Healthy Recipes for the Runner/Athlete. Topic: Protein and Stress

More Fish! Aww, geez!

Healthy Recipes for the Runner/Athlete.  Topic: Protein and Stress

Ok, I've kind of been having a side-blog going on for a few weeks now.  One of my husband's good work friends, who is now a serious runner after being inspired while helping crew Mike during his first 100 miler, Pine to Palm, in 2012, asked me to give him some weekly recipes and tips on healthy eating to enhance his running.  In just one year since beginning running, Joel has completed  Tar N' Trail 6 Miler Trail Run , Pear Blossom 10 Miler, Lost Creek Lake 18 Miler, and the Flagline 50K

Pretty amazing. His twin brother, Eric, who just returned from working in Korea this summer, did his first half marathon in Bend in September, the High Alpine Half.  He dove into running right away, and has produced awesome results already.  He is training for his first marathon, Lithia Loop, happening this November.

These guys are on fire, and I was touched when Eric asked if I would share some recipes with them to help fuel the flame.  They are already excellent cooks.  Joel brought in some slow-cooker pork that my husband is still talking about, so its not like they needed advice on how to cook delicious, succulent meals, just on how to use nutrition as a tool to help build a better athlete. 

So, now I'm going to start including some more serious, performance-nutrition related posts on this blog since I thought they were worth sharing with anyone interested in trying to use his or her diet to complement their active lifestyle. Whether running, biking, swimming, hiking, trying to stay in shape, whether racing or just having fun (racing does not preclude having fun, just sayin!) this may be helpful in optimizing your food choices and preparation to help you feel better, stronger, and faster during your training or events.

A good diet can make a world of difference in your mood.  If I’m stressed after work or because of something that I can’t control, like when I was injured this summer and couldn’t run, I need to make sure that instead of going to things which SOUND like they would provide relief and be soothing, such as full-saturated fat ice cream, greasy fries, super salty pizza, whatever, I instead needed to make myself eat as healthy as possible.  This practice applies ESPECIALLY on days I can’t exercise.   Since I’m not getting those endorphin boosts from running or working up a sweat, the positive-inner-vibes need to come through diet.  Or from cuddling with my cute-as-a-button Beagle, Madison.

Composed of 22 Amino Acids, protein is the only macro-nutrient that replenishes serotonin, the brains main mood and sleep-regulating chemical, which helps control depression, aggression, and anxiety.  (yes, sometimes a little aggression is good to get you to pass that guy in the annoying tri-suit ahead of you in the 50k, but overall you would like to go through your day and your running with a zen-like disposition, eh?)  Its also important for the production of endorphins, neurotransmitters that convey feelings of pleasure, oh yeahJ  Great lean (low-bad-fat) protein sources are Salmon and Steelhead, Salmon’s rainbow-trout cousin of the northwest.  These pink fish contain significant amounts per serving of the omega-3 essential fatty acids, which help boost your brain’s  production of the anti-depressant  dopamine.  In a study in 2005, a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 was shown to lower blood cortisol levels (Nutritional Neuroscience, 2005, vol. 8, no. 4).  Cortisol, is a stress-coping hormone that, when you’re under prolonged pressure and anxiety, can actually make you feel MORE anxious and stressed.  Too much cortisol can also make your body hold on to fat, that is not burn as much fat for fuel as when you are less stressed and feeling positive.  So, it’s a cycle, exercise more, feel better, lose weight/maintain a healthy weight, since you feel better you’re more inclined to eat healthier, and by getting enough cortisol-lowering omega-3s in your diet, and eating enough health protein in general to maintain serotonin levels, you will feel even better.  Runner’s high, healthy-eating high! 

 

Did you know that the way most modern antidepressants work is by increasing the amount of serotonin in your blood by inhibiting the uptake back into cells?  They are called SSRIs, or, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors.  By exercising and eating enough healthy-fat containing protein, you are essentially causing your body to have the same reaction that the drugs like Celexa, Prozac, Zoloft, etc are having on your body.  Then it makes sense when you feel a little down on the day or days you skip workouts and don’t eat healthy.  So, nature’s natural anti-depressants: running (or some form of aerobic/cardiovascular exercise) and lean, complete proteins! 

Recipe 1:

Smoked Salmon and Sweet Potato Salad 

Serves 4 Hungry Runners

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed sweet potato or butternut squash

1 tablespoon of Cajun Seasoning

1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil

2 tsp tamari or soy-sauce

6-8 cups mixed salad greens

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

¼ small red onion, thinly sliced

6 sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil) thinly sliced

3 ounces of sunflower or broccoli sprouts

¾ cups of pecans, toasted and chopped

8 oz of smoked salmon (NOT lox) cut or torn into bite sized pieces 

For dressing:

¼ cup of fresh OJ

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Dash of black pepper

1 tsp agave nectar or honey

Instructions:

1. Steam cubed sweet potatoes until cooked but not mushy, about 10 minutes.  Place in a bowl to cool and dry for about 10 minutes.

2. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning, olive oil, and tamari over sweet potatoes.  Stir to distribute evenly.  Heat a skillet over medium high-heat.  Pour sweet potato mix into skillet.  Cook, stirring often and carefully until sweet potatoes are lightly toasted.  Transfer to paper towel to cool.

3. Place salad greens in a large bowl. Add sliced peppers, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and sprouts.  Add cooled sweet potatoes and pecans.  Add Salmon.

4. Combine all dressing ingredients and blend well.  Pour over salad and toss gently.  Serve right away.

Recipe 2: Grilled Salmon with Banana-Fig Kabobs

Serves 2 hungry runners

 Little info: Your brain needs B6 to produce serotonin, and B5 is crucial to maintaining your adrenals-glands above the kidney that manage the stress response by producing cortisol and adnrenaline (epinephrine).  When you’re stressed, your body burns through these vitamins, leaving you susceptible to symptoms of adrenal fatigue, such as lethargy, mild depression, and scatter-brained concentration.  If you’re stressed out, you might be chronically deficient in vitamin B’s.  So try to have a diet high in avocados, bananas, sunflower seeds, oats, and turkey, which are great sources of the B-team.

Did you know: Figs, which are nearing the end of their season here in the Northwest, are high in calcium and potassium.  Your brain and bones need ample amounts of these calming minerals, which cortisol (there is that ubiquitous mood-hormone again!) leaches from your bone matrix during chronic stress.  So, eat figs and bananas, in moderation, to replenish your calcium and potassium stores!

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, divided in half

½ cup of light-coconut milk

2 tsp agave nectar or honey

Pinch of salt

1 pound of Salmon or Steelhead fillet

Salt and pepper, to taste

2-3 ripe but firm (not mushy or starting to brown!) bananas

8 ripe fresh figs (not dried)

12-16 fresh pineapple chunks

2 tablespoons honey

1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno

Instructions:

1. In a small pot, gently heat 1 tablespoon lime juice, coconut milk, agave, and salt just long enough to melt any lumps.  Taste and adjust flavorings as desired (This sauce can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge.  Reheat gently just prior to serving).

2. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Preheat grill (I use my George Foreman grill in the winter when its too cold to grill outside)

3. Peel bananas and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces.  If figs are large, cut into 1 inch pieces, otherwise leave whole.  Pineapple chunks should be about 1 inch across.  Snugly alternate banana, pineapple, and fig pieces onto four kabob skewers.  Maintain an even diameter for the length of the kabob so the fruit will cook evenly.

4. Mix remaining 4 tablespoons lime juice with honey and jalapeno.  Brush over kabobs and salmon (use separate brushes).  Reserve excess marinade for grilling.

5. Place salmon, skin-side up, on grill, along with kabobs.  Cook, turning Salmon once and kabobs about 4 times, brushing with marinade (make sure you don’t use the same brush on the raw fish as you use on the kabobs) until salmon is opaque and fruit is caramelized (about 6 minutes per side for salmon and 3 minutes per side for kabobs).  Do not char.  Serve hot, drizzled with lime-coconut sauce.

Mike after his first 100 miler, at 2 in the morning, surrounded by supportive friends.  Some, who had never run before, immediately took up the addictive, satisfying sport the next day!

Cranberry Flax and Rosemary Crusted Steelhead

This meal features simple, fresh, in-season ingredients that when, combined in an elegant, almost magical manner, make each bite a Northwest Flavor experience that will leave your palate very pleased and your guests satisfied, impressed, and smiling for days....

 

Cranberry Flax and Rosemary Crusted Steelhead

When Mike and I first moved to Oregon, we had dinner in a lovely little local new world Italian restaurant, Pasta Piatti (which is now one of our favorites!) the night before his first day at his new job.  I was intrigued by "Plank Grilled Steelhead".  I had absolutely no idea what Steelhead was.  I thought maybe it was a cut of beef, or a tough, silvery vegetable I'd never heard of.....looking back now I realized how brightly my "I'm not from the Northwest at all, I'm a total Oregon newbie!" sign over my head was flashing when I asked the waitress what this delicious, mysterious sounding delicacy was that was grilled with a lemon glaze and served with Klamath fingerling potatoes, carrots, and brussel sprouts, YUM!.  

How could I have predicted that only 3 months later, when my parents came to visit, my dad would go fishing with a local guide, David Georgeson, on the Rogue River, and catch two beautiful, 26" Steelhead Trout, which we prepared that evening using a fabulous Asian marinade recipe David so kindly shared with us.

This recipe is one that I used to prepare Salmon, but once I married Mike, I stopped cooking it often since he wasn't a big fan....until.....we moved to Oregon and he had his first, freshly caught Steelhead from our local waters.  Oh yeah.  I came up with this recipe thinking it would make a great holiday main dish during the winter months, when Ocean-Maturing Steelhead are running our northwest waterways, after we go running in the woods.....happiness.


There are multiple reasons to choose Steelhead over Salmon if you have the choice (nothing against the traditional, healthy, pink favorite fish of most foodies, just providing some information here....)

A type of Rainbow Trout, Steelhead is on the “Best Choices” list of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s  Seafood Watch which monitors world fish populations for over-fishing. 

Its less expensive (up to $4/lb cheaper!)

Its more sustainable.

You can cook it for your friends and family members that love Salmon, and they won't ever know the difference!  It still has all the health benefits, namely the high amount of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, which are good for your heart, your joints, and your mood!

This recipe packs a major punch of Omega-3s, due to the fish but also the Flaxseed!

Ingredients for Cranberry and Flax Crusted Steelhead Fillets

Serves 6

2 1/2 lbs of Steelhead Fillet
Juice of two freshly squeezed lemons
2/3 cup of dried cranberries (or cherries) diced as much as possible with you and your best knife. Try to find ones sweetened with juice, not extra sugar.  
4 Scallions (Green Onions), finely diced.
2/3 cup gluten free breadcrumbs or Panko.
1/2 cup of ground flax or ground pecans. 
4 tablespoons of fat-free mayonnaise.  I use Grapeseed Vegenaise ( I actually prefer the creamy smooth texture to mayonnaise).
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary or thyme leaves, chopped, or 2 teaspoons of ground dried herb.
1/4 teaspoon (more if you like a little more "kick") of Red Pepper Flakes
Freshly ground sea salt to taste ( I use about 10 heavy turns on my grinder)
Zest from two lemons.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place the fish on a foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle with lemon juice.
3. Combine cranberries, scallions, mayonnaise, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt and lemon zest in a bowl, mixing well with a fork until the the mixture is moist and slightly clumpy.

4. Place the dried fruit mixture on top of the salmon and press together with your clean fingers, covering the entire top surface of each fillet.  It should look like this: -------------->

5. Bake until fish is flaky for 20 minutes, then check and if fish is flaky, lighter pink ,and moist it is done, if its still a little too bright pink and shiny cook for about 5 more minutes (baking time needed will vary depending on thickness of fillets).

Thats it.  Its really too easy.  And its so pretty to look at when its done, you almost don't want to eat it.  Just kidding, I want to devour it, but slowly over a glass of tempranillo with good company.  You should definitely try the tempranillo from one of my favorite Applegate wineries, Valley View , where my friend Sarah, who is also a runner, is the tasting room manager.  She is brilliant, go check it out.

Coming up next, the side dishes for this meal: 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Corn Bread Muffins

Wild Mushroom Hazelnut and Endive Salad

Better than a Frosty ChocoChiaCardaNutty Smoothie

I have made this smoothy too many times to count the past year, either for breakfast or for a middle of the day fast liquid lunch or snack in between working out and running errands!  It is full of everything wonderful and wonderful tasting...I really can't get enough of this stick-to-your-ribs silky, delicious meal in a blender.

I make sure that I have a constant supply of peeled, ripe bananas in a tupperware container in the freezer on hand at all times!

Its a great way to use any coffee leftover in the pot from that morning.

The Cardamon: This peppery, citrusy spice is native to the evergreen forests of India.  It is traditionally used in Indian savory dishes, and also in Ayurvedic medicine.  It is an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. Related to the more commonly known spice Ginger, Cardamon is also known for its healthy-digestion promoting properties.

Cardamom is native to the evergreen forests of India. This spice is commonly used in Indian cuisine, but it has also made its way into Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for mouth ulcers, digestive problems, and even depression. Some of the health benefits of this peppery, citrusy spice are now making their way into modern studies. - See more at: http://www.sunwarrior.com/news/15-health-benefits-of-cardamom/#sthash.QpGXzo9M.dpuf

Cardamom is native to the evergreen forests of India. This spice is commonly used in Indian cuisine, but it has also made its way into Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for mouth ulcers, digestive problems, and even depression. Some of the health benefits of this peppery, citrusy spice are now making their way into modern studies. - See more at: http://www.sunwarrior.com/news/15-health-benefits-of-cardamom/#sthash.QpGXzo9M.dpuf

  

Serves 2

Gluten Free

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk, Hemp Milk, Soy Milk, or Organic Skim Milk
4 ice cubes
2 Frozen Bananas (or non-frozen, just add more ice if they are not frozen)
 1/2 cup non or low fat plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup of creamy almond butter (I prefer roasted)
2 dates (pits removed of course! don't want any broken blender blades)
1 tablespoon of Cocoa Powder or Dark Chocolate Nibs
1 teaspoon of Chia Seeds
splash of coffee if desired
1/4 tsp of Cardamon
1 scoop of your favorite protein powder

Put all ingredients, in order listed, in your Blender or Vitamix, and blend until smooth and creamy but not too long, you want it to be frosty cool! (going too long in the Vitamix can actually warm it up!).  Now you're ready to take on the day with a little extra chocolate-y bounce in your step.

Coming up next: Rainy-Day Northwest Dinner

Cranberry Flax and Rosemary Crusted Steelhead

Gluten Free Pumpkin Corn Bread Muffins

Wild Mushroom Hazelnut and Endive Salad

Local Steelhead from the Rogue River

More backyard pumpkin goodness making the house smell like the North Pole's Bakery

Chanterelles from the damp woodlands of Ashland, tossed with Rosemary and Truffle Oil.....mmmmmm......a great topping for a fresh green salad with hazelnut vinaigrette

 

Backyard Harvest Blitz!

If this doesn't make your mouth water I don't know what will....

Nutty Sage Stuffed Delicata Squash 

And

Arugula Cabbage Salad with Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette and Pomegranate Seeds

This recipe is Gluten Free and Vegan (see Vegan adjustments)

Hellooooooooo Autumn! I took a long break from food blogging this summer, but not from cooking.  Even during our fun and adventurous travels in the American West we had a kitchen everywhere we stayed so I stirred up a storm of fun hot-month recipes while on the road in California, Colorado, and Utah, and of course, Oregon!  I came home from our vacation last week to a garden bursting with gourds, and squash, and herbs, oh my!  but also to an empty fridge!  So when I was thinking out loud during my massage before my 50k last Friday, I mentioned that I didn't know what to do with all those yummy yellow/orange/green/red fruits of fall lazying on the long vines across my garden walkways.  My massage therapist, Amelia, whose partner is a master gardener, gave me some great ideas on how to finish growing, preserve, and cook my pumkin, butternut, delicata, etc etc.  What follows is one of the most simple, elegant, extremely warm and satisfying meals to welcome in my favorite season of the year.  This recipe really is too easy to taste this amazing, so, go gather up some gourds and an hour later you will have this mouthwatering dish beckoning your family and friends to the harvest table!  It would make a great holiday dish for vegetarians, it is so "meaty" in flavor that my husband thought there was sausage in it....! Nope, just lots of heart-healthy nuts and fresh herbs:)

The Beautiful Fall Flowers that my Brother and Sister in Law sent me for my birthday, which is the first day of autumn:)  Since I was on an autumn harvest blitz, I quickly roasted two of my sugar pie pumpkins and pureed them and turned them into these things that mysteriously disappear overnight when Mike's home....hmmm.....

 Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Medium Yellow or Walla Walla Onions, finely chopped
3-6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground sea-salt
2-3 tablespoons of chopped FRESH sage (if you don't have any fresh, use 1 tablespoon of dried rubbed sage)
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts
1/3 cup of chopped pecans
1/3 cup of chopped almonds
1/2 cup of plain low-fat (not fat free) yogurt (or to make it Vegan, use silken tofu)
2 Eggs, lightly beaten (to make it Vegan, use two tablespoons of egg replacer)

Thanks Daffodilia and Daisy (my two backyard Light Brahmas, I didn't name them....)

1/2 cup of shredded FRESH parmesan reggiano or Asiago or Romano (to make it Vegan, use vegan cheese shreds)
2 medium to large delicata ( or other winter) squash, halved lengthwise and seeds, pulp scooped out

For someone who is a winter squash fanatic, coming home to a backyard full of these on the garden floor made me very giddy!

 

 

 

You can use any hard-skinned squash for this recipe, including butternut, acorn, spaghetti, and Delicata as in this recipe.

 

 

 

 

 

Must be fall.....the bears are out, and the weekend means football! Go Broncos (and Redskins, and Patriots)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Warm Olive Oil over medium high heat in a heavy-bottom, large skillet or saute pan.
3. When oil starts to sizzle, add onions, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground sea-salt, cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes
4. Stir in sage, and cook until that amazing, musky, herby, sweet smell starts wafting through your kitchen....mmmmm....
5. Stir in nuts, mix all ingredients well to combine, then turn off heat.
6. In a large bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, my third arm) combine yogurt, eggs, and cheese.
7. Stir in Nut/Onion/Sage mixture until evenly combined.
8. Fill each squash boat with 1/4 of the stuffing, sprinkle with a tad bit more parmesan.
9. Bake in the center rack of the oven until squash meat is tender when pierced with a fork and the nut topping is starting to turn golden brown.

If smell could come through pictures, your olfactory nerve would be in savory scented heaven right now!

10. Remove from oven, sprinkle about a tablespoon of crumbled blue cheese on each squash, squeeze a spritz of fresh lemon juice over each, and serve alongside Arugula Cabbage Salad with Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette and Pomegranate Seeds

A hint of holidays to come in a colorful cool-weather salad!

 Toss 2 cups of shredded Napa Cabbage and 2 cups of Baby Arugula with a Vinaigrette composed of two tablespoons of Fig Balsamic Dressing, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp of freshly ground pepper, and 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil.  Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top (you can buy these ready to go, fresh, from Trader Joes!) and Voila, easy, fresh, bright and crunchy nutrirent-packed salad!

I use this delicous Fig-Infused Balsamic Vinegar from a local store, Navidi's, in Bend, Oregon.  www.navidioils.com

Keeping the furnace of ultrarunning and science burning strong

trying to inspire my downhill running....and a fine accompaniment to a hearty, herb-a-licious meal!

Our Plum Tree!

The beginning of fall in the Ansel Adams Wilderness where I did a run/hike in early September

The spirit of John Muir is everywhere in the Eastern Sierras

Lovely Garnet Lake off the John Muir Trail

Our trail running Tour de' Arches National Park during our summer vacation in Moab

Running through the late summer aspen meadows on Vail Mountain on the Berrypicker Trail

A rest stop during the Sierra Fall Century Ride in Mammoth Lakes, California with my riding buddy Sarah

Morning Glory Arch in Negro Bill Canyon in Moab

Between a rock and a hard place ( I couldn't resist!) and Loving It!

looking for Brontosaurus. ....

Paleolithic Food Blog

Enjoying our last hike of our vacation from the top of Cottonwood Canyon outside of Salt Lake City

goodbye summer produce.....

Vegan Crack

AKA: Gluten Free Vegan Chewy Granola Bars 

I've been throwing together gluten free granola for a while now, but I was having issues with 1) having to stir it while in the oven every 10 minutes to prevent burning 2) the big yummy chunks (pecans, oat clusters) disappearing quickly from the tupperware container leaving only the crumbs of sesame seeds and coconut flakes at the bottom after a few helpings and 3) difficult to eat while driving, running, working etc since I'm such a messy "throw more down my shirt than in my mouth" eat-on-the-run kind of snacker.

So, I thought I'd try granola bars which are more portable, homogenous, and evidently extremely addicting....

This recipe can be modified in endless ways to suit your favorite nut/dried fruit/sweetener and even extra ingredient whims (flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, cocoa powder, pepitas, etc etc) so its a fun one to change up a little every time.

I have made three batches of these in 2 weeks, that is how fast they are disappearing from my kitchen into the mouths of running friends, coworkers and of course my own and my husband's as a mid-day snack or post-run recovery food.

They are the PERFECT (convenient, transportable, easy to digest yet power packed) pre, during, or post run snack with a great combination of good fats, protein, glucose, fiber, and if you use chia seeds, the magical mysterious ingredient they contain that make ultrarunners run forever, according to the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

Did you know that dried fruit is a good source of iron?!  I remember that secret source of this hemoglobin-essential ingredient being a multiple choice question on my RN boards, and I always include dried fruit as an iron-rich food included in the list I give my vegan and vegetarian patients.

One more thing, a recent study published in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that 6 grams of cinnamon, when consumed w/ high GI index foods (aka sugar!) provides better blood sugar control and less extreme insulin spikes and crashes.  Which means more consistent, sustained energy and less "bonking" and craving high sugary or fatty foods a few hours later.

This recipe is:

Vegan (if you use vegan chocolate and egg replacer)

Gluten Free 

Ingredients:

Dry:

1 3/4 cups of Gluten Free Rolled Oats

1/2 cup of Bob's Mill soy flour

1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar (optional)

1/2 cup of almond flour

1/2 cup of raw sliced almonds 

1/2 cup of raw chopped walnuts or hazelnuts

1/2 cup of raw crushed pecans (I put the pecans in a zip loc back and gently crush with a pestle from my mortar and pestle)

1/4 cup of chia seeds (optional) or flax seeds (optional)

1 cup of organic unsweetened shredded coconut

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon (as fresh as possible)

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 cups of chopped vegan dark chocolate

1/2 cup of chopped dried fruit of your choice ( I LOVE dates, figs, cranberries, blueberries, and/or raisins)

Wet: 

 8 tablespoons of canola oil or coconut oil/canola oil combo

1 tablespoon of  honey (local if possible)

2 tablespoon of maple syrup

2 tablespoons of dark unsulphured molasses

1 1/2 tsp of egg replacer mixed with 2 tbsp of water or 1 Egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

Spray a 9 x 13 pyrex pan with canola oil spray (flour free!)

In a large bowl, mix the oats, flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Add the nuts, coconut, dried fruit, and mix well to combine.

In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the egg replacer mixed with water or the beaten egg, the oil(s), honey, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla and mix to combine well.  

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients in the well, then mix with a non-stick spatula or wooden spoon until homogenous.

Scrape the mixture into the pan and press firmly w/ the back of a spatula into a dense, even layer.

Place the pan in the center of the pre-heated oven and bake, turning once halfway through baking, for about 20-25 minutes until the top is lightly golden brown but not burnt!

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes then (this is an important step to help w/ ease of slicing into bars) place the pan in the freezer for about 20 more minutes.

Remove from freezer and slice into 2" and 2" (or bigger or smaller, whatever you prefer) bars.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days, or wrap in saran wrap and foil and freeze for up to 4 weeks.