Granola Bars

 These are great for a year round snack.  These pull perfectly from the freezer and that is where I keep them when they are not being eaten.   Going for a winter ski tour, ice skate, snowshoe, cross country ski, take these with you and enjoy.  but enough of that because it is SUMMER!!!    They are great using up dry items in the kitchen.   Only have a little of everything, use it!!!  I would like to thank the fabulous Tara for the original recipe, I have tweaked it for my liking and you can do the same!

Pre-heat oven to 350F

The Crust

2/3 cup of butter (I prefer this to be "cold" soft rather than "warm" soft and that is to the touch.  You want the butter to be soft but cool to the touch on your fingers when you put this together)
1 Cup of Rolled Oats
1 1/3 cup of Spelt Flour  (you can use regular flour)
1/4 ground flax seed  (substitute wheat germ, bran, ground almond)

The Topping

3 Large Eggs, whisked.
1/2 Maple Syrup/ Honey  (these are more natural sugars)
1 cup of seeds or nuts of your choice.(use ingredients up and as many different kinds as you like there are no rules here.)
1 cup Coconut
1 cup Dried Fruit (of your choice)
1 cup of chocolate chips, carob chips (or leave this out and add more of the dried fruit or nuts and seeds.  One of my favorite is sesame seeds, when they are toasted the taste is outta sight!!!)

I have left out sugar and wheat in this recipe.  This is very healthy and my preference.

So now that you have got all of your ingredients together in two separate bowls, lets put it all together.

Using your fingers mix everything in the crust bowl together.   Squish it through your fingers, mix it up until everything is together.   Then press this into a greased or parchment lined 9 x 13" pan.   Or use what ever you have that you think will work.  Once it has been evenly pressed throughout the pan, put it in the oven!   Bake for about 15 minutes. 

Mix the rest of the ingredients in your other bowl.  It is better to whisk the eggs and honey or maple syrup together before you add the dry ingredients but if you don't, NO WORRIES just mix this bowl a little longer.

Take the crust out of the oven and pour the wet mixture over the crust, spread it carefully and evenly over the crust and put it back into the oven, immediately.  It will take another 25 minutes in the oven.

Take it out, score the bars and let them cool.  Enjoy, freeze the rest and give them to your friends, they will love them as much as you will.

Breakfast Mania

I love breakfast.   One of the best meals of the day because it delights the senses (i think) the best.   You have woken from a beautiful slumber and smell coffee and croissants baking.  Then you get a surprise of Moose Eyes on your  plate.  This was shown to me by a wonderful chef from Island Lake Lodge and I carry it with me making people smile wherever breakfast is being made.   It can be messy to clean up so be warned but is a delicious breakfast to indulge on.

Heat the oven to 350F
For the Moose Eyes, line muffin tins with proscuitto or pancetta.   You can add some cheese and fresh herbs into the cup if you choose.....I like goat cheese and thyme.  Drop in one egg to each lined muffin tin and add some fresh pepper and the tiniest pinch of salt if you like.   I find this doesn't need salt as the cured meat surrounding the egg is salty enough but to each his own on the taste scale!

Put in the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes depending on your oven (mine is very old that is why precise times are not given).  You want the white to be cooked and the yolk to still be soft so that you can put in some toast points for dipping!!!   Some of the yolk will get a little cooked but if monitored you can have a delicious saucy breakfast!!!

Remove from oven, remove Moose Eyes from muffin tin and serve immediately as the egg will continue to cook and the yolk will cook along with it!!!

Lets have some granola!!!

I love granola.....from buying the ingredients, finding the ingredients, making it, eating it, sharing it.........I LOVE IT!

I will write a very basic granola recipe and then give a million (literally, seriously) options and you decide your favorite.

5 cups of rolled oats.
1 cup sesame seeds.
1/2 cup pumpkin seed
1/2 cup sunflower seed
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup chopped papaya
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup
1tsp cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch allspice
1tsp orange zest
1tsp sea salt

1 cup of water and 1 cup of honey into a pot.   Heat and stir until the honey has dissolved into the water (simple syrup).   Then pour this mixture over the granola and mix together well.  Then mixture will tend to become moist and a bit mushy but keep mixing it until it is well blended.
Preheat the oven to 350F and place the granola on a tray.  You might have to do this in parts as if the tray is to small and the granola is thick on the tray the cooking will be uneven. (go with about 1/2 thickness on the tray)  If you cook a little bit at a time and cook it until golden brown, take it out of the oven and place in a bowl. The granola itself will be cooked evenly and toasted to perfection.  A little tip.......because you have added a sugar to the baking process (honey) once it comes out of the oven, it will continue to cook so don't let it get to brown or it might have more of a burnt flavour then a toasted flavour.

Now for the million different variations.   Use up what you have in your cupboards to make this, hemp seed, flax seed, a bag of trail mix, some crushed up granola bars that you might throw away, any dried fruit, any nuts, spelt oats, kamut oats, add fresh fruit at the end, add chopped dried fruit at the end so that it is not toasted the possibilities are endless.   Ask me any questions about this and lets make the best granola ever.   Another one of my favorites is Chai granola.....how do you do this......place your ingredients in a bowl then use the flavours from chai....fennel or anise seed,cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, bay leaves....you can add this to your water and honey mixture and let it sit for awhile to absorb the flavours then strain and add the liquid to the granola mixture....you cook it add your milk, soy beverage or yogurt and voila you have a nice chai granola for breakfast.   This is an individual flavour so play with the spices and see how much of each you like.

Let me know how this recipe goes for you so that I can help you where needed and tweak it to make it an easier recipe for everyone to do!!!

Thanks for your help and enjoy!!!

BEST SALAD DRESSING EVER!!!

Here it is....the original came from the "White Water Cookbook".  My feeling on this recipe stuff is that there really aren't original recipes as we have been eating for over 10,000 years.

This is my version.....

If you have a blender then use it....if not the into a metal bowl and whisk your little heart out!!!

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 clove garlic  (fine chop, mince if you don't have a blender)
2 tbsp pumpkin seed or sunflower seed butter
3/4 cup of canola, grapeseed or sunflower oil.
1/4 cup water

Blend and enjoy.   This is the salad dressing that I use EVERYDAY...no joke.  I vary it with the butters...tahini, cashew, almond....you choose.

This is a very healthy and nutritious dressing, from the raw garlic, butter of choice, nutritional yeast and the flavour combination is THE BEST EVER!

Taking pictures and cooking food.....all coming soon!

Currently I am catering at a beautiful home in Proctor, BC.   The house is gorgeous, Geo Thermal, in floor heating, the entire house was made out of reclaimed products and is filled with beautiful wood, gorgeous rock and lovely people.

I am cooking up a storm and when the chance presents itself then the pictures and some recipes will follow.......

Talk to you soon!

Rainy Day Thai Coconut, Yellow Lentil Soup.....easiest receipe!

This to me is the easiest soup that is so delicious and nutritious.

Place 2 Cups of Lentils in water for 30mins to soak.

Drain

Place in pot with 6 cups of water and Coconut Powder (if using canned coconut then 4cups of water and 1 can of coconut milk or follow directions on powder coconut or use the best method.....TASTE YOUR FOOD AS YOU COOK IT)

Add 1Tbsp of Thai Paste

Bring to a low bubbly boil over medium low heat for about 35mins.

Add the Sunflower Butter, 1 tbsp

Add the Soy Sauce....the one I used is wheat free for all those wheat intolerant folks.

As the lentils cook, they will start to break down and they will absorb the liquid, so make sure you are ready to add more.  When they are soft and the soup is to your liking....EAT!

I didn't add any salt to this as the soy and the paste have salt and I am trying to make this healthy and not spike blood sugars, blood pressure and insulin levels!!   If you feel it needs more salt then by all means add some but sometimes I find that an acid is what you really need some lime juice in this particular soup would be a fine addition.

Have a magically delicious day!