Quinoa and black bean taco salad

Because quinoa is rich in protein, I like to subsititute it for brown rice on occasion. My kids seem to like it better than rice, and I'm all for having them eat more healthy food! This is a great summer dinner and the kids can add what they like.

 

 

 

 

1 cup quinoa

1/2 tablespoon chicken stock or 2 cubes chicken bouillon (use vegetable stock or Better than Bouillon for vegan version)

2 cups water

1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, minced

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon chile powder

 

Combine all ingredients in a medium pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat at simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed water. Fluff with a fork.

 

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, minced

1/2 red pepper, minced

1 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon chile powder

1 large avacado, diced

Shredded cheese, if desired

Tortilla chips

Homemade salsa (see below)

 

Combine all ingredients, except for avacado and cheese in a medium pan and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

 

Homemade Salsa

1 28 oz. can whole or diced tomatoes

1 large onion, diced

1 small serrano chile pepper, diced and seeds removed, unless you like it spicy! (Be careful, the juice will sting if you have a cut!)

1 bunch cilantro

1 tablesoon lemon juice

dash salt to taste

 

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until desired consistency.

 

 Layer tortilla chips, quinoa, blackbeans, salsa, avacado and cheese, if desired in a bowl. I love how light and tasty this dish turns out!

 



Whole Wheat Bread

This is our new go-to bread. My sister-in-law, Mollee, shared it with me several years back when she was eating a whole foods diet. It's super basic and it turns out well each time, despite my forgetfulness when baking it! It's 100% whole wheat and my kids gobble it up.  I make a slight change to the original recipe, but I added that last. I hope you enjoy!

 

2 1/2 c warm water
1 1/2 T yeast
1/2 c sugar or honey
2 T oil
1/4 c gluten (if you knead it a bit longer, the gluten is not needed)
1 T salt
6-8 c flour

(I add 1/2 cup ground flax seed or 1/2 cup mixed grain cereal and emit 1/2 cup of flour.)
Combine water, yeast sugar, oil, gluten, and salt and let sit for 5 min. Gradually add flour while kneading. (If using a Kitchen-Aide, mix in half the flour and knead for 10 min then add flour 1 cup at a time until dough is barely sticking to the sides.) Turn off the mixer, grease bowl, cover, and let rise until double.

Punch down and shape into 2 greased loaf pans, cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until double. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack. 

Lemony Penne and Broccoli

It isn't often I come across a healthy recipe all my kids like, but this is one they ask for often.  Plus, it's super budget friendly - something I wanted to show my friends who claim eating healthy is so espensive.  I found this recipe in Family Circle a few years ago.

8 oz. whole wheat, whole grain, or veggie penne

4 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves garlic, sliced

1 poumd broccoli florets

1 (19 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional for non-vegan version)

Cook penne according to package directions. Drain, RESERVING 1 CUP OF THE LIQUID! Transfer pasta to large serving bowl.  While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden. Add broccoli and 1/3 cup water to skillet and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until tender.
Stir beans into skillet and heat through. Add lemon juice, zest, salt and red pepper. Add contents of skillet to pasta. Stir in the remaining 2 tablesoons oil and enough reserved cooking liquid to create a sauce. Tear in the basil. Serve immediately with cheese on the side.

Creamy potato and cheese soup

This is a soup we've been making for nearly 13 years. I've tweaked it over the years to eliminate the butter and dairy, but it is still as good as ever!

5-6 potatoes, diced with skins on (or 1 bag southern style hashbrowns)

1/2 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup water

3 cups chicken broth (low sodium, if desired)

1 cup milk or unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup flour

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Place two tablespoons oil in a large saucepan and saute onion and garlic on medium heat for one minute, watching carefully to avoid burning the garlic.  Add 1 cup water, 2 cups chicken broth, and diced potatoes and let simmer until potatoes are tender.  Combine 1/4 cup flour with 1 cup milk and whisk until combined, getting rid of all chunks of milk. Slowly stir milk/flour mixture into saucepan and let boil on medium heat until thickened. Add small amounts of chicken stock until desired consistency is reached. Add shredded cheddar cheese and mix until combined. Salt and pepper to taste. I like to garnish with croutons or diced green onions! 

Mexican fish tacos with chipotle lime dressing

   I have to start by saying I have NEVER cooked fish in my life. In fact, I don't normally enjoy fish. BUT, these tacos were delicious. Even my kids LOVED them, and they have never even eaten fish. When they started asking for seconds and my husband said this was the best meal he'd ever had, I knew I had to post this recipe.

 

 

 

  There are four parts to this recipe, and I suggest you make the bean salsa and chipotle sauce a few hours in advance. 

 

For the Bean Salsa:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup corn

1-2 bunch of green onions, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2-3 tomatoes, diced

Combine above ingredients in a serving bowl, then in a separate bowl combine:

1 bunch cilantro, diced

2 T. olive oil

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. lime juice

1 1/2 t. minced fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. chili powder

1/4 t. black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

Add above ingredients to bean mixture and stir well. Cover and chill for two hours.

For the chipotle lime sauce:

1/2 cup low-fat mayo

2 T. lime juice

1-2 t. chipotle pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Cover and chill for two hours.

 

For the fish:

4-5 individually frozen tilapia, thawed

2 T. lime juice

1 T. melted butter or substitute

salt and pepper

cooking spray

 

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (You could also grill them, but we don't have a grill!) Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Place thawed tilapia a few inches apart on baking sheet. Combine 2 T. lime juice and 1 T. melted butter. Drizzle over both sides of tilapia. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until fish is flaky.

 

While the fish is baking...

For the crispy tortilla topping: (not pictured because my kids ate them all!)

5-7 white corn tortillas

oil for deep frying

salt

Cut uncooked corn tortillas into 1/2 inch by 2-3 inch strips. Heat a few inches of cooking oil in a deep pot. Once oil has reached frying temperature (about 170 degrees) place them in small amounts into the oil until lightly browned and crispy, then drain on a napkin and sprinkle with salt. If you want to skip this step you can use store bought chips, but these are light and crunchy!

 

To assemble tacos:

  There really are several choices in serving these tacos. We used whole wheat tortillas and warmed them on a skillet. You could also deep fry corn tortillas and stuff the them with the fish and bean salsa. Layer tilapia, bean salsa, and chipotle sauce in preferred tortilla, then top with crispy tortillas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Beans and Rice (vegan)

After watching "Forks Over Knives" on Netflix Instant Watch, my husband and I now eat mostly vegan meals.  This is one of our favorites.

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 or 2 sprays of PAM
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
dash of Tabasco hot sauce (optional)
1 can red kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes

For rice:  (45 minutes to prepare brown rice)

2 cups water
1 cup brown rice

Directions

Spray the PAM in a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and celery are semi-translucent and the bell peppers are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the thyme, hot sauce, tomatoes and beans (I add some of the bean juice and all of the tomato juice) to the pot and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a boil, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer for several minutes until sauce is thickened to your liking.

Prepare rice as usual (45 minutes to cook brown rice). Serve the beans over the rice.

Freezer Fudge....rich and even healthy! Susanna Winston

1 cup coconut oil
1 cup baker's cocoa
1 cup PURE maple syrup - I use the Sohgave maple flavored syrup which is much lower in carbs
1 t. vanilla
chopped nuts - makes it even healthier, but it's certainly optional

Mix with beater and spread onto a tray that has been covered with wax paper or butcher paper.  This fudge has to be frozen because coconut has a low freezing point.

I have a shallow plastic tray that I put my fudge in because it has a top.  This is my son's favorite fudge and all the grandkids love it too.

Healthy Chicken Salad - Susanna Winston

1 can chicken
2 stalks chopped celery
2 diced apples - or cranberries
1/4 diced onion

Blend with:
 1 1/4 T. lemon
3/4 T. olive oil
1 t. sugar (I like to use stevia)

Fruit Ambrosia - Susanna Winston

1 cup coconut
1 cup small marshmallows
1 cup mandarin oranges
1 cup grapes
1 cup drained fruit cocktail
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup cool whip
chopped pecans - optional (but makes it wonderful!)

Mix and chill before serving

Sweet & Sour Spareribs (or chicken) Susanna Winston

3 pounds spareribs or chicken....drumsticks and thighs are great
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 C. vinegar
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/2  C. sugar
2 cloves garlic
1 t. corn starch
1 piece crushed ginger

Brown meat and drain.  Mix other ingredients and pour over meat.  Simmer til tender, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes.

Serve with rice and additional sauteed pineapple.

Easy-Does-It Meat Loaf - Susanna Winston

8 oz. ground beef chuck
2 T. grated onion
2 T. chopped parsley
3 T American chili sauce (not Tabasco...more like ketchup) reserving 2 T for the top.
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
salt and pepper

Mix lightly, form into a loaf or put into a loaf pan.  Brush remaining chili sauce over the meat and bake for 30 - 45 minutes, or until cooked through, but do not overbake.  This is also delicious when refrigerated overnight and used for sandwiches.

Mock Peach Cobbler - Susanna Winston

Mix together:

1 cup Bisquick
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
juice of canned peaches

Spread mixture onto 8x8 square pan.  Top with chopped canned peaches.  Bake @ 350 for 45 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream

Lemonade Pie - Susanna Winston

1 can frozen lemonade
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large carton thawed Cool Whip
1 graham cracker crust pie shell

In a bowl, mash lemonade with a fork.  Add condensed milk and Cool Whip.
Mix well and pour into the pie shell.  Garnish with more graham cracker crumbs, or with a sprig of mint and a thin slice of lemon.  Refrigerate.

A to Z Pasta Salad (vegan)

A to Z Pasta Salad

Susan D'Andrea

Ingredients

·       1 clove garlic, slightly crushed

·       1 pound penne or spiral pasta

·       1 cup asparagus or green beans, cut in 1" pieces 

·       2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices

·       1 red, yellow, or green pepper, chopped

·       8 ounces grape tomatoes

·       2 tsp. each:  basil, oregano, and parsley

·       your favorite fat-free or light Italian salad dressing, to taste

·       salt and fresh pepper, to taste

·       optional: sliced black olives, added just before serving

Instructions

1.    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (Add a small amount of salt, if you want.) Once it boils, drop the asparagus or green beans and zucchini pieces into it and blanch for exactly 1 1/2 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon into a bowl filled with cold ice water.

Use the same pot of boiling water to cook the pasta according to package directions. Once it reaches the 
al dente stage, drain it in a colander and rinse it with cold water. Drain it well and add it to the vegetables. Add the chopped pepper, tomatoes, and herbs and toss with enough salad dressing to coat but not drown the pasta. Add salt and fresh pepper to taste, and serve chilled or warm.   

8 servings

Use any fresh vegetables you like:  broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, yellow squash, mushrooms, and artichokes. Try to use only fresh herbs, if you can get them, and use a salad dressing that you know you like.  The one unbreakable rule is to use only fresh vegetables and blanch them to soften slightly.

Deep Fried Pickles (seriously)

This must be a southern thing, but my oh my, if you've ever had a deep fried pickle have I got the recipe for you. They come out perfectly crisp on the outside and well, pickly on the inside. My dear friend, Amanda, ordered these at Alamo Drafthouse Theater and offered me one. It was hard to stay focused on the movie after that because I could smell the yummy goodness wafting from her basket.  Needless to say, I ordered myself a basket the next time I went and talked myself into parting with one for my cute little 7-year-old (who is the only pickle-lover in our home besides me).  He didn't love it and I cursed myself for wasting such savory goodness on an unappreciative soul. But, I digress.

I was making fried green tomatoes the other day (since my tomato plant suddenly decided to give birth to multiples just in time for the first hard frost) and I had lots of extra breading. So, I decided to fry up some dill pickles and hope for the best. I wasn't disappointed and you won't be either!

6-7 dill pickle spears or a bunch of sliced dill pickles

1 egg

1/4 cup milk (or soy or rice milk)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 quart canola oil for frying

Directions

1. Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip pickles into flour to coat. Then dip pickles into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.
2. In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place pickles into the frying pan in batches of 2 or 3, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the pickles, they should not touch each other. When the pickles are golden, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels. Serve with ranch dressing, for pete's sake!

White chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies

These. Are. Amazing.  But there's something else I should tell you. They're healthy, too. I know, strange combination, but true.  My kids tend to pick the cranberries out, but that's the beauty of this recipe. You can keep what you like, and get rid of what you don't (for the most part).

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

3 c. old fashioned cooking oats, finely blended in food processor
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. walnuts, finely chopped in food processor
1 c. white chocolate chips

1 c. craisins

1 tsp. salt
1/2 baking soda

Mix above ingredients together, then in a separate bowl mix:

1 c. canola oil (or 1 cup applesauce for even healthier version)
1 c. maple syrup
4 T. water
4 tsp. vanilla

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until blended. Drop spoonfuls on baking sheet and bake 350 for 8-10 minutes. YUM!

Healthy Pumpkin Cobbler and Sweet Potato Casserole

Thanksgiving is just two days away and my mouth is watering. Two of my favorite fall dishes are Pumpkin Cobbler and Sweet Potato Casserole, but I have to admit that they both have A TON of sugar. In fact, the last time I ate the cobbler I got a major sugar rush, so I decided to tweak it a bit to make it healthy. Don't worry, it still tastes great! A friend of mine figured you could do the same thing to the Sweet Potato Casserole and it would turn out pretty tasty, too.

Pumpkin Cobbler (Healthy remake)

                           29 oz. can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)                     

¾  c. agave nectar or evaporated cane juice (sweeter) or 1 cup pure maple syrup (less sweet)

2 t. ground cinnamon   

1 egg or egg substitute

¼ t. ground cloves

1 t. ground ginger

1 t. salt

2/3 c. almond or soy milk

Mix all ingredients together and place in a greased 13 X 9 inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350.

Topping

3/4 c. rolled oats                                   ¼ t. nutmeg

½ c. chopped walnuts                           ½ t. cinnamon

1/2 cup whole wheat flour                      2-3 T. agave nectar

Mix all ingredients well and sprinkle over pumpkin mixture. Bake 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Obviously, if you are making the Sweet Potato Casserole just substitute 2-3 cups mashed sweet potatoes for the pumpkin. I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Halloween favorites! Soup, cookies and a craft.

Halloween is my favorite holiday, next to Christmas. I prepare for it months in advance and just can't stop myself from making my kids' costumes every year (or piecing them together from thrift store finds). So, I'm a little disappointed in myself for not posting something for this spook-a-licious holiday.

If you are a soup connoisseur like I fancy myself to be, you'll love this recipe. I found it in a children's newspaper my kids brought home and tweaked it to my liking.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash
1/4 stick butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 T. olive oil
4 c. chicken broth or vegetable broth
4 cloves garlic
3 green onions
1/2 t. each of nutmeg, cinnamon, sea salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper (just a pinch)
1-2 c. plain soymilk, rice milk or milk (to desired consistency)

2 splashes Frank's Redhot (hotsauce)

Cut squash in half and spread most of the butter across the top, then sprinkle with brown sugar.  Place the two halves of the squash on a cookie sheet and bake for one hour or until you can stick a for in it and it is tender.  Allow the squash to cool. Scoop out into a medium sized bowl and discard the seeds and skin. Set aside.  Slice green onions and peel and press the three cloves of garlic.  Place olive oil into a small to medium sized saute pan over medium heat. After warming the oil, place onions and garlic into the pan and stir them until slightly gold.  Add broth and simmer 10 minutes.  Transfer it carefully into a blender along with the squash. Add nutmeg, cinnamon, sea salt and cayenne pepper into the blender or use a hand held blender. Add the milk and blend until pureed. Transfer back to a  medium sized pot and reheat.  I usually taste it here and add more spices!

My kids know that October and December are the only months I make sugar cookies and this recipe is my absolute favorite. One of my dearest neighbors made these every Christmas and we were lucky enough to be on the receiving end. We love to make witches, pumpkins and this year, modified ghosts! (I should have  taken a picture, but everyone loves a good sugar cookie).

Soft Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter or margarine

2 heaping c. powdered sugar

2 eggs

1 (8 oz. sour cream)

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. baking soda

1.2 t. salt

4 t. baking powder

4 1/2 c. flour

Cream butter and powdered sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Mix and chill for at least 1 hour. Roll dough out and cut into shapes. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 or until golden brown (I take them out before they get golden so they're not crispy, but that's just me).

Frosting:

1 to 2 t. vanilla

1 bag powdered sugar

1 cube margarine or butter

canned milk (just enough to make spreading consistency)

And last, but not least, I had to add a craft. This year I have failed in engaging my kids in any creative activities, but I found these cute Halloween Pals while I was drumming up ideas for my son's Halloween activity at school. The original post where I thought I saw them seems to have disappeared, but there are a ton of cute ideas at http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2009/10/frankenstein-craft.html  

Basically, take a toilet paper roll (or cut a paper towel roll in half if you are a germ-a-phobe) and allow your child to paint it with craft paint (washable is a good idea here). Let it dry completely and add googly eyes,  bat wings, mummy wrappings, spider legs (with pipe cleaners) or a pumpkin stem with tissue paper, etc. Your kids have great imaginations so let them be creative. Here's what we came up with!

Apple-Pear salad with lemon-poppyseed dressing

  Being over-stocked with pears last week, I put some effort into finding some recipes to use them up before they spoiled. I ran across this salad recipe I ripped out of a Southern Living Magazine several years ago, but never made.  It was so good, it's a shame I didn't make it sooner! I tweaked it using the ingredients I had on hand, which I put in parentheses.

1 (16 oz.) package romaine lettuce, thoroughly washed (I used baby spinach)

1 (16 oz.) block swiss cheese, shaved (I omitted the cheese)

1 cup roasted, salted cashews

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1 large apple, thinly sliced (I used 2)

1 large pear, thinly sliced (I used 2)

Lemon-poppyseed dressing

2/3 cup light olive oil

1/2 cup sugar (I used evaporated cane juice, but you could use honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar)

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

2 tsp. finely chopped onion

1 tsp. Dijon mustard (I used honey-mustard)

pinch salt

Process 2/3 cup light olive oil and remaining ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one week; serve at room temperature.

Granola anyone?

Recently one of my best friends said I had gone granola.  I take that as a compliment. So in honor of her (love ya Beth!) I'm sharing my favorite granola recipes. These recipes are great for a snack or for breakfast. I usually just add some fresh fruit or raisins!

Granola

10 cups rolled oats

1 cup wheat germ

½ lb. shredded coconut

2 cups raw sunflower seeds

1 cup sesame seeds

3 cups almonds, pecans, walnuts or combo of all three (I also added pumpkin seeds to my last batch.)

1 ½ cup brown sugar (or 1/2 t mapeline to avoid sugar)

1 ½ cup water

1 ½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup honey

½ cup molasses (If you sub here add same amount of sugar or honey)

1 ½ t salt

2 t cinnamon

3 t vanilla

Raisins, if desired

Mix first six ingredients.  In another pan combine the brown sugar, water, oil, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon and vanilla.  Heat until sugar is dissolved but do not boil.  Pour syrup over the dry ingredients and stir until well coated.  Line two to three jellyroll sheets with parchment paper or silpats. Spread granola in thin layer.  Bake 20-30 minutes at 325, stirring occasionally.   Bake 15 minutes longer if you want it crunchier.  This keeps six months.  Makes 20 cups.

Homemade Granola

½ cup shredded coconut

4 cups old fashioned oats

¼ cup wheat germ

1 T. sesame seeds

1 cup almonds

¼ cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds)

½ t ground cinnamon

¼ t freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup honey

8 T butter, melted

½ cup golden raisins (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread coconut on top.  Bake until toasted.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 
2. Decrease oven temperature to 300.  Line two baking sheets with parchment; set aside.  In a large bowl, toss together oats, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, stir together honey and butter.  Pour over oat mixture.  Stir well.  Spread onto two sheets.  Bake until golden, about 25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Break up granola, sprinkle with raisins and toasted coconut.

Trail Mix

(This is a yummy snack idea from Rachel Ray)

3/4 cup real maple syrup

1 cinnamon stick

1 vanilla bean, split

1 cup oats

1 cup peeled hazelnuts

2 cups whole natural almonds

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup shelled pumpkin or sunflower seeds

1 cup chocolate candy coated peanuts, or chocolate chips (you can pretty much add anything here - butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, etc, or nothing at all!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place maple syrup on the stove with cinnamon and vanilla over medium low heat to infuse the flavor. Warm syrup a couple of minutes. Remove from heat.

Combine hazelnuts, almonds, raisins, cranberries and seeds in a bowl. Toss with maple syrup and remove the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Spread the maple coated mixture onto a cookie sheet and roast 15 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven and transfer to another cold pan, tossing the mix to quick-cool it. Once cool, toss with candy.

You can obviously make substitutions here if you don't have all the ingredients - (use normal cinnamon, vanilla or other nuts, such as cashews, almonds, etc.)