Granola

I just finished A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg a few weeks ago and loved it! The best food journal, cookbook, diary, romance novel, or whatever else you want to call it. I can't stop re-reading it, planning meals, looking up specific restaurants she referenced and trying the recipes. I probably make the caramelized cauliflower with salsa verde about once a week. So, I decided to take a break from her recipes and try a new granola recipe I found in the June issue of Bon Appettit magazine. It wasn't until after I made it that I realized the recipe and article were written by....Molly Wizenberg!

I've been hugging trees and making granola for a while now, but this is the best recipe I've found.
Ingredients:
3 cups old fashion oats
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I omitted this)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I use a little more)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup assorted dried fruit (I don't care for dried fruit in my granola, so I left this out)

I added flax seed and walnuts and left out the fruit.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Stir honey and oil in a pan until smooth.
4. Pour honey over oat mixture and toss.
5. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
6. Let cool. Mix in fruit. Enjoy.

Ginger Cilantro Rice

This recipe is from the June issue of Bon Appetit. It is meant as a side dish but I added some roasted some brussel sprouts and carrots and made it a full meal. It's easy and really good!
Ingredients:

1 cup long grain white rice (I used brown rice)

2 inch long piece of fresh ginger, peeled, and cut into rounds (not too small b/c you will be removing them later), plus 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 2/3 cups low salt chicken broth

1 1/3 cups chopped fresh cilantro

1 green onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon (or more) rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Combine rice and ginger rounds in a large saucepan.

2. Add broth, and sprinkle with salt

3. Bring to boil, stirring often.

4. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until rice is tender and broth is absorbed, about 18 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, combine chopped cilantro, green onion, and minced ginger in food processor. Add both oils and vinegar (I didn't have sesame oil and used olive oil instead and it turned out fine).

6. Season with salt and pepper.

7. When rice is cooked, remove from heat. Remove ginger rounds, and mix in cilantro mixture.

I added chopped carrots and cooked them with the rice. Delicious.