Posts tagged ‘nuts’
Recipe of the Week – Homemade Granola
(From the Misc Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Granola
It has been a few days of cooking. Beginning with homemade pizza on Friday and then Sweet Cabbage on Saturday and Grilled Clams Casino, Steak au Poivre and the granola on Sunday. All recipes worked as planned; all wonderful. There was one miss on Saturday; we attempted to make homemade Ricotta from a recipe found in a magazine a few months ago. We followed the recipe right down to the cheesecloth strainer but to our surprise the milk never formed a curd. I guess we will give it another try in the near future.
Back to the granola. Usually you make something like this and it is okay but not worthy of the effort; as it is pretty much the same as the store bought stuff. Not with this recipe. We were surprised by the crunchy, delicious, not too sweet results. This is definitely a keeper. The only problem turned out to be that you have to put it away as soon as it cools or it seems to disappear from the cookie sheet each time you pass it on the counter. I suggest a double batch. You can freeze it; that’s if you hide it fast enough.
Granola
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Misc |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 3 | cups | oats, old-fashioned rolled |
| 1 | cup | fruit, dried |
| 1 | Tb | vanilla |
| 1 | Tb | cinnamon. ground |
| 0.5 | tsp | salt, kosher |
| 0.33 | cup | sugar, brown |
| 1 | cup | maple syrup |
| 1 | cup | almonds, slivered |
| 1 | spritz | PAM |
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spray cookie sheet with PAM. Spread granola mixture evenly on cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stir and bake an additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool then store in an airtight container.
All the recipes mentioned above, with the exception of the Ricotta, can be found at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Mixed Berry Tart
(From the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Mixed Berry Tart
During a quick trip to New Jersey last week I got into a discussion about recipes and how Charlie Trotter, of Chicago fame, once said he never strives to make the same recipe exactly the same each time. The reasons for this is the ingredients might change, or if you cook like me, adverse to measuring, you may add more or less of something. The other topic that came up is “cooking like a French farmer’s wife”, this means using ingredients you have on hand. With this in mind we had a dinner party Sunday night, comfort food really: pot roast, roasted potatoes and carrots. For dessert I had some berries in the frig and decided to make a cake using them. Borrowing the basic recipe for a Cranberry Cake on the site at emealsforyou.com, I made the cake without the cranberries and used the berries. A quick dusting of finishing sugar and we had a spectacular, both visually and taste-wise, finish to a good, cold-weather meal with friends.
Mixed Berry Tart
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 1.5 | cups | sugar, granulated |
| 1 | cup | walnuts, chopped, toasted |
| 2 | large | egg, lightly beaten |
| 1 | cup | flour, all-purpose |
| 0.75 | cup | butter, salted |
| 1 | cup | mixed berries |
| 4 | Tb | apricot jam |
| 1 | spritz | PAM |
| 1 | Tb | sugar, finishing |
Place nuts in a large bowl and pour 1/3 of the sugar over the top; mix. Mix the slightly beaten eggs, the remaining sugar, the flour and the melted butter together. Pour over the nuts and mix. Spray PAM in a 9-inch springform pan and add the mixture. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Melt the jam in the microwave, pour over the berries. Arrange the berries on top of cooled cake. Sprinkle the finishing sugar over the top just prior to serving.
More like this at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Hazelnut Toffee
(From the Misc Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Hazelnut Toffee
With Thanksgiving behind us we turn our attention to Christmas. This year we will make several homemade treats as gift packages for friends and family. We have opted for Spicy Pecans, Cashew Brittle, Cranberry Biscotti and jars of homemade Hot Fudge Sauce. These will be paired with the Hazelnut Toffee to make attractive and very edible gifts.
Be sure to make enough of each as it mystically disappears from the kitchen when no one is looking.
Hazelnut Toffee
| Complexity: | Medium |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Misc |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 30 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 1.5 | cup | sugar, granulated |
| 0.5 | cup | sugar, brown |
| 3 | Tb | honey |
| 0.5 | cup | water |
| 1.5 | cup | hazelnuts, toasted |
| 20 | oz | chocolate, semi-sweet bits |
| 0.5 | cup | hazelnuts, ground |
Toast nuts in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, remove immediately, cool and roll in a towel to remove husk. Place in plastic bag and hit with a flat pan to crush.
Prepping the chocolate- Place chocolate bits in a small food processor and chop into small pieces.
In a medium size, heavy pot place the butter, sugar, water and honey, heat over high heat about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 290-300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately add the crushed nuts, remove from heat, and stir. Pour on a greased cookie sheet (11 X 17), spread out evenly and sprinkle the chocolate on top, when the chocolate melts sprinkle the ground nuts on top. Cool and store in airtight containers.
CAUTION: This is not a project you make with your kids. The sugar reaches 300 degrees and is very dangerous if handled improperly.
Find the easily made and wonderful homemade treats at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Pumpkin Tortellini
From the Vegetarian Entrée Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Pumpkin Tortellini
If you didn’t get enough pumpkin last week, I have the answer, Pumpkin Tortellini. Admittedly this recipe requires a little extra work but I promise you it is so good that you will make it over and over again. A good “escape route” here is to make raviolis in place of the tortellini; once you learn the technique you are only one additional fold away from making the tortellini. The brown butter sauce is crazy good and can be used on everything from scallops to pork chops.
Pumpkin Tortellini
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Vegetarian Entrée |
| Meal: | Veggie – Fireside Dinner (Theme Meal Plans) |
| 3 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 0.5 | small | onions, chopped |
| 3 | cloves | garlic, minced |
| 0.5 | tsp | salt, kosher |
| 0.25 | tsp | pepper, fresh ground |
| 1 | 15 oz can | pumpkin, canned |
| 0.25 | tsp | thyme, dried |
| 0.5 | Tb | sage, fresh |
| 0.25 | tsp | nutmeg, ground |
| 8 | oz | cheese, goat |
| 1 | packet | wonton wrappers |
Heat olive oil in a small non-stick sauté pan. Chop onion into a fine chop. Add onion and garlic to pan, sauté until onions are soft. Add pumpkin, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chopped sage and thyme, stir, reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for 10 minutes; stirring every couple of minutes. Remove to a bowl and cool. Allow goat cheese to reach room temperature. Add cheese to pumpkin and blend until combined. Cut wonton wrappers into 3” X 3” squares. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of the pumpkin just off the middle of the wrapper. Wet edges with water, fold into a triangle and pinch edges to secure. Wrap the triangle around your finger, wet one edge and pinch the two ends together to form the tortellini. Cook in boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes until the tortellini float. Remove, plate and serve with Brown Butter Sauce with Figs and Toasted Hazelnuts.
Shown here with Brown Butter Sauce with Figs and Toasted Hazelnuts found at emealsforyou.com: ( Recipes/Misc/Brown Butter…)
Recipe of the Week – Banana Nut Muffins
(From the Easy Meals I Can Cook Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Banana Nut Muffins
In our house we have differing opinions about just when a banana is right for eating. My wife likes it when they are just turning from green to yellow. The bananas are hard and crisp with a slight tart taste, perfect she would say. I, on the other hand, like them when they are getting yellow or even when they are showing some signs of black on the skin, they are sweet and soft and everything you would want in a banana. Which brings me to the reasoning behind this post.
When the bananas begin to go over the hill, soft and yellow/black with spots of brown on the inside, it’s then that most people throw them away. This is a big mistake as they are just right for banana nut muffins. These are quick to make and if you get your timing down just right you can have them out of the oven when your family comes into the kitchen to start their day. No one can resist the warm muffins. If you are having trouble getting your kids to eat something before school; try putting a plate of the muffins out on the end of the counter, where they grab their books and head out. Chances are they will grab one or two on the fly. The muffins are good cold, wrap them in plastic wrap and leave them out and watch them disappear. Just remember to hide one for yourself, warm it in the microwave and sit back for the 3 minutes relaxation you allow yourself.
Banana Nut Muffins
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Easy Recipes I Can Cook |
| Meal: | Comfy Breakfast (Quick Meals Planner) |
| 2 | cup | flour, all-purpose |
| 1.5 | tsp | baking soda |
| 0.5 | tsp | salt, kosher |
| 4 | medium | banana, overripe |
| 1 | cup | sugar, white |
| 0.75 | cup | butter, unsalted |
| 2 | large | egg |
| 1 | tsp | vanilla |
| 0.5 | cup | walnuts, chopped, toasted |
| 0.5 | cup | chocolate, chips |
| 1 | spritz | PAM |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray PAM in muffin tins. Reserve 1 Tb of flour. Combine remaining flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Melt butter and cool. Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl; add sugar and whip until light and fluffy. Add melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat until blended; fold in flour ½ at a time. Mix nuts and chocolate chips with the reserved 1 Tb of flour. Fold into mixture. Scope into muffin tins and bake for 15- 18 minutes until brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Recipe of the Week – Date and Nut Bread
(From the Bread Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Date and Nut Bread
The holidays may mean house guests or maybe just a few lazier days in the morning. Around here while we may not stay in bed longer we do tend to putts around and then have a late, lite breakfast. My idea of a great breakfast is to have a basket of warm breads and rolls, some sweet, some salty, a hot cup of coffee and some orange juice.
The date and nut bread is something I remember growing up with. It came in a can or small loaves; always very moist and we spread cream cheese over the slices. Easy to make, easy to store, it may be frozen, why not make a batch and keep them in the freezer until that lazy morning hits.
Date & Nut Bread
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 10 |
| Category: | Breads |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 1 | cup | Dates, dried, chopped |
| 1 | cup | walnuts, chopped |
| 1.5 | tsp | baking soda |
| 0.5 | tsp | salt, kosher |
| 3 | Tb | butter, unsalted |
| 0.75 | cup | water |
| 2 | large | egg |
| 0.75 | cup | sugar, white |
| 0.33 | cup | karo syrup, dark |
| 0.5 | cup | flour, wheat |
| 1 | cup | flour, all-purpose |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 81/2 X 41/2 X 3 inch loaf pan.
Put dates, walnuts, baking soda, salt, karo syrup and butter in a bowl. Heat water to the boil and pour on top of date mixture. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Beat eggs and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the flours and stir. Add in the date mixture and stir until well blended. Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake 40 -50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Slide a knife around pan and invert over a serving plate. May be frozen.
Recent Comments