Homemade Granola

Homemade Granola - cw30


¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup water
2½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp - ¾ tsp salt
4 cups oats
½ cup peanuts, pecans or walnuts
1 cup almonds
1 cup dried fruit

Combine brown sugar and water and microwave 5 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla and salt to liquid. Set aside.

Combine oats, nuts and fruit in a mixing bowl. Slowly pour liquid over dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet at 275 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Store in Ziplocs or an airtight container. Use for cereal or snacks.

Grilled Pineapple Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup and Toasted Coconut

by Jennifer Burns, Gossner Foods
•1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 tablespoon white sugar
•1 1/4 cups Gossner Milk
•1 egg
•3 tablespoons Gossner Butter, melted
•1/2 pineapple, sliced (approx 1/8”)
•1 cup blueberries
•1 cup syrup
•1/4 cup coconut flakes, toasted
•1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Place a ring of pineapple in the batter circles. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

In a small saucepan, heat the blueberries and syrup. In a dry frying pan, toast the coconut and almonds over low heat for 5-8 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Top each pancake with syrup, toasted coconut and almonds. Serve immediately.

Grasshopper Cheesecake - Lion House

Grasshopper CheesecakeMakes 16 servings.

Crust
1 ½ cups slivered almonds
¼ cup powdered whey
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup butter, melted

Ganache
4.5 oz bittersweet baking chocolate
¼ cup heavy cream

Filling
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Green food coloring, as desired
4 eggs
Whipped cream, for garnish
Chocolate sauce, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For crust: Place almonds in food processor fitted with an S-blade. Process until almonds are a medium-fine texture. Add whey and sugar and pulse once. Place almond meal in a bowl and drizzle melted butter into it. Mix with your hands until it feels slightly squishy. Press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and slightly pulling away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and let crust cool while you make the ganache.
For ganache: Melt chocolate with cream in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Whisk well to make a smooth, shiny ganache. Spread evenly over the crust and set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Place a pan of water on bottom rack of oven.
For filling: In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Beat in sugar and sour cream and mix well. Add peppermint extract and food coloring. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until very smooth and creamy.
Pour the mixture into the chocolate-coated crust. Place cake in the oven, on the rack above the pan of water. Bake 1 hour. Turn off oven and prop the door open to cool cake slowly for 1 hour so the cake will not crack.
Remove from oven and chill at least 2 hours. Remove sides of pan and slice into 16 even pieces. Garnish with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
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Take-a-Break Snack Mix

Serves: 10; 1/2 cup per serving
Ingredients:

Cooking spray
¼ cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 teaspoons water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups whole-grain oat cereal with yogurt-flavored coating
2 cups whole-grain wheat and bran flakes with raisins
1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
1/2 cup dried unsweetened blueberries

Cooking Instructions:
Put a piece of aluminum foil about 12 inches square on a platter or baking sheet. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small nonstick skillet, dry-roast the almonds over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the brown sugar, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the almonds are coated with the mixture, stirring constantly. Transfer to the foil. Let cool completely, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients.

Add the cooled almonds to the cereal mixture, stirring to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Cook's Tip: Whether your schedule is go-go-go or hurry-up-and-wait, you’ll be glad you packed these tasty tidbits for healthy snacking. For variety, substitute different nutrient-dense dried fruits, such as cherries, apricots, and plums, for the cranberries and blueberries. Cut them into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before adding them to the cereal mixture.

Calories Per Serving 139
Total Fat2.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 124 mg
Carbohydrates 28 g
Fiber4 g; Sugar 15 g
Protein 2 g

This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Food Certification Program. Recipe copyright © 2008 American Heart Association. For more information heart-healthy grocery shopping, visit heartcheckmark.org.