Tag Archives: baking

Orange Almond Coconut Granola

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I’ve never made granola before, but I love the stuff. It’s perfect on top of yogurt, an on the go snack or a hearty breakfast. Most store bought brands have lots of sugar, salt, preservatives and fat…no thanks! This one is great because it’s all natural, easy to make and it keeps well in the fridge or up to a week in an airtight container. While this was baking, the most wonderful mix of orange and honey came wafting out the oven!  I can’t wait to try this 🙂

Verdict: So addicting! The orange zest gives this an aroma and bright, fresh flavor that I have never had in granola before. It was the perfect pre-workout breakfast. Bottom line – I will make this again and again! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Orange Almond Coconut Granola – adapted from Two Blue Lemons

Dry Ingredients:

  • 2 cups “Old Fashioned” rolled oats (not the quick kind)
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Zest of one orange
  • pinch of kosher salt

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1/3 cup dried fruit of your choice – I used raisins because that’s what I had on hand*
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix the dry ingredients and set aside. (Oats, coconut, almonds, cinnamon, zest, salt.)
3. In a small bowl combine the wet ingredients. (Honey, molasses, vanilla, oil.)
4. Pour the honey-molasses mixture over the oats and spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes, tossing once in the middle. (Don’t let it get too brown, you want it to still be a little chewy.)
6. Out of the oven, toss in your dried fruit. Makes about 5 cups.

Oatmeal Wheat Bread

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Mmm…these smell wonderful while baking – but don’t all breads? That smell will never get old to me – it’s always so comforting. Anyway, this is another brand new recipe for us to try; and I spent a lot of time finding it so hopefully it tastes as good as it looks. This makes two 8×4 inch loaves, so once they’re completely cool I’ll wrap and freeze one. I have found that freezing and thawing bread doesn’t affect the taste or texture at all – I love that.

Verdict: This loaf is so good. Not too wheaty and not at all bitter from the wheat flour. It has a nice texture and chew and it’s my favorite mostly whole wheat loaf I have made so far. I love the dark crust of this bread and the texture of the toasted oats on top. I hope my family enjoys it as much as I do because I’m always looking for more ways to give them foods with more nutrition and fiber. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Oatmeal Wheat Bread – adapted from Epicurious

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking) plus additional for topping
  • 1/2 cup warm water (105-115°F)
  • 2 tablespoons active dry yeast (from 3 packages)
  • 1/2 cup mild honey
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 cups white whole-wheat flour
  • About 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • Vegetable oil for oiling bowl and loaf pans
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Heat milk in a 4-cup measuring cup and stir in oats. Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add water, melted butter and honey – stir to combine. Set aside to cool to about 105 degrees before adding to the flour mixture.

Stir together whole-wheat flour, unbleached flour, yeast, salt  in a standing mixer bowl. Add oat mixture, stirring with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Using your dough hook, knead adding more  flour a tablespoon at a time (if needed – I used 5 more TBSP) to keep from sticking, until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic – about 5 to 7 minutes (dough will be slightly sticky). Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Lightly grease loaf pans. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a loaf, then place 1 loaf in each pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit. Cover loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush tops of loaves with some of egg wash and sprinkle with oats, then bake until bread is golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. (Remove 1 loaf from pan to test for doneness. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen.)

Remove bread from pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

Stromboli

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This is my first time making a Stromboli, which is basically a giant pizza roll. It’s not from one recipe, more like bits and pieces of ones I have found online. M grilled a pound of the Italian sausage that was left of the giant package from Sam’s Club, and there is about a pound of Italian cheeses leftover from mac and cheese night. I guess you could use any leftover meats, vegetables and cheese that you need to re-purpose for a dish like this. Here’s the recipe I found that I’m using as a guideline.

These turned out so well – this recipe is definitely a new favorite for us. I served this with a green salad with tomatoes and bell peppers, and a side of marinara sauce for dipping. I’m always happy when a new recipe turns out well! Thanks for reading, enjoy!


Pepperoni and Sausage Stromboli Ingredients –

  • 2 – 1 pound balls of pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
  • 1/2 – 3/4 pound of Italian sausage, grilled and diced
  • 1/4 – 1/2 pound of deli sliced pepperoni, quartered
  • 1/2 – 3/4 pound of mixed Italian cheeses
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 TBSP of water
  • dried Italian seasoning
  • 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese

Directions –
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Roll out your pizza dough into a rectangle, about 14 inches by 8 inches – roughly. Layer your meats and cheeses, being careful to leave a one inch border on all sides. Make your egg wash and lightly bush it around the border, then start to roll your Stromboli. Make sure to pinch all seams and tuck the ends under, then place seam side down on a parchment lined half sheet pan. Brush remaining egg wash on the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the pizza seasoning and Parmesan cheese over the tops if desired. Bake for 30 to 35 minute until golden brown (and delicious!)