Coconut & Papaya Granola

This is a recipe I came up with that was inspired by my Cauldron Boy. He has a problem that many people have while at work, which is eating the junk food that is so readily available at the office. His major vice is the salty pretzels. Being that he suffers from high blood pressure, these little snacks made with bleached wheat flour and doused with salt are the last thing he needs on his daily plate (though he does love pretzels)!

So, at his request, I made some crunchy granola in hopes that this high fiber, crunchy & sweet snack would keep him away from the pretzels.

After the week went by, he proudly declared that he didn't eat one single pretzel while at work. This is a a major success in my book, as I believe that Cauldron Boy suffers from gorge instinct. His royal sweetness also stated that this Coconut, Papaya & Almond Granola

is the best granola he's ever had. I loved it too, so I hope you will try it-it's easy!

Here is the recipe:

2 Cups Organic Oats

1/2 Cup Almonds-chopped or slivered

1/2 Cup Flaked Coconut

1/2 Cup Dried Papaya Pieces

1/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds

1 Tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1/4 Cup Brown or White Sugar

1/4 Cup Honey*

3 Tbsp. Oil

2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter

Preheat oven to 320 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl, toss the oats, sugar, cinnamon and salt thoroughly. Then add the coconut, papaya, almonds, and sunflower seeds and mix. Now, add the honey and oil-mix very thoroughly. Last, add the peanut butter and use your hands to scrunch the granola and peanut butter together to ensure even coating.

Pour the granola onto the prepared pan and bake for 10 min at 320. After 10 minutes, stir the granola a bit and raise the temp to 325. Bake for another 8 min and then stir again. From this point, bake for another 3-5 min and then remove from the oven. Let cool before eating.

Sweet papaya goodness!

Enjoy with milk/soy milk or eat dry!

*To my vegan lovelies, just sub maple or agave syrup for the honey.

Delicious Millet Cakes

Good Evening, my Lovelies! Due to my internet addiction, I have stolen a moment in time to post these delicious millet cakes. Plus, I've missed all of my Dearies and Elvin Folk here in the blogosphere so much that I just had to check in on everyone, which I will be doing momentarily...

These cakes or patties are made from organic millet. Millet is a cereal grain that has been cultivated around the world for at least 10,000 years. This grain is not only delicious with a mild, nutty flavor, but also gluten free and full of B vitamins, fiber, and minerals like potassium and magnesium. All of this and these little cakes are easy too.

Oh, and one can eat these front and center like I did with a nice salad and fruit, but these also make a wonderful, high fiber side. Imagine them next to a nice piece of fish smothered with mushroom gravy or demi-glace!

Recipe

1/2 Cup Millet

1 3/4 Cup Low Sodium Broth

1 Small Carrot-chopped small

2 Garlic Cloves

1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/8 Tsp. Salt

1/2 Tsp. Paprika

1/2-3/4 Tsp. Spice Mix*

1/4 Tsp. Onion Powder

Black Pepper to Taste

In a small pot, bring the olive oil to medium heat. Add the millet and allow to toast for about a minute or two stirring frequently. Add the garlic & allow to cook another 30 sec. Pour in the broth, salt, & pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir and bring the heat down to a low simmer-put a lid on at an angle. Cook on low heat for about 25-30 minutes or until water has absorbed (stir intermittently). Once the water has absorbed, turn the heat off and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add the spices & carrot. With oiled hands, form the millet into 4-5 small patties. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Saute for about 3-4 minutes on each side until hot and golden.

Enjoy!

Serves 2.

*Spice Mix-I used my favorite yellow curry, but red curry, ras el hanout, and other spice blends would be great too...

Vacation...

I am on vacation this week, my Dearies, and have limited internet access. I will be back in a few days, and look forward to catching up to all of your posts and artistic yums yums!

Witchily Yours,

Stella

Easter Tea Cookies

These little gems are what we call Easter Tea Cookies. They are made mostly from King Arthur White Whole Wheat and a bit of semolina. The rest of the recipe is simple, so I can't quite figure out why the outside has a light bounce to the bite that gives to an interior of moist, delicious cookie center. Whatever it is, they are so nice that Cauldron Boy swooned while biting into one. I don't think he even had time to taste it yet-just the texture is nice enough to bring on this type of reaction.

Enjoy with a hot pot of tea!

Easter Tea Biscuits

3/4 Cup White Whole Wheat (King Arthur)

1/4 Cup Semolina

1/8 Tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 Tbsp. Water

3/4 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

6-7 Dried Apricots (chopped)

Icing:

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

1-1 1/2 Tbsp. Milk or Soy Milk

(Whisked)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix the flours, salt, and baking powder thoroughly. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, water, and vanilla. Slowly and gently add the dry mix to the wet mix. Incorporate the apricots and form into 9-10 equal size balls. Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper and bake for 11-12 minutes.

Allow the cookies to cool before drizzling with icing. Sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings or whatever you like.

Have a happy holiday weekend, My Dearies!

Vegan Chocolate Ganache

This Ganache has become quite special to me when baking for the ones I love. Besides the fact that any ganache saves one from having to skillfully frost a cake in order to achieve something that is aesthetically pleasing, this one has the advantage of being made from rich, yet also wholesome ingredients. Organic Earth Balance, vanilla soy milk, and dark vegan chocolate come together to create an extremely delicious and also cholesterol & trans fat free ganache.

One might ask why even bother with trying to avoid these types of fats in an undeniably decadent food like frosting or ganache. And, at some point in my life, I might have agreed with such a statement. But, as the years pass, I find myself understanding sustenance in reference to health more & more. I want the food I eat and that I feed my lovelies to be pure and wholesome, and I know many of you feel this way too. Plus, this ganache is delicious and allows us to indulge (there's still plenty of saturated fat) while feeling just a bit less guilty!

Vegan Chocolate Ganache

1 Cup Dark Vegan Chocolate

2 Tbsp. Organic Earth Balance

1/3 Cup Vanilla Soy Milk

1 Tbsp. Strong Coffee

A pinch of Cinnamon (Optional)

In the top of a double boiler, place the Earth Balance and soy milk. Bring the water below to a very low simmer and whisk. Mix in the coffee and cinnamon. Add the chocolate. Once it looks like it is beginning to melt, whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat immediately. This should all happen quite quickly, as chocolate can burn.

This is enough ganache to place about 1/3 between two layer cakes and the rest on top.

What is Earth Balance? See here.

Enchanting Dough (Update)

I'm calling this post an 'Update', as there is something I just have to tell all of my Dearies about the Pineapple and Guava Turnover post with an easy pastry dough recipe. This is simply that the dough is outstandingly delicious after being in the fridge for a week. I knew it would most likely set up well in the fridge, but I never could have imagined the enchanting delight I was about to experience.

For this recipe, I simply rolled out the other half of the dough and filled it with an organic cabbage and carrot filling. The shapes are off a bit, as I just tried to stuff as much filling into each little pastry as I could. Then I pressed the edges with a fork, brushed with egg, and baked for about 26 minutes. The result was something one can't imagine without just actually having one of these on a plate in front of you with a vinegary salad and a glass of wine. So all I can do is hope you will try this Easy Pastry Dough, and make sure to double wrap up half for a later date.

Oh, and this pastry would be just beautiful for brunch creations!

Savory Cabbage Filling

1 1/2 Cups Cabbage-chopped

1 Organic Carrot-shredded

1-2 Garlic Cloves-chopped

1/4 Tsp. Salt

1/2 Tsp. Onion Powder

Black Pepper to your liking

1 Cup Low Sodium Vegetable/Chicken Broth

Bring a half tbsp. of oil to medium low heat in a sauté pan. Add the cabbage, garlic, salt, pepper, and onion powder and sauté for 4 mins stirring intermittently. Add the broth & carrot and bring to a low simmer. Allow to simmer on low for at least 5-6 min. Take off the heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, place drained cabbage inside pastry (pastry should already be on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper). Fold pastry to desired shape and use a fork to press sides together. Brush with egg wash. Bake as instructed here...

*To my Vegan Lovelies-now that this batch is gone, I will be trying a vegan version of this enchanting pastry dough soon!

Sesame Carrot Patties & Sriracha Aioli

These little carrot patties are probably one of the most delicious things I've eaten for a month at least. I know this may sound odd being that they are simple and almost too full of healthy stuff to sit here and try to explain how delicious they are, but I speak the truth, my Dearies. The Sriracha Aioli also helps the situation by bringing these patties from very good to excellent.

This recipe is a modified version of the wonderful Zlamushka's Vegetable Patty recipe. I just add my own spices as well as a little protein (nuts) to the mix. This produces a wonderful patty that is delicious with mashed potatoes and salad. The only downfall is that the patties can be a little crumbly depending on the juiciness of the carrots used. For example, my patties hold together much better when I can get my hands on a bag of Earthbound Organic carrots than the brand I used today. *Zlamushka uses a bigger cut on the carrot, and hers look structurally sound. Either way, just be gentle while sauteing and you will end up with an excellent meal you can feel good about...

Carrot Patties

6 Medium Carrots (peeled)

2-3 Cloves Garlic

1/4 Tsp. Onion Powder

1/2 Tsp. Paprika

1/2 Tsp. Cumin

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1 1/2 Tsp. Olive Oil

1 Tsp. Soy Sauce

1/2 Cup Organic Oats

Just under 1/2 Cup Seeds/Nuts (sunflower, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, etc)

Sesame Seeds for topping (optional)

Sriracha Aioli

4 Tbsp. Mayo or Vegenaise

1 1/2-2 Tsp. Sriracha

4-6 Drops Toasted Sesame Oil

In a food processor, place the carrots, garlic, oats and nuts. Process to a fine meal (not to course meal or to a mush-in between!). Remove from the processor to a bowl and add the oil, soy, and spices-mix. Take a handful of the mix and form into a ball and then flatten into a patty. Place the patty on a clean plate. Continue until the mix is gone, loosely cover the patties and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour to 'set' the patties. Sautee in a touch of olive oil on medium low heat until both sides are golden and the patties are heated through. Dollop with Sriracha Aioli and enjoy!