Roasted Summer Squash & Caramelized Onions

Summer is most definitely here - as are my parents' summer squash from the garden. My mom gets tired of sauteed squash, grilled squash, and just...well...squash in general. But, she roasted some and said it was a delicious new twist on squash! (One that she promptly added to her list of summer squash recipes)

Luckily, mom and dad brought some of their tasty summer squash here to our house in Kathleen this past weekend - so I could try roasting some!

Roasted Summer Squash

4-5 summer squash

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

3 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. allspice

Preheat the oven to 345 degrees F. Chop the squash into a-little-bit-bigger-than-bite-sized pieces.


Cut the garlic cloves in half, and then half again. Put the squash and garlic onto a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss with your hands so that the yumminess coats the squash. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and allspice.

Put the little buggers in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes is up, check them - they should be soft, but firm (you know what I mean...). If they are to your liking, turn the broiler on and leave them in the oven for another 5-6 minutes (until the squash is browned on the edges.

Just to add a sweet element, I tossed the squash with some onions that I caramelized. Mmmmmm! (P.S. if you're not sure how to caramelize onions, I could do a post on that... yes? no? suggestions?)

Enjoy!

~ Mari

Good Old Granola

I'll never understand why granola is so darn expensive at the grocery stores. My mom has made her own for years (a dyed-in-the-wool hippie) and it's delicious ... and costs almost nothing to make! Here is her fool-proof recipe:

Lynn's Great Granola

4 cups organic rolled oats
1/4 cup canola or sunflower oil
3 Tbsp. honey
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple sauce
1-2 tsp. salt (to taste)
1/2 cup dried fruits (optional)

Mix oil and honey together and heat in the microwave for about 15 seconds (this makes it so the honey gets distributed more evenly). In a bowl, stir together oats, oil & honey mixture, walnuts, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, apple juice, apple sauce, and salt until evenly distributed.

Spread the mixture onto a large sheet pan (with sides).

Bake for 20-25 minutes on 350 degrees F (this varies from oven to oven, so the time or temperature might need to be adjusted), stirring occasionally. The final product should be golden (it will crisp-up as it cools).

Once done, allow the granola to cool. Transfer to a storage container and stir in dried fruits.

And there you have it! Delicious (and nutritious) and inexpensive homemade granola!

~ Mari