3-Grain Breakfast Porridge with Fruit and Walnuts

Props to theKitchn for putting this next recipe online, so someone could pin this recipe so I could then admire and pin the recipe and then make it not once, but twice!!  The original recipe from theKitchn is made with blueberries and hazlenuts and was intriguing to me for so many reasons.  Keep reading to find out why I plan on making this breakfast porridge time and time again in our house (and to get the recipe)!
Reasons why you should try this recipe and then keep it around your house for years to come:
1. Delicious, obviously.
2. An unexpected twist to breakfast, and yes, sometimes I think it is nice to switch up the routine.
3. Makes mornings easier.  Don't get me wrong, I love taking my time in the morning, having a cup of coffee with my husband while we eat breakfast and peruse the offerings of the interwebs BUT this porridge is a healthy meal you can eat at home or on the run.  Don't let the "serve cold" part throw you...The Kitchn wasn't lying to me when it stated to eat this cold and allow time for all the flavors to come together as it chills in the fridge overnight.  These people definitely know what they are talking about!
4. You can switch it up!! The first time I made this I used blueberries, the second time I used peaches and both tasted amazing!!  Other than the melon family and vegetable fruits,  I can't think of many fruits that wouldn't work in this grain salad, so you can mix it up to use what is in season or on sale at the store.
5. Healthy, healthy, healthy.  Let me tell you, nothing wakes you up to what you are putting in your cake hole than taking a nutrition class.  When you learn all about fiber, and fats, and protein, and high fructose corn syrup, and ulcers and every bodily function you can imagine, you start paying a bit more attention to what you eat.  I have always considered myself a healthy eater, but now I find myself examining nutrition labels and trying to increase and decrease certain aspects of my diet.  Which is why I decided to make this breakfast porridge over the weekend for the second time.  Check out all the health in this breakfast:

• Quinoa, Steel Cut Oats and Millet - these are so high in fiber, and low in cholesterol and fat.  They are good sources of protein, good sources of iron, they make you feel full, they give you energy and they are rich in nutrients as well.  Yes please!!  (Plus, these are less processed then some other grains such as quick cooking oatmeal).
• Fruit is good for you
• Greek Yogurt - low in calories and a good source of calcium, and also provides protein.  I stick with non-fat plain Greek yogurt cause fat content can definitely get high here
• Maple Syrup - I pretend this ingredient disappears into the goodness of the other ingredients, so no sweat....this provides deliciousness!!
• Ginger - aids in digestion and also a good source of minerals
• Lemon - aids in digestion and is also high in fiber
• Walnuts - since these are one of my few sources of omega-3 fatty acids, sign me up!  Plus, even though they are high in fat...it's the good kind!  You could also get away with adding some ground flaxseed to increase the omega-3 fatty acids in this dish.  I learned yesterday that although fish are the first source, flaxseed is the next best source of omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids are an area where most American's are deficient in their diet.  Let me know if you want to hear more about why these are so good for you and I can regurgitate information from my class!

Hopefully in my brief and unprofessional analysis of the ingredients in this recipe, I have convinced you this recipe is worth it.  I have made the full recipe and I have halved the recipe and both ways work well.  The full recipe makes a SIGNIFICANT amount, so if you are making this for one person I suggest halving it to make sure it won't go bad.  Half is also good for two people for two to three days.  For some perspective, the full recipe lasted my husband and I about five days and the half recipe was enough for each of us to have two bowls.

Ingredients:

• 3 T olive oil, divided
• 1 C steel cut oats
• 1 C quinoa
• 1/2 C hulled millet  *Note - on all of these grains you can make substitutions.  The first time I used rolled oats because I only had 1/2 of the suggested amount of steel cut oats and I used puffed millet (Kashi 7 grain cereal) instead of the hulled millet.  It was still delicious both ways.
• 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled, cut into large discs (you need to fish them out of the grains later)
• Lemon juice (the original recipe calls for lemon zest and juice, but I have never put forth that much effort and it still tastes delicious)
• 4 1/2 C water
• 1/2 C maple syrup
• 1 C non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 1 C blueberries or peaches or fruit of your choice (I think berries would work best overall)
• Walnuts or favorite nut for topping

Directions:

1. Heat 1 T of the olive oil in a medium/large saucepan over medium-high heat
2. Add grains to the olive oil and heat for 2-3 minutes.  They will smell nice and toasty (but don't let 'em burn!)
3. Once grains are slightly toasted, add 4.5 C water, ginger discs, and a healthy squirt of lemon juice - roughly 2 tablespoons (kinda guessing here)
4. Bring this mixture to a boil, cover, turn heat to a simmer and cook on low for 20 minutes
5. Transfer the grains to a large bowl. At this point, remove the large pieces of ginger (these are kinda spicy if you leave them in and may be unpleasant to bite into at breakfast time).  The first time I made this I minced the ginger a bit small and it tasted okay but was much gingery-er.  Once in the bowl, allow the grains time to cool.  I usually get impatient and only let them get to warm before continuing and it hasn't hurt anyone
6. While the grains are cooling, mix the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil, another tablespoon or so of lemon juice and whisk until this gets bubbly.  Then add in your Greek yogurt, maple syrup and nutmeg and stir this creamy mixture together.
7. Once your grains have cooled, pour the yogurt mixture into the grains and mix together
8. Mix in your fruit of choice
9. Put in the fridge and allow to cool overnight for your enjoyment in the morning, or for lunch or dinner.  To each his own!
10. Eat cold (I promise it is good)!!!  When you dish yourself a bowl, top the grains with walnuts or the nut of your choice...trust me, this is key.  The original recipe mixes them in at the beginning with everything else (and also toasts the nuts) but I chose to skip the toasting and add them each time I had breakfast so they didn't get soggy.

Give this one a try.  You won't regret it!!!

Bon Appetit!

Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Bites dipped in Chocolate

I just put these in the freezer but I am so excited about them I had to start writing this post immediately.  I am hoping these one bite desserts will be the perfect way to satiate my palate after dinner.  As long as you can limit yourself to one or two you don't have the guilt of a full dessert!
This was one of the first recipes I "pinned" and I am finally getting around to trying them.  Thank goodness for finding these treats on Nom Nom Nom Blog!

Everyone knows that peanut butter and bananas, and peanut butter and chocolate are heavenly combinations and banana and chocolate isn't so bad itself, so the three of these combined in one little frozen bite of goodness has got to be just about the next best thing to sliced bread.  Forget that, they are definitely better than sliced bread (and you all know I highly respect and love bread)!

These were so easy to throw together.  A little time consuming to get them dipped in chocolate, and then of course the wait time to allow them to freeze...it's almost more than my self control can handle, but truly these are not rocket science and are so delicious.
YUMMY!

Frozen Peanut Butter Bites Dipped in Chocolate
Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas (spotted with brown but not banana bread ripe)
• Your favorite peanut butter
• 1/2 C chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
• 2T milk

Directions:

1. Cover a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.

2. Slice each banana into even slices, about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch and place on a plate.

3. Using a knife, spread peanut butter over the top of each banana slice so the whole top of the slice is covered.

4. Mix the chocolate chips and milk in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 15 second increments, stirring after every 15 seconds until the chocolate is melted and the consistency is smooth.  You don't want this to be super thick (like a frosting) but you don't want chocolate milk either.  The chocolate will begin to set as it cools, but adjust the chocolate chip and milk ratio as you heat and melt the chocolate until it seems like a good consistency for dipping.

 5. Dip each slice of banana into the melted chocolate peanut butter side up.  I used a fork to transfer from the plate to the melted chocolate, used a spoon to help cover the slice, and then switched back to the fork to move the slice from the bowl to the cookie sheet. The fork was nice because the extra chocolate could drip back into the bowl rather than having all the excess chocolate on the cookie sheet if you were to use the spoon.  Do whatever is easiest for you.

6. Once all slices are dipped and on the cookie sheet, transfer to the freezer and leave there until each slice is fully frozen.  The timing will vary based on many factors, so just keep checking.  Two to three hours is probably the fastest they will freeze.  Remove tray from freezer, place slices into a airtight container, pop one or two in your mouth and freeze the rest until you want one!

    

I know I will make these again and there are two things I will try.  First, I need to put slightly more peanut butter on each slice and second, I will try to have cleaner "dips."  My chocolate took FOREVER to freeze completely and I think that may have been my issue.  Even though the chocolate is still a little messy, these gems are going to be made many a times in the future of our residence.

Bon Appetit!

Ham and Peach Panini

This delight comes from Southern Living Magazine.  With peaches at their prime, the magazine had a section with all sorts of ideas for peaches, everything from desserts to drinks to dinners.  My friend Amy and I were so excited about the peach recipes, we took it from my Mom and took pictures of the recipes we wanted to make for the week.  This, of course, was after we made peach mojitos to enjoy with our hubbys. 

This panini made me realize two things.
1. I need to use my panini press grill/griddle more often.  What a delightful kitchen tool!

Photo from mamliga.com

2. More importantly, I desperately wish peach season was forever and ever....even through the winter.  If I had the room, I would dedicate a separate freezer solely to storing peaches to enjoy year round.  Alas, I do not have said freezer, so I suppose I will eat as many peaches as possible during the short time they are in season each year.  Mmmmm mmmm mmmmm.

On the contrary, my current freezer is loaded with tupperware after tupperware of not peaches, but ham.  My husband and I made a ham a while back for lunch meat, and since there are only two of us and I don't eat sandwiches for lunch all the time, we have lots of ham that still needs consuming.  You can't even imagine my excitement when I saw this recipe for Ham and Peach Paninis. 

The flavors are delciously balanced between the sweetness of the peaches, the saltiness of the ham, and the sharp and tangy taste of the mustard.  It is a treat and one was filling enough for dinner.  Definitely worth the try....and so easy to assemble!!


Ham and Peach Panini
Ingredients:
Note - the amount of ingredients you use depends on how many sammy's you want to make.  Use your discretion about how much meat, cheese, mustard, etc. you want on your panini.  You know what you like!!

Photo from Southern Living Website

• Your favorite sandwich bread (ciabatta, crusty bread, something that holds together well)
• Honey Mustard (or Dijon Mustard*)
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (I would think provolone or mozzarella would also be good)
• Ham
• Peaches (2 peaches made 4 paninis)
• Butter (or olive oil)
  
•  *Honey - if using dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Assemble sandwich
2. Grill

Just kidding...

1. Spread mustard on both pieces of sliced bread you want to use on your panini.  If using dijon mustard, add honey at this point.
2. Sprinkle fresh cracked pepper over the mustard.
3. Place sliced cheese on one slice of bread and place ham on the other slice of bread.
4. Place peaches on one side of the sandwich and then press the two slices of bread together so all the wonderful fillings are nestled against one another (at this point, this resembles a sandwich).
5. Brush both sides of the panini with butter (or olive oil).
6. If using a panini press, place sandwich between press and grill until golden brown on both sides and cheese melty.  If using a pan, heat the pan over medium heat and grill one side of the panini.  When that side is browned, flip it over and grill the other side.  Sometimes covering the pan with the lid helps the cheese to get nice and melted.
7. Consume and thank me later!!!!

Bon Appetit!

Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

We made it!  Mt. Yale - 14,199 feet

     Happy Labor Day everyone!!  I hope you all are enjoying the long weekend and the beautiful weather (hopefully where you live you have had beautiful weather).  It has been a beautiful weekend full of fun, family, friends, and of course food!  One highlight of my weekend was climbing Mt. Yale with the greatest, most entertaining group of friends one could ask for.  Not only was it a beautiful and inspiring hike BUT we also indulged in some delicious sandwiches at the summit, hence the inspiration for this post.  Let me tell you, food (and beer) just tastes better on top of a mountain.  Cheers!

     As I believe I have mentioned previously, my goal this fall is to go without buying bread. This means a lot of experimenting, particularly in order to make sandwich bread!!  This Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread is a recipe I stumbled across on a blog called High Altitude Bakes.  I halved the recipe and made some very minor changes, and it turned out delicious.

     The next time I make this particular recipe I may try to allow for longer rises (and potentially three rises instead of two).  The longer rise, particularly once the dough is in the loaf pan, will not only make for a richer, yeastier, breadier flavor but it will also make for larger sandwiches!  The texture of the grain was great for sandwiches and it held together nicely; however, the slice was about 2/3 the size of what I think of as a good size sammy.  My resulting loaf may have been more compact than the recipe I followed because I live at about 5,200 feet, and the recipe comes from someone living closer to 8,500 feet or so.  The difference in air pressure can make a big difference in the way the dough rises!

Enough rambling.

Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Yields 1 Loaf (or 2 if you double ingredients)

Ingredients:

• 1 C warm water 
• 1/2 T yeast
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/6 C honey
• 1/6 C canola oil
• 1 1/2 C bread flour
• 2 C whole wheat flour
• 2 T vital wheat gluten

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water for 5 minutes, or until it becomes foamy.
2. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients in a stand mixer.  Add dissolved yeast and mix on low speed with the dough hook attachment until a ball forms.  *At this point, the dough should feel damp, but shouldn't be extremely sticky.*
3. Knead dough by hand for additional minute to form into a ball.
4. Place dough ball in medium, oiled bowl and cover with saran wrap.
5. Allow time for dough to rise and double in size - about one hour.  *This time will vary depending on altitude.  Shorter time for higher altitudes and longer for lower altitudes.  Use your best judgement!*
6. Punch dough down and knead briefly, only about one minute. Place in an oiled loaf pan, pushing the dough to the sides of the pan so it covers the bottom and cover with plastic wrap.  *At this point, my dough was feeling airy, easy to work with, slightly moist, but not wet, and not very sticky (if at all).  The dough has also gathered some of the oil from the bowl which helps with the stickiness factor.*
7. Once dough is covered in loaf pan, allow time to rise.  I allowed 34 minutes until the dough was just under the rim of the bread pan. The last 9 minutes of the 34 minutes, the bread was uncovered.  The next time around, I will probably have it rise slightly longer.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
9. Remove saran wrap from loaf pan, if you haven't already, and bake for 20-30 minutes.  I baked this loaf for 23 minutes.  A finished loaf will be browned on top and will sound hollow when you knock on the top.  Try to do so without burning your hand!
10. Cool on a wire rack - or cut off a small piece to have warm with a little butter and some honey!

The texture of the bread had a nice medium and fluffy grain, and the crust was firm but not too too toothy.  The wheat and honey flavors were subtle but delicious, and the bread stays together nicely which is perfect for sammys!  ...and we take sandwiches quite seriously in this household!

Don't be afraid of making sandwich bread.  Give it a try!  I promise you will be happy!

Bon Appetit!!