Weekly Recipe #50: Cassie's Granola

By Jeanne Foels, Marketing & Outreach Coordinator
Nothing beats pulling a pan of crispy, fragrant, golden-brown granola from the oven. Whether you pair it with yogurt for breakfast or munch on it for a snack, granola is tasty, convenient and nutritious. Sous chef and baker Cassie Mead created the following recipe for the Open Arms kitchen, and we think it's a winner.

Customize this granola with your favorite combination of nuts and dried fruit. When Cassie made a batch for our clients last week, she used dried papayas and bananas, cashews and delightful chunks of dark chocolate. Mmm! The dried ingredients she used, including the grains and seeds, were donated by Second Harvest Heartland -- our thanks to them for their help in getting nutritious food to our clients!

Cassie's Granola

(Makes about 18 cups)

2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup oil
1/4 tbsp. salt
1/4 tbsp. cinnamon

8 1/2 cups oats
2 cups oat bran
2 cups flax seed
3 cups nuts

Dried fruit and chocolate to taste

1. In a sauce pan, mix brown sugar, molasses, honey, oil and spices together. Heat on stove until the mixture comes to a slow boil and the sugar is all dissolved.
2. Combine oats, bran, flax seed and nuts in a large bowl. When sugar mixture is ready, carefully pour over the oats. Mix together until everything is coated and divide amongst two or three baking sheets lined with parchment.
3. Bake at 300 degrees for 5 minutes. Rotate pans and mix granola. Return to oven for another 5 minutes and check for doneness. The granola should be toasted and crispy.
4. When granola is cool, mix in dried fruit and chocolate.

Weekly Recipe #49: Broccoli Gribiche

This dish is ideal for January -- it's warm and comforting, and full of healthy ingredients to help you keep plugging away at those resolutions. Plus, it practically cooks itself!


Roasted Potatoes & Broccoli Gribiche

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day

(Serves 2-4)

1 1/2 lb. of small potatoes, cut into 3/4" cubes
1 lb. broccoli, cut up into florets
kosher salt & olive oil for roasting the vegetables

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking pan with parchment.
2. Spread the potatoes out on the pan, drizzle with olive oil and salt and roast for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the pan and add the broccoli. Roast until veggies are browned (about 15-20 minutes more).
4. While the vegetables are roasting, make the sauce below.
5. Transfer the warm potatoes and broccoli to a large bowl and toss with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Chop the three hard-boiled eggs and one white into rough pieces and add to the veggies and sauce.


Gribiche Sauce:

4 hard-boiled eggs
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
handful of chopped parsley
1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
2 small shallots, minced
salt & pepper

1. Start by taking one egg yolk and mashing it with a fork in a medium size bowl.
2. Slowly add the mustard, vinegar and olive oil to the egg yolk and whisk until glossy and the sauce is emulsified.
3. Add the herbs to the sauce.