Granola

Yield:
10 cups
Ingredients:
6 c rolled oats
1/2 c brown sugar (or better yet, maple sugar…slightly less is necessary)
3/4 c wheat germ
1/2 c flaked coconut
1/4 c sesame seeds (skip most of the time)
1 c chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans, golden flax seeds, or raw sunflower seeds (I use walnuts or almonds and sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and ground flax and I use more than a cup total…probably closer to 2 cups total)
1/2 c nonfat dry milk
2/3 c honey (or better yet, maple syrup, use same amount)
2/3 c vegetable oil (I prefer canola oil…it is healthier)
2 T water (I just use milk instead of water here and if things seem too dry because of added nuts etc, add another one tablespoon)
1 1/2 t vanilla (not necessary if you are going for maple flavor, but add equal amount of milk instead)
1 c raisins (Don’t add until serving)
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl combine oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, coconut, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and nonfat dry milk (in other words, all the dry stuff).
2. Combine honey, oil, water, and vanilla (all the wet stuff). Add to oat mixture and mix thoroughly.
3. Turn into two large shallow greased baking pans or cookie sheets. Heat in 300 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until lightly toasted. Stir twice during heating.
4. Let cool for 15 minutes after removing from the oven and then stir again. Store in tightly sealed container. Add raisins before serving, or not at all.

Additional Notes:
Granola will be “wet” even when it is done baking. It doesn’t dry out or become crispy until it is cooling. So don’t worry if it looks like it didn’t turn out!
If stored in a sealed container or bag, away from sunlight or humidity, your granola will last a number of weeks. Granola may also be frozen for longer storage.
This recipe can be totally adapted using different nuts and seeds.

I usually double this recipe because it goes over really well.  Also, this is a hearty breakfast and will keep an adult satisfied until lunch!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with green chiles
Coarse salt and pepper
3/4 pound small potatoes, halved

2 medium onions, large chop
1/4 lb peas

3-4 carrots, large pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large heavy pot, toss beef with flour. Stir in tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high, transfer to oven, and cook 1 hour. Stir in potatoes, carrots & onions and cook until beef and veggies are tender, about 1 hour more. Stir in peas and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

This can also be made in the slow-cooker…5 hrs on high.

3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups beef broth
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish.

2. Cook bacon in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until crisp, 10 to 13 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate. Remove and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Return pot to medium heat and add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and golden brown, about 25 minutes, adjusting heat and adding water 1 tablespoon at a time if onion or bottom of pot becomes too dark. Transfer onion to large bowl; add bacon, thyme, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add broths to now-empty saucepan and bring to simmer over medium-high heat, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits.

3. Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to bowl with onion mixture and toss to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Firmly press down on mixture to compress into even layer. Carefully pour hot broth over top of potatoes. Dot surface evenly with butter.

4. Bake, uncovered, until potatoes are tender and golden brown on edges and most of liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let stand for 20 minutes to fully absorb broth before cutting and serving.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 (2 1/2-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4-3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add half of garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl and refrigerate.

2. Position roast fat side up. Insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of roast along 1 long side and cut horizontally, stopping ½ inch before edge. Open up flap. Keeping knife parallel to cutting board, cut through thicker portion of roast about ½ inch from bottom of roast, keeping knife level with first cut and stopping about ½ inch before edge. Open up this flap. If uneven, cover with plastic wrap and use meat pounder to even out. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over both sides of loin (½ tablespoon per side) and rub into pork until slightly tacky. Sprinkle sugar over inside of loin, then spread with cooled toasted garlic mixture. Starting from short side, fold roast back together like business letter (keeping fat on outside) and tie with twine at 1-inch intervals. Sprinkle tied roast evenly with herbes de Provence and season with pepper.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add roast, fat side down, and brown on fat side and sides (do not brown bottom of roast), 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large plate. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, apple, and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, thyme, and bay leaf; cook for 30 seconds. Return roast, fat side up, to pot; place large sheet of aluminum foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until pork registers 140 degrees, 50 to 90 minutes (short, thick roasts will take longer than long, thin ones).

4. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. While pork rests, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup chicken broth and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf from jus. Pour jus into 2-cup measuring cup and, if necessary, add chicken broth to measure 1¼ cups. Return jus to pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. Whisk softened gelatin mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley into jus and season with salt and pepper to taste; remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Slice pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices, adding any accumulated juices to sauce. Serve pork, passing sauce separately.

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. crushed shredded wheat
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 c. milk
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. blueberries
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in cereal. Add egg, milk, and oil. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in blueberries and lemon juice. Fill greased 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch muffin pans about 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees until done and browned, 18-20 minutes. Yields 12 muffins.

Copy Cat Skillet Burritos
12 eggs
3 regular size cans enchilada sauce
4 medium (fist sized) potatoes, baked and cooled
12 sausage patties
4 cups shredded cojack or cheddar cheese or cheese to taste – make sure you don’t put on too much or you won’t be able to shut the burrito!
12 burrito size flour tortillas
12 paper towels
2 gallon freezer bags

Thicken the enchilada sauce by simmering gently until it is reduced by 1/3 and is about the consistency of barbeque sauce.
Scramble the eggs.
Dice the potatoes into bite size pieces.
Cut the sausage patties in half.
Lay out a paper towel. Lay a tortilla on the paper towel. In a line down the middle of the tortilla, leaving an inch and a half or so of room on either end, start the layers. Two sausage halves laid end to end, then a single line of potato pieces, 1/4 cup of scambled egg, 2-3 T thickened enchilada sauce and 1/3 cup shredded cheese. Fold one side over the line of filling, then fold in the ends to seal in the line of filling, then roll over to form a burrito. Repeat the wrapping procedure with the paper towel around the burrito.
Continue the process 11 more times to make a total of 12 skillet burritos.
The burritos can be put directly into gallon freezer bags. To reheat, microwave for 2 minutes or so on high straight from the freezer. You’ll need to experiment a little with your own microwave to figure out the exact timing.

3 sticks of butter

4 cups AP flour

1 1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda (maybe 1/4 t more too)

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

6 very ripe bananas

1+cup(s) chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray/butter 2 loaf pans and set aside.  In mixer, mush around your butter.  Add sugar and cream together.  Let the mixer go on high until the mixture is very pale yellow and fluffy.  Scrap sides of bowl, mix in one egg at a time until combined.  Now, against the wisdom of other recipes, I add the bananas here.  Also, I put the baking soda and salt in now and mix everything together.  Then with the mixer on low, I add one cup of flour at a time just until everything is combined.  Toss your walnuts in with that last cup of flour and you at ready for the pans.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.  Set pans on a cooling rack for ten minutes and then remove from pans and continue cooling.

We store our banana bread in the refrigerator for up to a week or pop it in the freezer for a later date!

4 lbs peeled, diced butternut squash

2/3 c maple syrup

3 T butter, diced

1/2 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400.  Using a 13×9 pan, sprayed with cooking spray, put in butternut squash, maple syrup, butter and salt & pepper to taste.  Bake for 35 minutes or until squash is tender.  Put in a serving bowl (can be mashed too) and sprinkle with pecans.

Idea from Cooking.com

• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup prechopped tomato
• 1/2 cup prechopped white onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded green leaf lettuce
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups shredded boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco

Preparation

1. 1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add tomato, onion, cilantro, and avocado; toss gently to coat.
2. 2. Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 3/4 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1 tortilla to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining 2 1/4 teaspoons oil and tortillas.
3. 3. Place 1 tortilla on each of 4 plates. Layer each tortilla with 1/2 cup lettuce, about 1/2 cup beans, 1/2 cup chicken, 1/4 cup avocado salsa, and 1 tablespoon cheese.

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound)
• 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) hot dog buns
• 8 Boston lettuce leaves

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. 2. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until done. Place shrimp on a large plate; chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Coarsely chop shrimp. Combine chopped shrimp, mayonnaise, and next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl.
3. 3. Open buns without completely splitting; arrange, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until toasted. Place 2 lettuce leaves in each bun; top each serving with 1/2 cup shrimp mixture.