May 28, 2010

Buttermilk pancakes

Plate of buttermilk pancakes.If you haven't yet realized -- I love pancakes. Just scroll though some old posts and see... Plus, I'm always looking for ways to use up buttermilk. 

May 12, 2010

Bog salad with maple vinaigrette

Bog salad with maple vinaigrette on a serving plate.

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This is my take on a salad I had while we were traveling throughout southern Vermont on our honeymoon. I've been trying to find more salads that are satisfying enough for a main dish and, as I've said before, I am always looking for ways to mix in some meat free meals each week. I really enjoy this salad a lot. We ate this as our main course with a cup of tomato soup and a crusty roll.

There really aren't any "quantities" for the ingredients of the salad because it all depends on how large or small of a salad you want. Also, it depends on the proportion of toppings to greens you like. I'm just going to list what's in the salad and let you decide on the size and quantities!

Bog salad
bed of mixed greens (any you like)
dried cranberries
toasted walnut pieces
grape or cherry tomatoes
cubed white cheddar cheese (preferably a high quality cheese made in VT or NY)
chives


Maple vinaigrette
1 part pure maple syrup
1.5 - 2 parts apple cider vinegar
1 part extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Arrange your salad on a plate or in a bowl. Whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Top the salad with the vinaigrette. Alternatively, you may warm to vinaigrette before drizzling over your salad.

May 6, 2010

Granola bars

Homemade granola bars.I've made these granola bars a few times now using this recipe. They are awesome! The most important lessons I've learned are to make sure that your ratio of dry to wet ("glue") ingredients follow the recipe and that you should always use old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking). You can use any combination of seeds, nuts, dried fruits, and even grains that you want (just keep the total quantity of dry ingredients the same as in the recipe). Experiment and see. The below recipe is my modification of the original and my favorite combination thus far.

Homemade granola bars
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Place parchment paper in a glass baking dish (about 9"x13") so that it is hanging 2-3 inches over the edges.

On a baking sheet, combine the following:
2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup raw wheat germ
1/4 ground flax seed meal
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sliced almonds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place the baking sheet in the oven to lightly toast. Keep your eye on them to make sure they don't burn. Stir as needed.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside once all the dry ingredients are fragrant and lightly golden.While the dry ingredients are toasting, add the following to a small saucepan.

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons almond butter
1/4 teaspoon salt



Lastly, you'll need:
3/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries

Warm the "glue" in the saucepan, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are well combined and come to a simmer. Then, in a large bowl, add the dry ingredients along with the "glue" and stir until everything is equally covered. Add about 3/4 cup of dried fruit and stir to combine. Place the mixture into the baking dish covered in parchment paper and spread it evenly over the parchment paper using a spatula. Then using a measuring cup or your hands (folding over the excess parchment paper on top of the granola mixture), press the mixture down as hard as you can to make it flat and to stick together. 


Place in the oven for about 3-5 minutes. Remove and cool in the pan. At this point, I put some chocolate chips on top and spread them around as they melted, but that it also optional! Let the granola cool for about 3 hours. Then, remove the them (still on top of the parchment paper) and cut into bars. Place in a air tight container and enjoy for the week instead of the ones out of the box.

A good variation is to substitute peanuts, peanut butter, and golden raisins for the almonds, almond butter, and cherries/cranberries.