Rosie Makes Some Of The Best Granola/Trail Mix Squares

GRANOLA...

 It's one of my favorite things to eat.

I've found that as I've      aged      matured, I really can't eat full meals anymore.  They're just too much.  But, I can snack, nibble, and nosh all day long.  Enter granola.  It's perfect for snacking.  It's chewy.  It's crunchy.  It's nutty.  It's ... perfect. 

Mr. Hawthorne used to be in charge of the granola.  He'd see me eating handfuls of Quaker Oats granola right out of the box and said, "I can make that.  And I can make it better."  And he did.

Rosie, not to be culinarily deposed, had to get on the granola bandwagon too.

And so, I've come up with an excellent granola recipe which is highly adaptable to one's own tastes and proclivities.  I'm giving you the basic guidelines here, and you can try it out for yourself my way first, then go out on your own, adding here and there to suit yourself.  This is a recipe that can be played with.  Have fun!

Rosie's Granola

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 cups coconut

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3 cups quick cooking oatmeal

Combine all ingredients very well.

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup honey

3 TB molasses

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 TB vanilla

1 tsp kosher salt

In a small sauce pan, combine corn syrup, honey, and molasses.  Bring to a simmer and cook about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in coconut oil, vanilla, and salt.  Let cool a bit.

Slowly pour syrup into dry ingredients, stirring to coat evenly.  Take your time here, because you want that syrup distributed throughout the oats and nuts.

Line a 10 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper and heat oven to 325°.

Press granola mixture evenly into pan.

 I use an offset spatula to press around the corners, then I cover the mixture with plastic wrap and use a mini rolling pin up and down and back and forth to press and even out the mixture.

Bake in a 325° oven for 30-35 minutes total.  Every 10 minutes or so, rotate the pan and press down the granola mixture with your rolling pin.

When it's golden, remove from oven and let cool a bit.  Lift parchment and granola out of pan and slice into bars.

Now, for the step-by-steps, then I'll offer some suggestions and substitutions.

 In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.

 

 Slowly, pour in simmered syrup, stirring constantly.

 
 Keep stirring and mixing.

 Pour onto a parchment lined 10 x 13-inch baking pan.

Cover with plastic wrap and press out evenly with a mini rolling pin.

This way and...

that way...

Take an offset spatula and neaten up those edges.

And bake.

Every 10 minutes, rotate the pan and roll the granola to press it down.

Let cool a bit.  Then invert and slice.

Let cool completely.

Rosie's Suggestions and Substitutions

This recipe is not etched in stone.

As for the nuts, use what you like.

Peanuts are a good choice, as are honey-roasted peanuts, which I threw in one time just because I had them.  Sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds are a great addition too.

One time I even threw in a handful of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal

and Youngest Hawthorne

recognized it and like it!

As for the nuts I use, I don't bother chopping them.  I generally use them whole, but sometimes I put them in a bag and run a rolling pin over top to lightly crumble.  It's up to you.

I do not use raisins, although I do use dried cranberries.  I think raisins have a tendency to take on a "burned" flavor, so I avoid them.  If you think of anything else you might want to add, say your preference of nuts or even dates (Go Medjool!  Not dried.), go right ahead.  The recipe is capable of taking on another cup of nutty, fruity goodness. 

Ooooh.

  Maybe next time

 I'll throw in some Grape Nuts! 

  

 

 

   

 

ENJOY!

Seared Pistachio-Encrusted Scallops.

It's time for scallops - encrusted in pistachio, quickly seared, and served on a bed of green rice (bamboo infused) with parsley and basil and lime with a Parmesan crisp on the side.  And some pan juices.

Here's how to make a meal.

First the Parmesan rounds.

Grate some Parmesan cheese onto parchment paper.

You want a medium grate - not fine.

Form the cheese into rounds and pat lightly.

Bake at 375° for about 7 minutes.

Watch 'em.  Do not let them burn.

Let cool.

Now, for the rice.

I chopped up some pistachios along with some parsley and basil.

I'm using bamboo green rice  which I get from the Spice and Tea Exchange in the Scarborough Lane shops in Duck.  It's a short grain rice infused with the chlorophyll extract of young bamboo.  And it's so pretty!  When I cooked it, I added the zest and juice of one lime to the cooking liquid.  After cooking, add in some chopped pistachios, basil, and parsley.  

 This rice is a sticky rice
and works very well in spring rolls too. 
See here for how to make spring rolls.

And lastly, the scallops.

Scallops take a bit of preparation.

Here's what you do.

Rinse, drain, and dry the scallops.

Then look for that tough, rubbery little muscle on the side.

And pull it off.

 Feed it to your cat.

Next, lightly coat the scallops in a mixture of crushed pistachios, cornstarch, and freshly ground pepper.

Heat up a medium skillet and add in a tablespoon each of unsalted butter and peanut oil.

The butter is for flavor; the oil is to raise the smoke point.  

Butter should be sizzling.  Temperature should be about 360°-375°.

Cook 60 seconds on each side.

You want a light golden brown.

Now, here comes the fun part.

REMOVE PAN FROM HEAT AND OPEN FLAME (!)  ←That's very important!

and pour in a little sherry.

 

 Return pan to heat, tilt, and POOF!  WHOOSH!

FLAMES!

This is my favorite part!

Let flames die down.  

And scrape up all the "goody-bits."  That's where the flavor is.

Serve scallops on a bed of the rice with a Parmesan crisp.

Pour some of those pan juices on the rice.

And enjoy!