Cranberry Oat Bars - Can it get more simple than this?

If my blog is all about step-by-step pictures with instructions then recipes such as this cranberry oat bars will put me out of business. Why? Cos there arent enough steps to show!! This recipe is as simple as boiling water! Mix, toss, place, bake, cut and the only work you probably end up doing is eat them - which is never work for ppl like me anyways! umm..probably scrub the baking pan would be work but then what are dishwashers for anyways! One gotto use them at some time or the other. I usually use my dishwasher to store my extra dishes! I thought that was o.k until one fine day, I really had to use the dishwasher for its real purpose and it wouldnt work!!! The maintanance guy was shocked when I said that this was the first time I ever used it and he was like, if you dont use it, then its bad for the dishwasher! Now do I need more excuse than that for being lazy ;-)



Anyways dried cranberries and oats are super duper health snacks. While clearing out my pantry, I saw half used dried cranberries and was wondering what to do when I remembered this recipe which I made like an year ago and liked it. I dont recall from where I took the recipe though but its tastes yum. Although I remember the quantity of margaraine in the original recipe a little too much for my tastes and have reduced the amount. I am providing the original recipe along with the change I made. Make your pick :)

Ingredients


• 1-1/2 cups rolled oats
  
  
• 2/3 cup raw sugar ( I used demerera sugar )
  
  
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  
  
• 1/2 cup polyunsaturated margarine, melted (I used 1/4 cup)
  

Method

Stir the ingredients together until well combined. Press this misture in a greased baking pan. Bake it for 20-25 at 375F oven, until golden. As soon as you remove it, score the mixture into squares or any shape you like and leave it to cool for 10-15min.



You can store these in air tight container for 5 days. They are delicious, healthy and filling. They are a ideal snack in the evenings.



Wasnt that simple?

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This is my entry to Pallavi's Event: Sunday Snacks - Grab and Go

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Oats Roti - incorporating health with every single bite

When I wrote this article for Daily Tiffin elaborating the different Oats and their nutrition, a reader of mine sent me a mail, telling me how she indeed sees the benefits but unfortunately no one in her family has the habit of eating cereal for breakfast. Also since she is working, she does not find time to sit and bake a whole lot of breads/cookies using oats. She asked me if there was any other way to incorporate oats other than the usual cereal/baked methods. I said yes! and that there are many many methods to make use of these nutrition powerhouses. I am a working woman too and I don’t find time to spend that much time in cooking either.



I use whole grains in different ways and one way of using oats in my kitchen would be by making these rotis. They are simple, and they follow pretty much the same method of making our regular rotis. Making them this way, one would not find that much of a difference in the taste either – but you, responsible for the family’s nutrition can rest in peace knowing that every bit of that morsel is going to do good for the health.

Ingredient


• 1 cup whole wheat flour
  
  
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
  
  
• i/4 cup oat bran
  
  
• salt to taste
  

Method

To make the oat flour, grind the rolled oats well.



It takes roughly 1/4 cup of rolled oats to make about 1/2 cup oat flour



Add the flour along with the bran and whole wheat, stir in the salt.



Add enough water to make a soft and pliable dough.



Divide the dough into small balls.



Using a rolling pin, roll it into a flatbread. Not too thick nor too thin into a circle.



Place it in a non-stick/iron skillet, use little oil.



Cook until brown on one side. Turn and repeat.



Serve it warm with any dal, side dishes of your choosing. They taste well with pickle too.

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This is my entry to Roma's JFI event:Wheat

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