Friday, March 21, 2014

The Last Granola Recipe you'll Save


Granola...such an intriguing concept and yet so often it tastes like sawdust.  Most commercial granolas suffer from the lack of that one little kick that balances out the sweet and the nutty...salt.  Looking at this recipe, from Eleven Madison Park via Serious Eats, I was elated to see salt (tee hee, see salt) and yet a little dubious as to the amount of salt (a tablespoon?  really?) in the recipe.  But all that sweet and all that (unsalted) nuttiness and even the olive oil cry out for some serious salt.  And, except for the coconut chips/flakes, you can find every ingredient at Trader Joes.  Which is always a bonus (the coconut, by the way, is available at Whole Foods.  If you walk in there without a basket or cart, pick up your coconut and head to the cashier, your wallet won't be sucked dry.)

I don't know about you, but I have collected granola recipes over the years and they have stayed in the digital form of a kitchen junk drawer forever.  And after finding this recipe, they will remain there just that much longer.  Because this one is just that good.

Ingredients

  • • 2 3/4 cups rolled oats
  • • 1 cup shelled pistachios
  • • 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
  • • 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips or flakes (not shredded coconut)
  • • 1 tablespoon salt
  • • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • • 1/3 cup maple syrup, perferably Grade B


Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together oats, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, coconut chips, and salt.

In a small sauce pan combine brown sugar, olive oil, and maple syrup. Bring heat to medium and whisk occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Pour over oat mixture. 

Spread oats along prepared baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and mix in dried cherries.

Put in tupperware and try really hard not to eat too much everyday.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Miso Marinated Root Vegetables

Miso Marinated 2

It is 80 degrees in February in Los Angeles and with the exception of a couple of weeks of temperatures hovering in the mid sixties, this has been the least wintery winter that I remember in a long time.  Not that I am complaining too much (the fall cashmere sweater purchase was a bit of a waste, though.)  But foodwise, we still have to wait for spring to get the best asparagus, strawberries and spring peas.  So root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes of all kinds, rutabaga, turnips, whatever) are still a great seasonal choice.  Peeling and chopping are the only  ”tough” thing about this and you can attack this part the day before if you like. This recipe, adapted from Food52 is pretty light and pretty delicious and pretty pretty, too.  Leftovers would be great atop some sort of grain (farro, bulgur, red or black rice come to mind) with a fried egg and some sriracha sauce.
Ingredients:
2 pounds peeled root vegetables, cut in roughly 1/2-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons miso paste (see above)
2 Tablespoons maple syrup (or honey, if you prefer)
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 Tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or just oil it) or do nothing…it will work either way.
Whisk together the miso, maple syrup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and oil. Toss the sauce with the cut-up root vegetables, coating them well. Transfer to the baking sheet and roast, turning periodically, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are soft (but not mushy) and caramelized. Eat as soon as possible.