I've posted this before. (See Breakfast-When you need it now.) But Now I'm giving it it's own separate entry and title so you can find it easier. Enjoy.
1 cup whole oats-hulled
1 cup whole barley-hulled
1/2 cup millet
5-6-7 cups of water
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup dried fruit (Raisins, apples, cranberries, prunes, apricots, etc.)
Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low. feeds 4-5 hungry people. To keep the outside from getting crunchy you can put a bowl with the combined ingredients in it inside the crock pot. Fill the crock pot itself with water that goes about halfway up the outside of the bowl.
Turn on the crock pot just before you go to bed, and turn it off as soon as you wake up. Serve with milk or cream or yogurt, maple syrup, fresh berries, my husband likes to add brown sugar; whatever you like. The longer you sleep, the more water you need to add so it doesn't burn or dry out. Also, if you have leftovers, take them out of the crock pot right away and put them in something else so that they don't dry out from the residual heat.
It's great having breakfast ready when you get out of bed, and it smells good too.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Here's some reading material
I found this article the other day while browsing around. It's an interesting read.
From Lab to Lunch: Chemicals they call food.
As I've been saying... ahem... not everything you can eat deserves the name food. Click over to find out why.
From Lab to Lunch: Chemicals they call food.
As I've been saying... ahem... not everything you can eat deserves the name food. Click over to find out why.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Lentil Shepherd's Pie
This is one of my family's favorite dishes. It's frugal, tasty, healthy, and really easy to make.
You can easily adapt it for vegetarian diets by using vegetable bouillon instead of chicken and you can make it vegan if you skip the goat cheese and substitute margarine for butter in the potatoes.
Ingredients:
Topping
4-5 large potatoes
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2-1/2 cup goat cheese (Optional)
salt
pepper
chicken broth to thin as needed.
Filling:
2 cups lentils (regular brown will do fine but I like to use french green lentils when I can find them.)
1 medium sized onion-diced or purreed
1 tbsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp chicken bouillon or 1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano/thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp madras curry powder (optional)
salt and pepper to taste.
1 tbsp cornstarch
Wash and rinse the lentils. Soak them in a pot for about half an hour in at least 4 cups of cold water before cooking them. (This helps them to "wake up" and get ready to srpout which starts to change carbs to protein and reduces enzyme inhibitors that make digestion difficult.)
Change water and bring water with lentils in it to a boil on the stove top. Turn down to simmer and cook until lentil are soft. Drain and set aside.
While the lentils are soaking and cooking, wash and dice potatoes. (I don't peel them because I like peels in my mashed potatoes and the peels are where all the minerals are. But I do chop them smaller before cooking so the peels are smaller.)
Place potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water and cook until they break apart when pierced with a fork. Drain water immediately and add the garlic, butter, goat cheese (Cheapest at Trader Joe's) and salt and pepper. Mash together. If the potatoes are too thick for you add chicken broth a little at a time until they are smooth. Set aside.
Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds and then add the cooked lentils. Add bouillon and little bits of water, enough to form a gravy. Add spices and taste often until you are happy with the flavor.
Put the cornstarch in a cup and stir in 1/4 cup of cold water until combined. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the lentils mixture, stirring quickly to avoid lumps. Once it is all combine cook at medium heat for about one minute until it thickens.
Place lentil mixture in a pie pan or baking dish. Carefully spread the mashed potatoes on top, leaving a hole in the center for venting. Use a fork to smooth the potatoes out and then dot with butter and place in the oven at 350. Bake until the potatoes form a golden crust on the top and then serve immediately.
The lentils taste really hearty and savory and the creamy potatoes with the goat cheese go with it perfectly. It will be hard to only have one helping.
Serving suggestions:
Serve with a mixed green salad and balsamic vinaigrette.
Variations:
Add mixed chopped vegetables to the lentil filling before baking.
You can easily adapt it for vegetarian diets by using vegetable bouillon instead of chicken and you can make it vegan if you skip the goat cheese and substitute margarine for butter in the potatoes.
Ingredients:
Topping
4-5 large potatoes
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2-1/2 cup goat cheese (Optional)
salt
pepper
chicken broth to thin as needed.
Filling:
2 cups lentils (regular brown will do fine but I like to use french green lentils when I can find them.)
1 medium sized onion-diced or purreed
1 tbsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp chicken bouillon or 1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano/thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp madras curry powder (optional)
salt and pepper to taste.
1 tbsp cornstarch
Wash and rinse the lentils. Soak them in a pot for about half an hour in at least 4 cups of cold water before cooking them. (This helps them to "wake up" and get ready to srpout which starts to change carbs to protein and reduces enzyme inhibitors that make digestion difficult.)
Change water and bring water with lentils in it to a boil on the stove top. Turn down to simmer and cook until lentil are soft. Drain and set aside.
While the lentils are soaking and cooking, wash and dice potatoes. (I don't peel them because I like peels in my mashed potatoes and the peels are where all the minerals are. But I do chop them smaller before cooking so the peels are smaller.)
Place potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water and cook until they break apart when pierced with a fork. Drain water immediately and add the garlic, butter, goat cheese (Cheapest at Trader Joe's) and salt and pepper. Mash together. If the potatoes are too thick for you add chicken broth a little at a time until they are smooth. Set aside.
Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds and then add the cooked lentils. Add bouillon and little bits of water, enough to form a gravy. Add spices and taste often until you are happy with the flavor.
Put the cornstarch in a cup and stir in 1/4 cup of cold water until combined. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the lentils mixture, stirring quickly to avoid lumps. Once it is all combine cook at medium heat for about one minute until it thickens.
Place lentil mixture in a pie pan or baking dish. Carefully spread the mashed potatoes on top, leaving a hole in the center for venting. Use a fork to smooth the potatoes out and then dot with butter and place in the oven at 350. Bake until the potatoes form a golden crust on the top and then serve immediately.
The lentils taste really hearty and savory and the creamy potatoes with the goat cheese go with it perfectly. It will be hard to only have one helping.
Serving suggestions:
Serve with a mixed green salad and balsamic vinaigrette.
Variations:
Add mixed chopped vegetables to the lentil filling before baking.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Saint Patrick's Day Green Mashed Potatoes
Here's a fun idea to serve with dinner for St. Patricks day tonight. As much fun as green beer and cupcakes can be, this way of turning your meal green using parsley actually adds more nutrients to the dish, rather than taking any away. Parsley is a very nutrient dense food, high in anti-oxidants.
Start with 6-8 medium sized potatoes. You can use any kind but I prefer red potatoes because I don't peel my potatoes and the red skins are usually less tough. (There are a lot of nutrients in the skin, vitamin C, folic Acid, minerals, and I like to keep those in the food instead of taking them out.)
Sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil (Extra virgin-it's green :)
6-8 cloves of garlic-minced
4-5 tbsp butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk (You can substitute broth for milk with nice results, but it's a little less creamy.)
one thick bunch of parsley
Fresh ground pepper
Goat cheese or cream cheese-Optional and more fatty, but very delicious. The goat cheese adds a nice sharp flavor and protein.
Dice the potatoes. I like to make the pieces pretty small so that the peel is cut up more and there aren't any big chunks in the mashed potatoes.
Place the diced potatoes in a pot and add cold water until it covers the potatoes. Add a generous splash of sea salt. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are soft through and break apart when you stick a fork in them.
Remove them from heat and drain the water. You can save this salty potato water for use in soups and breads, it's full of minerals. Put the butter in the drained potatoes so it melts right away. (If you are using cheese now is the time to add it too.)
While the potatoes are cooking, in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium low heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil. Be careful not to burn. Stop as soon as the garlic starts to give off a nutty aroma.
Wash the parsley. Coarsely chop the parsley, stems and all.
Place the parsley, olive oil and garlic mixture, and 1/4 cup of milk in a blender or food processor. Blend until the parsley is very small and the mixture is smooth.
Mash potatoes. If you are doing it by hand, mash them and then stir in the parsley and garlic mixture. If they need more liquid add more milk or broth. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Your potatoes will turn out green.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day
Start with 6-8 medium sized potatoes. You can use any kind but I prefer red potatoes because I don't peel my potatoes and the red skins are usually less tough. (There are a lot of nutrients in the skin, vitamin C, folic Acid, minerals, and I like to keep those in the food instead of taking them out.)
Sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil (Extra virgin-it's green :)
6-8 cloves of garlic-minced
4-5 tbsp butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk (You can substitute broth for milk with nice results, but it's a little less creamy.)
one thick bunch of parsley
Fresh ground pepper
Goat cheese or cream cheese-Optional and more fatty, but very delicious. The goat cheese adds a nice sharp flavor and protein.
Dice the potatoes. I like to make the pieces pretty small so that the peel is cut up more and there aren't any big chunks in the mashed potatoes.
Place the diced potatoes in a pot and add cold water until it covers the potatoes. Add a generous splash of sea salt. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are soft through and break apart when you stick a fork in them.
Remove them from heat and drain the water. You can save this salty potato water for use in soups and breads, it's full of minerals. Put the butter in the drained potatoes so it melts right away. (If you are using cheese now is the time to add it too.)
While the potatoes are cooking, in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium low heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil. Be careful not to burn. Stop as soon as the garlic starts to give off a nutty aroma.
Wash the parsley. Coarsely chop the parsley, stems and all.
Place the parsley, olive oil and garlic mixture, and 1/4 cup of milk in a blender or food processor. Blend until the parsley is very small and the mixture is smooth.
Mash potatoes. If you are doing it by hand, mash them and then stir in the parsley and garlic mixture. If they need more liquid add more milk or broth. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Your potatoes will turn out green.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day
Thursday, March 13, 2008
home made iced coffee, save money and use leftovers
Every morning my husband wakes up, fills the french press with coffee and boils the water. He fills his travel mug and leaves for work leaving behind almost exactly one more cup of coffee. I don't drink coffee, can't stand the stuff. My husband won't reheat old coffee. So every day I was pouring money down the sink in the form of this wasted cup of coffee. Granted it is still cheaper than a trip to Starbucks every morning, but still. Waste not want not is a motto I was raised on. I started to freeze the stuff, thinking I'd find a use for it eventually, and then, I had a big duh moment.
My husband also likes the iced coffees that Starbucks offers, with the names like frappacino, for $2.50 a bottle. So one day I poured the leftover coffee into a jar. I used a salsa jar, you could use a recycled frappacino bottle from Starbucks. I added sugar (Organic evaporated cane juice actually) , I added cream. I put the lid on and shook it all together before putting it in the fridge. Then I slipped it into his lunch box the next day.
The result?
He tells me it tastes good. Almost exactly like the store bought version in fact. He's been taking it every day since and has been enjoying an iced coffee at lunch out of what was essentially waste before.
My husband also likes the iced coffees that Starbucks offers, with the names like frappacino, for $2.50 a bottle. So one day I poured the leftover coffee into a jar. I used a salsa jar, you could use a recycled frappacino bottle from Starbucks. I added sugar (Organic evaporated cane juice actually) , I added cream. I put the lid on and shook it all together before putting it in the fridge. Then I slipped it into his lunch box the next day.
The result?
He tells me it tastes good. Almost exactly like the store bought version in fact. He's been taking it every day since and has been enjoying an iced coffee at lunch out of what was essentially waste before.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Easy Valentine's Treats
Here's a quick and simple Valentine's day gift, and project with the kids.
Target has heart shaped ice cube trays on sale this month 3 for $1.
You can use any size ice cube tray container that has a pretty or interesting shape. The flexible trays are much easier to extract the finished chocolates from.
Take whatever chocolate you have on hand. Melt it in a double boiler. The key here is to not let the chocolate get too hot or it will become grainy. Keep it just warm enough to melt but no warmer. (If you don't have a double boiler, a metal or glass bowl set in a pot of water above a burner will work just as well.)
I am using 72% dark Belgian chocolate from Trader Joe's, approx $3/pound.
Chocolate chips would work too. This is by no means gourmet, but it's fun and tasty. I'd show you pictures but my battery died during this project so you'll have to use your imagination.
Spray your molds with a light cooking spray so the formed chocolates come out.
Here is where it gets fun. You can do whatever you like with this chocolate. You can add salt free butter and cream to make a ganache, which is softer. You can add flavors; peppermint extract, cinnamon, chai liqueur, Irish cream. The cheaper the chocolate, the funner it is to play with the flavors. Or, you can just melt the chocolate and use it plain.
Then, simply pour the melted chocolate mixture into the molds. Cool and pop out. Wrap individually in cellophane, you can put them in the tiny muffin cups for color, and tie with a ribbon and you have a lot of fun Valentine's to give away.
Fancy tips and tricks
First paint the inside of the molds with melted chocolate using a pastry brush or clean paint brush. Allow to cool.
Next fill the inside of the mold. I like to do a dark chocolate shell with a milk chocolate center. You can also use peanut butter (I would sweeten it if it's unsweetened), macadamia nut and cashew butter, whole nuts, white chocolate, strawberry preserves, or cream filling.
Cream filling is simple to make. Start with a few drops of your favorite flavoring in a bowl. Stir in powdered sugar until the desired thickness. The end, unless you want to add color.
I'm using the leftover cream cheese frosting from my birthday cake for filling some of them.
Once the chocolates are filled, put in the freezer so the centers get firm and then pour a final coat of melted chocolate over the outside to seal it.
Let set and then pop out of the molds.
I you want to get fancy you can do things like paint a picture in one color chocolate on the inside of the mold and then it will show when you pour a contrasting color in over top.
The easiest way to get fancy is to use regular chocolate and white chocolate pour the dark chocolate in first. Then add a dollop of white. With a toothpick quickly swirl, just once, inside the mold and then put it in the freezer. You'll have pretty swirls in the finished product. Don't over stir.
Finally, if using a paint brush seems like too much work for you, you can just make layers. Pour in a bit of chocolate, let set. Pour in a different flavor of chocolate, like milk chocolate, let set. Pour in a third layer of the first chocolate. You get it. It's simple but it impresses your kids.
Updated to add:
Hazelnut, how could I forget the magic of hazelnut spread. It make s great filling and you can even put it in and stuff a real hazelnut in the center for a truly gourmet effect.
Have fun.
Happy Valentine's Day
Target has heart shaped ice cube trays on sale this month 3 for $1.
You can use any size ice cube tray container that has a pretty or interesting shape. The flexible trays are much easier to extract the finished chocolates from.
Take whatever chocolate you have on hand. Melt it in a double boiler. The key here is to not let the chocolate get too hot or it will become grainy. Keep it just warm enough to melt but no warmer. (If you don't have a double boiler, a metal or glass bowl set in a pot of water above a burner will work just as well.)
I am using 72% dark Belgian chocolate from Trader Joe's, approx $3/pound.
Chocolate chips would work too. This is by no means gourmet, but it's fun and tasty. I'd show you pictures but my battery died during this project so you'll have to use your imagination.
Spray your molds with a light cooking spray so the formed chocolates come out.
Here is where it gets fun. You can do whatever you like with this chocolate. You can add salt free butter and cream to make a ganache, which is softer. You can add flavors; peppermint extract, cinnamon, chai liqueur, Irish cream. The cheaper the chocolate, the funner it is to play with the flavors. Or, you can just melt the chocolate and use it plain.
Then, simply pour the melted chocolate mixture into the molds. Cool and pop out. Wrap individually in cellophane, you can put them in the tiny muffin cups for color, and tie with a ribbon and you have a lot of fun Valentine's to give away.
Fancy tips and tricks
First paint the inside of the molds with melted chocolate using a pastry brush or clean paint brush. Allow to cool.
Next fill the inside of the mold. I like to do a dark chocolate shell with a milk chocolate center. You can also use peanut butter (I would sweeten it if it's unsweetened), macadamia nut and cashew butter, whole nuts, white chocolate, strawberry preserves, or cream filling.
Cream filling is simple to make. Start with a few drops of your favorite flavoring in a bowl. Stir in powdered sugar until the desired thickness. The end, unless you want to add color.
I'm using the leftover cream cheese frosting from my birthday cake for filling some of them.
Once the chocolates are filled, put in the freezer so the centers get firm and then pour a final coat of melted chocolate over the outside to seal it.
Let set and then pop out of the molds.
I you want to get fancy you can do things like paint a picture in one color chocolate on the inside of the mold and then it will show when you pour a contrasting color in over top.
The easiest way to get fancy is to use regular chocolate and white chocolate pour the dark chocolate in first. Then add a dollop of white. With a toothpick quickly swirl, just once, inside the mold and then put it in the freezer. You'll have pretty swirls in the finished product. Don't over stir.
Finally, if using a paint brush seems like too much work for you, you can just make layers. Pour in a bit of chocolate, let set. Pour in a different flavor of chocolate, like milk chocolate, let set. Pour in a third layer of the first chocolate. You get it. It's simple but it impresses your kids.
Updated to add:
Hazelnut, how could I forget the magic of hazelnut spread. It make s great filling and you can even put it in and stuff a real hazelnut in the center for a truly gourmet effect.
Have fun.
Happy Valentine's Day
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
What, You're hungry again???!
You know that feeling? The one you get when you are just thinking that maybe you'll have a minute to yourself after a long day of work, tending children, or both and you suddenly realize that people are hungry, yourself included, but didn't you just make lunch? Didn't we already deal with food today? Why do you have to be hungry again?
I sometimes feel this way about this blog. I love to write about food. I like to cook. But often I realize that it's way past time to post again and I'm still feeling like I just did that already, even if it's been several weeks. Sigh.
Well I don't know what's for dinner kids, sorry. I've been a bit swamped lately.
How about I send you over to someone else for a few meals? I just found The Cleaner Plate Club, and wow I like what I'm reading so far. So go over and take a gander. I'll be back soon.
*Thanks to mir for the link
I sometimes feel this way about this blog. I love to write about food. I like to cook. But often I realize that it's way past time to post again and I'm still feeling like I just did that already, even if it's been several weeks. Sigh.
Well I don't know what's for dinner kids, sorry. I've been a bit swamped lately.
How about I send you over to someone else for a few meals? I just found The Cleaner Plate Club, and wow I like what I'm reading so far. So go over and take a gander. I'll be back soon.
*Thanks to mir for the link
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