Chocolate Cherry Granola

We had our first snowfall of the season last week! We woke up to the hush of snow-blanketed ground and it was just beautiful. Of course, it also meant the chickens’ water was frozen so I needed to get one of those warmers to put their water container on, and Bob hung a heating light in their coop so they can be toasty warm for the winter months. We’re still adapting to living full-time in the valley!

One of our dogs, Boots, found the warmest spot in the cabin to spend her day. I think she’ll be spending a lot of time there!

The snow was a reminder that winter is nearing and, since we could easily be snowed in for days at a time, I’ve been filling our shed shelves with staples such as beans and grains for those snowy days we can’t make it out.

It’s also time to start thinking about holiday gifts, especially since Hanukkah begins the night before Thanksgiving this year. I like to give (and receive!) homemade gifts, and a jar of granola tied with a festive ribbon is always welcome. Granola is also something that can be made with those pantry staples, so I plan to keep a jar ready on the counter all season.

I’ve made many batches of my Blueberry Maple Granola, but this last time decided to mix it up a bit and made a chocolate version. I stirred together honey, coconut oil, vanilla, cocoa powder and a big pinch of flaky sea salt before mixing in oats, cacao nibs and chia seeds. After baking, a handful of dried cherries finished it off.

A scoop of chocolate granola is hard to resist for breakfast and I don’t expect it to last long. We’re expecting more snow this weekend so I may be making another batch soon!

Chocolate Cherry Granola
Makes about 4 cups

1/3 cup raw honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the honey, coconut oil, vanilla and cocoa powder until smooth. Add the chia seeds, cacao nibs and salt and mix in. Gently fold in the oats until just coated. Spread the mixture out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the granola for 9 minutes, stir the edges to keep from burning bake for another 8-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Stir in the dried cherries and store the granola in a sealed container at room temperature.

Dukkah Spice Blend and October Unprocessed

Today I’m thrilled to be contributing to October Unprocessed! Andrew Wilder created this marvelous challenge on his blog, Eating Rules, and this is my third year to take the pledge and eat only unprocessed food for a month. Each year, I learn something new from the creative, inspiring posts that are shared daily for the month of October, and am motivated to further “un-process” my food while still keeping it delicious.

I’m sharing a recipe today for one of my favorite spice blends, dukkah. You can read the full post and get the recipe here. And please consider joining me in taking the pledge!

Ras el Hanout and Roses

February was all about roses – cooking with them! Rose water and dried petals were the ingredients of choice as I virtually cooked along with others in our Tasting Jerusalem group. It is truly a pleasure to learn, share and discover together. Hopefully some of us will be able to cook in person together, or maybe even meet in Jerusalem (I’ll be there in August!) ... one can dream.

In the past, I’ve been rather timid to cook with rose water, preferring to use it as a perfume or skin tonic. Perhaps I’ve used too much, leading to a soapy flavor. But as I’ve said before, I appreciate being challenged and discovering something new.

Several months ago I made the harissa recipe in Jerusalem: A Cookbook and was immediately hooked. I look for any opportunity to open the jar so had already marked the Panfried Sea Bass with Harissa and Rose. The halibut at our fish counter looked beautiful, so I used it in place of the sea bass. A myriad of flavors mingled delightfully in the finished dish, with spicy harissa, sweet honey and currants, onions, the acidity of vinegar and a hint of rose water. A scattering of rose petals on top is pretty, too!

Cardamom Rice Pudding with Pistachios and Rose Water was my next foray into rose water. For the pudding, I used half and half since I already had some on hand (in place of whole milk and cream), and skipped the condensed milk since I did not have any on hand. I also used short grain brown rice, and upon reflection should have known to cook it a bit longer since it was rather too al dente. The rose water added a delicate note, and the honey and rose syrup to drizzle is quite nice. Needless to say, it was all eaten! I pulled out my grandmother’s china cups to serve it in, since I think a pudding with rose petals warrants fancy tea cups.

My friends Debbie and Margot each made the Watercress and Chickpea Soup with Rose Water and Ras el Hanout and quite enjoyed it, so based on their recommendation I knew I would, too. This is a marvelous bowl of green! Fresh spinach and watercress are briefly cooked and whirled together with chickpeas, onions, ginger and a few drops of rose water and topped with chickpeas and carrots roasted with a spice blend called ras el hanout. I’ve already made the soup two times. The second time I left out the ginger as my family felt it overwhelmed the other flavors, and as much as I like ginger I found I preferred it this way myself. If you make this, do yourself a favor and just double or triple the carrots and chickpeas from the start since you’ll be nibbling away on them. The rose water subtly perfumed the soup in a pleasing way.

At Margot’s suggestion, I made my own ras el hanout spice mix. Ras el hanout is Moroccan in origin and is Arabic for “head of the shop.” There are many variations of this mix, sometimes using up to twenty spices, and each spice shop has its own version. I decided to be like the spice vendors and create my own blend. Plus, I love any opportunity to use my mortar and pestle! I toasted some cumin seeds and coriander seeds until they were fragrant, then pounded them together with cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, pepper and paprika. Earthy and warm, this is a mix I’ll be reaching for many times.

This next dish does not involve roses in any way, but it was my husband and sons’ favorite snack that I made from Jerusalem in February (other than copious amounts of hummus) so I recommend it.  Chopped liver! This was my first time making anything with chicken livers, but one of the goals of Tasting Jerusalem is to try new ingredients and I am doing just that. Bob, Sam and Isaac loved it. I served it during the Super Bowl with homemade sourdough rye bread and it disappeared. It is rich, filled with onions and eggs, and I’ll be making it again for my men.

Ras el Hanout Spice Blend
Makes 1/2 cup

2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup paprika

In a small pan, toast the cumin seeds over high heat until they become fragrant, about a minute or two (take care not to burn them). Grind with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Pour the ground seeds into a small bowl. Next toast the coriander seeds in the same pan over high heat until they, too, become fragrant. Grind the seeds and add to the cumin seeds.

Add the rest of the spices and stir gently to combine. Store the spice blend in a covered jar for several months.  Use it to jazz up roasted veggies, stews, flavor meat or season legumes.

Cardamom-Scented Truffles for Valentine’s Day

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I’m excited to share some chocolate truffles with you. While eating chocolate is an almost daily experience in our house, this chocolate-inspired holiday calls for some extra indulgence and these rich, dark, silky truffles provide just that.

Truffles elevate any occasion and add an elegant touch of sweetness. Happily, they are quite easy to make, with only a few ingredients and a dusting of cocoa powder.

I usually prefer pure dark chocolate truffles with a whiff of vanilla, and you can easily tailor them to your taste just by adding a touch of bourbon, rum or your favorite liqueur.

Lately, though, I’ve discovered the joys of bitters. Scrappy’s Bitters, crafted here in Seattle, have a tempting selection of flavors. They enhance glasses of seltzer and make wonderful cocktails (we recently made this delightful one with grapefruit bitters).

My newest favorite is their cardamom. I’ve been adding a dash or two to my coffee, and just made a marvelous hot toddy with ginger tea, honey, bourbon and a few drops of cardamom bitters. So as I was making these truffles, I reached for that bottle of bitters sitting on the counter.

I didn’t want the cardamom to overwhelm, and with bitters a little bit goes a long way. A couple of dashes scented the truffles with a warm spice and blended beautifully with the homemade bourbon vanilla that was already mixed into the glossy bowl of melted chocolate and cream. After chilling in the fridge, I rolled small scoops in raw cacao powder to finish them.

Not too sweet and extremely rich, with hints of cardamom and vanilla, these truffles are divine and handmade with love. They have a rustic, charming appeal and are a luscious sweet to savor while snuggling with your Valentine.

Cardamom-Scented Truffles
Makes 28

1/2 pound dark, good quality chocolate (I use 70-85 % cocoa content)
1/2 cup organic heavy cream
1 tablespoon homemade bourbon vanilla (or store-bought vanilla)
2 – 4 dashes cardamom bitters, depending upon your preference for cardamom flavor (taste and see as you go)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder

Chop the chocolate and set aside in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Watch it closely to make sure it doesn’t boil over or scorch. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and gently stir to melt the chocolate. Keep stirring until it is smooth and glossy. Add vanilla extract and bitters and mix in. Cover the bowl and pop in the fridge to chill until firm, about 2 hours (can make ahead and chilled overnight).

Sift the cocoa powder onto a sheet of parchment paper. Remove the truffle mix from the fridge. Using a teaspoon or very small cookie scoop, drop rounded scoops of the truffles onto the cocoa powder. Roll each truffle until it is well coated in the cocoa powder. Store the truffles in a covered container in the fridge where they will keep for 2 weeks.

Homemade Sriracha

A couple of years ago I got hooked on homemade sriracha. I had discovered a recipe on Food52 and made it immediately. Upon tasting the homemade sauce, my family and I declared it superior to the store-bought sriracha which we immediately tossed out in favor of our new favorite. This experience opened my eyes to the world of homemade condiments, and sriracha became my gateway condiment, if you will.

Here at Blue Kale Road, I love telling you about new creations as well as family recipes, and sriracha has become a family recipe. It is one of those repertoire recipes, one without which my boys will not leave home. We are never without a jar in the fridge, and I can’t begin to tell you all the times we have dolloped and slathered this fiery red sauce.

I’ve seen quite a few variations of sriracha made in home kitchens, some are cooked, others fresh, some have fish sauce, while others have tomatoes. But they all share chiles, vinegar, garlic, salt and a sweetener, and I have stuck with these basics. I have stayed close to the original recipe I first discovered, making only a few little tweaks. After a whirl in the blender, the combination of red fresno chiles and garlic creates a sauce with heat and spice, balanced with bright flavor from apple cider vinegar and a touch of honey sweetness (which I used in place of the original white vinegar and brown sugar). I truly can’t get enough of this stuff.

The clean, fresh, vibrant flavors will make your taste buds sing, and it packs a punch! Mix a dab with creamy egg yolks for a twist on deviled eggs, stir a bit into mayo for a zesty sandwich spread or quick dip, or simply dollop away on eggs, rice or anything you’d like to jazz up.  Just be prepared to keep fresno chiles on your regular shopping list.

Sriracha Sauce
Adapted from Food52
Makes 2 cups

12 ounces fresno chiles (also called red jalapenos), stems removed and sliced
7 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons raw honey

In a large jar, combine the sliced chiles (and seeds), garlic, kosher salt and cider vinegar. Screw the lid on and give a few little shakes to mix. Leave the mixture to sit on the counter overnight.

The next day, pour the jar contents into a medium saucepan and add the honey. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir a few times, then lower heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the stove and let cool to room temperature.

When cool, pour the mixture into a blender and puree until very smooth (this will take a few minutes). Stop and scrape the sides down a couple of times. Pour into a jar and pop it into the fridge, where it will keep for up to one month.

Green Curry Paste

When Pop, our wonderful exchange student from Thailand, lived with us I became hooked on making curry pastes from scratch rather than buying the little bottles in the store. Pop is a terrific cook and spoiled us well with her delicious food! I took notes when she was cooking, and green curry paste was something she made fairly often.

Fresh curry paste is vibrant and flavorful. By making your own, you can tweak the ingredients (I leave out the traditional shrimp paste) and the spice levels. No cooking is involved and it's a quick one to make.

You can whiz the ingredients together in a food processor, or my favorite way is to use a mortar and pestle. This method takes time, and there is something quite satisfying about pounding away and creating the bright green paste. The lively scents of lemongrass, basil, cilantro, chiles and lime coming together are intoxicating. As I pound away, I inhale deeply, my spirits lift and I feel awake. My eyes water, too!

When mixed with coconut milk and veggies, simmered and then ladled over rice, this curry paste transforms into a simple, spicy stew. It warms and soothes on a cold winter night when the snow is falling. And if you’re looking for a unique gift to bring your hosts on New Year's Eve, just spoon some into a little jar with a ribbon around it. I wish you a happy, healthy, and delicious new year!

Green Curry Paste
Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon lime zest
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 ounces green chiles (Thai or Serrano chiles are good), stems removed and roughly chopped (remove seeds if less heat is desired)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro stems (save the leaves for another use)
1 large shallot (about 3 ounces), coarsely chopped
1 ounce fresh galangal root, finely minced
2 ounces Thai basil leaves, slivered
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, finely chopped
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Stir all the ingredients except the water the lemon juice together in a bowl. Depending upon the size of your mortar, you may need to make this in batches. Place your mortar on a folded kitchen towel to secure its base and protect your kitchen counter. Scoop the spice and chile mix into the mortar and begin mashing with your pestle. Add a couple drops of water and lemon juice to moisten and help it come together. Continue mashing and bashing until a rough paste is formed. This may take about 15 minutes and will give you a bit of a workout.

If you would prefer a quicker method, you can pulse the ingredients in a food processor until a rough paste forms, adding the water and lemon juice to help it come together.

Scoop the paste into a jar and cover. The paste keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks or can be frozen, so it's great to make extra to have on hand.

Maple Roasted Nuts: Gifts from Home

This has been a week filled with sadness and tears, and I am finding that time in my kitchen has been soothing and a bit therapeutic. To focus on creating something with my hands is restorative and quiets my mind. Cooking and baking also allows me to share with others, to nurture and express care in a tangible way. We could all use a little extra tenderness right now.

Cookies are, of course, delectable to give and receive. Sometimes, though, a not-so-sweet option helps to balance out the indulgent baked treats. Nuts are my go-to savory snack. A handful of roasted almonds will often get me through the afternoon until dinner. Adding some spice and glaze makes them even more appealing (and harder to stop at a handful). While preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday, I began tossing some ideas for nuts around and have arrived at a recipe I really like.

I began with maple syrup (oh, how I love maple syrup, it is so comforting). I mixed some syrup with ground ginger, cayenne pepper, freshly ground black pepper and flaky sea salt.  I chose a mix of almonds, peanuts, pecans and walnuts but you can use any variety of nuts you prefer. I poured the nuts into the syrup, stirred to coat them well and spread them on a baking sheet to roast in the oven. The house filled with the warm, heavenly scents of toasty nuts, maple and ginger. The nuts emerged from the oven a glossy, rich brown and, after cooling a bit, were soon being nibbled on - crunchy, with a spicy kick and a hint of sweetness.

Fill a jar or little bag with some nuts and tie a ribbon around it. They are a lovely “I’m thinking of you” to share with someone as a thoughtful gesture or holiday gift. Small acts of kindness bring us together.

Maple Roasted Nuts
Makes 5 cups

5 cups of raw nuts (I used 1 cup pecans, 1 cup peanuts, 1 cup walnuts and 2 cups almonds)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the nuts in a large mixing bowl. In a glass measuring cup, stir together the maple syrup and remaining ingredients. Pour it over the nuts. Using a couple of spoons (or your hands) gently toss the nuts to coat them evenly. Pour the nuts out onto the prepared baking sheet (scrape the bowl to get all the sticky deliciousness) and spread in a single layer.

Bake for 15 minutes, stir the nuts on the baking sheet around a bit, and bake for another 10 minutes. The nuts should be a deep golden brown and caramelized. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store the nuts in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nibs & Seeds Chocolate Bark and Spiced Curry Cocoa Mix – Time for Holiday Gift Making!

December is here and the holiday season is buzzing already. I love the festivity and lights during this time of year. I just brought our Hanukkah box in from the garage and am having fun pulling out the colorfully painted dreidels, the Hanukkiahs my sons made from clay when they were little, cookie cutters and familiar decorations. Listening to Pink Martini sing “Ocho Kandelikas” has me in the holiday spirit, too.

It’s time to begin my holiday gift making. I always appreciate receiving handmade gifts - I know that someone used their talents and personal touches to create a gift that is meaningful and unique (and delicious!). So pull out your Mason jars, spice bottles, gift bags and ribbons!

I have two recipes to share with you today: Nibs & Seeds Chocolate Bark and Spiced Curry Cocoa Mix. I’ve made a variety of chocolate barks over the years – toasted coconut and macadamias, chilies and cinnamon, pistachios and dried cherries – and this year I decided to try something new with a roasted, crunchy flavor.

Cacao nibs have become my go-to snack to nibble on when I crave some chocolate. They are wonderful to include in granola, to top your vanilla ice cream or yogurt or to roll a log of goat cheese in for a quick appetizer. I could go on and on about cacao nibs!

I also have roasted pumpkin seeds on my mind from Halloween which leads me to think about other seeds. Flax seeds have health benefits and add some lovely texture, so why not include them, too? And with a sprinkling of coarse grey sea salt this bark is complete. I usually prefer very dark chocolate (85-90%) but when making bark for gifts, I use 72%. The large bars at Trader Joe’s are wonderful to stock up on this time of year.

I was inspired to make homemade cocoa mix by Jennifer Reese in her new book, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter. I read her book cover-to-cover in almost one sitting and loved it. I promise to write more about it in another post – lots to share! Jennifer’s recipe is for classic hot cocoa, and I decided to take it a step further and spice it up with cinnamon and curry powder. It is fragrant, delicious and just a little bit different.

Some other gifts from the kitchen that I am making are granola, dukkah spice mix, chipotle spice rub, cacao nib brittle and cranberry bread. I do love spending time in the kitchen during this time of year. Happy December to you!

Nibs & Seeds Chocolate Bark
Makes 2 1/2 - 3 dozen pieces

1 pound dark chocolate
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/8 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1/2 teaspoon coarse grey sea salt
Gift bags to package it

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate over very low heat, stirring often and being careful to not scorch it. When most of the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and keep stirring to melt the remaining pieces.

Reserve a few of the seeds and nibs to sprinkle on top. Stir the rest of the seeds and nibs into the chocolate. Pour the chocolate mix onto the prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to spread evenly. Sprinkle the reserved seeds and the salt over the top.

Pop the pan in the refrigerator for about an hour or until solid. When ready to package, break the chocolate into pieces. You can also score the chocolate with a knife (perhaps 4x8) and break along the lines if you’d like more uniform pieces. Store at room temperature in an air tight container.

Spiced Curry Cocoa Mix
Adapted from Make the Bread, Buy the Butter
By Jennifer Reese
Makes 2 1/2 cups mix for about 15-20 cups of cocoa

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons curry powder
Small jars with lids for packaging

Sift all of the ingredients together into a bowl. Store in an airtight container, such as a lidded jar. You can give it as gifts in smaller Mason or Weck jars – just add a tag with instructions.

To make the cocoa, use 2-3 tablespoons per cup of hot milk and stir.

Delightful Dukkah

Meet my new spice mix addiction…dukkah. You, too, can be addicted to dukkah! Dukkah is an Egyptian spice mix that is incredibly versatile. Traditionally, nuts, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds are toasted and ground together with salt to form an aromatic mix to sprinkle lavishly. You can be creative and add other seeds and spices to make it your own (such as dried mint or coconut). I had eaten dukkah while traveling in Egypt and Israel and loved it. Searching for it back at home, though, I was disappointed in the store bought version, a musty and bland powder.

This past week, I had the pleasure of testing a recipe at Food52 that was a candidate for an Editor’s Pick (and won!). Antonia James submitted her recipe for Hard Cooked Eggs with Lime Aioli and Dukkah. Let me just say, her dukkah is terrific. It has crunch and pizzazz. The toasted spices are fragrant and pounding with a mortar and pestle is always so much fun. Bob used to live in Jerusalem and when he caught a whiff he was transported back. All week, I have been liberally dusting dukkah on roasted fingerling potatoes, salads, tomato sandwiches and even my morning oatmeal (which made a lovely savory porridge).

I made canapés from the Food52 recipe and could not assemble them fast enough for my family (toasted baguette slices slathered with aioli, layered with sliced hard cooked eggs and sprinkled with dukkah). These canapés will make regular appearances at summer parties. And the dukkah has become a pantry staple.

Dukkah
from Antonia James at Food52

2 heaping tablespoons raw sesame seeds
2 tablespoons lightly roasted pumpkin seeds (or, more traditionally,¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed, or roasted garbanzos)
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon grains of paradise or freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Toast the sesame seeds in a small heavy skillet. Remove and partially crush using a mortar and pestle, just enough to release a bit of fragrance.

Finely chop the roasted pumpkin seeds (or hazelnuts or garbanzos).

Toast the cumin seeds and the coriander seeds, separately, in a small heavy skillet just until fragrant. Watch carefully, and remove immediately, lest they burn.

Crush the seeds together using a mortar and pestle, or by pulsing in an electric spice grinder. They should be coarse, and not fine.

Combine all of the ingredients in the mortar and pestle and pound lightly a few times. Give the blend a few final good stirs, to combine. It should smell divine.

Store any leftover dukkah in the refrigerator, tightly covered.