Monday was a very busy day in the kitchen. I made an egg casserole for Jason’s breakfasts which has been divided up and frozen so that he can thaw just a few at a time and have a quick breakfast when he’s in a hurry. I made another batch of granola and refined the recipe a bit more and then for dinner I made escarole and bean soup with artichokes. My feet were pretty tired by the end of the day!
Granola
Over low heat, melt together 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup water, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 cups brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon vanilla, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground cardamom. When the sugar has dissolved, transfer to a large bowl and stir in 1 pound extra thick oats, 1 cup white wheat flour, 4 ounces unsweetened coconut flakes, 4 ounces flax seed and 1 pound raw almonds. Spread into two jelly roll pans and bake at 350F stirring every 20-30 minutes or until browned. Let cool completely and store in air-tight containers.
White bean and escarole soup with artichokes
Add 1 pound dried canellini beans to a large heavy pan and cover with about 3 inches cold water. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, about an hour. Return to heat, bring to a simmer and cook with occasional stirring until beans are soft. In a small pan, brown 1 head of garlic, minced, in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Transfer to bean pot and add salt to taste, 1 head escarole thoroughly rinsed and chopped, 1 jar artichokes drained and chopped, 1 teaspoon oregano or epazote, 3 serranos minced. Simmer until escarole is wilted and served with a garnish of freshly grated Asiago cheese and hot crusty bread.
