If you have any sort of food issues/allergies, chances are, store bought granola bars are off limits. They are chock full of nuts, seeds, fruits, and grains; and then there’s the soy, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives.

My oldest daughter has tree nut allergies, so we have always been very limited on what brands of granola bars she could eat, but then we went gluten-free, and it’s next to impossible to find gluten-free, nut-free granola bars.

Honestly, I haven’t seen any gluten-free granola bars available. And if they are available, I am guessing they cost a small fortune. I have seen cereal bars, but they aren’t exactly the same. So I knew if we wanted to eat granola bars, I would have to figure out how to make them myself.

Over the years, I have tried quite a few recipes, and some worked better than others. But truthfully, I didn’t really want them to contain marshmallows or corn syrup. Now, I am not claiming my version is healthy, because it does contain a fair amount of sugar, honey, and butter. However, it does need something to hold it together, so I tried to pick the lesser of the evils.

Today I am posting the recipe for my favorite chewy granola bars. They are fairly simple to make, and best of all, they are ready in about 30 minutes. Not only do they look cute, but they taste great too! Perfect for the lunchbox or snack.

*Oats remain a controversial subject in the gluten-free world; however, if you do include oats and oat-containing products in your gluten-free diet, I would highly recommend purchasing them from a supplier that tests them. I always buy my oats from Bob’s Red Mill although I am guessing other reputable brands exist.

They look like this when they come out of the loaf pan.

After they are sliced into bars.

And I couldn’t resist a cranberry and white chocolate version. But as you can see, they left a lot of their deliciousness on the cutting board.

Chewy Granola Bars

• 2 cups plain gluten-free granola (here’s my recipe)
• 1 cup gluten-free crispy rice cereal (I think a corn flake type cereal would work too)
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional (mini-chips work best)

1. Grease (or line with parchment or foil) two 9×4 loaf pans.
2. In a large, heat proof bowl, combine the granola, cereal, and raisins; set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, honey, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until sugar is completely dissolved; this only takes a minute or two. Remove from heat.
4. Pour the hot mixture over the granola mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly coated.
5. Place half the mixture into each prepared pan and using a spatula or spoon, press down firmly. If using chocolate chips, press them firmly into the top. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
6. Turn out onto cutting board and slice into bars. Wrap in plastic wrap. *I have found these get really soft and break apart when left at room temperature for too long, so I store them in the refrigerator and remove them for a few minutes before eating.

Cooking With Kids, Make ahead, Snacks gluten-free granola bars, no bake granola bars

If I had to pick my favorite part of summer here in Oregon, it would have to be the berries. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, we have them all.

Sadly, the sunshine doesn’t last long here and neither do the berries. The season is all too short, so in effort to enjoy them a bit longer I  take full advantage of my extra freezer in the garage. I try to fill several resealable bags with whole berries and turn the rest into freezer jam.

Although I find preparing freezer jam way simpler than canning jam, the reason I make it year after year is simple, I think it just tastes better. Without being processed (cooked/boiled), it has a truly fresh taste. So, in the middle of fall, or even winter, long past when the last berry was picked, you can enjoy a spoonful of fresh tasting jam and savor the flavors of summer a bit longer.

There are several brands of pectin available, however I prefer Ball Fruit Jell Pectin (the box marked “Original”)because the directions in the package do not require corn syrup; just fruit, sugar, pectin and water (and possibly fresh lemon juice, depending on the fruit used). I am hoping to find a way to use less sugar, but for now I pretty much follow the package directions.

And freezer jam isn’t just for bread; I use it for cookies, cake filling, and topping for pancakes, cheesecake, and ice cream. I use it all the time and I even have the pictures to prove it Here are a few of the ways we use freezer jam throughout the year:

Chocolate Torte and Warmed Freezer Jam

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints!

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Red, White, and Blue No Bake Cheesecake

Pancakes

So easy and so practical. You really should try freezer jam this year!

Here is the way I make what my family thinks is perfect Raspberry Freezer Jam. However, if your family prefers less seeds, you could run part of it through a fine-mesh sieve after crushing the berries. And it’s pretty much just as simple to make peach, strawberry, or cherry freezer jam (instructions included in every box of pectin!).

Crush some berries & add sugar.

Boil some water and pectin.

Pour together, and in a few hours you have jam!

Raspberry Freezer Jam

• 3 cups crushed raspberries (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• 5 cups granulated sugar
• 1  box Ball Fruit Jell Pectin
• 3/4 cup water
• clean containers or jars for freezing

1. In a large bowl, combine berries and sugar and stir to combine. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, add water and pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil, one you can’t stir down, and stirring constantly, boil for 1 minute (set a timer).
3. Add the cooked pectin mixture to the berries and stir for 3 minutes.
4. Spoon or ladle into containers, leaving a 1/2-inch or so headspace for expansion. Let jam stand in refrigerator until set (this can take up to 24 hours) and use within the next three weeks or freeze up to 1 year.

 

Food Gifts, Make ahead, Snacks raspberry freezer jam recipe

Plant a zucchini, feed a neighborhood. If you garden or have neighbors that do, chances are you have some zucchini waiting to be used. I know a lot of people dislike zucchini, but I actually enjoy it and have no problem coming up with ways to use it.

Even if you don’t care for it, chances are there are two ways you’ll eat it: zucchini bread and fried zucchini sticks. Maybe. No? Come on, who doesn’t like a quick-bread. And anything fried is better right? With enough crispy, crunchy coating and red sauce it’s not so bad. You know it’s true.

Well, fried zucchini might get your family to eat their veggies, but it’s messy and not exactly the recommended way to get your 5 a day. I came across a baked zucchini recipe from King Arthur Flour. Of course, with panko crumbs, it was full of gluten.

Lucky for me a local store carries gluten-free panko crumbs (Kinnikinnick Crumbs – Panko Style Gluten Free). And since I mentioned the brand, what’s with the name Kinnikinnick? Sorry, that name is insane to spell and pronounce (just saying).

These gluten-free panko crumbs look and feel like traditional panko crumbs and are gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free (unfortunately they do contain egg though, so they are a no-go for my oldest kid). With some modifications to the original recipe I was able to make some excellent gluten-free baked zucchini sticks that were a huge hit at a recent family dinner. In fact they were so popular they were gone before I got a chance to take any pictures. Oh well, it just meant I had to make them again. I am not complaining though, these are super tasty and way less messy than frying.

The coating has Parmesan cheese and pizza seasoning, which really gives a nice flavor. However, if you are dairy-free, I think skipping the cheese altogether would be fine.

The dipping stations.

Coated and ready for the oven.

Hot, crunchy, & ready to dip!

Baked Zucchini Sticks

These are really easy to prepare, but it does dirty a few dishes.

• 2 small-medium zucchinis, unpeeled, ends trimmed and cut into 3 inch sticks
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup panko style bread crumbs (I used kinnikinnick gluten-free)
• 1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I didn’t really measure, just guessed)
• 1 tablespoon pizza seaoning (Italian Seasoning would also work)
• 2 large eggs
• about 1/2 cup cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 425 (if you have a convection setting use it). Line a baking sheet with silpat mat or parchement (or at least grease it really well).
2. Place the zucchini sticks in a colander over a bowl (or in the sink) and sprinkle evenly with salt. Allow to set for at least 15 minutes (and up to an hour). Rinse zucchini with water and allow to drain.
3. In a shallow dish or bowl, combine panko, Parmesan, and pizza seasoning.
4. In another shallow container, add eggs and lightly beat.
5. In yet another shallow container add cornstarch.
6. Dredge a few zucchini sticks at a time in cornstarch, then egg, then crumb mixture. (As the mixture gets wet, I noticed I had to press the crumbs onto the zucchini to make it stick). Place on prepared sheet.
7. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned and crisp, about 12-15 minutes (I like them crisp-tender; but they could be cooked a few minutes longer if you prefer them soft). I don’t need to turn these, but I have a convection setting on my oven, so you might want to watch these and turn if needed.
8. Serve immediately with a marinara sauce or an onion dip.

quick and easy, Sides, Snacks gluten-free baked zucchini sticks

I love food- eating food, talking about food, and even reading about food. Unfortunately, this means over the years I have collected more than my share of cookbooks and food magazines. So in an effort to organize, I went through my food magazines.

Over the last few weeks (well, maybe months), I have been pouring over all the magazines, ripping out recipes that I “have to try” and donating or recycling the rest. One of the articles that caught my immediate attention was from Food & Wine about Hot Bread Kitchen. Not only do I love the concept of a non-profit bakery that is helping low-income women, but they are also baking up some excellent ethnic foods. And thanks to Food & Wine I now have a few of their recipes.

Although I have been making corn tortillas since we first went gluten-free a couple years ago, I have always used the brand of masa harina that is most widely available in my area. However, the article stressed that if fesh masa was unavailable to use Bob’s Red Mill brand Masa Harina.

So, I went out in search of some Bob’s Masa Harina; it was a bit hard to find in my local stores, but I was able to find some eventually. You can order it directly from their website, they even have a certified gluten-free one!

These corn tortillas were by far the best, and easiest, I have ever made at home. So soft, pliable, and tasty. And I loved the way they blistered and browned when they cooked.

I know making tortillas at home might seem intimidating, or too labor intensive; after all you can just go to your supermarket and grab one of those plastic bags full of stale ones But, it really is easy, healthy, and inexpensive.

And if you have kids, they will probably think it’s pretty neat too! My youngest daughter loves to eat a warm tortilla and run around the kitchen dancing (I am not sure why, it just has this effect on her). Although, I am not really suggesting you allow your kids to run with food, as that would be dangerous, but it might be an unwanted side effect of fresh tortillas…just saying.

Dough rolled into log and sliced into 16 pieces.

Tortilla beautifully browned.

Tacos with freash Corn Tortillas. YUM!

Corn Tortillas

With only two ingredients, the flavor of the masa harina is really important; Bob’s Red Mill brand is really the brand to buy for these!

• 2 cups masa harina
• 1 1/2 cups water

1. In a large bowl, combine the masa harina and water. With a wooden spoon, stir until combined and moistened.
2. Place a cutting board or a large sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and roll the dough into a log approximately 8 inches long; cut into 16 equal pieces. I didn’t get obsessive here, no rulers or scales, I just estimated the cuts. Roll each piece into a ball and cover with plastic wrap or a dish towel (you don’t want them to dry out).
3. Heat a cast iron skillet or comal over high heat. Place each ball of dough in a plastic-lined tortilla press (or you could try to roll these with a rolling pin) and flatten to about 5-inch rounds. Carefully peel the tortilla off the plastic and immediately place on the hot skillet.
4. Cook for about 1 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom; turn over and cook for about 30 seconds more. Place the cooked tortillas on a dish-towel lined plate and cover to keep warm.
5. Repeat pressing and cooking with remaining dough, making sure to keep the baked tortillas covered. Serve the tortillas with desired toppings.

 

quick and easy, Snacks Bob's Red Mill masa harina tortillas, corn tortillas

I’ll be the first to admit, making a Chex Mix isn’t really my idea of baking; but what can I say, kids love them. Not only are they fun to eat, but they are also fun to prepare.

We saw the recipe for Snickerdoodle Mix on the side of a box and decided to give it a try. My four-year-old loved popping the popcorn and mixing the cinnamon and sugar. Helping prepare simple, gluten-free snacks is a great way to introduce kids to to cooking. And after several weeks of more complicated recipes that my teenager helped prepare, this simple Chex Mix was the perfect Kids Cook Monday recipe for my preschooler.

The original recipe has Chocolate Chex, although I think they would taste more like snickerdoodles without the chocolate. I think next time I’ll replace the Chocolate Chex with Rice Chex or another gluten-free Chex.

Snickerdoodle Chex Mix

The original recipe gave microwave directions, but I baked it in the oven.

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups Cinnamon Chex cereal
• 2 cups Chocolate Chex  cereal
• 4 cups popped popcorn (about 1/4 cup popcorn kernals)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon and stir to blend (We did this step while the popcorn was popping).
3. In a large  bowl, combine cereals and popped popcorn. Pour melted butter over mixture and stir to coat evenly, then pour cinnamon-sugar mixture on top and stir to evenly distribute.
4. Pour mixture onto greased rimmed baking sheet or 9×13 pan and bake in preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through. Allow to cool completely and store in airtight container or bag.

Cooking With Kids, Kids Cook Monday, lunch box, Snacks