CHOCOLATE CHERRY ENERGY BITES

~ The Complete Cookbook for Teen Chefs, written by America's Test Kitchen

3/4 c. old-fashioned oats
1/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 c. pecans, chopped
1/3 c. dried cherries, chopped 
1/3 c. creamy peanut, almond, or sunflower butter
2 T. honey
1/8 t. salt

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Use wet hands to roll into 16 balls. Place on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until firm. 

Notes: I've only made them with chopped almonds instead of pecans, but you can experiment with different nuts or dried fruit. I had a hard time getting mine to stick together in a ball shape long enough to get them in the fridge, but they taste good. 

** This post contains affiliate links and I'm grateful when people use them. **

GOLDEN GRANOLA

~ Taste of Home Make It! Take It 2022

4 c. old-fashioned oats
1 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. sesame seeds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. canola oil
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. water
1 T. vanilla 
1/2 c. golden raisins or chopped dried apricots

Preheat oven to 275 degrees and grease 9x13-inch baking dish.

Combine first eight ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a saucepan, cook oil, brown sugar, honey, water, and vanilla, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved. Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. 

Transfer mixture to greased baking dish and bake one hour or until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely, then stir in raisins or apricots.

Makes about nine cups.

Notes: I've only made this with golden raisins, as that's what I had on hand, but think it would also be great with dried apricots. 

** This post contains affiliate links and I'm grateful when people use them. **

CRANBERRY ALMOND APPLE PIE

 ~ Taste of Home

PIE
9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
3 T. butter, melted
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. salt
6 medium tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries

TOPPING
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/2 t. cinnamon
3 T. cold butter
1/3 c. sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, butter, nutmeg, and salt. Gently fold in apples and cranberries. Pour into pie crust.  

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in almonds. Sprinkle topping over filling. 

Bake one hour or until apples are tender.

Notes: I've only made this once and had a lot of liquid at the bottom of the pie when I cut into it, so I drained it off before serving. It tasted amazing, though, and I'll definitely be baking it again. Maybe I just had super juicy apples? If you really want to kick things up a notch, serve it with almond whipped cream. Absolutely divine! 

POMEGRANATE CHICKEN SALAD

~ adapted from Heidi Marineau

2/3 c. pomegranate juice
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
2 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 lb. chicken breasts
lettuce and/or spinach
sliced almonds, toasted
shredded coconut, toasted
dried cranberries

Combine pomegranate juice, cilantro, olive oil, slat, pepper, and garlic in mixing bowl. Slice chicken into strips and add to juice mixture, stirring until thoroughly coated. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Place chicken strips on baking sheet and broil until cooked through; remove from oven to cool.

Meanwhile, chop lettuce and place in serving bowl. Place cooled chicken strips on top of lettuce, then sprinkle with almonds, coconut, and cranberries before serving.

Notes: We've served this with a homemade pomegranate vinaigrette that tasted great, but was far too runny to make again. The salad is great on its own, but you can find a dressing recipe or pick up a bottle at the store if you'd like to kick it up a notch.

WILD RICE HOT DISH

~ unknown source

3 c. boiling water
1 c. wild rice
1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 10.75 oz. cans cream of chicken soup
2 4 oz. cans sliced mushrooms
14 oz. can bean sprouts, drained
10.5 oz. can condensed beef broth
1 1/3 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 bay leaf, crushed
1 T. dried parsley flakes
1/4 t. each: celery salt, garlic powder, onion salt, paprika, pepper, and poultry seasoning
1/8 t. dried thyme
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, pour water over rice and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a skillet, brown turkey and onion. Drain, then add to rice with remaining ingredients, except almonds. Transfer to a 9x13-inch pan. Cover and bake for two hours. Sprinkle almonds on top; bake, uncovered, 30 minutes longer.

Notes: I use fresh mushrooms instead of canned and sometimes sub ground beef or venison for the turkey.

SPINACH SALAD WITH AVOCADOS & CLEMENTINES

~ The Costco Connection - March 2016

DRESSING
1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 T. whole-grain mustard
1 t. honey
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. pepper
3 T. olive oil

SALAD
1 large, firm avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
6 c. packed baby spinach (about 6 oz.)
4 clementines, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 c. toasted sliced almonds

In a large serving bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. While whisking, drizzle in oil to make vinaigrette.

Add avocado and toss to coat, then add spinach and clementines, gently tossing to combine. Garnish individual servings with almonds.

Makes 4 servings.

ALMOND MAPLE CHICKEN

~ Sandy's Kitchen Adventures

36 oz. chicken breasts
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 c. Walden Farm pancake syrup
1 t. lemon zest
2 t. lemon juice
1/2 c. chopped almonds (about 40 almonds)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in baking dish and sprinkle with pepper. In a small mixing bowl, combine syrup, zest, juice, and almonds. Pour syrup mixture over chicken. Bake 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.

Makes four servings.

Notes; We use pure maple syrup instead of Walden Farm syrup..

HONEY-ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

~ Money Saving Mom

1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 T. honey
1 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss halved brussels sprouts with oil, salt, and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast 35 minutes or until tender and edges are starting to brown.

Remove baking sheet from oven, then drizzle brussels sprouts with honey and sprinkle with cranberries and almonds. Place back in oven for another five minutes or until warmed through.

Makes four servings.

Notes: I'm sure the sugar from the honey and dried cranberries negates some of the nutritional value of brussels sprouts, but my family enjoys this sweeter version of roasting them just as much as the non-sweet versions. If you'd like to to make it a one dish meal, cook some of your favorite tortellini and mix it it.

PUMPKIN QUINOA BOWL

~ Frugal Living NW

3 c. cooked quinoa
1 c. milk (unsweetened if using a non-dairy milk)
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. maple syrup
cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, to taste
Optional toppings: milk, whipped cream, sliced bananas, nuts, cinnamon

Mix quinoa, milk, pumpkin, syrup, and seasonings in saucepan or microwave-safe dish. Heat on stove or in microwave until warmed through. Stir, then add desired toppings before serving.

Makes approximately four cups.

Notes: This is a nice breakfast in the fall.

NUTTY GRANOLA

~ All You magazine - 12/17/10

4 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. honey
1/3 c. vegetable oil
2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mist a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Mix oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, and oil, bringing to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour hot liquid over oat mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Spread on baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cool completely before serving.

Notes: I sometimes mix and match the seeds and nuts, using whatever's on hand as long as I have a total of two cups.

APPLE & FIG GRANOLA

~ brunch, by Parragon Books

2 3/4 c. rolled oats
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
2/3 c. dried figs, chopped
1/2 c. slivered almonds
2 T. honey
1/4 c. cold water
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
1 t. butter, melted for greasing pan

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large bowl, mix oats, apples, figs, and almonds. Bring honey, water, cinnamon, and vanilla to a boil in a pan, then stir together with oat mixture.

Lightly grease baking sheet with melted butter and spread oat mixture evenly on sheet. Bake 40-45 minutes or until granola is golden brown, stirring occasionally to break up clumps. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes: The apples will not dry out completely during the baking process, which means the oats will absorb their moisture if you store the granola for any length of time. You could either skip the fresh apples and just add diced, dried ones to the mixture instead, eat the granola soon after baking it, or reheat the granola for a bit to dry things out if it's softened in storage. We skip the butter and just use non-stick spray.

ALMOND BREAD

~ Torani

1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. almond syrup
1 c. sour cream
1 egg
1 3/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 5x2-inch pans or one 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Place almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake eight minutes or until golden brown. Finely chop and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add syrup, sour cream, and egg, beating until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together.

Add wet ingredients and chopped almonds to dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Pour batter into pan(s) and place in oven. Bake mini loaves 35-40 minutes, rotating once after 15 minutes, or one regular loaf for 45-50 minutes, removing when a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: The original Torani recipe includes making a glaze for the bread and then topping it with extra toasted almonds and maraschino cherries, which we don't do, but you could get the scoop on that by clicking the link at the top of this post. Torani obviously expects you to use their almond syrup in this recipe, but we've used homemade almond syrup and it tasted great. 

FRUIT & NUT GRANOLA BARS

~ All You magazine - 8/26/11

2 c. quick-cooking oats
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. wheat germ
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. golden raisins
1/2 c. finely chopped dried apples
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/3 c. maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 T. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil and mist with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon, and salt, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar. Add raisins, apples, and walnuts.

In a separate bowl, whisk syrup, egg, oil, and vanilla. Pour syrup mixture into oat mixture and combine well.

Press mixture into pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until just turning golden brown around the edges. Place pan on a wire rack to cool for five minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars in the pan while still warm. Cool a while longer before removing bars in foil from pan to a rack to cool completely.

Notes: I use regular raisins, as we always have them on hand. Sometimes I use chopped almonds instead of walnuts.

MAPLE CLUSTER GRANOLA

~ Frugal Living NW

6 c. old fashioned oats
3 c. seeds and coarsely chopped nuts
1 1/2 c. small or coarsely chopped dried fruit
2 T. butter
1 c. maple syrup (or 1/2 c. maple syrup, 1/2 c. brown sugar, and 2 T. water)
2 T. olive or coconut oil
1 t. salt
2 T. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, seeds, nuts, and dried fruit.

Heat butter, syrup (and brown sugar and water, if using them), oil, and salt in a small pan over medium heat. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Pour the syrup mixture over the oat mixture and stir to mix. Split the granola between two greased, rimmed pans, packing down lightly. Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotate pans, then bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before breaking into clusters.

Makes one gallon.

Notes: I've used flax, sunflower, and pumpkin for seeds; chopped and sliced almonds for nuts; raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates, and chopped dried apricots for dried fruit. I sometimes do the more frugal option of syrup, brown sugar, and water instead of straight syrup.

I only have one rimmed pan, which is about 11x15-inches, that I use for all granola recipes, so I put the whole mixture in that pan, don't pack it, and cook in two increments of ten minutes, followed by two increments of five minutes, stirring after each increment except the last. I don't end up with any clusters that way, but when I pack it down and let it cook without stirring, the bottom ends up a little chewier than I'd like. 

MAPLE ALMOND BUTTER

~ Shari Todd

2 c. raw almonds
3-4 T. maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
1 t. cinnamon
dash vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix almonds and syrup, then place on a foil-lined baking sheet or pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. 

Cool for a few minutes, then place in food processor and process until smooth. Add salt, cinnamon, and vanilla, then process until smooth.

Makes about 1 cup.

Notes: I like to spread this on toasted English muffins, dip strawberries or apples in it, use it as an oatmeal topping, or just eat it by the spoonful. 

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH PECANS AND GORGONZOLA

~ Kalyn's Kitchen

1 lb. brussels sprouts
1/4 c. chopped pecans
2-3 T olive oil, plus more for greasing pan
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2-3 T. crumbled gorgonzola

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brush roasting pan with a tiny bit of oil.  Trim the ends of brussels sprouts, if needed, then cut lengthwise into quarters.   Place sprouts and pecans in a bowl, then toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Spread sprouts in a single layer on roasting pan and roast for 30-35 minutes or until they are tender and starting to brown on edges, stirring once or twice.  Remove from oven and toss with gorgonzola before serving.

Notes: The original recipe says you can skip the gorgonzola and toss with 2 teaspoons of butter instead.  I'm sure it's good that way, but I haven't tried it.  We have, however, used feta instead of gorgonzola sometimes. We always have chopped almonds in the house, so I use them instead of pecans.

SPINACH SALAD WITH ALMOND BUTTER DRESSING

~ The Modern Day Pioneer: Simple Living in the 21st Century, written by Charlotte Denholtz

4 c. spinach, chopped
1 c. bok choy, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 c. chopped almonds
1/4 c. almond butter
1 T. lime juice
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 t. muscovado sugar
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
olive oil, if needed
2 T. cilantro, chopped

Toss spinach, bok choy, and carrots in a large bowl.  Sprinkle the almonds on top.

In a small bowl, whisk together the almond butter, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic powder, sugar, and red pepper.  If it's too thick, then add one teaspoon of olive oil at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Stir in the cilantro.

Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly.

Makes four servings.

Notes: Brown sugar is an acceptable substitute for muscovado sugar and it's what we use. The dressing is a bit saltier than I like and so I cut back a little on the soy sauce, but it's not salty enough to keep me from eating two heaping mounds of salad when I make it as directed.

TORTELLINI SALAD WITH PECANS, CRANBERRIES, AND FETA

~ picky cook

SALAD

lettuce and/or spinach

tortellini, cooked and cooled

toasted pecans

dried cranberries

crumbled feta

DRESSING

3 T. balsamic vinegar

2 T. white balsamic vinegar

2 T. brown sugar 

1 T. lemon juice

1 clove garlic, finely chopped or made into paste with a microplane

salt and pepper, to taste

6-7 T. olive oil

Using whatever quantities sound good to you, assemble the greens, pasta, pecans, and cranberries in a bowl; set aside.

To make the dressing, mix vinegars, sugar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or lidded jar. Slowly whisk in the oil. 

Dress and toss salad. Sprinkle with feta before serving.

Notes: I always adjust ingredients according to what's on hand, but this is delicious! I sometimes use chopped almonds instead of pecans, regular balsamic in place of white, and parmesan instead of feta. Rather than tossing the whole salad, I let people dress their own servings. 

BROCCOLI & BACON SALAD

~ Bethany Weathersby

SALAD
8 cups broccoli florets, blanched
1 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. dried cranberries
1 c. sliced almonds
1 c. sunflower seeds

DRESSING
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. red wine vinegar

Combine salad ingredients in serving bowl. Mix dressing in another bowl, then pour over salad and toss until evenly coated. Chill until serving.

Notes: I combined Debra's broccoli salad recipe, which is good, with another one I found online and came up with a salad of my own. 

SALAD WITH PEARS & CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE

~ dash magazine - November 2010

DRESSING
1/2 c. frozen cranberries
1/4 c. honey
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. water
salt & pepper, to taste

SALAD
8 cups lettuce
2 ripe pears, chopped or thinly sliced
1 c. toasted chopped walnuts
1 c. crumbled blue cheese

In a small pan over low heat, bring cranberries, honey, and vinegar to a simmer. Cook until cranberry skins break, about 2-3 minutes, then set aside to cool.  

Combine cranberry mixture and mustard in a blender and blend until smooth. With the blender running, drizzle in the oil, then the water. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Refrigerate vinaigrette if not serving immediately.

Fill serving bowl with lettuce, then scatter pears over the top. Sprinkle with walnuts and blue cheese. Dress salad before serving or place dressing on table for people to dress their own portion.

Notes:  We use chopped almonds instead of walnuts and it's absolutely delicious!  If you can't or won't use blue cheese, then feta's a good alternative.