20 Best Travel Snacks and Portable Meals The Kitchn's Best of 2012

Homemade Granola Bars

We are a bunch of eaters on the go not only during the busy holiday travel season, but also during the rest of the year as we rushing off to classes, meetings, and who knows what else. Our schedules don't have to mean resorting to take-out or scarfing handfuls of trail mix every day. Here are all our best recipes from 2012 that can be made ahead, packed up, and eaten on your schedule.

All of these recipes will be fine out of the fridge for a few hours and don't need to be reheated. Pack the salads in lightweight containers and don't forget a fork!

TOP ROW
1 Homemade Granola Bars
2 Homemade Cracker Jack
3 Savory Oatmeal Cookies
4 Curry Coconut Savory Granola
5 Cheesy Yet Vegan Kale Chips

SECOND ROW
6 Coconut Mango Oat Muffins
7 Roasted Curried Chickpeas with Rosemary and Thyme
8 Almond and Coconut Granola
9 Turkey Wraps with Honey Mustard Dip
10 English Muffins with Apricot Preserves and Feta Spread

THIRD ROW
11 Spiced Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Kale Whole Wheat Pita Pockets
12 Sesame Ginger Soy Curls with Napa Cabbage Salad
13 Stuffed Grape Leaves with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
14 Chickpea Pita Pockets with Minted Yogurt
15 Zesty Tortellini Salad

BOTTOM ROW
11 Boiled Egg, Seared Asparagus, and Pickled Onion Sandwich
12 Roasted Sweet Potato Wraps with Caramelized Onions and Pesto
13 One-Bowl Mung Bean Meal
14 Spicy Lentil Wraps with Tahini Sauce
15 Golden Quinoa Salad with Lemon, Dill, and Avocado

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Welcome to The Kitchn's Best of 2012 roundup!
From December 17 through January 1 we are rounding up some of our favorite (and your favorite) posts from the past year.

(Images: See linked posts for full image credits)

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Recipe: Curry Coconut Savory Granola Recipes From The Kitchn

It's about the begin, the parade of sweet treats through your office, your holiday parties, and probably your very own kitchen. Consider this granola a much-needed savory break for you and anyone lucky enough to receive it from you as a gift. Savory curry granola?, you may be thinking. That's right: salty, crunchy, curry-spiked granola studded with toasted pecans and browned coconut chips. You don't need milk or yogurt to enjoy this granola -- it's good enough to eat plain by the handful, but if you're nice you'll make a double batch to give out as gifts as well.

Since I first posted about savory granola last year, I've been waiting for the idea to catch on and spread across the country like wildfire, like one-ingredient ice cream or no-knead bread or heck, even olive oil granola. Sadly, savory granola's day has not yet come. To date only five people have liked it on Facebook.

So I decided to revisit the idea, this time making the flavorings even more unexpected, in hopes that people will be so unsettled by the concept of a curry-flavored granola that they will actually try the recipe and realize that crunchy, savory oats are not as weird as they sound, but are in fact incredibly addictive, as easy to munch on as potato chips, but healthier and a lot simpler to make yourself.

I veered toward India in flavoring this batch because I was thinking about how eating granola out of hand reminds me of eating hot mix, a spicy and crunchy Indian snack. The warm flavors of curry powder and virgin coconut oil are a great match for the mild sweetness of the oats and the toasty pecans. Although I personally can't stop munching on it plain, savory granola can also be sprinkled over salads, on top of soups, or over gratins -- anywhere you might use toasted bread crumbs or croutons. (When using it on a gratin or other baked dish, sprinkle it on during the last five minutes of baking, so the nuts don't burn.)

One important note: Be sure to let your family members or roommates know that the homemade granola in the cupboard is actually savory granola, lest you hear one morning, "Wait, what's in this granola?" and turn to see your husband dumping out a big bowl of yogurt smothered in curry granola. Just trust me.

Curry Coconut Savory Granola

Makes about 4 cups

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
1/2 cup raw pepitas
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 300F. Have a rimmed sheet pan ready. Place the oats, pecans, pepitas, coconut flakes, curry powder, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder in a large bowl and stir. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white and Worcestershire sauce. Drizzle over the oats mixture and stir to evenly coat. Repeat with the coconut oil, working quickly to evenly coat the oats mixture before the coconut oil begins to stiffen up. Spread in an even layer in the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes for the first 20 minutes, then every 5 minutes until the granola is lightly browned and slightly crisp. (It will become more crisp as it cools.) Let cool completely in the sheet pan and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for several months.

Additional Notes:
If you would like to give your granola some heat, add cayenne pepper or crushed dried chilies along with the curry powder.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free eater, make sure to use oats labeled "gluten-free."

If you are making this recipe for a vegetarian, make sure to use a vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, such as Annie's Naturals brand.

Related: Homemade Gifts: Our 10 Best Sweet & Savory Treats

(Images: Anjali Prasertong)

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What's Cooking This Weekend? Weekend of September 15-16, 2012

Homemade Granola Bars

Happy weekend, folks! What's cooking? I'm plotting a leisurely brunch on Saturday morning, with good coffee and perhaps a poached egg. What about you? Do you have big plans for the weekend? What's cooking in your kitchen?

(Image: Emma Christensen)

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