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.

Simple Butternut Squash Fritters

September 30, 2018 by Veronica Kablan in At Home

Each year in Los Angeles, we struggle with the coming of fall: as the markets and coffee shops tell us we should be donning boots and scarves, the weather continues to call for tank tops and flip flops. To cope, we love to welcome the flavors of fall into our kitchens (with the help of our favorite grocery delivery service, Milk & Eggs), in the form of warm spices, crisp apples, and of course, squash.

Butternut squash is a tried-and-true favorite - perfect when roasted or steamed, in a salad or in a soup. But what is one to do when the squash that’s been purchased is much too large for the recipe that’s been chosen? As we learned recently, the answer is simple - get out your box grater and make some fritters.

Shredding squash does take a bit of muscle, but it’s simple and quick enough, especially when preparing the small amount that this recipe calls for. That said, you can easily double this recipe if you’re cooking for a crowd. It’s a forgiving formula - feel free to swap in another herb, another flour, or even another type of squash. It’d be lovely with sweet potato, as well, I’d wager.

These fritters are delicious on their own, but adding some tangy yogurt or cream cheese will take them to the next level - we love using the almond varieties available from Kite Hill, or for something a little different, Brother’s Labneh (both available from our favorite grocery delivery service, Milk & Eggs). For a bit of extra protein, you could top them with a soft boiled egg - a little bit of runny yolk with these sweet-and-salty fritters would be absolute heaven.

Simple Butternut Squash Fritters

Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients:
2 cups peeled and shredded butternut squash
1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (I like Bob’s 1-to-1)
1 egg
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp oil of choice, for frying

To serve (optional):
1/2 cup yogurt, labneh, or cream cheese
Microgreens or chopped mixed herbs

Method:

In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash, flour, sage, and salt until the squash is well coated. Beat the egg in a separate bowl, then add to squash mixture and stir until the mixture is moistened throughout.
Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot, and a small amount of mixture dropped into the oil sizzles.
Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop small mounds of the squash mixture into the skillet, using the back of the measuring cup to press the mounds into circle shapes and spacing them 1-2 inches apart. Cook the fritters for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy on the edges. Transfer them to the paper-towel-lined plate, and repeat until all of the squash mixture has been cooked.
Serve warm with a dollop of yogurt, labneh, or cream cheese, a sprinkling of microgreens or herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe adapted from Just a Taste

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