coconut oil granola

DESCRIPTION

This Coconut Oil Granola is made with pecans, pistachios, golden raisins, agave, oats, and coconut oil.

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INGREDIENTS

DRY INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 heaping cup pecans, chopped roughly
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup pistachios, chopped roughly
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup golden raisins

WET INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup melted coconut oil (see notes)
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients together (except the raisins – set aside for later). Whisk the wet ingredients until smooth. Combine the wet and the dry ingredients in a large bowl until the mixture is moistened.
2. Spread the mixture on the baking sheet in a thin layer (use two pans if necessary – I just use one 10×15 jelly roll pan).
3. Bake for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes. During the last 20 minutes of baking, stir in the golden raisins. When you remove the granola from the oven at the end, don’t stir it right away – the granola will form crunchy clusters as it cools. 

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NOTES

To ensure clustering, use 1 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup agave. The more sticky the mixture, the more clustering will happen.

If you have a nonstick baking sheet, I’d recommend going without parchment paper.

This recipe is not as good when you reduce the coconut oil. I tried making this recipe with about 1/2 cup coconut oil and it seemed really dry to me.

Be careful with the nuts! If you pulse them in a food processor and they get too fine, they’ll make the granola dry because it almost acts like a flour. I recommend just roughly chopping or barely running them through your processor.

Amish Date Pudding Cake

This summer, we started subscribing to the Southeast Iowa Union to support local journalism. I found

this recipe under the column: "The Amish Cook"

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup dates, cut fine
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup Hot Water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
• 
  

• RECIPE PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Bring dates, soda, and water to a boil in a small pan. Boil for a couple minutes or until dates are tender. 

Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl along with remaining ingredients. Mix all together and pour into a greased 9X9 inch pan. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. 

Cool

PECAN CARAMEL SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons cream

1 Tablespoon agave

pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

RECIPE PREPARATION

1. Combine all ingredients except vanilla and pecans in a small sauce pan and 

bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally. Allow to simmer 3-4 

minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and add vanilla and nuts. 

3. Cool; poke holes in the cake and pour over the caramel sauce

Mediterranean Cod with Lebanese rice

1.5 lb Cod fillet pieces (4–6 pieces)

5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Lemon Juice Mixture 

• 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 5 tbsp EVOO
• 2 tbsp melted butter

For Coating

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 3/4 tsp sweet Spanish paprika 
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin 
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix lemon juice, olive oil, and melted butter in a shallow bowl. Set aside

In another shallow bowl, mix all-purpose flour, spices, salt and pepper. Set next to the lemon juice mixture.

Pat fish fillet dry. Dip fish in the lemon juice mixture then dip in the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour. Reserve the lemon juice mixture for later.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (watch the oil to be sure it is shimmering but not smoking). Add fish and sear on each side to give it some color, but do not fully cook (about a couple minutes on each side) Remove from heat.

To the remaining lemon juice mixture, add the minced garlic and mix. Drizzle all over the fish fillets.

Bake in the heated oven for until it begins to flake easily with a fork (10 minutes should do it, but begin checking earlier). Remove from heat and sprinkle chopped parsley.

2 cups long grain or medium grain rice

Water

1 cup broken vermicelli pasta (I used vermicelli from an Indian grocer)

2 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Salt

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, optional to finish

Rinse the rice well (a few times) then place it in a medium bowl and cover with water. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Test to see if you can easily break a grain of rice by simply placing it between your thumb and index finger. Drain well.

In a medium non-stick cooking pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the vermicelli and continuously stir to toast it evenly. Vermicelli should turn a nice golden brown, but watch carefully not to over-brown or burn it (If it burns, you must throw the vermicelli away and start over).

Add the rice and continue to stir so that the rice will be well-coated with the olive oil. Season with salt.

Now add 3 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil until the water significantly reduces (see the photo below).Turn the heat to low and cover.

Cook for 15-20 minutes on low. Once fully cooked, turn the heat off and leave the rice undisturbed in it’s cooking pot for 10-15 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork.

Transfer to a serving platter and top with the toasted pine nuts. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Cashew Topping/Creme

July 27, 2020. Taco Monday

What a hit this turned out to be! I wasn't expecting much, but this simple meal turned out to be delicious and pleased both the mother and the husband.  

INGREDIENTS

Sauce

• 1 green chile (such as serrano), finely grated (I omitted this) 
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• ¼ cup cashew or almond butter (I used 1/4 cup of cashews)
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• Kosher salt

Assembly

• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 medium heads of cauliflower, cut into 1"–2" florets
• Salt
• 12 6"-diameter corn or flour tortillas 
• 1 small or medium white or purple onion, thinly sliced
• Sliced avocado, sliced radishes, cilantro leaves with tender stems, and lime wedges (for serving). 
• For our toppings, Amine picked up Guacamole and Salsa from Arandas. We added Sauerkraut. 

RECIPE PREPARATION

Sauce

• Using a fork, mix chile, garlic, cashew butter, lime juice, and 3 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to combine; season with salt. Set aside. (I blitzed all of this in the food processor because I used raw cashews. We added some olive oil.)

Assembly

• Place a rack in lowest position; preheat oven to 450°. Stir garlic, oil, cumin, and paprika in a small bowl to combine. Arrange cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and pour spiced oil over. Season with salt and toss to evenly coat cauliflower. Roast, undisturbed, until dark brown and crisp on the bottom, 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn florets over. Continue to roast until second side is dark brown and crisp, 15–20 minutes longer. (I thinly sliced the onion, drizzled it in spiced oil and roasted that as well for about 20-30 minutes since I'm not a fan of raw onion).
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, toast tortillas in a single layer, turning halfway through, until warmed through, about 1 minute total. Transfer to plates.
• Spread each tortilla with some reserved sauce; top with cauliflower. Garnish with onion, avocado, radishes, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Pistachio-Vanilla Bean Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped salted dry-roasted pistachio nuts
6 ounces white chocolate (with cocoa butter), cut up
2 teaspoons shortening

Directions:
In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the tip of a knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean halves into butter mixture. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Stir in pistachios.

Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 1 1/2-inch-thick log (about 7 inches long). Wrap each log in waxed paper; twist the ends. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Cut chilled or frozen logs into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices about 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake about 10 minutes or just until firm and browned on the bottoms. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks; cool.

In a heavy small saucepan combine white chocolate and shortening; heat and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate mixture; place on a wire rack over waxed paper and let stand until set.

To Store:

Layer chocolate-coated cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies before serving.

BA's Best Cream Scones

INGREDIENTS

This comes from "BA's best" collection. I made these for Amine's "Primitive Camping Trip" in Mark Twain National Park (July 2020). He requested "Dark Chocolate Cinnamon" as he envisioned eating these along with his David Lynch coffee made over an open fire. 

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface (Three cups of flour should weigh 360 grams )
• ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 1¼ cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing
• Demerara or raw sugar (for sprinkling.

RECIPE PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 375°. 
• Whisk granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 cups flour in a large bowl or food processor to combine. Add butter and toss to coat. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, work butter into flour until only pea-size pieces remain. Alternatively, if using food processor, blend until butter becomes pea-sized. (This method seemed to work out just fine!)
• Make a well in the center; add egg and 1¼ cups cream and mix with a fork, incorporating dry ingredients a little at a time, until a shaggy dough forms (it’s okay if it looks a little dry; don’t overwork). Lightly knead dough in bowl until it just comes together.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1"-thick round. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
• Brush dough with cream and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake scones until golden brown, 25–30 minutes (it took maybe 33 minutes the first time I made these)
• Do Ahead: Scones can be made 1 day ahead. Store lightly covered at room temperature.

Variations

• Lemon-Rosemary: Whisk 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest and 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary into flour mixture before adding butter.
• Cinnamon-Chocolate: Toss 1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon into flour mixture after working in butter.  Delicious!!!
• Double Ginger: Whisk 2 Tbsp. finely chopped candied ginger and 1 Tbsp. finely grated peeled ginger into flour mixture before adding butter.
• Mixed Berry: Toss 1 cup fresh or frozen berries, cut into pieces if large, into flour mixture after working in butter.
• Pecan-Oat: Toss ¾ cup old-fashioned oats and ¾ cup chopped toasted pecans into flour mixture before adding butter. Sprinkle ¼ cup oats along with demerara sugar over scones before baking.