Easy Homemade Granola

Easy Homemade Granola

from “Baked: New Frontiers in Baking” by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup whole almonds [Note: I used slivered almonds, and they worked fine.]

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup dried cherries

I like to just put in whatever you have on hand.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cinnamon and salt.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.

Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine them: Gather up some of the mixture in each hand and make a fist. Repeat until all of the oats are coated with the honey mixture.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the almonds over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.

Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the raisins and cherries over the granola…

and use your hands to transfer it to an airtight container.

The granola will keep for 1 week.

Massaged Kale Salad

I stole this from my friend Niky's blog  http://yourhealthtoo.blogspot.com

She made this little dandy on Christmas night, oh man was it divine.

Massaged Kale and Craisin Salad with Feta Cheese

I found this recipe on another blog and it immediately caught my eye. Now, I don't think I have ever seen the word 'massage' associated with kale. Nope. Never. Until now. I made this to accompany some homemade soup and wow! This salad is incredibly delicious. Kale is a favorite cooked green of mine, but I have never before ventured into eating it in it's raw form. Kale is now a favorite UNcooked green of mine. You have to try this salad - your taste buds will thank you and your body will thank you!

Massaged Kale and Craisin Salad with Feta Cheese
1 bunch Kale
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or sea salt
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup small-diced apple
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Wash the kale and pat it dry. Slice off the stiff stems below the leaves and continue slicing the stem away from the leaf until you have cut a thin v-shape into the kale leaf and removed the tough stem all the way up. Stack the kale leaves two or three at a time, roll them up, and slice the leaves into thin ribbons.

Place the kale ribbons in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and massage it into the kale with your hands for two minutes. You'll notice the kale start to turn a darker green and the textrue of the kale will begin to soften a bit.

Toss in the red onions, craisins, apples, and sunflower seeds. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and sugar. Pour over the salad and toss. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the top and serve. (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

I want this

Ingredients

• 1 sheet refrigerated pie dough for a 9-in. pie shell*
• 8 ounces teleme cheese, whole-milk mozzarella (not fresh or water-packed), or muenster cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 3 1/2-in. pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• Pepper

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 425°. Unroll pie dough and fold in half. Roll into a 6- by 16 1/2 in. rectangle. Fit into a 4- by 14-in. rectangular tart pan, press against sides, and roll over the top with a rolling pin; save scraps for another use.
• 2. Prick bottom of crust with a fork and bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
• 3. Line tart bottom with cheese. In a medium bowl, toss asparagus with oil to coat. Arrange spears crosswise over cheese, tightly packed, alternating the direction of tip and stem pieces and cutting to fit as necessary (reserve extras for another use). Bake until cheese melts, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle generously with pepper.

Side note:   I have not made this, but it looks so pretty and so yummy, I saw it in Sunset Magazine.   Maybe I will give it a try. 

Best chicken tacos ever!

cool and crunchy chicken tacos(pampered chef)

12 hard shell yellow corn taco shells (I use soft)

1 small head lettuce

1-2 limes, divided

1/2 cup mayonaise

2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3 cups dices grilled chicken breasts

1/2 small jicama

1 small mango

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp salt

1 avocado

prepare taco shells according to package directions; set aside.  

Shred lettuce.  

Zest limes to measure 1 tsp.

  

Juice limes to measure 3 tbs

Place zest, 1 tbsp of the juice, mayonnaise, cumin and cayenne pepper in bowl and mix well.

spoon about 1/3 cup into a resealable plastic bag

add chicken to remaining sauce

Peel jicama and mango using .

slice jicama and mango into 1/4 inch strips

chop cilantro

combine jicama, mango,cilantro, salt and remaining juice, mix well

Best banana bread ever!

Why is it that people say "making lemonade out of lemons" why not making yummy banana bread out of old disgusting brown banana's?  That one seems more fun to me.  Thanks to Jen England for giving me the recipe.  

PS It's so good because of the sour cream.  

Banana Bread 

1 ½ cup of flour

1 cup of sugar 

½ cup of butter-melted

2 eggs 

1 tsp of vanilla

1 tsp of baking soda

½ tsp of salt 

½ cup of sour cream 

3 old banana’s 

Nuts -optional
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (I like mine lighter so a little less than that)