Dishing It Up!

by Victoria Mattson

Victoria Mattson is a local cook, confectionaire and writer. She offers healthy and nutritious recipes and food tips in each issue of North County Outlook. Phone (360) 658-9903 or e-mail victoria@northcountyoutlook.com.

Sometimes family chefs struggle to get other family members to enjoy healthy food. Facing this dilemma, my dear friend Maire Gilbert began Stealthy Cooking (www.stealthcooking.com).

Maire was a vegetarian who married a meat and potatoes man. She was also concerned about her family's health. She relates that initially no one was excited about eating "healthy." They thought healthy food would taste bad.

Over time, she added small amounts of meat to her veggie diet, and lots of veggies to her husband's meat-based diet. Maire defines her Stealthy Cooking style as "using vegetables when unexpected, changing proportions on the plate, preparing foods in ways that are delicious enough for any palate! Plus, using small amounts of flavorful meats and spices so the taste for meat is fulfilled."

Maire was encouraged to share her secrets and recipes, so she developed her Web site, and it is a delightful place to visit! Maire's recipes often include a story of the dish's origin, along with beautiful foodie pictures. There are currently over 80 recipes for vegetables, meat and meatless main dishes, breakfast and side dishes, as well as snacks and desserts. Her recipes frequently include substitutions to make a vegetarian dish or use different ingredients. There is a stealthy cooking tip at the end of every recipe. And to our good fortune, she is constantly adding new recipes for us to try.

Maire's version of Tasty Oat Granola not only tastes great, it is packed with wonderfully nutritious ingredients. It can be enjoyed for breakfast with yogurt and fresh berries, or as a trail mix snack. Maire's favorite dried fruit in this granola is a mixture of equal parts pineapple, mango, and papaya.



Tasty Oat Granola



1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1 cup mixed dried fruit, chopped

2 tbsp. honey

1 cup boiling water

3 cups dry regular oats (not instant)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal

1 tsp ground cinnamon



Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine dried fruits, honey, and boiling water in a bowl and let sit. Add oats, almonds, seeds, flaxseed meal, and cinnamon to bowl. Stir all ingredients together. Sprinkle granola mixture on a baking pan, and bake at 300 for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. For crispy granola, bake for 15-20 minutes longer. Cool, then store in an airtight container.

Makes 12 servings.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This granola is different from most store-bought granola. It's made without added oil, but don't think it's totally without fats. There are healthy fats in the almonds and sunflower seeds, both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils. In addition, both the fiber and the polyunsaturated fatty acids found in regular oatmeal have been found to help lower cholesterol. Finally, this granola gets an extra healthy boost with the addition of flaxseed meal. Flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3. Wow ... all that and good taste, too!



Victoria Mattson, co-owner of Let's Dish!, provides ready-to-cook meals for pick up or delivery. Phone 360-658-9903 or visit www.letsdish.com.