olive oil granola with dried apricots and pistachios

You guys, I made granola.  I have been raving about its success over and over the past few days to my sister and my husband, neither of whom are displaying adequate enthusiasm.  I suppose it's not a particularly complicated endeavor, but somehow I have a notion that making something from scratch that is so widely available, in a multitude of different forms and flavors, is worthy of praise and accolades.  It would have been easy to purchase my own granola, is what I'm saying.  Instead, I made something far more satisfying and delicious, to say nothing of the fact that the massive quantity produced from the recipe means it was particularly cost-effective.

I devoured the entire huge portion of granola in one week, a feat that I probably shouldn't brag about because, truth be told, granola is one of those things that likes to pretend it's a "healthy snack" when really it's a bunch of wholesome nuts delicately crusted in sweets and spices.  I do not mean to denounce it entirely-it's certainly a better choice than a handful of cookies, for example, but I probably should not have taken it upon myself to eat it all.  I felt certain that little A would be a big fan, and I was looking forward to spicing up our boring breakfast routines with bowls of granola and yogurt, but he is very distrustful of new things these days, and mostly pushed around what he called "nuts" entirely, eating only his yogurt. I plan to keep making granola until I've converted him.

Though I used a recipe from my Melissa Clark cookbook, which I adore and should cook from and write about more, I became intrigued about making granola after reading about Megan Gordon on Orangette.  Megan "became famous" essentially because of her granola, Marge Granola, which she now sells from her bakery in Seattle.  Her cookbook, Whole Grain Mornings, was just released, and I am so excited about it-an entire cookbook devoted specifically to breakfasts that focus on whole grains and don't skimp on things like cream and butter!  She is a girl after my own heart! One of her recipes is incredibly similar to this one, with just a few insignificant differences, but I think I prefer Melissa's recipe.  I plan on trying Megan's version of hazelnut granola with cacao nibs next!

Olive Oil Granola with Dried Apricots and Pistachios, adapted from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, by Melissa Clark

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats*
1 1/2 cups raw pistachios, hulled
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 cup coconut chips**
3/4 cup pure maple syrup (you can use 2/3 cup, but the granola will be drier-I used 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or ground ginger (I used ginger)
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, coconut chips, maple syrup, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cardamom or ginger.  Spread the mixture on a large rimmed baking sheet (about 11x17 inches) in an even layer and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown and well toasted.
3.  Transfer the granola to a large bowl and add the apricots, tossing to combine.  Megan's granola recipe suggested adding the fruit after the granola has cooled completely, which made mixing the fruit in thoroughly a much easier task.

*Megan's book gives a lot of great advice about cooking and baking with oats, and it's important to note that for a tasty granola, you need to use rolled oats, definitely not instant.
**I have it on good authority that coconut "chips" are actually large coconut flakes.  I use them frequently for the kale and coconut farro bowl that I continue to be obsessed with, and I pick them up at Whole Foods.  They are well worth the effort to find, big shards of unsweetened coconut that add a great texture to a variety of dishes.  I might even have to start buying in bulk, which is apparently an option on Amazon.

fish fingers with lime-ginger dipping sauce OR adventures in fried food

No one ever said that fried food photographed well.  

One might expect that for my first food-related post for the new year (my first post of 2014, actually), I would compose a nice, virtuous paragraph or two about a particularly healthy recipe perfectly suitable for a new year and its accompanying resolutions.  While I certainly do intend to join the leagues of those who desire to cook from a more health-conscious perspective this year, I whole-heartedly confess to you that the meal that I'm going to be sharing with you today is not of the that variety.  That would be because the main component of the dish is fried.

I have another confession for you: while I am like any other red-blooded individual that loves the deliciously bad-for-you crunch and texture of fried food, I have a serious aversion to frying anything in my own kitchen.  It's silly, really.  My general attitude towards food is that it should be thoroughly enjoyed and occasional forays involving funnel cakes or French fries are absolutely acceptable as long as they are, indeed, occasional.  I simply cannot, for whatever reason, bring myself to pour inches of oil with wild abandon into my pan.  It seems....reckless.

Considering that my little guy has an aversion to chicken and meat and consumes only fish as his chosen protein (the little prince!), I decided that I might have to relax and give in to my frying fears in order to try a time-honored family dinner: the fish stick. (Let's face it-one can only afford salmon so many times in a month!) Both my husband and I can recall eating fish sticks in childhood, and our memories are rather fond, even considering that they undoubtedly came from a box.  When I saw a recipe for fish fingers crusted with panko in one of my newer, family-friendly cookbooks, I decided they might be worth a shot.  Truth be told, I was initially swayed by the dipping sauce, which is good enough to eat alone.

I couldn't completely relinquish my anti-frying principles, even though the recipe calls for a reasonably small amount of oil (1/3 inch in the pain).  I spread it around just enough for there to be a thin layer of oil in the pain (probably  more like 1/8 inch), but it certainly did the trick.  Thick wedges of halibut dredged in a soy-flavored egg wash and flakes of panko became something like the fish fingers of memory, with a lovely golden crust that absorbed the addictive dipping sauce and provided a perfect bite.  Funnily enough, my first reaction upon tasting them was that they were really just like what I might expect for a fish stick, only with the satisfying knowledge that they were composed of fresh, wild fish with no added processed ingredients.  It was difficult not to consume the whole bowl of sauce, and in fact, little A did indeed scoop quite a bit of it up in his spoon.  We had to beg and plead to get him to actually eat the fish, despite how much he loves it.

Fish Fingers with Lime-Ginger Dipping Sauce, adapted from Keepers, by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion
-The jury is still out on this book-it was recommended on one of my favorite blogs, and as I'm trying to make a real effort to create meals for my family that aren't especially complicated and will also appeal to the tastes of kids and adults alike, it seemed like a good fit.  This was certainly a good place to start.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 pounds thick white, flaky fish fillets, such as halibut, cod, or mahimahi, cut into 4x1-inch strips and patted dry
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil for pan-frying

1. Put the flour on a large plate.  In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg whites and soy sauce until frothy.  Put the panko in a deep dish.
2. Season the fish with salt and pepper.  Working with a few pieces at a time, dredge the fish strips in the flour, coating completely, then shake off any excess.  Dip them in the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off, then coat them with the panko, gently pressing them into the breadcrumbs so they stick.  Put the pieces on a platter large enough to fit all of them without crowding and repeat until all of the fish is breaded.  If you have room in your refrigerator, chill the fish while the oil heats; it will help firm up the breading.
3. In a large skillet, heat about 1/3 inch of oil over medium heat.  Working in batches, add the fish and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Transfer the fish to a paper-towel lined platter and tent with foil to keep warm.  Repeat with remaining fish.  Serve with the Lime-Ginger Dipping Sauce if you like.

Lime-Ginger Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 jalepeno, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, lime juice, ginger, and jalepeno (if using).  Check the seasonings.  The sauce will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

back again

I chose to linger here instead of writing a beautifully composed blog post about it.  Can you blame me?

It's officially been so long since I composed a blog entry that it took me two tries to sign into my Blogger account.  I had a nice long stretch of doing quite well, as you'll notice, and then TWO MONTHS of radio silence.  To be fair, I have been mightily distracted, in a good way.  The beginning of fall has always been my favorite time, and as nice as long summer days might be, I far prefer the predictable routine that comes along when school starts again, even though my little guy is years away from attending.  We've been stacking up the play dates again, attending MOPS once a week (that stands for Moms of Preschoolers, just so you know), making trips to the farm and zoo, and loving every minute of our first quarter of music class.  There have been pumpkin patches, drives to the beach, and a trip to the Christmas tree farm to do some chopping-yes, it really has been that long.

I always feel more contented when I do a bit of blogging-this space is essentially for myself, though I'm always glad to think one or two people might catch something I've read.  True, my posts can be light and frothy, but I do have a few good recipes up my sleeve since I've last written, and I can offer some solid book recommendations.  This is a great year for the movies, and I have lots to say about that.  All to say, once more, as I've done many times, I will aspire to return to my little spot of the Internet, hopefully with offerings not just frivolous but interesting and useful.  I have missed being here.

They're back.

I neglected to post much about Mechanical Bull, the KOL's first album post Caleb's notorious public breakdown on stage.  This is not because I wasn't all over the news, or due to a lack of enthusiasm.  Rather, I blame the constant cycle of Frances audiobooks playing in my car.  My little guy will tolerate almost nothing on my musical end but Jack Johnson.  Not bad taste, at least.  There is hope for him still.    Anyway, it took a while for me to get through the album, but I am finally here to say it's solid.  I wouldn't say it's my favorite of all KOL time, but it's definitely good, and I can recognize their older stuff in the sound, which is nice.  It makes me think they were taking things really seriously when they went about recording it.

The song above, performed in a very tame fashion for a lackluster Letterman crowd is one of my favorites from the album.  I decided to include it in lieu of "Supersoaker," the first single, just because I like it so much.  Do not judge by the crowd or mood of the video, by the way.  I know this is going to be awesome in concert, when the Kings officially kick off a tour.  For now, I've relentlessly started to stalk their blog for tour news, which I expect after they finish the festival circuit.  This weekend they're headlining Austin City Limits, a fact I was reminded of only after my BFF Rose sent me an excited text to say she had them in her very sights, at an extremely hip Austin restaurant.  I was overwhelmed with jealousy, of course, but mostly happy to hear her positive report.  No behaviors to feel bad about.

Finally, I'm including a link to this most awesome musical q & a with Caleb Followill (obviously my favorite).  I was ridiculously charmed by it. Mentions of "The Grundy County Auction" right in there with Keith Sweat and The Bodyguard soundtrack? As if I didn't love the band enough already...

thursday night

I wanted to get my act together and write a nice little blog post today, especially because I had a delicious dinner tonight that was particularly inspiring.  However, by the time I managed to get my little guy to bed, it was almost nine, and all I wanted to do was eat a bowl of ice cream and casually debate on which of my FAVORITE SHOWS I would put on first.  Thursdays are the best.

what we're reading now

Those of you who actually tune in to my blog every once in a while might have wondered what has happened to my beloved installments about our favorite books-of-the-time.  It is actually not due to my apathetic and sporadic blogging history that has prevented me from a new post.  Rather, it is that we are in a "new stage" of reading, wherein my little guy eschews any new titles and only gravitates towards what he knows.  Just today, when I tried to begin one of the adorable books that is part of, ironically, a book-buying spree on my part that does not at all match up with A's interests, he took it gently from my hands, walked a few feet away, and set it on the floor.  "No Sophie's Squash," he said firmly.
P.S. Go immediately and check out Sophie's Squash.  It is about an adorable little girl named Sophie and her pet squash Bernice.  How can you not be charmed?! 

Anyway, for the most part, as I've said, we've been in a reading "rut" (in my mind), going through the same fifteen books or so, over and over.  It's not the most fun stage, but the important thing is that we're reading.  Here are a few in the current reading list.

Otis.  There are a few books in this series about an adventurous and kind red tractor, who befriends everyone on his farm and manages to save them from precarious situations.  Despite his brave nature, Otis is secretly just as afraid or lonely as his fellow farm dwellers, which makes the stories all the more appealing.

Max's Chocolate Chicken.  So far, there are only two Max and Ruby books that captivate A, and thankfully, this is one of them (the other favorite is Max Counts His Chickens, an Easter-themed number book and not part of the more traditional series).  It happens to be one of my favorite Max books, so I don't mind reading it over and over again.  I don't think that A quite understands Max's sneakiness yet, but I certainly enjoy it.

Banter.  If you've read about what books we enjoy, you have probably guessed that we (or I) have quite an affection for books with a farm setting.  It doesn't really have anything to do with the fact that I grew up on a ranch, which is not a farm but obviously shares some qualities, but more that I like the simple familiarity that comes with learning to recognize the most beloved domestic animals.  This title is written by Denise Fleming, who composes beautiful watercolor illustrations and tends to focus on conceptual writing.  My little guy really responds to concept books, as I've written about before, and this one is no exception.  It's about a search for goose, and each page reveals a different animal accompanied with its matching sound: "Hens in the henhouse, cluck, cluck, cluck...".

Hippopposites. I wanted A to have a few books that would focus on the concept of opposites, and this title stood out to me immediately.  At first, I thought it was one of those purchases that appealed to parents more, because it's a stylish book with a clean, modern design.  No messy splashes of color or busy illustrations.  For whatever reason, A took to it right away, and now lugs it around calling it "heavy", which he learned from the book, I might add.

Guys, this last one is something I'd like to refer to as "The Book that Shall Not Be Named" (though obviously you can see the title).    I fully confess that I'm a snob when it comes to books, the ones I read and even more so when it comes to children's books.  If it's got a TV character in it or was mass produced for a bin at Target I'm probably going to avoid it.  I'm not proud of my prejudice, but to be fair, there is a reason why classics remain classics and some children's authors stand out far above others (I'm looking at you, Kevin Henkes and Helen Lester!) .  I figure that I might as well be reading the best books available to my child.  As tends to happen with kids, we can't always choose what they love.  Thus, while this little book might not be the caliber of Blueberries for Sal, I must muster up enthusiasm about it for A's sake.

browsing history

My little collection of links is a bit paltry today...I blame the late hour.  Most of what's circulating the past few days is related to Breaking Bad, so the post is appropriately themed.

Love, LOVE these clever, Breaking Bad themed ghost illustrations from Doogie Horner.

On a related note, here is a faux opinion piece on Gray Matter technologies.

For super-obsessed Breaking Bad fans,  Entertainment Weekly ranks all the episodes, worst to best.  *Now including the finale.

First teaser trailer for Divergent.  I have to say, I'm not currently sold on Shailene Woodley.  She comes across as a little "soft", for lack of a better word.  Those of you who have read the book know that Tris isn't a particularly tough character at the start, so maybe it's appropriate.  Perhaps I need to reread and refresh.

Stephen King's Reddit AMA.  I've gotten into a few of his books this summer, and have thoroughly enjoyed them. There is more to SK than cheap thrills, in case you didn't know.  He is unquestionably a respected author with a solid history and reputation, who has consistently delivered over the years, with only a few misses.  Most recently, I had grown to respect his columns and entertainment op-ed's on music, television, and books, despite not really having any familiarity with his work.  Now it's hard for me to move on from one of his books to something else.