No Bake Oatmeal Raisin Bars

I had this recipe bookmarked a couple of days ago because of it's simplicity and I got to try it yesterday evening as I had all the needed ingredients in my pantry. I also wanted to see if there was even a slight possibility of my girl approving these nutritious and yummy bars. My teenager loves to snack on mostly dry fruits and nuts after school but combining them together in some other snack form other than a trail mix usually won't do. She is not a cereal person and she would not touch store bought granola bars with a barge pole. I figured probably she would like these if she sees with her own eyes what went in there and therefore involved her in making these bars. 

She decided not to mind the grain factor considering that all the other remaining ingredients are her favorites and decided to give them a try without a nudge from me. She in fact loved them since it tasted like chocolate to her. Don't ask me how but I didn't want to argue with her when she was eating without complaining and the bars are filled with all the goodies. 

These granola bars can be set by placing them in the refrigerator / freezer for about an hour or overnight. Wrap them individually in parchment paper or plastic or foil wraps for easy transportation. Store the individually wrapped bars in a freezer-safe bag and freeze them if they are not going to be consumed immediately. The quantity of raisins used here provide sufficient sweetness to the bars but at the same time contribute to their soft texture. I think even decreasing their quantity by a small amount wouldn't effect the recipe.

Recipe Source: Here
Ingredients: (Makes 16 bars)
2 and 1/2 cup raisins
1 and 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup shredded / desiccated coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (I used honey roasted sunflower kernels.)

Directions:
* Line a 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
* Add everything except sunflower seeds to a food processor and pulse just until the mixture starts to clump together.
* Add sunflower seeds finally and just mix together.
* Transfer the mixture into the pan and press firmly. Refrigerate / freeze the mixture until it firms up, about an hour or overnight.
* Remove from the pan and slice into bars using a sharp knife.

Note:
1. The mixture can be shaped into balls instead of bars.
2. Other dry fruits, nuts and seeds can be substituted instead of the ones used here for a variation.

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Avena Colombiana

Avena means oats in Spanish and avena is also an oatmeal based drink from South America that is quite popular locally. There are subtle variations in the recipe depending upon where it is prepared in the Latin American regions. However, generally rolled oats are stewed in a mixture of milk, water, cinnamon and cloves and finally sweetened with sugar.

Avena is usually served as a breakfast drink both for kids and adults though serving it as an evening snack is also not uncommon. This thick and creamy drink can be served either warm or cold, depending upon the seasons. I prepared it past this week when we had the heat wave going on and obviously, I had served it chilled.

Recipe Source: Here
Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
A pinch of ground cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Sugar to taste

Method:
* Cook oatmeal, milk, water and cinnamon together for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium flame. Add ground cloves and sugar to the mixture and cook for about 5 minutes more.
* Let cool the mixture and chill it, covered.
* Discard the cinnamon stick and blend the oat mixture fine. Add extra water if thinner consistency is preferred. Serve it cold.

This post goes to Blogging marathon #77 under the theme "Latin American Recipes". Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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