Chocolate & Peanut Granola

I have always loved the phrase "like father, like daughter''.  Being compared to the man that raised me, loved me, taught me, got me started in the kitchen, got me out of the first few days of third grade to go and stay in a beach house in Malibu, and is the son of my Meme (another person I am elated to be compared to) is something I am so proud of.  He is makes me laugh, holds me when I cry, and laughs at my jokes even when they don't make sense.  I like to think that I have at least some of those qualities that I can share with my family and friends. 

There is something else that we share, something that I only found out about two and a half years ago.  We both love granola.  We have this strange affinity for it.  I am not sure why it is there, but how can any one turn down granola?  It is crunchy and chewy at the same time.  Sometimes heady with cinnamon and sometimes crunchy with toasted grains, nuts, and seeds.  It can be pebbly or broken into shards or slabs; served with ice cream, yogurt, floating in a pool of milk, or eaten straight from the jar in handfuls (as both my father and I prefer). 

Best of all, it is easy to make and makes the house smell fabulous.  The ingredients are, for the most part, shelf stable so with the ingredients scattered around the cupboards, what are you waiting for?  Heat up that oven!

The specific recipe that I am referring to here is my riff on Nigella Lawson's recipe for Andy's Fairfield Granola.  I cut the recipe in half, for starters, and omitted the ginger and cut back on the sweetness by leaving out the brown rice syrup. 

The end result was more like a bittersweet granola speckled with perfectly toasted peanuts and heady with cinnamon.  It is more of a pebbly granola, but that just makes for better hand-scooping, which, between you, me, and my father, is a wonderful thing.

2 1/4c. oats (old fashioned, please)
1/2c. sunflower seeds
1/3c. white sesame seeds
1/3c. (unsweetened) apple sauce
1t. cinnamon
1/4 c. honey
2T. dark brown sugar
2T. cocoa powder
1c. peanuts
1/2t. salt
1T. oil

-Chuck all ingredients into a very large mixing bowl, mix well, and spread out on a lined sheet pan.
-Bake in a 325f oven for 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.
-Let cool thoroughly before storing.


This makes about 4.5 cups.

Nutty CousCous with Asparagus

Forget everything you know about grain salads- this is a complete revelation.

Do you see those nuts down there?  They aren't ordinary nuts; they are roasted nuts.  Still not convinced?  I don't blame you, but it get's better.  What if I told you that after getting them nice and toasty in the oven, their next order of business is to be ground into a very aesthetically pleasing rubble only then to be tossed with olive oil, parmesan cheese, and Israeli couscous?

I'll give you a moment.

 

Oh!  And look who decided to join the party....

I told you it was an epic salad.

Do know that I am not due all of the credit, as this was adapted from Laura Calder's recipe for Nutty Pasta.  I used couscous instead of pasta, varied the ratio of nuts, added asparagus, and omitted the orange zest. 

 

3T. raw almonds
2T. pistachios
1T. pine nuts
....
2 c. water
1.5c. Israeli couscous
....
1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into 1 inch long sticks
....
1T. extra virgin olive oil
1 squirt of lemon juice (I unapologetically used a plastic lemon)
1/4c. grated parmesan

-Begin by roasting the almonds and pistachios for 7 minutes in a 325 oven.  Add the pine nuts to this and continue to roast for another 8 minutes.  When you take the nuts out of the oven, they should have the fabulous aroma of toasted nuts,  but if you have to guess, then I would toss them back in the oven for another 2 or 3 minutes, as oven temperatures can vary.

-Let cool and chop (by hand or with the aid of a food processor) until rubbly.  You are not looking for a powder here, but something along the lines of a brown, white, and green flecked confetti, if you will.

-Meanwhile, combine the water and couscous and a pinch of salt into a pan large enough to hold them and bring to a boil; reduce and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender.

-Bring yet another pot (I know!) of water to boil and blanch the asparagus, removing after 2-3 minutes and submerging in cold water to cease it's cooking.  Drain and put into a large bowl.

-To the asparagus, add the olive oil, parmesan cheese, nuts, and lemon juice. 

-Drain the finished couscous and toss with the ingredients in the large bowl; check for seasoning and serve either chilled or at room temperature.

Note:  This salad makes for fabulous left overs.   I think it is because the nuts are cut so small but they didn't seem to go mushy like most nuts do while in the ice box.   After I made it, I separated the rest of it into my usual glass jars and when it came time to put together my lunch before work, I just hard boiled an egg to go on top and it was even better than the day that I made it.  Also, there is nothing in this salad that will spoil, so I ate mine at room temperature, as in I didn't put it back in to the ice box when I got to work.  It just sat happily in my lunch tote until its consumption, but if you are finicky about that sort of thing, there certainly isn't harm in eating it cold.

Sauteed Cabbage

Hopefully the addition of cabbage to a taco won't be a turn off.  In fact, it is rather a wonderful addition regarding both flavour and texture.  It melts in the mouth so easily, sort of the way that perfectly and slowly caramelized onions do, except more so. It almost isn't even necessary to chew, (except when considering the black beans and corn tortillas, well, chewing sort of comes in handy when it comes time to swallow). And the cabbage is a little tangy, which I really like, especially with the moderately spiced black beans.

Even though I never ate cabbage as a child, there never the less is something very comforting and homely, for me, at least, about a nice bowl of sauteed cabbage.  While it is still piping hot and with just enough salt and a dash of vinegar, maybe add some tomatoes for even more acidity if you like.   Which, actually, I enjoy as a meal in itself: sauteed cabbage with tomatoes cooked in.  It's very nice.  It is the sort of thing I would make if I ever was home sick.

The first time that I had ever had cooked cabbage was a couple of years ago, when I spent some time in Bulgaria.  It was over the Christmas and New Year's holidays with a friend (she had moved to America from Bulgaria to study).  There, it seemed that cabbage was a part of most of the meals.  Whether cooked or made into juice, something that, I find, that most Americans turn their noses up at (and I mean that quite literally, quite a strong smell for those who are unprepared) and indeed, something that I am sure that they were surprised to find how eager I was to not just have, but to enjoy.  In fact, I am sure my complete lack of hesitation to have a glass (or more, if they would be so obliging) was rather a let down for them.  I may not have enjoyed cooked cabbage before my trip to Bulgaria, but I had already had a happy fondness of cabbage juice.

It's just so tangy, yet there is still a natural sweetness to it.  Just enough to balance it.  It is a bit of a labor of love to make, but when done properly, and it seems that there are several Bulgarian women out there that know how to properly steep cabbages and coax them to release all of their pungent and tart juices, it is a complete joy to consume.  Also, I learned, that I was lucky to have tasted this wondrous concoction, seeing as cabbage juice is specifically a wintertime treat.  

Perhaps, the comfort that cabbage ignites within me comes from such wonderful memories of being a part of some one else's family for the holidays when I had left mine back at home.  Either way, I am always happy knowing that there is some cabbage around, whether rolling around in my ice box or sizzling and hissing in my saute pan.

1 small head of green cabbage

2t. oil

(salt to taste)

-Begin by cutting the cabbage into four wedges.  This will make it easy to take out the core, which you can do by angling your knife and making a 45 degree slice into the cabbage, like you would do for apple wedges.

-Now, take your cored cabbage and turn it so that you are perpendicular to it length wise and slice into half inch thick ribbons.  Repeat until all of the cabbage is shredded.

-Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the cabbage and let it cook, turning occasionally, until most of it has taken on a golden hue.  

-Carefully (prepare yourself for a bit of hot steam), pour in 1/3c. water and salt and cover.  Let this cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened to your liking.

As I mentioned earlier, adding some tomatoes and red wine vinegar to this, halfway through the browning process, makes for another lovely meal or side dish.  It is also lovely left plane and heaped into a warm corn tortilla with some chipotle spiked black beans.

Poached Eggs with Spinach and Mushroom Hash

If there is one culinary wonder, it is the egg.  Not only can eggs be cooked a million and one ways, but they can pretty well make an instant meal of just about anything.  Need a sauce for something?  Hello, Runny Yolk.  In fact, that is my favourite part of the egg.  A nice runny yolk.  That is even how I prefer my boiled eggs, with just the exterior of the yolk gelled. 

All of that being said, you might be surprised to know that I only just learned to poach an egg.  I know.  It's madness.  Yet another intimidating thing for me.

I have happily overcome that.

Finally.

 

For the premiere of the poached eggs, I served them over a spinach and mushroom hash.  Ok, I call it a hash but I don't really know if technically it is a hash.  Does something have to have potatoes in it to be a hash?  Any one? 

Well, whatever, I like the idea of calling this a hash, and so I shall. 



2 eggs

....

1 box frozen spinach, thawed, and removed of excess moisture

8oz (1 box) cremini mushrooms

sherry vinegar

(salt & pepper to taste)

....

2 scallions

-Begin with stemming and tearing the mushrooms into halves. 

 I say tear because I prefer the texture that the rough edges get when they are sauteed but if you can't tell a difference or prefer prettier mushrooms, slicing them is acceptable.

-When the mushrooms are lovely and a deep caramelized brown colour, pour in a splash of sherry vinegar and chuck the spinach into the pan to heat through.

-In another wider and shallow pot, heat some water, about 2-3 inches worth, until little bubbles form at the bottom of the pot.  Crack the eggs separately, in a little dish.  Using a slotted spoon (you'll need one later to help get out the eggs) swirl the water in the pan until a slight funnel forms.  Drop the eggs in one at a time and keep the water going until the whites begin to cook.  They will need roughly 3-4 minutes to cook.

-To serve, put the spinach hash into a bowl and snip the scallions over.  Remove the eggs, carefully, from their hot bath and blot them on a cloth to remove any water.  Eat immediately with a nice sprinkling of coarse salt and pepper.

On a side note, if you are poaching eggs ahead of time, say, in the morning to have with lunch, put the poached egg(s) into a mason jar and keep in the ice box until you are ready to eat them.  Reheat the eggs by pouring some hot water over them and draining after about 30 seconds. 

Chipotle Spiked Black Beans

Some people say that you are not a true chef until you can make a proper omelette.  Well, I say that at least to be a proper cook, you should be able to cook up a pot of beans.  I know it sounds easy, but for some reason I have always been scared- yes, literally scared- to cook beans.  All of that soaking, picking, rinsing, and simmering business.  What is the point when I can just open a can? 

I suppose the point is similar to that of bread baking, making your own granola, or making your own tuna salad, simply, why not make it myself?  It certainly won't hurt me and it might even build some character and teach me something new.  However you look at it, I think that making things that you could normally buy taste better if only for knowing that I made it and didn't just buy it.  It just tastes better knowing that I put in that teensy bit of effort more.

And really, it isn't like it takes 'effort' to soak some beans, right?

2c. dried black beans

....

1/2c. yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

2T. chipotles in adobo

-Begin by measuring out the beans and sort of pick through them to make sure that there are not any bits or pieces of  debris that the machine missed.  Soak the beans in water for 6-8 hours. 

-Drain the beans and rinse them off.  Leave in their soaking bowl while you get on with sauteing the onions.  Once they begin to colour and soften, add the garlic and let this cook until the garlic colours.

-Pour in the beans, and stir in the chipotles in adobo, and about 4c. water. 

-Simmer this for 1.5-2 hours or bake in a 350f oven for the same amount of time.  If you are going the baking route, as I prefer, make sure to use a very tight fitting lid or put a puce of foil between the lid and pot. 

I prefer to bake them because I have more freedom.  I don't mind leaving the house while the oven is on, especially if I am not going far  (I can go on my jog/walks while it is baking, which excites me for some odd reason) but I don't dare leave if the stove is on. 

Also, the stove that I have is an electric model and even after cooking on the damn thing for over two years, I don't understand it and prefer to use the oven when ever I can.  It just doesn't seem to cook evenly, and it certainly doesn't adjust as quickly as a gas stove does.

This will serve probably 4-6 people, depending on how you're serving it.  They make for killer left-overs though and are nice to have around as a sort of back up meal or component to a meal.

Spanikopita

Why is it that the term 'labor of love' automatically brings up negative connotations?  I am on a mission to change that.  Starting with this recipe for spanikopita.  I mean, I understand that phyllo dough can sort of make perfectionist want to rip out their hair and curl up in a ball in the corner and cry for a while, and I imagine that if I was a complete perfectionist, then that would have been me every time that I have worked with it.  But it is really good and makes for  such an interesting texture that, for me, is nice when you're in a bit of a food rut.  Or if you're just hungry.

  It is some seriously delicate stuff.  We are talking, wafer-thin, so much so that you could probably see through it in the dark.  Maybe. 

 Anyway, it most generally comes frozen and even when properly thawed can be difficult and definitely fiddly.  The sheets of this stuff are so thin that it takes about a blink to dry out, but that can mostly be avoided by leaving a damp cloth over the part that you aren't using.  

Still, though, I find that I can never peel away a whole and perfect sheet of the stuff, which is the part that if I were a perfectionist I would have my freak out; however, it doesn't matter.  

Yes, you read that correctly.  It. just. doesn't. matter.  

Who cares, or can event tell, to be honest, that each piece of phyllo was not one perfect sheet when there is spinach and feta cheese to distract them?  

Years ago, when I worked for a restaurant in my city, one of the caterers would make spanikopita for most of her parties.  Her version was a bit different than mine in that the filling was much creamier (I think she used a bit of ricotta cheese and eggs in the stuffing as well.)  and she made the spanikopita in little individual sort of triangular packets.  Talk about fiddly.

This version is much easier, just let the phyllo thaw in the ice box the night before you plan to make it.  When it comes time to make it, saute some onion and garlic, adding the spinach and feta cheese at the last minute.  Measure out some olive oil and brush in between each sheet of phyllo as you layer them into a baking dish.  After a few layers of phyllo (the laborious part,if you will, hence, labor of love) and spread half of the spinach and feta mix in an even layer.  Repeat this method a couple more times and bake until it goes crackly and golden ontop.  Eat it cold, room temperature, hot, however you feel and while I am sure the left overs are fabulous (top that with a fried egg....) however we ate the whole thing.  It was that good.

1/2 of a sweet onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced....
2 boxes of frozen spinach, thawed
....
1c. feta cheese, crumbled
....
1/3c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 box (or there abouts) phyllo dough, thawed


-The night before (or morning of, whichever is easiest) put both the phyllo dough and the spinach in the ice box to thaw.
-When it comes time to make the dish, preheat the oven to 400f.
-Saute the onions in a swirl of olive oil in a pan until they begin to soften and take on a light golden hue; to this add the garlic and spinach. 

When using formerly frozen spinach, it is imperitive that you make sure to squeeze all of the water from the spinach.  If you have never done this before, there may be a surprising amount of moisture residing within the green pulpy mass, but you'll know when the water is gone.  Usually people just put the spinach into a tea towel and squeeze that, but I just put it in my sturdy sieve and, using a silicone spatula, press upon the spinach until no more water comes out.

-Once the mixture is heated through, remove from the heat source and mix in the feta.
-Now for the somewhat tricky bit- the layering.  I used a 6x10in. baking dish that I sprayed with oil.  Measure out the olive oil into a small bowl.  Roll out the phyllo dough on a completely flat surface and cover immediately with a damp cloth, to prevent drying.  If the sheets break, just keep in mind that you are just looking for a flat layer, so if you end up having to use several sheets sort of like you would in paper mache, its perfectly fine and won't noticeably effect the finished dish.
-Place a sheet of phyllo in the bottom of the pan, folding if necessary.  Brush this with a bit of olive oil, being gentle.  Don't freak out if it tears, because you will repeat this about 6-8 times so any tears or rips will eventually be covered up. 
-When you have finished the first 6-8 layers ('one layer' meaning one olive oil brushed sheet of phyllo dough) spread on half of the spinach feta mixture.  Repeat with the phyllo (6-8 layers), spinach, and finish with another 4-8 layers of phyllo.  By this time you are liable to be bored, so I wouldn't blame you for stopping at four layers but 6-8 is preferable here.
-Brush the top with olive oil and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is gorgeously crackly and golden.  Let this cool for about 10-15 minutes and eat cold, room temperature, or hot.

I served mine with some roasted tomatoes which was lovely because they cook at the same temperature and take about the same amount of time as the spanikopita.  After their roasting, they are filled with a tomato-y butter that is gorgeous alongside the spanikopita. 

Roasted Tomatoes

Mmmmm.....nothing better than the smell of roasted garlic in the air.  

Wait, maybe if you added some butter to that.

Oh!  And then, maybe if you stuffed all of that into some tomatoes.....

Oh yes.  We are on to something now....

4 beefsteak tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1T. butter

(salt & pepper to taste)

-Begin by preheating the oven to 400f.

-Next, slice the tops off of the tomatoes, using a serrated knife for ease.  Using a small melon baller or grapefruit spoon, get out the seeds and the tough core and toss away. 

(If you are smart, you will slice away the good tomato that surrounds each stem and sprinkle that liberally with salt and pepper as a little cook's treat, but at the time, I was a woman on a mission and by the time I thought of using them...well, it was the next morning and they had been sitting out uncovered on the counter all night and weren't very appealing.)

-Very lightly spray a dish with oil and place the tomatoes, cut side up, onto the dish.  Sprinkle with the sliced garlic, salt, and pepper.  

-Divide the butter among them evenly and slip them into the hot oven and let them roast until they go caramelized and a bit wrinkly, about 40-50 minutes.

I would recommend serving this with something that could use a smidgen of sauce because once these tomatoes make it to the plate, you can cut them in two, letting the tomato-y butter run all over whatever is on the plate, be it rice, bulgur wheat, couscous, bread....you get the idea.