Maple Cinnamon Granola via #CooksNetwork

                                   

I've been invited by the lovely folks at Williams Sonoma's Cooks Network to share a favorite February recipe with my readers and this granola is it! For me granola has to have texture, variety, and a touch of cinnamon without being too sweet. Many granola recipes use so much oil and/or sugar that it defies the 'health' factor completely. Here the light sweetness comes from real maple syrup infused with fresh blueberries... Yum.

This granola is right up there with my favorites of all time - Urth Caffe's in LA and Jo's in Austin. What's your favorite granola?

Maple Cinnamon Granola
* Makes a large amount but will last for a month in a tightly sealed container and/or can be frozen.

4 cups old fashioned oats
2 teaspoons flax seeds
4 teaspoons wheat germ
1 1/12 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
3/4-1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup blueberry maple syrup (gently heat 1 cup of real maple syrup with 1/2 cup of blueberries in a small pan over a low flame on the stove for 12 minutes or until blueberries have begun to burst and turn the syrup a blue tint)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 300. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Make sure there are no big clumps of coconut.

Spread out onto two large oiled baking sheets. Bake the granola - one sheet at a time (trust me on this - otherwise one will burn) on the middle rack turning the granola every ten minutes until granola is just very lightly toasted - about 30 minutes total. You don't want it to get too golden brown or the blueberries will become like rocks once it cools.

Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container.

* This post is a collaboration with Williams-Sonoma, but all words and opinions are my own.

                             

Pimiento Cheeseburger Bread for the Super Bowl (& how I learned to love football.)

I officially lack the football gene. It certainly wasn't a 'nurture' problem. My entire family loves football. Case in point - my twin nephews helped Lake Travis earn their record breaking 'Five for Five' State Championship this year. Football's always been a part of my life. I grew up in Texas for Gods sake. Houston Oiler games were a part of my childhood.

And while the men from the serious relationships in my life (husband included) were all completely different animals, the one thing they had in common was an almost unhealthy obsession with...football.

Lord knows I've tried to make it work. And tried. But it always ends up the same. I zone out. I start thinking about the pedicure I need or wondering how long that hole's been in the couch or more commonly - slipping into the kitchen to make snacks for those screaming at the TV for yet another play I don't understand.

Come to think of it, maybe football and I have the perfect relationship. Because football = food. And there's nothing I love more in the whole world than an excuse to be in the kitchen coming up with things to feed people. Well look at that... Closure after 34 years. Hooray football!

Pimiento Cheeseburger Bread
* This is a 'bread' in the sense that olive or cheese bread is bread. I.E. it's more like a French Bread Pizza. If serving for a party, cut into 2 inch thick slices. Or if serving as a meal, serve just as you would French Bread Pizza, preferably with a refreshing salad alongside.
* Makes 8 'pizzas' or 32 appetizer slices for a party.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup light mayo
1/4 nonfat Greek yogurt
7 oz shredded lowfat (2%) shredded cheddar
1 (8 oz) block sharp white cheddar, freshly grated
4 oz diced pimiento, drained
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
several dashes worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
1 lb lean ground beef
2 large French Bread baguettes

How To:
Preheat oven to 375.

Brown the ground beef in a nonstick skillet just as you would for tacos, seasoning with salt and pepper as you cook. You want the beef cooked through but not over cooked (crispy) as it's going to be put in the oven later. Remove from the heat and transfer to a tray lined with paper towels to drain. Set aside and let cool.

Meanwhile start with the pimiento cheese. In a large bowl, combine the mayo, yogurt, cheeses, pimiento, mustard, cayenne, garlic powder, worcestershire, and a pinch salt and pepper. Once well blended, add in the cooled ground beef mixing well.

Slice the baguettes in half then open them up lengthwise. Spread each quarter with the pimiento cheese mixture (lay it on thick!)
Transfer to 2 baking sheets lined with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup) and sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until the filling is bubbling and molten and the tops have just begin to brown a little. Let cool slightly before serving or slicing into smaller pieces to serve as party food.

Molly Wizenberg's British FlapJacks (Granola Wedges)

Confession. Remember when I told you I attended a blogger conference at SWSW where famed Orangette blogger Molly Wizenberg was a panelist? Well, while I'm a huge fan of her blog and even own her first book, A Homemade Life, I'd never actually made one of her recipes before. Talk about a poser.

I've redeemed myself by making this delicious recipe of hers - a genius spin on granola bars. Not sure where the British or flapjack part comes in but it makes it more fun to say at least. These are dangerously easy to make and even easier to eat. I'll even go as far as to call them life saving. (When we were in Houston for the Final Four, we got back to our hotel room late to find out they didn't have room service after 10:00. Seriously. We were too tired to run out so we feasted on some of these bars I had brought along on a whim. Boom. Starvation averted!)

Another confession. I have yet to open her book that I bought over a year ago. It's on my list of things to do along with shaving my legs more often and sending thank you cards. Wish me luck with that.

British FlapJacks
Bon Appétit | March 2010
by Molly Wizenberg, additions in italics are mine and I used salted butter.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup*
2 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or old-fashioned)
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add oats and salt; stir until coated. Fold in cinnamon and cranberries if adding. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread out in even layer.

Bake until top is golden (edges will be darker), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut into 4 squares; cut each into 4 triangles (mixture will still be soft). Cool completely in pan before serving.
* A type of syrup popular in Great Britain; available at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and British import shops.

Homemade Pimiento Cheese, for Stuffing or Slathering

Do you ever find that when you're making party food, you end up with 99% bready snacks? Crostini, chips and dip, little pizzettes, cheese straws, etc? Not that I have a problem with carbs (clearly) but I don't like filling my guests up with loads of starches. They get full and then they don't drink as much and then we have nothing to talk about the next day. No thank you - I prefer my guests on the loose side of the goose.

Speaking of imbibing, over the holidays I made this incredibly wonderful homemade pimiento cheese from the Down Home with the Neely's cookbook. I hadn't encountered pimiento cheese, in any form, since I was little and was intrigued by making it from scratch. I threw a batch together, spread it on long slabs of sliced French bread, and baked them until bubbled and brown, crumpling cooked bacon over the top. As you can imagine, they were gone before I had time to unzip my camera case.

I wanted to make them again for the Superbowl but because we were also having pulled pork sandwiches, I didn't want to serve the pimiento cheese on bread. So I did what any other self respecting Texan would do and stuffed jalapenos with it instead. They were fantastic, if not a little on the ugly side as the cheese tends to crawl out of the peppers if you over stuff them (not a problem other than aesthetically as long as you grease your pan well.) If you want pretty stuffed peppers, go the old school route stuffing them with a long, narrow wedge of hard aged cheese, wrap them in bacon, secure them with a toothpick and bake.

But honestly, after trying these, I'll be hard pressed not to do the pimiento version every time. I know I sound like a newly converted Mormon or something, but this cheese is the cat's pajamas. Even Kris will grab this straight from the fridge, spread it on a piece of bread and eat it cold. I realize this isn't exactly James Bond daredevil behavior but you have to understand this is a man who hasn't eaten a ham and cheese sandwich other than in piping hot Croque Monsieur form since he was ten. To him, cheese just isn't cheese unless it's bubbling and burnt in places. But enough about him.

What I want to know is how you feel about the Neely's show on Food Network. I happen to love it (though I admit to decreasing the volume by 50% when it's on.) What charms me to pieces is their untamed, unedited love for cooking, and for each other. So many of Food Network's shows are so damned glossy and smiley and staged these days, I find the Neely's a welcome dose of genuine imperfection. And if any of their other recipes are as good as this damn cheese, you can't afford not to pay attention to them.

Homemade Pimiento Cheese
* Adapted slightly from the Neely's
* If you can't find pimiento peppers, simply use half a 7 oz jar of roasted red peppers - just drain them and chop them fine.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sharp white cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups sharp regular (orange) cheddar cheese
3.5 oz pimientos from a jar, drained and chopped fine (usually just half of a 7 oz jar)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayo (I have used light mayo and it works great)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
half of a small garlic clove, finely minced or grated
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl with a fork, very well. You can also blend them in a small chop prep blender if you like a smoother, more traditional pimiento cheese consistency, though it won't make an ounce of difference taste wise. Cover and chill for at least two hours before serving, or chill for up to 4 days.

Serving suggestions - spread over sliced 1/2" rounds of French bread and bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes until golden brown in places. Top with cooked crumpled bacon. Or serve cold between slices of bread as sandwiches. Also great as a dip with chips or on prepared pizza dough, baked for 15 minutes at 400. Or of course stuffed in peppers as in the below recipe.

Pimiento Cheese Stuffed Peppers:
* The above pimiento cheese recipe will easily accommodate 13 whole peppers, or 26 halves for stuffing.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Add 13 whole jalapenoes to a pot of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and boil for about 4 minutes or just right before they turn from that beautiful bright green to a God awful poo green. Transfer the jalapenoes to an ice bath to shock them for several minutes. Remove them from the bath and pat dry with paper towels.

Once dry, cut the jalapenoes in half, length-wise, removing the seeds and veins with a spoon. Pat the insides dry, then begin stuffing with the pimiento cheese. Remember not to pile it too high or it will just all ooze out anyway.

Place the stuffed jalapeno halves onto a greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown on top. Cool slightly before serving.

Curiously Addictive Roasted Garbanzo Beans

I made these last night to snack on during the Superbowl. When I pulled them from the oven, Kris reached for one, tasted it, then said, "Well, at least we can say we tried them..."

I sadly agreed. They were okay but nothing special. I sprinkled them with a little extra salt and put them in a dish anyway since they were already made. The game started and I reached for a handful. Then Kris reached for a handful. Then I reached for another handful. Then he reached for another handful... Before I knew it they were gone.

I don't know what happened but they seemed to get better the more we ate them. Or maybe they just needed that little bit of salt after roasting to make the flavors pop. Either way, I'm so glad I didn't just throw them out. These will be a new football, movie night, or anytime snack at our house.

Have you ever been unimpressed with something you made then suddenly fallen in love with it?

Roasted Garbanzo Beans

Ingredients:
* Garbanzo beans are also known as chickpeas, or 'ceci' beans in Italian.
* Yours should look a little darker and more shrunken than mine pictured - I didn't leave this batch in quite long enough.

1 14 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed thoroughly then patted dry with paper towels
3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (you can reduce this if you don't want them this pronounced in the mix)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons olive oil

another 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to sprinkle over as soon as they're pulled from the oven

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400.

Place the beans on a large, rimmed cookie sheet. Dust them with the salt, fennel, and spices, tossing with a spatula (fingers are even better.) Drizzle with the olive oil and toss again to make sure they're all coated.

Roast for 15 minutes then give the pan a good shake and continue roasting another 12-15 minutes, until the beans are dark brown in places, have shrunk a bit, and have a nice crispy texture.

Remove, toss with additional salt while hot, and serve.