I absolutely do not know what possessed me to try such a feat on a Sunday night. For some reason I devised an ambitious plan to cook an entire Indian meal at 7PM. Now don't get me wrong, the meal was absolutely delicious, just not something I would ever do at that hour again. Dinner wasn't served until 10:30PM.
I didn't realize just how involved this whole undertaking would be, however it made me enjoy it all the more! This is a great menu for entertaining guests, and could quite possibly be an impressive meal for a dinner date. You just have to promise me that you really like him [you have to really like him to slave in the kitchen that long, but if food is the way to a man's heart, this is definitely the meal to cook] because I would hate to see you go through the trouble for any old Joe.
I would like to point out that I adapted this recipe to my liking from various sources. You can omit veggies, etc, but I would recommend using the spices listed in the recipe, as it lends to the authentic flavor of Indian cooking. I suppose after cooking this a few more times I could get the time down to an an hour-and-a-half [which is still long in my book]. - If you are going to attempt this meal, I would suggest getting all of your herbs/spices from an Indian or Asian market, as they are much cheaper.
RICE TIP: Because Basmati rice is super starchy, I would recommend soaking the rice for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. [Overnight is ideal] - Also, make sure you "wash" the rice well after soaking. Use cold water to wash the rice over a sieve, you want to do this until the water is clear.
I have never really been a fan of granola bars. Matter of fact, I remember sneering at them whenever I would open my lunch pail and find that sawdust-like bar patiently waiting for me. Needles to say, I tossed them. Years later, I tasted a real homemade granola bar, and my affinity towards them grew.
I found a really simple recipe online, and I decided to give it a shot. I like my Granola a little on the sweet side, so I used a bit more sugar. The recipe is very flexible, as long as you keep the proper proportions, the recipe should be totally fool-proof. I went ahead and added a few extras like sweet Coconut Flakes, and a dash of Lemon Extract to my batch to give it a bit of a kick.
You can also add things like Wheat Germ, Kosher Salt, [for that sweet & salty taste]Walnuts, and even chocolate chips! Make them as healthy or as un-healthy as you like..lol
I used a bag of dried fruit I picked up from the Farmer's Market, and I used the Orange Honey as well. I love the subtle "orange-y" flavor peeking through the bars, maybe next time I will use a bit more.
These were definitely a hit! I will make them again, and maybe even play around with the recipe by putting them in a smaller pan to make them super thick, and reducing the cook time to make them really chewy.
These Granola Bars freeze really well which is also a plus [so you can have tons @ the ready]. You can make some for the kids to grab on the way to school [I promise these won't get tossed in the garbage], or for an after school snack.
Granola Bars - Adapted from King Arthur's Flour
** This recipe calls for "Sticky Bun Sugar" which I did not use. You can use Sugar instead of the Sticky Bun Sugar.
1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
1 cup + 2 tablespoons Sticky Bun Sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar, optional <--- I used this instead of Sticky Bun Sugar
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup quick oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional <--- I omitted this from the recipe
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts <---- I added all fruit
1 teaspoon vanilla extract - <--- I omitted this from the recipe
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup <----I used Orange Honey
2 Tablespoons of Light Corn Syrup
1 Tablespoon of water
Preheat oven to 350, and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, lightly grease parchment paper, and the portion of the pan that is exposed. [Note: If you want thicker bars, use a smaller pan]
Mix all of your dry ingredients together, set aside.
Mix all of your wet ingredients, and add them to the dry ingredients.
Mix until evenly crumbly, then pour into baking pan.
Use a piece of Saran Wrap to gently press down your mixture, as it should be even.
Place Granola in oven for about 30-40 minutes. Set out to cool on a baking rack for about 30 minutes, then cut into squares with a sharp serrated knife.
Wrap bars individually to store; or place in a single layer on a plate, and cover with plastic; or store in layers with parchment in between. In humid weather, it's best to store bars in the refrigerator.
