A Random Recipe Post

Since I haven't had time to write about anything interesting lately, I thought I'd at least share a couple of recipes that I'd been meaning to post about.  They are both "my own" although originally adapted or at least inspired by other sources. 

(Completely random aside: I'm writing this while I watch my daughter play contentedly in the bathtub beside me.  We got her one of these for Christmas, and it entertains her so well that now I tend to give her a bath when I just need a couple of minutes to sit and relax.  Of course I have to sit right next to the tub to keep her safe, but it still allows a few minutes respite)

Anyway.  Back to the recipes.

The first is a granola recipe that I've adapted from the King Arthur Flour "Vermont Maple Granola" recipe that I found at The Floured Apron.  The first time I made it basically as she suggested, but I've been gradually making it my own since then; some of the alterations are for flavor, and some for cost.  I usually make a full batch at the beginning of the week, and it lasts my cereal-crazed (seriously - as a bachelor, he used to eat unbelievable amounts of cereal, and he'll still happily eat 2 or more bowls in a day) husband about a week.  Also, don't be put off by the long list of ingredients.  This is SO easy to make, and so worth it, because it lacks all those weird additives, and you can adjust the fat and sugar as need be.

Modified Maple Granola

• 7 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup coconut (just the regular sweetened, shredded stuff - no need to toast it first)
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup other chopped nuts (I use whatever I have on hand - walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts all work equally well)
• 1 cup wheat germ (not something I generally had on hand, and pricey, but it does add flavor and more importantly, a lot of nutritional value)
• a couple good dashes of salt 
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar (adjust to your own sweetness preference)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (again, adjust according to your preference.  I made this adjustment primarily for budgetary reasons - I LOVE maple syrup, but until my father gets his sugaring rig up and going again and starts giving it to us for free, the $5/cup sweetener has to be used more sparingly)
• 1/2 cup or so unsweetened applesauce (this adds flavor, moisture to replace reduced syrup, and all-importantly, makes the granola clump better than in the original recipe)
• cinnamon to taste (can also add vanilla, if you so desire, but it isn't 100% necessary)
• a cup or so of dried cranberries
• a cup or so of raisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Combine all dry ingredients except for the dried fruit (raisins and cranberries) in a large bowl.  Heat the coconut oil in a small bowl (if necessary to get a liquid consistency - probably not necessary in the summer, but at this time of year mine is solid), and add the maple syrup, stir a bit, then pour over the dry ingredients in the large bowl.  Add the applesauce, and stir until well combined.  Pour the whole mixture onto two lightly greased cookie sheets, and bake (stirring every 15 minutes or so - the parts around the edge and at the bottom cook faster) until crispy and golden brown, around an hour and a half or so.  Mix in the dried fruit, cool completely, and enjoy.

The second recipe is "my own" - I put it together using trial and error, after having a very similar pumpkin soup at a restaurant in Rhode Island a couple of years ago.  We were visiting with friends at the time, and they insisted we try this "out of this world" soup - like pumpkin pie in a bowl, they said.  It was really, really good, and when I came home I tried and tried to find a recipe for it, but couldn't seem to find one anywhere.  Most of the pumpkin soup recipes on the Internet are for savory soups rather than sweet, and the one sweet one I tried (and posted about, previously) really fell short of what I was looking for.

So, here it is: it's sweet, creamy, and yes, like pumpkin pie in a bowl, but it also packs a nutritional punch with all of that yummy pumpkin.  Thus it is currently a great way to sneak veggies into my toddler, who will pack it away quite happily.  For little ones like her, I suggest adding a couple of tablespoons of oat or rice cereal, to thicken it up for better "spoonableness" (and doing so also adds iron).

Abby's Pumpkin Pie Soup

• 1 can pumpkin puree (15-16 oz)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, + 2 tbsp for thickening
• 2 tbsp (or a bit more) flour (for thickening)
• +/- 2 tbsp brown sugar (adjust to your sweetness preference)
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• dash of salt

Combine pumpkin, milk, sugar, vanilla, and spices in saucepan, stirring until well mixed.  Cook until almost simmering, then turn heat to low.  Stir in cream.  In a small bowl (a jelly jar or glass works great), combine about 2 tbsp of cream and 2 tbsp of flour.  Whisk this mixture into the soup, and heat gently until thickened (can repeat this step with more cream and flour for a thicker soup).  Serve and enjoy.

I hope you all try and enjoy these recipes.  In other news, stay tuned for an upcoming post on the re-purposed play stove top I've been making for my toddler!