3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 3/4 cup coconut 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup whole or chopped almonds that have been lightly toasted 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 honey 3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1 cup raisins 3/4 cup chocolate chips (white or dark)
In a large bowl mix the oats, 1/2 cup of the coconut, cinnamon, brown sugar and nuts until well combined and there are no lumps of brown sugar left. In a separate bowl mix the honey, peanut oil and sesame oil. Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture and mix until all the oats are moistened. Spread the oat mix on a parchment covered baking sheet in a thin layer (the parchment allows for easy clean up, and the thin layer allows for even baking). Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until the mixture is golden brown. The darker the granola, the crunchier it will be after it cools. Once cooled, add the remaining coconut, raisins and chocolate chips. Keep in an airtight container.
What I like about this recipe is that you can substitute whatever you like - maple syrup for the sesame oil, walnuts for almonds, etc. You can also add sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds......the list goes on and on. Different dried fruits taste great as well.
Creamy Corn Chowder
CORN CHOWDER
4 cups fresh corn kernels (use frozen or canned if fresh corn is not available) 1 medium red onion, minced 3 medium carrots, minced 1 medium potato, diced 2 tablespoons flour 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Scrape the corn kernels off the cob with a sharp knife, then use the back side of the knife to extract all the milky pulp from the cob. Reserve the kernels and corn milk in a bowl, and place the emply cobs in a pot and fill with water to cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes. (if using frozen or canned corn, skip this step) In a separate pot saute the onion and the carrots till soft, but not brown. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Add the corn and its milky pulp, cook for 2 minutes. Add the diced potato, cayenne and smoked paprika. Now add 3 cups of the cob water (or plain water if using frozen or canned corn), bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Puree 3 cups of the chowder in a blender, and then add the pureed mixture back to the pot. Stir in the cream.
EASY LENTIL SOUP
1 medium
onion, cut into small dice
1 medium
carrot, cut into small dice
2 garlic
cloves, finely chopped
1 bag
lentils, rinsed
6 cups
chicken stock or water
1/2 cup
chopped or strained tomatoes (Pomi brand is good)
1/4 cup white
wine
1 tablespoon
parsley
1/2 tsp dried
marjoram
Saute onion
and carrot in 2 tablespoons olive oiil. Add garlic and stir for one minute. Add
lentils,tomatoes and chicken
stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer until lentils are soft,
about 45 minutes.If you prefer,
you canput several cups of the
soup into a blender for extra creaminess. Pour blended soup back into pot.
Add wine, parsley and marjoram. Simmer another 10 minutes.
FIRECRACKER GRILLED SALMON
8 servings
8 (4 ounce) fillets salmon 1/2 cup peanut oil 4 tablespoons soy sauce 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons green onions, chopped 3 teaspoons brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Place salmon filets in a medium, nonporous glass dish. In a separate medium bowl, combine the peanut oil, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and salt. Whisk together well, and pour over the fish. Cover and marinate the fish in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. 2. Prepare an outdoor grill with coals about 5 inches from the grate, and lightly oil the grate. 3. Grill the fillets 5 inches from coals for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part, or until fish just flakes with a fork. Turn over halfway through cooking.
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese 1 tablespoon minced red onion 2 tablespoons pesto 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 pound ground turkey breast 1 garlic clove, minced Cooking spray 2 cups arugula 2 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas, toasted and halved
Preparation
1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl; mix until combined. Divide panko mixture into 4 portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick oval patty.
2. Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Place 1 patty and 1/2 cup arugula in each pita half.
Tzatziki sauce: Combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat, Greek-style yogurt; 1/4 cup finely chopped seeded cucumber; 1/4 teaspoon salt; and 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper. Serve with sliced bell pepper and celery sticks.
I usually enjoy cooking more than baking, but I LOVE making biscotti. I chop the almonds by hand, as I like big pieces in the cookies, but you can chop them in the food processor, just be sure not to grind them finely or the biscotti will be dry.
ALMOND AND ORANGE BISCOTTI
1 cup almonds 1/3 cup candied orange peel (optional) 2 teaspoons grated orange zest 1 and 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon sea salt 2 large eggs 1 and ½ teaspoons almond extract
Toast the almonds in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Chop coarsely. Put almonds into a mixing bowl and add the orange zest, candied orange peel if using, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix by hand until well combined In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the almond extract. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a fork until a dough starts to come together. Knead the mixture gently until it forms a dough. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces. Compress and shape each piece into a 1-inch wide log and place the logs, 2 inches apart, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden and set. Remove to a cutting board, cool 5 minutes, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices on the diagonal. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the same parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake the biscotti another 5 minutes, the turn the cookies over, and bake 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven, cool on a rack, and serve.
CREAMY RICE PUDDING
4 cups whole milk 1/2 cup raw medium-grain white rice pinch salt 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 large egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp cornstarch
Place milk, rice and salt in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, but not mushy. You'll have to stir more frequently as the rice cooks to prevent sticking and scorching. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla and cornstarch. Slowly add some rice mixture, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Then pour the mixture back into the saucepan, turn the heat to medium and stir until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon (about 4 minutes). Transfer the pudding to a serving dish and lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled - your preference!
