Homemade granola bars

I honestly eat granola bars on a daily basis, so it made perfect sense to try making my own.  After eating that first bite, I knew that I should have done this a LONG time ago.  These bars are made with simple, natural ingredients, and there's something so liberating about that!  From now on I'll walk down the cereal aisle at the grocery store thinking, "Forget it, Quaker! I don't need you."  The possibilities are endless for this recipe--you could add chocolate chips or swap out the dried apricots for other dried fruit.  Be creative! 


Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted almonds (you can toast your own in a dry skillet if you just have plain almonds)
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• pinch of salt
• cooking spray and parchment paper

First, toast the wheat germ in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly browned (about 5 minutes).  This really enhances the flavor for the granola bars.  Next, roughly chop the almonds.  Melt the butter using a microwave in a medium-sized bowl (microwave safe), then whisk in the brown sugar.  Next, add the honey; beat the egg into the mixture and add a pinch of salt.  Switch to a spoon and add the dried fruit, almonds, oats, and wheat germ.  Stir until well-combined.  Line an 8 x 8 square baking dish with parchment paper and spray with the cooking spray.  Dump the granola mixture into the dish and press into the pan to level out the mixture.  Bake at 300 degrees for 27-30 minutes until edges are brown.  Let cool and cut into 12 bars.  Enjoy!

Quick Garlic-Parmesan Polenta

Thanks to that cooking class I went to in early August, one of my new favorite things to cook is polenta.  It's really pretty fast and it makes a delicious side dish; I think of it as slightly more sophisticated than mashed potatoes.  This particular recipe pairs well with pork or chicken that have Italian seasonings, though the flavors are mild enough to go with anything!


Ingredients:

• 1 cup quick-cooking polenta
• 3 cups water
• 2 chicken boullion cubes
• 3 oz grated parmesan
• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, smashed but still whole
• chopped parsley, to garnish 

Start by boiling the water, the boullion cubes, and the clove of garlic in a saucepan.  When it boils, remove the garlic clove and add the butter to melt it.   Turn the burner down to medium-low, then grab a whisk and start stirring in the polenta.  Read the package to determine how long it takes to cook, but 5 to 7 minutes is pretty standard.  Whisk constantly for the first couple minutes and then frequently during the rest of the cooking time.      When the polenta is fully cooked, turn off the heat and add the pepper and parmesan.  Taste it to see if it needs salt, but remember that the cheese and boullion cubes have already added a lot of salt.  Finally, garnish with the parsley and serve!

Sweet Ricotta Dumplings with Strawberry Sauce

This is a recipe from the amazing cooking class I just took at the Kansas City Culinary Center, called "A Little Trip to Italy."  The recipe was created by the instructor- Matt Chatfield (I want to make sure he gets the credit!) and I was amazed at how well this turned out!  The subtle sweetness of the ricotta really pairs well with strawberries, and I plan on experimenting with this recipe (toasted almonds on top?  Blueberry sauce?) to give my own twist to it.  


For the strawberry sauce:

• 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 

For the dumplings:

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 16 oz (1 lb) drained ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• pot of boiling water + 2 tsp kosher salt
• a small ice cream scoop 
• glass of ice water

Start heating about 3 quarts of water with the salt and bring it to a boil.  Meanwhile, put the strawberries in a saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the berries are soft and the juice is released.  Turn off the heat.  Now for the dumplings--mix the ricotta cheese with the eggs and 1/4 tsp of salt.  When that is combined, add the flour and fold it into the cheese (make sure it is incorporated well).  When the water boils, turn the heat down slightly so it is more of a high simmer instead of a boil.  Scoop out a portion of the dough (about 2 tbsp) with the ice cream scoop and drop it into the hot water.  Dip the scoop back into the ice water each time before scooping more dough (it prevents sticking and makes the dumplings more uniform).  Try to work quickly so your dumplings cook at about the same time.  The dumplings should spend about 5 minutes in the water-- when they rise to the surface you know they're almost done.  According to Matt, the dumpling should spring back when pinched and not be soft at the center.  Put the melted butter in an bowl and add the cooked dumplings (a small strainer or slotted spoon works well to remove them from the pot of water).  Coat the dumplings in the butter.  Plate a few of the dumplings for each serving and sauce with the strawberries.  I think adding some toasted almond pieces would add a nice crunch, but honestly this dessert is fantastic how it is right now!  Enjoy!