Julie's Fantabulous Pomegranate Salad

This salad is one of my all-time favourite salads! It packs a wallop of flavour, the crispness is out of control and it has cheese in it!...what more could a girl ask for?  It's great as a side salad with dinner, it works well as a main for lunch, but my favourite way to eat it is as my afternoon snack at work...keeps my mouth watering all day long!   Jules, I owe you big time for introducing me to this recipe.

Ingredients

• The seeds from 1 pomegranate (word to the wise, wear a red shirt when de-seeding)
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1 head of romaine or green leaf lettuce
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and tear the lettuce up into bite-sized pieces.  Sprinkle the pine nuts, feta and pomegranate seeds on the salad.  Mix the remaining ingredients to form the dressing.  Drizzle over and either toss or eat as is.  Either way your taste buds will thank you!  Serves 4 solid salad servings.

Why hello Mr. Salad...my taste buds are looking forward to meeting you!

Marinated Salmon

I was treated to a delicious dinner and an even better visit at a friend's house recently.  Not to bad of a return on a "hey, want to grab a tea tonight?"  I need to try that approach more often!

What was on the menu?  Maple Salmon, 7 super food salad and rice.  The salmon was marinated in an oh so scrumptious marinade which you can find here (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/maple-salmon/).  As for the salad, I'd been told about this yummy goodness by a couple of friends and was really impressed with it.  It's the Sweet Kale 7 Superfood salad kit by Eat Smart.  The kit comes with a blend of 7 superfoods (chicory, green cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts) shredded with a bag of roasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and poppyseed dressing for garnish.  Super quick and seriously amazing!  I'm definitely going to pick some up at Costco the next time I'm there.

 

http://www.eat-smart.net/products/product_salads.aspx?id=43

 

A Looneyspoons Brunch

I recently had a lovely family brunch and visit at my Aunt and Uncle's.  There's nothing like catching up over a yummy meal!  When I discovered that two of the yummy in my tummy recipes came from the Looneyspoons cookbook, I couldn't resist including them here.  Since I didn't make them myself, I don't have a "my version" of the recipes, but have included links to the recipes below.

The spread!  Oh so yummy.  Interesting fact: orange juice mixed with a bit of Perrier makes one heck of a non-alcoholic mimosa for all of you DD's and preggers out there.

Looneyspoons' Erik Eggstrata.  Delicious!  I'd definitely make this one for guests in the future.  For the recipe, see this link: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/recipe.html?dishid=9078.

 

Looneyspoons' Banaberry Bombs.  I was so busy eating these yummy goodies that I forgot to take a photo but, trust me, these puppies are worth trying.  Imagine the yummy goodness of banana bread crossed with a blueberry muffin.  Greatest surprise ever when you bite into them!  http://janetandgreta.com/recipe/bananaberry-bombs/

One heck of a fruit plate...complete with figs fresh off the tree!

http://janetandgreta.com/cookbooks/

@janetpodleski

@gretapodleski

Salmon with Mediterranean Salsa

Now this is my kind of way to cook salmon!  Grilled salmon, tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichokes, capers, fresh basil and olive oil...scrumdidliumptious!  The original Grilled Salmon recipe came from my handy-dandy Earthbound Farm's Food to Live By cookbook, but I've included my version of it below.

Ingredients

• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 big handful of fresh basil, chopped
• Zest of 1 orange
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 plum/Italian tomatoes, chopped
• 1 handful sliced Kalamata olives
• 2 tbsp. capers
• 6-8 artichoke heart quarters (from the can...I like the marinated type)
• Couple grinds of pepper
• 1 glug of olive oil
• Salmon (enough to serve 3-4)

Place all of the ingredients, except for the salmon, in a bowl and mix gently to blend.  Grill the salmon to your liking.  At the same time, heat the Mediterranean salsa in a saucepan on the stove.  This is just to warm it, so it doesn't cool down the salmon.  You don't want to cook it until the point that it becomes a sauce.  Plate the salmon, scoop the Mediterranean salsa on top and enjoy! 

Note: I love this salsa, so I normally use this amount for 2 servings of salmon and then on top of 2 servings of green beans.  If you prefer less salsa, you could probably stretch this to work for 8 servings of salmon.

The Mediterranean salsa in its warming glory.

Dinner!  Grilled Salmon with Mediterranean Salsa, home-made pesto pasta and grilled veggies.

http://www.ebfarm.com/recipes/cookbook

@earthboundfarm

A DRY Soda Extravaganza!

While on a trip to the US of A this summer, one of my favourite ladies discovered DRY Soda.  DRY Soda is an all natural soda with only 4 ingredients in it, and with a fraction of the calories and sugar of a traditional pop.  Only 55 to 70 calories for a 355mL bottle!  The best part?  DRY provides details on the flavour profile of each soda flavour (9 in total) and provides free recipes on their website to match with the sodas! 

Being a food lover like my self, this lovely lady decided to pick up a bottle of each of the sodas (7 at that point in time) and have a soda and food pairing luncheon.  Since I'm the luckiest duck of the lucky ducks, I was invited to the luncheon and the meal blew me away!  I showed up expecting a potluck and was treated to a gourmet experience.  So much fun!  For further details on the sodas and the scrumptious recipes we discovered, please see below.  (Note: Dry Soda is now available at Urban Fare in Canada)  To the lovely lady organizer, thanks for a fabulous lunch...and to the rest of you who were there, your company wasn't too shabby either!  Thanks for the fun ladies.

The spread!  Talk about going all out.  I've never enjoyed being in a board room so much in my life!

 

The guests of honour!  DRY Soda's Lavendar, Vanilla Bean, Wild Lime, Cucumber, Juniper Berry, Blood Orange and Rhubarb.  My favourites were definitely the Rhubarb, Vanilla Bean, Orange and Juniper Berry.  DRY Soda has also added Apple and Ginger as new flavours since my friend's trip to the US of A.

 

These sodas were lovely.  Just the right amount of flavour, a little sweetness and no salt.  They reminded me a lot of the Clearly Canadian flavoured waters that existed about 15 years ago...I wonder what happened to those?  Anyways, in my opinion, DRY sodas are the perfect drink when you want something other than water, but don't want to break the calorie bank and break into a pop or alcoholic beverage.  Unfortunately they're not available in BC yet, but you can stock up on them in Washington very easily.

  

There was no messing around at this shin dig...the meal started off with the Scottish Rhubarb Sparkler, which was to die for!  Let me tell you, there was a lot of gin in this puppy, but you sure didn't taste it.  Interesting fact: a bodum works very well as a cocktail shaker if you're ever in a pinch. 

http://www.drysoda.com/cocktail-recipes-rhubarb.php#rhubarb9

http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-rhubarb.php

  

A traditional Peruvian Ceviche served with Tostadas and paired with the Blood Orange DRY Soda.  This ceviche was hands down the best ceviche that has ever crossed my lips.  If my belly had allowed it, I would have eaten this entire dish myself!  The Blood Orange DRY soda also paired very nicely with this dish.

http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-blood-orange.php 

DRY Soda's Greek Orzo Salad and Simple Roasted Red Potatoes paired with the Cucumber DRY Soda and Juniper Berry DRY Soda, respectively.  The flavour profiles of the sodas went very nicely with the dishes, and the dishes themselves were amazing!  I'm definitely going to add these to my cooking repertoire.

http://www.drysoda.com/chef-recipes-greek-orzo-salad.php
http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-cucumber.php
 

http://www.drysoda.com/chef-recipes-red-potatoes.php
http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-juniper-berry.php

Chicken to go with the Greek Orzo Salad for some protein, and chips and salsa to pair with the Wild Lime DRY Soda.

http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-wild-lime.php

 

Lunch, Round 1!  Seriously a delicious meal.  I can't wait to make these recipes again.

And just when I thought lunch was over, out came the homemade Panna Cotta!  I'm not going to lie, I normally steer clear of ordering Panna Cotta because it's not my favourite dish in the world, but this panna cotta was amazing!  It was all I could do to stop myself from licking the dish clean.  Not to mention that this dessert paired amazingly with the Vanilla Bean DRY Soda!  The two just lit each other up. 

 http://www.drysoda.com/chef-recipes-panna-cotta.php
http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-vanilla-bean.php

And last, but not least, our second dessert!  Lemon Cream and Cherry Caramel chocolates from Purdy's.  The Lemon Cream chocolate paired very nicely with the Lavender DRY Soda, and the Cherry Caramel tasted so good I can't remember what it was paired with!

http://www.purdys.com/Chocolate-Legend.aspx
http://www.drysoda.com/flavor-lavender.php

http://www.drysoda.com/

@DRYSoda

Homemade Pesto

Ladies and gents, I have officially made homemade pesto for the first time!   I know, I know...probably a little behind the times, but better late than never.  I used Jamie Oliver's pesto recipe from Jamie's Italy as a guideline and it was scrumptious!  I've included my version of it below:

Ingredients

• 1 handful of pine nuts (approximately 1/2 of a cup)
• Basil leaves off a large basil plant
• Olive oil

Place your pine nuts on a tray and pop them in the toaster oven (or oven) and broil at approximately 400F for a minute.  The pine nuts should be warm but not toasted.  Place the pine nuts in your food processor and pulse until relatively smooth.  Add the basil leaves and pulse until well mixed and smooth.  Remove to a bowl and add in olive until the pesto is the desired consistency.  Mix with cooked pasta and enjoy!

My first ever batch of pesto!

Dinner!  Spaghetti with pesto sauce, salmon with Mediterranean salsa and grilled peppers. 

http://www.jamieoliver.com/books-and-media/

@jamieoliver

Gourmet Camping

I can't describe the food on my camping trip to Manning Park as anything but gourmet.  Okay, so maybe the Costco size tub of sour keys doesn't count as gourmet, but the actual meals definitely did!  I thought I'd toss a couple of the meal plans up here in case anyone is going camping on September long and looking for ideas.  Take my word for it, you can't go wrong with any of these!

Breakfast #1 - Corned Beef and Hash (this one was for you Sach!).  Ingredients: packaged hashbrowns (the country medley in this case), tinned corned beef, a bit of oil, eggs.  Start up your campstove, put a bit of oil in, then add the hashbrowns.  Cook until almost done.  Add the corned beef and make sure it's close to the skillet so it crisps a bit.  Mix well.  Serve with an over easy egg on top.  Heavenly!  Other options: sauté onions and peppers in the oil before adding the hashbrowns for some extra flavour.  Note: use one tin of corned beef for every four people.

 

Dinner #2 - Salmon with rice and fresh veggies.  2 campstoves required.  On one campstove, prepare the rice.  On the second campstove pan fry your salmon with lemon slices for flavour.  (Note: a campstove burner will most definitely burn through tinfoil.  Just for reference.)  Stir fry the frozen veggies lickety split.  This is why I love car camping!  (Note: the $6.99 Styrofoam cooler from IGA may not be environmentally friendly, but it does kick some serious butt!  It kept a bag of ice in ice form for over 60 hours...our other trusty coolers didn't last half that long.)

 

Breakfast #2: Scrambled eggs with peppers, cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese, hashbrowns, back bacon and fresh fruit.  Amazing!!  And self explanatory.

Not a meal, but I couldn't resist putting in a pic from our hike.  Looking at Lightning Lake from the Lightning Lake Loop.  Fabulous way to spend an afternoon!

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/ecmanning/

http://www.costco.ca/

Grilled Salmon with Tomato Salsa

I'm not going to lie, cooking fish is one of those things I've always been a little bit afraid of.  I don't know why.  Normally I'm in my happy place when I'm cooking away, but when I pull that fish out of the fridge...unless it's salmon and I'm barbecuing it, I get a little nervous.  So, I made a concerted effort to learn how to cook fish this year.  Why?  I love it!  And I figure if I get to the point where I look forward to cooking it, I'll eat more of it.

So, when I saw this recipe for Grilled Sockeye Salmon in Glowbal's e-newsletter, I couldn't resist giving it a try!  The result?  It was nice.  I generally prefer my fish with a bit of citrus, but I enjoyed this and can see myself making it in the winter time.  I've included the link to the original recipe, and have also included my version of the recipe below.

Ingredients

• Salmon (approximately 100-150g per person)
• Tomatoes (approximately 1 plum tomato per person)
• Garlic (approximately 1 small clove minced per person)
• Basil (4 leaves torn per person)
• Black pepper (2 grinds per person)
• Olive oil (1 tbsp. per person)

Mix the tomatoes, garlic, basil, black pepper and olive oil in a small oven-friendly dish (I used the cheese dish that I use for brie) and pop into your toaster oven at 400F for about 10-15 minutes...until the goodies start to caramelize.  At the same time, BBQ your salmon until cooked to desired doneness.  Plate the salmon and spoon the salsa overtop.  Enjoy!

Glowbal Group's Grilled Salmon

Dinner!

http://www.glowbalgroup.com/glowbals-summer-bbq-series-grilled-sockeye-salmon/

Twitter: @Glowbal_Group

House Salad - Whitewater Cooks

When I was over at the Fit Family's house recently, I noticed that Fit Momma had the Whitewater Cooks at Home cookbook.  I always have a hard time narrowing down which recipe to try since they all sound so good, so I asked Fit Momma if there were any she would recommend and she said the House Salad.  When I read it over, it sounded good but not like anything special so I figured I'd make it to go with my lunches for the week.  My assessment of not anything special wrong sure was wrong!  Seriously a spectacular salad!  I had some with my lunch on the weekend to make sure I liked it and I had to have a talking to myself about leaving some for my lunches that week.  Yet another Whitewater Cooks recipe that you could whip up for lunches or for when you have guests over.  I love how easy and versatile they are!  Okay, on to my version of the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 head of lettuce (I used green leaf since that's what was at the farmer's market)
• 1 large beet or 2 medium size beets, grated (yet another reason I love my food processor...no more red hands!)
• 2 Roma-size tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup of fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 cup of feta, crumbled
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 dashes salt
• 4-5 grinds of pepper
• 1 tbsp. of chopped dill

Clean and tear/chop up the lettuce into your serving bowl.  Sprinkle the grated beets, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, dill and feta over top.  In a small container (I used a small canning jar) combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and tablespoon of dill.  Shake to combine well.  Pour over the salad, or serve on the side.  Serves 4 generous servings.

The House Salad!

Lunch!  Olive Rosemary bread care of Pure Bread...amazing!

 

http://www.whitewatercooks.com/books.html

 

http://www.purebread.ca/

Twitter: @Purebreadwhis

Gnocchi

A couple weekends ago, I woke up on Sunday morning to the best text message ever.  A very dear friend, who just happens to be Italian, had decided to make homemade gnocchi with her Mom that day and was wondering if I wanted to come for dinner.  Um, heck yah!!!!  She kept warning me that it had been a while and they might taste like cement bricks...talk about underselling your handy work.  It was literally the best gnocchi that's ever entered my mouth.  Unreal!  The only disappointment was that I was busy in the afternoon and wasn't able to learn how to make them myself.  Don't worry, I got a signed rain cheque good for eternity!

The gnocchi waiting for its bath.

 

Watching the master at work.  You pop them into boiling water and once they float they're done.

The homemade vodka marinara sauce...you know, nothing special...geeshkapeeshka!

 

The homemade gnocchi ready for consumption.  Oh how I wish I'd smuggled some out in my purse!  It would have been well worth the drycleaning bill.

 

Side salad.

Homemade garlic bread: Baguette cut in half, buttered, sprinkled with garlic powder and parmesan, then broiled and cut into individual pieces.  Yum!

Dinner!

Pizza at the Fit Family's

I was recently treated to a very yummy and very filling completely homemade pizza by one of the fittest and kindest Moms I know.  She even made the crust!  I was extremely impressed, so couldn't resist including the recipe.  However, I may have been a little sidetracked by her cutie patootie son and forgot to ask for some of the details...so here's my best shot at how to recreate it.  If I missed anything, feel free to comment and correct me Fit Momma!

Ingredients

• tomatoes
• onion
• jalapeno
• orange pepper
• salami/pepperoni
• artichokes
• cheese

I forgot to ask for the pizza dough recipe, so I've included a link to one that I found on allrecipes.com below.  According to Fit Daddy (a.k.a. Fit Momma's husband...the man who can do anything), you should always use beer where it asks for water in order to make a kick-butt dough.  Fit Momma rolled the dough out and then placed it on a cookie sheet.  I liked the way she did this.  The number of times I've heard of people struggle with pizza stones and getting it circular...this tasted just as good and was very simple.  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pizza-dough-iii/

For the sauce, chop up tomatoes, onions and a jalapeno.  Sauté until the mixture reaches sauce consistency and then set aside.

Slice orange peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes and artichokes, and shred cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, whatever your heart desires).  Ladle the sauce onto the pizza then top with vegetables and meat, then sprinkle with cheese.  Bake around 400F (I think) for about 15 minutes until the dough is cooked and crisp and the cheese is melted.  Eat and enjoy!  Great served with a salad.

Thanks for the lovely dinner and play date fit family!

My two new favourite recipes...and my four favourite men...

As I was enjoying the sun and some sparkling rosé poolside during my trip to Penticton, I started flipping through a Shape magazine that one of my riding companions had brought along.  I hadn't read a Shape magazine in quite some time and was pleasantly surprised to find some yummy sounding recipes at the back.  I was a little skeptical since they also sounded very healthy and healthy always leads to a healthy waist line but not always happy taste buds.  But I'm really glad I gave them a shot!  They were both scrumptious, are going to become staples for me, and if someone had just served them to me, I would have had no idea that they were healthy.  So, if you're looking to get creative on the grill, I'd definitely recommend trying my versions of the recipes below!  They're also really nice cold and would work well as leftovers or a picnic at the beach.

Grilled Lemon-Mint Pork Chops and Peaches

• Juice of 2 lemons
• Leaves off 2 large sprigs of mint, chopped
• Handful of parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 dashes of salt
• 4-5 grinds of pepper
• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1" wedges
• 2 peaches, pitted and cut into 1" wedges

Combine the lemon juice, mint, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper in a container suitable for marinating.  Add the pork chops and red onion wedges.  Mix so everything is coated, cover and place in fridge to marinate anywhere between 2 hours and overnight.  Remove the pork chops and onions from the marinade and grill until cooked and lightly seared...a few minutes a side.  The onions will cook best in one of those BBQ veggie cooking containers.  At the same time add the peaches and cook, turning, until tender and each side has grill marks.  Serves 4.

 

Grilled Potato and Zucchini Salad

• 1 pound baby red potatoes
• 1/2 zucchini, quartered length-wise and chopped
• 1 rib celery, sliced thin
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• Couple dashes salt
• 4-5 grinds of pepper

Place potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to a boil.  Cook for 12-15 minutes (until fork tender).  Whisk together the yogurt, vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium size bowl.  When the potatoes have been drained, dried and are cool to touch, slice in half and lightly coat with a small drizzle of olive oil.  Place them on the grill, cut side down and cook until crisp and golden.  Add the potatoes, zucchini, celery, green onion and potatoes to the dressing and toss to combine.  Serves 4.

Grilled Eggplant for a side. Brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper and grilled until tender.

All ready for the Bachelorette hometown dates!

 

Dinner!  Scrumptious, if I do say so myself.

 

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes

 

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/2/OutdoorLiving/BBQs/GrillTopAccessories/PRDOVR~0851434P/Master+Chef+Stainless+Steel+Grill+Basket.jsp?locale=en

 

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette

Lemon Waffles

I recently headed out to Calgary for a family visit and was lucky enough to be treated to my cousin's (okay, technically my second cousin's) world famous lemon waffles.  I was ecstatic when she said that she was going to be making waffles, then when she started making a homemade lemon sauce my taste buds started doing a happy dance!  The waffles were dense, yummy and filling and the lemon sauce was so light and refreshing in comparison to maple syrup.  I'd definitely recommend adding this yummy goodness to your weekend breakfast repertoire! 

 

Lemon Sauce

• 15 mL cornstarch
• 125 mL sugar
• 1 mL salt
• 60 mL lemon juice
• 250 mL boiling water
• 15 mL butter
• 5 mL grated lemon rind

Mix the cornstarch, sugar and salt together.  Stir to a smooth paste with a very small amount of cold water.  Add the boiling water, stirring constantly over direct heat until the sauce thickens and is clear.  Remove from heat and add the butter.  Set aside and prepare the waffles.

The infamous lemon sauce.

 

Waffles

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs separated
• Pinch of salt
• Twist of lemon

Sift the dry ingredients together.  Add the egg yolks and milk, and mix thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they're relatively stiff.  Stir half of the egg whites into the batter.  Fold the second half of the egg whites into the batter.  Add the melted butter and lemon and mix until smooth.  Cook the batter using a waffle iron and then spoon the lemon sauce over top.

Action shot!  The folding technique.

 

Making some waffles.

Turkey bacon: the perfect side.

Breakfast!

Brinner

Brinner: the fabulous idea of brunch for dinner...one of my all-time favourite meals!!!

I was recently given a food processor as a gift (best gift ever!!!) and have fallen in love with the shredding function.  What used to take me fifteen minutes, sweat, tears and the fear that my nails were going to get shredded along with the food, now takes a minute...it's brilliant!!  The most exciting part of this fabulous shredding function?  I can now make shredded hashbrowns at home!  A simple pleasure, I know, but shredded hashbrowns have always been one of my favourite parts of brunch and now I don't even have to leave my house to have them.

Ingredients

• 1 potato per person
• 1 tbsp olive oil per potato
• Salt
• Pepper
• Seasoning of your desire

Clean the potatoes and then shred them (skin and all) using your handy dandy food processor.  Scoop them out into a strainer and rinse with cold water until all of the starch is removed and the water runs clear.  Pat the shredded potatoes dry with a hand towel.  Heat the olive oil in a large pan at medium heat.  Once warm, add the shredded potatoes and seasoning.  Cook, stirring regularly, until hashbrowns are to your desired crunchy level (probably about 10 minutes).  You could also add onions and bell peppers for added fun.  Enjoy!

The hashbrowns cooking away.

Brinner!  Home-made shredded hashbrowns, scrambled eggs with dill and feta, and a nectarine.

Toad Mountain Granola

I was flipping through my Whitewater Cooks at Home cookbook the other day and re-discovered a recipe that I had wanted to try: Toad Mountain Granola.  It was perfect timing because I was almost out of granola, so I picked up the ingredients and got down to business!

Ingredients

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup sesame seeds (I used toasted sesame seeds because that's what I had on hand)
• 1 cup almonds (crushed, slivered or sliced...depending on how dark you like them)
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp dried ginger (the spice, not the raw root)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (use the real stuff!)
• 1 cup dried fruit (my favourite is cranberries)

Preheat oven to 325F.  Mix the oats, seeds, almonds, cinnamon, ginger and salt together in a big bowl.  Add the apple sauce and mix thoroughly, until all of the mixture is a little wet.  Add the oil, honey and maple syrup, and mix well.  Bake for an hour, stirring well every 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Mix in the dried fruit and store in the fridge in tupperware. 

This granola is really nice.  Hearty and full of flavour, but not hard as rock.  It was a really nice change.  If you're a home-made granola fan, you should definitely try this recipe out.

Note: the original recipe calls for brown sugar, but when I went to add mine I discovered that I had forgot to store it with a piece of bread in it so the sugar was rock hard (I'll learn one day Mom).  However, I quite enjoyed it without it, so I don't think it's necessary.

Cooling and waiting for the cranberries to be mixed in.

 

http://www.whitewatercooks.com/