Lemon Poppy Seed Granola

Oh my, this granola is so good! Very zingy with tons of lemon flavor.

Lemon Poppy Seed Granola
adapted from Dessert for Two

1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened, if possible)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. honey
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a small cookie sheet.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, lemon zest, poppy seeds, salt and sunflower seeds.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter, honey, lemon juice and almond extract. Once thoroughly melted, add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Spread granola evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes. Stir well (the edges of the pan will brown faster). Bake for another 7-9 minutes until golden brown. Check often so it doesn't burn. Serve with yogurt.

Apple Cake with Honey Glaze

My mom recommended I try this recipe and it was delicious!

Apple Cake with Honey Glaze
adapted from Paula Deen

3 cups diced, peeled apples
1 cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups coconut oil, melted
3 eggs

Honey glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a Bundt pan or tube pan.

In a bowl, mix together the apples, walnuts, vanilla, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Using an electric mixer beat the sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Add in the dry ingredients and beat until completely combined. Fold in the apple mixture.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60 - 75 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to fully cool in the pan, about 1 hour, and then turn it out onto a plate. Meanwhile, whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth.

Drizzle the apple cake with some of the honey glaze, serve and enjoy. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Puree - whole squash method

I've been making my own pumpkin puree for a few years now using this method. I've recently discovered a much easier way to do it! Cutting squash is hard work and always seems a bit dangerous. Instead cook the pumpkin (or try other squash) whole, and then cut it. I usually cook two pumpkins at once.

Wash and dry pumpkin. Place one drop of olive oil into palm of hands, then rub hands onto dry pumpkin. Place pumpkin on a foil covered sheet into a 350° oven; do not poke or pierce with a knife. Bake for one to two hours, depending on size of the pumpkin. You'll know it's ready when the pumpkin is slightly browned, dents easily with a wooden spoon, and there is a pumpkin aroma filling the kitchen. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut in half with a serrated knife. Remove and discard seeds (or save them for roasting) and stringy center. Now scoop the flesh from the skin and put into a large bowl. Whip with an electric mixer or immersion blender until smooth. Refrigerate or freeze until needed.

Spelt Biscuits

Use freshly ground spelt flour for a hearty take on the biscuit.

Spelt Biscuits
from So Good and Tasty

3/4 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 1/2 cups spelt flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and vinegar (alternatively you can use buttermilk), set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your hands, rub in the butter into the flour mixture until you have roughly little pea size bits.

Stir in the milk mixture with a wooden spoon. You should have a shaggy doughy mess, don't worry if it seems dry at this point. Dump everything out onto a clean surface and knead the dough 10-15 times just until all the flour is worked in.

Flatten the dough out into a 1" thick circle and use a biscuit cutter to make neat rounds of dough. Gather together any remaining dough scraps and repeat until you have 8-10 biscuits cut out. Place them on a baking pan and bake for 18-20 minutes. Serve warm.

Garlic Dijon Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin has to be my favorite cut of pork. This recipe was very simple and full of flavor. My pork looks undercooked, but I did check the temperature to ensure it was high enough.

Garlic Dijon Pork Tenderloin
from Handle the Heat

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Dijon style mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the tenderloin in a shallow baking dish.

Combine the olive oil, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl. Rub the mixture evenly onto the tenderloins. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer registers 155°F. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into thick slices and serving.

Ginger Cake

I love ginger, so I've been dreaming about making this cake forever. It is delicious and I suppose like a gingerbread cake.

Ginger Cake
from Epicurious

4 ounces fresh ginger
1 cup mild molasses
1 cup sugar
1 cup coconut oil, melted
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs, at room temperature

Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 by 3-inch round cake pan or a 9 1/2 inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper.

Peel, slice, and chop the ginger very fine with a knife (or use a grater). Mix together the molasses, sugar, and oil. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.

Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, stir in the baking soda, and then mix the hot water into the molasses mixture. Stir in the ginger.

Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the batter. Add the eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour, until the top of the cake springs back lightly when pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake browns too quickly before the cake is done, drape a piece of foil over it and continue baking.

Cool the cake for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.

Fermented Pickles

These fermented pickles were easy to make and are very tasty. I was determined to make my own pickles this summer when I discovered the brand I had been buying had food dye in it.

Fermented Pickles
adapted from My Humble Kitchen

about 24 small 4"-5" pickling cucumbers
6 cloves garlic, ends removed and smashed
6 bay leaves (2 bay leaves per jar)
2 1/2 Tbsp pickling spice - see below
fresh dill, cut into smaller sprigs
6 Tbsp kosher salt

Properly clean 3 quart sized mason jars.

Gently clean and remove flower ends from cucumbers.

To each quart sized mason jar, stack the bottom with as many cucumbers as you can fit.

Divide the pickling spice between the jars.

To each jar, add 2 garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves.

Add a good amount of dill to each jar, then fill each jar with as many more cucumbers as you can fit. Do not allow the cucumbers to go up into the band area. Make sure there's 1" headspace between the top of the jar and the lid.

On the stovetop, heat 1 quart of filtered water with 6 Tbsp of salt until it dissolves. Once the salt dissolves into the water, remove from heat. Add 1 1/3 cups of the salt solution brine to each jar.

Fill the remainder of the jars with enough filtered water to cover all the ingredients.

Place a lid on each jar and give it a good shake to mix the water and salt brine solution. Make sure to check after shaking that all the ingredients are submerged. Place the jar in a cool dark place.

After one week, open the jars to allow the gases to escape. Close up jars and return to a cool, dark place.

After two weeks, move the jars to the refrigerator. They will last at least 6 months.

Pickling Spice

1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp whole allspice
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp whole cloves

Combine ingredients.