Granola

So I've tried making a few different granola recipes. So far this is my favorite. I adapted it from Smitten Kitchen.

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sliced almonds (1 oz)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup green (hulled) pumpkin seeds, sometimes called pepitas (1 1/2 oz; not roasted)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup mild honey
Healthy shake cinnamon
Pinch salt (flaky sea salt preferred)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together all ingredients. Spread mixture evenly on a large (17-by 12-inch) shallow baking pan lined with a silpat and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown for 15 minutes.

Here is the secret ... Check it every 3-5 minutes after that. It burns really quickly. Transfer granola, in pan, to rack to cool stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Granola keeps, frozen (the fruit’s moisture softens granola if not kept frozen) in an airtight container, a few months.

Natalie's Neat-O Banan-O Punch-O

For the shower. I made this drink. The invite list was 70 people! So I doubled this recipe ... and didn't even get through a quarter of it! IT MAKES A TON!

And I officially named it after Natalie ... because you know ... well she gave it to me.

6 ripe bananas

1 large (46 oz) can of pineapple juice

1 large (12 oz) can of frozen orange juice

1 large (12 oz) can of frozen lemonade

6 cups water

4 c sugar

3- 2 liter bottles of grapefruit soda or Fresca

Mix bananas and all juices in blender. You'll have to do this in groups as not all will fit at once.

Boil water and add in sugar until it dissolves (1 minute) let cool.

Mix everything altogether and freeze in large tupperware (or ziploc bags) containers

Take out of freezer before party. Use a potato masher to mash up frozen mix. Add soda and enjoy!

This makes A LOT, about 3 gallon ziploc bags worth of just the mix, not including the soda obviously.

Peach Cobbler Muffins.

Hosted a big shower this weekend. Made these. They were tasty. Thank you A Few Short Cuts.

Peach Cobbler Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups white sugar
2 cups cannedpeaches


Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly grease 16-18 muffin cups.
In the mixer, mix the oil, eggs, and sugar. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour to the oil mix until well incorporated. The batter will be thick! Fold in the peaches. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Pecan Streusel Topping Recipe
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup pecans, finely chopped, optional
4 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together all of the above ingredients. Fingers work best. Sprinkle a Tbs on top of each muffin before you bake!

Eggs Benedict

Oh my goodness! Did you know what is really in that hollandaise sauce? Okay then don't continue and just go to your favorite breakfast nook and order Eggs Benedict before you look at the ingredients below and have a heart attack.

It is sooooo good. And quite possible my favorite breakfast treat. The Pioneer Woman pulled through again with a tasty easy recipe that just hits the spot.

Ingredients

• 3 whole English Muffins
• 3 slices Canadian Bacon
• 3 whole Eggs (plus 3 Egg Yolks)
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste

Toast English muffins. Heat up Canadian Bacon in a fry pan. I like to cut it up so my kids can eat it easier. Your choice.

Boil water. When it is boiling hot, take a whisk and spin it really good. Then crack your eggs into. This swirling motion helps your eggs coagulate together instead of just spreading out in the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt 2 sticks of butter. Separate three eggs and place the yolks into a blender. Turn the blender on low, then begin pouring the very hot butter in a then stream into the blender. Add lemon juice and cayenne.

Plate it ... English muffin first, then ham, poached egg on top, and LOTS of hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and indulge.

Spinach Sauteed with Garlic and Shallots

I needed a side dish for our BBQ tonight and since we had a birthday party today with lots of pizza and cake and ice cream, we needed some healthy sides. I looked in my freezer hoping to find some petite peas, and found only a lonely box of frozen spinach. I'm not a big fan of frozen veggies or canned veggies for that matter. But, I had only frozen spinach and found this recipe to make it wonderful. Thank you Fearless Kitchen. We ate all of it! And I had three servings.

Spinach Sauteed with Garlic and Shallots

1 bag frozen spinach, slightly thawed

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 head garlic, peeled and thinly sliced to form garlic chips

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup water

1. Heat the oil and add the shallots. Saute until the shallots soften.
2. Push the shallots to the sides of the pan and add the garlic to the middle. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the garlic begins to turn golden and fragrant. Don't burn the garlic.
3. Add the salt and spices.
4. Add the frozen spinach. Let it steam up for a minute or so and give a good stir, so that the spinach is liberally distributed with the spices and aromatics.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the water. Clamp the lid down and cook 5 minutes or so, until done.
   

Tasty Sweet Pork Loin

I had a pork loin that needed some love. This recipe hit the spot perfectly. It was very sweet and I actually used half the sugar it asked for. But it was so tender and wonderful.

The Best Pork Loin Recipe Ever

Ingredients:

Paste: (Marinade)

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Pork Loin:

• 2 tbsp Season All
• 2 tbsp minced shallot
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp minced fresh oregano leaves
• 1 tsp minced fresh parley leaves (I didn't have any in my garden and used Sage instead)
  
• 1 pork loin

Method:

In a small bowl, combine shallots, garlic, thyme, oregano, Season All and parsley. Rub the mixture all over pork, pressing firmly, and refrigerate overnight. (Or a few hours like I did)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place pork loins in a roasting pan that just fits it. That way it keeps the juices surrounding it and keeps it super moist. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove pork from the oven.

Spread the paste all over the loin. Return to oven and cook until it has developed a good crust on the outside and is cooked to your desired doneness. About 25 minutes. (Place a cookie sheet under your roasting pan if it’s shallow, the brown sugar will foam after about 20 minutes in the oven, and could spill over in a shallow roasting pan.)

Remove pork from pan and let rest for 15 minutes. cut into slices, drizzle with pan juices and garnish with a sprig of thyme.

Serve immediately.

Faux-jito

I don't drink alcohol. But I do enjoy a good drink. So this is my current favorite. We made a few years ago when I was in a Gourmet Club in NYC. I brought it out again for a Cinco de Mayo Mocktail Party this year. It was the favorite.

So instead of the Mojito ... here is my favorite Faux-jito.

15 fresh mint leaves
1 tsp. Raw sugar
1 oz. Fresh squeezed lime juice (or more depending on your preference)
½ oz. Simple syrup
ice
4 oz. Chilled Ginger Ale

In a glass, muddle/crush the mint, then add sugar, lime juice and syrup.
Add ice. Top with Ginger Ale. Garnish with a fresh lime wheel and
a sprig of mint. Enjoy.

Simple Syrup

• 2 parts sugar
• 1 part water

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water, stirring constantly.
3. Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat. (Note: Do not allow the syrup to boil for too long or the syrup will be too thick.)
4. Allow to cool completely and thicken.