Now that our mornings involve getting the little man fed, dressed and off to daycare, I've found myself in a bit of a time crunch. Skipping breakfast is not an option for me, so I've narrowed down two breakfast options that keep me fueled and on-time to work. The first is a recipe for homemade granola bars from 28 cooks, slightly adapted. Super bars
1 pkg. Bob's Red Mill 5-grain Rolled Cereal
1 c. water
1/4 c. flax seeds, partially ground
1/2 c. oat bran
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. dried fruit (I used apricots & cranberries)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2/3 c. pure maple syrup (worth the extra $)
1/2 c. no-sugar added applesauce
5 oz. silken tofu
zest of 1 lemon
optional sweet treat: dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Spread the oats out on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally until toasted, about 20 minutes. At the same time, heat water and flax seeds. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine oats and all dry ingredients. In a food processor, process apple sauce and tofu until combined. Add to dry ingredients, along with water/flax, maple syrup and lemon zest.
Spread in a lightly oiled baking sheet and score into bars. Bake 30 minutes until firm to the touch. Cool and then slice. To freeze, individually wrap in foil. Ideally, toss into a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes to thaw and enjoy. Or, less ideally, nuke in the office microwave for 45 seconds.
Tip: Many of these ingredients can be found in the bulk section of Whole Foods for very reasonable prices, plus you can buy just the amount you need.
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