After posting m…

After posting my thoughts last week I was so happy to read all of the comments that people posted in response to my blog. I was fortunate enough to have been asked to participate in a fundraising event for the Red Moon Theater this past weekend. So after 2 days of prepping over 600 portions of chocolate chip banana bread, 6 quarts of spiced granola, 3 squeeze bottles of balsamic caramel sauce, and a liter of honey yogurt, I packed up my food and headed to the Hudson Club for an evening of talented chefs, great food, delicious Goose Island beer and some truly eccentric and inspiring actors and local entertainers of all kinds. This was an evening that was really inspired by so much local talent including some of Chicago’s newest food trucks and performance art galore. I was truly honored to be a part of this fun and extremely successful event. So thank you Red Moon Theater.

Now for the recipe of the week, I of course wanted to post my dish that I created for the weekend’s event. However, I realized the recipe is already on my website for my yummy banana bread. So in addition to my recipe for banana bread, spiced granola is a fun and easy snack to make. It can be added to desserts for an extra crunch, or yogurt for an energizing breakfast or lunch, icecream or simply eaten by itself for a nice snack. I find that granola can be a great outlet for some of our favorite and healthy foods like nuts, dried fruits, coconut or whatever your pleasure. So here is my basic and easy recipe for spiced granola. Have fun with it and be creative. Enjoy and bon appetite!

Spiced Granola

1 1/2 pounds rolled oats (24 oz)
8 oz light brown sugar
1 c. water
1/2 vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. honey
1 TBS cinnamon
1/2 TBS paprika
1 c. dried cherries
1/2 c. dried blueberries
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1 TBS dried rosemary

Place all ingredients in a bowl and combine together with your hands until evenly encorporated. Lay flat and even on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in an oven at 325 degrees until lightly toasted about 30-40 minutes stirring the mixture once or twice to cook evenly. Remove from oven and let cool. Place in an airtight container and serve as desired.  

Note: Any dried fruit or nuts can be substituted. Shaved coconut, chocolate chips, or any dried herb such as oregano or thyme can also be used. Be creative and have fun with this recipe!