Chewy Maple Nutmeg Granola Bars

I've probably mentioned this before, but I love granola bars. Unfortunately, I have not yet found a gluten-free and dairy-free store bought version that I like, so I continue to experiment with homemade (also, so much cheaper this way!).

This time I used maple syrup, nutmeg and chopped almonds, with a honey-brown sugar mixture as a binder. I have to say, I think it's my best batch yet! I upped the honey content so these came out nice and chewy, just how I like them :)

Chewy Maple Nutmeg Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups oats
1/2 cup rice bran
1/2 cup almond pieces
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
pinch of salt
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Place oats in a 9x13 inch pan and toast in the oven at 300 degrees for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Place honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, nutmeg & salt in a saucepan. Heat over low flame until sugar has dissolved and mixture is smooth.
3. Remove oats from oven. Stir in bran and nuts, then pour into saucepan with honey-sugar mixture, stirring to coat.
4. Pour oat mixture into 9 x 13 inch greased baking pan, pressing firmly to compress a bit.
5. Reduce over temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 10-12 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, then cut into squares or whatever size granola bars you prefer (I usually do 18 or so).

The cost:
oats: 2.99
rice bran: 2.99
almonds: .65
maple syrup: 5.99

Grand total: $12.62 (about 0.70/bar)

Sweet & Smoky Glazed Almonds

TJs carries a number of candied nuts, but I always hate buying such a teeny tiny bag for the same price as a full pound of un-candied nuts. I got home last night wanting to bake, so I decided to try candying my own nuts!

The first idea that popped into my head was brown sugar and smoked paprika, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't totally crazy and setting myself up for a flavor combination disaster, so I did a little internet searching and found this recipe by Smitten Kitchen. I made some recipe adjustments: I used just almonds, reduced the sugar since I don't like super-sweet candied nuts, used sweet smoked paprika rather than hot, and upped the cooking time just a bit. I also removed the nuts from the egg wash before sprinkling with the sugar mixture because there was a lot of extra liquid and I didn't want the sugar to dissolve and melt (although it still ended up doing that anyway...so my I'm saying my almonds are glazed rather than candied :)).

I think these came out great! Just the right balance of sweet and salty, a little pizazz from the cinnamon, and a mild smoky hint to finish things off. I'm taking them into work today so I don't eat them all, they are addictive!

Notes:

• Make sure you buy raw nuts if you are going to be doing any kind of roasting with them; if you buy pre-roasted, you'll end up with brittle and overcooked nuts.
• I didn't feel like waiting for my egg white to come to room temperature, so I put it in a warm water bath by nesting 2 of my awesome metal mixing bowls (kind of like a double boiler) from Webstaurant Store (@webstaurant) and it was room temp in less than 2 minutes.
• Thanks to my beautiful sister (a potter as well as an amazing cook) for the serving dish featured in the above picture!

Sweet & Smoky Glazed Almonds

Ingredients:

1 egg white, room temperature
1 tsp water
1 lb raw almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper; make sure there are no lumps.
3. Whisk egg white and water until frothy. Add almonds and stir to coat.
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove nuts from egg wash and spread in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar mixture, tossing to coat, then re-spread in a single layer.
5. Bake nuts for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Allow nuts to cool, breaking up any that are stuck together. Store in an airtight container.
7. Take them into work so you don't eat them all.

The cost:
nuts: 4.49
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: 5.49

Healthy Eating for Penny Pinchers: Iron-Rich Foods

I've had anemia problems for a number of years (runs in my family), so I'm careful in making sure I eat iron-rich foods.

A lot of people think that the only way to get iron is through red meat, but there are actually many sources of iron outside of meat and liver, which can be both expensive and not too healthy in large quantities. Here are some items that will ensure you are getting a good amount of iron but not breaking the bank.

Iron-rich foods include cooked & canned beans, cooked lentils, almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit like prunes & raisins, baked potatoes (skin on), beets, and breakfast cereals that are iron-enriched (i.e. manufacturer adds iron to them). Most of these will cost you less than .50 per serving.

It's important to note that when you eat iron-rich foods, it's also a good idea to pair them with with foods that have lots of Vitamin C, which helps you absorb the iron you are ingesting (especially with non-heme [not from an animal] iron). Citrus fruits, tomatoes, red & green bell peppers, brussel sprouts, and broccoli are all good sources of Vitamin C.

Gluten-Free Snack Challenge: Cranberry Almond Granola Bars

I've been craving granola bars recently. I've tried some of the prepackaged gluten-free variety, but I'm not so much a fan of toasted cardboard. In fact, there are very few prepackaged gluten and dairy free items I really like.

So I decided to make my own granola bars. I scoured the internet; I must have looked at over 100 recipes, studying the varying techniques and trying to figure out how to make the best gluten free and dairy free granola bars possible.

A few notes:

• I read in a number of places that it's better to use thick-cut oats, otherwise they tend to melt away and get mushy.
• It took me a number of tries to get this right; granola bars are like cookies in that they continue to bake even after you remove them from the oven, so beware not to overbake (I did with my first couple of batches). The top of the bars should be firm but still a little spongy, the oats toasted a crispy but not too brown.
• I opted for a home-made version of store-bought granola bars I used to love (toasted oats with cranberries and almonds), but you can mix and match as much as you'd like with grains, seeds, nuts and dried fruit.

Cranberry Almond Granola Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups thick-cut oats
1/2 cup rice bran
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup almond pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Place oats and rice bran on a 9x13 inch baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
2. Place honey, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in a saucepan. Heat over low flame until brown sugar has dissolved and mixture is smooth.
3. Remove oats from oven and immediately add to sugar mixture along with almonds and cranberries. Stir until everything is well coated.
4. Pour oat mixture into 9 x 13 inch greased baking pan, pressing firmly to compress (I stuck my hand inside a ziploc bag to keep the oats from sticking to me).
5. Reduce over temperature to 300 degrees; bake for 6-8 minutes (do not overbake, see note above).
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, then cut into squares or whatever size granola bars you prefer.

The cost:
oats: 2.99
rice bran: 2.99
almonds: .65
cranberries: .45

Grand total: $7.08; makes 16ish servings (that's only .44 per bar!)