Granola Bar - The Healthy Crunch!

Ever since I started to work again, I have been in search of such finger food recipes. These days I have an early breakfast, before rushing to office. But by around 11, my tummy starts growling again. I found these home-made granola bars prefect for mid-morning snacks, all the more happy to find that my kids love them too!!



Ingredients

Oats - 1 cup
Crushed Corn flakes - 1/2 cup
Raw sugar - 2 tbsp
Chopped almonds - 6-8
Pitted and chopped dates - 8 - 10
Walnuts - 2-3, chopped finely
Raisins - 2 tbsp
Honey - 2 tbsp
Water - 2 tbsp

Method

1. In a bowl, mix together oats, corn flakes, almonds, dates, walnuts & raisins.
2. Heat a non-stick pan, and dry roast this mixture till a nice aroma comes. Keep them aside.
3. In the same pan, add butter. When it melts add sugar and add water slowly (if its too hot, it might splutter). When sugar melts, add the dry-roasted mixture and mixture whole thing together to form a wet mixture. Towards the end add honey and do a taste test. Add more honey/sugar if needed.
4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Transfer the oats mixture to this tray and press slightly.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees) for about 8 min
6. Take them out and make incisions.

Enjoy with a hot cup of tea!!

Healthy (oats & cornflakes) cookies

This is my answer for my ever hungry lad !! They are healthy, crunchy, can be made in a breeze.



Ingredients

Oats - 1 1/2 cup
Crushed cornflakes - 1/2 cup
Raw sugar - 1/4 cup (adjust as per your taste)
Sunflower oil - 3 tbsp
Milk - 5-6 tbsp



Method

1. Grind togeher oats, cornflakes & raw sugar in your mixer grinder.
2. Transfer the ground mixture to a bowl and add oil and milk. Mix together with hand till you get a wet, slightly sticky mixture. If its too sticky, keep it in refrigerator for 10 min.
3. Line a baking tray. Slightly wet your hand and take small quantities of oats mixture. Roll it in your wet palm and slightly press to flatten them. Arrange them in the tray. If you would like, press the top with a fork.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the tray in oven and bake for about 15-18 min.
Don't wait for the cookies to become hard, to take them out of the oven. They will harden as they cool down.
Enjoy with milk or tea!

Meen peera

If you can get the small natholi (anchovy, podimeen) cleaned, this is one of the easiest and tastiest fish preparations. An excellent combo with rice or even with puttu (steamed rice cake).

Ingredients

Cleaned anchovy (natholi, podimeen) - 1/2 kg
Small onions - 5-6
Green chilly - 3
Garlic - 2 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste
Kudampuli (Gambooge) - 2-3 big pieces



Method

1. Crush together the small onions, green chilly, garlic, ginger, salt, curry leaves & grated coconut.
2. Transfer this mixture to the manchatti (mud pan - in which you are going to cook) and add the gambooge too. Mix thoroughly with hand till the coconut start releasing its oil. Don't mix too hard, just keep doing with the finger tips and soon coconut will become soft and start releasing oil.
3. At this point, add the cleaned fish, mix again.
4. Switch on the flame and keep the manchatti on it (on low flame). Keep it covered and cook till its cooked well. After about 5 min, open the lid and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle little water if needed.
5. Once the fish is cooked, open the pan and cook for another 2-3 min for the mixture to dry up.
6. Sprinkle coconut oil towards the end, give a thorough mix once again and cover and keep for 10-15 min before serving.