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!

Beef Barbacoa with Cilantro-Lime Rice

So I'll just say it outright:  this recipe is heavenly, slow-cooked goodness.  This was kind of a spin on the beef barbacoa and rice that you can get at Chipotle in a burrito.  Thanks to chipotlefan.com, I snagged the rice recipe (very simple) and used it as a bed for this flavorful pulled beef.  

For the beef:

• 2 lbs chuck steak, trimmed 
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 poblano (or bell) pepper, cut into strips
• juice from 1/2 lime

For the rice:

• 1/2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups water
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 - 4 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat.  Mix the spices together (ingredients #2 - 7) to create a dry rub, and press the rub into the steak (use ALL of it).  When the pan is hot, add the beef and brown for 3 minutes on each side.  Next, add the garlic, pepper, onion and water; scrape any bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Put the lid on and cook in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat is pull-apart tender.  Let it cool to room temperature and then put it (covered) into the refrigerator for a few hours (at least 3 or you could leave it overnight).  About 20 minutes before you want to eat, take it out of the fridge.  If there is a lot of excess fat, you can skim that off.  Take two forks and shred all of the beef.  Heat the pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  After it simmering, add the lime juice and stir to distribute it.  You might need to taste-test it for more salt before serving.  

Before shredding the beef, you could get started on the rice.  Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the rice and lime juice, cooking for 1-2 minutes.  Then add the water and salt; bring to a boil.  After it boils, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  When the rice is cooked, stir in the fresh cilantro and it's done!

I served these two together as-is, but if you really want to mimic the Chipotle burrito-- throw them together in a tortilla with some black beans, salsa, sour cream and cheese.  Enjoy!

Saffron Risotto

I absolutely love risotto; both cooking it and eating it.  Sure it takes some time and patience, but honestly, you'll forget all about plain rice after you've tried a creamy, flavorful scoop of risotto.  This is a great side dish for fish or even chicken, since the flavors aren't especially bold.


Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 pinch of saffron threads
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 3 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• salt and pepper

First, pour the broth into a small saucepan and bring it up to a simmer--it is important with risotto that the liquid is hot (but not boiling) when you slowly add it to the rice.  Next, heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion plus a dash of salt and pepper; cook the onion slowly, stirring to keep it from burning.  When it is soft and translucent, add the rice (dry) and stir it around in the onion.  The idea is to slightly toast the rice before adding any liquids.  Now add the pinch of saffron threads.  After a minute or so, add the white wine and scrape any bits off of the bottom of the pan. At this point, you begin adding about 1/2 cup of broth at a time (I like to use a ladle) to the saucepan, stirring to distribute it across the rice.  When the rice has fully absorbed the broth, add another 1/2 cup (and repeat).  This should take at least 25 minutes for all the broth to be added.  If you go too fast, the risotto will be undercooked, so patience is key.  The rice needs time to release its starch to give it its creamy consistency.  If you want to take this recipe over the top, stir in 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese at the very end before serving.  Enjoy!

Chimichurri Sauce

If, like me, you love fresh herbs, then you'll have to try this chimichurri sauce. The recipe is from the July-August 2010 issue of Cook's Illustrated and even though it's not my creation, I thought it needed to be shared! The magazine pairs the sauce with Argentine grilled steaks, but I've found that it goes well with chicken, as a sauce on pasta, and even as a salad dressing. I hope it doesn't anger any of our South American neighbors that I'm using chimichurri in such a non-traditional way!

Ingredients:
• ¼ cup hot water
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp kosher salt (if using table salt, use 1tsp)
• 1 and 1/3 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2/3 cup cilantro leaves
• 6 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tbsp)
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (1 tsp for more heat)
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
Combine the hot water, oregano, and salt in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes to soften the oregano. Pulse the parsley, garlic, cilantro, and red pepper flakes in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the water mixture and vinegar, pulsing briefly to combine. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and slowly whisk in oil until incorporated and the sauce is emulsified. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for at least 1 hour. You can prepare this in advance and refrigerate it, but bring it to room temperature before using since the olive oil will harden in the fridge. Like I said, this sauce is delicious on grilled meat or as a simple pasta sauce. Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Now, if you've never made pizza from scratch, you don't know what you're missing. I finally found a great recipe for pizza crust, and I decided to be adventurous and try making barbecue chicken pizza! Be forewarned-- If you make everything the same day, this will take some time, but it's SO worth it. If you're short on time, use bottled barbecue sauce or pre-made dough or precooked chicken to speed things up. But the way I'm showing you is all from scratch!


Pizza dough:
o 3 and 3/4 cups flour
o 1 packet of yeast
o 1 tablespoon sugar
o 1 and ½ tsp salt
o 1 and 1/3 cups warm water
o 3 tbsp olive oil
o 2 cloves minced garlic
First, put the garlic and the oil together in small bowl and let it sit to really infuse the oil. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water in a measuring cup and mix to dissolve the sugar and moisten the yeast. Add the water to the flour and incorporate all the flour. Then add the garlic oil and knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Add a little extra oil to the bowl to prevent sticking, cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1.5 hours (it should double in size). This makes enough dough for two 12” round pizzas. When the dough is ready, stretch it out into a 12” circle, use a fork and dock the dough all over to prevent bubbles. Before topping the pizza dough, prebake it at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Barbecue chicken:
o 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
o 14 oz can of tomato sauce
o ½ cup water
o ¼ cup tomato paste (one of those little cans)
o ½ cup brown sugar (the darker the better)
o 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
o 2 tbsp cider vinegar
o ½ tsp smoked hickory salt or liquid smoke
o ¼ tsp ground chipotle pepper
o 1 clove minced garlic
o 2 tsp olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and then add the onion. After a few minutes, add the garlic and turn the heat to low. Cooking the onions slowly will caramelize them and give incredible flavor to the sauce. When the onions are a deep golden brown, add the other ingredients except the chicken. Bring to a simmer and taste the sauce for flavor. You can always add more seasoning to your liking. Remove some of the sauce from the pan and save it for another time (you’ll only need about 1 cup of it for the pizza). With one cup sauce remaining, add the shredded cooked chicken into the saucepan. Let it simmer in the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes so it can soak up all the smoky wonderfulness.
Onto your prebaked pizza crust: spread the chicken and sauce mixture all over, sprinkle about ½ cup of shredded cheddar or Colby cheese and then add some THINLY sliced red onion on top. Bake for another 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees until the crust and cheese is golden brown. My mouth is watering just thinking about this pizza. . . .Enjoy!!