THE CHINA STUDY QUICK & EASY COOKBOOK (6 page)

I love making this granola in the summer when I don’t want to turn the oven on. While not as crunchy as traditional baked granolas, it is just as flavorful. I eat it with a little nondairy milk and occasionally a chopped fresh apple or pear.

1 cup Two-Minute Date Puree (
p. 62
)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon sea salt

8 cups rolled oats

2 cups chopped dried apples, or to taste

1.
Add the Two-Minute Date Puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt to a large pot and mix well.

2.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and add the rolled oats.

3.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the Two-Minute Date Puree is absorbed and the oats start to brown.

4.
Remove the pot from the stove and let it cool to room temperature.

5.
Add the chopped dried apples, stir to mix, and store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

TIPS

•
For a crispier granola, you can bake it in the oven instead of cooking it on the stovetop. You will need to bake it at 325°F on a nonstick baking sheet for 35–40 minutes.

•
To serve, add ¾ cup of the granola to a bowl. Top with chopped fresh apple and unsweetened nondairy milk.

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS    

Polenta, or cooked cornmeal, is an easy, versatile cereal, good for breakfast or any other meal. You can use this in any recipes calling for polenta in this book.

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup polenta or yellow cornmeal

1.
Bring the water to a boil in a 2-quart pot over high heat.

2.
Add the salt and whisk, slowly adding the polenta to the pot in a steady stream.

3.
Reduce the heat to medium and continue whisking until the polenta thickens.

4.
Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and let the polenta cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

5.
Serve the polenta as is or pour it into a loaf pan or baking dish and refrigerate until it sets. Once it sets, you can bake it on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350°F for 15–20 minutes.

TIP

For a fun treat, make extra apple filling for Stovetop Fruit Crisp (
p. 218
) and serve it over the cooked polenta. You can also cook the polenta with chopped dried fruit and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract—delicious for breakfast or dessert.

MAKES 12 BARS    

I call these bars “breakfast on the go.” When I am traveling, I take them in the car with me so I can have a quick, healthy breakfast or midday snack.

1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour

1½ cups quick cooking oats

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk

½ cup natural peanut butter

¼ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup raisins

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt in a mixing bowl.

2.
In another bowl, combine the applesauce, nondairy milk, peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla and whisk well. Add it to the flour mixture with the raisins and gently fold to combine.

3.
Press the batter into a parchment-lined or nonstick 9 × 13 baking dish and bake for 22–25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean.

4.
Let the bars cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 5 days.

MAKE IT EASY

•
You can use Two-Minute Date Puree (
p. 62
) in place of the maple syrup—just increase the applesauce by ¼ cup.

•
Use whatever nut butter you like in place of the peanut butter.

•
If you want to make these bars lower in fat, leave out the peanut butter and use an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce in its place.

•
Try different dried fruits in place of the raisins for a change.

MAKES 10 LARGE OR 14–16 SMALL MUFFINS    

These muffins are based on my recipe for sweet potato pie. The orange zest, cinnamon, and allspice give the otherwise plain sweet potato a bright kick.

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup sweet potato puree

2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

¼ cup maple syrup or Two-Minute Date Puree (
p. 62
)

zest of 1 orange

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Line the cups of a muffin pan with paper liners.

3.
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and sea salt in a mixing bowl and mix well.

4.
In a separate bowl, combine the sweet potato puree, nondairy milk, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup or Two-Minute Date Puree, and orange zest. Mix well.

5.
Add the sweet potato mixture to the flour mixture and gently fold together.

6.
Divide the batter between the muffin tins and bake for 20–25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

MAKES 10 LARGE OR 14–16 SMALL MUFFINS