by Ashley Fagan photo credit @kitchencoma via InstagramI am slightly obsessed with granola. Not that store bought, card board textured, unappealingly bland nonsense you buy in the supermarket of course! Granola is so simple to make at home and SO MUCH BETTER then anything you can buy off a shelf! This lovely homemade, protein rich, whole grain, subtly sweet, slightly salty, crunchy little bite sized bits of deliciousness is so good you'll find it hard to find an excuse not to eat it throughout your entire day, hence the name "Anytime Granola". Whether it be post morning workout, afternoon lunch or late night snack, this granola is sure to be a new favorite in your home!
Makes about 6 cups prepared 2 Egg Whites 1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup 3 T. Olive Oil 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 Tsp. Cinnamon 1/2 Tsp. Kosher Salt 1/2 Tsp. Ground Ginger 1/2 Tsp. Turmeric 1 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats 1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes 1/2 Cup Pecan Pieces 1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds 1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds 1/3 Cup Millet 2 T. Sesame Seeds 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites through turmeric until well combined. Add the oats through sesame seeds and stir together with a rubber spatula until everything is nicely coated. Pour the mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet and spread out in an even layer using a rubber spatula. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes. Remove the granola from the oven and give it a good toss with the rubber spatula then spread back out into an even layer. Return the baking sheet to the oven for another 15 minutes then remove and toss again. Finish the granola for another 10 minutes then remove from the oven and rest until completely cool. Add the dried cranberries and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. My favorite way to eat this lovely granola is piled on top of unsweetened Greek yogurt with a handful of fresh blueberries and a drizzle of local honey! Yum!
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by Ashley Fagan Looking for a change to your morning breakfast routine! Warm spices and subtly sweet delicate crumbs make for the perfect morning pick me up! These muffins are packed full of heart healthy oats, protein rich Greek yogurt and sweet carrots which are an excellent source of beta-carotene, potassium and antioxidants to give you the boost you need to get through the morning rush. Don’t skimp on your morning fuel! Keep a few of these on hand the next time you need a little something more than coffee to get you going. Makes 12 Muffins
Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. In a large bowl, mix together the flour through ground clove and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup whisk together the sugars, yogurt, applesauce, vanilla and egg until combined. Whisk in the melted butter and then add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold together the wet and dry ingredients until combined. The batter will be thick and sticky. Fold in the grated carrot, chopped walnuts and raisins. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups, about 1/3 cup batter per muffin. The cups will be full but don't worry. Bake in the center of the oven for 25-30 min, checking after the 25-minute mark by inserting a toothpick into the center muffin. When the toothpick comes out clean and the tops are lightly browned they are done. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack. They are best eaten right after baking but you can also store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Serve with butter and honey for an extra special treat!  Every Fall I start to crave all those delicious comfort food staples I've been avoiding during the warm summer months. Biscuits and Gravy is at the top of my list of perfect comfort foods! I love this version because of its play on sweet and savory flavors and because it's so incredibly simple to make! I think foods like this can appear challenging or unapproachable, but making your own gravy is actually one of the easiest things you can do! Not to mention so, so, so much better than any store-bought abomination you might encounter. I encourage you to not be intimidated by this southern kitchen staple. Give it a try, I promise your brunch guests won’t be disappointed! Serves 6
In a large Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, crumble to sausage into the pan and let it cook for a few minutes before stirring. You want to get some caramelization going. Continue to brown the sausage until completely cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. While your sausage is cooking, grab a fine mesh sieve and set it over a medium size mixing bowl. Once the sausage is completely cooked, pour the sausage along with any drippings and fat that have rendered into the sieve. Place the pot back on the heat and turn it on low. Let the drippings fall away from the pork and collect in the mixing bowl. You can use a wooden spoon to press the pork into the sieve to help release more fat. This is what you're using to make the roux which will thicken the gravy, so you want to get every drop. You should have roughly a half cup of pork fat to use. If you find yourself short, add butter to make up the difference. You want an equal ratio of fat to flour. Return the pot to medium low heat, add the pork fat and flour. Using a whisk, mix the four into the fat to create a roux, it should bubble a bit and start to take on some slight color, about 2 minutes, whisking the whole time. You want to cook out the raw flavor of the four. Add the sage, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the roux and whisk to combine. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Carefully add the milk to the roux, whisking the mixture the entire time. Continue to whisk until the roux and milk have come together. Turn the heat up to medium high to bring the gravy to a simmer, you want little bubbles not a full boil, so play with the heat as you go. This is where you need some patience. You must stir the gravy often to prevent lumps from forming and from the bottom burning. The gravy should take 5-10 minutes to fully come together. If your gravy appears too thick, you can add more milk to loosen it up. At this point you can ditch the whisk for a wooden spoon and stir in the crumbed cooked sausage and maple syrup. Continue to cook for another few minutes and taste for seasoning. You may need more salt and pepper at this point, so adjust carefully. Serve with warm biscuits (I prefer homemade, but the canned version will work just fine) or over thick toast. Yum! *Roux: Flour and fat cooked together to thicken sauces and gravy.  Every holiday season this breakfast makes a regular appearance around my house. It's perfect to serve for a crowd because it takes little effort, you can plan ahead and its freaking delicious. Another reason I really love this recipe is that its incredibly versatile to suit anyone's taste. Feel free to play around with the flavor combinations. Maybe blueberry and vanilla, chocolate and hazelnut, bananas and honey?! The options are endless! I really hope this family tradition makes a regular appearance around your breakfast table as well. Serves 6 Butter for greasing the baking dish 10 Large Eggs 1 Cup Whole Milk 1 ¾ Cup Heavy Cream 1/3 Cup Sugar 1/3 Cup Maple Syrup 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract 1 ½ teaspoons Cinnamon ½ teaspoon Salt 1 Cup Apple, peeled and diced ½ Cup Walnuts, chopped 1 Large Loaf of day old Challah bread, cubed into 1 inch pieces (roughly ten cups) Powdered Sugar for Serving Maple Syrup for serving Grease a large oval baking dish with butter. In a very large bowl whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Add the diced bread, apples and walnuts to the egg mixture and stir to combine until the bread is soaked through with the custard. Pour the bread and custard mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or for at least an hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan to prevent bubbling over and making a mess in your oven. Bake for 1 – 1 ½ hours or until the custard is set and the top is puffed and golden brown. Start checking around the 45-minute mark to make sure the top isn’t getting too dark. If it appears to be browning quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking until the custard is set. You can tell once the custard is set by inserting a knife into the center and separating the bread a bit to make sure no liquid is visible. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup.  I’m one of those people who absolutely needs to eat breakfast every morning, but with a full-time job, a baby and a hectic schedule, I don’t always have the time to make myself something healthy and delicious. Some days, I just need something a little more special than a bowl of cereal. The tangy yogurt sauce mixed with the runny eggs and smoked paprika is oddly satisfying. The combination my sound strange, but I promise, you don’t want to skip this one! Serves 2 ¼ cup Greek Yogurt 1 T fresh lemon juice (about ½ a lemon) Salt and pepper 2 T Olive Oil 4 Eggs ¼ tsp smoked Paprika A few small basil leaves and chopped chives (don’t leave these out, they brighten the flavors of the dish) Toasted sourdough for serving Mix the yogurt and lemon juice in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the yogurt sauce between two plates. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until it moves easily around the pan. Carefully crack the eggs into the hot oil, mind the hot oil splatters! Sprinkle the eggs with the smoked paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cover the eggs with a lid and cook for about two minutes. They will set quickly so keep an eye on them. You want the whites set but the yolks still runny. Place the eggs on top of the yogurt sauce, two for each plate. Garnish with basil and chives and serve with the toasted sourdough! Now dig in and forget its only Tuesday morning…. |