Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Granola Pudding Bowls

Granola and Chia Pudding
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped skin-on hazelnuts or pecans
  • ½ cup skin-on almonds
  • ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup virgin coconut oil
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. flaky sea salt
  • 3 cups brewed rooibos tea, cooled
  • ¾ cup chia seeds
Assembly
  • 4 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 Tbsp. apricot jam

Preheat oven to 300°. Toss oats, hazelnuts, almonds, coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and kosher salt in a large bowl.

Heat honey, oil, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-low, whisking until melted and combined, about 2 minutes. Pour over oat mixture and mix thoroughly to coat. Spread out on a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake granola 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Return to oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir again. Let cool on baking sheet.

Combine tea and chia seeds in a 1-qt. jar or airtight container. Cover and shake to combine. Let sit 5 minutes, then shake again. Let sit at least another 15 minutes before serving. (You’ll have enough granola and chia pudding for about 16 servings. Keep on hand for making more bowls or other uses (try a scoop of chia pudding in a smoothie!).

Do Ahead: Granola and chia pudding can be made 10 days ahead. Store granola airtight at room temperature and chill chia pudding.

Serves 16 (if you buy more yogurt).

VERDICT:  This takes a little bit of time to assemble in the morning, but I genuinely looked forward to eating it every day, and none of the advance work is difficult at all.  I also had everything to make the granola in the cupboard already (I used pecans instead of hazelnuts)--all I bought was rooibos, yogurt and jam.  I skip the step of adding honey and vanilla to the yogurt and don't miss it at all.  A tiny bit fancy and delicious.  Keep!

Vidalia Onion Soup with Wild Rice

  • 1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 pounds (about 4) Vidalia onions, or other sweet onions, quartered and very thinly sliced
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • Herb bundle (see Note)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 8 slices baguette
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 ounces Maytag or other young, not too sharp, blue cheese, at room temperature

Note: This soup calls for an herb bundle that’s roughly 3/4 cup of your favorite fresh herbs, chopped. (He calls for 3 tablespoons chopped chives, basil, flat-leaf parsley and 4 tablespoons chopped tarragon, though I don’t think you need to be overly rigid in adhering to a formula.)

Cook the wild rice in a small saucepan according to package directions.

Melt the butter in the bottom of a 4- to 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over moderately low heat. Add the onions, toss to coat them in oil and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to real low and let them slowly steep for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, uncover the pot, raise the heat slightly and season the onions with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook onions, stirring frequently, for another 15 to 25 minutes, until they are tender, limp and sweet. Add the stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Wrap the herbs (see Note up top) in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string. Trotter suggests you drop the bundle into the broth for one minute, then remove it, but after going through such an effort to make one, I decided to leave mine in a little longer; it made me feel better. Adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of the baguette slices with oil. Bake on a baking sheet until light golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. While the croutons are still warm, spread them with cheese.

To serve, divide the rice among four bowls, and ladle broth and onions on top. Float two croutons in the center of each bowl, and sprinkle with more pepper. Eat immediately.

Serves 4.

VERDICT: I took some liberties.  Instead of chopping herbs, tying them up and floating the bundle for ONE MINUTE, I grabbed a bunch of un-chopped chives, tarragon, and flat-leaf parsley with tongs and floated them in the soup for a few minutes.  I also added chopped tarragon, parsley, and chives to the soup and left them there, which was pretty and delicious.  I also somehow neglected to buy either baguette or cheese, so there were no croutons.  But, it was still good--slightly sweet, with a really nice note of tarragon.  It's relatively cheap to make, especially if you have millions of chives in the garden.  Keep.

Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Popsicles

  • 1 lb. strawberries, hulled and minced
  • 3⁄4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 3 stalks rhubarb, trimmed and minced
  • 4 oz. plain 2 percent Greek yogurt
  • 1⁄2 cup honey, preferably orange blossom

Bring strawberries, juice, salt, and rhubarb to a simmer in a 4-qt. saucepan; cook until fruit begins to break down, 3–4 minutes. Let cool and, using a slotted spoon, transfer 1⁄2cup fruit to a bowl. Transfer remaining fruit mixture to a blender; add yogurt and honey and purée until smooth. Stir in reserved fruit; divide mixture between individual ice-pop molds. Freeze 1 hour, then insert a popsicle stick into each mold; freeze until pops are solid, about 3 hours more. To release ice pops from molds, briefly run the bottom of the molds under warm water.

Yield: 12 pops.

VERDICT: These turned out great--more strawberry than rhubarb, but good flavor and texture.  I also like the relatively simple ingredients and using up some rhubarb.  Keep!