Funny Girl Foods

“Ya Basic” Pantry-dump Granola

It’s oh-so easy to make the best tasting granola with just a few items that I bet have been lurking in the back of your pantry since Christmas.

For our wedding last June my now husband and I wanted our take-aways to be fun foods we’d made over the time of our engagement. We had jams from fruit we’d picked by hand, vinegars, tinctures, seasoned salts, hot sauces, and several flavors of granola. This recipe is my go-to base granola and also makes a great gift. I change the nuts and seeds or dried fruits depending on what I have in the house and even add chocolate to the mix after it cools. Have fun creating your own favorite flavor combinations. If properly cooked and cooled this granola will last for weeks in your pantry. I love using it as a topping on ice cream or yogurt or eating it like cereal in a bowl of milk.

Ya Basic granola with Noosa Vanilla yogurt and blueberries

Æbleskiver, Ebelskiver, or Fluffy Pancake balls

No matter how you say it or spell it, æbleskivers pair perfectly with your morning coffee, or the cup of coffee you found on the bookcase 3 hours after you brewed it.

A few years ago I picked up a weird looking cast iron pan at a thrift store. It had 7 round indents and cost about $5. Sold. With a little research I found out the pan could be used to make little round Danish pancakes. The pan lived under my bed for about a year before my then boyfriend, now husband and I got drunk enough to pull out the pan and attempt to make ebelskivers. Honestly all I remember was that we didn’t burn the house down and the we stuffed them with red bean paste I had purchased in San Fransisco. Delicious but not exactly traditional. Flash forward almost 3 years and I finally attempted and successfully made legitimate ebelskivers. I stuffed mine with the traditional filling of apples but you can get creative. Hello nutella stuffed pancake balls? This recipe is definitely a bit involved because of the technique used to cook them. Have no fear though, this batter cooks up beautifully like a regular pancake or can even be poured into a waffle iron. I used half the batter for ebelskivers and the other half the next day for waffles! You can find an ebelskiver pan online for around $30 or maybe at your local thrift shop.

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Southern Style Couch-Potato Salad

This simple potato salad will have you dreaming of summer picnics from the couch of your quarantine apartment.

While trying to meal plan for weeks at a time during quarantine I am having a very hard time finding vegetables that will stay fresh in my fridge for longer than two days. Enter, the humble potato. I know in modern times we don’t consider the potato a vegetable, but let’s give the little guys some credit. They’re rich in potassium, vitamin C, and fiber and also absolutely delicious. Boil a few extra potatoes to cut up for breakfast hashbrowns or throw them into a loaf of fluffy potato bread. Don’t forget to save some of the starchy cooking liquid to thicken sauces or feed to your sourdough starter (I know you have one.) I could wax poetic for hours about my waxy meal saviors the potatoes, but instead I’ll just leave you with this recipe for southern-style potato salad.

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Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These bigger than life chocolate chunk cookies are the perfect midnight snack.

Chewy, buttery, gooey, and crispy. These are the qualities I’m looking for in a perfect bakery-style chocolate chunk cookie. Making a great cookie is deceptively hard. If your ingredients are too hot or cold or if you over/under mix them things can go awry. The secret? Chilled dough, a large scoop, and a little bit of oil all help make this cookie my new best friend. Bake up a batch and grab a glass of milk (or a White Russian, it’s quarantine time after all.)

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We’re in the “Pineapple” Upside Down Place Now

A simple cake recipe for these uncertain times and empty pantries.

Yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

Sauce:

3/4 Cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/4 Cup unsalted butter
Pinch kosher salt
2 Tbsp pineapple juice (or lemon juice)
2 Tbsp rum
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 cup chopped or sliced pineapple (fresh or canned or frozen)

Cake:

2 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 Cup buttermilk
1/2 Cup canola oil
1/4 Cup pineapple juice or lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the base of a 10” cast iron skillet place all sauce ingredients but the pineapple. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and arrange pineapple in the sauce.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder for cake. Set aside.
In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, pineapple juice, and vanilla until smooth.
Add the dry mixture to the wet and whisk until smooth.
Slowly pour the cake batter into the pan taking care not the move the pineapple too much.
Bake until cooked through. Approximately 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and carefully invert onto a plate.
Cool slightly and serve. I topped mine with a little fresh whipped cream.
Enjoy!