Under a Red Roof

Great Granola!

August 17, 2009 in Cooking + Baking, Eating by Colleen | Permalink

Housed in what once was an adult video store (buy four, get one free!), walking distance from our house, is a terrific little restaurant called Toast. We first patronized out of sheer gratitude that they had made what was once a rather creepy eye sore into something truly neighborhood friendly. However, we continue to go back out of sheer delight, for what it lacks in size (a mere eight tables and bar) it more than compensates for in charm and quality. Not only is every dish I’ve ever had there delicious, but they source nearly all of their meat and produce from around the great state of Oregon, much from within a few miles of the restaurant, including a few small plots right in the neighborhood.

To top it off, the people who work there are they type you look for in a neighbor: kind, knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. Take, for example, my favorite breakfast item, the Hippies Use Front Door Granola, no one without a good funny bone would give a clever tongue-in-cheek name like that, and good golly, is it ever yummy! It’s crunchy, not too sweet, with lots of nuts – perfect. Topped with ice-cold milk (or yogurt) and seasonal fruit, it’s a breakfast of champions.

Though this isn’t their recipe, it is the one that makes me just as happy to prepare and eat. Hopefully you’ll like it, too.

Great Granola!

4 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

2/3 cup chopped almonds

1/3 cup wheat bran

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/2 cup neutral tasting oil (I like sunflower)

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon molasses

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried fruit (Optional – I like cherries and diced apricots)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Toss the oats, coconut, wheat bran, flax seeds, and almonds together in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine the oil, honey, sugar, molasses, vanilla, and salt together in a small bowl. Stir well to combine. Pour over the dry ingredients (don’t add the fruit yet). This is where it gets fun. Take off any rings, watches, or bracelets, and thoroughly mix with your hands. Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet.

When you’re done, have a little fun, and lick your fingers. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes. Stir in the fruit during the last ten minutes or so. Added any earlier, it will be really tough and a serious workout for your jaws! Remove from oven, and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container. It will keep for two weeks, but I’ll bet you finish it much sooner.

Enjoy!

Tags: Cooking and Baking

It’s Not What You Think

August 4, 2009 in Cooking + Baking, Eating by Colleen | 1 comment

This burger isn’t made with hamburger, that is. The picture could fool you though, couldn’t it? I had been wanting to try a meat free burger for a while and finally made an attempt at it a few weeks ago. I hoped that I could make a completely vegan burger, to eat as low on the food chain as possible, but I just couldn’t get it to taste right or hold together to my liking without the addition of some Worcestershire and an egg. Greg and I both really liked them, and would certainly eat them again. The one caveat is that they smoosh out of the bun as you eat them, but you can just squish everything back into place as you go!

Yummy Homemade Bean Burgers (makes three “regular sized” burgers)

One 14 ounce can of beans, drained and rinsed (I used great northern, but I’ve seen plenty use black, kidney, or pinto)

1/4 pound mushrooms diced fine and sauteed until they begin to sweat

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon Worchestshire sauce

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

1 egg

Mix everything but the egg in a food processor until smooth. Taste a little and correct seasoning, if necessary. Add egg. Make patties the size of your choice. Heat a pan over high and and a little oil, add burger, and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until evenly browned. Now they’re ready for the bun. Use your imagination and enjoy!

Tags: Cooking and Baking

Makin’ Bacon

July 7, 2009 in Cooking + Baking, Eating, Reading, Spotlighting by Colleen | 1 comment

I haven’t actually made bacon yet, but I am going to try. I’m not kidding. Why not? I made marshmallows yesterday afternoon. Marshmallows! I would show you a picture, but they turned out, well, beige, and not terribly pretty. There are some kinks to the recipe that I will note for the future – like getting as much of the sticky mess out of the bowl in one go, so there are no funky blobs on top. As for the beige color, it is likely a shade Martha Stewart would paint her walls, kind of pretty actually, just not marshmallow-y. Don’t worry though, it wasn’t because something went wrong. Since I am an all things organic kind of gal, the sugar and corn syrup I used were not white and clear, but on the brown side, making everything beige. Yummy, however. Sticky, yummy, gooey, good!

The inspiration for all this making? The lovely book pictured above. I spied it on Amazon a few weeks ago and then bought it on a little spree at Powell’s Books for Home and Garden. My goodness is that a dangerous place under the influence of wine. Thankfully, unlike other times I have imbibed with abandon, I have no regrets.

Speaking of imbibing, I also made the recipe for Rumkirschen. Dark rum + simple syrup + the neighbor’s pie cherries (hand picked by moi) + one week to steep = delicious. We mixed the concoction with some sparkling water and enjoyed a seriously pretty and summery drink. Watch out for the cherries, however. They pack a punch!

There are also recipes for crackers, two kinds of lemoncello, mustard, pickles, olives, butter, cheese, pasta, and much more. My hat is off to Karen Solomon for a fun and inspiring book, filled with Colleen-style projects. I’m sure I’ll return to it time and again.

Me and the Bee

July 6, 2009 in Cooking + Baking, Eating, Watching by Colleen | 4 comments

Good morning everyone!

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend. I sure did, which would account for not posting on Friday. The hubster had a three-day weekend, and I saw no reason not to join the fun.

It was pretty hot here, at least for me, the I don’t like it above 85 degrees gal, so we spent a lot of time in shady spaces – like the front yard of Bridget and Eric’s house, sipping cool drinks and noshing on cherries, as well as prostrate on the back porch, enjoying the breeze and the scent of jasmine.

As you can probably deduce, I also spent some time in the kitchen, making the scrumptious coffee cake Gregory is enjoying with his coffee. I’ll post the recipe at the end, as I’ve got something neat to show you first. Take a look.

I’ve got a little friend! I had been outside observing the bees as they devour the nectar from the lavender. I love to sit right on the ground next to the plants and watch them zip from blossom to blossom, all the while enjoying the buzzing symphony of happiness. I noticed this little guy about a half an hour after I had come back inside. I think it was on my skirt the entire time because I would have noticed a bee flying around the house. Maybe I am entirely deluded (it wouldn’t be the first time), but I honestly believe that the bees like me, too, and this fella was, quite like I do with them, just observing me in my habitat. Bees are very smart, after all. Besides, even if it isn’t true, it is still pretty neat to think that the little guy was clinging to my skirt the whole time.

So the recipe for the coffee cake and another confession about sugar. I wish I could say I haven’t been eating much, but that would be a bald-faced lie (such an odd expression). Truthfully, I’ve been eating it about twice a week. After my diagnosis, I decided to focus on that, not sweets. Once I’ve recovered from surgery, working on my sugar addiction will be at the top of my to-do list.

Fruity Coffee Cake

-adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 75th Anniversary Edition

1 1/2 – 2 cups fresh or frozen fruit (I used two diced apricots and about 1 cup fresh raspberries)

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup butter

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt thinned with milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center, and set aside.

In another bowl, combine egg, buttermilk, and almond extract. Add this mixture, all at once, to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Spread half of the batter into an ungreased 8″ square pan. Spread the fruit over the batter. Drop remaining batter in small mounds over all. Top with the streusel mixture.

streusel topping:

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

Mash together with your fingers until the mixture holds together. Sprinkle over cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

A Really Good Sandwich

July 1, 2009 in Cooking + Baking, Eating by Colleen | 1 comment

Okay, so my cutting board isn’t looking too pretty right now. It is berry and cherry stained, but please don’t let it deter you from making this sandwich because it’s delicious. If you’re on the fence, I’ll even provide you with a testimonial: I didn’t know how well this sandwich would go over with the hubster (sometimes he’s picky), so I brought out a sample with the intention that he would take a bite and I’d eat the rest. I interrupted him while he was trimming the yard, which didn’t make him happy, but his face lit up once he tasted it. “This is good!” he exclaimed, and then proceeded to eat the rest, even though I told him it was mine. Sharing isn’t always his forte (he’s an only child), but it was a good sign and a source of laughter. Hopefully you’ll like it, too.

Sliced bread

Bell pepper – roasted, peeled, and diced (broil until browned all over, use the technique in this recipe, or buy roasted peppers in a jar at the store)

onion marmalade (recipe below)

cream cheese, chevre, or a spreadable sheep’s milk (Valentine from Ancient Heritage is awesome!)

Onion Marmalade (adapted from the July 2009 issue of Sunset)

1 tablespoon each – butter and extra virgin olive oil

2 large red onions, thinly sliced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt (I used my favorite Alder Smoked Sea salt from Mountain Rose Herbs)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup white Balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup white port or any other dry white wine

Melt the butter and oil in a large heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper, stirring well to combine. Cook until onions have softened and browned slightly, about ten minutes. Add the vinegar and wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the mixture is soft and sticky, about five to ten minutes. Allow to cool.

Now make a sandwich. The marmalade would taste great with a sharp cheddar and turkey or roast beef, too.

Enjoy!