOT notice a change in taste. This allows you to sneak some much needed nutrients into your food or your family's food and not notice the taste. As you feel more comfortable adding these to your foods, keep increasing the amount to suit your taste. Both of these are available in easy shakers from Whole Foods Markets in their Asian food section. If you are allergic to shell fish, be cautious about using either one of these products. Do some research first or ask a health care provider for more information.
Enjoy!
