I didn't mean to, I swear! I think I may have cooked it too long because the cauliflower overcooked and started to fall apart. :( I arranged it so that you can't really tell in the photo. It still tastes good but doesn't look as nice as when the cauliflower florets are intact. I kind of combined and played with two different recipes, the Gobi recipe from 'Olive Trees and Honey' and the Aloo Gobi recipe from the 'Bend it Like Beckham' dvd. Yeah, really! If you have the dvd, there's a special feature where director Gurinder Chada gives a cooking lesson. The difference being the latter adds tomatoes which I highly approve of. Well, next time I will keep a good eye on my curry!
Why the heck has it taken me so long to finally make my own granola? My neighbor makes her own and she swears that you'll never go back to the boxed stuff ever again. And for me personally, I have never found the boxed stuff to be very good anyway. I always thought making your own was going to be a hassle. Boy was I wrong! I saw someone's photo of their homemade granola over at the PPK and I immediately got up from the computer, ransacked my cupboards for rolled oats, nuts and other stuff and got to work. This is what came out:
Gorgeous! My oven is hot so it came out a lot browner than I wanted but that only adds to the toastiness. Homemade granola + soymilk = Heaven in a bowl and Heaven for your budget. It's cheap. No more boxed granola for me....hell, no more overpriced boxed cereal period. I will be happy to eat this stuff for breakfast everyday.
Homemade Granola
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not the quick oats)
1 cup slivered almonds (I buy this in bulk at Whole Foods and keep them in my freezer.)
1/2 cup raw walnuts (again, buy in bulk!)
1/2 cup dried coconut or flaked coconut
pinch of salt
a couple shakes of cinnamon
1/4 cup agave syrup + 1/4 cup maple syrup (if you don't have agave, use all maple syrup)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (mix this in with the syrup first)
1/2 cup raisins
Mix all ingredients except for the raisins in a big bowl. Make sure the syrup is distributed throughout the ingredients. Spread mixture onto a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes in a 300 degree oven stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool, mix in raisins and store in an airtight container.
Awww. Before I got a new oven (thank goodness!), I used to use an oven thermometer because mine was so unreliable. Cost me more than a few recipes. :(
ReplyDeleteBy the way, agave browns very quickly, so that might have been a factor as well. Better luck next time. I'd bet your aloo gobi was tasty anyway!
That Aloo Gobi looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI always put the Cauliflower in near the end, just so as it has time to soak up the flavours and cook.
Homemade granola is so fun to make! I'm glad you gave it a try.
ReplyDeleteThe aloo gobi looks delicious. I am not sure when you added to cauliflower to the dish, but one easy way to ensure that it is cooked just right would be to microwave the florets separately with a couple of tablespoons of water until they are just right, and then add them to the rest of the spices toward the tail end. Since you can cook in short bursts in the microwave, you can control the cooking better.
ReplyDeleteStir in the florets and simmer in the sauce for just about a minute, check for salt, and you have a perfect presentation.
If you want to improve the clumpiness of your granola add a few tbs of nut butter. Yummy, adds protien and you can even break it into bars if you want. The agave definitely browns easily, I do mine on a low temp and keep a keen eye on it, once I can smell it its usually done.
ReplyDeleteWho knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
ReplyDeleteHelp, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!