Worth Repeating - Breakfast Bars

A recipe "Worth Repeating." This was originally published here in Oct. 2010. I would make them now with the GF flour since I learned I have a gluten intolerance. I would like to try making them again with add-ins that I can eat now. It would look a little different, but I'm sure they would still be good. :-)

I got this recipe for breakfast bars from my friend, Beth. I thought they were so delicious I could hardly stop eating them!

 
She made them with the Gluten Free flour as the recipe calls for. I didn’t have any, so I made them with whole wheat, oats and oat flour. I also used a different mixture of nuts and dried fruit. I have included her (slightly altered) recipe and my version as well. Make them to your own taste and family needs. The choice is up to you. :-)
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Gluten Free Breakfast Bars

1 ¼ cup GF flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup honey (or agave nectar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup peanuts
¼ cup raisins

In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.

In a large bowl, combine oil, agave and vanilla. Stir dry ingredients into wet. Mix in nuts and raisins. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with oil. Press the dough into the baking dish, wetting your hands with oil to help pat the dough down evenly if necessary.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes (or till golden brown). Cool and Serve. Note: They are also good warm (with milk over them if desired), but will be crumbly when served this way.

My version (use same instructions as above):
1/2 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 C. oat flour
1/4 C. old fashioned oats
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 C. oil (grape seed)
1/4 C. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 C. sliced almonds
1/2 C. peanuts (salted)
1/4 C. raisins
1/3 C. dried cranberries
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It will look something like this in the pan before you bake it.

These turned out really well, though I got mine just a bit too dark. I loved the nutty looking texture with the bits of red cranberry peaking out.

I ate some of it with milk on it like cereal. It was very good this way too! :-)

Mock Cherry Crispy Treats

Another re-run tonight.  I meant to write up a new post today, but I have not felt well most of the day, so I'm resorting to this again.  This recipe was first published in July 2009. :-)
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Here is a recipe for crispy rice treats that I found on the Internet. The person who posted it had made some changes to the original, and I made some changes of my own. One thing I did was to substitute dried cranberries for dried cherries and add almond flavoring instead of vanilla. This makes you think that it really is cherries in the treats. For some reason almond flavoring will fool the taste buds that way when combined with dried cranberries (I use Crainsins® brand which are pre-sweetened). My family liked the results quite well!

Mock Cherry Crispy Treats

3 Tbl. butter

1 (10 oz.) bag of marshmallows

1/4 C. white chocolate chips

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. almond flavoring

5 C. crisp rice cereal

1 C. dried cranberries

1/2 C. semisweet or 60% cacao chocolate chips

1 Tbl. butter

Line a 9x9 baking pan with aluminum foil leaving excess foil to hang over the edges of the pan. (Thinner treats may be made by using a 9x13 pan). Butter or grease foil.

Melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Add marshmallows, white chocolate chips and salt. Cook, stirring constantly about 8 minutes, or until melted and smooth. Stir in almond flavoring.

Remove from heat and stir in crisp rice cereal and cranberries until well mixed. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and press into the corners with a greased spatula or spoon. (Use the back of the spoon.) Let cool for about 1 hour.

Melt chocolate chips and 1 Tbl. butter over low heat in a sauce pan stirring constantly just until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over the cooled treats. Allow to cool, about 45 minutes. Using foil overhang, lift treats out of pan to a cutting board. Cut into squares. Sever or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Curried Cheese Ball

I invented this recipe for my dad’s birthday and he enjoyed it thoroughly. :-)  It was a combination of one or two other recipes and my own ideas.  It can be served with crackers and celery.  I didn’t actually roll it into a ball because it was rather soft.  If you wish to actually roll it into a ball, I suggest you chill it well first.
Curried Cheese Ball
14 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 C. feta cheese crumbles
2 Tbl. butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder (or to taste)
1/4 C. coconut cream concentrate
3 baby carrots, minced
1/3 C. dried cranberries
Scant 1/4 C. green onion tops, finely chopped
Chopped peanuts
Orange juice
Garnishes – dried cranberries and celery leaves (or parsley)
Place cranberries in a small dish and add just enough orange juice to cover.
In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, butter, feta, coconut cream and curry powder till creamed.  Add carrots, green onions and cranberries with orange juice to the mixture and mix well.  Scoop into a bowl and form a rounded top.  Pat on chopped peanuts.  Cover and refrigerate till ready to serve.  Add garnishes if desired.

Wheat Berry Salad

I found the original recipe for this in a magazine, but as usual, I altered it. :-)  It turned out quite well and was a refreshing change for the carbohydrate part of the meal.  Plus, it felt like we were eating something really healthy that was delicious too!  It is a good hearty dish, and leftovers keep pretty well.  I added some smoked white cheese to it later for a light supper and that was good also.  It would probably be quite good in a packed lunch.  Enjoy!

1 1/2 C. wheat berries
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/2 C. chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
1/3 C. dried cranberries (or cherries) 
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 green onion, tops only, chopped
3 Tbs. olive oil
Juice of one lemon (about 2 Tbs.)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. allspice
In a large sauce pan, cover wheat berries with water so that they are covered by about 2 inches.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until the berries are tender enough to chew easily.  Drain and allow to cool completely. (Hint: You can boil and drain them a day ahead and refrigerate them overnight.  This makes a nice cold salad.)
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well mixed.
Makes 6 servings.