September 2015 - Authentic Simplicity

September 26, 2015 By Anne Simpson

Granola claims a colorful and circuitous history, strangely intertwined with religion, health nuts, and hippies. Odd, but familiar bedfellows, indeed. Starting with Sylvester Graham (yes, of graham cracker fame), ending up with the hippies of the ’60s, and continuing on to the modern nutrition-conscious housewives of today, it satisfies the need for a quick and healthy breakfast for bleary-eyed mornings.

There are many wonderful things about granola, not the least if which is its adaptability to the contents of your pantry, your dietary needs and desires, and even to the season and its produce. Using a background of a variety of grains and seeds, the fruits of the season can shine in their limelight and create a wide variety of pleasing tastes and textures.

And, of course, pumpkin is the star of the harvest season, and deserves its chance to hog the spotlight. When combined with the usual spices, and some honey, it creates the perfect dressing for granola, made even better by the addition of dried cranberries and apples. Autumn in a delicious handful.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup puffed millet, or other puffed grain
1 cup crispy rice cereal, or other crispy cereal
1/2 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
dash salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped dried apples

Instructions

Stir together the grains and seeds in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, honey, and seasonings.
Pour the liquid mixture over the grains, and stir thoroughly until well coated.
Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet, and bake at 250F for at least an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Bake until desired crunchiness, up to 2 hours.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with cranberries and dried apples. Store in airtight containers.

Autumn Shepherd’s Pie

September 21, 2015 By Anne Simpson

So the weather outside today felt more like summer than autumn but I was still in the mood for my autumnal version of the perennial classic, Shepherd’s Pie. I had some acorn squash that I was looking forward to cooking up, and Shepherd’s Pie was the perfect use for it.

It’s a simple meal, but both my DH and I love Shepherd’s Pie. I especially love changing it up a little, as I did tonight. Enjoy!

Autumn Shepherd’s Pie
1 lb of potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 acorn squash, cooked
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese, divided
1 lb ground beef
2 TBSP flour
1 cup beef broth
2 TBSP ketchup
3-4 cups vegetables

First, make the mashed potatoes. Boil the potatoes and garlic in water or broth until tender (alternatively, you can just add garlic powder later in the mashed potato mixture). Mash the potatoes together with the cooked squash, yogurt, milk and 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese.

Brown the ground beef in a large pan. When it’s completely browned, sprinkle the flour over it and stir in. Add the broth and ketchup; mix thoroughly. Add the vegetables (note on the veggies: you can use pretty much any veggie you have on hand, but root vegetables work especially well. I used a combination of carrots and acorn squash this time around. Also, frozen veggies work best; if you use fresh, steam them a little to soften them before adding them to the ground beef.) and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.

Pour the meat mixture into a casserole dish. Drop large spoonfuls of the mashed potato mixture over the meat mixture.

Carefully spread the potato mixture over the meat mixture, sealing it in.

Cook at 375 F for about 15 minutes or so, then top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and cook for 2-3 more minutes, until cheese is melted.

This recipe is so flexible: you can get really creative with the vegetables, and the cheese too. Try it also with ground turkey or chicken for different flavors.