Peanut Butter Granola

Happy National Peanut Butter Day!  (Who comes up with these food holidays, anyway??)

This granola is quick to make, quick to bake and lasts for at least one week if stored in an airtight container.   The original recipe was printed in the January 2009 edition of Southern Living and calls for dry-roasted peanuts.  I also like to omit these and replace them with a mixture of cashews and pecans (as pictured below).   I also add a little cinnamon and vanilla.

3 cups uncooked regular oats (not instant)
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts or nuts of your choice
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Greek vanilla yogurt and sliced bananans, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut and sesame seeds; set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add peanut butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, corn syrup and salt.  Cook for three minutes or until smooth.  Remove the pan from the heat; stir in vanilla.

Pour the hot mixture over the oat mixture.  Stir to combine.  Spoon the granola onto a greased, aluminum foil-lined 17 X 12 inch jelly roll pan.  (I use parchment paper.)  Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden, stirring the mixture after ten minutes.   I keep a close eye on it so it won't burn.

If using foil, transfer the granola to a sheet of wax paper and cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes.  If using parchment, carefully lift the paper and granola off the jelly roll pan and place it on a cooling rack.

Transfer to an airtight container when completely cooled.  Serve with yogurt and bananas.

Makes 6 cups

Double-Chocolate Zucchini Bread

It's a quick bread.  It's a cake.  It has cocoa powder AND bittersweet chocolate.  And it's a sneaky way to hide zucchini.  Did I mention this recipe makes two loaves?  Wrap one and freeze it!

We had to sample it before it completely cooled!

Double-Chocolate Zucchini Bread
From Food Network Kitchens Cookbook
Copyright:  Meredith Press, 2003

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two 9x5" loaf pans.

Whisk together in a medium bowl and set aside:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened, natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed; good ol' Hershey's, for example)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves

In a large work bowl,  cream together with a mixer set on medium-high speed for four minutes:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened (see note below)
1 1/2 cups sugar

Drizzle in:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Beat in, one at a time:

2 large eggs, at room temperature (see note below)

Stir together in a small cup:

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk in two parts; begin and end with flour mixture.  Scrape the sides of the bowl between additions.

Fold in:

2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini  (I used a box grater.)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used a 4 oz. Ghirardelli 60% Cacao bar.)

Divide the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The batter is a very light brown, but it will deepen into a rich chocolate brown while it bakes.  (My loaf pans are dark.  The cakes took 45 minutes to bake.  Lighter pans will take longer.)  Cool in pans on a rack before unmolding and slicing.


Notes:

I had a stick of soy margarine to use up, so I used this plus one stick unsalted butter in the recipe.
        
To bring eggs to room temperature, place eggs in a small bowl and cover with warm tap water.  Set aside for a minute.  Drain off the water and crack the eggs into the bowl.

Asian-Inspired Snack Mix

We've all had Chex Mix at Christmas.

How about one with dried apricots, cashews, sesame sticks and wasabi peas, all bathed in spicy/sweet sauce with tamari and cayenne?  It hits all the flavor bells--sweet, crunchy, spicy, exotic and tangy.

I made this as a food gift for my vegan cousin, Eric.  I swapped out the butter with vegan margarine.  I had to sneak a taste.  (Quality control, right?)  Loved it!  Making another batch for me--with butter!

The recipe comes from:

Christmas with Southern Living 2010

Asian Snack Mix

Page 158

Copyright 2010, Oxmoor House

2 cups Rice Chex cereal

2 cups sesame sticks (I've seen these on the salad bar at Chuck E. Cheese!  My local grocery store stocks them at the end of the frozen pizza aisle, along with other unusual offerings like circus peanut candy and Mary Jane candies.)

1 cup mini twist pretzels (I used unsalted ones.)

3/4 cup salted cashews

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1 cup wasabi peas (These are found in a can on the Asian foods aisle.)

1/3 cup butter (or vegan margarine)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used tamari.)

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.  Line a jelly roll pan with foil; spray with Pam.  Set aside.

Combine the cereal, pretzels, sesame sticks, cashews, apricots and wasabi peas in a large bowl.  

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Alternatively, you can place these ingredients in a 2-cup glass measuring cup, cover and microwave on High for one minute or until butter is melted and the sugar dissolves.

Pour over cereal mixture and toss to coat.  Spoon the mixture onto the prepared pan.

Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to one month.

Chocolate Crunch Coffee Cake

Happy National Coffee Cake Day!

The inspiration for this moist, just-sweet-enough cake was the delicious vanilla-almond granola that a nearby grocery store sells in its produce department.  Feel free to substitute your favorite variety.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut, toasted (See directions below.)
1 heaping cup vanilla-almond granola
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9" square baking pan;  set aside.  Pour the 1/2 cup coconut into another cake pan and bake for 5-7 minutes or until light brown.  Set aside to cool.

For the cake, cream together the 1/2 cup butter with the sugar and extracts.  Add the eggs and beat at high speed for 1 minute.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add to the creamed mixture; stir to combine.  Add buttermilk and beat until a smooth batter is formed.  Fold in chocolate chips and cooled coconut.  Spread the batter into the prepared square baking pan.

Cover the top with the granola.  Evenly pour the melted butter over the top.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until cake is golden brown, firm and starts to pull away from the sides.

The Surprisingly Satisfying Sardine Experiment

Please don't bolt at the mention of sardines.

Don't think "little stinky fish in a can".  Think elegant tapas filing.  Seriously.  And I can go one step further and boldly proclaim this:  If you like salmon, you will like sardines.

It's taken a long time to get the point of actually liking these things.  And I have Alton Brown to thank.

His recent episode on Food Network's "Good Eats" outlined his weight loss plan and brisling sardines played a large part in that.  I watched him make these lovely sourdough toasts topped with avocado, parsley, lemon, sherry vinegar, freshly ground black pepper and brislings and they looked, well, intriguing.

My previous experience with brislings was as a teenager, sitting at the breakfast table with the Baltic side of my family.  They all happily plunged into a large jar containing larger specimens called sprats and devoured them.  With eggs. Very early in the morning.  I had to hide my eyes and focus on my oatmeal.

Alton's recipe piqued my interest because a) he marinated them in lemon and sherry vinegar--yum, b) used avocado--yum and c) toasted sourdough bread--yum, yum, yum.  The nutritional benefits of said fish are impressive as well.  I made this tonight for dinner and enjoyed it with a glass of wine.  And I didn't faint.  It was funky-looking but IT WAS REALLY GOOD.  (Wow!)

But I made some changes.  Just because.

First of all, I snipped off the tails with kitchen scissors.  (They freak me out.)

Secondly, I used cilantro instead of parsley.  (It has a stronger flavor and would mask any potentially fishy aftertaste, I reasoned.)  Plus, it worked well with the other Spanish flavors in the dish.

And thirdly, I brushed the sourdough bread with garlic oil instead of the oil from the sardine can.  It just seemed more appealing.  Garlic is a wonderful thing.

I called Dad and told him what I ate.  He laughed knowingly.  My heritage is showing.  Thanks, A.B.

Cowboy Caviar

Cowboy Caviar is just a cute name for a marinated black-eyed pea salad.

It's quick to throw together and the flavor is fresh and spicy.  Try this as an appetizer with baked pita or tortilla chips, as a topping on beef tacos, in a low-carb wrap as a sandwich filling or as a side dish with any Southern or Southwestern-style meal.

2 cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 can Mexicorn, drained

1 can diced tomatoes with chiles (such as Ro-Tel brand), drained

1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 English (hothouse, seedless--wrapped in plastic) cucumber, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Kraft Basil Parmesan Vinaigrette salad dressing to moisten the ingredients

Mix all the ingredients in a glass or stainless steel bowl; cover and refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Yum!