SUPER Granola!

I've made a bunch of different granola recipes over the past few years, but never quite found the perfect one. So, here's a massively hybridized, modified, and super-powered granola recipe that we think is pretty awesome.

I should start by saying that we (ok, I) consume granola in mammoth quantities so this recipe produces a significant pile of cereal. Feel free to halve (or quarter), especially if you aren't the kind of people who buy oats in 25 lb bags and raisins in 5 lb boxes. Who would do that?

Materials:
(measurements are pretty flexible)

• 8 cups rolled oats
• 3/4-1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup apple juice/cider
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 1 ripe banana
• 3/4 cup total of honey and/or maple syrup
• 1-2 tbs of mollasses

Additions, ~1 cup each. Use your favorites, but these are ours:

• Raw or unsalted dry roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
• Pistachios, coarsely chopped
• Unsalted sunflower seeds
• Raisins
• Dried apricots, chopped
• Currants

Mix the oats and brown sugar, then add in the apple juice and vegetable oil. Mash the banana to a pulp with a fork, then mix that in. Next, mix in the honey/syrup, mollasses, and vanilla. When the oats are well-coated, mix in the nuts (but not the dried fruit).

Spray two rimmed cookie sheets with oil and spread the granola mixture evenly. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes, then remove and stir the granola. Bake for another 20-30 minutes or until browned to your satisfaction. Once the granola cools, it will get more crunchy.

Once it has cooled, mix in the dried fruit. If you want to save some, freeze it in a ziplock bag.

Best with sliced fresh fruit!

February Not-Really Recipes

Lately, I haven't done too much exciting food. But oh well, they have tasted good even if they are not thrilling, so here goes:

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Caramelized Onion Dressing:

Cast of characters:
-Greens
-Sweet potatoes
-Onion, diced
-Olive oil
-Balsamic vinegar
-Pepper 

1. Peel and chop sweet potatoes. Lay on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until soft.
2. Chop onions and sautee on low heat until caramelized, approximately 30 minutes.
3. Blend 1/4 cup olive oil (I used a bit of lemon-flavored oil), balsamic vinegar, and black pepper. Use a stick blender to mix in 2/3 of the onion.
4. Eat!
 
My other not-worth a recipe is potato sandwiches:pan-fried potatoes, fried onions, kale cooked a bit with the onions, and cheese. Eaten on focaccia, and dipped in jalapeno/cilantro sauce. 

 
 Hope your food exploits are more adventurous than mine lately!

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

I have been on a cauliflower kick recently. Can you blame me? An organic cauliflower is less than $3 here, and that is a lot of vegetable! So I am always searching for new ways to make it, and here is the most recent incarnation. While this requires several pots/containers, it's fast. And it was good. And less heavy than regular macaroni and cheese.

Cast of characters:
-1/3 block cream cheese
-1 cup milk (we only ever have 1%)
-1/2 head cauliflower, steamed
-Broccoli or other veggies
-1 box pasta (I used farfalle), cooked most of the way through
-Cheese
-Salt, pepper, and any other spices

1. Steam the cauliflower (and maybe the broccoli a bit, if you don't like extra crunchy broccoli), and boil the pasta.  
2. Blend together cream cheese and milk, then blend in 2/3 of the steamed cauliflower. Add pasta, the. Stir to coat.
3. Add remaining cauliflower, broccoli, and a bit of cheese (I put in a very small amount, maybe 1/4 cup, but if you are concerned about cheesy add more). Add spices (at least salt and pepper, then garlic powder and whatever else you like).
4. Pour into casserole dish, top with cheese, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot.

If I were doing this over again, I would start with caramelized onions. Because you can never go wrong with caramelized onions, and it needed a bit more zip. But it was pretty good, and I am very excited about some homemade macaroni (or farfalle) and cheese that tastes good and doesn't make me feel sick from cheese overload afterward.

In other news, yesterday was a big day: inauguration AND the birth of baby AJH (our niece!). Here's hoping you have a wonderful week!

Mango-Pomegranate Salsa

Sorry I have been slow on updating the blog, but tomorrow is back to reality (classes), and so I will hopefully be back in my updating groove before too long!
 
I know I am a bit late on the festive train, but I had this in Minnesota courtesy of Robin's aunt Nettie.  I cannot state where the recipe is originally from (sorry to whoever it belongs to), but I can state it is delicious. And easy. And pretty good for you!

Cast of characters:
-2 mangoes, peeled and diced
-1/2 c pomegranate seeds
-2 green onions, chopped
-2T dried currants
-4T minced cilantro
-2T fresh lime juice
-2 tsp. jalapeno, minced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-salt and pepper

-Tortilla chips or some other crispy thing to eat it with 

The best part about it is the lack of need for any directions. Mix it all together, and eat it with something crispy. 

Hope you are all having a lovely start to the new year!

Sweet Potato Sheperd's Pie

Sorry for the long delay - hope you all had a wonderful holiday and happy (almost) new year!

This is from quite a while ago, but here goes:

 Cast of characters:
-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and steamed
-3 T coconut milk 
-6 carrots, peeled and sliced
-1 onion, chopped 
-1 can hominy
-1 cup corn
-1 cup peas
-1/2 can of low sodium mushroom soup
-1/2 cup milk

1. Roast carrots and onion at 400 for 20 minutes.
2. Combine carrots and onion, hominy, and other veggies. Pour combined soup/milk mixture.
3. Mash sweet potato with coconut milk. 
3. Pour vegetables into pie plate, and top with mashed sweet potato.
4. Bake at 350 until bubbling. If you are patient, using the broiler to try to brown the sweet potatoes a bit wouldn't hurt ;).

 It's not the most beautiful meal I have ever made, but it made a LOT, and it was perfect for a cold day.

Hope you have a wonderful time ringing in the new year! 

Cranberry Muffins

Cranberries have always been one of my favorite things in baked goods. This may be thanks to my mother's cranberry cake, which has held my #1 favorite fall/winter dessert ever since I can remember. Either way, cranberries are good by me. So I couldn't resist when cranberries went on sale after Thanksgiving, and I made these muffins:

Cast of characters:
Muffins
-2 c. flour
-2/3 c. sugar
-1.5 tsp. baking powder
-2/3 c. milk
-4 T. butter, melted
-1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-1 egg
-2 c. fresh cranberries
-Spices - i added 1/2 tsp cinnamon, some cloves, and some nutmeg


Streusel

1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 T. butter
2 T. light brown sugar

1. Mix dry ingredients together. Add in butter, vanilla, and eggs. Fold in cranberries.
2. Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way, top with streusel topping (blended together, of course).
3. Bake at 350 for 17-19 minutes.

Hope you have a lovely weekend! 

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Cast of characters:
-2 cans no salt added tomatoes
-1 can green chiles
-1 can enchilada sauce
-2 cups low sodium chicken broth 
-1/2 pound black beans, cooked
-1 cup frozen corn
-1 pound chicken breast 

-4 T Neufchatel
-1 potato, steamed

To garnish: 
-cheddar cheese
-cilantro
-corn tortillas
-avocado


1. Spray the chicken with a bit of olive oil, and some chili powder. Bake in a 400 degree oven until cooked through, then shred with forks.
2. Add black beans, tomato, enchilada sauce, corn, and green chiles, along with the chicken. Simmer for a bit, then take a bit of broth and blend the neufchatel and potato with it, then add back to the soup.
3. Add chili powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
4. Chop cilantro, slice avocado and tortillas. Shred cheese. Eat! 

And a shot of Gertie's birthday celery for good measure.  One of these days I will hopefully get a good video of her, but her eating celery makes both Robin and I laugh out loud. Every time.