Foodie Friday: Making recipe modifications work for you

Lentils are a great ingredient

I love to modify recipes, especially my baked goods, to use less sugar and oil, as well as to increase the fibre and protein. I’ve found that I can pretty reliably reduce sugar by half in most recipes. I usually add 1/4 cup-1/3 cup of ground flax seeds or oat bran to add fibre to cookies, muffins, and even waffle batter! I have also read that 1/3 cup of ground flax seed in a recipe can reduce the need for added fat (oil) by 1-2 tbsp as ground flax seed contains heart-healthy essential fats. I also try to include a mashed fruit or vegetable into baked goods whenever possible, like in pumpkin muffins or banana oat bran loaf from the Dietitians of Canada Cook book: Simply Great Food. This year, my kids and I cooked up lots of lentils (red and green) to try several recipes that were featured during Nutrition Month 2017. Lentils are a great ingredient for my kids to see and use as they are high in soluble fibre, magnesium, protein and other important vitamins and minerals.

Combining my recent lentils kick with my own tendency to modify recipes, I modified this lentil granola bar recipe to reduce the added brown sugar (original recipe had 1 cup) and replaced half the oil with ¼ cup of agave nectar to balance out the moisture and sweet taste. I added raisins, sunflower seeds, and coconut to make them more nutrient dense and tasty.

My kids love measuring and mixing the ingredients, not to mention the enjoyment we had eating this healthy snack around the table. Try these soft lentil granola bars with your kids or grandkids for a satisfying snack!

P.S If you are making them together, consider making a short film and entering the Hands-On Cook-Off contest!

Lentil granola bars

Recipe adapted from Pulse Canada

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup raisins
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 2/3 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• ¼ cup agave or maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• ¾ cup lentil puree

Directions to make lentil puree:

1. Wash/rinse red or green lentils well.
2. Remove any blemished dry lentils.
3. Add 1/3 cup lentils to 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes until well cooked.
5. Stir often.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Line a 10” x 13” baking pan with greased parchment paper.
3. In mixing bowl combine rolled oats, sugar, coconut, walnuts, raisins, and sunflower seeds.
4. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients: oil, egg, syrup, vanilla extract, and lentil puree.
5. Mix until just moistened.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until slightly browned.
7. Removed from oven and cut into 2” bars while still warm.