Eggless Applesauce Loaf

We are a month into the new school year and so far we are doing well in the lunch and snack department. Admittedly, we rotate quite a few of the main 'entree' potion of the meal and I change up the sides quite a bit. That's one of the reasons I haven't started posting my Week in Bentos section. I am planning on incorporating a new set of lunch main dishes, so hopefully I will be able to restart that section again.
Every weekend, I try to bake at least two different types of muffins or quick breads so that I can use them liberally in the kids' lunch and snack boxes. LG8 has a really late lunch time this year and needs a hearty snack to tide him over till then. We cant afford to have hungry stomachs interfere with learning minds :). Rather than just sliced apples or pretzels, I try including something slightly more filling. A baked snack bar, or a couple of mini muffins, sandwiches too. Flavorful, healthy quick breads made with multi grain flour and studded with dried fruits lend themselves to interesting sandwiches.

I was browsing around for recipes when I came across this one at Williams Sonoma. It looked very adaptable and pretty easy to assemble quickly. It would probably have been healthier to make my own applesauce, but store bought organic applesauce, with no added sugar was a good substitute!

Ingredients:
1 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 C amaranth flour
1/4 C stoneground corn meal
1/4 C spelt flour
1 C walnuts, coarsely chopped, or 1 cup dark or golden raisins (I used raisins)
2/3 C sugar (I used a mix of regular sugar and coconut palm sugar)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/3 C neutral tasting oil (you could also use coconut oil for a nice change)
1/4 C sour cream or yogurt
1 heaping cup applesauce 
1 tsp corn starch or arrowroot powder

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease a standard 9 X 5 loaf pan liberally with softened butter or oil.
2. In a bowl, stir together the dry ingredients - flours, nuts or dried fruits, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and the arrowroot or corn starch. Whisk thoroughly.
3. In another bowl, whisk the oil, sour cream and apple sauce to get a smooth homogeneous mixture.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until it is evenly moistened. Mix with a light hand so that the bread doesn't end up as a dense block.
4. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 55 minutes. Keep checking for doneness after 50 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack until it cools completely.
7. If possible, do not slice into the bread until it has completely cooled down. It makes such a big difference to the texture and the crumb of the bread!
8. Slice evenly with a serrated knife and serve with butter, jam, peanut butter or even cream cheese for a yummy snack!

Notes:
1. The original recipe called for 2 C of all purpose flour. I replaced half of it with various other flours that I had on hand. Use whatever you have available.
2. The original recipe also called for 1 egg that I replaced with sour cream. You could use yogurt, commercial egg replacers or any other substitute of choice.
3. I sprinkled the top of the bread with some rolled oats before baking for visual appeal!
4. The apple loaf turned out pretty tasty. I sent this in snack boxes, sandwiched with some cream cheese and jelly. It tastes delicious even plain with some soft butter.
5. You could also make mini or regular sized muffins with the same batter. Mini muffins take around 15 - 17 minutes and regular sized muffins need around 22 -24 minutes. If you use smaller loaf pans, adjust the time accordingly.
6. You could add other add-ins such as chopped apples, mini chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc. for a variation on the same bread.

Do give it a try!

Healthy Applesauce Oatmeal Bread

With both my sons staying in after school care for a couple of hours, I have been wracking my brains over healthy and varied snacks that I can pack for them. Snacks should be portable, reasonably healthy, appealing to kids and easy to make. I am really trying hard to reduce the amount of processed food that we consume, so buying granola bars or chips or crackers is something that I don't want to do a lot.
I usually try and bake over the weekend - muffins , snack cakes , etc ..goodies that will satisfy most of my criteria for snacks. In searching for said recipes, I stumbled onto an applesauce bread here that was pretty intriguing.
I tried it last week and it turned out really well, Take a look !



Applesauce Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients:
¾ C whole wheat pastry flour
¾ C unbleached all purpose flour
¼ C brown sugar
¼ C granulated sugar
2 flax eggs or egg replacer of choice
½ C oil
2 tsp vanilla
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ C  rolled oats
¾ C applesauce



Method:
1. Mix the sugar, the egg replacer, vanilla , oil and the applesauce in a big mixing bowl. Combine thoroughly until sugars are completely dissolved.
2. Mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices in a smaller bowl.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix gently. Add the rolled oats and combine with a spatula.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 °.
5. Pour the batter in a greased 9 X 5 loaf pan. Smooth the top with the spatula and sprinkle 3 Tbs of oats on the top.
6. Bake for about 55 - 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool thoroughly on a wire rack before cutting into slices.
8. Serve plain or toasted.

Notes:
1. The bread turned out really well, it was not overly sweet, was pretty moist and was pretty filling as a snack.
2. The original recipe had a full cup of sugar. I halved it and used only 1/2 C, which I found was sweet enough.
3. I covered the cooled bread in foil and stored it in the refrigerator in the pan.
4. My kids like it toasted and spread with peanut butter or jelly.
5. I have sent it in their snack boxes a couple of times and it has worked well.

Do try this bread recipe, it is pretty quick to whip up, it stays well in the refrigerator, you can add dried fruits or nuts for a variety and the kids really liked it!

Pohe / Seasoned Flattened Rice Snack

I come from a family of breakfast eaters...we always eat breakfast, no matter what time we wake up !! Traditionally though, the breakfasts that my mom prepared for us were usually savoury. It was only after I came to the US that I found out that people here preferred their breakfasts on the sweet side !
The recipe that I have today is one that we often had in the mornings before we went off to school. It is simple, quick to prepare and quite delicious ! Maharashtrians call it 'kanda Pohe' and in Kannada, it is called
'Oggarisida avalakki' . What it is , is a simple preparation of seasoned flattened rice, garnished with fresh coconut and cilantro leaves.



Ingredients:
1 C flattened rice (pohe, avalakki)
1 tbsp canola oil (or oil of choice)
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp peanuts
1 -2 green chiles
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1/4 C finely diced potatoes or green peas (optional)
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 tbsp fresh shredded coconut
2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
juice of half a lemon

Method:
1. Soak the flattened rice in plenty of water for a couple of minutes and then drain completely and set aside.
2. Add the salt and the sugar to the flattened rice, mix well.
3. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the urad dal, chana dal, peanuts and the mustard. When the dals brown slightly and the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the green chiles and the onion.
4. Saute for a few minutes on medium heat. The onion should retain a slight crunch.
5. Add the turmeric to the onion mixture and mix well.
6. If using potatoes or peas, add them to the pan now and cook until the veggies are tender.
7. Pour the lemon juice and mix.
8. Add the flattened rice and mix thoroughly. Be gentle, though, you dont want the avalakki flakes to get crushed !
9. Sprinkle the coconut and the cilantro on top and serve hot !

Enjoy a plateful of this simple dish as breakfast or as snack with a hot cup of coffee , tea or beverage of your choice  !

Side Notes :
1. I have had this dish where the cook used so much oil that there was a layer on the bottom of the plate..Although this might increase the flavor and give a crunchy fried mouth feel, it is neither healthy nor necessary to use so much. Just use your judgement and make the dish a healthy one!
2. You can buy flattened rice in big packs in Indian grocery stores. There are two types - thick and thin...This recipe needs the thick variety...the thin avalakki will not be able to stand up to the soaking.
3. Try flattened rice made out of brown rice, if available in your store.

Kashi Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola bars review

School started about a month back in our neck of the woods and this year was a little different for us,because my elder son, who turned 5 in July , started kindergarten. With all the excitement that that entailed,came the task of coming up with creative snacks that are appealing to a 5 year old as well as nutritious.
So when , I got the opportunity of sampling Kashi's Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered granola bars with my Mom's Group,I jumped at it and was really glad that we got selected. All the moms in my group have school going children between the ages of 4 - 6, so I knew that they all would welcome the opportunity too.

When the samples came in , my son was the most excited !! He wanted to take it to school in his snack box everyday and I didnt have to think twice about it either !
We got sent a huge bag of samples so there were plenty to share with the moms in my group.

A few things that I liked about these bars :
* Each granola bar has 7 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein, which is good for a snack.
* The Kashi brand is known for the quality of the ingredients used in their products.
* The ingredient list is not too long and has mostly identifiable things in it !
* The bars are readily available in all major grocery stores.( These bars usually retail for $3.89)
* These bars are pretty portable, of course if left out in heat, the chocolate layer can melt slightly making for a messy snack, but nothing that a wipe wont take care of :-)

Obviously my son liked the chocolate covered granola bar, but when I gave it a taste test, it more than passed muster. The granola bar is slightly chewy, not overly sweet. The chocolate layer is pretty thick too,giving the whole bar a taste similar to a chocolate bar. It is pretty satisfying too.
Its a great snack to have in your bag while on the move or at home when the kids are hungry and the next meal is still some time away.

You can find more information and sometime even coupons on the www.kashi.com website.
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Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer.
As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog.
 My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.