Coconut Oil Granola

Ingredients

2 cups of oats

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup seeds (I used 1/8 cup hemp, 1/8 cup chia and 1/4 cup pumpkin)

1 tsp vanilla

3 TBS honey

3 TBS coconut oil

Method

Preheat oven to 300F

Heat the oil and honey till melted together (microwave 30 seconds).

Add the vanilla.

Mix the oats and nuts in a bowl.  Add the honey/oil mixture and combine.

Put on a greased baking sheet.

Bake or 15 minutes. Stir in the pan, and bake about 10-15 minutes more till golden brown.

Once it has cooled, you can add dried fruits like cranberries, cherries, raisins, apricots, mango.

I left the fruit out, and just use it as a topping on fruit/yogurt.

It's really good because it's not very sweet!

Chia & Coconut Pudding

Chia & Coconut Pudding

Ingredients

400g can organic light coconut cream or milk (unsweetened)

1/3 cup honey or less ( 1/8 c or 1 TBS)

1/3 cup Chia seeds

Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries to serve

Toasted coconut for garnish

Method

1) Mix the milk, honey and seeds in a bowl. Stir well.

2) Cover and store in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to thicken.

3) Divide among serving bowls and top with berries and nuts,

4) Drizzle with a bit more coconut cream if desired.

You can reduce the honey.  I used about 2 TBS and then you can always add a bit more to taste when you serve it.

Sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds to garnish.

German Apple Pancake

This is an easy recipe baked in a pie plate or 8x8 glass pyrex dish.

Serves 2 - 3.

Ingredients

2 eggs
3/8 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/8 cup milk
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS butter
1 medium apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the glass dish, (pie plate or 8x8 square glass pyrex dish), in the oven and heat.
Beat the eggs, flour, milk and salt on medium speed for about 1 minute.  In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.

Take the baking dish out of the oven and add the butter, moving it around to coat the pan and sides. 
Spread the apple slices in the bottom of the dish.   Pour the batter in the dish.  Sprinkle with the sugar & cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.

Serve immediately.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Lamb Shank shown on Angel Hair pasta

2  (3/4-pound) lamb shanks, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided Click to see savings

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided Click to see savings

1/4 cup diced onion Click to see savings

1/2 cup diced carrot
lick to see savings

1/2  cup diced celeryClick to see savings

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup dry red wine Click to see savings

1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt-added petite diced tomatoes, undrained Click to see savings

1 (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef brothClick to see savings

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon water

1/2 teaspoon cornstarchClick to see savings

Polenta:

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth Click to see savings

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Click to see savings

1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal (quick cooking polenta)

1/4 cup (1 oz) fresh, grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1.     Preheat oven to 300°.

2.     To prepare lamb, sprinkle lamb evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large, wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add lamb, and cook for 12 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove lamb from pan.

3.     Add onion, carrot, and celery to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add red wine; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Return lamb to pan; stir in tomatoes, beef broth, and 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary. Bring to a boil.

4.     Cover Dutch oven; place in oven. Bake at 300° for 2 hours or until lamb is tender. Remove lamb from pan; set aside and keep warm. As the lamb cooks, it will shrink and come off the bone a little. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper to pan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until sauce is reduced to about 3 1/2 cups (about 20 minutes), stirring frequently. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a fork or whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; cook 30 seconds or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.

5.     To prepare polenta, bring chicken broth, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually add cornmeal, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium; cook 30 to 40 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally (every 5 minutes or so). Remove from heat, and stir in cheese. Serve immediately with lamb and sauce.

If you buy the regular coarse - grind polenta, it will take longer to cook.  Stir for about 20-25 minutes, following package directions.
The lamb shanks are also delicious served over cooked rice, or angel hair pasta, or penne.

Chocolate, Cherry & Almond Snack

This is easier than melting chocolate and making bark and just as delicious!


Ingredients

1 cup of semi - sweet dark chocolate (65%) chopped
Or your favorite Vegan chocolate
1 cup of raw almonds (roasted or plain) unsalted
1 cup of dried tart cherries

Mix all three ingredients together and serve as a snack.

You can vary the nut selection, and dried fruit selection to your taste.
Making your own trail mix is easy and you get exactly what you like! 

Maple and Mustard Glazed Salmon

Salmon with the glaze before cooking

This recipe is from Chef Wilhelm Gahabka. Look for center cut salmon pieces that are at least 2" thick) so they won't dry out when baked. 

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 16 oz  Salmon fillet, with skin on

1 TBS maple syrup

2 TBS butter, melted

1 TBS Dijon mustard or grain mustard

1 tsp Apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil

Method 

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Brush the salmon with 1 tsp olive oil, and salt and pepper.

Place the salmon skin side down on a sheet pan. You can line it with parchment paper or foil, or put it directly on the pan for a crispy skin.  The pan is easier to clean if you use foil. Roast for about 8 minutes.

Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl.  After the 6 minutes of cooking,  spoon the marinade over the salmon.  Save any remaining marinade to serve with the fish.  Return it to the oven for another 4 – 5 minutes until the salmon is just cooked.  Do not overcook.

** NOTE:  For a simple recipe, follow this method, but sprinkle the salmon with a lemon pepper seasoning before baking.  Depending on the thickness of the salmon, bake for 8-10 minutes. Check after 8. The salmon will continue to cook (carry-over cooking - 15%) after it is removed from the oven. I like the middle pieces instead of the tail pieces (which tend to dry out).  

Greek Almond Cookies

This recipe is from my friend Denise in Sydney Australia.

Amigthalota are traditional Greek almond cookies made into different shapes. 

They are gluten-free and can be made a week ahead. Store in an airtight container.

Ingredients

3 cups of almond meal or flour *

1 cup of white sugar - 1 Tbs.(or reduce to 3/4 Cup)
3 drops of almond extract
3 egg whites, beaten lightly (Extra Large Eggs) or 6 TBS liquid egg white from  the carton 

 For Vegan option, use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacement and mix according to directions. *
1 cup of sliced almonds - blanched or with the skins on.

Method

Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Combine almond meal and sugar in a large bowl. Beat the egg whites lightly with a mixer or whisk till frothy. Add the almond extract. Add the egg whites to the dry mixture and stir until it forms a firm paste (looks like Marzipan).

Roll level tablespoons of the mixture in the sliced almonds then roll into 2" logs. Press on additional almonds and form into a crescent shape. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake about 13-18 minutes until browned lightly on the bottom. They will still soft/chewy in the middle. 

You can also use a small cookie scoop and roll the dough into a ball. Then press each ball in the sliced almond (one side) and place it on the cookie sheet almond side up.  Cool on trays. Suitable to freeze. Do not microwave. 

*Almond flour (you can buy this – it’s almonds already ground up).  One brand is Red Mill available at Whole Foods or Wild Oats. Or, if you have a food processor or blender, you can grind up blanched almonds (whole or slivered).

* Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer works very well. Mix up enough for 3 egg white equivalent. If you find the mixture is still a bit dry, mix up one more egg equivalent, and add a little till you get the right texture.

It is a good idea to test bake one or two cookies first.  If you find they spread out, then you need to add a little more ground almonds.  The mixture should be fairly firm – not too wet when you roll it. 

Makes 24-25

I used the natural ground almonds and it also works well, but the cookies look nicer when you use the blanched almonds. 

The best cookie sheets are called "Air Bake". Here's a link to them on Amazon, but you can also find them at Target usually. 

Amazon - Air Bake Cookie Sheets