Maple Cranberry Harvest Granola, by Brunchographers

Maple Cranberry Autumn Harvest Granola

November 13, 2018 by Veronica Kablan in At Home

I LOVE GRANOLA. Truly, I can’t say this enough. I put it on everything, or just eat it on its own. My favorite recipes are liberal with the salt, creating that heavenly combination of sweet-meets-savory. A granola in my house will always have plenty of nuts, and will never have raisins. Never, never, never.

One thing I like to mix up in my granola is its texture. Sometimes I love a super-crisp, crunchy sort; one that needs a long bath in almond milk before you can sink your teeth into it. Other times, I’m into a softer granola with a higher moisture content, almost reminiscent of a museli, with a pleasant contrast between crisp, toasted nuts and a soft, sweet fruit (except raisins, never raisins). This recipe is the second kind.

If you have read many of our blog posts, you already know that we are pretty obsessed with two things: Fall harvest season and Milk & Eggs grocery delivery. This recipe is the perfect meeting of the two - we ordered up a bunch of our favorite fall treats, tossed them together with some spices and yummy grains, and baked ‘em low and slow until this yummy, festive granola was born.

There are some options here for modification, so feel free to play around. For one, if you don’t have fresh cranberries (or you don’t like their super-tart flavor as much as I do), you can swap out the fresh ones for 1 cup of dried cranberries. Or, if you’re one of those raisin people, you could swap out for those, too… just don’t tell me about it. Nuts and seeds are endlessly interchangeable, so are the fats (maybe try all olive oil or even coconut), so have fun with it! That’s what granola is all about.

Maple Cranberry Autumn Harvest Granola

Serves 7 - 10

Ingredients:
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup raw pecans
1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 cups fresh cranberries (or 1 cup dried, if sweeter flavor is preferred)
3 small sweet apples (like Honeycrisp), chopped
1/4 cup butter or vegan butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup apple butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey

Method:

Preheat oven to 325° F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, cooked quinoa, pecans, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and chopped apples.
Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat, and warm the butter until melted and foamy. Remove from heat and stir in almond butter, apple butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Add the pumpkin pie spice mix and salt, and stir until smooth and well incorporated.
Pour the warm butter mixture over the dry oat mixture, and thoroughly stir to combine, ensuring that everything is well incorporated.
Spread the granola evenly across the prepared baking sheets, and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, tossing the mixture and rotating the pans halfway through the baking process. Once the granola is crisp on the edges, and the fruit is fully cooked, remove from oven, and drizzle 2 tbsp honey over the hot granola. Allow granola to cool completely before serving or storing*.

*because this recipe contains fresh fruit, it’s best to eat it within a few days of baking. It can also be stored in the fridge to extend its life, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Groceries for this post were kindly provided by Milk & Eggs, our favorite grocery delivery service! All opinions are our own.

Apple and Turkey Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Shallots

October 29, 2018 by Veronica Kablan in At Home

Friends, I have a very serious question for you: at what point is a cheese-filled grilled sandwich no longer a “grilled cheese”? How many non-cheese things can you really stuff into said sandwich, exactly, before you can no longer call it a “grilled cheese” with a straight face?

This grilled cheese sandwich will probably get some flack for having too many non-cheese ingredients. And that’s okay. Because no matter what you want to call it, this sandwich is really delicious.

Caramelized Shallots, by Brunchographers

With sliced apples and apple butter, and crispy, caramelized shallots, this little number is a perfect (and super quick) way to celebrate fall. What makes it really special, though, is how it marries sweet, salty, bitter, and tangy flavors together into one heavenly bite - it’s a pretty blissful experience, really.

Groceries from Milk and Eggs for Apple and Turkey Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Shallots, by Brunchographers

Quality of ingredients is truly paramount here, as each element shines through so proudly, so be sure to select the freshest possible components. We ordered our groceries for this recipe from Milk and Eggs, where we could get good organic cheese, freshly baked local sourdough, and tart honeycrisp apples. Have fun with the ingredients and mix it up if you like; this would be delicious without the turkey if you’re vegetarian, or with pears if that’s what you have on hand, or with fig jam and provolone instead of cheddar and apple butter. It’s endlessly customizable, really. What’s most important is that you have fun, and never listen to what anybody tells you about there being rules for grilled cheese sandwiches. Because that’s just silly.

Apple and Turkey Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Shallots

Makes 2 Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 slices sourdough bread
2 - 3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp apple butter
2 slices sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 apple, sliced very thin
2 - 3 slices oven roasted deli turkey breast
1 cup arugula
Sea salt

Method:

Begin by caramelizing the shallots. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and stir to coat in the oil. Add a pinch of salt, and sauté until golden brown and crisp on the edges, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Preheat a clean skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.
Spread two slices of bread with apple butter, and the other two slices with dijon mustard. Place a small, compressed handful of arugula on top of each of the dijon bread slices, followed by a slice of turkey. Layer 3 - 5 apple slices on top of the turkey, then about 2 tablespoons of the caramelized shallots, and then a slice of cheese. Place a slice of the bread with apple butter on top of each and press firmly. Spread the outside of each slice of bread with a bit of butter.
Melt 1 tbsp of butter in the heated pan, and swirl around to coat the entire surface. Cook each sandwich for 2 - 4 minutes on each side, or until the cheese has melted and the outside is golden brown. Slice in half and enjoy warm.

Recipe inspired by Dolly and Oatmeal

Groceries for this post were kindly provided by Milk & Eggs, our favorite grocery delivery service! All opinions are our own.

Apple Oatmeal Griddle Cakes

September 26, 2017 by Veronica Kablan in At Home

Fall is officially here, and with it, pumpkin everything. As much as I love all manner of squashes, it's about time that another fall darling has her day in the sun: the apple. Today we celebrated this sweet, crisp autumn treat by slicing it oh-so-thinly and tucking it inside a hearty, satisfying oatmeal griddle cake. It was divine, and you should absolutely try it, too. (And yes, a griddle cake is just a fancy term for a pancake. But "griddle cake" sounds so much more rustic and satisfying, doesn't it?)

This recipe is simple enough to whip up in the morning before you go to work (they're a breeze to whip up in the blender!), or can be made in large batches and frozen to be enjoyed throughout the week. Packed with fall flavors like apple, cinnamon, maple, and pecan, these beauties are hearty enough to keep you focused and full until lunch. Oh, and did I mention that they're gluten- and dairy-free? What more could you ask for?

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups gluten-free quick cooking rolled oats (or more if desired)
1 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 c Maple Pecan Malk (or, 1 c non-dairy milk of choice + 1 tbsp maple syrup)
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp melted vegan butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 - 2 apples, very thinly sliced (a mandoline helps)

Method

1. Place one cup of the oats into a blender, and blend until the oats have reached a flour-like consistency.

2. Add the almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the blender carafe and pulse to combine.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the blender: Malk (or non-dairy milk), maple syrup, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Blend until well combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Add remaining 1/2 cup oats and blend until just combined (this step allows for larger pieces of oats in the mixture, which adds a nice texture). Let mixture rest about 10 minutes - it will thicken during this time. If, after ten minutes, the mixture is still thinner than you'd like, add another 1/2 to 1/2 cup oats and blend again to combine.

5. While the batter mixture is resting, preheat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium low heat. If desired, lightly grease the skillet with more butter or oil (if your skillet is truly nonstick, you can skip this step).

6. Working in batches, add heaping quarter cups of batter into the hot skillet, gently spreading the mixture into circular shapes if needed. Arrange 3-5 apple slices on top of each griddle cake as they cook, and gently press into the batter. Once the edges begin to appear dry and the bottom sides are golden brown (about 3-4 minutes), flip each griddle cake and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the apples have begun to caramelize and the cake has cooked through.

7. Transfer to a 200 degree F oven to keep warm or serve immediately with yogurt or maple syrup.

Makes 4 servings.

This recipe was inspired by Live Simply's Busy Morning Almond-Oat Pancakes!