Granola Bars

In class on Wednesday, we had a surprise demo where I showed the students how to make homemade granola bars. Throughout the course of our current unit, "How Nutrients Become You," we have talked about practical ways to promote healthy digestion. This recipe is one of those. The oats, sunflower seeds/nuts, wheat germ, and raisins are full of fiber, which is necessary for a healthy digestive system.

But not only are they good for you, they are delicious! I can't take credit for this recipe, though. I found the recipe online and altered it a little. Okay, a lot. For example, the original called for Karo corn syrup, but it would be an understatement to say that I am not a fan of high fructose corn syrup. So, we replaced that with honey, a much more natural ingredient that still serves to bind the granola into a bar.

Also, if you don't have wheat germ, use extra oats. If you don't have raisins, add whatever dried fruit you do have. I made them once with dried cranberries, and the tartness of the berries added a fantastic "kick." You are only limited by your imagination and your pantry, of course. I unintentionally burned our almonds while toasting them before class yesterday, so we just omitted them.

The moral of the story? Don't box yourself in in the kitchen. Unless you are baking pastries, you can always make changes!

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Ingredients
• 1/3 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/3 c. peanut butter
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c. quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 c. sunflower kernels or other nuts
• 1/4 c. raisins
• 3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ (or substitute more oats)
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, honey, butter and vanilla. Stir in the oats, sunflower kernels or nuts, raisins, and wheat germ. Fold in chocolate chips.
2. Press into an 8-in. square baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until set and edges are browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Bars take about two hours to cool and set up, but you can enjoy them warm, too, as long as you don't mind a little "crumble."

Yield – 12 bars

Bon appetit!

World's Best Spaghetti Sauce

Below is our recipe for The World's Best (and easiest) Spaghetti Sauce. The recipe states that you should simmer for an hour or two, but we are not able do that since we only have 80-minute blocks in which to cook, eat, and clean up. And do you know what? Our sauce was still perfect! If you do simmer your sauce for a while, be mindful of the amount of water that evaporates as the sauce cooks. You may need to add a little more water to thin it out.

World’s Best Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb. ground sausage
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 4 T. minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 (6.5 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 4 T. water
• 1 T. white sugar
• 1/2 t. dried basil leaves
• 1/4 t. fennel seeds
• 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. ground black pepper
• 1 t. dried parsley

Directions

In a sauté pan, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serves 8

Homemade

It's always better homemade, in my humble opinion! No matter what "it" is. Yes, we took a few shortcuts - no garden fresh tomatoes or leafy fresh herbs. But our pasta sauce was a hit! The students chose their own pasta shapes to serve with their sauce, so every team's creation was unique. Garlic bread completed our delicious meal!

Inspired by Italy...

In class, we have been focusing on how culture affects food choices. So in the spirit of embracing food from another culture, we are going to learn how to make our own pasta sauce next week. We will take a few shortcuts, like canned tomatoes, since we are bound by an 80+ minute block, but I think my students will be impressed by how much tastier our sauce is when compared to commercial sauces.

And it's easy! You may be thinking...doesn't homemade sauce need to simmer all day? Well, ideally, yes, but even if you are short on time, a good tomato-based sauce can be whipped up in thirty minutes or less if you use your vegetables and seasonings strategically.

So look for a post early next week documenting our "travels" into Italian cuisine!