Granola Redux

For my cousin who dislikes morning mush and all other Little Rascals appreciators.

Ingredients

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup sliced almonds or another shape, same size is better

1 cup raw not roasted sunflowers

1/2 cup raw sesame seeds if possible (wasn't for me today)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup veggie or olive oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons corn syrup (optional)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Add ins:

Big handful dried apricots chopped

2 big handfuls dried cranberries

Any dried fruit you like

Any size chocolate chips you like – 1/2 to 1 cup

Mix all dry ingredients. Bring oil and syrup to a simmer in small pot. Add corn syrup and vanilla to pot. Turn off heat. Mix wet ingredients with dry. Let soak 10 minutes. Spread on baking paper on baking sheet. Cook for 40 minutes or longer for more toasty tasting granola. Let cool and add the extras.

Eat – B

 

 

EZ As…Well, Frankly, Easier Than Pie

This crust is from one of my all time fave fruit based dessert cookbooks. I've filled it with fruit from just about every season. It is not hard to roll out. Just remember to flour your surface and rolling pin. Mistakes can be patched with extra dough. No judgement.

Galette Dough

Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

One 10 inch galette

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 T granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (I used Kosher)

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, in 3/4 inch cubes

3 T ice water, more if needed

1 t fresh lemon juice

Combine flour, sugar and salt, freeze at least 10 minutes. Toss butter in flour. Blend butter into flour mix with pastry blender, food processor, mixer or your hands until it's a course mix. Stir water and lemon juice together, then drizzle over dough. Toss or pulse until it holds together. Turn it out and and press and fold a few times to hold the dough together. Flatten into a circle, wrap and chill at least an hour or up to 3 days.

Filling: about 3-4 apples, peeled, seeded and cut in 1/8ths, 2-3 tablespoons flour, 1/3-1/2 cup sugar – less with sweet apples, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, a squeeze of lemon, pinch of salt and a few small knobs of butter (optional).

Roll out the dough on floured surface or floured baking paper, about 12 inches. Slide onto baking pan before filling. Spread apple mixture evenly but leave a couple inches from the outside free. Fold and pleat crust over the apples. You can brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar if desired.

Chill 20 minutes. Preheat oven 400. Bake 25-30 minutes. Lower heat to 350, bake another 20-25 until filling bubble and apples are easy to pierce.

Filling note:

More or less of any ingredient won't change the dynamic. If you don't believe me, try baking the filling in a casserole without a crust. It's delicious topped with granola and or ice cream. If you use stone fruit (juicier), think about corn starch as a thickener instead.

Eat – B

 

 

As the Weather Turns…Beef Stew For 2 (or4)

 

A dip in the thermometer forced my cart to the beef aisle. In goes about a pound of cubed beef chuck. I'd like to say it was dinner for a family, but a teen boy and a hungry mom can (did) left only one serving as leftovers. No matter, it's EZ to double down.

1/3 cup flour with several heavy pinches of kosher salt and grinds of pepper.

1 lb beef cubed, toss in flour mix

Olive or veg oil for searing

Large onion, sliced or chopped

Clove or two of garlic, chopped

Shallot if available, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup red wine

1 cup broth, chicken or beef, or water

A couple carrots, sliced 1/4 inch

Large russet potato or two, cubed and steamed (I used a leftover. Can also be cooked fully in stew or skipped entirely)

Heat oil in large, heavy bottom pot, medium flame. Sear beef, turning when it looks dark on each side. Takes about 8-10 minutes. Remove. Lower heat, add a drop of oil, cook onions 3-5 minutes until soft. Add a little broth if leftover flour in pan turns dark brown. Add tomato paste. Cook a minute. Add wine, bring to low boil to scrape up all the goodness on bottom of pan. Add beef back to pot. Cook almost 2 hours on very low flame or in oven at about 300-325. Very small bubbles.

Do laundry, walk dogs, write a financial report.

Add carrot slices & raw potato cubes if using. Cook another 45. Already cooked potatoes can be added for last 20.

Cooking time = about 2 1/2. Meat should be super tender.

Eat – B

Note: if doubling, sear beef in batches.

A bonus pic of the dogs who waited patiently…Note 2: don't use “lean” stew beef. It will disappoint.

 

 

The Perfect App For Gluten Avoiders…and the People That Love Them

 

Imitation = flattery. I stole this idea from a restaurant in Ohio, but riffed a bit. Start with a few basics and make it your own. Serve as an app, side salad or top chicken paillard.

Combine Ingredients:

1/2 colored pepper, finely diced

Large tomato or handful of cherries, diced

Pickling cucumber, peeled (or not) & diced

Feta to taste, crumbled

2-3 scallions, finely sliced

Fresh dill, finely chopped

A couple of dribbles of olive oil

Squeeze half a lemon

Salt pepper

Adjust all ingredient to taste & fill outer leaves from 2 heads of endive

Eat – B 🙂

*note: try replacing scallions and dill with your fave black olives and dried oregano

 

 

OMG, Is Tonight Book Group? Salad

My book group is no wine and cheese affair, although there is always wine and usually cheese. As a member who's missed more meetings than I've attended, I usually try to step up my contribution. Except last week, with 430 roses being processed for an event, a pediatric visit and the need to visit two (!) shops for dog food, I made the clear decision to work with what I had. And it had to be assembled quickly.

That meant green beans, tomatoes (and I added cucumber). My son googled the ingredients between doctor, vet and pet store. Book group ate it up. Click here for the recipe.

**note: I halved the recipe and added less salt. The juice of one lemon was enough for half.

 

Eat – B

 

 

Mussel Mania

You don’t need much to make mussels delicious (and nutritious). Steaming them in water or throwing them on a hot grill would work.

BUT a few pantry staples up the game and make you look like a genius.

Ingredients:

De-bearded and clean mussels from the fishmonger (love that word). Ask if they’re good to go.They commonly come in bags that feed 6 as an app, 4 for dinner. Rinse.

2-3 shallots, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped or sliced

White wine

Drop of olive oil

Pinch of pepper flakes

Chicken or fish stock or water

Mussels should be tightly closed. Before cooking toss any open ones. After cooking toss any closed ones – they’re past prime.

Slimly coat large heavy bottom pot that has a lid. Add shallots (or onion). Soften with a pinch of salt. Add garlic, stir a minute or two. Add pepper flakes. Add some big glugs of wine. Reduce by half. Add an equal amount of stock or water – I used H2O. Bring to boil. Throw in mussels. Slap a lid on it and reduce heat for simmering. Mussels should extend above the liquid for steaming. In a few minutes mussels are done.

Serve with grilled, or not, bread.

Can also be tossed with pasta (cook some chopped tomatoes in the broth before adding mussels – yum!

It doesn’t hurt to add chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Eat – B

 

 

Inspiration For The Salad Bowl

I'm thinking you can slavishly follow this recipe, or pick and choose among your fave ingredients. If you're living grill-less, skip the charring of the vegetables and use them raw.

Whatever you do, toast the almonds and overload on the ricotta salata. Just a thought…I've got your back 🙂

Click here for the recipe.

Eat – B

 

 

“I Don’t Feel Like Shopping Pasta”

Shop if you must, slide if you can.

With one large or a couple of medium, summer perfect tomatoes and a pantry, this dish is done in 13 minutes. Double down to feed a crowd.

Ingredients:

Pasta of your choice

Tomato(es)

Basil

Olive

Parmesan or similar grated cheese

Boil a big pot of salted water. Add 1/2 bag of tbd pasta.

Meanwhile chop tomato and throw in bowl. Drain pasta (not too well). Add to tomatoes, drizzle with good olive oil, add basil and a fair amount of grated cheese. Mix. Salt and pepper to taste.

Eat – B

 

 

Not(!) Potato Salad

 

I'm back (how long has it been?) oy.

The family's been fed, albeit in an undocumented fashion as the flower and event planning side of the biz consumed the better part of the last few months.

But Not (!) Potato Salad deserves a gold star. It (I?) got my husband to eat it even though he not a lover of the genre. Hint: serve it warm first. See, it's a side, not a salad.

Try this German fave when you have bacon and want to skip the mayo. I didn't have mustard seeds and it didn't make a difference. You can always throw a bit of Dijon in for extra tang.

Click here for the recipe.

Enjoy,

B

 

 

Not Meat Free St. Patrick’s Day Monday

The beef is corned!

The great common denominator connecting Jewish and Irish tables is celebrated today. You can start days earlier, or you can buy your brisket with a seasoning pack and make life easy and delicious.

At just under two pounds this piece of deliciousness is also built for two – the max number of family members eating it tonight.

Add your fave veg (carrots, parsnips and onions here, with a use it up handful of shredded Brussel sprouts here instead of new cabbage). We're skipping potatoes for Jewish rye :).

Instructions:

Cover meat and seasonings with water, bring to boil, then simmer covered. Add veg after about an hour. Cook 2 1/2 to 3 for larger cuts. Cool completely before slicing.

Eat – B