With school back in session, everyone should have a handy granola recipe up their sleeve. Homemade granola is a healthy pantry staple, ideal for quick breakfasts and wholesome snacks. It's also simple to make, so why spend money on boxed granola when you can easily make your own in 30 minutes? Not only is granola easy to prepare, but when you make your own blend you can also choose the ingredients, eliminating excess fat, sugars and additives.

This is the basic recipe I use for my granola. It follows a ratio of 3 cups oats to 2 cups dried fruit to 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut to 1/2 cup chopped nuts (or seeds). I add a little maple syrup and brown sugar to the mix and rely on a generous shower of raisins to boost the sweetness in every bite. Use this recipe as a template and mix and match your favorite nuts, fruit and seeds to your taste and dietary restrictions. Just remember to add the dried fruit after the granola has baked to prevent the fruit from burning in the oven.

This granola is delicious as a cereal, mixed into yogurt, or sprinkled over fruit and ice cream. It's also a great grab-and-go snack for munching. You can halve the recipe if you like, but I recommend making the full amount, because it's guaranteed to be gobbled up.

Basic Homemade Granola

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: makes about 6 cups

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup coarsely chopped or unsalted almonds

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups raisins

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat baking mat.

Combine the oats, coconut and almonds in a large bowl. Whisk the syrup, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl until emulsified. Pour the liquid over the oats and stir to thoroughly coat.

Spread the granola on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove the granola from the oven, sprinkle the raisins over and gently mix them in. Cool the granola completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Variations:

Substitute hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans or pepitas for the almonds.

Substitute dried cranberries and/or chopped dried apricots for all or some of the raisins.

Substitute 1/4 cup oats with 1/4 cup flax seeds or wheat germ.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.

The end of summer delivers bushels of sweet peppers, corn and tomatoes to my kitchen. At the same time, the whisper of fall in the air brings a craving for warm soups layered with flavor and fragrant with smoke and char. This soup has a little bit of all that. I roast garden peppers and tomatoes in the oven, which slowly coaxes out their flavor and natural sweetness, then blitz them with aromatics. The roasted veggies create the stock for a healthy and comforting soup.

This soup is studded with juicy sweet corn kernels, which pop with every bite. I like to keep them al dente, so I don't roast them with the tomatoes and peppers, but if you prefer, you can also roast them. For a vegetarian soup, vegetable stock or water can be substituted for the chicken stock -- just be sure to taste the soup and adjust the seasonings accordingly.

While roasting in the oven is an easy method to prepare the vegetables, don't be shy about using the grill for slow roasting if you wish to keep the heat out of the kitchen. Simply grill the veggies in a grill pan over indirect high heat to achieve the same slow roasted results.

Slow Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup With Sweet Corn

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

6 ripe medium plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2 large red bell peppers, seeded, quartered lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

2 to 3 cups chicken stock

Corn kernels from 1 ear of corn, 1/4 cup reserved as garnish

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Arrange the plum tomatoes and peppers, cut-sides down, in an oiled baking dish. Roast until the vegetables are softened and slightly charred, about 30 minutes. (If using canned tomatoes, only roast the peppers.) Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and cover. Let cool 15 minutes, then peel away the skin from both the tomatoes and peppers and coarsely chop.

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium. Add the onion and saute until translucent without coloring, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, peppers, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper and cayenne and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 cups stock. There should be enough to cover the vegetables. If not, add more as needed. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot and simmer the soup for 15 minutes.

Carefully transfer the soup to a food processor (or use an immersion blender). Puree the soup until smooth; return to the pot and taste for seasoning. Stir in the corn and simmer 5 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the reserved 1/4 cup corn and cilantro and serve warm.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.

Upside-down baking is irresistible. Whether it's in the form of a cake or a tarte tatin (a rustic French fruit tart), the common denominator is a gorgeous, gooey caramelized bottom, which, once inverted, becomes the top of the cake or tart. Nestled in the sticky caramelized goodness are hunks of seasonal fruit, which release their juices to mingle with the butter and sugar topping and seep into the pastry while it bakes. When finished, the entire confection is flipped, bottom-side up, revealing its fruit-studded top like jewels in a crown.

The other winning quality of upside-down desserts is that they are generously flexible with the seasons. In the fall, pears and apples are the fruit of choice. In the summer, stone fruit and berries display their wonders. Mix and match to your taste. It's impossible to go wrong. I had fun with this cake, letting the contents of my fruit bowl dictate the topping. While figs and raspberries may sound like an unlikely combination, they are a perfect bridge between summer and autumn fruit, and nicely complement each other, with the tart and juicy berries jazzing up the sticky-sweet and sultry figs.

Full disclosure: I've made this cake with only raspberries, as well as only figs -- and it's all good. Like I said: Upside-down baking is flexible (and delicious).

Raspberry, Fig and Almond Upside-Down Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Yield: makes 8 to 10 servings

1/2 cup plus 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar

8 large figs, halved lengthwise

1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) raspberries

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the parchment. Tightly wrap the bottom of the pan with foil.

Melt the 1/2 cup butter and the light brown sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, whisking to combine. Pour the mixture into the springform pan and spread it evenly. Arrange the figs, cut-side down, in a circular pattern in the sugar-butter mixture and place the raspberries in the gaps.

Cream the 3/4 cup butter and the sugar in a mixer with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk the sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla and almond extract in the batter. Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the batter, mixing just to combine.

Pour the batter over the fruit and smooth it with a spatula. Transfer to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake on a rack for 10 minutes, then release the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto a plate. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.