I always hear my neighbor say she makes her own granola every week. This is one that is tasty, healthy and great one to carry while exercising, walking to work or just plain, old fashioned snacking. Make it on the weekend and you will be good for the week.
- 3 cups rolled oats – not quick cooking
- 1 cup shelled pistachios
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces
- 1/3 cup liquid honey
- 1 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1 cup dried apricots, peaches, cherries, papaya, (basically whatever you like)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oats and pistachios.
In a small saucepan combine the butter, honey and cardamom over a medium heat and cook until the butter has melted. Stir it once in a while. This should take about 2 minutes.
Pour the butter mixture over the oats and nuts and toss until all are completely coated.
Transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet and spread out in an even layer. Bake until the oats are golden (about 35 minutes) and all smells great in your kitchen. Stir this up every 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Stir in the fruit.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks……hahahaha. It won’t last that long. Change up the nuts used every time you make this. Add coconut if you like. Just make it your own.
Sweet And Spicy Trout With Fresh Pineapple
Since we moved to this part of our planet, we have eaten so many pineapples, it would be a shame not to share this recipe with you. Make this dish up and you, as well, will buy many more of them. It/they are perfect.
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 lb. skinless trout, cut into 4 pieces (or salmon if you prefer)
- coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 8 pieces, lengthwise
- 1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro, roughly chopped
- lime wedges for serving
You have the choice of cooking inside (oven) or outside (BBQ). You can do anything on the bbq, so go for it.
Heat the barbecue to medium high. On the side burner, cook the rice according to directions on package.
While this is cooking, mix together in a small bowl the syrup and cayenne pepper. Season the fish with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle with olive oil and brush with the maple syrup. mixture.
Spear the pineapple on metal skewers, with a clean utensil, brush with maple syrup mixture and cook for about 4-5 minutes each side. Watch the pineapple doesn’t burn and, when turned over, brush with the maple syrup mixture again. Do not use the same brush for the fish and pineapple. They would be cross-contaminating. Use two brushes.
Remove from the heat, cut the pineapple into chunks. Add the cilantro to the rice. Spoon the rice in the center of the plate, top with a filet of trout and place the pineapple alongside. Be sure to put a couple of lime wedges on top of the trout.
Enjoy!….yummy…oh, may I pour you a glass of Pinot Gris?
Trout-Grapefruit Verrine Skewers
This is another truly cool pairing to summer drinks on the deck. It will make all your friends go “Wow! Wow and, oh yeah, WOW!
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- tsp. honey
- pinch of poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp. fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 13 pink grapefruit sections, membrane removed
- 2 avocados
- 2 containers Bocconcini cheese, small ones, drained
- 6 oz. smoked trout, sliced
In a bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients and set aside at room temperature.
Peel the avodacos and cut them into 1 inch cubes then add to the dressing.
Cut the grapefruit into 1/2 inch pieces and place into the dressing as well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cut the trout into strips and wrap a slice around a bocconcini. Do them all up and place in the refrigerator on a large plate.
When ready to serve, assemble the skewers like this: 1 piece of grapefruit, a piece of avocado, and a piece of the wrapped trout.
Serve these in shot glasses with the cheese on the bottom and the fruit on the top.
Garnish with a coriander leaf and take out to the waiting mob (now assembling).
Simply trim the skewers (all of them) to be higher than the glass with all of the fruit and half the avocado above the rim.
erataure.
Asparagus Soup
Fresh asparagus is a wonderful thing to eat. Poached, baked, B BQ’d, steamed….it doesn’t matter.
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. asparagus
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp. flour
- 3 3/4 cups chicken stock
- pinch of dried thyme
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2-3/4 cup grated aged white cheddar
- 1 lime, grated
Heat the oil in a pot, add the asparagus, onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
Mix in the flour until well combined and while stirring, add the chicken stock. Add the thyme and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes until the asparagus has become tender. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Return to the pot and add the cream. Heat through.
Ladle into warm bowls, add a generous dollop of sour cream and sprinkle some of the grated lime peel on top.
Did I say….more, please?
Sticky Bun Cake
If you like sticky buns/cinnamon buns, then you will love this version of a coffee cake with the ooey-gooey sticky topping.
This cake has a super topping, a streusel middle and the texture of a coffee cake. Now, all you need is a pot of coffee and the day is, once again, wonderful.
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tp. good quality vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a round cake pan (9 inch) with at least 2 inch high sides. Line the base with parchment paper.
Combine the yogurt and baking soda and set aside. In another bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In the electric mixer bowl cream the butter, sugar and eggs, beating well with each addition. Add the vanilla and now turn the speed to low. Add the flour and yogurt in alternating additions, ending with the flour.
Streusel
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into pieces
In a bowl, combine the sugars, flour and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Topping
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup corn syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup chopped pecans
In a saucepan melt the butter, add corn syrup and sugar, whisking until smooth.
Spread the topping over the prepared cake pan base. Sprinkle the pecans evenly. Spread one half of the cake mixture over the base and sprinkle one half of the streusel evenly over that. Spread remaining batter over the streusel and sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture over the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick, when tested, comes out clean. Co0l on a rack for about 4 minutes and run a small knife round the edges of the cake and remove cake from the pan.
Yum!
Roasted Trout With Sweet Pea Risotto
This is a wonderful trout and risotto recipe. Serve with great flourish for company and be sure to pair it with a perfectly chilled Pinot Gris. Absolutely divine.
- 6 x 4 oz. pieces of trout, skin and bones removed. Fresh is preferred
- 2 cups fresh sweet peas (not frozen)
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cups arborio rice
- 1/4 cup Pinot Gris
- 8 cup hot vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup mascarpne cheese
- 6 mint leaves, chopped
- juice from large lime
- pea shoots for garnish
Preat oven to 350 degrees. Season the trout with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Over medium heat, sweat the onions until transluscent. Add the rice and toast, stirring for 60 seconds. Add the wine. Stir constantly. To make risotto takes EXACTLY 22 minutes.
Add 2/3 of the stock and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat and keep at a low simmer while cooking the rice. Once the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, add more (about a cup) and keep warm. Once it has become tender but still firm, fold in the butter and the mascarpone. Finally add the peas and adjust the seasoning with the lime, pinch of salt and pepper.
Divide between 6 bowls and and serve with the trout.
Trout
Sear the trout in a pan with olive oil (just enough to coat the pan). Pat dry with a towel and place skin side up in the pan. Place in oven and cook for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Place on top of the risotto. Splash with lime juice and garnish with pea shoots.
Now, walk back into the kitchen and say, to yourself, “you show off you.”
Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches With Mango Slaw
Here is a really tasty sandwich to take with you..school, work or even a picnic.
- 4 Portuguese rolls, halved
- 1 pork tenderloin, cook as directed
Make the marinade as directed (really yummy) and pour over the tenderloin and cook in the oven.
Mango Slaw
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise, not salad dressing
- 1 tsp. rice vinegar
- 2 ripe Ataulfo mangos. peeled, pitted and sliced in strips
- half an orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
- pinch of hot pepper flakes
- 3 cups Italian blend greens
Make the salad dressing by whisking together the vinegar, sugar, oil, pinch of salt, and pepper flakes until the sugar has dissolved. Now add the greens, mango and orange pepper. Toss to coat.
Slice the tenderloin thinly, place on bottom half of buttered bun. Drizzle some of the sweet drippings over the meat. Top with the slaw, place upper bun on top.
Take a big bite and roll your eyes. This, my friend, is a heavenly lunch.
Orange Croissant French Toast
A funny thing just happened. I have a cookbook that was printed back in 2009. In it are recipes that received the greatest number of kudos from guests and family alike. Don and I are doing a cooking class demonstration on Thursday and, you guessed, while preparing everything and, of course, sampling the fare before we go, Don said I should print off this recipe so everyone can follow through. Yea, I said….then I tried to find it. HA! I never did post it.
Here it is….it is an elegant, exceptionally fine cuisine and a real WOW factor.
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 – 3 tsp. Grand Marnier
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- grated zest of one orange
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 2 tbsp. icing sugar
- 4 croissants, one day old
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. Crisco oil
- orange syrup (recipe follows)
- 2 segmented oranges
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Whisk together the eggs, cream, Grand Marnier, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and zest in a medium bowl. Stir together the cream cheese and icing sugar in a small bowl.
Cut the croissant in half lengthwise and spread the outside bottom with cream cheese mixture and the outside top with the marmalade. Place back together (they will be inverted with cut side out) to seal. (they will look inside out)
Place the stuffed croissants in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the egg mixture over them and soak for 5 minutes. Turn over and soak for another 5 minutes or until soaked through.
Heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. Crisco oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Fry each side until golden brown. Place on a wire rack and place in the oven while cooking the remaining croissants.
Wipe out the frypan and repeat with the oil, butter and croissants.
Orange Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tbsp. corn starch
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Combine juice and cornstarch in a bowl and then mix into the sugar syrup. Simmer gently until thick. (About 6-8 minutes). Add butter and stir until it melts. Serve warm over the croissants.
Baklava For Celebrations
With Easter just around the corner, this would be a terrific and, yes, traditional treat. Use it for a dessert at your Brunch Buffet or Easter dinner.
It can be long in time to make, so make it up to a week ahead of when you want to serve it. As long as it is in an airtight container and not put in the refrigerator, it will be wonderful and delicious with no harm done.
*Note: Do not crush the nuts in a food processor. Just chop them. If put in a processor, they made the Baklava very heavy and not pleasant, as it should be. Just sayin’.
Read through first, then make your syrup before working with the phyllo.
- 3 1/4 cups whole almonds, skins on, finely chopped
- 2 1/3 cups walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 x 1 lb. pkg of phyllo dough, thawed
Whisk together the almonds, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt until really well combined.
Generously brush a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish with melted butter.
Halve the phyllo sheets and keep covered with 2 layers of plastic wrap and then topped with a damp tea towel (of course, clean). Lay 2 sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the baking dish and generously brush with butter. Continue layering 2 sheets at a time staggering sheets every two layers slightly to cover the bottom of the dish, until you have 10 layers in total.
When you have brushed the top layer with butter, spread 1 1/2 cups nut mixture over it and drizzle with 2 tbsp. butter. Do this step 3 more times. Oh, by the way, when done you should have 50 layers of phyllo. Butter the top and let stand 15 minutes to allow it to harden a little.
Now the fun…..with a very sharp knife, cut in 16 diagonal rectangles, then cut each piece in half diagonally. You must ensure you cut all the way through.
Bake this until golden (55 – 60 minutes) in a 350 degree oven.
Syrup
- 2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 orange,halved
- 1 lime, halved
- 1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
- 2/3 cup honey
Combine the sugar and water in a 3 qt. saucepan. Squeeze the juice from the fruit into the sugar mixture. Add the fruit halves and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil, stirring often until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature and pour through a sieve, pressing on the fruit halves and then discard all the solids.
Chill, uncovered, until cold. (about an hour).
Now, SLOWLY pour the cold syrup over the Baklava, getting into all the cuts, sides and all over the top. Now, let this stand for 8 hours. Once the Baklava has reached room temperature, cover with plastic. Do not chill.
Sweet? Sure.
Beyond your dreams? Absolutely.
Will you enjoy this? More than you will ever know.
YUMMY!
Butternut Squash With Maple Syrup and Fresh Thyme
We both love the different squashes available in stores year round, and this is a delightful way to prepare the butternut squash…..even the kids will eat it.
- 3/4 stick butter
- 1 3 1/2 (approx.) butternut squash, cut lengthwise in half, peeled and seeded
- 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/3-1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh thyme
- 3-4 tbsp. whipping cream
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Chop the squash into 1″ pieces. Melt the butter in a frypan over high heat, add the squash and saute for 60 seconds. Add the broth, syrup, thyme, salt and half the pepper.
Cover and reduce the heat,cooking for about 10 minutes until almost tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the squash to a large bowl. Boil the remaining liquid in the frypan until it thickens – 4-5 minutes. Add the whipping cream and stir to incorporate.
Return the squash to the frypan and cook for another 4-5 minutes, turning so all sides are completely cooked through. Remove from the skillet and serve.
Crab Strata
With Easter around the corner and family coming for the holiday, this strata is a wonderful addition to a Sunday morning Brunch…..or Mother’s Day celebration.
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 8 inch flour tortilla
- 4 oz. shrimp, cooked, deveined
- 4 oz. flaked cooked crabmeat
- 1/4 cup shredded Emmental cheese
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 tbsp. fresh dill
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 tbsp. flour
- pinch of pepper
- extra shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined for garnish
Spray a 2 qt. cooking dish with Pam. In a medium skillet melt the butter and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until tender.
Cut the tortillas into bite-size pieces. In the baking dish, place 1/2 the onion and tortilla pieces and 1/2 of the shrimp and crab and dill. Repeat the layers.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, flour and pepper until smooth. Pour over the strata, cover and refrigerate over night.
In the morning, let sit for 35 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle of the strata comes out clean and is a golden colour.
Let rest for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Garnish with the extra shrimp and serve on a pretty platter.
Fettucine With Asparagus And Lime
I love pasta….any kind and almost in any way. This is easy to make, delightful to eat and you won’t be sorry you tried it.
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
- finely grated zest from 4 limes
- pinch of sea salt and white pepper
- 1 lb. fresh fettucine
- 1/2 lb. asparagus trimmed and cut in 1 inch pieces diagonally
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
Combine the butter and whipping cream in a heavy skillet. Bring to a boil and add the lime juice and zest. Continue cooking until reduced by one third. Remove from heat and add the salt and pepper.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add salt. By using the fresh pasta, add the asparagus at the same time and cook for 2 – 2 1/2 minutes. Drain both.
Reheat the sauce and add the pasta and asparagus, stirring to coat. Add the grated cheese and stir to incorporate. Serve with a wedge of lime, slice of garlic toast, green salad and, of course, a glass of chilled white wine.
Yummy.