Gingerbread Granola

So uh...hello again.  Poor blog.  I'm not apologizing, however - life, real life, comes first and foremost always, no? 

While writing up the recipe for this post I felt badly about not updating on life (you know, for all of those readers still hanging around *crickets*).  Perhaps in another post?  I'm just dipping my toes into the blog waters at this point...see how she feels, trying things on for size again.

In any case, hai!  Granola!  I feel bad about granola.  It's like the redheaded step child of foods I like.  When I have it, I'm all over it, a regular yogurt-n-granola-for-breakfast-lunch-snack-nighttime snack-fiend.  Bring it on.  When I don't have it, I don't feel like making it and therefore do not have a fiendish addiction to it.  I'm so fickle.

This granola?  Even Matt (who doesn't typically like yogurt) thought this was delicious.  It's the maple syrup, doncha know.  And of course those gingerbready spices.  I was at first concerned about all of that olive oil - I would suggest using a very light and subtle oil although once baked and tasted you don't really know it's there.  We typically choose Greek yogurt, for the thicker texture and tangy flavor.  Top it off with this crunchy goodness and you are set.  Om nom.

Gingerbread Granola
A Beautiful Mess

2 cups oats
1 cup almond slivers
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

Combine oats and almond slivers in a large bowl.  Add olive oil and maple syrup and stir to combine.  

Combine spices in a separate bowl and toss with granola.  

Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes or until golden and crunchy!

I'm caving, but just barely.  Here's the most recent shot of my beautiful family:

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Cucumber Salad

My Mom dropped off a container of strawberries today - quite ripe and needing to be used. Off to Pinterest! I found nothing I wanted or could make using the strawberries, but was reminded of this simple sounding recipe for a spicy cucumber salad. Had a few Thai chilis leftover from the guacamole, most of a cucumber in the crisper plus a good hunk of red onion needing to be used so I was good to go.

Glad I did, too - I could easily eat an entire cucumber made into this salad. It's really good: light, fresh, crunchy, and the dressing is perfect. Yum.

*be cautious with hot chilis - the capsaicin can transfer to your skin and cause burning irritation; wear gloves while preparing the peppers if you feel it necessary*

Cucumber Salad
Kayotic Kitchen

1 cucumber, sliced lengthwise and seeds mostly removed
1 small red onion
1-2 Thai chilis (fewer the seeds, lesser the heat)
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground coriander seed
few drops sesame oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
pinch of salt

Chop cucumber, red onion and chili into a dish. Whisk together honey, rice vinegar, spices, oils, and salt. Dress salad and chill 15 minutes before serving.
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Guacamole

Matt and I have been watching a lot of Jamie Oliver, lately. Jamie at Home, mostly, with a bit of Jamie's Great Italian Escape thrown in for good measure. I admire the simple, no nonsense approach to life and the kitchen, and this guacamole is proof that even I, a strict follower of recipes, can wing it just a little...with delicious results.

We served the guacamole with cheese quesadillas.

*be cautious with hot chilis - the capsaicin can transfer to your skin and cause burning irritation; wear gloves while preparing the peppers if you feel it necessary*

Jamie Oliver's Guacamole
Serves 2

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 rounded tablespoon finely minced onion
2 Thai chilis, finely minced (fewer the seeds, lesser the heat)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tomato, deseeded and diced
juice of 1 lemon

Mash the avocado and season with about 1/4 tablespoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Fork in the onion, chili and tomato. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning (I added another half tablespoon or so of kosher salt and another few grinds of black pepper).
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Kitchen Play: Onion-Bacon Salad with Warm Crème Fraîche Dressing

Whoa. This Kitchen Play thing? Very cool. Have you been following the monthly menus?

Kitchen Play: each month a Progressive Party is hosted. Six food bloggers are assigned one of the following courses: cocktail, amuse bouche, salad, appetizer/soup, entrée and dessert. All six bloggers are challenged to incorporate the same product or kitchen tool into six different courses.

I was expecting this opportunity to challenge me, and challenge it did. I was given the salad dish and the secret ingredient was...


...onions. Fresh dry bulb onions. As opposed to storage onions. Because apparently there is a difference...I wasn't even aware there was a difference!

From the Onions USA website:

Onions can be divided into two categories: spring/summer fresh onions and fall/winter storage onions.

Spring/Summer Fresh Onions
Spring/summer fresh onions are available in yellow, red and white throughout their season, March through August. Fresh onions can be identified by their thin, light-colored skin. Because they have a higher water content, they are typically sweeter and milder than storage onions. This higher water content also makes them more susceptible to bruising.

With its delicate taste, the spring/summer onion is an ideal choice for salads and other fresh and lightly-cooked dishes.

Fall/Winter Storage Onions
Fall/winter storage onions are available August through April. Also available in yellow, red and white, storage onions have multiple layers of thick, dark, papery skin. Storage onions have an intense flavor and a higher percentage of solids.

Storage onions are the best choice for savory dishes that require longer cooking times or more flavor.

When I received information about my Kitchen Play challenge, it was just at the tail end of last season (August), so I was able to acquire the fresh dry bulb onions before storage onions made their way into my produce store. Then just for kicks, I really paid attention to the condition of my fresh onions and, when storage onions came in, I made comparisons. Well. The above descriptions? Bang on. Crazy. Shows how much attention I pay.

But - salad! I hope you like what I've come up with. It was inspired by an Alsace tart I read about in an old issue of Bon Appétit.

I served the salad in bread bowls I made with mini tart shells and one of my favorite pizza dough recipes. I've provided a Martha Stewart pizza dough recipe below but feel free to use any recipe you'd like.

You may wonder about the lemon juice-onion mix: lemon juice takes any sting out of the onions so their flavor remains without being overpowering. We found that the fresh onions are indeed milder than fall storage onions so go with your instincts - taste a slice and make your to lemon or not to lemon decision then!

Onion-Bacon Salad with Warm Crème Fraîche Dressing

Serves 2

dressing:
2 tablespoons crème fraîche (I found some in store but you can make your own as well)
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

salad:
6 ounces bacon, cooked and roughly chopped, divided
1 small fresh onion, halved and very thinly sliced
juice of half a lemon
4 cups field greens mix

Peel onion. Stand onion on its end and cut in half. Slice onion into very thin half rings using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Place in a small bowl and toss with juice of half a lemon.

Blend crème fraîche and sour cream in a small heavy bottomed saucepan over very low heat till warm. Stir in 1 ounce of the chopped bacon. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Toss salad greens with onions. Place onto 2 serving plates or in bread bowls. Drizzle with warmed dressing and garnish with reserved 5 ounces bacon. Serve.

Pizza Dough Bread Bowls
Makes four 4 1/2 inch tart shells
Martha Stewart

1/2 cup warm water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

Stir water, sugar and yeast in a bowl until yeast is foamy.

Measure flour into a large bowl and stir in salt. Add the oil and the yeast mixture. Stir till flour is incorporated and dough becomes stiff. On a lightly floured surface, knead several minutes till dough becomes smooth. Shape dough into ball.

Place dough into an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot till doubled, about 45 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, punch down dough. Fold dough into itself a few times and leave smooth side up. Let rise a second time till doubled, about 45 minutes.

You can also use a breadmaker: measure the water, sugar, yeast and olive oil into the bowl of your machine. Add the flour and salt. Set to 'dough' and press Start. Once the cycle is complete, proceed as follows:

Punch down dough and place on clean work surface. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Loosely cover 3 dough pieces with plastic wrap.

Roll out each dough piece into a 5 inch circle. Fit into tart shells, lightly pressing dough to fluted sides. Leave any overhang. Prick with a fork several times and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake till lightly browned.

Alternatively, you could drape each rolled out piece of dough over a bowl-shaped heat-tolerant item. I did this with a small brioche pan for one of my bowls, just to see how it would turn out. I found the fluted aspect didn't come through as well as I would have liked though.

Lucky for you, this year's fresh onions are most likely on the market already, till August, so go pick some up and after you've tried my recipe (you'll try it, right??), come back and let me know what you think - and don't forget to enter the blogger contest for $100! All you have to do is try the recipe - even if it doesn't work for you or you don't like it - and then you can enter!

Onion Prep Tips

Prepare onions as close to cooking or serving time as possible.
An onion's flavor deteriorates and its aroma intensifies over time.
Refrigerate onions 30 minutes before preparation to prevent tearing.
To remove the smell of onions, rub hands and equipment with lemon
juice or salt.
Store your onions in a cool, dry ventilated place – not in the refrigerator.
Lack of air movement reduces storage life.

For more information on onions of all kinds plus recipes and more, head over to the National Onion Association's website!


I was compensated in cash to create my own recipe using the secret ingredient 'onions' however I purchased all ingredients for the recipe myself.

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Tuna Salad Sandwich

A couple of years ago my parents took the whole family to California for a Disney vacation (so fun!!). Matt and I decided to try and lose a bit of weight prior to the trip so we could hit up the pool or wear clothes to beat the heat, without embarrassment.

We chose something called the ChangeOne plan and it worked really, really well for us. Together we lost a total of 40 pounds!

One of the lunch suggestions from the book is this tuna salad sandwich. Tuna sandwiches can be notoriously heavy laden with mayonnaise, eliminating any healthy aspect of the tuna itself. This recipe keeps the texture and flavor of a traditional tuna sandwich but without the artery clogging ingredients.

It's really, really good on a grainy, whole wheat bread - add some crunchy lettuce, a pickle or two and a few tomato slices, if you'd like. Listed below the recipe are a few flavor variations to consider as well.

Tuna Salad Sandwich
Serves 2

1 can white or light tuna in water, drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 tablespoon low fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon pickle relish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced onion
3 slices whole wheat bread
lettuce and tomato slices

Place tuna in a bowl and combine with the lemon juice. Add the yogurt, mayo, relish, mustard and onions and combine well. Line 2 bread slices with the lettuce and tomato (if desired). Top each with half the tuna mixture and the remaining slices of bread.

Variations!
Tex Mex: replace the relish and mustard with salsa.
Indian: add 1 teaspoon curry powder and 2 tablespoons raisins.
Italian: replace the yogurt and mayo with fat free Italian dressing.
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