Mokelumne Granola Bars

I made this using a recipe idea from Alter Eco Foods. I decided to name the recipe after the great camping trip I took to the Mokelumne Wilderness with a fun group of people. Photo pending.

3 cups regular Gluten Free oats (not the quick cooking kind)
½ cup uncooked quinoa (I like red quinoa, but the color won't make a difference)
½ cup chia seeds
1/3 cup flax seeds ground
4 Tablespoons maca powder
1 ½ cup dried fruit (I used a mix of diced dates, golden and black raisins)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds - roasted and lightly salted
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
 ¼ cup coconut oil (warmed until it is liquid)
½ cup honey

First toast the oats and seeds. I start with the chia seeds and dry roast them in a heavy pan (iron skillet) until they start to pop and smell toasty. Then I do the same with the 3 cups of oats, toasting half the amount at a time. This can also be done in a 350 degree oven with a cookie sheet, but be sure to keep an eye on it and stir regularly. Then I will dry roast the flax seed powder, and once it is hot and just beginning to color, I add the maca powder. Now maca may clump when it roasts so once it's out of the pan I might have to run it through a seive. Also it toasts very quickly and that's why I add it to the flax so it's less likely to burn. Add the fruit, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and sea salt and blend to combine. First drizzle the coconut oil into the mix and then the honey. The honey should be just enough to loosely clump together. Other sugary syrups could be used instead of honey, such as brown rice syrup, golden syrup, or agave nectar. If you don't wish to use coconut oil, I would suggest ghee.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment and grease the sides and parchment. This will help lift the bars from the pan, so over running 2 edges will help as handles. Pour in the granola mixture and press down using slightly wet hands (so honey won't stick). Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before lifting from pan. Cool another 5 minutes and cut into bars. Note: the bars can be crumbly so when you cut them apart, make them no less than 1.5 inches in width. Store in an airtight container.

Awesome Gluten Free Banana Bread

The biggest problem I've had with this bread is that it disappears so fast that I don't have time to get a picture of it.

3 mashed very ripe bananas (roughly 1 cup)

2 large  eggs

1/4 cup light oil, coconut oil or ghee

3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup  sorghum flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup either quinoa (lighter texture) teff (nutty flavor) or more sorghum (very moist consistency) flour

2 tablespoon ground flax seed

2 teaspoons baking powder (make sure brand is GF)

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup walnut pieces(optional)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch ceramic or glass loaf pan. Sometimes lining with parchment will help lift the bread out of the pan. I cannot say enough about using a heavier pan so the batter bakes more evenly. And I don't usually use the parchment, just make sure it is greased well.

In a mixing bowl, beat the mashed bananas with the eggs, oil and brown sugar till combined. Add the sorghum, tapioca starch, the other flour (quinoa, teff, or more sorghum) ground flax seed, GF baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and beat until a smooth sticky batter forms. Stir in the walnut pieces by hand.

Scoop the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Stud the top with some extra walnut pieces, if desired. Bake on the center rack for 55 to 65 minutes, if necessary, until the center is done (a wooden cake tester should emerge clean). Ovens vary, so check the loaf at 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. 

I've made this bread for non GF people and they also love it. I've also played around with the flours, baking different loaves and lining them up next to each other. So far the favorite in these taste trials has been the quinoa version. Just using sorghum and tapioca makes a very moist, sort of gummy loaf. The quinoa adds a sort of malty flavor and makes it less gummy. The teff is a nice variation and seems to add a nutty note. Just some observations. I don't think I would increase the tapioca beyond 1/2 cup.