I’ve been experimenting with different add-ins so that we don’t have to sweeten it with sugar. Cinnamon works really good, so do raisins, apples and bananas. It being close to Fall (not so much weather-wise here in central Texas) my mind tends to wander towards pumpkin pie, and I though it would be great to add pumpkin and spices to the oatmeal. Looks like I’m not original in my idea, I found the following recipe on Feeding My Tribe. I’ll give it a try this next weekend.

Pumpkin Pie Steel-Cut Oatmeal—in less than 10 minutes

As I mentioned in a earlier post, we eat a lot of oatmeal and usually it is the steel-cut kind. But, that takes too long to cook in the morning, like 40 minutes, right? Not really, as I base mine on this easy and relatively fast recipe for 7 minute stove top steel-cut oatmeal. That is how I make oatmeal about 75% of the time now.

Of course, you can always make your oatmeal ahead and just heat it up in the morning. But, it is simple to soak the oats overnight and then they cook in a jiffy. When I make oatmeal, it is enough to feed four elementary kids plus one adult. I usually end up with one or two extra servings of oatmeal and Emma and I have it the next morning since she LOVES oatmeal.

You can use the basic recipe and then add dried fruit and spices to your preference, or add nothing and just enjoy the oaty goodness. I add the flax-seed to boost the Omega-3’s. Today’s breakfast was:

The night before (or at least 6 hours before), soak the oats in about 3-4 cups of plain water with about 2 Tbsp of whey, kefir, buttermilk, or lemon juice added.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal in pot

(Note: the whey, etc. is optional, it would work with just the water, but the whey helps to “pre-digest” the oats and allows your body to get more nutrients out of them).

In the morning, drain oats in a fine-meshed sieve, rinse with water, and then drain again.

Place the drained, soaked oats and all other ingredients in a pot, bring to slight boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Serve with cream if desired.

The original recipe calls for pre-soaking to cut down on cooking time. But I don’t think it’s necessary, yeah, it may take 30 mins or so to cook, but it’s so hearty, that I usually make it on weekends and a long slow cooking time is just fine with me.

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Adapted from Molly Ringwald

Found this recipe in my email inbox from Chow this morning. Sounds tasty, just thought I’d share.
Adapted from Molly Ringwald

This Go-To Dish by Brat Pack good girl Molly Ringwald, now grown-up author of Getting the Pretty Back, is a no-frills roasted chicken. Cooked in a scorching 500°F oven, Molly’s chicken was adapted from microwave queen Barbara Kafka’s simple recipe. Here Molly adds some lemons and onions to deepen the flavors of the pan sauce. Serve with a potato gratin or simple root vegetables.

Game plan: Molly recommends making sure your oven is clean. At such high temperatures, a greasy oven can smoke out your kitchen.

TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Makes: 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 medium yellow onion, halved and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 medium lemons
1 (4-1/2-pound) chicken, rinsed and patted dry
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme or other herbs (optional)
3/4 cup dry vermouth

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 500°F and arrange a rack in the lower third.
2. Mound the onions in the center of a roasting pan. Slice one of the lemons into thin rounds and place on top of the onions. Slice the remaining lemon in half; set aside.
3. Rub the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Season inside the cavity with salt and pepper, then place the reserved lemon halves and herbs, if using, inside. Place the chicken, breast side up, on top of the onions and lemon slices and tuck the wings back and underneath.
4. Roast until the chicken is golden brown all over and the juices run clear from the legs when cut with a knife, about 45 minutes (or 10 minutes per pound).
5. Insert the handle of a wooden spoon inside the cavity of the chicken, then lift and tilt it slightly to let the juices run back into the roasting pan. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board or serving platter and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, transfer the sliced lemon rounds from the roasting pan to a serving plate; set aside.
6. Place the roasting pan across two burners over medium heat, add the vermouth, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer until reduced by half. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to the plate with the lemon slices. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the chicken with the lemon rounds, onions, and sauce.

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For the meat I usually use a sirloin or chuck roast cut into small pieces (1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes). The roasts are usually leaner than the ground meat, but I’ve done it with hamburger and I’m sure the chili ground beef would work fine.

I try not to make the chili itself too hot, since I usually make it for a large group, but I provide chopped serranos so that people can add more heat if they want. Other add-ons I keep on the side are diced onions, diced fresh tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream and green onions.

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I also added something I saw on Julie & Julia, peas! And they worked out great! The trick is to add them at the end, a little before serving–frozen peas work nicely–and they’ll be perfectly firm with the meal.

Without much further ado, here is the recipe…

Ingredients

• 1-2 lb. cubed chuck
• 1 large onion
• 2-3 large carrots
• 2 celery ribs
• 2 potatoes
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms, quarted
• 1 bag frozen peas
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 3 sprigs minced parsley
• salt
• pepper
• flour for dredging
• 4 tsp corn starch
• 1/4 cup water
• 3tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup red wine (Burgundy works well)
• 1 12oz can beef broth
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can sliced tomatoes

Directions

1. Chop the onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms and potatoes in large chunks and add them to the crock pot.
2. Crush and chop the garlic and add to the pot along with the thyme and parsley.
3. Put the flour along with some salt and pepper into a gallon-sized zip-top bag and dredge the beef, shaking off any excess flour.
4. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the meat on all sides, add to the pot after.
5. If the flour didn’t burn too badly, you can deglaze the pan with the wine and add that to the pot along with the broth, tomatoes and paste
6. Salt and pepper to taste
7. Dissolve the corn starch in the water slowly so as not to make any lumps and add that to the pot.
8. Mix the ingredients together with a large spoon inside the pot to get everything coated and well blended. I usually do all the preparations at night before bed and let the ingredients mingle in the pot overnight and cook it the next day.
9. I then set my crock pot for 4-6 hrs. on medium. My crock pot will automatically switch to “warm” once the timer is over, so I leave it on warm until we’re ready to eat.
10. 10 to 20 minutes before serving, mix in the frozen peas. They’ll warm up nicely before you eat, and will not get mushy.

Variations:

This is the basic recipe I use, though, there are other options I’ve been known to use. Butternut squash makes a great substitute for potatoes, I’m sure any firm vegetable will be good in lieu of or along side potatoes. Sauteing the mushrooms in butter before adding them is also a good thing. I’ve also toyed with the idea of adding a little balsamic vinegar to give it a little more depth.

Well that’s it, I’m sorry I didn’t get any good photos of the stew, maybe next time I make it I’ll get some to add.

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Albodingas Soup (credit: simplyrecipes.com)

If fresh mint is not available, you can use a couple teaspoons of dried mint from herbal mint tea. You can also vary the vegetables depending on what you have on hand. Spring peas in their pods instead of shucked peas, for example. Or you could add some chopped fresh zucchini or corn. My mother often puts a couple extra tablespoons of chopped fresh mint directly into the soup. Feel free to substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, we do it often.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both (we usually use half stock half water
• as the meatballs will create their own stock)*
• 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
• 1/2 lb of string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/3 cup of raw white rice
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup of chopped parsley
• 1 raw egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• A dash of cayenne (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*If using prepared stock, be sure to use gluten-free stock if you are cooking gluten-free.

METHOD

1 Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot (5-qt) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.
2 Prepare the meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

3 Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a dash of cayenne, to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serves 6-8.

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Homemade Goat Cheese
Tweaked from Over the Rainbeau, Living the Dream of Sustainable Farming

Feel free to experiment with your herb(s) of choice and any other flavor combinations that float your boat. The sky’s the limit! Be careful not to drain your cheese for too long, as it may begin to dry out and lose that supple, smooth consistency you’re going after.

Music Pairing: Don’t Stop, Fleetwood Mac

Ingredients

• 1 quart goat’s milk
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 clove freshly grated garlic
• a few pinches herbs de provence
• freshly chopped parsley
• coarse salt, to taste

Method

In a medium saucepan, slowly heat milk until it reaches 180 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Let stand until milk starts to curdle, about 15-20 seconds. If milk does not curdle, add a little more lemon juice.

Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Ladle milk into colander. Pull up and tie the four corners of cheesecloth together and hang on the handle of a wooden spoon, set over a stockpot or very deep bowl. Allow to drain until the consistency of slightly dry cottage cheese is reached, about 1-1.5 hours. Transfer to a bowl and fold in salt, herbs and garlic. Serve immediately atop warm crostinis. Can be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 1 week.

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Ingredients
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange
10 whole cloves
1 (750 ml) bottle red wine (burgundy works well)

Directions
In a saucepan, combine the OJ, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer.
Cut the orange in half, and squeeze the juice into the simmering water. Push the cloves into the outside of the orange peel, and place peel in the simmering water. Continue simmering for 30 minutes, until thick and syrupy.
Pour the syrupy mixture and the wine in a large Percolator or Crock Pot. Using the Percolator is best because you can put the cinnamon sticks and clove-studded orange peels in the coffee grounds section of the Percolator so that the wine mixture is continually cycled through the spices for more flavor. If you don’t have a large Percolator, maybe you could tie up those items in cheesecloth and place in the Crock Pot, so that guests don’t inadvertently scoop up a clove into their cup (ouch).
Serve hot.

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makes 2 sandwiches
Ingredients
Carrot Daikon pickle condiment:
1/2 cup carrot matchsticks (or thin coins like I did)
optional 1/2 cup white daikon radish matchsticks
Generous pinch of salt
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
Marinade:
1 TBS finely minced garlic
1 TBS fish sauce
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 TBS high heat cooking oil plus more as needed (divided)
1 lb (500 g) sirloin, top round, or rib eye (as thinly sliced as possible)
Sandwiches:
1 shallot thinly sliced (or you can use some red onion)
2 8 in hoagie rolls or baguette sections
4 large pieces green lettuce
10-15 leaves of cilantro, parsley, basil, or other fresh herbs

Instructions
Toss carrots and daikon with the salt, sugar, and vinegar. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes. If not using immediately, add enough vinegar to cover veggies, stir, and store in glass jar or plastic container up to 1 month.

In a bowl whisk together garlic, fish sauce, sor sauce, sugar, black pepper and 1 TBS of the oil. Add beef slices and mix well to coat each slice. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

Set a large frying pan or grill pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 TBS of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. You’ll be cooking the beef in batches, how many depends on how big your pan is.

Add the beef slices, laying them flat and in a single layer. Fry 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on how thinly it’s sliced. Flip and fry other side 30 seconds to 1 minute. Edges of the beef should be just slightly charred, but cooking time should be kept to a minimum to avoid overcooking meat. Pour any juices left in the pan into a small bowl. Fry additional batches of meat slices the same way, adding a touch more oil if necessary, and reserving pan juices.

Return pan to stovetop on high heat. Add a touch more cooking oil and when hot, add the sliced shallots. Fry for 30 seconds, until just softened, mopping up any remaining pan juices and caramelized bits during the frying.

To assemble sandwiches, slice the hoagie rolls or baguettes in half lengthwise. Brush each side with some of the reserved pan juices. To each sandwich add a layer of lettuce, then grilled beef, carrot daikon pickle, grilled shallots, and finally sprinkle on the herbs.

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Here is the recipe I use for our Christmas/Birthday Chili Party.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat (I use thigh meat, and brown it before adding it to the pot)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (15 ounce) can white beans
• 2 ears fresh corn
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 lime, sliced

Directions

1. Dredge the chicken in flour and brown in oil.
2. Set chicken aside and cook onion and garlic until soft.
3. Stir in broth, chicken, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour.
4. Add corn and beans; simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with these toppings for people to choose from: limes, cilantro, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

You can also increase the heat of the recipe by adding a couple chopped serrano or jalapeño chiles to the mix, or use them as add-ins if not everyone in your group is in to extra spicy food.

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Ingredients

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup red bell pepper, small dice
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, minced
• 8 ounces corn kernels
• 1/2 c milk
• 1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 c cornmeal
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk

In a medium bowl, combine flour and cornmeal. Set aside.

Combine corn and milk in food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Beat in eggs and yolks.

Stir in dry mixture.

Fold in scallions, bell pepper, and cilantro.
Heat heavy skillet (you can’t beat cast iron!) to medium high heat with a little bit of vegetable oil.

Spoon about two tablespoons of batter into the pan and smooth out a little to form a round.

Cook like a pancake, browning both sides—about three minutes per side.

Serve as a side for grilled meats, as a topped, blini-like appetizer, or, as a main course covered with black beans and herbs.

Makes about ten four-inch pancakes.

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