Roasted Banana Granola Recipe

I’ve been meaning to take a stab at homemade granola for awhile and it finally happened last night. I’m moving apartments next week (SoHo - YAY!), and we have a ton of random food in our apartment that I’m attempting to get creative with and use in the next week. There are a lot of great things about granola, but what I really love is how you can throw just about anything you like into it and most of the ingredients are things you usually already have in your pantry.

If you haven’t figured this out already, I will put bananas into anything possible, so I decided to make ‘Banana Bread’ Granola. The Minimalist Baker was my recipe inspiration (click here for her recipe). I just tweaked/added a few different ingredients.  It was super easy and quick and the best part - it made my apartment smell amaaazing.

The final product tasted like a crunchy fusion of banana bread and oatmeal cookies also known as my heaven. 

DRY INGREDIENTS:
2.5 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup shaved almonds

1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup craisins

WET INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 tbsp Williams Sonoma Graham-Crack Butter (Any Speculoos Spread would work)

2 bananas pureed (about 1 cup)

There are only a few easy steps for this recipe:
1. Heat oven at 350
2. Put all of the dry ingredients into a bowl.
3. Simmer and mix all of the wet ingredients (minus the banana puree) over low heat. Once mixed, take off the heat and mix in the banana puree.
4. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir it all up.
5. Spread your mixture evenly (thickness can range from completely thin to about 1 inch thick) onto a baking sheet.
6. Cook for 25-30 minutes. I mixed the granola in the middle of the baking process to ensure even crisping and some crumbles.
7. When you take it out of the oven, stir it up to release some heat, and let it cool completely either on the baking sheet or a separate bowl.

Dry ingredients before:

Wet ingredients mixed:

Dry & wet mixed together before the oven:

The granola right out of the oven:

The three servings I immediately consumed: 

Then with Almond Milk - yum

 

What’s great is it’s gluten-free, vegan, and packed with flavor and nutrition.  It’s crunchy, nutty, salty, sweet, and you should make it. I like it with almond milk, but it’d be delicious over yogurt, in a smoothie, or all by itself (how I’m eating it right now). Enjoy!

Restaurant Review: Charlie Bird

Charlie Bird, SoHo

Last night I had a truly amazing ‘New York’ moment – actually I had a few of them.  I was walking down 6^th ave on my way to dinner at Lure Fishbar when I stumbled upon the unassuming awning and patio of Charlie Bird.  Having read probably 500 reviews of this restaurant and tried countless times to get a reservation, I actually felt like I was having a celebrity sighting. I can’t even describe my excitement level when A. I saw the place and B. they said they could seat us.  At this point, I’m pretty sure I was jumping up and down while screaming.

I had very high expectations for Charlie Bird, and I knew it would deliver. Charlie Bird is great because it strikes a perfect balance on all levels – ambiance, service, menu. The scene is the epitome of New York, downtown ‘cool’ yet cozy and simple.  It’s a modern yet rustic vibe. The restaurant is lined with exposed brick, huge windows, candles, and vibrant, modern art. Even the music they play works into their scene -- think Kanye, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi and 50 cent.  The service is professional and casual.  The wine list is long, diverse, and affordable. We got a bottle of the French J. Boutin Rhone – delish. All of this and the food is incredible. 

Love this menu

Now about that food. It’s an American menu with lots of influences - mostly Italian ….I’ll break it down for you:

Grilled Octopus ‘Saltimbocca’ – Ceci Beans, Sage and Prosciutto
Perfectly grilled octopus with an amazing charred texture and flavor on the outside and chewy on the inside.  The prosciutto bits are a nice touch, too.

Razor Clams with Fennel and Pickled Chiles
Served raw and chopped in the shell. I loved the chiles alongside the fresh and light clams.  Definitely recommend.

Farro Salad – Pistachio, Favas, Mint and Parmigiano
I could and would eat this salad all day.  Don’t underestimate the power of fresh mint and parmesan.  Order this.

Spaghettini Nero – Dungeness Crab, Chiles and Meyer Lemon
I’m becoming a bigger fan of black spaghetti every time I order it.  This is served in a light lemon sauce with flaky chunks of crab in it. It comes with an awesome house-made chili sauce (which I’d like to purchase by the bottle). And they were nice enough to split the dish into 2 bowls for us. 

Roasted Chicken with Crispy Bit Salad
Chicken is something I almost never order while out. I owe Immaculate Infatuation a big thank you for recommending this dish because it was unbelievable. It’s served in 4-5 pieces of sliced chicken. It tastes like a quality fried chicken but without the heavy and overwhelming ‘fried’ flavor. It’s moist with slightly crunchy and flaky skin.  The crispy bread salad, chicken liver pate, and charred-leek ricotta are good mixed together or separately with the chicken making every bite a little bit different and equally delicious. The other large plates on the menu will tempt you, but do yourself a favor, and order the chicken.

Slow Roasted Spiced Carrots, Buttermilk, Rye and Hazelnuts
The carrots actually had a very similar texture to the chicken - flaky and crispy skin with a smooth interior.  The spiced sauce had an Indian influence. These carrots are definitely different and interesting – worth ordering and made me want to try their other vegetable combos.

Surprisingly this did not feel like an overwhelming amount of food for two people.  The ingredients are all fresh so everything is pretty light (maybe not the chicken pate). You actually feel like you’re being somewhat healthy.  The two dishes that impressed and surprised me the most were the Farro Salad and Roasted Chicken.  These are 2 dishes you see on so many menus these days, but Charlie Bird really did them exceptionally.

I cannot wait to come back to Charlie Bird again and again (with or without a reservation).  I’d love to sit at the bar or on their patio and try everything on their menu – the raw bar, pastas, desserts, and wine.  Charlie Bird gets it. If you love New York, food, wine, or need a throwback hip-hop fix, go to Charlie Bird.

3-Ingredient Banana Peanut Butter Pancakes

Last night's Banana Pancake recipe is easily one of my favorites of all-time.  I LOVE pancakes and I'm highly skeptical of anyone who doesn't. I rarely ever make pancakes myself.  Last night it was horribly rainy and cold in NYC, so naturally it was the perfect night for some red wine and creativity in the kitchen.

Recently, I have seen so many different recipes out there for "healthy", paleo-friendly, vegan, eggless, wheatless, 2-ingredient pancakes...the list goes on. PBfingers (love her blog) has a ton of different recipes for pancakes like this here.  There are a million different variations for healthy pancakes, and I've been meaning to make my own version for awhile.  I landed on Banana Pancakes because they were all I had and bananas are my go-to fruit for baking and pretty much everything in life.

Here is everything you need for these little pieces of heaven:
-1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1.5 bananas)
-1 egg
-1 teaspoon PB2 powder
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-Coconut Oil for the pan
-Pure Maple Syrup for serving (Optional...but not really)

For the batter:
Throw the banana, egg, PB2 powder, and cinnamon into a hand blender and mix until you have a smooth batter.

To cook:
1. Put a thin layer of coconut oil on your pan.
2.Ladle the batter onto slightly warm pan -- should make about 5 medium-sized pancakes.
*Make sure that your pan is on low heat -- It's important to slowly cook the cakes so that they stay fluffy and delicious.
3. Once you see bubbles forming and browning along the edges, you can flip each one. The second side should only need to cook for about 1 minute depending on how well done/brown you like your pancakes.
4. Maple Syrup them up!

Batter in the pan:

Food porn:

I am obsessed with these pancakes. They're fluffy, dense, moist, and perfectly sweet.  None of the flavors are too overpowering -- the coconut oil and PB2 definitely helped keep the moist consistency and both added slightly nutty tasting hints. I felt like I was eating a combination between banana bread and a thick crepe. They're perfect for anybody and filling enough for a meal or just a treat.

Definitely expect to see more of these pancakes on my twitter/blog soon. I cannot wait to try the endless variations and possibilities for flavors. A few ideas I already have for add-ons/variations: chia seeds, GF flour, blueberries, pumpkin, Greek yogurt, chocolate chips, Nutella, Speculoos, almond butter, the list goes on and on. Bon appetit!