She's so granola...

...And that's kind of true, in the healthy, whole foods, living in Boulder type of way (less so in the outdoorsy way). And not only am I semi-granola myself, I have been getting into making my own granola! I love mixing it with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast, and the flavor combinations are practically endless. The more I learn in my nutrition study, the more I'm thinking about making different varieties of granola with different health benefits, e.g. one with lots of Omega-3s, one with anti-inflammatory properties, another that aids digestion, and so on... So, maybe someday on that, but in the mean time, here's my current favorite (and healthiest):

Christie's Mega Omega-3 Double-Ginger Tropical Granola

4 C old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1/2 C wheat germ (or this can be omitted if you want a gluten-free granola)

1/2 C ground flaxseed (omega-3 superstar)

3 T chia seed (another omega-3 hero, can be found at health food stores)

1/2 t salt

4 T brown sugar

1 C walnuts, coarsely chopped (you can use other nuts, but this granola is about omega-3s, so walnuts are the winner every time)

1 C dried banana chips, broken up a little bit

1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 C crystallized ginger, finely chopped

1 C dried pineapple, chopped

1/2 C maple syrup (the real stuff, obviously)

2 T water

1 1/2 t ground ginger

1/2 t ground cinnamon

7 T canola oil (more omega-3s!)

Preheat oven to 275.

Combine the oats, wheat germ, flaxseed, chia seed, salt, brown sugar, walnuts, banana chips, coconut and crystallize ginger in a really big bowl.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine maple syrup, water, ground ginger and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and then pour over the dry mixture. Add canola oil to mixture and stir to be sure all dry ingredients are coated.

Spray 2-3 large cookie sheets with cooking spray and gently pour granola out onto the sheets, allowing for small clusters and but keeping overall depth to about one layer of mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove, add dried pineapple, then bake for another 20 mins or so until golden.

Your abode will smell divine.

Makes great gifts!

Nutrition reasons why this is good - Between the flaxseed, chia seed, walnuts and canola oil, this really is an omega-3 powerhouse, and omega-3s are fantastic for you for many reasons. They are natural anti-inflammatories, and help keep blood vessels and brain tissues happy. Great for cardiovascular and neurological health overall, they are also an essential fatty acid that your body can't produce on its own, so it's important that you take it in through your diet. Pineapple also has an enzyme called bromelain, which helps the body digest protein and is also an anti-inflammatory. In addition, this granola has lots of good dietary fiber, and you could even mix in some of your favorite bran cereal for an added punch. I like Smart Bran because it has a good combination of both insoluble fiber (psyllium) and soluble fiber in the form of oatbran, and oats have lots of magic properties, including maintaining proper blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels. See how much great stuff you can pack into a bowl of granola!?

The Taste Of Spring

Peas just epitomize spring to me...the first little green jewels from the garden. We got some in our CSA box two years ago that were super fresh and still in the pods, so I painstakingly shelled each one, only to be left with a disappointingly small bowl (especially since they were so sweet and fun to eat raw as I was shelling...). But, we made the best of them, gently sauteing them in butter and chopping up a bit of fresh mint to garnish. Yum!

Here's another of my favorite (and super healthy) ways to use peas, and honestly, frozen is fine, and, let's be honest, a heck of a lot more realistic most of the time!

Pearl Barley with Edamame and Peas (courtesy of Health magazine)

1 C pearl barley (not quick cooking)

1 C frozen shelled edamame

1 C peas (frozen are fine, fresh if you're fabulous)

1 C chopped fresh spinach (I also threw in at least 1 C chopped fresh kale because it's a stellar superfood that I try to sneak in lots of stuff)

2 t Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 t lemon zest

1 1/2 t fresh lemon juice (okay, I may have succumbed to the appeal of the jarred garlic and ginger, but I haven't yet turned to the bottled lemon or lime juice...let me know if you think it's at all worthy of consideration or refrigerator space)

1/4 t salt

Following directions on box, boil water and cook barley, usually 30ish minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed. Stir in edamame and peas and cook uncovered until the rest of the water is absorbed, 5-10 mins. Remove from heat and stir in spinach. Whisk Worcestershire, lemon stuff and salt in a small bowl, then pour over barley mixture. This can be served warm or cool, so I really view this is a great year-round staple.

I served this with some roasted beets and asparagus tossed with feta, lemon juice, salt and pepper - yum.

Nutrition reasons why this is great - Barley is definitely a supergrain. It has great dietary fiber (both soluble and insoluble), as well as protein, and helps regulate blood sugar and choleseterol. The edamame in this dish is another great source of protein, and soy protein is some of the best you can get in terms of heart health. The more dark leafy greens you add to this dish, the better, as they're chock-full of healthy phytochemicals and antioxidants.

Hold on to your tastebuds!

I've been using a lot more ethnic and fresh herbs and spices in my cooking recently (antioxidant benefits!), so here are two recipes that I thought were both extreeeemely yummy and also rather special and unique:

Indian Spiced Chicken and Asparagus (courtesy of Eating Well)

1 1/2 t whole cumin seeds

1 1/2 t whole fennel seeds

1 lb or so chicken cut into bite sized pieces

3/4 t salt

2 T canola oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced (or if you're me, 3 t of your awesome time and sanity saving jarred garlic!)

1 small chile pepper, seeded and minced (I very carefully picked this out in the produce section of my beloved King Soopers, and then it never made it into my bags when I checked out, sooo, I subbed about 1/2 t dried red pepper flakes and they worked just fine)

1 T minced fresh ginger (this also comes in jars - hallelujah!!)

1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 C light coconut milk (I used closer to 1 C)

1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro

Toast cumin and fennel seeds in a small saucepan until fragrant and starting to brown - 2-5 mins. Grind 'em up in a clean coffee grinder, or using that mortar and pestle that your Mom got you for Christmas like ten years ago and you've never actually used, but now you're so glad you have it! (thanks Mom!)

Toss chicken in 1/2 of spice mixture. Heat 1 T of the oil in a large skillet over med-high and brown the chicken, until mostly done. Remove to a plate.

Reduce heat to med and add remaining oil, garlic, onion, chile and ginger. Cook for a few minutes until the onion starts to soften. Throw in the asparagus and remaining cumin/fennel mixture, cooking for about 2 mins. Add coconut milk and salt, cooking another 2 mins. Add chicken, cooking until meat is all the way done and asparagus is tender-crisp. Garnish with cilantro and serve over brown rice or quinoa.

Pear Cardamom Upside-Down Cake (courtesy of Cooking Light)

Pear Stuff:

2 T butter

1/4 C packed brown sugar

1/4 t ground cardamom

cooking spray

2 peeled, cored and sliced Barlett pears - you should get about 12 thin slices out of each pear

Cake Part:

1 1/2 C flour (and you KNOW I only use whole wheat!)

2 t baking powder

1/4 t ground cardamom

1/8 t salt

3/4 C sugar

1/4 C butter, softened

2 large eggs

3/4 C milk

1 t vanilla (omg - the same size organic vanilla that I bought at King Soopers was TWICE as much at Wholefoods...highway robbery!)

Preheat oven to 350.

To prepare pears, melt 2T butter in a small saucepan over med heat. Add brown sugar and cardamom and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture into a 9" round cakepan that you've sprayed with cooking spray (I've also successfully used square, and even gotten crazy and done individual ramekin-sized ones, so whatever size you're going for...). Arrange pears in an overlapping circle or overlapping rows (depending on your pan choice).

Stir together flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar in another bowl, then add the eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture and milk, alternating till you've got a nice little batter situation on your hands. Toss in the vanilla.

Spoon the batter over your artfully arranged pears. Bake for about 50 mins if you are making one larger cake, or less if you're doing smaller ones. My ramekin-sized ones took about 30 mins I think. Cake should be golden and firm and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Here's the fun part - when your cake assures you it's done, remove it from the oven. Let it cool on a cooling rack for 10 min. Run a knife around the outside edge. Cover pan with a plate and flip it over, leaving the pan and plate in place for 2 min. Then pray, hold your breath, and gently remove the pan, to reveal your Martha Stewart-worthy upside-down cake. Seriously. I've never been disappointed - it's magic!!

Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and you may become a victim of culinary stalking. It's really that good.

Bon appetit!

Cake photo courtesy of eatliverun.com