People have strong opinions about lentils, for some reason. They seem pretty unassuming to me, but some folks intensely dislike them, while others could eat them every day without complaint. I like the small, green French lentils best. They tend to be less mushy when cooked, and the flavor is a bit less… brown. More fresh and zippy, maybe. Anyway, use whatever lentils you like for this recipe.
The most important property of these diminutive pulses, in my opinion, is that they go from dry in your cupboard to cooked on the table in less than an hour. That is no small feat for a dried legume! If I start thinking about lunch at eleven, I can have this soup ready pretty close to noon. Yes, it takes more time than setting out yogurt and granola or slapping together some sandwiches, but some days, you just need soup! I do, anyway. And on a rainy weekday, this lentil soup full of veggies from the garden is so very satisfying.
I learned a few tricks about lentil soup from Elisabeth Luard in her book, “Family Life.” She drops a soft-boiled egg into each bowl of soup and drizzles some olive oil with paprika and cumin over the top. It sounds so strange, yet it is a delightful combination of flavors and textures! These additions make a homely lentil soup into something special. My family prefers poached eggs to boiled, so there are fewer “chunks” in one’s soup. In fact, when my eight year-old poached eggs to go in our soup a few days ago, I realized with a bit of a shock that he doesn’t know how to cook eggs any other way! What eight year-old would poach eggs instead of boiling or frying them? Mine, apparently. He thinks it’s great fun!
Method
Gather your ingredients. You will need an onion, a couple cloves of garlic, some carrots with their tops (or other garden greens: beet tops, spinach, or what have you), olive oil, salt, pepper, a few whole cloves, fresh or dried parsley, and of course, lentils! Optional toppings include additional olive oil with sweet paprika and ground cumin, and/or poached eggs: 1 per person.
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Peel and chop the onion, and sauté it gently for about 5 minutes. Mince the garlic and add it to the onion, stirring for about half a minute until it begins to take color and emit a wonderful aroma. Immediately add the lentils, sliced carrots and their tops, water, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley, and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. Check for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed.
To serve: ladle soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a poached or soft-boiled egg. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a small dish. Work in paprika and cumin, stirring to combine. Drizzle a teaspoon or two of oil over each bowl of soup.
How to Poach Eggs
Pour water into a small saucepan so that it is about an inch deep. Cover and bring to a boil.
While the water is heating, set out eggs, one per person, as well as a small bowl or measuring cup.
When the water boils, turn it down to a simmer. Crack one egg into the small bowl, carefully so as not to break the yolk. Slip the egg out of the bowl and into the simmering water.
Cook for one to two minutes, until the white is opaque but the yolk is still runny. Use a slotted spoon to remove egg from the water. You may cook more than one egg at a time; just keep in mind which one went in first!
This soup is warm and satisfying, especially if the carrots are fresh from your garden. Top each steaming bowl with a poached egg and paprika oil for an extra special treat!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: French, Mediterranean
Keyword: carrot, garden, lentil, Soup
Servings: 4servings
Author: kimberly
Ingredients
2tbspolive oil
1onionpeeled and chopped
3clovesgarlicminced
1quartwater
8ounceslentils
1cupcarrotssliced
3whole cloves
salt and pepperto taste
1-2cupscarrot topschopped; see note
4tbspfresh parsleychopped
2tbspolive oiloptional
1tbspsweet paprikaoptional
1/2tspground cuminoptional
poached or soft-boiled eggs1 per person
Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a soup pot. Add onions and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for half a minute, until it begins to take color.
Immediately add water, lentils, carrots, salt, pepper, and cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
Add chopped carrot tops and parsley. Cook another 10 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed. Serve hot.
For optional topping: stir together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, paprika, and cumin. Top each bowl of soup with a poached or soft-boiled egg and a teaspoon or two of paprika oil.
Notes
You may substitute beet greens or spinach for the carrot tops.See blog post for instructions on poaching eggs.
There is something about scones that makes them perfect for breakfast, or lunch, or tea–even supper, if you make a savory variety! They can be light and delicately flavored, or substantial enough to make a decent meal along with some cheese and fruit.
Mixing a bit of cream cheese into your scone dough brings an extra-special touch to these treats! Without adding extra sugar, the creamy texture makes them seem extravagant. Luscious chunks of strawberry provide a perfect complement to the cream cheese, reminiscent of strawberry cheesecake! Whether you make them for a weekend brunch or afternoon tea, these scones are a delightful combination of flavors and textures.
Ingredient Notes
Flour
Almond flour adds a mild, nutty flavor to these scones, and also lightens the dough, which would otherwise be heavy due to the whole wheat flour. Since the dough is only half almond flour, the scones do still taste like regular wheat scones, not like a gluten-free scone.
I like to use freshly ground soft white wheat for scones and biscuits. You can substitute store bought whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour. Freshly-ground flour tends to be fluffier than store-bought flour that has been sitting in a bag for months, so you may need to add a little more or less liquid depending on which type of flour you use.
Sugar
I prefer just a touch of sugar in my scones, so they are not too sweet for everyday baking, but if you are making these for a party, feel free to add an extra spoonful of sugar to the dough. In this recipe, I have used coconut sugar, which is a little less sweet than regular cane sugar, and has a deeper flavor. If you don’t have coconut sugar, try brown sugar or demerara sugar instead.
Strawberries
I like fruited scones for breakfast, but I generally choose dried fruits or berries instead of fresh, so that they don’t change the texture of the scones. Super juicy fruits tend to make the scone dough gooey and difficult to work with. For that reason, I recommend using strawberries that are a little bit firm for this recipe. It is a perfect way to use strawberries that are just shy of perfect flavor and ripeness. Save your perfectly ripe, delicate berries to eat fresh with cream! If you do want to use ripe, juicy berries, the scones will still taste great; just be aware that your dough (and your hands) may get a little messier than usual, and the berries may turn the dough pink!
Method
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and coconut sugar. Stir to combine, then tip in the cold butter and cream cheese. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in the butter and cream cheese until the pieces are the size of peas.
Add the chopped strawberries.
Combine the buttermilk, egg, and almond extract in a glass measuring cup. Pour the liquids into the flour mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon until only a few streaks of flour remain. You may need to add a little more buttermilk or flour here to get the proper texture, which is a soft dough.
Tip the dough out onto a floured board and knead very gently with the tips of your fingers a few times. Form the dough into a rectangle about 3/4″ thick. Cut into 6 squares, then cut the squares in half to form 12 triangles.
Transfer the scones to a buttered baking sheet. Brush tops with cream, then sprinkle with sliced almonds and additional coconut sugar, if desired. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature.
Scones are best eaten on the day they are made, but you can keep them tightly covered overnight. Lightly toasted with butter is the best way to eat the leftovers, in my opinion.
Jammy strawberries, fragrant almonds, and luscious cream cheese make these scones a delicate accompaniment to a springtime tea tray or cozy breakfast in bed!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Breads, Breakfast, Teatime
Cuisine: American, British
Keyword: afternoon tea, almond, Cream Cheese, Scones, Strawberries, Tea Party
Servings: 12scones
Author: kimberly
Ingredients
1cupwhole wheat pastry flour
1cupalmond flourblanched
1/2tspsea salt
2tspbaking powder
1/2tspbaking soda
1tbspcoconut sugar
2ouncescream cheesecold, cubed
3tbspbuttercold, cubed
3/4cupfresh strawberrieshulled and chopped
1/2cupbuttermilk
1egglightly beaten
1/4tspalmond extract
2tbspcream
3tbspsliced almondsoptional
2tspcoconut sugaroptional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a large, rimmed baking sheet.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the wheat flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and coconut sugar.
Cut in the cubed butter and cream cheese with a pastry blender or fork until the pieces are the size of peas. Add the strawberries.
Combine the buttermilk, egg, and almond extract. Pour the liquids into the flour mixture. Mix lightly with a wooden spoon until only a few streaks of flour remain.
Tip the dough out onto a floured board. Knead very gently with the tips of your fingers a few times. Form the dough into a rectangle about 3/4" thick. Cut into 6 squares, then cut the squares in half to form triangles.
Transfer the scones to the buttered baking sheet. Brush with cream; sprinkle with sliced almonds and additional coconut sugar, if desired.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the scones turn golden. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Scones are best eaten the day they are made.
Notes
The butter should be very cold to achieve the proper flaky scone texture. Frozen is fine; just use a sharp knife to cut it into thin slices before adding it to the dough.The amount of liquid needed may vary depending on how fresh your flour is, as well as humidity. You may need to add a little more buttermilk or flour to make a soft dough. See photo.
Another season, another granola recipe… but this one is so good! It’s quick, easy, healthful, delicious, and full of ingredients you already have in your cupboard. What more could you want? Pretty. It’s also pretty. Who wouldn’t want to scatter jewel-hued cranberries and dried oranges on top of their yogurt? I definitely do.
I have a confession to make: this granola recipe came from another granola recipe that was supposed to have chocolate chips in it. I intended to make it as written. With chocolate.
I couldn’t do it, though. While I do love chocolate, I do not generally approve of it for breakfast, except topping homemade Chocolate Danishes to celebrate the kids’ name days. Even for lunch, chocolate in granola just seems a little too decadent.
And by the time the pans of granola were in the oven, I looked back over the list of ingredients and realized I had made so many changes to the original recipe that I might as well write a new one. So here you go!
Ingredients
Oats
You know this one. Granola essential.
Rye flour
I find that adding a bit of flour helps the granola to clump together better. And surely I’m not the only one who picks the clumps out to eat them first? You are welcome to substitute any whole grain flour. I just like the nuttiness of rye.
Wheat bran
Fiber is good for you. Most of you. If you don’t need any extra in your diet, replace it with wheat germ.
Salt
Who doesn’t like a sweet-and-salty mix? (If you don’t, reduce the amount to 1/4 teaspoon.)
Cinnamon
Because I cannot cook or bake anything without opening my spice drawer…
Desiccated Coconut
I love coconut in granola. You probably know that by now.
Sliced almonds
Use any nuts you like. Chop them roughly if they’re large, like walnuts.
Flax Seeds
Seeds are pretty and crunchy. Use whatever you have. Sometimes I substitute sesame seeds here.
Butter
Everything is better with butter! And browned butter is best of all. But if dairy is a problem, use all coconut oil.
Coconut oil
I really like coconut oil in granola, but you can substitute avocado oil if you like. Or more butter, of course.
Honey
It really doesn’t matter whether or not you use raw honey in this recipe, as the granola is baked in the oven anyway. But I generally only have raw honey around, so that’s what I use.
Date syrup
This one is optional. Use all honey or all date syrup, or just leave the date syrup out if you want a less sweet granola. I like to use date syrup as a sweetener when I don’t desire a strong flavor of honey or maple syrup. You could also use brown sugar.
Vanilla and Almond extract
For a delightful aroma and flavor! Also optional.
Dried Cranberries
Some day I want to dry my own cranberries, but that day has not come yet. Until then, I use apple juice-sweetened dried cranberries.
Dried Orange slices
You can make your own here, or buy them from a bulk food store or specialty shop. I buy mine from Azure Standard. My kids call them “candied oranges.” If they only knew…
Method
You will need a large mixing bowl and a small skillet or saucepan, plus two large rimmed baking sheets or 9×13″ pans.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line the pans with parchment paper, if you like, to prevent the granola from sticking. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t bother. It does make cleanup a lot easier.
In the skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the coconut oil and honey, and stir to combine.
Measure the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl: everything except the dried fruit. Mix it up, then drizzle the butter mixture over the dry grains and nuts. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Make sure you incorporate all the dry bits at the bottom of the bowl.
Divide the granola mixture evenly between the two pans, and spread it out to the edges. Place the pans in the oven, as close to the center as possible.
Bake for about 1 hour, stirring the granola and rotating the pans every 15 minutes. Be gentle when you stir it, to keep some clumps intact. Those are the best parts!
The granola is done when it turns golden brown and smells delicious!
Stir the granola one more time (gently!) when you remove it from the oven, then let it cool on the pans.
When it is cool, pour the granola into a large, clean bowl. Mix in the dried cranberries and dried orange slices. Pour into an airtight container. This granola will keep happily in your pantry for a week or two.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets or 13×9" pans with parchment paper.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and coconut oil over low heat.
Remove from the heat and stir in the honey, date syrup, vanilla and almond extracts. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, rye flour, wheat bran, coconut, almonds, flax seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Give it a stir.
Pour the butter mixture over the dry oat mixture. Stir well to combine.
Spread the granola mixture evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for about 1 hour, removing the pans every 15 minutes to stir gently and rotate pans in the oven.
The granola is done when it is golden brown and smells delicious. Remove from the oven, stir gently, and let it cool on the pans.
When the granola is cool, mix in the dried cranberries and dried orange slices. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
This recipe makes a sweet-and-salty granola. If you don’t want to taste any salt, decrease the amount to 1/2 teaspoon.Do not add the dried fruit to the granola until after it bakes to prevent burning.
If the capricious spring breezes and surprise showers have you dreaming of warmer days and sun-drenched fields of flowers, this recipe is for you! Close your eyes and enjoy the aroma and flavors of midsummer, no matter what the weather may be doing outside!
What’s better than your favorite granola recipe? A new favorite! My family eats a lot of yogurt and granola, and I like to switch up my recipes so nobody gets bored. Okay, maybe it’s so I don’t get bored making the same recipe over and over again! Regardless, I am always ready to try out a new flavor combination, and when I saw this combination of lavender and blueberries, I knew I had to try it.
Baking with Flowers
If you have never used flowers in your cooking or baking, you are in for a real treat! Flowers have such delicate flavors that they can be easily overpowered by stronger spices or botanical extracts, but the faint aroma they lend to this granola is simply exquisite! It elevates this recipe from just another batch of granola to an experience of summer’s bounty in your bowl.
I have fallen in love with Frances Bissell’s books on baking and cooking with flowers, and am now the delighted owner of all three: The Floral Baker, The Fragrant Pantry, and The Scented Kitchen! (These links will take you to Amazon.com, where you can find the books if you wish.)
Her books include recipes for incorporating fresh and dried flowers into recipes, as well as floral essences. Some of the recipes I have tried include Strawberry-Rose Petal Jam, Saffron Tea Bread, and a Lavender-flavored Limoncello. Of course, the availability of fresh flowers depends on your locale and the time of year, so many of these recipes must be prepared in the summer; but others rely on convenient bottled essences like rose water, orange blossom water, or culinary lavender essence.
I love how these books provide a springboard for one’s own ideas and inspirations about floral concoctions. For example, you could take her idea for strawberry-rose petal jam and turn it into a floral syrup instead. Or, of course, you could use different fruits or flowers that are available in your own season and climate.
These cookbooks have opened up a whole new realm of culinary possibilities to me, and I highly recommend them to anyone who loves flowers, or merely experimenting with different flavor combinations.
This particular recipe does not come from one of Frances Bissell’s books, but rather from the Whip & Wander blog. I have adapted it with my own preference of granola ingredients, including rather more coconut than the original!
I also wanted a stronger lavender scent and flavor, so I bumped up the amount of dried lavender and added some culinary lavender essence. I also decreased or eliminated many of the spices in the original recipe, not because I don’t like them, but because I wanted a simpler backdrop for the lavender and blueberry flavors.
And what a grand combination that is! I would never have thought to pair those two, but the sweet-tangy flavor of dried blueberries is just perfect with the delicate whiff of lavender. It’s like having breakfast in the garden in late July.
The granola should be golden brown, but not burnt. The coconut flakes will turn brown first, so keep an eye on them.
Ingredients
Oats
Most granola recipes start with rolled oats, but you are not limited to that, of course. I have used a rolled 7-grain cereal with success, although the final texture is a bit chewier. Experiment with different rolled grains if you like!
Nuts & Seeds
This recipe uses raw pecans, pepitas, flaked coconut, golden flax seeds, and sesame seeds. These may all be pre-soaked, if you have the time and energy. Soaking nuts before roasting them does improve their digestibility and nutrient value.
If you have a nut allergy, by all means substitute a different nut! Likewise, if small seeds are hard on your digestion, it’s perfectly fine to leave them out. I would suggest adding a bit of wheat germ or bran instead, if you can tolerate it.
Coconut Oil
I used a combination of coconut oil and coconut butter in this recipe, mostly because that’s what I had on hand. It is perfectly fine to use all coconut oil or all coconut butter. Coconut butter is made of pureed dried coconut flakes, just as peanut butter is made of pureed peanuts. It has a stronger coconut flavor, more protein, and less fat than coconut oil. For the purposes of this recipe, either ingredient works fine.
Lavender Essence
Lavender essence is a floral extract, usually made with either alcohol or vegetable glycerin. You can make your own, or find it in specialty shops. (Or here on Amazon.) If you can’t find culinary grade lavender essence, feel free to omit it. You do NOT want to use a skin product processed with preservatives!
Method
You will need one or two rimmed baking pans, depending on the size of your oven. I happen to be living with quite a small oven at this point in time, so I used two 13×9-inch baking pans. However, a standard rimmed half-sheet pan also works just fine for granola, as long as it fits in your oven!
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper, if you like. Honestly, I usually just don’t bother with parchment paper for granola, as you will be stirring the pan frequently and there is less risk of burnt bits sticking to the pan.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. You don’t want to bake granola at a higher temperature, or the top will brown too quickly, while the underlayer does not cook through.
Melt your coconut oil or butter while the oven is heating. I like to use the pan I will cook the granola in, to save on dishes. Just pop it in the oven for a few minutes; coconut oil melts pretty quickly.
In a large bowl, combine all of your grains, nuts, and seeds. I used rolled oats, raw pecans, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), flaked coconut, golden flax seeds, and sesame seeds. Sprinkle in the lavender flowers, cinnamon, and salt, and give the mixture a good stir.
When your coconut oil or butter is melted, pour it into a small bowl or glass measuring cup along with the honey, vanilla extract, and lavender essence.
Pour the liquid ingredients over the oat mixture, and give it all a good stir with a wooden spoon. The liquid should be evenly distributed, so there are no dry patches anywhere.
Spread the granola mixture into your baking pan(s), and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. If you are using two pans, you will need to rotate them as well.
The granola is done when it is golden brown on top. It should not be dark. The granola will still appear soft; it will crisp up as it cools.
Cool the granola in the pans. Continue to stir occasionally as it cools, or it will stick to the pans. Stir in the dried blueberries at this point. The reason you don’t want to cook them along with the granola is that dried fruits and berries will get too dried out and possibly scorched in the oven.
When the granola is completely cool, transfer it to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a month. But it probably won’t last that long!
This granola also makes a great gift. Put some in a glass jar and tie with a pretty ribbon and decorative label.
Liven up your mornings with the luscious flavors of lavender flowers and tangy dried blueberries. Whether you stir it into yogurt parfaits or sprinkle on top of muffins, this quick and easy recipe is sure to become a favorite!
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Place the coconut oil or coconut butter in a heatproof dish or rimmed baking pan in the oven for a few minutes to melt.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, pecans, pepitas, coconut flakes, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and lavender flowers. Sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the honey, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and lavender essence. Stir well to combine.
Pour the liquid ingredients over the oat mixture and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon to combine. The liquid should be evenly distributed so that there are no dry patches.
Spread the oat mixture into one or two baking pans. You will need two 13×9-inch pans or one large rimmed half-sheet pan.
Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring the granola every 15 minutes and rotating pans if you are using more than one. The granola should look golden, but not dark. It will crisp up as it cools.
Cool the granola in the pans. Stir in the dried blueberries last, and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Notes
You may use all coconut oil, all coconut butter, or a combination of the two. Coconut butter gives a more intense coconut flavor, while coconut oil has more fat and produces a glossier granola.Feel free to substitute different nuts and seeds, according to your preference and what you have on hand!Any dried fruits or berries should be added after the granola is cooked, to prevent burning and excessive drying.
Hi, I’m Kimberly! I’m an Alaskan wife and mother who loves simple, old-fashioned living. If you’re looking for country-style recipes from scratch or simple homemaking ideas, pour yourself a cup of tea and join me!
Hi, I’m Kimberly! I’m an Alaskan wife and mother who loves simple, old-fashioned living. If you’re looking for country-style recipes from scratch or simple homemaking ideas, pour yourself a cup of tea and join me!