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Guest Post: Natasha’s Nutty Pumpkin Granola

25 Jan

Today’s guest post is by my witty friend, Natasha. Natasha is a baked goods fanatic! From muffins and scones to a big, chewy cookie or a dense chocolate brownie, this girl knows what’s up. About 3 years ago, Natasha and I lived together in a big house with 60 people (we called it a “co-op,” short for cooperative living). We would cook together once a week for the whole house. What an chaotic, challenging, but most of all tasty experience it was to cook for a large group of college students. Aside from our dinners, Natasha was known for making amazing late-night snacks for everyone. I will forever remember her popping corn kernels on the stove top so that we could all feast on a giant bowl of popcorn. Below Natasha shares with us a recipe for Pumpkin Granola. Mmm, I can smell the warm wintry pumpkin spices already!

If I were a food, I think I would be a pumpkin. Although it’s not the most glamorous of foods, pumpkin is hearty, delicious, and orange (like me! sort of.) It’s also a wonderful fall food which is my very favorite season.

I always have a can of pumpkin on hand, usually for pumpkin bread, but when my work was having a holiday breakfast party, I decided granola would be a great addition. But what’s a holiday breakfast with out some pumpkin? So I frantically googled pumpkin granola and found this delicious recipe, which I adapted with my own flair.

Granola is a creative food. This means, throw in whatever speaks to your mood/ inner subconscious. If you’re feeling nutty, walnuts, pecans, and almonds will add crunch and nutrition. Add some dried fruit if you’re feeling like something sweet, and coconut flakes for those really rebellious days. It’s fun to experiment, but don’t forget to add that pumpkin!

Side note: add the dried fruit when you think there’s 10 minutes left in the oven. This gives a nice toasted flavor without that burnt taste (unless you’re into that).

Also, don’t forget to stir! My batch came out a little bit crunchier than normal, although still totally delicious.

Nutty Pumpkin Granola

adadpted from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

1 can Pumpkin Puree
6 Tablespoons Virgin Coconut Oil (or Canola Oil)
¾ cups Brown Sugar (lightly packed)
1-¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
½ teaspoons Nutmeg
¼ teaspoons Ginger
⅛ teaspoons Cloves
¼ teaspoons Salt (slightly heaping)
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
5 cups Rolled Oats
Almonds and Sunflower Seeds (or any raw, unsalted seeds or nuts)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine pumpkin, coconut oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally to break up any clumps of brown sugar, then turn off heat and add vanilla. Stir together the pumpkin mixture with the oats and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
Spread the mixture in an even layer on a large baking sheet and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until the moisture is gone and the granola is golden, toasted, and slightly crunchy, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool completely, and then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.

Kitchen Madness: Maple Bourbon Cider, Beef Stroganoff made Healthy, Pumpkin Millet Bread, and Sausage Pesto Ravioli

13 Dec

I’ve been feeling the back-and-forth bounce. I’ve been trying to cook comfort foods but with a healthy twist. Sometimes it totally works (millet pumpkin bread=phenomenal), sometimes it totally flops (made a coconut kale salad but added way to much large flake unsweetened coconut). And sometimes it just makes you crave a cocktail.

Maple Bourbon Cider. Got this recipe from Shutterbean and it is absolutely perfect. She also has a recipe for homemade amaretto which I look forward to making soon!

There’s apple cider, maple syrup, lemon juice, and bourbon. Lately I’ve been diggin’ Bulleit Bourbon. Good stuff. Oh, and I do not have a cocktail shaker, so I used my water bottle. Worked like a gem AND its portable 😉

This was a pre- (and post!) dinner cocktail. Yes, I made it twice in the same night, but don’t worry, I shared. Dinner was Mustard Green Beans with Beef Stroganoff made with 0% Greek yogurt instead of 21302983% sour cream. Definitely not as rich and creamy as the traditional, but still tasted great and saved on calories and fat (I needed the cals for my second cocktail). Thanks, Ellie!

And the smell of simmering mushrooms and onions with wine and beef broth is so Cozy. Winter. Night.

As if all of this cooking and eating wasn’t enough, I made Pumpkin Bread with millet, whole wheat pastry flour, coconut oil (no saturated fat), and honey instead of sugar. A moist cake with some crunch from the millet (adds fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium). I got the recipe from Cookie+Kate. Y to the UM. With an extra drizzle of honey on top.

It has been fun trying out your recipes, Tracy, Ellie, and Kate.

All of this experimenting in the kitchen makes a girl want to kick off her shoes and wake up with someone else cooking a meal for her. And this girl got exactly that. Ravioli, spinach, sausage, pesto, cream, black pepper. Ah, now this is bliss.

Happy Eating, everyone!

Oatcakes

15 Nov

Oatcakes! Oatcakes! Getchyour oatcakes. Dense and delicious. Sweet with a hint of coconut. Walnut-filled and ready to go. Oatcakes! Oatcakes! Get’em while their hot.

My camera is officially broken. Technology loves to play tricks on me. The camera on my phone will have to suffice for now.

My last few blog posts have been devoted to how I am on a serious Heidi Swanson kick. This woman is amazing. Major girl-crush. And she really makes me miss the Bay Area.

I love the natural ingredients in Swanson’s recipes and her style of rustic, healthy, and nourishing meals and snacks for everyday cooking. I already blogged about making her Miso Curry Delicata Squash and her Baked Oatmeal (dang that Baked Oatmeal is getting around the food blog world). I also made her tempeh with eggplant and her museli.

Today I bring you Swanson’s oatcakes. With coconut butter, walnuts, flax seeds, and tons of rolled oats, these are the perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert. She writes:

“…These nutty, golden oatcakes are filling, slightly moist, and not too sweet. Best of all, they can usually stand up to an entire day tucked into my purse without falling apart…”

Now that is my kind of snack. Homemade (freaking delicious and good-for-you, too), portable, and sturdy. As with almost anything sweet and carby, these are great with coffee, tea, or a tall glass of milk.

Initially I was a tad upset because I used all-purpose instead of whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour (…was too tired to go back to the store to buy some). Hey, at least I am getting my benefits from the oats, from using coconut butter (cholesterol-free!) to replace some of the butter, and from the walnuts and flax seeds.

I put a few of the oatcakes in the freezer, but left most of them on the counter in an air-tight container because I know they will get gobbled up for breakfasts and snacks this week.

I wonder what I will make next from Heidi’s lovely cookbook?!

Oatcakes

from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Everyday

makes 12 oatcakes

Ingredients:

3 cups/10.5 oz/300 g rolled oats

2 cups/8 oz/225 g spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour (I used All-Purpose Flour)

1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

2 teaspoons salt (fine-grain sea salt or Kosher salt)

1/4 cup/1.5 oz/45 g flax seeds

3/4 cup/3 oz/85 g chopped walnuts

1/3 cup/2.5 oz/ 70 g extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup/3 oz/85 g unsalted butter

3/4 cup/180 ml maple syrup

1/2 cup/2.5 oz/70 g natural cane sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 deg C). Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

Combine the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, flax seeds, and walnuts in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the coconut oil, butter, maple syrup, and sugar and slowly melt together. Stir just until the butter melts and the sugar has dissolved, but do not let the mixture get too hot. You do not want it to cook the eggs on contact in the next step.

Pour the coconut oil mixture over the oat mixture. Stir a bit with a fork, add the eggs, and stir again until everything comes together into a wet dough. Spoon the dough into the muffin cups, nearly filling them.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges of each oatcake are deeply golden. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for a couple of minute. Using a small knife or an offset spatula, tip the cakes onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Everything Muffins

18 Jul

I eat a bowl of cereal most days for breakfast. I usually like to mix together at least two kinds of cereal because it gives my mouth a bit more excitement.

Some days I go for oatmeal (my fav. oatmeal combo is banana, peanut butter, and dates). Sometimes on the weekend I will have eggs or French toast or whip up a Dutch Baby if I’m in the mood.

But most days I eat cereal.

I often feel like I need to branch out and eat different easy-to-prepare breakfasts:

-cottage cheese on top of toast with sliced fruit and honey

–yogurt parfaits

-frozen waffle, toasted, with peanut butter and honey

-banana “shake” (blend up 1-2 frozen bananas with milk and/or yogurt)

…

This morning (after finishing my bowl of cereal) I decided to bake an alternative breakfast item to add to my repertoire. It is a variation on the well-known “Morning Glory Muffin” except, well, I had no carrots and I had no shredded coconut. Alas, I improvised and used up some miscellaneous ingredients that I had handy–an apple, raisins, walnuts, dates, candied ginger, flaxseed, wheat germ…

I call these “Everything Muffins” because you really can put everything and anything you feel like in them. Try shredded zucchini, or chocolate chunks, or oats, or Raisin Bran, or use fresh grated ginger, add some peanut butter, pumpkin seeds and cranberries, and instead of an apple use some fresh berries.

These muffins baked up to look and taste quite similar to the fresh apple coffee cake that I made a few months ago.

I used to have a job where I had to get up very early in the morning. Now I begin work at 4 pm and I no longer have to rush out of the house before a proper breakfast hour. But I do need a mid-work snack, and these are the perfect on-the-go energy boost that I need to help me get through my shift (mind you, I am already surrounded by food and pastries at work, but it is nice to bring my own snack than nibble constantly at work).

Everything Muffins

aka I have been eating way too much cereal and it is time to change things up…

loosely adapted from Marcigilbert.com

2 eggs

2/3 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup flour (I used AP, you can use whole wheat pastry flour if you like)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 apple, peeled cored and diced

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. dates, pitted and chopped

2 T. chopped candied (crystallized) ginger

2 T. wheat germ

2 T. flaxseed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk your eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Chop up your apples, nuts, dried fruit and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients (flour through salt). Make a little well in the center of your dry ingredients and add your wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined. Add in your apples, nuts, raisins, dates, ginger, wheat germ, flaxseed.

Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, drop into lightly sprayed or oiled muffin tins (fill each tin about 3/4 of the way). Sprinkle with a touch of sugar. Bake for about 22-25 minutes.

Serve warmed with coffee, jam, peanut butter, yogurt, fruit, etc. Or take it on-the-go when you are rushing to go to work or school. Instant energy!

Oooo Oooo by the way, my absolute FAVORITE morning glory muffin to date has definitely got to be from Venus Restaurant in Berkeley. You must go!

Quiche Me!

28 Jun

WHAT?! I used heavy cream, butter, and cheese all in one dinner dish? Yes, yes I did. I managed to throw in some dark leafy greens and mushrooms to balance out my heart attack give this dish a nice color/texture/flavor/vitamin boost (I also roasted some asparagus to serve as a side).

This savory pie is called a quiche.

You’re house will smell amazing. You are going to have all the neighbors knocking at your door. You are going to (want to) pick at the cheesy top and buttery crust. You are probably going to go back for seconds. You can totally use whatever veggies you want and you can totally add bacon or salami or sausage to this. You can eat this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and/or a snack. You can bring this to a party. You can make it for yourself.

Pie crust. Cheese. Deep colorful vegetables. A meal for the gods.


Quiche Me! Crust (Pate Brisee)

From SmittenKitchen, originally from Martha Stewart

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cold and cut into small cubes

2-3 tablespoons ice cold water

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Form dough into a single ball, flatten it into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Quiche Me! The Filling: Onion, Mushroom, Kale

Makes 1 8-inch tart pan

1 recipe pate brisee (see above)
1 onion, sliced thin
balsamic vinegar, to taste
about 6 white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
2 eggs
1/4 cup grated Gruyere, Swiss, and/or Jarlsberg cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll out your chilled crust as quickly as possible on a lightly-floured surface until is about 2 inches large all around than your pie pan. Either reverse the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it over the mold or fold it into quarters and lay it over the mold, unfolding it. Press the dough lightly into the bottom of the pan, lifting the edges and working it gently down into the mold. Trim off excess dough and press the edges into the pan. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

Bake your crust for about 9 minutes in the oven. Pull it out, sprinkle with a bit of cheese and let it cool while you prepare your filling.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Saute your onions in some olive oil and add some salt. Add a dash of balsamic then set your sauteed onions in a bowl. In the same pan you just used, add the mushrooms. Add a tiny pat of butter and saute until starting to get golden brown. Add the kale and stir. Add back the onions.

Mix together your cream and eggs. Add some black pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg. Add your sauteed veggies. Pour into your pan and top with more grated cheese.

Set on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until puffed and golden.

CHECK OUT MY CHEESY VEGGIE PIE, WITH SALAMI, HELD TOGETHER BY EGGS AND A SPLASH OF MILK

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