Recipe Index

I've been on a search for some time now for my perfect go-to granola/snack bar. I do have a fantastic granola bar recipe already on this site, a recipe that is far and away the most popular recipe I've ever posted. While I love these granola bars, and have made them many, many times, I'm on the hunt for something different. I want a bar I can feel good about eating any time, day or night, one that has a modest amount of sugar and fat, and comes together easily using ingredients I will always have on hand. I also want bars that really hold together well. Something I can just throw into a bag in the morning and take with me that won't fall to pieces, or crumble everywhere, making a mess when I want to eat it.

Throughout the last few months I've been looking at tons of different recipes and trying some out here and there. Part of my problem is that since I live alone, I find it difficult to eat what I make quickly, so this has been a slow process, but a fun one still. I want to share one of the bars I made recently. While it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, it turned out to be a wonderful recipe that hit almost all my requirements. I started with a fairly healthy cookie recipe and adapted it to bars. They baked up beautifully! The end result was a very sturdy, pretty nutritious, tasty bar that will be wonderful for a quick breakfast or satisfying mid-afternoon snack.

You may wonder why they were not exactly what I was looking for. Really the only thing I would like to be slightly different is the texture of the bar. Because they do have 1/2 cup of flour in them, they turned out a little cakier than I would like. The flour did help them hold together very well, but it also made them feel a little more cookie-bar-like than granola-bar-like. Regardless, this is a great recipe that I will definitely keep in the rotation.

The flavor of these bars is very nice. Just enough sweetness to make them delicious without making them feel like dessert, and the peanut flavor really shines through, nice and toasty. Lots of good oaty chew helps create a nice, hearty texture. This is a versatile recipe that you can certainly adapt to your preference. If you don't like or can't have peanut butter, use almond butter or another favorite nut or seed butter, and you can throw in whatever mix-ins you like. Any dried fruit, nut, seed or chocolate would be wonderful.

Peanut Butter and Oat Snack Bars
Adapted from The Kitchn
Ingredients

1/2 cup (128 ounces) natural peanut butter
1/3 cup (112 grams) honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 cup (100 grams) old fashioned oats
1/2 cup (64 grams) whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup mix-ins (I used 10 grams pumpkin seeds, 10 grams sunflower seeds, 20 grams raw walnuts, 20 grams dried cranberries)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking 8x12 or similar sized pan with parchment paper that you spray with cooking spray.

In a medium pot over medium heat, melt together the nut butter and honey until smooth. Remove from heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the cinnamon, salt and vanilla.

Once the mixture has cooled a little, add in the egg and mix well.

Add the oats, flour, baking powder and mix-ins to the pot and stir together until combined. The mixture will be quite thick. Transfer dough to prepared pan, spreading evenly all the way to the edges, pressing down to firmly.

Place pan in oven and bake until golden brown on the edges, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before removing from pan and cutting into bars.

Yields: 14 bars

Nutrition: Approximately 150 calories each

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

March 02, 2016 by Jana

An unusual mid-week post today. I actually have some time off right now and am enjoying it immensely. This includes plenty of extra time in the kitchen! What I want to share today is not really much of a recipe, but a very simple method for preparing slow roasted tomatoes. I miss tomatoes so much in the winter, and every time I see them for sale at the grocery store I secretly want to buy them, but I resist because I know they will have no flavor and a poor texture. It's just not worth buying fresh tomatoes in the winter, unless that is, you want to do something like this to them.

Slow roasting tomatoes is such a wonderful thing to do with those sad winter tomatoes. You're basically just drying them out and intensifying the sweet and savory flavor of the tomato. When these are done they are almost like candy they are so sweet. I think they are absolutely fantastic on basically anything, and so easy. All it takes is an afternoon in a low oven and you can have a whole tray of these sweet jewels.

You can pretty much roast these for as long as you want depending on your desired level of dry-ness at the end. I went for 5 hours this time and they were pretty dried out and very sweet, but still had a little hint of juiciness left. Keep testing them from time to time as they roast until they seem to be right where you want them. If you're going to leave your oven on for 5+ hours one afternoon, I recommend roasting up a big batch of tomatoes, make it worth it. Cutting up a few more tomatoes doesn't take very long, and then you'll have a huge stash for the days and weeks to come.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes
From Delectably Mine
Ingredients

4 Roma tomatoes, cut into quarters, core removed
A few garlic cloves
Olive oil,
Coarse salt,
Freshly cracked pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 225-235 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Drizzle tomatoes and garlic cloves with olive oil and sprinkle with a nice amount of salt and black pepper. Place tomatoes in a single layer on prepared baking sheet and roast for approximately 5 hours (or however long you want), rotating the sheet occasionally. Watch the garlic cloves closely, and if they appear to be getting too cooked remove them before the tomatoes are finished. Remove tomatoes from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days, or freeze indefinitely.

About Me

September 18, 2015 by Jana

Hi! My name is Jana, welcome to Delectably Mine, a place where I get to share what I've been up to in the kitchen. Feel free to look around and stay awhile!

A little bit about me: My first love is baking, but I also love to cook and have so much fun deciding what to eat everyday. It's like a new adventure every time I open the fridge. I love anything fresh, healthy, and delicious, it doesn't matter what it is. It's difficult for me to come up with anything I don't like to eat. The only thing that currently comes to mind is olives, and I'm working on that!

When I'm not spending my time in the kitchen you'll find me out running and training for my next race, or more likely studying. I'm currently in my 4th year of medical school, doing my clinical rotations and preparing for a career in family medicine. It's an adventure for sure, but an exciting one. The kitchen is the perfect place for me to unwind after long days or long nights at the hospital. Thanks for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to!

Enjoying a latte at one of my favorite coffee shops

I absolutely LOVE cake, any excuse

to bake one up is fine by me!

My twin sister Lara (on the right) and me at another favorite coffee shop

enjoying a jumbo muffin with our coffee