Perfectly Tuned Texture Granola Bars.

I had no idea how this was going to turn out when I first decided to go ahead with it. I looked at 10+ different recipes for granola bars today and couldn't find something that fully satisfied me. Thus (as usual here at the Mid-Night Baker), I went totally off course and pull ideas from 5 or 6 recipes - some baked some unbaked - and just went for it. What was the result?

Surprisingly well stuck together, baked, delectable granola bars. I present to you my first baked granola bar experiment: Honey Almond Granola Bars.

Sources: About 5 different recipes and my knack for not liking the act of following recipes

• 1.5 cups (160g) quick cooking oats (I was basically out of thick-cut rolled oats, but the quick oats worked well!)
• ⅔ Cups (75g or 2.5 servings) Almonds
• ⅔ Cups (100g or 2.5 servings) Raisins
• ½ Cup (58g) Grape Nuts
• 5Tbsp (105g) Honey
• 5Tbsp (75g) Almond Butter
• 2T-4T water
• 1/2tsp Vanilla Extract
• Dusting of Baking Soda (not sure if this actually did anything)

Turn oven on to 350F. Mix together all dry ingredients in a bowl until well distributed. Heat honey in sauce pan until it begins to boil. Add almond butter, vanilla, and water then mix until smooth. Add the sauce to the dry ingredients SLOWLY to ensure very even distribution. If you feel you need more binder, then heat up more honey/almond butter (or go with 2T ground flaxseed + 4T warm water) and add it to the mixture. Spray an 8x8 Pyrex with non-stick, pour in and flatten contents of bowl. Bake for 15-20mins until brown and the scent starts to be noticeable upon opening oven - I didn't time this, I just went by feel as usual...it's pretty clear when it's ready. Cool granola bars and then cut into 8, 12, or 16 bars. I did 16 bars for 2x2" bars. Partly because with the amount of almonds in them the calories can be high as a quick snack, but larger bars would be pretty substantial for athletic activity or for a holdover between meals.


These will likely be a snack of mine ~1 hour before Battenkill this weekend. Gotta give them a true test!

Perfect Texture. Already approved by triathlon coaches and foodies. One coach stated "When are you going to start a cookbook?" Hmmm...we shall see!

And, as usual, for the nutrition!

They turned out pretty well! I had one for dessert last night. Only things I would change to the recipe is to maybe cut down on the almond butter/honey and go with some of the flaxseed binder method to both cut some sugar and add some more distributed fats. I will definitely get more creative with mix-ins but was limited as my cabinet is rather empty right now :(...very sad, I know.

E=MC^2 Bars (Double Batching NRG Bars!)

I haven't strayed too much from the Energy (NRG) Bar recipes in the book Thrive by Brendan Brazier, but today I stepped out of the box on the second set of NRG bars. They're very good, very calorie efficient, taste great, and are perfect for pre-activity or general on the go usage. Only thing I can complain about...it'll turn to mush if you put it into a bag in your cycling jersey. Thus, usage for during activity is limited to activities during which you take breaks. I am working on devising an NRG Bar for during race/activity use. It will be the natural, homemade equivalent of what many people use as CLIF Bars and PowerBars. It will likely require a baking procedure, which I don't mind...but I'm going to strive for a raw version as well - as many athletes like the immediate digestibility and unadulterated touch of raw food. I may just go with the "NRG Ball" and ball-up these bars with added Honey/Agave to complete the ball...

So, back to today's kitchen FRENZY. I had the day off from work and (more impressively) took the day off from my bike. Surprise, surprise! After a complete half year of not missing a single day of cardio activity - despite my Dad's hospital stay and my broken collarbone and life - I deemed (with extensive persuasion from my teammates and 'coach') a day out of the saddle would help and not hurt.

Thus, I had A LOT of excess energy to burn and I took it out in the form of food...my second favorite thing to cycling. Here's the list:

1. Sweet Potato Caribbean Kale Soup
2. Whole Wheat Bread (my first bread making ever!)
3. Carob Blueberry NRG Bars
4. Apple Cinnamon NRG Bars

Note: Both NRG Bars adapted from Thrive.

Since today's focus is NRG Bars you'll be getting two (yes, 2!) recipes :)

First up were the ones I absolutely 100% love: Carob Blueberry NRG Bars:

NRG Slabs! About to become the glorious "NRG Bars"
(Left: Carob-BB, Right: Apple-Cinn)

NRG Bars:

Carob Blueberry:

• ¼ C Almonds (32g)
• 1 C (10 avg sized) Medjool Dates (131g)
• ¼ C (30g) Coarsely Ground Flaxseed – but any Flaxseed shall work
• ¼ C (34g) UNHULLED Sesame Seeds – nutritional content is absurdly better in unhulled!
• ¼ C (30g) Carob Powder

Add-ins:

• 1 C (200g) Cooked Buckwheat – comes from about 1/3 cup dry (when cooked with H₂O 2:1). Also, I cook A LOT of Buckwheat at once and store it in the fridge because I make these/use buckwheat so often – freshly cooked buckwheat yields a bit gooey-er of bars.
• ½ C (74g) Blueberries

Put all except buckwheat/blueberries into the food processor (FP) and blend until smooth/clumpy. If it gets too thick, add water 1T at a time. Then add Add-ins…you can either ‘pulse’ or (better, but a pain!) hand mix them into the blended goodness.

Flatten to approx ¼ inch onto a cutting board – mine came out to be close to 8x8 inches. I prefer to put it in the fridge for 30+ minutes so it firms up a bit, which eases the cutting and storing process. Cut in 8 bars (each is 3.5”x2”) and put into tupperware, separate levels of bars with wax paper.

Apple Cinnamon:

• 1 Large (242g) Apple – I had Fiji on hand. By large I mean the thing weighs 242g, a half-pound
• ⅓ C (48g) Popped Amaranth – A really cool grain that pops like popcorn (see below for resources on how this cool, but easy process works!)
• 1 C (~20) Mariani Pitted Dates (140g) – tested these instead of Medjool. In order to get the thickness that Medjool’s have I measured the cup, filled it with water and set it aside while adding other ingredients. Before adding them to the FP I drained the water. This will ensure that your bars are not ‘dusty’ but stay together well!
• ¼ C (30g) Hemp Protein
• ¼ C (32g) Cashews
• 1T Cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp Nutmeg

Add-ins:

• ½ C (50g) Rolled Oats (thicker = better!) 

Follow same directions as listed above. These ones came out a bit mushy. I would suggest using a not-so-dry grain like Amaranth/Oats. The original recipe calls for Quinoa (I didn’t have any readily available) and I think that would hold a touch better…but the apple is a pretty runny fruit when hit with the FP, so who knows?


Amaranth "Reading" (actually "video") Materials...reading just sounds more official and studious. I'm still wondering why I wrote "Reading" haha: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqbQDKxDyW4

Now for the nutrition: 8 bars per recipe.

 And now for the Candy of the Eye:

NRG Bars, tucked away for tomorrow. And Saturday. And Sunday...
(Yes, those are three full layers of bars)

The flavors of both are excellent. Carob BB's turned out better than ever - not so chocolatey that they seem dessert-like so they're good for activity. Apple Cinnamon are very good, I wouldn't suggest using too much more cinnamon/nutmeg than I did (I like the spice-filled flavor, so I doubled/tripled the original recipe quantities).

The Weekend of the GEL!

Today is a great morning in the Kroot Household (AKA BK Lounge South). I'm making my recovery smoothie for post-ride, dogs are excited to be fed before 5AM, Jason is getting his stuff together as he drives down to Boston to go for a long run, as in 20+ miles! Whenever the kitchen is teeming, I am a happy camper...whenever it is because of workouts I'm ecstatic! He's meeting his Dana Farber Cancer Institute Training Team for a long run on the glorious Boston Marathon course as he participates in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Guess what? You should donate! More on Jason in another post that deserves much more focus. Here's his page link: http://www.rundfmc.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=484862&supid=253151052. He's well over $3,000 and on his way to a massive $6,000 fundraising goal.


Back to the Gels, those gooey, weird energy things that get all the hype. Yes they are great and yes they are one of the best ways to fuel while exercising. But what is in a Gel?


Example #1:
GU Tri-Berry: Maltodextrin (Glucose Polymers), Filtered Water, Fructose, GU Amino Acid Blend (Leucine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine), Natural And Artificial Berry Flavor, Potassium And Sodium Citrate, GU Antioxidant Blend (Natural Vitamin E And Vitamin C), Calcium Carbonate, Fumaric Acid, Sea Salt, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, GU Herbal Blend [Chamomile, Cola Nut (Has Caffeine), Ginger], Citric Acid, Pectin. Gluten-free. Dairy-free. With ~20mg of caffeine.


Example #2: 
PowerGel Chocolate: C2 MAX CARBOHYDRATE BLEND (MALTODEXTRIN, FRUCTOSE), WATER, CHOCOLATE, GLYCERIN, POWERBAR ELECTROLYTE BLEND (SODIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM CITRATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE), NATURAL FLAVOR, SODIUM BISULFATE, GREEN TEA EXTRACT AND CAFFEINE FROM TEA, SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS). MADE ON EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO PROCESSES MILK AND SOY.

Example #3:
Hammer Gel Apple-Cinnamon: Maltodextrin, Filtered Water, Apple Juice Concentrate, Energy Smart® (Fruit Juice, Natural Grain Dextrins), Ground Cinnamon, Malic Acid, Vanilla Extract, Potassium Sorbate (as a preservative), Salt, Amino Acids (L-Leucine, L-Alanine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine), Potassium Chloride. This product is processed in a facility that also processes Dairy & Soy products.


A quick example of one of my many Gel Recipies: Agave Nectar, Banana, Almond Butter (homemade), Medjool Dates, Carob (or Cocoa) Powder, Sea Salt.


So, what do I think of commercial gels? I think they have completely transformed the during exercise nutrition scene. I remember back 15+ years ago when we would take GU with us on days skiing where we weren't sure when we would get to (read: want to) stop for a food break. Sometimes you just want to GO...we had GU. This was in the mid-90's when I'm not even sure the athletic world was super keen on this stuff. So what's the big deal? Most of you know - during exercise nutrition has a cornucopia of benefits: increased performance, increased recovery, mental sharpness, energy stabilization, endurance, the list does not stop. Refueling fluids, electrolytes, and energy (mainly carbs and fat) are absolutely critical in performance and the benefit becomes increased with increased duration/intensity.


More recently though - I have become more keen on knowing what I put into my body. I have adopted the, as my late teacher "Bud" Flaherty used to say, KISS method (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Simple means many things: you can actually pronounce the ingredients, the body takes it very well, it is easily disgestible, and it provides very efficient energy. Sure it might not maximize the complex:simple carbohydrate ratio, or have a slight amount of fat (give me a couple months and I'll freakin' nail it!). But it tastes better, feels better, and fuels better.


Books have been and are written on how much and what to intake during exercise. So I will not be going into Glycemic Index (GI), complex carbs, branced chain amino acids (BCAA's) medium chain trigylcerides, protein utilization on longer activities, etc. At least not on this post. Maybe if I bust out a biochem book and a 100% science focus sports nutrition book next to each other. However, consuming nutrition during exercise is very much based on the individual and there is no "golden" number out there. Mainly because it is all about being able to tolerate what you eat. Fats and Proteins are more difficult to digest, and there is much debate regarding simple vs complex carbohydrates. For simplicity's sake (at the moment) I will stick with carbs are easy, fats can be okay, and protein should be avoided in large quantities. This avoidance of high protein is primarily because protein is used to build muscle and not fuel it...when you burn protein for fuel the byproduct has toxins. So if you eat "protein bars" during endurance and serious cardiovascular workouts, I highly suggest you switch it up! A little protein is good - because on longer bouts of exercise your body actually requires a very small amount of protein (or it steals it from your muscles), but take in a lot and you're hurting yourself.


Back to tolerance of digestion: most during exercise nutrition is carbohydrate based, some sources for longer activity (2-3 hours and longer) utilize fat and small amounts of protein - with good reason. Hammer Nutrition recommends ~250kcal per hour (kcal = 1000 calories = 1 Calorie - which is what you see on nutrition labels here in the US). I suggest starting with 200kcal/hr and increase as tolerable. Running is more difficult than cycling as it is not as easy to carry/eat nutrition and you are bouncing around more, which definitely effects comfort in digestion. As an example, thanks to my wonderful stomach, I plan to take in at least 400kcal/hr during my 3 hour high-intensity (lots of climbing) cycling race in a few weeks. I am in the final stages of testing my homemade Gels.


My ride today was broken into 3 parts:

1. 70mins easy w/ a couple moderate efforts (long ride into Portland)
2. 65mins fairly hard for the Group Ride: many attacks/breakaway attempts with moderate effort when recovering    **One breakaway was 15mins long @ HR 173bpm (85%+ Max HR and thus well into "high intensity")
3. 40mins easy ride home

Without further ado, I present to you my most recent long-winded concoction "Banana Honey Almond Butter Gel": The gel is designed as a mid-long distance gel at moderate intensity. The other gel I made for today was a 'high-octane' formula for the 1 hour hard effort I made during the group ride.
There is one "secret ingredient" in which I am in the Alpha stages of testing, Blackstrap Molasses (it passed today's test! Woohoo!). I was rummaging through the cabinet last night when I came across this beast! I have been desperately searching for a good, high-quality, and natural source of potassium in compact form - I nearly resorted to using coconut meat from fresh coconuts (but didn't know if it is even high in potassium):

• 1/2 Large Banana
• 1/4 C Honey
• 2T Almond Butter (homemade)
• 1T Blackstrap Molasses
• 2tsp Carob Powder
• 1/4tsp Sea Salt

Place all ingredients into a food processor until smooth. Then turn back on for about 30 seconds (you want this stuff very smooth if you are using a Gel Flask - especially if you use dates or similar non-soft fruit at all!).


Here's a couple pictures of the good stuff in life: Pure, unadultered deliciousness that will burn cleaner (and cost much less) than anything commercially available. In due time, many of my recipes will have an estimated cost associated with them. A quick calculation gives this blend at about $0.33/oz (versus GU's base price of $1.25, their Roctane is a whopping $2.35). Even being an employee at a running store, I can't get nutrition for anything near $0.33/oz (unless it is expired and thus free :p):

The Mixology

Double-Flasking (6oz each) for the SMR on 3/24/2012 (3hrs cycling). 1000kcal total. (Left flask is the recipe shown above - my brother liked this one more).

The official breakdown of the two flasks:
Cal: 987, From Fat: 180. Carbs 186g (76% Cals), Fat 20g (18% Cals), Protein 17g (6% Cals). Now, a couple scientific papers (referenced in Thirve) state the body utilizes a 60:35:5 Carb:Fat:Protein ratio for moderate intensity and a 90:7:3 ratio for high intensity. As my workout included


Soon, once I've experimented a bit more, I will post my various formulae for homemade Gel for different activity intensities and lengths. Luckily my official "test ride" will be Tour of the Battenkill, a crushing 100K (62.25mi) justly dubbed "America's Queen of Classics". The spring race that has 10 dirt sections, 6300ft+/- vertical gain/loss, and will make you suffer whether you are a pro or if it's your first voyage on the epic route. There are bouts of absolutely maximal efforts and a lack of pleasing lulls in this race, thus it is very difficult to prepare for nutritionally. Best thing (as with any day training or in life): Make sure the fuel stores are completely full. Next step, take in what you can and make sure your body burns cleaner, better, faster, stronger.


Until my next Gel post, enjoy trying out this recipe. If you want suggestions or have any questions post them in the comments and I will more than gladly respond to you!

First Recipe: Black Bean Brownies: Take One (definitely doing these again!)

I was initially going to do a post about my new-found amazingness: Home Made Energy Gel. But due to special request, I will be writing about the easily confused with dessert specialty infamously known as the deceitful "Black Bean Brownie" (BBB). There are hundreds of recipes out there, it is not a bit crazy - just pure awesome. Every health blog that likes flavor (and thus is worth it's memory in cyberspace) must have a BBB post. So maybe it is fitting that this is my first recipe post (thanks Al and Ronni!). Out of all the blogs that have BBB options there is one above the rest: No Meat Athlete (which will be referred to as NMA from here on) has the "Ultimate Energy Bar Formula". I've never been one to really like following a strict, specified recipe. If I do, it is to get the basics down if the recipe seems complex. I simply prefer going rogue! This basic formula lets you do whatever the heck you want and, often more importantly, is very nice when you don't live within a health market's pantry. Ever run into the problem where you see a 'critical ingredient' on a recipe and it is the first time you have ever seen that item? (Ex: I don't have brown rice flour, quinoa flakes, hemp oil, the list goes on and on). Well, with NMA's guide you can't miss.

This time, I'll give the eye candy before the recipe...but don't get too used to it!

Okay, so these are pictures of the second set of BBB I made with CC's (chocolate chips). Sadly I didn't snap a photo of the first set...I was too excited to eat them and give them away.

So I took a stab at it. And I've taken another stab since then (to make more dessert-like BBB's). Here's what I came up with on try #1:

• 1 Can (15.5oz) Goya Black Beans - drained, then rinsed a couple times to get the chunky stuff out. Don't worry about completely draining the excess water after rinsing!
• ½ C Homemade Almond Butter
• ¼ C Agave Nectar
• ½ Large Banana (makes  ¼ C mashed banana)
• ½ Cup Cocoa (I had Hershey's 100% Special Dark)

All components below are put in after you hit the first set with the food processor until fully smooth. Make sure to not pulverize the oats and especially to keep the raisins intact as best as you can!

• 1½ C Rolled Oats (Use the thick cut or regular - quick oats will likely become mush)
• ½ C Whole Wheat Flour (subbed for the preferred brown rice flour which I don't have)
• ⅓ C Raisins
• ⅓ C Shredded Coconut (I only had sweetened - I would preferably use unsweetened)
• ⅓ C Dark Chocolate Yogurt Covered Raisins (not really optimal by being 'natural', but they looked so good - and made an awesome textural & flavorful addition)

Extra notes: If things seem super thick and very hard to sculpt, feel free to add a bit of water 1-2T at a time. This step will differ based on what types of binder, flour, and sweetener you use.

Put in an 8x8 (bigger brownies) or 9x13 (more brownies) pan that has cooking spray on it. Bake on 350F for 12-18 minutes...all you need to do is firm up the mixture and get a touch of the water out, no big chemistry is happening here - but it definitely adds a lot to the completeness of the flavor and texture. If you try these with a no bake procedure I would suggest more of dry ingredients, but let me know if you give it a shot!

On this recipe, I went with the 8x8 Pyrex. Thus it made 12 pretty solid sized brownies (nutritional info is listed below). I prefer the 9x13 method, it yields 20 still good size brownies. More is more! So, how did they come out?? To quote my brother: "These do NOT taste anything like 200 calories!" He was expecting 350+. I told him I didn't use any added sugar or chocolate (cocoa powder is different) and they had zero butter. Needless to say, he was pleased and impressed.

Now for the nutrition breakdown. Did you think I'd actually go without it?! If you did, get used to knowing every little thing about my cooking. I have created a streamlined Excel template/workbook and food database, so it is very quick and easy. I include both 2000kcal and 3500kcal diet values (as my intake is far closer to 3500kcal or above, rather than 2000kcal). No gram scale...yet, so I can't be uber precise. Here it is (and If you do a 1/20th batch per the 9x13 pan...then each brownie is a mere 60% of this recipe...or 126kcal. Now that is absurb :) )

They turned out great. Unless you have an extremely keen palate, you wouldn't even notice that the base is black beans without being informed of it. Whether you are someone who likes to make healthful snacks or not, these are a must try!