Granola bars

I love this recipe because you don't have to bake anything. Great for school lunches too. It's a variation on the recipe at Joyful Abode.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• 3/4 cup wheat germ - can often find at Cold Storage or at Adventist Hospital bakery
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds (also pumpkin seeds)
• 1 cup peanuts, crushed (can use any nut here)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• other options: chocolate chips, shredded coconut, 8 oz dried fruit

1. To crush your peanuts, put them in a plastic bag and smash them with a heavy mallet, measuring cup, or sauce pan.
2. Mix the peanuts, oats, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds in a wok and toast for about 10 minutes. Stir often.
3. Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
4. Mix everything together in a large bowl.
5. Prepare a baking dish (about 11 x 13 inches) for your granola by lining it with waxed paper. Dump your granola mixture in here, spreading across pan. 
6. Cover the granola with another sheet of waxed paper and press firmly all over. 
7. Wait 2-3 hours, or until granola is completely cooled.
8. Remove wax paper and carefully turn granola out onto a cutting board. Slice your granola bars!
9. Enjoy!

First recipe: Ginger chicken

Ingredients:
1 chicken, cut up
Sauce:
1/3 c soy sauce
1 T apple cider vinegar
3 T brown sugar
3 T white sugar
1 t ginger powder (or use some minced fresh ginger)
1 t garlic powder (or use some minced fresh garlic)

Mix all ingredients for sauce. Pour over chicken and marinate overnight (or at least 8 hours). Bake at 350F/180C for 1 hour covered. I've also fried the chicken with good results.

Calling all foodies...

This blog is an experiment in creating a cooking community. If you are living in southeast Asia and would like ideas on what to cook — without spending all of your money on expensive ingredients — hopefully you'll be able to find help here. This will be a forum to exchange recipes and ideas on how to prepare great food easily and cheaply. We are especially looking for recipes that:

• use mostly local ingredients, especially those at the market 
• are healthy 
• are easy to make
• don't take all day to prepare

If you would like to contribute to this blog, please post a comment or email me so that I can give you editing privileges. Also, feel free to forward this link to someone you know who may want to join this community.

Feel free to post your recipe, and if it includes any hard-to-find item, please include WHERE you found the ingredient. Be sure to add labels to your recipe, so that it's easy to find later when someone does a search (e.g., chicken, dessert, breakfast, etc.).

Please also feel free to post questions that others can address or offer ideas for. Responses can be made in the comment area under the post.