• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 3 cups rolled oats (do NOT use instant oats)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, toast the coconut until it is fragrant and lightly browned. Keep on eye on this and stir frequently because it will quickly go from brown to burnt. Put the coconut in a large mixing bowl and toast the oats until warmed. Combine the coconut, oats, brown sugar, honey, oil, cinnamon and salt and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake the granola until your house smells like a comforting bed and breakfast, about 20-25 minutes. Allow granola to cool, then break apart into chunks and store in an air tight container. Add additional ingredients if desired, such as toasted nuts or seeds or dried fruits, after the baking process to prevent burning.

…or How I Learned to Stop Hating and Love the Mango

The first time I bit into a mango, I hated it. If you’re a mango lover, I know what you might be thinking, and yes, I did peel it first. That wasn’t the problem. Immediately after biting into it I was overwhelmed with this mushy taste of sweetened hairspray. Having on at least one occasion in memory sprayed my mother’s hairspray in my mouth, I took mangoes to be a bad thing filled with a vile substance akin to eating grooming products. I then shelved the idea of eating mangoes entirely as my palette became more refined and I established (and verified with a Wikipedia search on “mango”) that they actually taste of varying degrees of turpentine. Dr. Strangelove…

1/2 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon chili oil or sweet chili sauce
salt and pepper

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Combine egg and sesame oil, then dunk individual slices of beef into the egg mixture, then the cornstarch, shaking off excess. Set aside.
2. Bring water, orange zest and red pepper flakes to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce by half, then strain and reserve water.
3. Return water to the saucepan, along with brown sugar, sesame oil, vinegar and soy sauce. Bring to a boil.
4. Combine cornstarch and cold water and gradually whisk into the sauce. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in the sesame seeds and reduce heat to low.
5. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and dry fry the beef until cooked through.
6. Combine with prepared sauce and drizzle with hot chili oil. Serve over white rice.

Makes 4 servings

1 pound lean ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
1 small head cabbage, cored and chopped
5-1/2 ounces tomato paste
6 cups beef broth
1/2 cup long grain rice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon brown sugar
salt and pepper

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and fry until no longer pink, then add the onions and cabbage and a pinch of salt.
2. Reduce heat to medium and cook until cabbage is softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer contents to a soup pot and add tomato paste and beef broth. Bring to a boil and add the rice, cinnamon and brown sugar. Cook until rice is tender, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon butter
19 ounces canned navy or romano beans
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons raisins
1 teaspoon allspice
salt and pepper

1. Heat butter in a saucepan, then stir in the beans, brown sugar, water, raisins and allspice. Heat through and season to
2. ste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings

3 tablespoons butter
1 small red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white wine
1/4 cup brown sugar
salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the cabbage and cook for a few minutes until bright purple.
2. Add the vinegar and wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the brown sugar and reduce heat, simmering until tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Makes 6 servings

1 teaspoon ginger puree
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cooked chicken breast, thinly sliced
3/4 cup bean sprouts
2 cups lettuce
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup pineapple, cubed
salt and pepper

1. Combine the ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, vinegar, orange juice, lime juice and brown sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adjust seasoning if necessary.
2. Marinate cooked chicken in the dressing in the refrigerator for about an hour.
3. Combine bean sprouts, lettuce, basil and pineapple. Pour chicken and dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

1 pound lamb, cubed
1 small red onion, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup butter, cubed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 black cardamom pods
1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper

1. Combine lamb, onion, jalapeno and red wine and marinate for about an hour.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and skim off any solids that float to the surface.
3. Add the garlic, turmeric, cardamom, coriander seed, red pepper flakes, allspice and cloves. Remove from heat and allow to solidify.
4. Return the butter to the heat to liquify, then pour through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth to remove any solid matter.
5. Pour flavored clarified butter into a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the cayenne and brown sugar.
6. Remove the lamb from the marinade and pat dry, reserving marinade. Brown the lamb in batches, then return all the lamb to the pot and add the marinade, bringing to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until lamb is tender, about an hour. Simmer longer for flavors to meld.
8. Pull apart lamb chunks with a fork and season to taste with salt and pepper and serve garnished with freshly chopped jalapenos.

Makes 4 servings

1 whole roasting chicken
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 granny smith apple, quartered
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon garlic
1/2 cup apple juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons ginger puree
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Stuff chicken with apple quarters, rub skin with vegetable oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Place in a roasting pan and put in the oven, roasting until skin is crisp, about 20-25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, combine syrup, garlic, apple juice, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and ginger in a bowl.
5. Brush chicken with the prepared sauce and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Roast, basting with the same every 15 minutes, until chicken is tender and cooked through to the center, about 1-1/2 hours.
6. Allow chicken to rest before carving, then serve in quarters.

Makes 4 servings

4 six ounce pork chops
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven broiler to high.
2. Rub pork chops with cinnamon, brown sugar and pepper.
3. Place pork chops on a baking sheet and place about 6" under the oven broiler. Allow to crisp and caramelize on one side, then flip and cook the other side.
4. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and allow to cool slightly before serving with Apple Sauce.