Marshmallow-Nutella-Granola Bites (Golden Girl Granola Recipe Challenge)

It’s that time of year again … time for the annual Golden Girl Granola Recipe Challenge. This year’s category is Summertime Snacks. When I think of summertime snacking, I immediately think watermelon, but I really couldn’t imagine a new snack with granola and watermelon. The next thing that came to mind was toasting s’mores around a campfire. Thinking down those lines … marshmallow, chocolate … I opted to create a recipe using their Chocolate Decadence Granola. (“Bittersweet chocolate is tossed among toasted oats, almonds, and coconut, glazed with pure maple syrup, to make the most delectable treat for the chocolate lover.”)

Thinking over my options while waiting for the granola to arrive, I decided on a hybrid of a s’more and a rice crispie treat, taking things one step further by adding a family favorite – Nutella. Not only is it a tasty treat, but with so few ingredients and such simple steps, it's a recipe older kids can make on their own.

If you weren’t following along when I participated in their prior challenges, you missed out on my realizing just how spoiled I have become. In placing each year, I was sent various quantities of granola, and when my stash ran out, I went back to other brands at the grocery store and found I could no longer enjoy them, so unless I’m lucky enough to place again this year, or do some online shopping, I now have to resort to making my own granola. If you’re an online shopper, or lucky enough to have Golden Girl in your local markets, I highly recommend you try it.

INGREDIENTS:
3 T Butter
4 c Mini Marshmallows
1/2 c Nutella
10 oz Bag Chocolate Decadence Granola

1. Spray 8x8" baking dish with cooking spray (or lightly butter); set aside.
2. Over medium heat, melt butter, then stir in marshmallows, stirring first to coat in butter, then continuing until just a few bubbles remain.
3.  Turn off heat and stir in Nutella until almost combined, then stir in granola. (A silicon spatula is good for this because it doesn't stick as much as other utensils.)
4. Press into greased baking dish and let set, then cut into 16 pieces. (Lightly spray a piece of waxed paper with cooking spray to press into dish without sticking.)

 

Thanks to the folks at Golden Girl for giving me another opportunity to play with their product! Hope they like these treats as much as I did.

Tzatziki Salad

A lot of times, especially on "movie nights," my sister and I would put together individual antipasto platters for everyone, with olives, meats, cheeses, veggies, pita wedges, and Tzatziki. Typically, Tzatziki consists of plain yogurt, cucumber (usually grated or minced), garlic, and dill - sometimes olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and other herbs such as mint, parsley, or thyme. I sometimes like to convert the Tzatziki into a salad, which is a great summertime side dish for cookouts, because it's very cooling and refreshing. 

One thing you want to be sure to do, especially if you'll be preparing it earlier in the day, is to strain the yogurt and/or salt and strain the cucumbers, because they both tend to give off water, and you want a salad, not soup. Another tip is to mince your garlic and stir it into the yogurt before straining. That will save you time, because you want that flavor to infuse into the yogurt, so doing it at the same time will save you from having to wait later.

Yes, of course, if you have a garden and lots of fresh cucumbers, go ahead and use those, but for this dish, I prefer English cucumbers for a large salad, or the mini pickling cukes for a small version. If you do use garden cucumbers, you will definitely want to go ahead and salt those, because they tend to be more watery/seedy. When it comes to straining the yogurt, you will see that I like to keep a stack of coffee filters on hand for just such an occasion. I let the yogurt strain for at least an hour (overnight if I know I'll be using it the next day), and just lift the filter out of the strainer, tip it over a mixing bowl, and the strained yogurt sort of just peels right off the paper. 

INGREDIENTS :
2 English cucumbers, sliced thin

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 c plain yogurt, strained

2 T dill (plus more for garnish)

Optional - pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1. Mince the garlic and stir into the yogurt, transferring to a strainer (as I mentioned, I like to line it with a coffee filter) over a mixing bowl to drain the liquid.
2. Because you will be leaving the skin on the cucumbers, be sure to wash them well to remove any wax or pesticides, then thin slice into coins. If you are going to salt your cucumbers, line the slices in a large colander, sprinkle with a big pinch of salt, and set in the sink or over another bowl to catch the liquid.  After about 20", pat dry.
3. In a large serving bowl, stir the 2T of dill into the yogurt/garlic, then stir in the cucumbers, to coat evenly.
4. Sprinkle with additional dill for garnish, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if desired.