A Tale of Two Granolas

I was considering calling this post "GRANOLA DEATH MATCH (Duh duh DUH duh)" Good thing I decided against that...

I have been experimenting with making granola at home. These two recipes use a lot of the same basic ingredients, like cashews, dried sour cherries, honey and rolled oats. But, as is true in all cooking, the little tweaks made on each side make a world of difference. So, there will be two recipes, but only one set of directions because granola making is really in the ingredient list. The pictures are virtually indistinguishable...but I wanted to lend drama to the post.

Recipe #1 is a rich and delicious combination of honey and peanut butter. It is super tasty and has some real weight to it in the flavor profile. It burns a bit more easily, so make sure to keep an eye on that.

Recipe #2 is more of a salty-sweet vibe and is a good deal crunchier, which is definitely a plus for me. It is more of what I think traditional granola really tastes like. The flavor is lighter and it is really great. Also, it is inspired by Alton Brown, who is lovely and wonderful.

Recipe #1:

- 1/2 c. honey

- 1/2 c. peanut butter

- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

- 3 c. rolled oats

- 3/4 c. cashews

- 1 c. sunflower seeds

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1 c. dried sour cherries

Recipe #2

- 1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar

- 1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. honey

- 1/4 c. vegetable oil

- 3 c. rolled oats

- 1 c. cashews

- 1 c. raw pumpkin seeds

- 3/4 tsp. salt

- 1 c. dried sour cherries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 275 degrees

2) Combine all dry ingredients (except dried fruit) in one bowl, and all wet ingredients in another. Make sure that both mixtures are well integrated. With both wet mixtures, I used a fork to incorporate ingredients.

3) Mix dry and wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.

4) Pour out mixture on a greased or lined baking pan (I used 9x13).

5) Bake for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

6) Add dried fruit while mixture is still warm. Allow it to cool to room temperature before storing.

7) Store in fridge.

Let me know what you think if you make either one of these recipes. I can't decide which one I like better. I guess I'll just keep tinkering with them until I figure it out!

Until our next breakfast,

ceh.

Scallion-Tofu Ramen

This recipe is another riff on something from Mark Bittman's formidable How to Cook Everything. It is a delicious and spicy and wonderful. I was dining solo tonight, so this recipe served one (very hungry!) me, but I think it might be able to serve 2 less-hungry adults.

Recipe:
2 tbsp. neutral oil
1-2 tsp. red chili flakes (depending on how spicy you like things)
3 tsp. chopped garlic
1 1/2 tsp. chopped ginger
7 oz. extra firm tofu
3 green onions, sliced with green and white parts divided.
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 c. cashews
1/3 c. vegetable (or other) stock
1 pkg. Ramen noodles

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a skillet until hot. Add Garlic, chili flakes and ginger. Fry until very fragrant (1-2 mins).
2) Add tofu and white parts of green onions. Fry until the tofu starts to brown. Add cashews and fry for an additional 1-2 mins.
3) Add stock and boil until the liquid reduces by half.
4) Cook noodles according to package directions.
5) Add soy sauce and green sections of onions.
6) Serve tofu-scallion mixture on top of noodles. Try to hold yourself back from gobbling long enough to take a better picture than me.

Until our next dinner,
ceh.

Dried Cherry/Peanut Butter Breakfast Treats

I have never been a huge fan of breakfast. It's just never been my thing. If I do have breakfast it's almost always granola and yogurt. But this recipe, my friends, might just change all of that. These are sometimes called "breakfast cookies," but they are really nothing like cookies. I've opted to just call them breakfast treats. The recipe is extremely flexible and almost anything about it can be altered to suit your tastes. I've been having mine in the mornings with a couple of scoops of Greek yogurt, so I guess not all that much has changed...

This was a totally experimental cooking adventure, so if you know of ways to make these tastier, please leave any ideas in the comments.

Recipe (Makes 6-8 treats):

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. honey

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. milk

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 c. dried sour cherries

3/4 c. crushed cashews and pecans

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Mix together peanut butter, honey and vanilla.
3) Add milk to the above mixture.
4) In a separate bowl, mix together nuts, dried fruit, oats, baking soda, oats and flour.
5) Mix together wet and dry ingredients.
6) Place the mixture by spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet
7) Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the scoops.
8) Let treats cool completely before storing.

Feel free to experiment, and let me know how it goes!

Until our next breakfast,
ceh.

Ramen, but better

One of the major food groups in my life is noodles. So many different shapes and sizes that are the perfect canvas for all sorts of flavors. A really quick and easy noodle dish that is a staple in my repertoire is based in Maruchan Ramen. (Yes, the 10-15¢ collegiate delicacy). With a few quick fixes, this bottom shelf staple can become a seriously good meal.

The flavors are pretty basic, but the combo is out of this world. This recipe is for a single serving, but you can definitely multiply it for the number of people you're serving.

Recipe:
1 packet Ramen, Oriental (which is probably offensive) flavor
1/4 c. frozen corn
1/4 c. frozen baby lima beans
A handful of cashews
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
juice from one lime
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. hot Asian flavored hot sauce (like Sriracha)
small splash of neutral oil

Directions:
1) Cook Noodles according to directions, without adding the flavor packet. Drain the water, set aside.
2) Heat oil in a frying pan. Add corn and lima beans to the oil and cook until the corn caramelizes slightly, and the beans cook through. Add the cashews and cook until they are lightly toasted.
3) Add noodles to the pan and stir to combine.
4) Sprinkle contents of flavor packet over the noodles, corn and beans. Add soy sauce, lime juice, sugar and hot sauce.
5) Stir fry until most of liquid has evaporated.
6) Pour into a bowl and try to wait for it to cool down a bit before eating. (seriously, I dare you not to burn your mouth on this one...)

Until our next dinner,
ceh.