Holiday Granola

I won't be able to be this frequently updating once school starts (nor will I be making so many treats- alas). BUT here is my new favourite breakfast treat. Andrew asked me for the recipe and technically I could give it to him without using the internet but hey, a good excuse to plump up my blog.

HOLIDAY GRANOLA-
I got this recipe from some Quebecois chef who was featured in Chatelaine (yes, I admit I borrow the odd Chatelaine from the library)

* 1 to 2 tsp (5 to 10 mL) cinnamon
* 1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger
* 1/2 tsp (2 mL) nutmeg
* 3 cups (750 mL) old-fashioned large-flake oats
* 1 cup (250 mL) oat bran or wheat germ
* 1 cup (250 mL) sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds or walnuts
* 1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened coconut, preferably large-flake
* 3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt
* 2/3 cup (150 mL) maple syrup or honey
* 1/3 cup (75 mL) vegetable oil, preferably canola
* 2 tsp (10 mL) almond extract
* 1 cup (250 mL) dried cranberries
* Whole or ground flaxseed (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a small bowl, stir cinnamon with ginger and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, mix oats with oat bran, almonds, coconut and salt.
4. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir syrup with oil until warm, 2 to 3 min. Remove from heat. Stir in almond extract and spice mix. Pour over oat mixture. Stir to coat.
5. Turn onto baking sheet, spreading out as evenly as you can. Bake until golden for 30 to 45 min, stirring every 15 min. Remove from oven and stir in cranberries.
6. Cool. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. Sprinkle with flaxseed before serving.

xo

SWEET POTATO BISCUITS

Merry Christmas to all!
This holiday season, we had warm and hearty soups with SWEET POTATO BISCUITS- and mom wanted the recipe. I was thus inspired to post it here- because they are easy, moist, and really what you want in a savoury biscuit. I am not the baking master that my husband is, and I frequently find baking frustratingly restraining (where's the creativity?) and nit picky. These biscuits, however, are QUICK to whip up and so satisfying!

1 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes (2 small baked sweet potatoes)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper.
Combine sweet potatoes, oil, syrup, vinegar and salt in large bowl. Sift in flour, baking powder and nutmeg.

Cut dry ingredients into sweet potato mixture with fork until mixture comes together. Stir in 2 to 3 Tbsp water, or enough to get the dough to hold together.
Drop golf ball-size rounds of dough onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 15-17 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned and firm to the touch. Serve warm. Makes approx. 12 biscuits.
*Thanks to Vegetarian Times for always having great recipes like these and to my local library for forgiving the fact that I often return copies of VT looking a bit "used."

TOMATO COCONUT RICE and CARROT PEANUT SOUP

This one goes out to Andrew's mom, whom we made it for the other night.
It's ALWAYS GOOD and generally, people have all the ingredients kicking around
in their cupboard. I pair it with hot sauce glazed tofu from the Veganomicon-- but it's nice with some cashews sprinkled on top or whatever other protein source you fancy.

TOMATO COCONUT MILK RICE
2 Tbsp peanut oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1-2 tsp hot sauce (or more if you like heat!)
1 cup arborio rice
1.5 cups coconut milk- for a less richer version, mix veg. broth with coc. milk
1.5 cups of chopped tomatoes(canned is fine for this)
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 cups veggie broth

saute onion in the oil and hot sauce til translucent
add rice, stir to coat grains in oil
add coconut milk, tomatoes, and salt
stir continuously until rice is cooked and mixture is thick, cohesive, and creamy.
Add the broth as you go to prevent rice from sticking.
ENJOY!!
(serves 3-4)

And hey- why not share this one too- a great soup, though we always tinker with it a bit (more hot sauce etc.)- I like it on cous cous.

PEANUT CARROT SOUP
Ingredients
1 tbsp canola oil
2 onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 lb organic carrots, sliced fairly thinly (don’t go crazy, but you
don’t want thick chunks, either. Shoot for 1/4-1/2 inch slices.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like
it (or use a fresh chile, stemmed and chopped)
1 tsp coarse salt
6 cups water
1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter
3 tbsp soy sauce
juice of half a lime

For garnish: chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, lime wedges

Directions
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat, then add the
onions, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, crushed red pepper flakes and
saute until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the water and
bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots are
soft, about 25-30 minutes.

Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime juice, and stir until the
peanut butter melts into the soup. Puree the soup until smooth, using
either an immersion blender or a food processor/blender (if using the
latter, you’ll need to puree in batches.) Taste the soup and adjust
the salt, if needed (though I usually find the 1 tsp originally added
is enough.)

Serve garnished with chopped cilantro, crushed peanuts, and/or lime wedges.

Serves 6-8.

SUGAR COOKIES

Ho ho ho- more holiday baking.

Sugar cookies- 2 types

Drop cookies with raisins

Cream:

2/3 cup shortening

3/4 cup wt sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Add 1 egg. Beat til light and fluffy. Stir in 4 tsp milk.

Sift:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Blend in to creamed mixture and add 1 cup raisins.

Drop from spoon on to cookie sheet...375/10 mins. I watch carefully so they don't brown until you get the timing with your oven exactly right.

DECORATED SUGAR COOKIES

Similarly...you could do that, but add 2 cups flour instead of 1 1/2 and no raisins.Divide dough in half. Roll each half in wax paper so you have two dough logs. Chill for an hour.

Cut into 1/8th of an inch thick slices.. Bake slices on slightly greased baking sheet- 375 F/ 6+ mins. (don't forget to put pretty sprinkles on before you put them in the oven!)

Happy Christmas baking! XO

First post- brownies and brittle

This blog is hereby dedicated to all the people to whom I've promised recipes. I often promise them- and I seldom remember to actually get them to you... until now. Recently, I brought butterscotch brownies to a class. I was asked for the recipe. I am giving the recipe not only to the request-ee but to the world! And such shall be my future response to all recipe requests- I hope. Oh, and I'm preemptively adding peanut brittle because I am bringing it to another class soon and how could people not want the recipe. It's SUCH an easy and awesome Christmas treat.

Butterscotch Brownies
1/4 cup oil(or margarine)
1 c brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp b powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla.

Mix all together and bake in greased 8" sq pan at 350 deg for 25 mins(no longer!...watch after about 20 mins...better to come out early than be too crispy I think...)

Peanut Brittle

The brittle is so easy. YOu just have to have a large bowl and a microwave....I use my 8 cup measuring cup but it calls for a 1 1/2 quart casserole(whatever that is...).

Stir 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup corn syrup in bowl. Microwave at High for 4 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup roasted, salted peanuts. Microwave 4 minutes(hi)
Stir in 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp vanilla. Microwave 1 1/2 mins (hi)
Add 1 tsp baking soda and gently stir til light and foamy(doesn't take long). Quickly pour on to lightly greased cookie sheet. If you want it thin, spread it a bit with your spatula. It will be cool and ready to break in under an hour.

*Don't despair about cleaning out the bowl after. If you soak it at least 10 minutes in hot soapy water all that stuck-on goo disappears...or only needs a tiny bit of scraping with the edge of a kitchen knife.