Raspberry Oatmeal

I'm always surprised at the posts that prove to be the most popular. My popularity scale is based mainly around comments and "likes" on Facebook (not exactly scientific, I admit), but that's all I have to go on.


The last surprisingly popular post was my Peanut Butter Oatmeal. Who would've thought that a humble bowl of oatmeal would inspire commentary - and several fans to try it themselves at home! I was, frankly, flattered that so many friends wanted to make my version of oatmeal for breakfast. So, in the spirit of democracy, I present to you Oatmeal Part Deux: Ridiculously Raspberry. Back and berrier than ever!


And speaking of being, ahem, back, you may (or may not) have been wondering about my recent absence. That, my friends, is called the 80-hour work week. While it only comes around every once in awhile, it's always a doozy. Now that the back-to-back 16-hour days fueled with Thai takeout and cans of Diet Coke salvaged (stolen) from conference rooms are behind me, I'm back in the kitchen trying to get my nutrition - and blog! - back on track.


So thanks for bearing with me, and thanks for being as passionate about oatmeal as I am! This simple, yet defiantly magenta, oatmeal was borne - as many of my dishes are - from the need to clean out the fridge and save innocent produce from meeting its maker in the trash bin. Rather than let that half pint of berries go to waste - and bored with putting berries merely on top of things - I dumped them into the oatmeal as it was cooking, and they just melted right in. I had to take a photo of the gorgeous bright pink concoction my aversion to waste created! The taste was exactly as you'd imagine - really, really raspberry-y. It gave a hearty cold-weather breakfast a summery twist.


I hope this oatmeal post proves as irresistible as the first. Thanks, as always, for reading. Eat well and enjoy life!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup water
1/2 cup steel cut oats
pinch of salt
1-2 T. brown sugar
1 T. butter
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
cold milk (optional)

STEP 1:

Bring milk to a boil. Add salt and butter. Stir in oats and reduce heat to a simmer.

STEP 2:

Add sugar and raspberries. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until oats are tender and raspberries have dissolved into the oatmeal. Serve in a bowl topped with a little cold milk if you want. Enjoy!

Copycat Risotto and a Gorgeous Disaster

Has anyone else been following Project Runway like a hawk tracking its prey through an open field?


Remember a couple episodes back where Mean-a Irina accuses Althea on the runway of copying her Aspen look, and Althea claimed her voluminous sweater was based on her own original sketch all along? This was a classic case of who-thought-of-it-first. This kind of stuff happens all the time among creatives working closely with one another (it happens to me in my job, like, every day). You see striking similarities between your work and someone else's, and no one can quite figure out whose idea was the original one.


That same phenomenon happened in my kitchen the other night. I was thinking over the ingredients I had - collard greens, arborio rice, butternut squash, bacon - and it occurred to me that a Butternut Squash, Collard Green and Bacon Risotto would be lovely. Later, I was perusing NewYorkTimes.com, one of my daily staples. I was looking through the recent recipe archives when I came across - you guessed it - Risotto with Butternut Squash, Bacon, and Collard Greens. Had I seen that recipe before, and had it lodged in my gray matter, only to resurface when the time was right? Admittedly, I made a dish very similar to this a couple weeks ago on a random night in with my friend Sarah, but this exact recipe - collard greens and all - well, I suddenly understood Mean-a Irina's irate runway reaction.

Regardless, this risotto is delish, be it hacked or not.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, BACON, & COLLARD GREENS RISOTTO

INGREDIENTS

1 smallish butternut squash, cut into smallish chunks
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
4 slices natural bacon, cut into small pieces
1 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
1/2 small onion
2 small shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 c. dry Arborio rice
1/2 c. white wine
zest of one lemon
1 container chicken broth (the box container)
2 bunches fresh collard greens, washed and sliced into ribbons
10-12 leaves fresh sage, chopped
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese for serving (freshly grated)

STEP 1:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the butternut squash chunks in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until soft and beginning to brown at the edges, about 30-40 minutes, stirring around a few times in the baking dish.


STEP 2:

In a large, deep pot, fry the bacon pieces until lightly browned. Remove from pot with slotted spoon and set aside. In another, smaller pot, heat the chicken broth, covered, over low heat. In yet another pot, boil some water and boil the collards in it for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.


STEP 3:

Drain almost all the grease from the pot, but do not wipe out (you want the brown bits on the bottom of the pan as well as a little grease). Add the olive oil and butter to this pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots and onion, seasoning with a little salt and pepper, until beginning to soften. Add the dry Arborio rice and stir. Pour in the wine, and stir, scraping the brown bacony leftovers from the bottom of the pan (trust me on this part). Add the garlic and lemon zest. Cook until the rice begins to look translucent.

STEP 4:

Add the chicken broth, about a 1/2 cup at a time, and stir constantly until the rice grains have almost completely soaked up the broth. Do this over and over until the broth is gone. Stir in the sage somewhere in the middle of the brothing action. About 5 minutes before you want to stop cooking the risotto (when there is still some broth to be soaked up), stir in the greens, squash, and bacon. Taste and adjust seasoning.



STEP 5:

Serve in shallow bowls immediately, and grate some fresh Parmesan over the top. Enjoy!


I'm sure it's no surprise to you that I don't post everything I cook on this blog. If that were the case, you could assume I only eat about once every week or so, and we all know that's not true. Sometimes, I intend on taking photos as I cook, then forget. Sometimes, I'm so hungry that slowing down to take a photo before I eat seems completely absurd. And sometimes, I just plain screw something up and decide not to tell anyone about it.


These pancakes, however, fall somewhere in a gray area - I did sort of screw them up (but I proceeded to eat them anyway). And despite the fact that they were oozingly raw in the center, they photographed beautifully. A second batch actually turned out OK, so I decided to post the recipe with the simple warning to not make the pancakes too thick when you put them in the pan. Unlike raw cookie dough, no one wants to eat raw pancake batter.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES


INGREDIENTS (not exact recipe I used, but a good recipe from Martha Stewart Living)

1 and 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder;
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg

STEP 1:

Mix together first 6 ingredients. Get a nonstick pan medium-hot.


STEP 2:

Mix the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Fold mixture into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in the skillet. Pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup. Makes 8 to 10.



Other than the raw first batch, these pancakes were a delicious fall indulgence, and so pumpkin-y! We all know at this point how I love a hot, hearty breakfast.

Thanks for reading! More soon...

Banana-and-PB-Stuffed French Toast

Have I ever shared how much I adore French toast?


Actually, I'm a francophile in many regards - I so dearly love their wine (Beaujolais being my favorite, and only available this very time of year!), their language (though I speak little - "J'adore les croissants avec poulet et Jean-Paul Gaultier!"), their fashion - oh, and did I mention their food? I spend about 92.8% of my time daydreaming about wandering through Le-Grande-Jatte-esque landscapes, picnicking with a baguette, some stinky cheese, and some red wine near a bridge, followed by a jaunt through the Louvre and maybe dinner in some obscure post-beatnik cafe--


--and then I remember I'm actually sitting in front of my iMac, thinking up banner ads. Sigh. Now might be a good time to mention two things: 1.) I've never actually been to France, and 2.) I'm not at all convinced that French toast bears any resemblance to anything the French actually eat for le petit dejeuner. That notwithstanding, my love for French toast (much like my love for the fried potatoes and the kisses for which they are so well-known) endures despite its dubious provenance.


Usually, I make it very simply: egg, milk, cinnamon, butter, maple syrup. Done. But, a few almost-too-ripe bananas weeping on my fruit tray and a new jar of homemade peach honey whispering from within the cupboard, I decided to make that IHOP-bastardization of French toast - Stuffed French Toast. Although this came out nicely and was a fantastic way to start a lazy weekend morning, I truly prefer French toast in its simplest form, but since this insisted on photographing well and being somewhat interesting, I decided to share it. So, thank you, France, for your toast! And thank you America, for your irrepressible spirit of excess!


PEANUT-BUTTER-AND-BANANA-STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

INGREDIENTS

4 thick slices bread (I used whole wheat)
a few spoonfuls natural (unsweetened) peanut butter
1-2 ripe bananas, sliced into rounds
drizzle of peach honey (or regular honey)
2 eggs
1 T. heavy cream (milk is fine, too)
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 T. butter
maple syrup for drizzling


STEP 1:

Beat the eggs, cream, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

STEP 2:

Spread 2 slices of bread with the peanut butter, then top with the banana slices. Drizzle honey over both. Top with the other pieces of bread, making two sandwiches.

STEP 3:

Melt the butter in the pan. Dredge each sandwich in the egg mixture, until coated. Fry on the first side until golden-brown. Flip and fry on the other side until golden-brown. Remove from heat, slice in half, drizzle with syrup, and serve. Enjoy!

By Popular Demand, Breakfast for Dinner: Rainbow Burritos!

Yes, Rainbow Burritos.

For two reasons: one, this baby was colorful. Two, I used rainbow chard...mmmm.


I get a gold star for eating seasonally for this post, too: rainbow chard, beans, and potatoes (and a yam is close to a potato, right) are all in season. And what's always in season? Breakfast burritos for dinner, my friends. Fluffy scrambled eggs snuggled up to beans in a warm tortilla...that can't be bad. And this burrito is delicious! And easy! And cost-effective! There's really no reason you shouldn't drop everything and make one immediately.

RAINBOW BREAKFAST BURRITOS

INGREDIENTS

1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 medium yam, diced
1 bunch rainbow chard, ends trimmed, cut into smallish pieces
dash cayenne pepper
a few dashes cumin
black beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
1 tsp. butter for cooking the eggs (or use nonstick pan spray)
2 eggs, scrambled (or you could use just one)
big handful chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1 burrito-sized whole wheat tortilla
light sour cream to serve on the side


STEP ONE:

Heat butter and olive oil in a medium skillet. Cook the yams, seasoning with salt, pepper, cayenne, and cumin, until browned on all sides and tender. Add the chard and cilantro and cook until wilted to your liking. (I just piled the chard right on top of the yams in the pan, and since it was still a little wet from rinsing it, some of the water got into the pan - I think this worked out well because it helped the yam pieces to steam a little bit, making them perfectly tender.)



STEP TWO:

Wrap the tortilla in a damp paper towel and place in the microwave for about 20 seconds to soften it. Then place on a plate. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another nonstick skillet. Beat the eggs in a bowl, then scramble them in the pan.

STEP THREE:

Place some of the yam-chard mixture, beans, then eggs in the tortilla. Roll up like a burrito, or, if your tortilla is too small or won't cooperate like mine was, just pile everything on and hope for the best. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh cilantro sprigs. Enjoy!



The only small snafu I had was that my eggs were a tad on the salty side. I think it would have been a more grievous error if the beans and chard hadn't really been salted at all. Next time I think I'll try this with one egg instead of two - unless of course I can find burrito-sized whole wheat tortillas. This would be great with a little you-know-what nestled in there (cheese, of course), although the sour cream was plenty rich.

Thanks, Tim, for your lovely BFD (breakfast for dinner) suggestion, and I promise to make more BFD meals in the future. Thanks for reading! More soon...

Chicken Salad and Granola: Cook Once, Eat All Week

I love Saturdays. Even rainy, cold, not-quite-Spring Saturdays. In fact, I might love those the most, because they're the perfect excuse to wander through Whole Foods, grazing on niblets of cheese and sipping on fair trade coffee, fantasizing about all the delicious foods I have all day to lovingly create.

And it's even better when those delicious things will guarantee tasty and healthy breakfasts and lunches on the dreary, tired workdays.

I've grown a little tired lately of deli meat, and have vowed to stop calling a Venti drip coffee "breakfast." A few indulgent hours in the kitchen, and I had crunchy, homemade granola to sprinkle over yogurt in the mornings, and creamy chicken salad to eat on whole wheat for lunches at work.

Thus, I bring you: HOMEMADE GRANOLA and CHICKEN SALAD WITH GREEN GRAPES & WALNUTS.

GRANOLA



2 c. dry oats
1 c. crushed flake cereal, such as Special K Protein
1/2 c. raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. dried cranberries
3 T. honey
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. vegetable oil
nonstick spray

Preheat oven to 325. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet that is well-coated with nonstick spray, and bake for 15-20 minutes, watching closely so that it doesn't burn. Cool, and store in an airtight container.




CHICKEN SALAD WITH GREEN GRAPES & WALNUTS



1 large or 2 small chicken breasts
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/3 c. organic mayo
1/3 c. 2% Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage)
handful large green grapes, quartered
1/3 c. walnuts, roughly chopped
handful fresh parsley, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper

STEP ONE:

In a shallow pan with a lid, cook the chicken breast in the chicken broth on medium-low heat, covered, until the chicken is cooked through (you're basically steaming the chicken). Save the broth for another use. Cool chicken on cutting board until it's cool enought to touch.



STEP TWO:

Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl (one with a matching lid works perfectly for storage later). When the chicken has cooled, chop into small dices. Mix into the sauce mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use.





This week, there will be no excuse for liquid-caffeine breakfasts and vending machine "lunches." Just fresh granola and yummy chicken salad!

Thanks for reading; more soon...

Pardon my French

Is there really anything more glorious than a croissant? I mean, really. What the French lack in warmth, they more than make up for in warm pastries, no?

But take a croissant, soak it in vanilla-infused cream and egg yolks, and well...God bless America.

My esteemed colleague (read: person at work I'd absolutely DIE without), Megan, and her wonderful bf Matt had Ross and myself over for a travelling Fearless brunch this past Sunday. We brought the break-feast, they made the Bloody Marys. (Waking up to liquor? Again, God bless this country.) It was hovering somewhere in the single digits temperature-wise, so a Bloody spiced with plenty of Frank's hot sauce paired with a creamy baked breakfast casserole was just what the weatherman ordered.

Want to see what it takes to go grocery shopping in near-zero temperatures? Behold:



Despite having to don our winter finery just to survive, picking up food for the brunch date was really fun. We stopped into an Austrian bakery close to our apartment to get the croissants, then headed next door to the amazing Sultan's Market for some delicious pitas and fresh hummus (not for brunch, but just to have on hand).

Read on to see how everything came together.

CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING, TART FRUIT SALAD, & BACON

INGREDIENTS

4 stale croissants
3 c. half and half
5 egg yolks and 3 whole eggs
zest of 1 orange
juice of 1/2 an orange
1 tsp. vanilla extract
handful golden raisins

2 nectarines
2 oranges
2 peaches
zest of one lemon
2-3 T. sugar
a few dashes balsamic vinegar

8 slices bacon

STEP ONE:

The night before (or a few hours before) you want to serve the fruit salad, cut the nectarines and peaches into cubes (leave the skin on). Put them in a bowl with a lid, and add the sugar, vinegar, and zest. Let them macerate for awhile, then taste it before you serve it and add a little more sugar if it's too tart. Add the orange pieces just before serving.








STEP TWO:

Cut croissants into large chunks. Place in a deep baking dish. In a large bowl, combine eggs and egg yolks, half and half, zest, and vanilla. Whisk until slightly thickened. Pour over the croissant pieces, smushing the bread down to soak in the custard mixture. Sprinkle the raisins on top, poking them down into the bread crevices so that they don't burn in the oven.










STEP THREE:

Preheat the oven to 375. Bake the bread pudding for 30-40 minutes, until set. Cut into six pieces.




STEP FOUR:

Cook the bacon. Serve with the bread pudding and fruit salad. (When serving the fruit salad, scoop it out with a slotted spoon to let the juices drain.)




Big ups, WhizBang!



A note on the Bloody Marys: Matt stopped into Pastoral, an amazing wine/cheese/deli/market specializing in fresh-from-the-farm products, to get some accoutrements: goat-cheese stuffed sweet peppers, olives, etc. (the peppers, I might add, were one of the most delicious things I've ever put in my mouth). The add-ons are waht really make a Bloody Mary great - that, and the tomato base. Matt and Megan used Zing-Zang, and it was really good. We even gilded the lily with some homemade pickles Megan had on hand.

JUDGES' VERDICTS:

Here's what Megan had to say: "Fabulous fruit salad - fresh, not mushy like they usually are. Also, no melon of any type which is great, melon always ruins fruit salad. Egg thing - delicious. Even tasted great the next day. Bacon - perfection. Appreciate Ross' tip about draining fat/oil halfway through the cooking.
Bloody Marys - God bless Pastoral."

I completely agree with Megan about melons ruining fruit salad! You'll never find a melon of any kind in a fruit salad I make.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: 7 stars. I think the croissant bread pudding (inspired by a Barefoot Contessa show I saw awhile back) was really good, although next time I'd probably add cinnamon or some other spicy element. The fruit salad was a nice, acidic complement to the richness of the bread pudding, but next time I would try to find riper fruit. The bacon, as always, was great (I put Ross in charge of all things bacon a few months ago, and it's been great ever since).

It was a great early afternoon with friends. Thanks to Megan and Matt for hosting, and for making such delicious drinks! Thanks for reading. More soon.

"Sunday, Bloody Sunday!"
-- Megan