I like to share good spots for eats, because eating delicious food that has been prepared with care inspires me to be a better cook at home. I get some great ideas from our local eateries, and I love trying to guess what goes into a dish, and imagine what I can do to put my own twist on it.
On Thursday afternoon, Alec and I left the office and set out for downtown Coronado for a quick lunch break before returning to work. There are a few spots in Coronado that I really enjoy for breakfast and lunch, but none more intensely than Cafe 1134. The initial appeal to me was that it is not hard to find - the address is right there in the name - and for someone as directionally challenged as myself, this can be a big relief. Once I tried the food, however, all the thrill of finding the place was eclipsed by my celebrating taste buds.
Cafe 1134 has a nice local appeal. Equipped with a tasty, simple menu, a quirky, whimsical decor, and packed full of a wide variety of snack items, some indulgent and others healthier alternatives, 1134 is the perfect spot to grab something quick, or to sit and soak up the atmosphere.
I have the same sandwich every time I go there for lunch: The Venice Panini, which consists of roasted eggplant, jack cheese, tomatoes and avocado served on focaccia. You can also order a half sandwich with a side, which is a nice alternative to stuffing yourself full of the whole shebang. Which I have done. Twice.
This time I went with potato salad, as I had never tried it. Nice hint of dill, crunchy red onion, firm potatoes cut just the right size. But the show stopper is the artichoke aioli sauce. I always order an extra side, so I can dip the edges of the eggplant in it.
Alec chose the Roma Panini: smoked turkey, bacon, fresh basil, swiss cheese and tomatoes. With Aioli.
After lunch, I had a hankering for something sweet, and perused the case for just the thing. Lo and behold, there was a display of Nutridel cookies. I discovered these little babies when I first moved to Coronado in November. I'm sure you can get them everywhere, but as a person not often in the know, I felt like I had discovered my own little buried treasure.
Yummy, sweet, all natural goodness. These thin, crisp cookies are so satisfyingly crunchy and come in a variety of flavors. I am a chocolate fanatic, but find when I chew on one of these babies, I'm not missing a thing.
On to the Granola
After all of that indulgence, I thought I better try the homemade route, as that is what this whole blog thang sprang from in the beginning.
I am a little challenged in the breakfast department. Historically, I have never eaten much breakfast unless I skipped a meal the night before, or went overboard on the spirits. I'm not sure a cheeseburger before 9 am, consumed more out of desperation than sustenance, really counts as breakfast anyway. But -ahem- those days are behind me. Occasionally I buy boxed cereal for Sonoma, but most of it contains more sugar than I would like, and much of it is forgotten and goes stale.
My mom often made granola for us when my three siblings and I were young, and I loved it. Sweet, toasty, crunchy, good with milk or without. So I looked up some recipes online, cobbled together my own recipe, grabbed the ingredients, and set to work.
My granola was going to be chock full of nutrients. So I packed it full of almonds, cashews, and pecans, about a half cup of each. I lightly roasted the nuts at 375 degrees for ten minutes, let them cool, then chopped them up.
Next I took four cups of rolled oats and tossed them in a large bowl with a half cup of honey, half cup of maple syrup, and a third cup of canola oil. I spread the mixture on a sheet pan lined with silpat, and cooked the oats for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.
Once the oats were done cooking, I removed them from the oven and let them cool completely. This is a critical step, because if you move them too much while warm, they will not form those nice, crunchy, sticky chunks that make a good granola a good granola.
Once the granola was fully cooled, I combined all ingredients, and added a half cup of dried cranberries.
Why it Flopped
Sonoma turned up her nose at the final product. She is not a fan of nuts. I have to admit, I too was not getting that childhood thrill with every bite, even when the granola was swimming in rice milk. So I went back and improvised some more. This is the recipe you want to write down:
Take 2: Yummy, Easy Granola!
6 cups rolled oats
2 cups unsweetened, flaked coconut
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup your choice roasted or raw nuts
1/2 cup your choice dried fruit
Combine oats, coconut and salt in a large bowl. Heat the butter and whisk it together with the canola oil and honey. If you want, you can omit the butter and use straight canola oil. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula. Spread the mixture on a sheet pan lined with silpat or parchment paper. Heat for 45 min at 300 degrees.
Allow to cool completely before removing from pan. Enjoy plain or mix with your favorite fruit or nuts, and store for up to two weeks in an airtight container. Makes 10 - 20 servings.
Mangia!
No comments:
Post a Comment