Basic Granola

Happy Monday, hope you all had a great weekend, I sure did.

I have been looking for a granola recipe for years that doesn't have a bunch of ingredients I don't have on hand, and one that I can add what I like. I found this great recipe in Heart & Soul Magazine. It is perfect, you can make it to suit your taste exactly, I love that. I happen to like crunchy, on the sweeter side, (of course) with lots of fruits & nuts walnuts especially. This would make a good breakfast food, use it to make cookies, and a perfect snack for kids & adults. When you are stirring it, if you like little lumps (I do) kinda of make them as it's cooking. Add a little more sweetener if you want, I'm using a blend of molasses and agave.

Enjoy and Cook On.............

This do-it-yourself mix can be customized with whatever nuts, seeds and dried fruit sound good to you.

Ingredients

6 cups Old Fashion Oats

1 1/2 cup nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts etc., coarsely chopped

1/4 cup seeds, such as sunflower, pepitas, etc

1/3 cup flaxseed meal, wheat germ, or a mixture of the two

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3 large egg whites

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 cup sweetener, such as honey, agave syrup or molasses

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup dried fruit, such as sour cherries, cranberries, currants, raisins, apricots, fig or pineapple, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

Combine the oats, nuts, seeds, flax and/or wheat germ, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites and eh salt until frothy. Whisk in the sweetener and the olive oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir until the oats are evenly coated.

Transfer mixture to two rimmed baking sheets and spread flat.

Bake for 20 minutes, then gently flip with a spatula, moving granola from the outer edges to the center of the sheet. Continue to cook until golden, about 10 minutes more (if the granola starts to brown too much at the edges, gently stir these parts into the middle).

Cool completely on pan, then transfer to a bowl and gently stir in the dried fruit.

Nutritional Info per servings: 190 Calories 8 g fat I’m going to assume a serving is 1/2 cup.

Tips & Variations

Chunky: If you prefer a loose granola, simply stir instead of flipping during cooking.

Vegan: Leave out the egg whites. The granola won’t be quite as crunchy, but it will still be very tasty.

Freeze It: Finished batches can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.

Sweet & Tart: Use pistachios and sunflower seeds in the base. After baking, stir in died cherries and 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut.

Crunchy: Use sliced almonds and pepitas in the base. Stir in 1/2 up crispy rice cereal and dried currants after baking.

Tropical: Use macadamia nuts in the base an 3/4 teaspoon dried ginger. Add molasses as the sweetener. After baking stir in 3/4 cup pi maple, 1/4 cup ginger, and 1/2 cup coconut.

Welcome

Hello new people, so glad you joined us. I want to share all your recipes, please email a favorite recipe with a little history to me and I will post them. Love the idea of cooking recipes that we all share. I would like to have a dinner party some night, meaning we all cook the same menu and then talk about it. Anybody up for that? Maybe Asian, Mexican, ideas please. Eating my left over Peruvian Bean Salad with chicken tonight. Can't get enough of those beans!!!! Make it people!!!!

Cook on.................

Peruvian White Bean Salad

I have discovered and fallen in love (truly) with Peruvian beans. I don't know how I ever missed them. They are so delicious, like them so much more than pinto, (right?). Easy to make and even easier in the can. I actually found my canned beans at Walmart (in the Latin food section), but I'm sure any good Latino or Latin American market will have them. The taste is creamy, mild and rich. I'm serving this salad with grilled steelhead (cousin to the salmon, that we are lucky enough to get here in the Pacific Northwest). and that is it maybe a piece of bread or pita with it. Easy, healthy dinner. Give this salad a chance and serve it with chicken or fish.

COOK ON..................

Peruvian White Bean Salad

I cut this recipe in half and used one large can of peruvian beans, fresh of course is better. But really good and fast with canned beans. (They can be found in the can at Wal Mart or any Latino market)

Ingredients SERVES 6

4 cups peruvian beans cooked

1/4 cup red onion,chopped

4 scallions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 celery ribs, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced

3/4 cup cilantro leaf, chopped

1 cup feta cheese crumbled

1 avocado, diced

6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

salt

chili powder, to taste

Directions

Cook the beans yourself, if you can, and drain them well. I bring the beans to a boil and let them sit for a few hours or let the beans soak overnight, drain them, then cook them the next day. These cook fairly quickly. If you can't cook the beans yourself, you can use canned large white beans.

Mix beans and the rest of the ingredients except the spinach, avocado and feta, together and chill.

To serve: place the spinach leaves in individual salad bowls and divide the beans amongst the plates. Top with the avocado and crumbled feta. Drizzle enough of the dressing over the salad to dress the greens.

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Ok, so I'm on my constant quest for the perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. I tried another recipe today. I like it, I don't know if I love it, but it is very satisfying. I added a little more vanilla, cinnamon and added 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, other than that I followed the recipe exactly. I doubled it and got approximately 50 cookies. Filled my cookie jar and Lana took home a bag full for the family, she felt very proud to help with these. Easy to make. I did put the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes, I was pleased how they stayed together. A nice cubby little cookie.

Tell me what you think, COOK ON......................

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, Thick & Chewy

The last trick to getting a really thick, chewy cookie is to chill the dough before you bake it. You can scoop it and then chill it, or, if you’re like us, scoop it, freeze them and store them in a freezer bag so you can bake them as you wish. I find they’re always thicker when baked from the cold — only a couple extra minutes baking is needed.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.

At this point you can either chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them. You could also bake them right away, if you’re impatient, but I do find that they end up slightly less thick.

The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

My friend Marie has given up solid food for Lent, I sent her this recipe yesterday and it sounded so good I remembered why I make it. So I made it again, it is creamy and tasty without dairy, low fat too, full of veggies. I served it with Sweet and Spicy Empanadas, (a Rick Bayless recipe). We loved it all. I'll add the Empanada recipe below just in case somebody feels adventurous enough to try these, a little labor intensive but easy. You can really add any filling, he uses frozen pie crust dough which helps to make it faster. COOK ON.........................

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

I thought about throwing a couple handfuls of small broccoli trees into this soup (a few minutes before doing the puree), spinach would be great as well. You can use a vegetable stock if you like in place of the water.

Ingredients Serves 4 to 6.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stalk celery (diced)

1 carrot (diced)
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 cups dried split green peas, picked over and rinsed
5 cups water (or chicken broth, which I use)
juice of 1/2 lemon (reserve the zest)

a few pinches of smoked paprika
more olive oil to drizzle

Add olive oil to a big pot over med-high heat. Stir in onions and salt and cook until the onions soften, just a minute or two, add carrots & celery saute another two minutes, now add the garlic saute just until garlic is softened. Add the split peas and water. Bring to a boil, dial down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through. Using a hand blender (or regular blender) puree the soup to your desired consistency. If you need to thin the soup out with more water (or stock) do so a bit at a time. Stir in the lemon juice and taste. If the soup needs more salt, add more a bit at a time until the flavor of the soup really pops.

Ladle into bowls or cups, and serve each drizzled with olive oil and topped with a good pinch of smoked paprika and a touch of lemon zest. THIS REALLY ADDS FLAVOR.

Sweet and Spicy Empanadas

Here's another one from chef Rick Bayless, who uses premade pie dough as a shortcut. You can prep the empanadas ahead of time, put them on baking sheets, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove the plastic wrap and pop them in the oven when the game's second quarter starts, and they'll be warm and ready at halftime.

Ingredients MAKES ABOUT 20 (3-INCH) TURNOVERS

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound coarsely ground beef or pork

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 cup prepared medium tomato salsa

1/2 cup chopped green olives

1/2 cup chopped raisins

2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar

Salt

1 15-ounce packages refrigerated ready-made pie dough

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, add oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. Add meat and onion and cook, stirring, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Add salsa, olives, raisins, brown sugar and about 3/4 teaspoon salt; cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Cool.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll pie dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles. Lightly paint the edges of each circle with water. Scoop about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling onto each, fold over and press edges together with a fork. Put on lightly greased baking sheet. Beat egg with milk and brush mixture over tops of empanadas. Bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm.

PER SERVING (3 empandas): calories: 288 (59.2 from fat); protein: 7.1 grams; total fat: 19 grams; saturated fat: 5.1 grams; cholesterol: 37.6 mg; sodium: 444 mg; carbohydrate: 22.7 grams; dietary fiber: 1.8 grams

Adapted from Rick Bayless, FronteraFiesta.com

Soba Noodle Sesame Salad

Sorry I've left you all for so long. Busy, busy, still been cooking. Brought some goat meat from Brookside Farm, which is where I buy my farm fresh eggs, oh my they are so good. She raises Boer Goats, butchers and sells the organically raised goat meat. Did you know that goat meat is the meat most eaten by people on the planet, that's right, over beef. I cooked it as I would beef for burritos, in the crock pot, mexican spices and let it cook for 10 hours. I made goat meat tacos, grilled onions, avocados, homemade salsa. It was so good, even picky Michael loved it. Also, goat meat is leaner, lower in cholesterol and just healthier than beef or pork. Open up your mind and give it a try, you won't be disappointed. But that's not my post for the day.

I've been feeding my neighbor Clark who fell off a ladder and broke 9 ribs, he's on his 5 th week of convalesces, but he has decided that he can now cook for himself. So tonight was the "last supper' I made for him. We had grilled salmon and a Soba Noodle Sesame Salad, that is the recipe I;m giving you today. It was satisfying, delicious and a very good accompaniment to salmon.

Soba Noodle Sesame Salad

Ingredients

Step 1: You will need...

17 ½ oz Japanese soba noodles

1 2⁄3 fl oz soy sauce

2 ½ fl oz vegetable oil

the juice of 1 lemon

4 spring onions , chopped

1 small bunch of fresh coriander leaves , chopped

1 oz sesame seeds

1 inch of ginger , peeled and chopped

salt and pepper

I added some grated carrots, grated daikon radish, and bean sprouts. Added some sugar and garlic powder to the dressing.

Directions Serves: 4

Step 2: Boil the water
Fill the large pot three-quarters full of water. Place on the stove with the lid on and bring to the boil.

Step 3: Cook the noodles
When the water is boiling, add the noodles and stir. Leave the pot uncovered and bring back to the boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes.

Step 4: Toast the sesame seeds
Place a small frying pan on the stove on a medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir, toasting them for about 3 to 4 minutes, occasionally stirring and taking great care not to burn them. When toasted, remove from heat.

Step 5: Make the dressing
Add the soy sauce to a small bowl followed by the lemon juice, ginger, oil and some freshly ground black pepper. Whisk well until all the ingredients are fully combined.

Step 6: Drain the noodles
Pour the noodles into the colander and drain when they are cooked.

Step 7: Combine the ingredients
Transfer the noodles into a large bowl and follow with the sesame seeds, onions, coriander and the dressing. Combine together with the wooden spoon.

Step 8: Garnish and serve
Heap a generous helping onto a plate, garnish with a few coriander leaves and serve.

Aunt Honey's Greek Lemon-Rice Soup with Chicken

My sister in law, "Aunt Honey" aka Connie, shared this recipe with me. I'm making it now and thought this was be an excellent post. I've got to say this has always been one of my favorite soups. Any good greek restaurant should have it on their menu. I love it. This is a quick version and according to Aunt Honey just delicious. Add some pita or crusty bread, some cucumber and hummus and you've got a perfect menu. COOK ON...........

Aunt Honey's Greek Lemon-Rice Soup with Chicken

START TO FINISH: 20 MINUTES SERVES 4

Avgolemono, a traditional Greek soup made from chicken broth, lemon juice, eggs and rice, is a simple soup that we’ve somehow neglected to concoct a desperate version of – until now.

Ingredients

1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2/3 pound), diced
1/3 cup (uncooked) long-grain rice 
3 eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat broth over medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Add chicken and rice, cover the pot, and cook 15 minutes. (Reduce heat if necessary to keep from boiling over.) While chicken mixture cooks, beat eggs lightly in a medium bowl. Add lemon juice and whisk well.

When chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, remove soup from heat. Use a glass measure to remove about 1 cup of broth from soup and slowly drizzle broth into egg mixture whisking constantly.

Place soup back over low heat, and stirring constantly, add egg mixture to soup pot. Cook and stir about 2 minutes to thicken slightly. (Do not allow soup to boil.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and ladle into bowls and serve.