Death By Chocolate Granola

Oh my! Oh my! I am in big trouble!  This chocolate granola is insanely good, insanely chocolatey, and I can't stop eating it!  I spied this recipe on Pinch of Yum last week and knew I had to make it and eat it soon.  I've made chocolate granola before and loved it, but the chocolate chips, coarse salt and sugar sprinkled on after baking in this recipe had me sold. (I'm a sucker for a sprinkling of good coarse salt.)  Be warned that this granola is extremely addicting!  (Tonight after my kids go to bed I'm going to fill one of my glass jars up with this granola and ice cold milk and plant myself on the couch and watch The Voice.)

 

 

Death By Chocolate Granola

 

3 cups rolled oats

1 1/4 cup sliced raw almonds

1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2/3 cup melted coconut oil

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

3 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Coarse sea salt (Fleur de sel or Maldon are my favorites)

 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

 

In a medium bowl combine oats, almonds, coconut, cocoa powder, and espresso powder.

 

Whisk the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla together.  Pour over the oat mixture and stir to combine.  Spread the granola on a large baking sheeting in an even layer.

 

Bake for 50 minutes without stirring (no stirring=better clusters).  Rotate the pan halfway through baking.  After 50 minutes, sprinkle the cup of chocolate chips over the top of the granola and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes until the chocolate chips are soft and melty. 

 

Remove granola from oven and sprinkle with turbinado sugar and coarse salt to taste.  The sugar and salt should stick to the melty chocolate chips. Mmmmm!

 

Let the granola cool for 1-2 hours (It was during this cooling process that I couldn't not stop snacking).  Gently scoop the granola into an air tight container and try not to consume in one day.

 

Recipe slightly adapted from Pinch of Yum 

Homemade Ginger Ale and Taco Bowls

About a month ago Todd and I went to dinner at Communal in Provo.  A neighbor friend highly recommended their homemade ginger ale and I can say without reservation that after my first swig I was officially obsessed.   

After a couple of weeks of ginger ale on the brain it was time to make my own version at home.  The recipe I found makes a ginger ale that is refreshing, light, and leaves a slight burn in the back of your throat; it's perfect and was the perfect thing to wash down our taco bowls inspired by Smitten Kitchen.

I love making a meal that has no meat, but is completely satisfying, delicious and leaves no one complaining (except for Noah who doesn't like rice (Who doesn't like rice?)). 

I am also obsessed with anything I can top with sour cream, diced onions, pickled onions and jalapenos, cheese, avocado, and cilantro (oh and some crunched up tortilla chips).

This meal came together in a flash thanks to my handy, dandy pressure cooker that makes cooking brown rice a snap.  Without the pressure cooker it would still be a breeze it would just add a little extra cooking time for which ever grain fits your fancy. 

 

Homemade Ginger ale

1 1/2 cups peeled, diced ginger (7 ounces)
2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
Chilled club soda
Fresh lime juice

Cook ginger in water in a saucepan at a low simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.  After 45 minutes, turn off heat and let steep, covered, for 20 minutes.

Strain ginger/water mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on ginger.  Discard ginger and return liquid to saucepan.  Add sugar and a pinch of salt.  Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.  Chill syrup in a covered jar until cold.

To assemble ginger ale, gently mix together 1/4 cup ginger syrup, 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, and 3/4-1 cup chilled club soda.  Pour into a cold glass jar with lots of crushed ice and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Recipe from Epicurious

Red Bean and Green Grain Taco Bowl

Grains
2 fresh poblano chile peppers
1 cup cilantro leaves (I just chopped off the leaves and a few stems from one bunch)
1/2 large white onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
*3 cups water (amount needed for wheat berries, adjust if needed)
*1 cup uncooked wheat berries
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 finely chopped chipotle from a can
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup water
2 15-ounce cans small red beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt to taste

Fixings
Minced white onions
Pickled onions
Pickled jalapenos
Shredded Cheese
Sour cream
Sliced Avocado
Crunched up tortilla chips

In a blender, combine poblanos, cilantro, onion, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher with a splash of water and puree until smooth.  In a medium saucepan, combine wheat berries, 3 cups of water, 3/4 of green poblano puree and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 1 hour or until grains a chewy-tender.  Add remaining green puree and cook 5 minutes more.

In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until sizzling and fragrant.  Add chipotle, cumin, oregano, and tomato paste and cook together for one minute.  Add water, beans, salt to taste, and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 10 minutes on low.

To assemble, add a scoop (or two) of beans and grains side by side to a bowl.  Top with whichever topping float your boat (I say go big or go home, but my kiddies think otherwise).

*I used brown rice instead of wheat berries because it is what I had.  I cook my brown rice in a pressure cooker because it's faster and I use 2 1/2 cups water, 2 cups brown rice, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and for this recipe I added 3/4 of the green poblano puree.  Right before serving I added the remaining puree.

Recipe barely adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Maple Spiced Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Monday and Friday mornings I'm up before the crack of dawn.  Noah has basketball practice at 5:45 am and because Todd is the assistant coach he goes with Noah.  I normally don't leave our house until 5:40 am, but because Preston is not in love with the idea of being home alone with just Stella in the wee hours of the morning and so my alarm goes off at 4:20 am on basketball practice mornings.  This gives me enough time to run and be back as Todd and Noah are leaving for practice.  4:20 am is early, really, really early, but I kind of have a love-hate relationship with being up at that time of day.  I'm tired, yes, but I really like being done and home from running by 5:45.  It's amazing what you can accomplish in the early hours of the morning.  The past couple of Friday mornings I've made this banana bread and my house smells heavenly by 7 am and no one except Preston complains when we get to have warm banana bread for breakfast.  (Noah usually grabs a thick slice with a great deal of butter on it (can you guess what books Stella and I have been reading...Mercy Watson) as he hustles out the door to catch the bus for school.)  

Maple Spiced Whole Wheat Banana Bread

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment with parchment overhanging the edges of the pan.

In a large bowl, beat oil and maple syrup together.  Add eggs and beat well.  Stir in vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Add bananas and mix until just combined.   

Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix.  Add to the baking soda water to the banana mixture and mix to combine.  Next, stir in the flour until just combined. Stir chopped chocolate into batter.  Be careful to not over mix.  Spread batter into greased loaf pan and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the bread is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Let the bread cool for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan.  Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing if you can wait that long (we couldn't).

*This recipe is inspired by Cookie and Kate's whole wheat banana bread