When I don't have time to blog, I don't try new recipes...or maybe it's when I don't have time to try new recipes, I don't blog. Today, I finished grading a set of long papers from my students and I decided to make time for a new recipe. Part of the reason, we were bored with all the usual stand-by dinners.
I decided to make this one. My version was good, but the sauce was a little thick. Here's what I did and what I plan to do next time all rolled into one recipe:
• 3/4 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 can Italian spiced diced tomatoes (Eden cans are BPA-free liners)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1-2 garlic cloves (I used 1 teaspoon of minced dried garlic)
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 cup water (or more if needed)
• 1 tablespoon dried basil (use ~1 cup packed (or more) fresh finely chopped if you have it)
• 1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Blend the first 6 ingredients: cashews, oatmeal, water, can of tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, until smooth. Pour into a pan and gently heat while stirring so it doesn't stick. Add salt, water to thin to desired thickness, and spices. Serve with your choice of pasta (this works well with spaghetti) and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
Super easy... super tasty. Five out of 5 of us liked it. See the picture on Oh She Glows blog... I'll get one someday. Hopefully, I'll have more time to blog again soon. (Don't hold your breath--I want to blog, but work and teaching are really busy right now and we have friends coming to visit this week!)
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
Granola!
A while back I posted this recipe for Chocolate Granola. Super yum! However, it was high in calories (and fat) (as granola usually is). I decided to lighten it up a little so that I could eat mass quantities of it and not feel guilty. Lots of oat-y goodness.
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 ground flax
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup raw or processed cocoa
5 tablespoons water (more if needed)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat over to 250 (if your oven can go that low) or 300.
Put the oats, flax and sea salt in a bowl and mix.
Mix the maple syrup, cocoa, water, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl to insure the cocoa is well-incorporated.
Pour the liquid over the dry mix and mix well.
Spread the granola over a baking sheet covered with parchment or a silicone liner.
Bake for 10-15 minutes and stir. Bake for another 10-15 minutes.
I like my granola a little "crunchy" so I tend to turn off the oven and let it sit in the hot oven for another 5-10 minutes. (Nick doesn't like it as well when I do this, he likes his a little softer--to each his own.)
This granola is super with dried strawberries. If you don't care about the extra calories, add some dark chocolate chips. (If you want to send it into another out-of-this-world dimension, add some walnuts to the mix and bake, but when you do, you get more fat and calories.)
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 ground flax
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup raw or processed cocoa
5 tablespoons water (more if needed)
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat over to 250 (if your oven can go that low) or 300.
Put the oats, flax and sea salt in a bowl and mix.
Mix the maple syrup, cocoa, water, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl to insure the cocoa is well-incorporated.
Pour the liquid over the dry mix and mix well.
Spread the granola over a baking sheet covered with parchment or a silicone liner.
Bake for 10-15 minutes and stir. Bake for another 10-15 minutes.
I like my granola a little "crunchy" so I tend to turn off the oven and let it sit in the hot oven for another 5-10 minutes. (Nick doesn't like it as well when I do this, he likes his a little softer--to each his own.)
This granola is super with dried strawberries. If you don't care about the extra calories, add some dark chocolate chips. (If you want to send it into another out-of-this-world dimension, add some walnuts to the mix and bake, but when you do, you get more fat and calories.)
This picture is from the other granola recipe, but they look similar. I'll try to get a new picture soon.
Tip!
Recently, I made a big pan of Mexican Lasagna! It normally gets eaten really quickly around here, but Nick and I took a trip and the girls didn't end up eating it.
When we got back, we had SO much food in our refrigerator that I needed to do something with the Mexican Lasagna so that it wouldn't go bad. I decided I'd cut it into serving sizes, wrap it in wax paper, and freeze it. It's GREAT. Natalie loves to take it in her lunch so now I have 7 lunches frozen and ready to go. Having lunch almost ready in the morning is so nice. All I have to do is pop out a serving, put it in the microwave, and then stick it in her thermos. (Yea, I have to add sides to her lunch, but it's great to have yummy homemade food ready to go!)
I'll get back to blogging soon! (I hope!)
When we got back, we had SO much food in our refrigerator that I needed to do something with the Mexican Lasagna so that it wouldn't go bad. I decided I'd cut it into serving sizes, wrap it in wax paper, and freeze it. It's GREAT. Natalie loves to take it in her lunch so now I have 7 lunches frozen and ready to go. Having lunch almost ready in the morning is so nice. All I have to do is pop out a serving, put it in the microwave, and then stick it in her thermos. (Yea, I have to add sides to her lunch, but it's great to have yummy homemade food ready to go!)
I'll get back to blogging soon! (I hope!)
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