I've been making my own granola for a long time and I know Linsey has started making her own too. I thought I'd share my "learning recipe" since I found it more helpful than the more specific recipes out there. It gives a good idea of what goes into granola and how you can make it truly your own. The trick is not to overcook it. Like candy it gets harder after cooling so you want it to be still kinda soft when it comes out of the oven.
Enjoy making your very own $8.50 a pound fancy granola on the cheap ;) and share your favorite combo with us if you already make granola!
Basic Dry Cereal from the More With Less cookbook.
preheat oven to 300'
In a large bowl combine 7 cups of dry ingredients including at least 2-3c rolled oats plus other grains:
wheat germ
whole wheat flour
wheat bran
wheat grits
cornmeal
soy flour grits or roasted beans
grape nuts
sunflower seeds
sesame seeds
pumpkin seeds, roasted
coconut
dry milk
chopped nuts
1-2 tsp spices- nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, etc.
Combine seperately and pour over dry ingredients 1 c. liquids including some fat & some sweetener:
honey,
syrup,
brown sugar (combined with 2T. water for 1/2c.)
oil
melted butter
nut butter
milk or cream
Spread mixture onto cookie sheets so it's not too thick. Put in oven and bake for 10 minutes, stir, bake another 10 minutes, stir then start checking it & stirring it more frequently. It can take anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes to bake. It's done when the oats are still maleable but just lightly browned. Allow to cool completely then add dried fruits as desired. Happy granola making! I'll post my current favorite in the comments.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Chicken Potpie or Dumplings
This chicken (or turkey) stew recipe, adapted from the Joy of Cooking, can be used for either potpie or dumplings. It's super yummy and thick. I've only made this with leftovers from roasted chicken, shredded and added after the vegetables are cooked. The original recipe calls for browning raw pieces of chicken and cooking along with the vegetables.
Chicken Fricassee:
3 1/2- 4 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
1 1/2c onions, chopped
1/3c flour
1 3/4 c chicken stock, broth, or water
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (optional but yummy)
3 carrots, diced
3 potatoes cubed
1/2 tsp dried oregano, thyme or herbe de provence
1/4 tsp crushed rosemary
salt & pepper to taste
1/4c- 1/2c heavy cream
1/2 c. dry white wine
Debone (make into bite-sized shreds) and set aside chicken.
In a dutch oven or heavy soup pot, melt some butter or oil and cook onions til they are clear but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
Reduce heat to low and whisk in broth, carefully getting rid of lumps. Whisking constantly bring to a boil over high heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, potato, herbs, salt & pepper. Cover and reduce heat so liquid barely bubbles. Cook until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
Whisk in milk & white wine. Add cooked chicken.
***If making with dumplings, plop dumplings on top, double check liquid levels (if stew is too thick, add broth), cover and allow dumplings to steam over medium-low heat for about 10-12 minutes.
***If making potpie, transfer stew to prepared baking dish and cover with thin biscuits. Bake in preheated oven at 375' for 20-30 minutes. Until biscuits have risen and tops are slightly browned.
Dumplings recipe (from Joy of Cooking):
Whisk together:
1 c cake flour (I used all-purp, no problem)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Break 1 egg into 1-cup measure. Add milk til cup is half full. Beat well and stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Add more milk if necessary but keep batter as stiff as possible. Using a small spoon, drop spoonfuls of batter into simmering stock or stew (dipping spoon into hot water or hot broth between will help ease batter off of spoon).
Potpie biscuits:
Use your favorite biscuit recipe rolled very thin and cut into circles (if a rolled recipe) or dropped evenly (if a drop recipe) across the top of a baking dish. Just in case you haven't got a favorite biscuit recipe, here's mine:
2c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3c butter or shortening
~ 3/4 c. water
Mix dry then wet, roll & cut. Bake at 450' for 10 minutes.
Chicken Fricassee:
3 1/2- 4 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
1 1/2c onions, chopped
1/3c flour
1 3/4 c chicken stock, broth, or water
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (optional but yummy)
3 carrots, diced
3 potatoes cubed
1/2 tsp dried oregano, thyme or herbe de provence
1/4 tsp crushed rosemary
salt & pepper to taste
1/4c- 1/2c heavy cream
1/2 c. dry white wine
Debone (make into bite-sized shreds) and set aside chicken.
In a dutch oven or heavy soup pot, melt some butter or oil and cook onions til they are clear but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
Reduce heat to low and whisk in broth, carefully getting rid of lumps. Whisking constantly bring to a boil over high heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, potato, herbs, salt & pepper. Cover and reduce heat so liquid barely bubbles. Cook until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
Whisk in milk & white wine. Add cooked chicken.
***If making with dumplings, plop dumplings on top, double check liquid levels (if stew is too thick, add broth), cover and allow dumplings to steam over medium-low heat for about 10-12 minutes.
***If making potpie, transfer stew to prepared baking dish and cover with thin biscuits. Bake in preheated oven at 375' for 20-30 minutes. Until biscuits have risen and tops are slightly browned.
Dumplings recipe (from Joy of Cooking):
Whisk together:
1 c cake flour (I used all-purp, no problem)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Break 1 egg into 1-cup measure. Add milk til cup is half full. Beat well and stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Add more milk if necessary but keep batter as stiff as possible. Using a small spoon, drop spoonfuls of batter into simmering stock or stew (dipping spoon into hot water or hot broth between will help ease batter off of spoon).
Potpie biscuits:
Use your favorite biscuit recipe rolled very thin and cut into circles (if a rolled recipe) or dropped evenly (if a drop recipe) across the top of a baking dish. Just in case you haven't got a favorite biscuit recipe, here's mine:
2c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3c butter or shortening
~ 3/4 c. water
Mix dry then wet, roll & cut. Bake at 450' for 10 minutes.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Portuguese Kale Soup
Just found this today. 5 ingredients!
1 lb of chorizo (or another spicy sausage), sliced
1 med-large onion, diced
8-12 cups of chicken stock
1 10 oz box of frozen kale (thawed & drained) or a few handfuls of fresh kale (spinach works too)
3-4 cubed potatoes (sometimes I use sweet potatoes instead)
Saute onions in a little oil. Add stock. Add sliced sausage. Bring to a boil. Add kale. Reduce heat & simmer until sausage is done and the potatoes & kale are tender.
No need to add salt or pepper as the chorizo has all the seasoning you need.
1 lb of chorizo (or another spicy sausage), sliced
1 med-large onion, diced
8-12 cups of chicken stock
1 10 oz box of frozen kale (thawed & drained) or a few handfuls of fresh kale (spinach works too)
3-4 cubed potatoes (sometimes I use sweet potatoes instead)
Saute onions in a little oil. Add stock. Add sliced sausage. Bring to a boil. Add kale. Reduce heat & simmer until sausage is done and the potatoes & kale are tender.
No need to add salt or pepper as the chorizo has all the seasoning you need.
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