Apricot Granola

Sweet and salty and crunchy make the perfect snack. Plus dried apricots are just the best. 

This also makes are really great present wrapped up in a jar. 

"Tutti Fruitti" Little Richard 

Adapted from One Girl Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1 cup slivered almonds

• 1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

• 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

• 1/2 teaspoon table salt

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/4 cup canola oil

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the oats out on two baking sheets, and toast them in the oven for 14 minutes. Then transfer them to a very large bowl and let them cool.
On a baking sheet, toast each of the following ingredients separately: the almonds for 10 minutes, the sunflower seeds for 8 minutes, and the coconut for just 1 minute. Add the toasted nuts and coconut to the oats, and stir. Reduce the oven temperature to 225 degrees.
Add the salt, honey, oil, and vanilla to the mixture in the bowl, and mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture between the two baking sheets, and bake for 2 hours. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the granola cool for 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the apricots with the baked ingredients. Allow the granola to cool to room temperature. The granola will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Coconut-Pecan Encrusted Baked Salmon

Now, marinating fish in milk may sound like a weird thing, but trust me on this. The milk adds a creaminess and a richness that is hard to find any other way. 

This is based off a salmon I had one time visiting my brother in Ithaca. I didn't quite get the creaminess of their salmon the first time but a few more hours marinating did the trick.

The toasted nuts and coconut add a crisp contrast to the creaminess of the salmon creating a wholly unique taste and texture.

Also, it's a great simple recipe for the first weeks of school.

I'm not quite loving all my classes yet, but I'm getting there :) and college has definitely been easier than my last few years of high school. Thank God!

"40 Day Dream" Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Ingredients

• 1 lb of salmon
• 1 cup of pecans, coarsely chopped (can substitute walnuts)
• 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut 
• 2 cups of coconut milk (can substitute cow's milk)

Directions

Cut salmon into individual servings and place in container to marinate. Pour the coconut milk over the top and cover the salmon completely. Marinate overnight or at least for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans over a baking sheet. Toast for 20 minutes.  Spread shredded coconut over a baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes or until lightly gold.

Cover baking sheet in aluminum foil. Place salmon on baking sheet and spread coconut-pecan mixture over the top of the salmon. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.

Leftovers Club: Glazed Coconut-Lime Shortbread

I made these for the Leftovers Club. If you haven't done it you should check it out. 

These were easy to make and easy to eat. 

A little bite of sunshine.

Perfect to get your summer mood on.

And for music to help with a mini-vacation:

"Island in the Sun" Weezer

Adapted from The Flying Brownie by Shirley Fan

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 heaping tablespoon freshly grated lime zest

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp lime zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving extra for overhang; set aside.

Make the shortbread: in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and lime zest; mix until combined. Add the flour, coconut, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and firmly press into the bottom of the pan. Bake until the edges of the shortbread are golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the shortbread cool in the pan.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: in a small bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar, lime juice, and zest until well combined.

Chocolate-Coconut Macaroons and Chocolate Dipped Apricots

 

I joined the Leftover's Club last month, and shipped my fist box of leftovers last week. 

I had some trouble settling on what to ship. What wouldn't break up into crumbs if it was shaken too much in the mail? What wouldn't go bad or melt in the oppressive heat? After scouring pages of recipe books and the far reaches of the internet, I finally found these chocolate-coconut macaroons.

They are so easy and so crunchy and chocolatey!

I ate a few too many! (They are really good!) So I supplemented them with chocolate-dipped apricots.

You just dip dried apricots in melted chocolate and sprinkle on the chopped almonds.

These are the delicious jam-filled white chocolate cookies I received from Shashi at Runnin' Srilankan

"Space Cowboy" Steve Miller

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high power for 1 minute. Stir and then heat for another minute until completely melted. 

In a large bowl, combine the coconut, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir to combine.

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the egg whites and vanilla with a fork. Stir the egg whites into the coconut mixture. Add the melted chocolate chips to the batter, andm ix with a rubber spatula to combine.

Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop out small rounds of dough - about 1 1/2 tbsp each- onto parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between cookies. Using your fingertips, shape each cookie into a neat little dome. If the batter is too sticky, wash your hands thoroughly and leave them a bit wet.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until they are slightly crisp on the outside but still soft inside. Do not over-bake. Transfer the macaroons to a wire rack and let them cool completely.