Surfer's Granola

For a while, I'd gotten into the bad habit of buying granola. I know that it's cheap and easy to make, but I'd gotten caught up in other projects (namely homebrewing) and abandoned my habit of making all my own granola and granola bars. And although I maintain a dedication to the fermented arts, I also made a New Years' resolution to get back into the habit of stocking my pantry and freezer with the fruits of my own labor. I've had this recipe bouncing around in the back of my head since I originally saw it in Bon Appetit and thought there no better time to conquer long-neglected tasks than the first week of the New Year. I don't much buy in to the idea of having to make goals and or better yourself on any sort of set schedule, but I do adore ritual and tradition and the psychological boost of a clean slate. And so I started off my year with a number of culinary efforts, including this granola. I've made many fruit and nut granolas, but this one distinguishes itself with a pleasant added crunch from the millet and unique texture. By first soaking the oats with hot water and then baking low and slow, you form delightfully crunchy shards of granola in all shapes and sizes. It's true that baking the nuts and oats separately requires more time and effort that the typical granola where they're all baked together at a higher temperature, but it's well worth it for the new sensory experience. Whether sprinkled generously over yogurt for breakfast or ice cream for dessert, this granola will delight your taste buds with salty, sweet, crunchy, and soft in each delicious bite.

Surfer's Granola
adapted from Bon Appetit
makes about 1 quart

2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup millet (optional; if not using, add an extra 1/4 cup oats)
1 tablespoon golden or other flaxseeds (optional)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup honey
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
3/4 raw almonds, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1. Heat oven to 300°. Mix oats, millet and flaxseeds (if using), 1/4 tsp. salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup hot tap water. Mix thoroughly and let stand for 15 minutes to soften oats.

2. Bring honey, 2 Tbsp. oil, and brown sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add honey mixture to oat mixture in bowl and toss to coat. Spread out in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.

3. Bake oat mixture, stirring 2–3 times, until dark golden brown, 50–70 minutes. Place sheet on a wire rack and let oat mixture cool completely.

4. Increase oven temperature to 350°. Mix remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and sugar in a medium bowl. Spread in an even layer on another rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 12–15 minutes. Place sheet on a wire rack and let nut mixture cool completely.

Combine oat mixture, nut mixture, and raisins in a large bowl.

Spinach and Artichoke Nachos with Chicken

At this point in the NFL season, any game could be your last, so you've got to really bring it with the snacks. I was recently struck with a craving for spinach and artichoke dip, but because I knew I'd eat far more than is good for me, I wanted to scale it back to a slightly more reasonable portion. Given my recent penchant for nachos, it seemed natural to use that template to size it down. And so I bring you, spinach and artichoke nachos! (If you still want to enjoy it as a dip, just bake the spinach and artichoke mixture and serve tortilla or pita chips on the side). This is everything you expect from spinach and artichoke dip - a plethora of veggies enveloped by rich and cheesy goodness - perfectly sized for one or two; add the chicken to really turn it into a meal. The healthy helping of vegetables are both delicious and nutritious, the cheese blend melty and nutty, with just the right spicy punch from the red pepper flakes. I like to use light mayo and light sour cream to bring it all together because it creates a creamy base without making an already rich dish too heavy. Any sturdy tortilla or pita chip will do here, but I love Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Tortilla chips, the extra subtle hint of sweetness making these an even more perfect canvas for my nacho experimentation. All there's really left to say is GO PACK GO! and happy footballing, no matter who you're cheering for this weekend (unless it's the 49ers).

Spinach and Artichoke Nachos with Chicken
serves 1 to 2

Cooking spray or canola or olive oil
4 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces (optional)

2 ounces tortilla chips
2.5 ounces (about 1 cup) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, excess moisture squeezed out
3 ounces (about 3/4 cup) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, and chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons light mayo
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1 ounce (1/4 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 ounce (3 tablespoons) shredded Parmesan cheese
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. If including chicken, preheat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook until meat has reached 170 degrees F and is no longer pink.

2. Meanwhile combine spinach, artichokes, mayo, sour cream, cheeses, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Place tortilla chips on an oven-safe platter in an even layer and top with the spinach and artichoke mixture.

4. Place platter in the oven and bake until spinach and artichoke mixture is warm and  melty, about 8 to 12 minutes. Turn oven to broil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, another 3 to 5 minutes (or more, depending on the strength of your broiler). Serve immediately.

(Alternatively, the spinach and artichoke mixture can be baked alone and served with chips on the side).

Roasted Beet and Potato Borscht

I've never cared much for beets. Since my parents were children of the poorly-cooked vegetables of the 1950s, I was not subjected to many of the most-feared vegetables of childhood like Brussels sprouts and beets. I was never a horribly picky kid, scarfing down carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, green beans, and sugar snap peas with much aplomb, coming to adulthood with an ever-growing palate. Now that I'm an adult, I'm happy to revisit these much-maligned vegetables. I'll confess I've given away most of my CSA beets these past few years, overwhelmed with so many other root vegetables that I didn't have the time or inclination to experiment too much with something that I only had a passing interest in. But this year was the year I finally tackled the beet challenge! As I had suspected, the key to making me adore this vegetable was roasting it. Roasting takes beets from tasting like, quite frankly, dirt, to a sweet and earthy treat. That caramelization forms most of the flavor base, played up with a splash of vinegar and handful of fresh thyme. I'm glad this was one of the recipes I kicked off 2013 with - if it's any indication of my culinary destiny for the year, it'll be organic, local, healthy, and full of flavor.

Roasted Beet and Potato Borscht

from Martha Stewart

serves 4

2 pounds red beets, scrubbed, peeled, and diced medium
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced medium
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
3 to 5 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
Sour cream, (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Thinly sliced scallion greens (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet, toss together beets, potatoes, shallots, thyme, and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and roast until beets and potatoes are cooked through, about 45 minutes.

2. Discard thyme. Add vegetables to a medium pot, along with broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. With a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon, mash some vegetables until soup is thick and chunky. Stir in vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, top with sour cream, parsley, and scallion greens, if desired.

Root Beer Carrots

I need to say right off the bat that I never look to Rachael Ray for culinary inspiration. That being said, when this dish was served to me, it was too good for me not to repeat it at my Christmas dinner. In additional to being a craft beer connoisseur, I am also a craft root beer connoisseur, and I love recipes that use either type of delightful beverage. Good root beer contains so many flavors I adore - nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves - and it's a wonderful shortcut to add a lot of flavor with minimal effort. The better the root beer, the better this recipe will turn out, but the additional spices boost even mediocre root beer if that's all you've got. All of these warm spices and sweetness might be a bit too much if it were not for the generous amount of fresh thyme sprinkled over the top, it's freshness and just a hint of bitterness cutting through. If you've been blessed with a generous store of carrots as I have, look no further than this recipe. In less than 30 (mostly unattended minutes) you'll have a heaping bowl of delicious veggies to serve the hungry masses, be it a holiday or just an average Tuesday.

Root Beer Carrots
adapted from Rachael Ray
serves 8

1 12 ounce bottle root beer (I recommend Virgil's or Blue Sky or another craft root beer)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 pounds ready-peeled baby carrots (or larger carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1. In a large skillet, bring 1/2 cup water, the root beer, sugar, cinnamon, cumin, cloves and salt to a boil. Add the carrots, return to a boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and boil until tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the thyme. Using a slotted spoon, place the carrots in a bowl.

Delicata Squash Sformato

We may have just finished up the season of celebrating, but I still have to share my favorite new dish I cooked during the holiday season. Until I made this recipe, I'd been mostly trudging through my ample squash supply, roasting, pureeing, and freezing like some sort of gourd-processing robot. This recipe, however, got me excited about squash puree again. I was a little hesitant to serve this recipe at Christmas without first vetting it myself, but it turned to out to a be a real highlight of the meal. The squash itself was smooth and silky, with the cheese, sour cream, and egg enriching it enough to make it more than just plain ol' squash puree. The use of sweet (nutmeg) and savory (thyme, salt, and pepper) seasonings exploit squash's ability the play well in both sweet and savory applications. Maple syrup blends beautifully with the squash's inherent sweetness, but it is cut through perfectly with the acidic accent from the balsamic vinegar. I was honestly surprised at how much I loved this recipe and was unable to disguise my delight as I enjoyed my first few tastes. It's only fitting to start off a new year with one of my favorite bites of the past one to send you off on new culinary adventures in 2013. In the words of Jacques Pepin, happy cooking!

Delicata Squash Sformato

adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen by Sara Forte

serves 4

1 large delicata squash (about 3 pounds)
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Jack cheese
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and pierce a few holes in the skin. Place the squash cut side down in a glass baking dish and roast in the oven until soft, 40 to 45 minutes. The timing may vary, so keep an eye on it. You want a few brown blisters and to be able to pierce it easily with a fork. Set aside and let cool.

3. Put the crème fraîche, Jack cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine.

4. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh away from the skin and put it in a bowl. Add the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and mash the squash until smooth. Add the cheese mixture and stir to combine. Add the egg and nutmeg, giving the mixture a final stir.

5. Grease an 8 by 8-inch baking dish on all sides and pour in the squash mixture. Turn the oven down to 375°F and bake until brown spots start to show on top, 30 to 40 minutes. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Thai Chicken Nachos

Normally when I go on a culinary tangent I like to mete out my recipes in any one particular theme slowly, but since we've only got a few weeks of football snacking left, I thought I should get my nacho recipes out in short order. Last time I shared nachos of the Italian persuasion, but this time I borrowed from a totally different culinary tradition for something lighter and spicier, Thai Chicken Nachos. Where Italian Nachos were rich and deeply savory, these nachos are light and spicy, two different but equally satisfying ways to satisfy your nacho craving. A generous amount of scallions, cilantro, and jalapeno make these nachos fresh and give a nod to the traditional recipe. Feta cheese maintains the requisite cheesy goodness in light and salty fashion, and the chicken and peanuts make them substantial and savory. If you're looking to spice up your football snacks or simply indulge without doing too much damage, this is the recipe for you.

Thai Chicken Nachos
serves 1 to 2

Cooking spray or canola or olive oil
4 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
2 ounces tortilla chips
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 fresh or pickled red or green jalapeno, thinly sliced
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons prepared peanut sauce, diluted with 1 to 2 tablespoons water
Finely chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Meanwhile, preheat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook until meat is no longer pink and at least 170 degrees F.

2. Place tortilla chips on an oven-safe platter in an even layer. Top chips with scallions, cooked chicken, half the cilantro, jalapeno, and feta cheese. Drizzle diluted peanut sauce over the top.

3. Place platter in the oven and bake until nachos are warmed through and cheese is slightly melted (feta does not melt like mozzarella, etc.). Top with the remaining cilantro and peanuts, if using, and serve immediately.

Italian Nachos

There are bowl games and NFL playoffs coming up, and let's face it, you need snacks. I spent most of the Packer season making personal pizzas/flatbreads and experimenting with different variations on poutine, but after I decided I'd exhausted my creativity with those foods (at least for the time being), I starting flexing my culinary muscle with nachos. First of all, I should say that I'm using with word nachos very loosely here (i.e. tortilla chips with toppings), but since no real Mexican cuisine actually includes nachos, I don't feel bad about flexing the definition. That being said, who doesn't love tortilla chips smothered in cheese, sauce, meat, and veggies? I started my nacho tangent with something very standard and about as Mexican as nachos ever get-chicken, black beans, corn, cheddar, salsa, sour cream, scallions, and cilantro. While that was an absolutely delicious plate of indulgence, my mind immediately started to calculate other delicious combinations, this being my first nonstandard creation. It may be a bastardization of two cultures, but there's no denying that  sausage, peppers, onions, marinara and mozzarella are all great friends and make tortilla chips just as happy as they do pasta. But if this rich dish makes you feel a little too guilty, just sneak it in before New Years' resolutions roll around and make up for it in 2013.

Italian Nachos
serves 1 very hungry person or 2 average appetites

1 link sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 small yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces jarred roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and cut into strips
2 ounces tortilla chips
1/2 cup marinara sauce
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Meanwhile, remove the casing from the Italian sausage, and cook in a large skillet about 7 to 8 minutes, until sausage is nicely browned. Add the sliced onions to the skillet and continue to cook until onions are browned and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes more, adding the roasted red peppers during the last few minutes of cooking to warm through.

2. Place tortilla chips on an oven-safe platter in an even layer. Top chips with sausage, pepper, and onion mixture, pour marinara over the top, and sprinkle with mozzarella.

3. Place platter in the oven and bake until nachos are warmed through and cheese is melted and browned in spots, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.