This has been our family ‘go to’ granola recipe for as many years as I can remember. Full of old fashioned rolled oats, hazelnuts, almonds, raisins and honey, it’s hard to beat. Back when I was working in an office, I’d keep a Ziplock bag of this stuff in the lunchroom freezer for an afternoon pick-me-up. Apparently the idea caught on because I noticed my stash disappearing at a rapid rate. Finally, I had to put a big sign on the Ziplock that said “Whoever you are, please stop HELPING ME eat this”. It didn’t work and the thief just got sneakier, but I can’t really blame them. Have this for breakfast, or as a topping over yogurt, honey and berries. I love to store it in the freezer and just grab a handful for an on the go snack. You can also stir in some chocolate chips or M&M’s, maybe some other dried fruit, and have a great trail mix. The recipe makes quite a lot, for obvious reasons.
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I, for one, felt the need to lay off the holiday stuffing of myself for a while. This does not mean that I am willing to give up food that is good for me, looks better than good enough to eat, and that has a few little indulgences thrown in for good measure. Here we have a big variety of winter vegetables that have been either steamed or roasted (and in some cases both), then heaped up on a platter and topped with plenty of sweet & salty candied walnuts. The whole works is then drizzled generously with a glaze made with butter, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. This is coincidentally the same mixture that is used to candy the walnuts, so we happily cut down on some effort there. The result: a beautiful, healthy, and just a tad bit sinful way to jump on the new year. And before you say anything – yes, I have gone overboard with the variety of vegetables here and don’t expect many people in their right mind to do the same, but this can give you many options to think about. How about choosing just one, maybe two, or maybe even three? The variety of tastes and colors can do nothing but make your day a happier, and healthier one. You can think about it this way…the more vegetables you use, the more candied walnuts and buttery glaze you get…I like to operate under those types of principles.
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We We are smack dab in the middle of the holiday party season, which usually means a potluck or two. Are you the person who always gets asked to ‘bring a salad’? …Me too. This is because I have a tendency to go hog wild over them and don’t know when to quit (don’t get me started on my venture into the hard-boiled eggs dyed with beet juice as a garnish-nobody wanted to go anywhere near that). I’m digressing…here we have what I hope you will think is a solution to the ‘bring a salad’ blues. You can put it all together at home and toss in the dressing once you arrive at your destination. This salad is as good to eat as it is pretty to look at. Crisp, red cabbage and slivered chard for the base. Next, we’ll add in some dried cranberries for a sweet-tart kick, then some pomegranate seeds for a tart and crunchy visual show stopper, then fresh blueberries for a sweet surprise. The dressing is not your typical slaw-type of dressing…we add a big dollop of blackberry jelly for color and sweet, and then a good squeeze of lemon juice to balance everything out. Sound good? Oh! Then I threw on a big old handful of roasted pumpkin seeds on top. Nothing like a salty and crunchy finish. If you bring this to your next party, be prepared to be the designated salad assignee for a long time to come.
