Donna’s Gluten Free 5 Grain Ginger Granola

Dear Culinary Companions, this recipe is one that I have been tweaking for months and finally think that I have a very good master recipe to share with you.  This granola is crunchy and full of healthy grains, nuts and fruits and is delicious with yogurt or as a snack on its own.  The origins of this recipe lie with another recipe I found by Lauren Singer that I adapted for the microwave, included more grains and added dried fruit and candied ginger.  I hope that you try this - we can't stop eating it!  Best, Donna:

Donna’s Gluten Free 5 Grain Ginger Granola

Inspired by Brown Sugar Winter Spice Granola - Lauren Singer:

http://www.trashisfortossers.com/2013/08/summer-granola-winter-spices.html

Ingredients:

1½ cups brown sugar

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup coconut oil

¼ cup maple syrup

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups oats:  Choose rolled, quick-cooking or steel cut, or mixture of these

4 Tablespoons grains:  Either 1 Tablespoon of each, or your desired mix – Amaranth, Chia, Millet, Quinoa (red or white)

1½ cups sliced almonds (or other nuts) or unsweetened flaked coconut, or mixture

1½ cups seeds:  Choose sunflower or pumpkin, or mixture

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup dried fruit:  Choose blueberries, cherries, cranberries, raisins, etc. or mixture

¼ cup candied ginger, chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.  Cover a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil.

Mix together brown sugar and water in 1 quart glass measuring cup and microwave on High for 3 minutes.  Carefully remove from oven as it will be hot, and allow to cool.  Stir to dissolve any remaining sugar granules, add the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla and set aside.

Mix together the remaining ingredients except dried fruit and ginger in a large bowl.  Mix in sugar mixture and transfer to baking sheet.  Bake for 2 hours, stirring after 1 hour to break granola up into chunks.  After 2 hours, turn off oven and leave granola inside until completely cool to make it extra crunchy.

Once granola is completely cool, stir in dried fruit and ginger, and place into 2 quart container with tight seal.

Makes 2 quarts.

Copyright 2015.

Donna's Fruit & Vegetable Panzanella

Hello to All!  With the tomato season beginning here, and with so many other fresh fruits and vegetables available, I wanted to create a tasty dish that showcased the local fruits and vegetables and also serve as a satisfying side dish.  This panzanella salad was the result which I served with my Simple Lemon Pepper Tilapia (see 21 June 2015 blog entry for recipe) and the combination was a winner!  Cheers, Donna:

Donna's Fruit & Vegetable Panzanella

Ingredients:

6 slices gluten-free bread

3 Tablespoons butter

Garlic salt to taste

3 ripe tomatoes, chopped

2 nectarines (or peaches), chopped

½ cup blueberries

4 green onions, chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped

4 ounces Feta cheese

¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat broiler on High.  Spread 1.5 teaspoons butter on each bread slice and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Place on baking sheet and broil about 5 – 7 minutes until bread is golden brown.  Remove from oven, let cool about 10 minutes and cut bread into cubes.  Set aside.

Mix all remaining ingredients in medium sized bowl and chill.  When ready to serve salad, mix together fruit and vegetable mix with bread cubes either as individual servings or all together depending upon the number of servings needed.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2015.

Donna's Fresh Spring Rolls with Plum Sweet & Sour Sauce and Roasted Salmon with Salsa Verde & Sweet Pepper Sauce

Dear Friends, I have been having fun experimenting with fresh ingredients from the garden and sea and offer these two creations for your culinary enjoyment.  The first recipe for the spring rolls is a variation of a recipe I developed many years ago for baked egg rolls and this one is a lighter and healthier version.  The second recipe is a very simple yet delicious baked salmon that pairs nicely with the spring rolls or can be served with other side dishes.  Bon Appetit!  Best, Donna:

Donna's Fresh Spring Rolls with Plum Sweet & Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

Spring Rolls:

3 cups cole slaw mix or shredded cabbage

3 green onions, chopped

One 8 ounce package fresh mushrooms, rinsed and chopped

One 8 ounce can bean sprouts, drained

2 Tablespoons ginger root, grated

1 generous teaspoon Five Spice Powder*

Salt and pepper to taste

6 – 8 spring roll skins

6 – 8 romaine leaves

1 package (8 ounces) crabmeat or cooked shrimp

Method:

Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl.  Soften spring roll skins individually in lukewarm water for about 30 seconds.  Top skin with romaine leaf, vegetable mix and seafood.  Fold over opposite corners on top of mixture and roll up egg-roll fashion.  Repeat until all rolls are filled.  Serve immediately with Plum Sweet & Sour Sauce.

*Available in the Oriental section of your grocery store or Oriental market.

Plum Sweet & Sour Sauce:

Ingredients:

One 10 ounce jar plum jam

¼ cup white or rice vinegar

1 cup fresh pineapple or 1 can (7½ ounces) crushed, undrained     

Method:

Melt jam in a medium size saucepan.  Add vinegar and undrained pineapple.  Mix well and stir until sauce is heated through and starts to bubble.  Cool and refrigerate.  Serve chilled with spring rolls.

Serves 6 – 8.

Donna's Roasted Salmon with Salsa Verde & Sweet Pepper Sauce

2½ pounds salmon fillets

Salt and pepper to taste

One 16 ounce jar Salsa Verde (Herdez or other brand)

1 cup sweet bell pepper (green, red, yellow or mix), chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Method:
Preheat oven to 400° F.  Cover 9 x 13" pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking oil.  Place salmon fillets in pan and season with salt and pepper.  Mix together salsa verde and peppers and pour on top of salmon.  Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, depending upon thickness of salmon, until done.

Serves 6.

Copyright 2015.

Donna's Black Cherry Amaretto Frozen Yogurt

Hello to All, thank you for visiting my blog!  I enjoy creating and sharing my recipes with anyone interested and offer this simple, easy and delicious frozen yogurt recipe using fresh black cherries.  It takes very little time to pull together and freezes fast so you can have a showstopper dessert ready anytime!  Best, Donna:

Donna's Black Cherry Amaretto Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

2-2/3 cups black cherry flavored Greek yogurt (or four 5.3 ounce containers)

1-1/3 cups vanilla flavored Greek yogurt (or two 5.3 ounce containers)

1 Tablespoon Amaretto liqueur

1 cup black cherries, washed, pitted and coarsely chopped (about 24 cherries)

½ cup almonds, slivered or sliced

¼ cup mini chocolate chips, if desired

Method:

Using spoon, mix together the yogurts and amaretto in medium sized bowl.  Place in ice cream maker and process for 15 minutes, adding the cherries and nuts (and chocolate, if desired).  Process for an additional 5 minutes or until ingredients are incorporated.  Place in container and freeze immediately.

Makes 1 quart.

Copyright 2015.

Donna's Meatless Taco Salad Pizza, Meatless Spanish Breakfast Scramble and Meatless BBQ Lettuce Wraps

Dear Friends in Health, I have been experimenting with a meatless protein product called Beyond Meat that was recommended to us by my son and daughter-in-law.  He is working on a documentary about how we as a society eat factory farm animals for sustenance and explored alternative protein sources.  I developed these recipes using the Beyond Beef Feisty Crumbles product and was very surprised and pleased at the results.  I hope you give these recipes a try - we will be going meatless more often!  Best, Donna:

Donna's Meatless Taco Salad Pizza

Ingredients:

1 large gluten-free tortilla or pizza crust

½ cup fresh salsa, medium

1½ cups Beyond Meat’s Beyond Beef, Feisty Crumbles flavor, meatless protein product

½ sweet onion, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

¼ cup grape tomatoes, chopped

1 cup corn kernels

½ cup black olives, sliced

1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded

1 cup gluten free tortilla chips, crumbled

Avocado slices

Lime wedges

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray a pizza pan or cookie sheet with cooking oil and top with crust.  Spoon on salsa and add rest of ingredients in order given.  Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until cheese and chips are golden brown and ingredients are heated through.  Remove from oven, let rest for a few minutes before slicing.  Serve with avocado slices and lime wedges, if desired.

Serves 2.

Donna's Meatless Spanish Breakfast Scramble

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter

½ green pepper, chopped

½ sweet onion, chopped

½ cup black olives, sliced

12 eggs, beaten

1 cup Beyond Meat’s Beyond Beef, Feisty Crumbles flavor, meatless protein product

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Salsa

Method:

Melt butter in large frying pan over medium high heat.  Saute pepper and onion until softened and onion is golden; add olives and heat through.  Add eggs, the crumbles, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir until cooked through.  Top with cheese and serve with salsa, if desired.

Serves 5 – 6.

 Donna's Meatless BBQ Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

One 11 ounce package Beyond Meat’s Beyond Beef, Feisty Crumbles flavor, meatless protein product

1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 bunch Romaine lettuce, leaves separated and washed

½ sweet pepper (green, red or yellow), chopped

2 Tablespoons Asiago cheese, freshly grated

Method:

Mix first 3 ingredients in glass dish with lid.  Cover and heat in microwave on High about 3 minutes.  Place filling onto romaine leaves and top with sweet peppers.  Serve with rice or tortilla chips, if desired.

Serves 2.

Copyright 2015.

Donna's Perfect Blueberry Jam and Perfect Raspberry Jam

Dear Friends, I know that this is the middle of summer but I just cannot resist preserving the luscious fruit that is available this time of year!  Pulling out a jar of blueberry or raspberry jam - or both - in the middle of winter and serving it with hot bread or on toast is such a delight!  I hope you make some soon!  Best, Donna:

Donna's Perfect Blueberry Jam

Ingredients:

2 quarts fresh blueberries, cleaned and mashed

One 1.75 ounce box Ball Fruit Jell, No Sugar Needed

½ cup orange or cherry juice

4½ cups sugar

Method:

Mix berries, juice and fruit jell; bring to full boil.  Add sugar and bring to full, rolling boil for 1 minute.  Place in 8 ounce canning jars.

Makes 9-10 eight ounce jars.

Donna's Perfect Raspberry Jam

Ingredients:

5 pints fresh raspberries, gently washed and mashed

One 1.75 ounce box Ball Fruit Jell, No Sugar Needed

¾ cup cherry juice

5 cups raw (turbinado) sugar

Method:

Mix berries, juice and fruit jell; bring to full boil.  Add sugar and bring to full, rolling boil for 1 minute.  Place in 8 ounce canning jars.

Makes 9-10 eight ounce jars.

Copyright 2015.

Donna's Mediterranean Salad, White Sangria, Tara's Quick Iced Tea, Sulfur Island Iced Tea

Dear Culinary Adventurers, a simple pizza party can be turned into a feast with a few outstanding side salads and desserts.  In celebration of our 7 month old grandson, Phinneaus, we hosted a pizza party this past weekend for 21 family members and served this luscious vegetarian salad as well as Donna's Hash Brown Potato Salad (see 04 January 2015 post for recipe) and Donna's Shrimp Guacamole Salad (24 December 2014 post for recipe).  May you live long and prosper!  Best, Donna:

Donna's Mediterranean Salad

(Inspired by James Caruso’s Ensalada Mediterranean)

Ingredients:

1 cup sauvignon blanc or other white wine

One 6 ounce package dried apricots, cut into thirds

One 12 ounce package Medjool dates, cut into thirds

3 Tablespoons raspberry vinegar

¾ cup olive or canola oil

¼ cup honey

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

10 ounces (~7 cups) spring mix lettuce or arugula

½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted

½ cup Marcona almonds

½ cup blue cheese, crumbled

Gluten free croutons

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

Heat the wine in a small saucepan and add the dried fruit.  Bring to boil and heat until liquid is almost absorbed.  Remove from stove and set aside to cool.  Mix together the next 5 ingredients for the dressing.

Place the greens on a large platter and top with the cooked fruit, olives, almonds, blue cheese and croutons.  Pour dressing over top of salad and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to finish.

Serves 12.

Donna’s White Sangria

 Ingredients:

One 1.5 liter or two 750 mL bottles pink Pinot Grigio or white zinfandel

1½ cups Canada Dry ginger ale

1 cup apricot flavored brandy

Assorted sliced fruit such as lemons, limes, oranges, peaches, strawberries

Method:

Mix all ingredients in large pitcher and chill.  Add fruit to sangria just before serving.

Serves 6 – 8.

Tara's Quick Iced Tea

Place 4 tea bags, any variety, into a quart jar and fill with cold water.  Microwave 3 - 5 minutes until water turns brown.  Chill in refrigerator.  Add ice and lemon or other citrus slices when serving.

Sulfur Island Iced Tea

Combine equal parts of Tara's Quick Iced Tea with Donna's White Sangria, add ice cubes and fruit and enjoy!

Copyright 2015.