Breakfast of Champions: Steel cut oats with berries and cinnamon

One cool thing about nutrition, cooking and food is that there is always more to learn! I have had the splendid opportunity to spend more time with my sister lately as we are in the same city. I have long been a fan of oatmeal, especially as baked oatmeal.I had never tried steel cut oats and she shared this great recipe me that you can make ahead!

Steel cut oats do take longer to cook - about 20 minutes - but they hold up really well to being refrigerated and reheated. Make this over the weekend when you can nail down 30 minutes in the kitchen and then you have breakfast for the week!

Most fruits are no longer in season - pears and apples are, but berry season has long past and they took peaches with them. This is a good time to take advantage of frozen fruit - freeze your own when it is in season (and way less expensive) or purchase fruit without any added sugar.

Shopping tip: Having trouble finding steel cut oats? They may not be next to the flavored packets of instant oats - look in the organic or natural foods section of your grocery store or check out the bulk bins of the natural foods store. 

Steel cut oats with berries and cinnamon
Makes four generous servings

• 1 apple, diced (keep the peel; more fiber and less fuss)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup frozen diced peaches
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup steel cut oats
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups plain soy milk
• 1 cup water
• Nuts and dried fruit for topping

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add apple and brown sugar. Stirring often to prevent burning, cook for a few minutes. Add frozen fruit and cook for a minute longer. 
2. Add oats, cinnamon, salt, soy milk and water. Cover, and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. 
4. After 20 minutes is up, remove from heat and allow to cool for ten minutes or so. You can add more water or soy milk if you want the oats to be thinner. 
5. For breakfast ease, scoop individual portions into glass jars and garnish with a few nuts. Refridgerate until ready to eat; microwave for a minute or three and you're ready to roll! Bring on the day :)

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Recipe ReDux: Vintage Side Dishes - Thanksgiving Hummus

Thanksgiving is upon us and at the Recipe ReDux, we're celebrating with vintage side dishes!

Stuffing is so simple, but boy oh boy does it hit the spot on Thanksgiving! Since I have been having fun coming up with interesting hummus dips (pizza? Pad Thai? Balsamic Black Bean? , I thought, "why not stuffing flavored?".

Turns out it is pretty tasty! I did a trial run at my friend's 8th annual fabulous Friend-giving celebration this weekend and it was a hit!

Thanksgiving Hummus
Easily doubled if serving a crowd

• 1/2 cup onion, diced (about 1 small onion)
• 3/4 cup celery, diced (use the leaves too, no need to toss)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Fresh or dried parsley, if you have it
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons water

1. In a medium saute pan, melt butter and saute veggies until tender. Add garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and stir for another minute or so or until your kitchen smell heavenly. Remove from heat.
2. In your food processor (or very powerful blender) add chickpeas, olive oil and veggies and blend until smooth. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. As it cools, or after refrigeration, the dip will thicken. 
3. Serve with fresh veggies to dip or whole grain crackers.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Reader Poll: What Thanksgiving side dish do you look forward to the most?

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Cinnamon Roll Dip - Shhhh! It's healthy!

I firmly believe that healthy food and delicious food are NOT mutually exclusive - fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans, prepared well, are wonderfully filling and satisfying. That's not to say that I don't have a sweet tooth though; we're all programmed to love sweet things!

In the US, we are paying a lot more attention to our food and nutrition, and that is great news because our obesity epidemic is out of control. We need to work on more fruits and vegetables and more fiber. Having fresh produce with a tasty dip means we usually eat more of the fruits and vegetables, but most dips aren't adding much to the nutrition equation - they're loaded with calories and have the less-healthy fats from butter and cream cheese.

Here is a delicious dip that has a cameo star to replace the usual butter and cream cheese in party dips...garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)! The beans are packed with fiber and protein and are low calorie. Can you believe it? Give it a try and I think you'll be surprised at how smooth and velvety it is, and how well it pairs with sliced apples. I even spread it on a whole grain waffle to have a high fiber and protein packed breakfast.

Yes, the dip does have sugar in it, but much less than a traditional dessert. I am not a huge fan of artificial sweeteners, so I'd rather use the real thing, just less. The fat is heart healthy - almonds - and if you're choosing fruit to dip, they're really achieving the goal; a healthy dessert that tastes great.

Cinnamon Roll Dip

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup water (more or less, depending on how thick you like your dip)
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (optional)

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas well and add to blender container of your food processor - unless you have a very powerful blender, you need to have a food processor for this recipe
2. Add cinnamon, vanilla, almost butter, sweetened condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of water and buttermilk, if using. Blend for a full 2-3 minutes or until very very smooth. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is reached; I used 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) total.
3. Scoop into your serving bowl, garnish with cinnamon and a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk and serve with sliced fruit and pretzel sticks. 

Beans for breakfast? How about a butterfly!

Reader poll: What's your favorite dessert? I'll try to make it into a healthy dip flavor :)

Did you try the dip? I'd love your feedback and comments!

Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a happy, healthy day! 

Black bean and corn veggie burgers

My sister has been raving about this burger recipe and she and her boyfriend (neither of whom are vegetarian) make it often. It is filling and satisfying. I made is for a few friends and it got rave reviews. The original recipe is adapted from from Eat Live Run but I tweaked it to make it my own. 

Black bean and corn super veggie burgers
Makes 8-10 burgers

• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds  mixed with  6 tablespoons water (or substitute two whole eggs)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (or substitute 1/2 cooked rice for gluten-free option)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
• avocado, cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce, for topping
• olive oil (or canola oil)  for frying burgers

1. Place jalapeno and onion in a food processor (or high speed blender) and mince finely.
2. Add one can of beans to the jalapeno/garlic mixture and pulse to combine. Add cumin and salt and pulse until mixture resembles chunky black bean dip.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the ground flax and water. Let sit for five minutes.
4. To the large bowl, add the mixture from the food processor and stir in the bread crumbs, tomato paste, corn and remaining black beans.
5. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Form black bean mixture into patties and fry for about 4 minutes per side, until golden and crusty brown.
6. Serve burgers with avocado slices, cheddar and BBQ.

Use food processor to quickly mince onion and jalapeno

Add one can of black beans and seasonings and pulse food processor

Pulse food processor until black beans are blended, but not quite smooth

In a large mixing bowl, mix ground flax with water and let sit five minutes. Add pureed black bean mixture, whole black beans, bread crumbs and corn and mix well.

Form into patties and cook 4-5 minutes per side

Serve with cheddar, avocado and BBQ (or ketchup, or hot sauce) - I had this salad on the side. Yum!

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Decadent Dip: Pizza hummus

Have you tried making hummus at home? It is really simple if you have a food processor. Rinse off a can of chickpeas, add flavors and blend until smooth. Healthy, quick and versatile. This is a good "gateway" hummus to get your kids on the hummus bandwagon (or eating beans at all bandwagon), and a sneaky way to get them having more whole grains and raw veggies if you use those as your dippers.


Pizza Hummus
This recipe is adapted from the Food Network 

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

• 1 16-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or one tablespoon fresh basil)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (or one tablespoon fresh basil)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash extra spicy seasoning blend (or dash of crushed red pepper)
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Place chickpeas and all seasoning into a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. If hummus is too thick, add a bit more water until you reach the desired consistency. 
2. Serve with raw veggies and whole grain crackers to dip, or as an alternative to mayo on a sandwich or in a wrap. Store extras in the fridge.  

I like to use the squeeze tubes of tomato paste so that I don't waste the rest of the can - look in the pasta section of the grocery store, I didn't find this with the rest of the canned veggies.

Add the oregano, basil and the rest of the seasonings and blend until smooth

Serve pizza hummus with whole grain crackers and raw veggies!

Do you have a food processor? It is a great tool for the home cook; you can easily whip up batches of hummus and pesto, use the grater disk to grate all kinds of veggies or firm fruits (like apples). I have an ancient Cuisinart that is still king of the kitchen - it is an investment. The food processor below is well reviewed and is Amazon prime eligible.

Have you checked out Mrs Dash lately? There are so many blends available and the best part is that they're all salt-free. These blends are a great way to add gobs of flavor without adding a nick of salt. This is the one I used in the above recipe. 




You may also like my recipe for Pad Thai Hummus, Balsamic Black Bean Hummus or my Roasted Carrot a L'orange Hummus. Hooray for hummus!

Question for the reader: What crazy flavor of hummus would you like to try? Leave a comment below and thanks for visiting my blog. 

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Slow cooker savvy: Chickpea curry

In many kitchens in the US, cinnamon is used for sweet things like cinnamon bread or rolls or cinnamon cookies. Around the world, cinnamon is often used in savory dishes too and we would be wise to follow suit for some delicious results! This recipe is so simple - just dump the ingredients in your slow cooker and go to work knowing that dinner will be ready when you get home.

Herbs and spices are loaded with antioxidants and phytochemicals - often in our food, good color and flavor is also good nutrition. For example, lycopene in tomatoes gives them their beautiful red color. Be sure to add a bit of vegetable oil to this recipe so that our bodies can better absorb those nutrients that are fat soluble. 

 Chickpea curry

• 2 16-ounce cans chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large (or 2 small) yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 2 sticks of cinnamon, broken in half
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds (or ground mustard, or prepared spicy brown mustard...use what you have!)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes - look for low sodium
• 2 cups of water

1. Place everything in your slow cooker and turn on. The water should just cover the vegetables; not too soupy.
2. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
3. Serve as is, or on a bed of whole grain rice or couscous, or with a dollop of yogurt or with lime wedges.

I used both mustard seed (the little balls) and ground mustard (middle of the plate)

Add just enough water to cover the chickpeas

Cover, and forget about it!

Ready to go and the kitchen smells great!

Easy enough for you? Eating healthfully doesn't have to be difficult or bland. I like that this recipe has a lot of veggies and lean protein. I also think it would be good with even more vegetables - I'd like to try with other common Indian vegetables such as carrots or cauliflower. Comment below if you do try something new!

I am posting this recipe on Monday in support of Meatless Monday. Have you heard of this idea? Our bodies, the earth and our wallets can all benefit from reducing our consumption of conventionally raised beef, pork and chicken and bumping up the veggies. No, this does not mean that you have to commit to a vegetarian diet, but consuming less meat is something that would benefit most of us.

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Decadent Dip: Pad Thai Hummus

Have you tried making hummus at home yet? It is really simple if you have the right tools: either a food processor or powerful blender. Other than that, it is just a matter of finding good seasonings for a can of beans. Way cheaper than what you buy at the store, more delicious and less packaging. Triple win, right?

Dips are a great way to encourage kids of all ages to eat more raw veggies. When you choose a healthy dip like hummus, you're filling up bellies with fiber and protein too. In the time it takes to dial for take out, you can whip up a batch of Thai inspired hummus.

Pad-Thai Hummus

• 1 16-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• Juice of one lime
• 1 teaspoon sriracha (or more, I don't really like the heat to knock my socks off)
• 1 teaspoon powdered dried ginger (or 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai basil (can substitute cilantro)
• 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons cocoanut oil (0r substitute olive oil)
• 1-2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons flaked sweetened cocoanut
• 2-4 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons of Thai basil (or substitute cilantro)
• Crushed peanuts, Thai basil and lime wedges, for garnish

1. Place all ingredients except for thai basil (or cilantro) and water and blend for a full minute or so.
2. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired hummus reaches the perfect thickness for you. I used 4 tablespoons, but it is up to you!
3. Add the basil and pulse the food processor until the leaves are chopped. Adding the basil at the end  leaves pretty specks in the hummus.
4. Scoop your hummus into a serving dish and garnish with lime wedges, crushed peanuts and Thai basil.  

 A note about garnishes: garnishes should serve two purposes - they add to the overall beauty and presentation of your dish, but they should also be a clue as the flavors in the dish. Since this is an unusual flavor of hummus, I used the garnishes to imply a plate of pad Thai. 

You may also like my Roasted Carrot Hummus a l'Orange and Balsamic Black Bean Hummus. Check 'em out!

 

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Splendid Salads: shrimp corn and green bean salad

Your freezer can be your best ally for vegetables.

• vegetables are already chopped for you
• they can be more affordable then fresh
• they are often a blend of colors; what gives vegetables and fruits their colors also gives them some of their nutrition, so a variety of colors is a variety of nutrients
• vegetables to be frozen are picked when they're ripe; many "fresh" fruits and vegetables are picked before they're ripe so that they don't spoil during shipping around the globe. This means not only were fewer vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals developed during the growth of the fruit or vegetable, more are lost as they degrade while traveling to get to your kitchen.

This salad is a complete meal. The fresh parsley makes the whole salad seem fresh, even though most ingredients came from the freezer. Keep a pot of fresh parsley in your window and use it year round! Olive oil and almonds provide healthy fats, the shrimp is lean protein and the corn is your whole grain. Complete with lots of veggies from the green beans and tomatoes, lunch is served!

This quick meal that can come together in five minutes. Really! Pop some green beans in the microwave and by the time they're done, everything else is ready.

On your mark, get set, go!

Shrimp corn and green bean salad

• 1 7.5 ounce box frozen green beans with almonds
• 3 ounces frozen shrimp, peeled and devained 
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
•  one handful of fresh parsley
• Olive oil and vinegar
• Salt and pepper

1. Remove green beans from plastic packaging and microwave in a glass or ceramic dish for 5 or so minutes (I don't like to microwave in plastic. Ick.)
2. Thaw shrimp and corn under running warm water in a colendar
3. Chop tomatoes and parsley
4. Check microwave. Done yet? You're ready!
5. Toss green beans with shrimp, corn, tomatoes, parsley and almonds. Use the same dish you microwaved the green beans in, no need to make more dishes. Drizzle on a bit of olive oil and vinegar to taste and add a bit of salt and pepper. Dig in!

Microwave green beans until tender in glass or ceramic dish

Thaw corn and cooked shrimp

Chop parsley and tomatoes

Drain green beans, add shrimp and corn

Add everything else and dig in!

 

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Breakfast of Champions: Baked oatmeal with strawberries and peaches

Baked oatmeal is the happy love child of a bowl of thick oatmeal and fruit cobbler. Many recipes are loaded with butter so they lean more towards dessert; this recipe has all of the warm-in-your-tummy goodness of cobbler without the calories. Try baking this on the weekend and starting your morning with a quick breakfast before work or school; this reheats quickly in the microwave and is delicious with a splash of milk on top.

Ready to dig in!

Strawberry-Peach Baked Oatmeal

• 2 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen are both fine)
• 1-2 peaches
• 2 cups old fashioned oats - the 5-minute kind, not instant
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup nuts
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups low-fat milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Spray a square baking pan or deep pie plate with non-stick cooking spray
3. Pour berries into bottom of prepared square pan; top with diced peaches (no need to peel). Save the fruit scraps for your compost.
4. In a 4 cup measuring cup, mix together the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, nuts, cinnamon and flax. Cover fruit with dry mixture and even out surface.
5. Reuse your measuring cup to melt butter in microwave (let's not create more dishes than necessary!). Add eggs, milk and vanilla and whisk together until smooth. Pour liquid mixture over oats evenly.
6. Pop into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until fruit layer is bubbling and edges are browned. This may take a bit longer if your fruit was still frozen. 

This reheats well in the microwave. I make this on the weekend when I have more time and then enjoy throughout the week for a fast and healthy breakfast. Enjoy!

Cut strawberries and peaches

Chopped fruit

Dry ingredients

Mixing the liquid ingredients

Pour over the dry ingredients and garnish with some pecans if you wish

Ready to dig in!

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