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Apple Cider Oatmeal

October 25, 2011 By 17 Comments

Heather says:

Autumn mornings require the scent of apples and cinnamon. This apple cider oatmeal gets all the sweetness it needs from the naturally occurring sugars in the cider, apples, and raisins. Please taste it before adding any additional sugar at the table, I’m certain you’ll agree that it’s perfect as is. If you want to make this breakfast extra decadent reach for half and half or cream instead of the usual 2%.

If you use gluten free oats, this recipe is gluten free. As always check with your doctor before consuming oats if you are on a gluten free diet.

Apple Cider Oatmeal

This recipe for apple cider oatmeal is a ratio recipe. As written the recipe serves four, but it multiplies or divides easily depending on the number of people you are serving. The method remains exactly the same. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of diced apples in this recipe. Dried cherries or cranberries would also be an amazing addition.

: Apple Cider Oatmeal

: Use apple cider instead of water for an amazing autumn breakfast

  • 2 cups rolled oats or thick rolled oats (NOT quick oats)
  • 3 cups apple cider
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
  • 1 – 2 apples, diced preferably tart like Granny Smith
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • cinnamon to taste

 Instructions

  • In a heavy pot combine: rolled oats, apple cider, water, raisins, and diced apples.
  • Bring to a simmer over medium heat – medium high heat, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened. 10 – 15 minutes
  • Add vanilla and cinnamon. Serve

For extra creamy oatmeal and plump raisins, combine the cider, oats, and raisins at least an hour early. (No more than 1.5 hours) Allow the oats and raisins to soak until 15 minutes before you’d like to serve and then proceed with the recipe as written.

Preparation time: 2 minute(s)

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegetarian

Diet tags: Gluten free

Number of servings (yield): 4

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

Enjoy!

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Broccoli Cheddar Frittata

August 29, 2011 By 5 Comments

Heather says:

We consume a lot of eggs in our household, currently consisting of three adults and three children. Seriously, you can’t beat egg dishes for protein content, budget consciousness, and speed of preparation. Right now we’re hot and heavy into football season which means that breakfast (and really the entire day) is all about the heat, eat, and go. In the past I’ve mentioned my Slacker’s Frittata which is really just my way of describing how to throw a bunch of things into a skillet, add in some beaten eggs, heat, and serve. Today I’m working with the American Egg Board to bring you a recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Frittata, which has more specific ratios and instructions, which I know is a relief for those of you who prefer precise recipes. Check out the Incredible Edible Egg Facebook Fan Page for lots of other egg recipes, tips, tricks.

It’s back to school season for most of the country and I know a lot of you are looking for recipes that will power your kids through until lunch. On big days kids don’t need the added distraction of a being hungry an hour or two before lunch time. Heck, as an adult I’m ticked when my blood sugar drops and it’s only 10 in the morning. Someone around here gets a little cranky when that happens, not to name names or point fingers -ok fine, it’s me. . . Protein rich recipes can help prevent that annoying blood sugar drop and eggs are a simple and economical* way to boost protein intake.

*Eggs average out to about 15 cents each.

If you’re concerned about the preparation time of this recipe, simply make it the night before and refrigerate; it reheats perfectly in the microwave. Additionally, frittatatas are one of my main go-tos for Meatless Mondays and one that doesn’t have me poking around the fridge just before bed.

Here’s a convenient, printable grocery list.

Broccoli Cheese Frittata

: Broccoli Cheddar Frittata

  • 1 package (10oz) frozen, chopped broccoli (I used fresh)
  • 1 small carrot, diced (I grated mine)
  • 1/4 sweet onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 8 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 tsp prepared mustard
  • 1 tsp salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 oz)

  • Combine broccoli, carrot, diced onion and water in 10-inch, oven-safe skillet.
    Broccoli Frittata
  • Cook over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally to break up broccoli, about 10 minutes; drain well. (If you are using fresh broccoli, cover the skillet to help steam and soften the vegetable.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper.
  • Remove the skillet from the stove and add the broccoli mixture to the large bowl. Add the cheese and mix well.
  • Use a paper towel to carefully wipe out the skillet -it’s hot, you know. Then give the skillet a quick spritz with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
  • Return the skillet to the burner just long enough to heat the pan before adding your egg mixture. (This is important!)
  • Cook, without stirring over medium heat until eggs are almost set, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat. Cover and let stand until eggs are completely set and no visible liquid egg remains, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a plastic spatula to cut into wedges and serve.
    Broccoli Frittata
  • Alternately, once the eggs are nearly set, you can finish cooking under the broiler in your oven to nicely brown the top.

Preparation time: 5

Cooking time: 20 – 25

Diet type: Vegetarian

Diet tags: High protein

Number of servings (yield): 8

Enjoy.

This post was sponsored by the American Egg Board, all opinions are my own.

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Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas: Home-Ec 101 Ask the Audience

August 5, 2011 By 13 Comments

Dear Home-Ec 101:

I am in need of some breakfast food that can be eaten at my desk at work. I admit it, I’ve been spoiled. For the first 4 years after college I worked for a bookstore in a mall with a multitude of restaurants. The next 8 years I worked in an office building with an on-site cafeteria & coffee shop. My office has just relocated to a new building with no cafeteria. There are lots of restaurants nearby, but they cost more and take longer than running across the street to the cafeteria or down the hall to the bagel shop. I’m a person that can’t eat until I’ve been awake for awhile and I’m already getting up at 4:30 AM to make it to work by 7 AM so getting up earlier and eating at home isn’t really an option, and there are only so many days in a row I can eat cereal.

Do you have any suggestions for easy breakfasts that can either be made at home the night before and reheated in the office microwave, or made at work? I have access to a microwave and instant hot water, but no toaster. My normal breakfast is a caramel light frappucino – but not only is that not particularly budget friendly, I know it’s not good for me so I am trying very hard to cut back. Also, sometimes it’s not enough and then I’m starving at 10 AM and hitting the snack machine. I’m getting desperate, today I had a breakfast Lean Pocket. Help!

Signed,
Starving in Stanford

Heather says:

I can sympathize with not being able to eat until later in the morning, I’ve been that way my entire life. I have coffee to stave off the crazy, but actual food has to wait until I’ve been up for a while.

We eat a lot of eggs in our home. My mother raises chickens and we reap the reward. How lucky is that?

Breakfast burritos are extremely quick, can be made in large batches and are kept in the freezer for quick, microwaveable breakfasts. Just scramble some eggs and cook bacon or sausage and wrap in a tortilla. I usually chop up a little cilantro to add to mine. Wrap these individually in plastic wrap and freeze.

Frittatas are another very flexible egg dish. Here’s a basic outline of how to make a frittata. I find the leftovers microwave just fine. To keep this idea from getting tiresome, change up your ingredients. Use different kinds of sausages and a variety of vegetables or take a tip from the Spanish and use potatoes to make tortilla -not the flour kind.

I have a granola recipe I triple and bake. I store the granola in an airtight container and it’s perfect as a cereal, in yogurt, or heck eaten out of hand.

In the near future I’ll try to pull together a tutorial for pasties (not the kind you find in adult establishments, rather the type you find in upper Michigan bakeries).

As I’m supposed to be on vacation right now -at least I’m writing outside, right?- I’m going to open this question up to the Home-Ec 101 audience.

So Home-Eccers, what suggestions do you have for quick, microwavable breakfasts?

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Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes with Peanut Butter and Bananas

February 25, 2011 By 1 Comment

Heather says:

Caroline is a girl after my heart or maybe it’s my stomach. I’m not sure which. With the way I can be bribed with food, I probably should have been a man. . .  or not. Anyhow, point is whole wheat oatmeal pancakes with peanut butter are made with yum and sprinkled with awesome.

Head over to Chocolate and Carrots for some more fabulous photography and the recipe, of course.

Photo Credit: Caroline

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes | chocolate & carrots.

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Not Just for Breakfast

February 8, 2011 By 3 Comments

Heather says:

Many of you know I just returned from a blogging conference in Nashville? What conference you ask? Oh Blissdom, you may have heard of it.

As I’ve mentioned many times over the past few years, we’re huge fans of oatmeal or rolled oats in our house. We definitely go for the traditional rolled oats over the quick cooking, there’s really no comparison. Not too long ago I was at Costco and found Quaker Rolled Oats for 0.63 a lb. Can you beat that cost per serving for breakfast? I can’t. Naturally I bought 50 lbs. I can safely say we’re fans of Quaker and if anyone wants to check up on that, I’ve got 40lbs in my freezer right now. (Why in the freezer? Well to prevent pantry moths, of course).

What can you do with 50lbs of Quaker Rolled Oats?

Oh that’s easy, in a large family they disappear rather quickly on their own, but the rolled oats have plenty of uses.

You’ve got your regular every day oatmeal. (We soak our oats to make it creamier). Don’t get stuck in a plain oatmeal rut, add any kind of dried or fresh fruit, top with pecans,

Mix it into your meatloaf or meatballs instead of breadcrumbs. For best results, give them a whirl in a food processor or blender, first.

Make oatmeal and banana pancakes.

Then of course there are the oatmeal cookies. My current favorite are No-Bake Nutella Oatmeal Cookies

It makes a great blueberry muffin topping.

And the creme de la creme is making your own homemade granola.

If that’s not enough, they have plenty of recipes for Quaker Old Fashioned Rolled Oats on their website. Enjoy the resource.

*Many thanks to Quaker for sponsoring great events like Blissdom that help me grow as a blogger.

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Banana Muffins

December 26, 2010 By 3 Comments

Heather says:

Muffin recipes are a great introduction to baking. They aren’t fussy and a flat muffin is still a delicious muffin. Don’t get smug and try to pass these off as health food; they aren’t. They are however delicious and semi-portable. What is semi-portable? Great in a lunch bag, not so great while driving.

Just as an FYI the optional streusel topping isn’t so optional, in my opinion.

Optional Streusel Topping

  • 2 TBSP cold butter, cut into small cubes or grated
  • 1/8 cup rolled oats
  • 1/8 cup white sugar
  • 1/8 cup brown sugar
  • a pinch of cinnamon

Use a fork to stir these ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Simple Banana Muffins

Yields 9 – 10 muffins (depending on the size of your bananas)

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose or plain flour
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 medium bananas, mashedOptional Streusel Topping

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Mash the bananas and set aside. In this case, a little oxidation is a good thing, it helps bring out the banana flavor.
Grease  a muffin tin, you can use butter or cooking spray.
In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and stop as soon as they are mixed. Overmixing leads to flat muffins.
Banana Muffins
Fill 9 muffin cups with 1/3 cup batter each and sprinkle with the topping. If you have a standard ice cream scoop, this is the perfect size for muffins. I use a measuring cup and spatula.
Banana Muffins
Bake for 20 -25 minutes and cool on a wire rack, if you can wait that long.
Enjoy!
Related recipe:  Blueberry Muffins
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Cereal, Homemade Granola, a Holy Cow it’s That Easy? Recipe

May 27, 2010 By 33 Comments

Heather says:

Now that’s summer is nearly here, we’re switching to a cooler morning option, homemade granola cereal. It is a bit more expensive than plain oatmeal version, but the recipe is dead easy and significantly cheaper per serving than store bought granola, even with the nuts.

It takes less than five minutes to mix up and only needs to be stirred once or twice while in the oven. Really, does it get simpler than that?

This is a ratio recipe, meaning, you can halve it, double it, triple it, whatever you or your family needs.

Homemade Granola Cereal

Homemade Granola:

In a large bowl throw together the following ingredients for the granola, substitute as you see fit.

  • 6 cups rolled oats (we prefer thick rolled, do NOT substitute quick cooking)
  • 1 cup slivered or sliced almonds
  • 1 cup roasted sunflower seeds (or cashews or nut of choice)
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

In a small bowl mix together:

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (reduce if any of the nuts are salted)
  • 1/2 cup, packed brown sugar
  • a scant (meaning not quite to the line) 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use peanut)

Once this is stirred together, pour it over the oat mixture and stir until distributed evenly.

Really can a recipe be any more simple?

Spread on two baking sheets and bake for 1.5 hours at 250F, stirring once or twice. The oven doesn’t even needs to be preheated.

Allow to cool and store in an airtight container. -Now is when you stir in the dried apples, raisins, dried cranberries, whatever floats your boat.

Serve as a homemade, no HFCS breakfast cereal, stir into yogurt, use as an ice cream topping.  It also makes a great topping for fruit crisps, but sprinkle it on after baking.

While oats technically do not have gluten, it depends on the individual and their doctor to decide if rolled oats are a safe option. For some it’s not an issue, but please check with your doctor.

We love rolled oats in our house and I buy it in bulk, much to the annoyance of the people at Whole Foods. I am the annoying lady who ends up kneeling in front of the stupid bulk bin scooping out 35lbs of rolled oats because I can never get my schedule coordinated enough to remember to pre-order the 50lb bag a week before my schedule takes me to that side of town. My only local source of rolled oats is 45 minutes away and that can’t be a weekly outing.

*Updated to note* I have now found Quaker Rolled Oats in Bulk at Costco, usually $0.69 a lb or so. That’s a number I can love.

I may not always be tree-hugging, but I am granola crunching.

What about you?

Submitted to Make It From Scratch Carnival #170
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How to Roast Potatoes

May 21, 2010 By 19 Comments

Heather says:

Roast potatoes are a simple side dish. This recipe comes together quickly and can easily be made while the main dish is cooked. In our home we use two different methods to roast potatoes.  Don’t forget that roast potatoes can serve as the basis for other one dish meals like homemade breakfast skillets.

Depending on time I use two methods to roast potatoes.

The first method to roast potatoes is very easy and yields good results with little effort.

How to Roast Potatoes

  • 4- 5  Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes, scrubbed and cut into a 1″ dice
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • garlic powder, or Creole seasoning, or Ranch Mix, or Lawry’s, or or or -you get the idea, right? Season the potatoes as lightly or as heavily as you’d like with whatever seasoning floats your boat.
  • salt to taste
  • cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Toss the diced potatoes in the olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning, skip the salt if there is salt in a spice mix. Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray and bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are a deep golden brown.

These make a great, no fuss side item. The potatoes are dense and flavorful. Don’t be scared to experiment with different flavor combinations to compliment your main dish.

Sometimes though, we want a fluffier version with a crispy outside and that requires two extra steps.

Roast Potatoes Method #2: The Great Parboil

Dice the potatoes into a 1″ dice and place in a pot. Cover with cold water and add a teaspoon or two of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 8 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and wait until they stop steaming.

Shake the colander vigorously, sort of tossing the the potatoes about. This roughens the outside of the potatoes improving their texture and ability to hold seasoning in all the little nooks and crannies. Remember, the potatoes are shaken, not stirred.

Dump the potatoes onto a greased baking sheet (if I go to the trouble of parboiling the potatoes, I use olive oil with a pastry brush to grease the sheet).

Sprinkle with the desired seasoning and a little extra olive oil, if desired.

Bake for 45 minutes at 425F. Sometimes I turn the potatoes or give the baking sheet a good jiggle to move them around a bit halfway through, but the potatoes are just as lovely if I ignore them completely.

Optional Roast Potato Additions:

After the potatoes come out of the oven, they are ready to serve, but sometimes I take it an extra step.

For a breakfast skillet, sauté some diced onions and bell pepper* in olive oil, while the potatoes are cooking. If desired, add some diced ham or crumbled bacon. I’ve even enjoyed this with broccoli and cauliflower added to the mix.  Just make sure the vegetables are fork tender .

Just before serving, stir the potatoes with the sautéed vegetables, sprinkle with cheese -if desired- and top with a fried egg or two.

Enjoy.

*When bell peppers aren’t $2 each for the green ones, anyway. What is up with that? Is there a bell pepper blight or something I’m unaware of?

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Biscuit Recipe, No Knead

February 23, 2010 By 31 Comments

Heather says:

These are the simplest, pillow-soft, no-knead biscuits you’ll ever make. I’ve been wanting to try out coconut oil as a substitute for vegetable shortening in my biscuit recipe, but I haven’t been in a biscuit making mood for months. Last night I celebrated meeting a deadline by making country-fried steak and there was left over milk gravy this morning. I couldn’t, in good conscience, let that go to waste, could I? I also experimented by using my food processor (thanks Mom!), that was so fast it was definitely worth washing.

I love that these biscuits only need to be folded. Who likes to knead first thing in the morning? Not this gal.

Click if you need a handy, printable shopping list?

Buttermilk Biscuits

Simple Biscuit Recipe Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening OR 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour + extra for dusting
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk or  only 3/4 cup milk if coconut oil was substituted

Simple Biscuit Recipe Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F and melt the 2 TBSP of butter. I use a metal measuring cup and melt the butter on a rack in the pre-heating oven, just don’t forget it’s in there.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Use either a food processor, a pastry blender, or two forks to cut the butter and coconut oil into the dry mixture. As soon as the mixture resembles crumbs, add the milk and stir until just combined. At this point the dough will be quite sticky, but should hold together.

Heavily flour the work surface and dump the dough from the bowl onto the flour. Flour your hands and pat the dough out into a rough square. Sprinkle the square with flour and fold the dough in half and then half again.

Turn the dough over and pat it out into a square again. Again, sprinkle it with flour, fold it in half, and then half again.

This process creates lots of layers in the dough, but we don’t want to over-work the flour.

Pat the dough out into a rough square until it’s about 3/4″ thick. Use a glass, biscuit or cookie cutter and cut the dough into 2 – 3″ circles. You should get 9 biscuits.

Buttered Biscuits in a Cake Pan

Pour the melted butter into a 9×9 square pan and tilt to evenly coat the bottom. One at a time place the biscuits into the pan and then flip the biscuit over so both sides are buttered. Your 9 biscuits will rise to fill the pan while baking.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully invert the pan to dump out the biscuits, I just put a cutting board on top of the pan and then flip to avoid dropping any.

Biscuits and Jam

Enjoy! Oh and added bonus? None of that filmy mouth feel you get with the canned kind.

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Whole Wheat Banana Oatmeal Pancake Recipe

February 16, 2010 By 12 Comments

Heather says:

Laissez les bons temps rouler! It’s Fat Tuesday if you’re anywhere near New Orleans; if like the rest of the country you’re stuck with a more mundane celebration, you may know today as Shrove Tuesday or even as Pancake Day.

Today we’re celebrating with this recipe for banana oatmeal pancakes.

If you’re from a long line of  Wonderbread fans, this recipe may not be your cup of tea. However, if you like the nutty flavor of whole grain breads these pancakes are a hearty counterpoint to sweet maple syrup. At first it seems as though there are a lot of steps, but they come together almost as quickly as my buttermilk pancakes and a little faster than my apple cider pancakes. I’d like to thank Stacy for sharing the recipe she found in Clean Eating Magazine.

Here’s the printable shopping list.

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Banana Oatmeal Pancake Recipe Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites
  • 4 medium bananas
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 + 1/4 cup rolled oats, divided
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder

Banana Oatmeal Pancake Recipe Instructions

Oat flour from rolled oatsUse a food processor or blender to grind 1 cup of rolled oats into a coarse flour. Place the oat flour, 1/4 cup reserved rolled oats, 1/2 cup wheat flour, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and 2 tsp baking powder into a mixing bowl.
Begin heating the griddle to medium heat.
Use a mixer to beat the egg whites until the reach the soft peak stage.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, this means when the beater is pulled from the foam peaks form, but they droop instead of keeping their shape. If they keep their shape, this would be the stiff peak stage. If you have a stand mixer this can take a moment, so feel free to proceed with the next step.
Use a food processor, blender, or immersion blender to puree the bananas with the milk and vanilla.
Fold the banana puree into the dry mixture. Stir just until mixed, it’s important to not over-mix, the baking powder reaction needs to be as undisturbed as possible to keep the pancakes from being too dense.
Once the soft peaks have formed, it is time to fold the egg whites into the batter. Work quickly, but gently. If too many of the air bubbles are popped, the pancakes will not have much loft.
Spoon the batter by 1/4 cupfuls  on the griddle, which should be set to medium heat.
Cook until each side is light brown, turning once.
Serve hot with syrup, jam, or peanut butter.
Yield: 15 pancakes
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