Spiced Ginger Granola

In this batch of granola I switched it up by adding some chopped crystallized ginger along with some other wintery spices to give it a seasonal flavor.  I have to say... it came out pretty delicious.  It's great as a breakfast or healthy dessert.

Ingredients: 
5 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup bran
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F. Mix the oats, nuts and wheat germ in a large bowl.  

In a smaller bowl, combine the butter, oil, honey, sugar, vanilla, and spices.  

Microwave for 20 seconds (so that butter is melted) and stir the mixture well.  Pour it over the dry ingredients and mix with your hands or a large spoon until the oats and nuts are evenly coated.   Spread the mixture onto a large sheet pan (or two).  You could also use a casserole dish but it will take longer to bake since it won't be as spread out. 
Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes to ensure even cooking.  When the granola is a golden-brown color, remove it from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.  

Add the dried ginger and cranberries and store in a sealed container.  

 

Cranberry-Almond-Chocolate Quinoa Cookies

You can justify making these (and eating them!) because they are made with quinoa, a super healthy ingredient.  It adds a little texture to the cookie but you don't really taste it in there with all of the other goodies.  We used all purpose white flour, but you could make them even healthier by using some wheat flour instead.  These are great for desert, or even for a quick breakfast- considering they have all of the ingredients you might eat in a bowl of granola.

Ingredients:  

1 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour 

1 t kosher salt 

1/2 t baking powder 

1/2 t baking soda 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 

1/4 cup sugar 

1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar 

1/4 cup agave nectar or honey 

2 large eggs 

1 t vanilla extract 

1/2 t almond extract 

1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled 

1 cup old-fashioned oats 

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup slivered unslated almonds 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.   In a mixing bowl, combine butter, both sugars, and agave nectar or honey.  Beat with an electric mixer or by and until smooth and well combined.  Add the two eggs and both extracts and mix thoroughly.

Next, add the salt, baking powder and baking soda, and flour to the bowl and mix until it is all incorporated into the batter.  Finally, add the quinoa, oats, cranberries, chocolate chips, and almonds to the bowl and stir until just combined.

On your baking sheets lined with parchment paper, place balls of dough (1-2 T each depending on how large you want your cookies) about one inch apart.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.  Place on cooling racks after you remove them from the oven.  Store in a zip-lock bag or air-tight container.

Thanksgiving Pizza

For Sean, it's a yearly tradition to make pizza out of the Thanksgiving leftovers, turkey and cranberry sauce to be specific.  It's a great way to transform the flavors into a completely new dish, and of course pizza is always delicious!  We added some leftover cooked bacon which really stood out against the sweetness of the cranberry sauce.  This is so good you may decide to make it one of your Thanksgiving traditions too!

Ingredients:
1 pizza dough (ours was about 1.5 pounds so we could make a pretty large one)
1 1/2 cups homemade cranberry sauce, or enough to lightly cover the dough
1/4 onion, sliced
3 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups cooked shredded turkey
8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese shredded (about 2 cups)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Stretch the pizza dough out onto a large rectangle baking sheet (or two small ones).  Then spread the cranberry sauce on top in place of tomato sauce.

Next, begin putting the toppings on the pizza, saving cheese for last.  Try to evenly spread them and don't overload it too much or you won't taste the cranberry.  Finally, sprinkle the cheese all over and it's ready to go in the oven!

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Cut into squares and gobble it up.  (get it?)

Ginger Apple Cranberry Sauce

As I was searching for a cranberry sauce recipes, I came across one that included crystallized ginger.  I had to try it because my friend Katie had just left me with some leftover crystallized ginger after we made ginger rice pudding.  Along with lemon zest and juice, I also added apple for some extra texture and sweetness (and because we had some on hand).  The result was tart and sweet with a hint of gingery spice.  An easy way to change up your typical Thanksgiving cranberry sauce!

Ingredients:

1 bag of fresh cranberries (12 oz)... about 4 cups

1 cup of water

1/2 cup sugar

zest and juice of one lemon

1/4 cup crystallized ginger, matchstick sliced

1 cup diced apple

Directions:

Combine water and sugar in a small-medium sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat

Once sugar has completely dissolved, add the cranberries.  Then, add the lemon juice, zest, and ginger.  Stir to combine.  The berries will start popping as they cook.  This releases the natural gelatin inside the berry which makes the sauce thicken.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, stirring often.  Then, add the apples, and cook for 3-5 minutes longer.  You should be able to tell that the berries have all popped and the mixture should be pretty thick.  Set aside to cool and store in the fridge until you are ready to eat.  Easy to make ahead for the big meal!

 

Enjoy with your Thanksgiving Dinner!