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!

Classic Granola

Let's face it, store bought granola can be down right expensive and each box has about 1/4 the amount of a standard box of cereal.  Thanks to this delicious and easily customized recipe from my wonderful friend Margaret and a need to save some money with my husband and I both being in school, I have vowed to never buy granola again.  

I have tried a variety of homemade granola recipes:  pumpkin granola in the fall, cranberry lemon granola, tropical granola and the like, but this recipe is the one I come back to time and again.  It is terribly easy to make and you can add some different spices to switch things up from time to time.

Classic Granola

Ingredients:

 - 8C Rolled Oats

- 2 C Nuts, your favorite kind, sliced or chopped

- 2 C Puffed Cereal (I get the regular 7 grain Kashi Puffs, my friend uses puffed millet)

- 1 1/2 C Brown Sugar

- 1/2 C Water

- 1t Salt

Ideas for Added Ingredients to Make it Your Own:

-  Once you make the syrup with the brown sugar and water, jazz it up with some ingredients such as honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.

- When mixing together the dry ingredients add in some dried fruit, coconut, chia seeds, flaxseeds, wheat bran, more nuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.  The last batch I made I added honey, cinnamon and nutmeg to the syrup and added some chia seeds and ground wheat bran to the dry ingredients and it tastes yummy!!

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients in large bowl (and add any of your personal dry additions)
3. Mix together the brown sugar and water in microwave safe dish and microwave for 2-5 minutes, until sugar is melted and you are left with a syrup.
4. Add salt to the syrup
5. Mix in any of your own personal touches to the syrup
6. Pour syrup over the dry ingredients and mix until oats are well coated with your sugar goodness
7.  Spread oats on two cookie sheets and place in preheated oven.  At this point I always find it necessary to sample some of my raw concoction.  You know, poison control.
8.  Bake for 45-60 minutes*, remove from oven and loosen with spatula while still warm.  *Note: I usually swap the two trays half way through cooking time for more even cooking.  I also err on the lower length of cooking to avoid browning the oats toooo much.  I find even though the oats may still feel wet after 45 minutes, they dry out quickly out as they cool.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy with milk, yogurt or by the handful whenever you are bored and find yourself staring into your fridge / pantry because you don't know what else to do with yourself.  Just go crazy!!  It is hard to mess this recipe up.  The only time I had issues with it was when I used nuts that may have been a bit old giving it a stale flavor, and also when I baked it in an oven I had never used before, resulting in burned granola (but delicious never the less)!

Oh Granola, how you please my soul

Each morning you smile up at me from my bowl

Your sweet salty crunch with each precious bite

Makes my loving taste buds want to take flight

In the afternoon, you make a healthy treat

So to anyone that may actually read my blog...

Bon Appetit!!
 
....YES, it is that good...so I wrote a poem about it.

Asparagus, Spinach and Feta Quiche

This deliciousness is a recipe I recently found on one of my new favorite food blogs, Two Peas and Their Pod.  I had never made quiche before and when I stumbled across this recipe I just had to try it.  It was a perfect breakfast for a lazy weekend morning, and was a hit when I made it for my Mom over Mother's Day Weekend.

If you don't have a favorite pie crust recipe, I suggest using the Martha Stewart pie crust recipe here.  It makes two crusts (and the quiche only calls for one) but you can refrigerate and freeze half of the dough or you can make two quiches and freeze one for later...I promise you will want this again.

Asparagus, Spinach and Feta Quiche

Makes (1) 9" quiche  (so if you plan on making two crusts, double ingredients below and freeze one quiche for enjoyment at a later date!) 

Ingredients:

•  1/2 T olive oil
• 12 spears asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
• 4 C fresh baby spinach
• 5 eggs
• 1 C milk
• 3/4 C crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 C mozzarella cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 pie crust - pre-baked for about 20 minutes at 375 for a crispier crust (don't pre-bake if you don't like a crispier crust)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. In a sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Cook asparagus and spinach until asparagus is tender and spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat, drain the excess liquid from the spinach and set aside (if you like, you could add a little garlic or shallots prior to cooking the veggies...I think it would taste great but not alter the flavor too much).
3. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, both cheeses and salt and pepper to taste. 
4. When pie crust is ready (pre-baked, or chilled if not pre-baking) place green onions, asparagus, and spinach in bottom of pie crust.  Pour egg mixture over the vegetables and cover crust edges with foil (This prevents the crust from getting too brown or burning.  Remove the foil 15 minutes before the quiche is done for crust to have golden brown edges).
5. Place quiche in preheated oven and bake for around 45 minutes or until golden brown and set in the middle.
6. Let cool, slice, and enjoy! 

Bon Appetit!!

Broiled Grapefruit - an easy, warm, refreshing breakfast!

I know it sounds strange, but I read about broiling grapefruit last week and had to try it sooner rather than later.  It turns out that broiled grapefruit is easy, delicious and a great new way to enjoy a warm breakfast even if you want something light!  Plus, it is SIMPLE and QUICK TO PREPARE!

1. Turn on your oven's broiler to a low setting
2. Cut grapefruit in half and place both halves on a baking dish
3. Sprinkle each piece with brown sugar and cinnamon.  For a sweet breakfast use more sugar and less cinnamon, for a slightly spicier taste use more cinnamon and less sugar.  I used even amounts of both and it was a wonderful combination of sweet and spicy.
4. Place grapefruit in oven & broil for 5 minutes, checking periodically until sides of the peel are brown
5. Serve warm and eat directly out of the peel as you would a cold grapefruit!

Bon Appetit!

Breakfast for Dinner: Huevos Rancheros

This weekend I planned on making at least one big breakfast, but homebrewing and a beautiful day that begged for a long bike ride and silly lawn games occupied my mornings instead of cooking.  To compromise, Luke and I decided having breakfast for dinner on Sunday would suffice, so I tried my hand at Huevos Rancheros!

I found two recipes that sounded delicious, one in The World Cookbook and one in Real Simple Magazine, so I took the best of both worlds and combined them to make a dish that fit my tastes (baking vs. frying, black beans vs. refried beans, and a homemade tomato salsa vs. regular salsa). 
The result was tasty (although Lucas still wishes I had used refried instead of black beans)!

Huevos Rancheros

Ingredients
 - 4 flour tortillas
- Olive Oil
- (1) 14oz. can of black beans, drained
- 1T lime juice
- 1/2 t Cumin
- (1) 10oz. can of diced tomatoes with chilis (*I used Rotel)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 small white onion, chopped
- 4 eggs
- (1) avocado, sliced
- Feta cheese (*Queso Fresco is a delicious Mexican cheese I would have used, but we didn't have it)
- Cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In bowl, mix together black beans, 1 T olive oil, lime juice and cumin.  Set aside.
3. Brush each tortilla with olive oil (front and back) and place on baking sheet.  Place in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until slightly crispy.
4. Meanwhile, use a small food processor to mix together Rotel, garlic, and onion until well blended but slightly chunky.  
5. Heat 1-2 T olive oil in a large frying pan and add tomato mixture.  Stirring constantly, heat mixture for about 5 minutes until warmed through and slightly thicker.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
6. Using the same frying pan, heat another 1T of olive oil over medium heat and carefully crack eggs into pan, leaving yolk intact!  Reduce heat to low and cook eggs for about 5 minutes until egg white becomes a snow white color.  You can either carefully flip the egg to cook both sides, or leave the egg sunnyside up....chef's choice!  Don't stress if you break a yolk, it will still taste delicious but will be more thoroughly cooked.
7. Once eggs are cooked, assemble your Huevos Rancheros!  Divide and spread the tomato mixture among the baked tortillas followed by the black bean mixture.  Place one egg on each tortilla and then top it off with avocado, feta cheese and cilantro.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

I am sure I will make this again, and when I do I will either use smaller tortillas (and make more than 4) or I will make more eggs and place two eggs on each tortilla.  I enjoyed the serving size because I wasn't terribly hungry, but it wouldn't hurt to make a little more the next time around.  Another idea for people that enjoy some extra spice in their life: smother the top of the assembled Huevos Rancheros with additional salsa or add a touch of hot sauce!

I hope you enjoy!   
Bon Appetit!