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Archive for March 3rd, 2010

Nutty Granola

Tyler has been itching to make granola for a few weeks now and tonight was the night!  He used Emeril’s recipe below as a base, but we didn’t have all the ingredients on hand so it’s not quite as nutty as the recipe intends.  This granola is delicious but it really doesn’t clump together, which makes it hard to snack on, but easy to eat as a cereal!

Whole Lotta Nuts Granola (from Emeril Lagasse)

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
  • 1/4 cup hulled green pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds or pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup crushed pecans or walnuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup raisins, or chopped dates
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or blueberries, or combination

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl stir together oats, almonds, coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pecans, cinnamon and salt. In a small saucepan melt butter with honey over low heat, stirring. Add vanilla and pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined well.

On a large baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. (Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.) Cool the granola on the pan on top of the stove and stir in dried fruits. Granola may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Serve at room temperature in a bowl with milk, or as a snack.

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Tyler and I both loved this recipe, quick and easy and a great way to work some asparagus into dinner, which is always a plus!  Tyler had just read the 25 Common Cooking Mistakes in this month’s Cooking Light which taught him how to shock the asparagus.   That made a HUGE difference in my opinion.  The asparagus was tender crisp, even when I microwaved the leftovers!  This will definitely become a regular meal in our house, love it.

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

  • 8  ounces  uncooked cavatappi pasta
  • 1  pound  asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
  • 3  tablespoons  pine nuts
  • 2  ounces  diced pancetta
  • 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
  • 2  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.

3. Arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl.

4. Increase oven temperature to 475°.

5. Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475° for 6 minutes or until crisp.

6. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.

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