Recipes – Page 98 – The Pajama Chef

Pumpkin Granola

September 6, 2011September 5, 2011 Sarah

So, Labor Day has come and gone. Classes have begun. There’s a chill in the air and fall is definitely en route. I am so excited. Summer is great and all, but I am just ready for a change. A change in weather, a change in clothing, and a change in food flavors.

One of my favorite flavors of fall is pumpkin. For longtime readers, that’s probably not a surprise, and for new readers–consider that a heads up for what you will experience over the coming months. 🙂 Though I ~~hoarded~~ stockpiled a dozen or so cans at the end of the holiday season last year just in case there was an unexpected pumpkin shortage, I’ve been a little reluctant to enjoy too much pumpkin over the summer months. It’s just not seasonally appropriate, you know? And there was just too many other fun seasonal treats to enjoy, like Roasted Tomato Sauce or Whole Wheat Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.

But last week… I couldn’t wait any longer. I just had to crack open one of those lovely cans and fulfill my deepest craving and desire. I just couldn’t help it. It was inevitable. And guess what: I am not sorry.

Not sorry at all that this sweet, spicy Pumpkin Granola has been gracing my breakfast table over the past week or so.

Not sorry at all that while the granola was baking, my kitchen smelled like Yankee Candles–but naturally, not with the help of fragrances [delightful as they may be].

Not sorry at all that each crunchy bite incorporates hearty pumpkin, spicy cinnamon, sweet cranberries, and nutty almonds and pepitas.

Nope, I’m not sorry at all, and I’m pretty willing to bet that you won’t be either once you get a taste of this fantastic granola. So try it out, and welcome fall with a crunch!

So, what flavors are you most excited to experience this fall?

Pumpkin Granola [from The Sweets Life]
printable version

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup pepitas [pumpkin seeds]
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, and spices. In a smaller bowl, whisk pumpkin, maple syrup, vanilla, and cranberries then fold into dry ingredients.

Spread mixture onto baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until granola is golden brown and crisp. Granola will continue to harden as it cools, so be careful of overbaking.

Serve plain, in cookies, with yogurt, etc. and store in an air-tight container.

Yield: 5-6 cups.

Time: 40-50 minutes [30-40 minutes active].

Recipes, Rice, Sides

Healthy “Fried” Rice

August 31, 2011 Sarah

Wednesday night pop quiz. What makes fried rice the color of… fried rice? Any guesses?

Soy sauce!

Seriously. Soy sauce. What?

For years, I always ordered fried rice at Asian restaurants because I just love the flavors, the crisp texture, and the itty bitty pieces of egg scattered throughout the rice. But what I don’t love is the lack of vegetables. Usually, the pieces are miniscule, and I’ve all but given up on ordering chicken or shrimp fried rice because most places are pretty skimpy on the good stuff.

However, I always thought that there was some secret “special ingredient” that restaurants added to fried rice that was so complicated and mysterious that I could never recreate it at home. Boy, was I wrong. Soy sauce is all that’s needed to create delicious, restaurant-style fried rice at home. My world was rocked the day I learned I could make a healthier, lighter version of fried rice, full of the good stuff, whenever I pleased. It’s so easy, and I typically have many of the ingredients already so it’s just a snap to make for a quick weeknight dinner. I’m excited to play around with this recipe more and find some new variations. But for now… here’s the classic!

What are your favorite additions to fried rice?

Healthy “Fried” Rice [from About.com and Daily Garnish]
printable version

Ingredients:

2 cups cold cooked brown rice [prepared the day before from 1 cup dry brown rice]
2-4 tablespoons sesame oil
2-4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 medium carrots, diced small
1/2 cup shelled edamame [I used frozen]
1/2 cup peas [I used frozen]
1 egg, beaten

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add rice to skillet and stir frequently to coat, approximately 4-6 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a small bowl.

After rice is warm and has incorporated the sesame oil, mix in the vegetables. Cook thoroughly, until carrots are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Then, add sesame-soy mixture and stir quickly to mix in. The sauce should steam.

Push rice to sides of the pan, leaving a hole in the center of the pan. Pour egg into the hole and quickly scramble it, breaking the egg apart. Then mix egg with rice and vegetables, taste, and season with additional soy sauce and sesame oil to taste.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Whole Wheat Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

August 29, 2011 Sarah

Need a way to use up an abundance of late summer zucchini? Well, look no further. I have the perfect solution for you.

Simply put, these muffins are awesome and a great way to combine two of my favorite quick breads. They have a long name–Whole Wheat Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins–but each part of the name is important and revealing of the muffins’ wonderful components.

The “whole wheat” assures you of the health component. Blah blah blah. Not very exciting, I know, but I had to throw that in there. These muffins have very little sugar but are still sweet and flavorful. “Zucchini” and “banana” demonstrates the main components, the main kinds of flavor–and add a little extra fruit and veggies to your day. And last but not least… “chocolate chips.” Well, I think we all know what those morsels of goodness are… deeelicious!

I made these muffins on a Friday, and by Monday, they were completely inhaled. I need to get my hands on some more zucchini asap! Anyone have some to send my way?

Whole Wheat Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins [from Eats Well with Others via Marcus Samuelsson]

printable version

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas [about 2 medium]
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups zucchini, grated [from 2 small or 1 medium zucchini]
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin or line with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, honey, banana, brown sugar, and vanilla until well mixed.

In another bowl, sift together the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the egg mixture, then add in zucchini and chocolate chips. Stir until just combined, then spoon into muffin cups, filling about 2/3 of the way.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover with foil after 20 minutes if the tops are starting to brown but the center is not fully cooked.

Yield: 16-18 muffins

Time: 40 minutes [10 minutes active]

Main Dishes, Recipes, Sauces

Roasted Tomato Sauce

August 24, 2011 Sarah

So, let’s talk about red pasta sauce. Ahh, that oft-neglected component of many Italian dishes [at least in my world]. Funny, red pasta sauce is a staple in my kitchen yet I don’t really think about it. I’m too busy thinking about the layers of cheesy, meaty goodness in lasagna or the fact that spaghetti is a speedy, brainless, and relatively healthy dinner to truly consider what the sauce is made out of and how it tastes. Most of the time, I purchase a decent store-bought jarred pasta sauce and that’s the end of the story.

Things are a-changing now. I’ve moved passed the typical “end of the story” and on into uncharted waters. A sequel, if you will.

This journey takes us into the land where pasta sauce is just veggies and herbs, with a tiny bit of seasonings and oil, but mainly just the good stuff from the ground [and the bush and the tree, I suppose]. But you get my gist, right? It’s all about the flavor and freshness of ripe August tomatoes, nutty yellow summer squash, sweet onions, crisp Carmen peppers, and mellow cloves of garlic.

Not only do the flavor and freshness of these veggies make this sauce stand out, but the cooking method does as well. Slow roasting the vegetables provides extra depth, richness, and sweetness that cooking down on the stove top cannot achieve. Plus, this relatively hands-off cooking method is a breeze! Feel free to add a pinch of sugar or extra seasonings to taste, but we found anything else to be unnecessary.

We love topping hot noodles with Roasted Tomato Sauce, but it’s equally great eaten cold with a spoon in front of an open refrigerator door… or, you know, as a bread dip. Delicious either way. I don’t think I’ll ever leave this wonderful land of veggielicious pasta sauce. Stay with me? And eat cold pasta sauce? You know you want to…

What do you eat cold in front of the refrigerator? Fess up below! 🙂

Roasted Tomato Sauce
printable version

Ingredients:

5 cups roughly chopped tomatoes [I used Roma]
1 small yellow summer squash, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 Carmen pepper, halved [or substitute half of a bell pepper]
4 cloves garlic, papery skin removed, and cloves smashed
olive oil
black pepper
salt
dried rosemary
fresh basil [about 4-5 leaves]
fresh oregano [about 2-3 sprigs]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using two baking sheets [preferably jelly roll-style pans with sides at least 1 inch deep], lay out all vegetables [tomatoes, squash, onion, pepper, and garlic] skin side down in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with pepper, salt, and rosemary. Bake for about 60 minutes or until vegetables start to blacken around the edges.

Remove to a deep bowl and add basil and oregano. Use an immersion blender to puree mixture until you reach your desired level of smoothness. Alternatively, a blender or food processor would work too but be careful with using hot food in those appliances. Serve on top of your favorite pasta.

Yield: 4 cups

Time: 70 minutes [10 minutes active]

Main Dishes, Recipes, Sandwiches and Wraps

Lunch Date

August 22, 2011 Sarah

I have one week of summer left. I’m taking the week off work to relax, have fun, and get some things done at home before the busyness of the semester kicks in. Busyness of the semester? Boo.

But I don’t need to dwell on that today.

Not when I had a pretty awesome at-home lunch date with Ben, who left work for a bit to hang out with me!

lunch

No siree. Lunch was pretty great, and so was all that Law & Order: SVU on Netflix this morning. Mhmmm. I’m addicted.

The Best Panini Ever = 2 thin slices brown sugar deli ham + 1 thin slice roasted deli turkey + 1 slice provolone + thin layer raspberry jam + a dab of spicy brown mustard + generous sprinkle freshly ground black pepper + Trader Joe’s Pretzel Bread
Steamed Garlic Broccoli
Oven Fries with CSA red potatoes
Apple Slices

Yum.

panini