My Granola

This is my easy recipe for basic granola.

It has none of the things I dislike in granola. 

It only has the ingredients I like; 

Oatmeal, Nuts, Honey, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Oil

 Mix it up in a bowl.

 Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake
until golden and dry to the touch, stirring once.

 Let cool. Break it up and store in an airtight container.

It's nice and crunchy.

Enjoy for breakfast or grab a handful for a snack.

Here you can add what you like;

 sliced bananas, raisins, dried fruit, etc.

Jar some up and give as a gift too.

 My Granola

3C oatmeal

1 C sliced almonds

1 C chopped pecans

1/2 C vegetable/canola oil

1/4 C packed light brown sugar
1/4 C honey

1t cinnamon (or my cinnamon plus)
pinch Kosher/Sea salt (1/4-1/2)

1t vanilla extract

Combine in a large bowl. Spread on baking sheet.

Bake @300 for 35-45 minutes, until golden and dry,
 stirring once. Let cool and break apart.

Store in an airtight container.

You can use any 2 C combination of nuts,
like the almonds, pecans, or pistachios,
walnuts. pumpkin seeds, etc.
(add-ins 1/2C dried cranberries, raisins, after baking)

Enjoy!

click HERE for My Autumn Granola

Links: Facebook
Dittle Dattle, Designs By Gollum,
Funky Junk

Tilapia Meuniere

I love Sole Meuniere. 

It was one of my first French dinners at a wonderful restaurant in Chicago.

It's such a simple recipe that I have adapted it to use with tilapia.

Meuniere basically means dredged in flour and sauteed in butter with lemon and parsley.
It's very basic, quick and easy.
It's my favorite way to cook fish.

Start with fresh tilapia filets. One per person.
Rinse and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Flour, butter, fresh parsley are all you need.
No exact measuring.

 Dredge the filets in flour to coat;
shake off excess.

 Heat a large skillet over medium high and add
the butter, about 1 T per filet.
Let the butter melt and get bubbly hot.

Brown the fillets quickly, turning once
about 2 minutes per side.

 Carefully turn when golden brown.

 Remove the filets to plates and
keep warm in a 200 oven.

 Add the remaining butter to the skillet,
another 1 T per filet. Let it melt and turn golden
 while stirring and scraping up the browned bits.
Watch carefully, do not let the butter burn.

Remove the pan from the heat and add
 the lemon juice, about 1/2 large lemon squeezed
or 2-3 T juice. Add some of the chopped parsley.

Whisk the sauce to combine well,
 them pour this sauce over the fish and
sprinkle with more fresh parsley.

 I like to serve this with fresh steamed
green beans and gold potatoes.

The lemon butter sauce enhances the vegetables.

Tilapia Meuniere
4 tilapia filets (about 2 lbs)
salt & pepper
1/4-1/2 C flour
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
Juice of 1 lemon (3 T juice)
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley

Season the fish with salt and pepper. 

Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.

Saute in half the melted hot butter 

until golden on both sides-about 5 minutes.

Remove to plate and keep warm in a 200 oven.

Add the remaining butter to the skillet, 

whisking until melted and golden.

Remove the pan from the heat and

 whisk in the lemon juice.

Pour the butter sauce over the fish

 and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Bon Appetit!

 Sole Meuniere is the first dish Julia Child had for lunch in France. That is when she fell in love with French cooking. I remember the scene in the movie. She wrote about that experience in her book My Life In France.

It arrived whole: a large, flat Dover sole that was perfectly browned in a sputtering butter sauce with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top. The waiter carefully placed the platter in front of us, stepped back, and said: “Bon appètit!

I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising perfume. Then I lifted a forkful of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate, with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. I chewed slowly and swallowed. It was a morsel of perfection.

I'll have what she's having!

Links:Somewhat Simple,
Lady Behind The Curtain,
Stone Gable

Click HERE to see another favorite tilapia recipe.

Chocolate Meringue Pie

You can make this pie in about 10 minutes.

It's a basic custard recipe that I got from Marty.

It can be made into coconut cream or banana cream or

my favorite...chocolate.

 I still had a pie shell stored in the freezer. That's a good head start.

 Whenever I make pie crust, I always make two. 

I freeze one ready for whenever I need a pie fast.

Pecan pie, lemon, chocolate or even quiche can be made quickly.

 Gather basic ingredients.

 Dock (prick the bottom with a fork) the pie crust.

and pre-bake at 400 for about 10 minutes while you make the filling.

 Bring the filling ingredients to a boil, stirring constantly.

 Add the chocolate and boil, stirring for one minute 

until the chocolate is well blended.

 Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.

 Whist the egg whites with 1/3 C sugar.

 Whisk until glossy and stiff peaks form.

 Pour filling into crust.

 Top with meringue.

 Spread to the edge of the crust and swirl the top.

 Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Until golden.

 Let cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate.

 Serve chilled.

Serves 8

Chocolate Meringue Pie

9" pie shell

Dock the bottom of the pie shell. Pre-bake

at 400 for about 10 minutes until li

ghtly golden.

Meanwhile make the filling:

1 C sugar

1/2 C flour

3 egg yolks

3 C milk

Combine in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil over med-hi heat

stirring constantly until thick. 

2 squared baking chocolate

Add the chocolate and boil one minute whisking until well blended.

remove from heat and whisk in

1 t vanilla extract

For the meringue

3 egg whites

1/3 C sugar

Beat with a mixer until glossy and stiff.

Fill the pie shell with the filling. Top with the meringue.

 Bake ate 350 for about 10 minutes, until golden.

Let cool on a wire rack then refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Links: Remodelaholic, Funky Junk

Cinnamon Pecan Muffins-Make Your Own Mix

You can have these warm freshly-baked muffins anytime.

They are so easy and quick to make once you have a few jars of
my muffin mix in your pantry.

I fill saved (Classico) Mason jars with my own
Cinnamon Pecan Muffin Mix.

Just fill the jars with flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
Shake to combine.

Layer the chopped pecans on top.

Use a saucer to cut a circle from a brown paper bag.
Write the directions in the center.

Tie with a bow or string.
A few for you and a few gifts.
 This is a great gift for your friends that don't bake and
 still have baking powder bought during  the Clinton administration.

To mix; beat the egg, milk and oil.

Add the jar ingredients and stir until moistened.

Spoon into sprayed muffin tins half full.

Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes.

Serve warm with butter.

These freeze well.

Cinnamon Pecan Muffins

1-1/2 C flour

1/2 C sugar

2 t baking powder

1 t cinnamon

pinch salt

Fill jar with ingredients. Put on lid and shake to combine.

1/2 C chopped pecans

Add to top of mixture in jar. Screw on lid

Directions

Whisk together in a large bowl;

1 egg

1/2 C milk

1/4 C vegetable oil

Add the mix from the jar and stir just until combined.

Spray muffin cups and fill 1/2 full.
(Half fill any remaining cups with water)

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Makes about 9 muffins.

Enjoy!

Follow me on FACEBOOK
also featured on my blog MAY DAYS
Links: Designs By Gollum, Ekats Kitchen