I have always loved making my own granola. My next door neighbor Mabel shared with me her recipe for homemade granola back in the 1980's and I started making it then. It was something my family always loved.
Its a highly nutritious cereal and if you can make your own from scratch it is a bazillion times more tastier than anything you can buy in the shops. You get to control the sugars yourself and you get to choose more natural types of sugars than the manufacturers use.
This Olive Oil & Maple Granola is a recipe I small-batched that I found on the Food52 site, attributed to Nekisia David. You can click through to the full sized version if you like. It makes 7 cups.
The Food 52 recipe has also been adapted very slightly from Early Bird Foods' best-selling Farmhand's Choice Granola. It has a beautiful flavor and is loaded with plenty of toasted pecans, two kinds of seeds, and coconut chips.
I love the large flake oatmeal. Its pretty much the only oatmeal I keep in the house, although I do also have some pinhead oatmeal, which I love cooked for breakfast.
You can always blitz the large flaked oats in a food processor to break it down to make a quicker version of oats if you need that. I find large flake oatmeal fulfils almost all of my oatmeal needs.
Once I started making my own homemade granola I was never satisfied with store bought granola again. The difference in taste is phenomenal. It just tastes so much fresher and the oats are always so much crunchier.
You can also adapt it very easily to your own tastes. You can add what nuts you enjoy, or a mix of nuts.
Granola is something that makes a nice wholesome snack as well. You can carry a small bag or container of it in your purse and then you always have something nutritious to help to keep the hungries at bay and make those candy bars less attractive!
You can of course add dried fruit to the mix once it is baked, and I often do, but I find that the fruit can get really dried out so these days I tend to add it when I go to eat it. Much fresher and softer, but a lovely balance of sweet and tart at the same time.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE OLIVE OIL & MAPLE GRANOLA
Very simple store cupboard ingredients. These are really only suggestions. You can use any nut or seed that you wish to use in the same quantities.
- 1 1/2 cups (156g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (85g) raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup (80g) hulled raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup (70g) hulled raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup (38g) unsweetened coconut chips
- 6 TBS (131g) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed soft light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
It is important that you use raw and unsalted nuts for this mix. I will often mix two of three different kinds just for variety when I make my granola. Some favorites are pecans (of course), but I am also very fond of macadamia nuts, cashews and walnuts.
Do make sure you use the good old fashioned large flaked oats.
Use only pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. That is not real maple syrup but corn syrup with a maple flavoring. They are not the same thing. Maple syrup is a natural ingredient and much better for you.
This is one case where I will recommend extra virgin olive oil. It is a place where the flavor of it does make a difference.
Did you know that regular brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added. The more molasses the darker the sugar.
I prefer mine to be a natural brown sugar, not a bleached sugar with molasses added back in. That is just me however, so you go ahead and use whatever brown sugar you want to use.
HOW TO MAKE OLIVE OIL & MAPLE GRANOLA
As I said this is a small batch. It is very simple to make and you won't believe how much more delicious it is than any prepackaged varieties!
Preheat the oven to 300*F/149*C. Have ready a medium sized rimmed baking sheet that you have lined with a piece of baking parchment or a silicone liner.
Measure the oats, pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and coconut into a bowl. Stir in the olive oil, maple syrup, brown sugar and salt. Mix everything well together
Spread out onto the baking sheet in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven, stirring every fifteen minutes, for about 45 minutes in total, or until the granola is evenly toasted and golden brown.
Taste and add up to 1/4 tsp of extra salt if you think it needs it. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to one month at room temperature.
Trust me when I say that this is so delicious that you will be making more of it before the month is out. Its fabulous eaten out of hand.
Not too sweet, lovely and nutty and beautifully textured.
This is how I usually enjoy my granola. In a small bowl along with a nice dollop of thick unsweetened Greek yogurt and some dried or fresh fruit on the side.
Today it was a nice big soft and lovely Medjool date. Sometimes, if I have any, I will also squirt a bit of date syrup on top. Oh, how I love date syrup. Its not so easy to find here for some reason. I think I a going to have to figure out how to make my own!
As I said, I simply love granola and I love to make many different kinds depending on my mood. Here is one of the different granolas I have made through the years and also a tasty recipe to use your granola in to make your own granola bars!
CHOCOLATE CINNAMON GRANOLA -A filling, fiber filled breakfast alternative that is low in sugars and deliciously high in protein and flavor. This granola is almost half nuts and half oats, with the addition of unsweetened cocoa powder and cinnamon for extra flavor. There is only 1 TBS of maple syrup in the whole recipe. Its a great alternative to the highly processed cereals and ideal for diabetics.
WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CRANBERRY GRANOLA BARS - Children love these and they are a much healthier option than the ready made granola bars you find in the shops. With less fat and sugar and plenty of fiber and protein, you can feel good about making these for the kids and for yourself! A wonderful healthy alternative to cookies and squares and a great snack/meal replacement for when you are on the go.
Yield: Makes 3 1/2 cups
Olive Oil & Maple Granola
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min
This is a small batch of one of the most delicious granolas I make. You can swap out the nuts and seeds for other types of nuts and seeds as you wish.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (156g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (85g) raw pecans, left whole or coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup (80g) hulled raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup (70g) hulled raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup (38g) unsweetened coconut chips
- 6 TBS (131g) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed soft light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300*F/149*C. Have ready a medium sized rimmed baking sheet that you have lined with a piece of baking parchment or a silicone liner.
- Measure the oats, pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and coconut into a bowl. Stir in the olive oil, maple syrup, brown sugar and salt. Mix everything well together
- Spread out onto the baking sheet in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven, stirring every fifteen minutes, for about 45 minutes in total, or until the granola is evenly toasted and golden brown.
- Taste and add up to 1/4 tsp of extra salt if you think it needs it. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to one month at room temperature.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I was in the grocery store the other day and they had some lovely bone-in old fashioned pork chops marked down by 30%. You had to either use them on that day, or pop them into the freezer which I did.
Pork is now one of the less expensive meats, and when you can get it for 30% off that is a bargain. These old fashioned bone-in chops are really huge. One of them easily feeds two people or will make two meals for one.
They are easily more than one inch in thickness. So you know each one weighs about 1/2 pound, plenty for two people. And they have a nice big chunk of tenderloin on the one side of the bone. (My favorite part.)
I found a recipe on a blog called The Tipsy Housewife for what she called The Best Baked Pork Chops Ever. When ever I see something claiming to be the best ever, I am intrigued.
I want to try it immediately because I really want to see if this really IS the best recipe ever. It did sound really, really good.
Crispy coated bone in pork chops, with a zesty, sweet and tangy honey mustard glaze. I read it through and said "Count me in!"
I only made half of the recipe however and because my chop was so large, I only cooked one chop, but still used the quantities for two.
The recipe was really easy to make as well. It used Shake and Bake crumb coating for pork, which I just happened to have a box of in my cupboard.
But you could make your own crumb coating using dried panko or regular bread crumbs and some seasoning. I would use some salt, pepper and maybe a bit of poultry seasoning, which goes very well with pork.
Quantities for two chops: 1 cup/120g bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste and about 1/2 tsp of poultry seasoning.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THE BEST BAKED PORK CHOPS EVER
Very simple ingredients that most of us already have in our kitchens.
- 2 Large bone in Pork Chops about 1-inch thick
- 1/2 Box of shake and bake for pork (Kraft makes a good one)
- 1 large free range egg
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 TBS liquid honey
- 1 TBS of Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS good Balsamic vinegar
- 1 TBS dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
I used one envelope of the crumb mixture from the package. She used regular yellow mustard and red wine vinegar, but I chose to use Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar.
First of all I am not overly fond of the neon yellow color of regular mustard, and secondly if you are going to go for red wine vinegar and you happen to have a good Balsamic in the house why not use that!
I always have a good Dijon and Balsamic in the house.
You could use thinner chops, but you would need to cut down the cooking time, and, to be honest, I am not sure the coating would get really crisp in a shorter cook time without drying out the chops.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BAKED PORK CHOPS EVER
If you follow these instructions, and keep to the timings, you are sure to have tender, juicy, crispy coated chops every time!
Bring your pork chops to room temperature prior to cooking. Preheat your oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Have ready a lipped baking sheet, large enough to hold both chops in one layer with a bit of space between. Spray the baking sheet with some non-stick baking spray, or butter it.
Break the egg into a shallow bowl and beat with a fork. Place the shake and bake crumbs into another shallow bowl.
Using a pair of kitchen scissors, slash the fatty edge of your pork chops at 1/2 inch intervals. (This helps to prevent the chops from curling up when they cook.)
Working with one chop at a time, dip the pork chops into the beaten egg, making sure they are completely coated, and then into the crumbs, again making sure every bit of them is coated.
Place the chops onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle a little bit more of the crumb coating on top of the chops and then dot the butter over the top of the chops, dividing it equally.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the juices run clear and are not pink and the chops are nice and crispy.
While the chops are baking, whisk together the honey, mustard and vinegar until smooth, along with the parsley flakes.
When the chops are cooked through and nicely crisped, turn off the oven. Take the chops out and drizzle the honey mustard mixture over top, dividing it between the two chops.
Return the baking pan to the oven with it turned off and leave to sit in the residual heat of the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until glazed. I served mine with some yellow beans and scalloped potatoes for the win!
This pork chop ended up really tender and juicy and perfectly cooked. The crumb coating was fairly crisp, except for in the area of the glaze and that glaze was exceptionally tasty.
I enjoyed it along with the other half of box of scalloped potatoes that I had made the other day and some tinned yellow wax beans. It made for a really delicious meal and I had enough left over to pop into a freezer container to freeze for another day.
There is no shortage of pork chop recipes here in The English Kitchen. I don't eat red meat very often but when I do pork makes an affordable and tasty option. Here are are some of my favorite ways to prepare them:
PORK CHOPS WITH CREAM GRAVY - Deliciously tender pork chops, beautifully seasoned and perfectly cooked. Served with pepper gravy, a creamy pepper gravy. The same type of cream gravy that you might enjoy on biscuits with sausage. Altogether very delicious.
EASY OVEN BARBEQUED PORK CHOPS - Tender and delicious bone-in chops, cooked in a lush homemade barbeque sauce in the oven until they melt in your mouth. A little it spicy a lotta bit tasty! Simple and easy as well.
Yield: 2
Baked Pork Chops
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
These really are the best pork chops ever. This recipe is perfectly suited for two people. Crispy coated with a lovely honey mustard glaze. What's not to love?
Ingredients
- 2 Large bone in Pork Chops about 1-inch thick
- 1/2 Box of shake and bake for pork (Kraft makes a good one)
- 1 large free range egg
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 TBS liquid honey
- 1 TBS of Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS good Balsamic vinegar
- 1 TBS dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
Instructions
- Bring your pork chops to room temperature prior to cooking. Preheat your oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Have ready a lipped baking sheet, large enough to hold both chops in one layer with a bit of space between. Spray the baking sheet with some non-stick baking spray, or butter it.
- Break the egg into a shallow bowl and beat with a fork.
- Place the shake and bake crumbs into another shallow bowl.
- Using a pair of kitchen scissors, slash the fatty edge of your pork chops at 1/2 inch intervals. (This helps to prevent the chops from curling up when they cook.)
- Working with one chop at a time, dip the pork chops into the beaten egg, making sure they are completely coated, and then into the crumbs, again making sure every bit of them is coated.
- Place the chops onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle a little bit more of the crumb coating on top of the chops and then dot the butter over the top of the chops, dividing it equally.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the juices run clear and are not pink and the chops are nice and crispy.
- While the chops are baking, whisk together the honey, mustard and vinegar until smooth, along with the parsley flakes.
- When the chops are cooked through and nicely crisped, turn off the oven. Take the chops out and drizzle the honey mustard mixture over top, dividing it between the two chops.
- Return the baking pan to the oven with it turned off and leave to sit in the residual heat of the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until glazed.
- I served mine with some yellow beans and scalloped potatoes for the win!
Roast leg of lamb is something that a lot of people like to enjoy for Easter. One, this is the season of Lamb, Spring, and two, its just that tiny bit more special than a regular roast and much different than the turkey of Christmas.
Lamb just feels glamorous.
Shoulder of lamb is also very nice. I have cooked it on here before and it is succulent and melts in the mouth. You can find my recipe for slow roasted shoulder of lamb here. I've also cooked a boneless leg of lamb.
Today I am roasting a bone in leg of lamb and I am channeling Mary Berry's recipe for a Greek Roast Lamb. It is quite different than my usual leg of lamb.
First of all it is very simple and requires only a very few ingredients. Secondly it cooks long and slow. I am used to lamb being served medium rare, so this makes a bit of a change. I wasn't sure, but, if Mary Berry says its good, who am I to quibble!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A LEG OF LAMB
Lets face it, lamb is not the cheapest meat around. If you are going to spend your hard earned cash on a piece of meat you want to make sure you are getting the best cut possible for your money spent.
When buying lamb, you want to look for meat that is brownish pink in color with a layer of creamy white fat on the outside.
Avoid lamb that is grey in color, excessively bloody or has very yellow greasy fat. This means that the lamb is not as fresh as it should be, and I would be very suspicious of it.
Age and breed of the animal can vary the color somewhat. Rare lamb breeds or older animals tend to have more deeply colored flesh.
Leg of lamb can come both bone in and boneless. The boneless will have had the bone removed and the meat rolled and tied into a roast shape. Both are very good.
WHAT YOU NEED TO COOK MARY BERRY'S GREEK ROAST LAMB
Very simple ingredients and not a lot of them.
- 4 lb. (2kg) leg of lamb
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
- 2 large rosemary sprigs, chopped
- 1 TBS olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- chopped fresh rosemary to garnish
You could use dried rosemary for this, but I think that fresh rosemary is much better. In England rosemary used to grow wild in a lot of the hedges. I was never very far from fresh rosemary. I miss that!
It seems like a lot of garlic, but don't worry, it is the perfect amount. For the most part the slivers melt right into the meat, giving it the perfect flavor.
HOW TO MAKE MARY BERRY'S GREEK ROAST LAMB
It really couldn't be easier. Trust me. Trust Mary!
Bring your lamb to room temperature by taking it out of the refrigerator at least half an hour prior to roasting it.
Take a sharp knife and cut small incisions down into the lamb. Insert a sliver of garlic into each incision.
Rub the lamb all over with the chopped rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pop the roast into a deep roasting tin.
Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C. gas mark 7. Once the oven is hot put the roasting tin with the lamb into the oven.
Roast for 30 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 285*F/140*C/ gas mark 1. Cover and cook for a further 3 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is really tender.
Remove from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
Carve the lamb and serve hot, garnished with rosemary with any pan juices spooned over top if desired.
SOME TASTY SAUCES TO SERVE WITH LAMB
Mint sauce - Combine 3 TBS finely chopped mint in a small bowl with 1 - 2 TBS fine sugar. Add 3 TBS white wine vinegar and stir well to combine.
Cumberland Sauce - Spoon 4 TBS of red currant jelly into a small saucepan. Heat gently to melt. Add 1/2 cup (120ml) red wine and the finely grated zest of one orange. Simmer, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Whisk in the juice of 1 orange and 1/2 lemon. Simmer for a further 5 minutes and then strain into a sauce boat.
Tzatziki Sauce - Put 2/3 cup/150g of Greek yogurt into a small bowl. Whisk in the grated zest and juice of one lemon. 1 crushed clove of peeled garlic, 1 TBS chopped fresh mint and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until needed.
I will admit that I had a few reservations with this. I am used to my lamb being a lot pinker, but this was incredibly delicious. Tender and juicy.
The garlic was not overpowering in the least but flavored the lamb beautifully. It melted right into the meat. The fat on the outside was nice and crispy
She did suggest spooning the pan juices over the meat if you wanted to, but I have always found lamb juices to be a bit on the fatty side and prefer to either make a gravy separate, but mostly I just like to enjoy it with a sauce like mint sauce, or Cumberland sauce.
I also really love mint jelly with lamb.
This was delicious served with some boiled new potatoes rolled in butter and fresh herbs. I also served peas and carrots (with a bit of mint stirred in), some mashed sweet potatoes and mint sauce.
Some other delicious side dishes that you might enjoy are:
TWO POTATO GRATIN - Thinly sliced potatoes, sweet and white, layered in a dish with chopped onion, a bit of flour, seasoning and milk. The milk thickens and creates a rich and creamy sauce.
CAULIFLOWER & BROCCOLI CHEESE - You can also use just one or the other. Lovely tender vegetables in a rich and delicious cheese sauce, baked until golden brown on the outside.
BUTTER FRIED PARSNIPS - If you enjoy parsnips prepare to fall in love. Exactly what it says. Tender crisp golden rounds of parsnip fried in butter. Delicious!
HONEY DILL GLAZED TURNIPS & CARROTS - Lightly glazed with some butter and honey, then flavoured with dill . . . these arrive at the table glistening like jewels.
Yield: 6
Mary Berry's Greek Roast Lamb
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 4 HourInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 4 H & 20 M
Perfectly cooked tender and juicy. Just what you would expect from Mary Berry.
Ingredients
- 4 lb. (2kg) leg of lamb
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
- 2 large rosemary sprigs, chopped
- 1 TBS olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- chopped fresh rosemary to garnish
Instructions
- Bring your lamb to room temperature by taking it out of the refrigerator at least half an hour prior to roasting it.
- Take a sharp knife and cut small incisions down into the lamb. Insert a sliver of garlic into each incision.
- Rub the lamb all over with the chopped rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pop the roast into a deep roasting tin.
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C. gas mark 7. Once the oven is hot put the roasting tin with the lamb into the oven.
- Roast for 30 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 285*F/140*C/ gas mark 1. Cover and cook for a further 3 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is really tender.
- Remove from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
- Carve the lamb and serve hot, garnished with rosemary with any pan juices spooned over top if desired.
Notes
Some sauces for lamb:
Mint sauce - Combine 3 TBS finely chopped mint in a small bowl with 1 - 2 TBS fine sugar. Add 3 TBS white wine vinegar and stir well to combine.
Cumberland Sauce - Spoon 4 TBS of red currant jelly into a small saucepan. Heat gently to melt. Add 1/2 cup (120ml) red wine and the finely grated zest of one orange. Simmer, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Whisk in the juice of 1 orange and 1/2 lemon. Simmer for a further 5 minutes and then strain into a sauce boat.
Tzatziki Sauce - Put 2/3 cup/150g of Greek yogurt into a small bowl. Whisk in the grated zest and juice of one lemon. 1 crushed clove of peeled garlic, 1 TBS chopped fresh mint and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until needed.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons