Quinoa Granola Bars

Total Time: 5 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soaked quinoa (1/4 cup dry)
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup coconut
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cup dry)
• 1/2 cup mixed dried fruit (i used apricot, pear, apple, and cranberry)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2-1 banana
• granola cereal
• 1/2 cup chopped dates or 1/2 cup other dried fruit
• 1/2 cup raisins

Recipe

• 1 soak dry quinoa in 1/2 cup of water for two hours.
• 2 to make the granola, mix all dry granola ingredients, including the soaked quinoa, in a bowl.
• 3 preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• 4 heat oil and honey in a small saucepan until thin; stir into dry ingredients until mixed.
• 5 pour the granola mixture into a jelly roll pan and toast for 1 hour at 250 degrees, stirring occasionally.
• 6 store in a plastic bag until ready to use.
• 7 cook mixed dried fruit with 2 cups water at a simmer half the water has evaporated (about 45 minutes).
• 8 add 3/4 cup dry quinoa and enough water to cover plus a quarter inche and cook over medium heat 20 minutes, adding more water as needed.
• 9 preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• 10 set aside 1 cup cooked quinoa; pour the rest of the quinoa with cooking liquid and fruit pieces into a blender.
• 11 blend until large fruit pieces are chopped up.
• 12 add 1/2 cup raisins, the salt, lemon juice, vanilla, and banana.
• 13 blend.
• 14 (mixture will be thick; stop the blender and push with spoon if you have to, adding water if needed) spoon blender mixture into a bowl, stirring in granola, 1/2 cup dried fruit, and 1/2 cup raisins.
• 15 press into a greased and floured glass baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
• 16 cool.
• 17 cut into desired number of bars.