Fifty Second Friday: Crunchy Granola

By now, you should all be aware that I am from Seattle and spent the first 24 years of my life on the West Coast. So when I came to work once decked out in my bike shorts and chacos, it was no surprise that I was quickly deemed "crunchy." For those of you unfamiliar with the term, crunchy granola refers to the outdoorsy, hippie-like tendencies of those from the liberal-minded Pacific coast. As it happens, I have been feeling particularly home-sick of late; perhaps I need a good dose of Big Bear Cafe...or perhaps I just haven't seen the parental units in a good six months.

Regardless, I felt a strong urge to make granola. Now, vegans, cover your ears, but I have to admit that the best granola I have ever made had honey and butter in it (and sugar and peanuts). The recipe below will be slightly less deleterious (good GRE word!) for your health. Dairy, sugar, and potentially gluten-free, this coconut and pecan granola is a good way to start the day, or alleviate a craving for your childhood home. I served it with some soy yogurt and my first jar ever of home-canned peaches (which were fabulous)!
 
Coconutty Granola
1 cup rolled oats (I used a multigrain mix)
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1/4 crushed pecans (can sub in almonds)
1 tbs coconut oil, melted
1 tbs canola (or another of coconut
1-2 tbs apple butter
1-2 tbs unsweetened almond milk
15 drops vanilla stevia
Cinnamon to taste (optional)

1. Toss everything together. It should be slightly moist and start to clump. If it doesn't add another tablespoon of apple butter and almond milk combined.
2. Spread out on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes, mixing every 15 minutes. Remove when just beginning to brown. Allow to cool completely.
3. Store in an airtight container. Eat.

 Check out other healthier-for-you options on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Wellness Weekend!

Thirsty Thursday: Budget Cooking Unpacked

Grist recently published an article on the top five foods not to buy pre-made. Looking at the list below, I can't help but agree; each is simple and probably cheaper to do on your own.

Soup - often high in sodium and preservatives, plus soup is one of the easiest things to make! You just throw everything into a pot, let it simmer for a while and voila. Granted, some times you just crave Cambell's tomato soup, but seriously, homemade is tastier and better for you. Try:

• Smokey Butternut Squash Soup
• Beans and Greens Soup
• Curried Cauliflower Soup 

Stock - this is easily made with vegetable scraps! I usually throw celery, carrots, a sweet potato, and some onions in a pot along with a bunch of herbs. But apparently, you can toss in just about anything for flavor - potato peels, apple cores, leak tops, you name it! It's handy to have some pre-made stock on hand, so plan ahead and make a big batch.

Canned Beans - this is not the first time I've advocated for dried beans (and other bulk food items). If you get in the habit of leaving some legumes to soak overnight, you can save a bunch of cash and, in my humble opinion, have better tasting beans. Also, unlike canned beans, dried bean options are often more diverse, allowing you to try some heirloom varieties (see Monday's What's Cooking?). Try:

• Curried Mung Beans
• Adzuki Pocket Pies
• Beans and Greens

Hummus - I feel pretty strongly about homemade hummus. It is so incredibly easy and fast. In fact, a while ago I questioned why should I ever buy pre-made hummus again? This is a food group (yes, according to Gena at Choosing Raw, it is) that merits much experimentation in order to develop your own technique for your ideal hummus. Ok, there are times when I just want that creamy smooth Sabra hummus, but there is something to be said about the joys of dumping some tahini, garbanzos, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and a dash of salt in a food processor. You also can make some really interesting variations, like Pumpkin Pie Hummus!

Cereal - perhaps the biggest point of departure for me is cereal. I hardly ever buy cereal anymore, although I used to consume a good amount of Special K Red Berries (former, processed-food life). Admittedly, I did give in a couple of time to buy Leapin' Lemurs...but that was primarily because of my obsession with the primate. Now, my default it to buy oats, puffed barley or corn, and then just make my own granola. When bought in the store, granola tends to have a lot of added sugars and fats, so making it at home allows for much more control. Applesauce and fruit butters are excellent subs for sugar and oils, and you can add in all sorts of nuts and dried fruits. Check out:

• Thanksgiving Granola 
• Chai Granola (Spunk Coconut)
• Tahini Granola (Jew and the Carrot)
• NPR on Granola

Well, if you were hankering for some DIY, here you go. Other food items I rarely purchase rather than make include: tomato sauce, apple sauce, and salad dressing. What prepared foods do you always make at home? 

A Squash by Any Other Name...

...would probably taste like a pumpkin. Derived from the Massachusetts Indian word askutasquash meaning eaten or uncooked, squashes fall into the family Cucurbita (also housing pumpkins). You may be thinking that pumpkins were so last month. And I will readily admit that my pumpkin never even made it to the Jack-O-Lantern stage of its life. Halloween, however, just marks the beginning of pumpkin/winter squash season. I mean, what is Thanksgiving without the pumpkin pie?

When we talk about those hard-skinned, easily-stored, winter squashes, we are discussing a legacy going back over 10,000 years. In fact, preserved pumpkin seeds were the clue to dating the advent of agriculture in the New World! They are one of the simpler crops to cultivate - I have definitely planted pumpkins accidentally by merely tossing the seeds. Native populations in the Americas came to rely on this resilient, nutritious, and versatile vegetable. Varieties were transplanted from the warmer south, but there are also some natives of more northern latitudes. Desirable for their oily seeds, vitamin-rich fruit, and use as bowls and jugs, made winter squash a very integral part of human survival on the continents. And while these beauties have spread throughout the world, they are distinctly American in flavor. So, if we're talking Thanksgiving, pumpkins/squashes should obviously steal the show!

Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium butternut squash (can also use acorn, buttercup, or red curry)

2 cups mild vegetable stock (as in, not overpoweringly flavorful)

Thyme and salt to taste

Oil for pan

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Quarter squash and scoop out seeds. Make sure to save these to roast with salt!

2. Roast squash in a generously oiled pan, with salt and thyme (ideally fresh sprigs), for 45-60 minutes. When it's super "fork-tender", take it out of the oven, peel or cut off the skin, and put in a food processor with the vegetable stock.

3. Test flavor and readjust salt and thyme to your liking. You may have to heat up on the stove again after pureeing.

4. Serve in adorable soup bowls!

Thanksgiving in Granola - Bonus Feature!!! (can be gluten-free :)

2 cups rolled oats

3 cups puffed rice cereal

2/3 - 1 cup raw sunflower seeds

2/3 - 1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup pumpkin butter (strongly encourage homemade or some variation)

(option) agave nectar to desired sweetness

1. Toss everything together until evenly coated. You can add agave if the pumpkin butter is not sweet enough for you, as well as extra cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, all-spice, whatever.

2. Spread in a thick layer on a greased sheet pan. Bake at 325F for 45-60 minutes. After 20 or so, stir around a bit so that it doesn't burn.

3. Remove from over when starting to brown and crisp up. Let cool thoroughly before storing.

4. Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea, midnight snack, etc.

Further Reading:

The Three Sisters Diorama - New York Museum

Squash and Gourds - Encyclopedia of Food and Culture

New World Farming Began Around Same Time As Near East's - National Geographic

Winter Squash: New Faces in the Pumpkin Patch - NPR

My Ode to Squash