Peanut Butter Granola

Peanut Butter Granola with Chocolate Chips and Raisins

 We have been a little granola-obsessed in our house lately.  If I don't have a batch in the pantry handy for serving with yogurt or a splash of milk, I feel a little lost.  And, since I have a few others who are eagerly helping me work through containers of granola, I've been making it quite a bit these days.

Something fantastic about homemade granola is ingredients can be mixed and matched based on what's in your cupboard. Feel free to add or delete things from these recipes based on your mood and what's in stock. 

I wanted to try a peanut butter rendition this last time.  I really like how the peanut butter makes for bigger, "snackable" clusters.  It's been hard to resist picking them out of the jar and munching them one by one.  Not being a huge peanut fan, I don't know if this is my favorite batch, but definitely share-worthy.  And, as just about every time he's getting another scoop, my husband likes to remind me of what one of our latest house guests commented: "This granola is LEGIT!"

Also, check out the previous post on Mango Ginger Granola and below for a more traditional granola variation for other granola related ideas.  I am looking forward to experimenting in making my own granola bars next!

Peanut Butter Granola
3 cups rolled oats (the "Old Fashioned" kind)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup or agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment.  In a large bowl, combine oats, wheat germ, sesame seeds and coconut.  Stir together honey, vanilla and peanut butter in a microwavable dish (a pyrex measuring cup is ideal).  Heat for about 30 seconds to soften peanut butter.  Stir together peanut butter mixture until smooth.  Pour over oats and mix together until all the oats are moistened.  Turn mixture out onto prepared baking sheet.  Spread into a single layer (mixture will be a bit clumpy and that's ok, it gives you lots of little clusters to snack on!).  Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent burning.  Granola is done when golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Stir in peanuts and chocolate chips and raisins (if using).  Transfer to an airtight container.

Traditional Granola Recipe with Raisins

Traditional Granola Variation:
Combine oats, wheat germ, sesame seeds and coconut as above.  Add 1/2 cup raw almonds (slivered, sliced or roughly chopped).
Omit peanut butter and substitute 1/4 cup vegetable oil.  Stir oil into honey (or maple syrup or agave nectar) along with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Bake at 325 for 25-35 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent browning.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Stir in 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds and 1 cup dried fruit (or combination) of your choice (raisins, chopped dates, apricots, dried cherries, cranberries, blueberries, mango...).
Store in an airtight container.

Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles

Currently, my 17 month old son's diet consists of four food groups: milk, eggs, fruit and spoonfuls of peanut butter.  Seriously.  Hoping to appeal to his love of peanut butter and wanting to avoid heating up my kitchen this evening, I whipped up these Cold Peanut Noodles (he wasn't convinced, but the rest of us liked it!).

This is one of those recipes that comes together as quickly as it takes to boil water and cook the noodles.  A quick Asian-style peanut-sesame dressing and crunchy vegetables are tossed with pasta for an easy and delicious warm weather dish.  Feel free to personalize the dish with your own favorite veggies--I think sliced snow peas or thawed frozen shelled edamame would be great!  Although substantial enough on its own, we rounded our noodles out with some grilled chicken on the side!

Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles
8 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair (can substitute rice noodles as well)
1 small cucumber
1/2 red bell pepper
1 medium carrot
3 green onions
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine or water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic
1-inch piece fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Prepare noodles "al dente" according to package directions.  Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool.  Shake the colander to remove as much water as possible and transfer to a large bowl.

(This next part can be done while waiting for the water to boil and the noodles to cook)
Cut the cucumber into matchstick sized pieces. Thinly slice the red bell pepper.  Peel the carrot and cut into thin matchsticks.  Thinly slice the green onions, white and green parts, reserving a small amount for garnish at the end.  Roughly chop the cilantro, also reserving some for garnish.  Add everything except reserved garnishes to the bowl of noodles.

In a blender or food processor, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, wine, lime juice, sesame oil, honey, garlic and ginger.  Blend on medium speed until smooth, adding a tiny bit of water, if necessary, if mixture is too thick.  Once dressing is completely smooth, pour over noodle and vegetable mixture, tossing to combine.  Transfer to a serving platter, if desired, and garnish with reserved green onion and cilantro.  Serve immediately.

Indonesian Peanut Chicken

When my first son was born, some friends of ours were very kind and brought us a really delicious dinner, Indonesian Peanut Chicken.  We were very impressed and I told them I must have the recipe.  Little did I know, I already had it in my Betty Crocker cookbook!  Now, my extremely weathered cookbook falls open to the page with this recipe on it.  I have modified the recipe a bit and in doing so, shortened the cook time (always a plus in my book!).  The other night, we served the exotic peanut chicken over rice noodles, but usually eat it with rice.  However you do it, it's a fast family-pleaser.  Serve it with a steamed green vegetable (broccoli, green beans, peapods) and call it a day!


 Indonesian Peanut Chicken 
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1 med.)
1 chopped red bell pepper, reserving 1/2 cup for garnish
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 chopped peanuts
hot cooked brown or white rice (or rice noodles as pictured)
Note: can substitute 1/4 cup chili sauce for ketchup and spices cinnamon through cayenne (usually found in condiment aisle by ketchup).

Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  In large skillet over medium high heat, brown chicken in oil until cooked through.  Remove from skillet.  Add onions and bell pepper until tender.  Stir in peanut butter, ketchup and spices.  Gradually add chicken broth, stirring, until peanut butter is melted.  Add chicken back into pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes stirring occasionally, until chicken is heated through and sauce begins to thicken.  Serve over rice and sprinkle peanuts and fresh red pepper over top for garnish.

Peanut Sesame Noodles

No pictures, sorry.  And, if I had my druthers, I think I'd rather be posting about dessert right now.  I had a friend write on her blog not too long ago that there are only three things she's serious about--her family, her career and dessert.  To unashamedly steal that, there are three things I am serious about right now: my faith, my family and dessert.  I don't want to admit it, but I fear sugar might have a serious stronghold on me.  Unfortunately, because more important things (like dinner) have been taking up my cooking time (or lack thereof, it feels these days) and I have been making my way through a movie theater sized box of Sugar Babies the last few days, there will be no homemade dessert tonight.  There will most likely be sugary post in the near future, though...

Until then, I wanted to share the unbelievably quick dish we had tonight.  See this as your "Asian noodle dish launching pad" and check out my notes below for additional suggestions to fancy this up a bit!


 Basic Peanut Sesame Noodles
1 package pre-washed, cut broccoli florets (or substitute 3/4-1 pound vegetables of your choice)
1/2-1 package rice vermacelli (or other long pasta--amount depends on how noodle-y you're feeling)
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup fat free sesame soy ginger salad dressing (I used a Trader Joe's brand, but you can use whatever Asian-style dressing you find)

Directions:
If using rice noodles, pour boiling water over the noodles and allow to soak for just a couple minutes or until very "al dente."  Be careful as rice noodles get mushy very fast!  It's best to drain the water even a moment early if you're in doubt because they'll continue to soften a  bit.  If you're using another kind of pasta, just prepare according to package directions.  Drain water and set aside.
In a saute pan, over high heat, steam broccoli in a small amount of water (1/4-1/2 cup) until crisp-tender (just a couple minutes, you're really just wanting to take the "raw edge" off).  Drain water and add to noodles.
In a microwave-safe dish, melt the peanut butter for about 30 seconds on high heat or until it's easily stirred.  Pour in salad dressing and stir until smooth (you can add a couple tablespoons of water to make it more pourable if needed).  Pour over noodles, tossing to combine.  Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

Notes: This would be really lovely with a mixture of vegetables (carrots, red bell pepper).  Also, to bulk it up a bit I would suggest adding some cooked (grill or stir fry) chicken, shrimp, pork etc.  Finally, some cilantro or green onion and some crushed peanuts would make for a nice garnish.  Tonight, however, it was just about preparation to tummies asap!  Also, sometime soon I'll post the recipe to make a peanut sauce from scratch (just in case you don't have Asian style salad dressing lying around...)
Off to watch Avatar with my dear husband...

Back to School Breakfast

Today was Silas' first day of preschool. He did do a round of "Preschool Light" last year, so there really wasn't too much apprehension (on either of our parts), but there was definitely the "back to school" feeling in our house this morning. To start him off right, I made an extra hearty breakfast (made enough for me too, it's hard work getting a four year old out the door!) and I think it did the trick!


Funky Monkey Oatmeal

1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup water
pinch of salt
large shake of cinnamon
1/2 banana, mashed (can reserve a couple slices for garnish)
1 tablespoon peanut butter (or almond butter!)
1 tablespoon vanilla flavored protein powder (optional)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
milk for serving

In a very large, microwave-safe bowl, combine oats, water, salt and cinnamon. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes or until oats are thickened (making sure to watch very closely so that your oatmeal doesn't end up on the floor of your microwave from boiling over). Remove from microwave and stir in banana and peanut butter. Transfer to serving bowl (or eat from what you microwaved it in) and top with brown sugar (Silas likes visible lumps) and milk.

note: I prefer the flavor and texture of Old Fashioned rolled oats or Steel Cut oats and you are welcome to substitute, allowing extra cooking time. When I'm really on the ball and forward-thinking enough, I'll soak steel cut oats overnight (combine 1 cup steel cuts and 4 cups of water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and allow to boil for one minute and then remove from heat, cover and let sit overnight. In the morning, bring the oats and water to a boil and cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the oatmeal is desired tenderness).

West African Style Loaded Sweet Potatoes

This is definitely one that tastes better than it looks.

Inspired by a recipe in Cooking Light, I modified this recipe from a side to a vegetarian main dish. The flavors are really unique and addictive and I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. And, if you microwave the sweet potatoes, it can come together in about fifteen minutes. Score!

West African Style Loaded Sweet Potatoes:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (garlic and onion are nice, but you can use plain, too)
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (about 1/2 a 15 oz can)

fresh chopped cilantro
4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean

Prick potatoes with a knife or fork to allow steam to release and cook in microwave until tender (approx. 10 min, depending on size of potatoes). You can also bake them or do some combination of microwaving and baking since baking creates a much more tender, caramelized flavor (microwave until tender and then place in a 400 degree oven on a piece of foil so they don't drip and cause a huge mess and bake until they're really soft).

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute onion in olive oil until almost tender. Stir in ginger and garlic and saute for one more minute. Stir in coriander, cumin, cayenne and salt and pepper. Cook for about one more minute, stirring constantly. The spices should be very fragrant at this point. Add peanut butter and stir to melt. Add tomatoes, sugar and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat until sauce thickens, a couple of minutes. Add garbanzo beans (did you know garbanzo beans and chick peas are the same thing, just different names?). Stir to combine and allow to heat through once again.

To serve, split open the sweet potato. Top with about 1/2 cup of sauce per potato and sprinkle chopped cilantro over top.