Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but is often skipped in the rush to get the day started. Even those of us that do take the time for breakfast often go the easy route and grab something laden with sugar and or salt. READ YOUR LABELS. It’s important to have something that is quick, healthy, and tastes great. The answer-oatmeal!
Oats can help lower your cholesterol, which is great especially for anyone with a family history of heart disease. Eating oats can also help control blood sugars over a longer period of time, benefiting those with diabetes. The phytochemicals in oats have shown to decrease chances of hormone related diseases and cancers. Oats can also reduce high blood pressure. One of my favorite things about oatmeal is that I don’t feel hungry 10 minutes after I eat it like I do with cereal. This long-lasting “full feeling” can really help with weight management. (Check out this site for more info on the health benefits of oats http://eatmoreoats.com/health.html)
Ok, yeah, so oatmeal is good for me, so what? I’m not going to lie; my love affair with oatmeal is a much more recent thing. The mushy texture just wasn’t for me for a long time. I thought it was boring. When I was pregnant though, I really needed to find something that I could eat quickly and easily that would hold off the hunger monster for a while.
The great thing about oatmeal is you can take about 15 minutes to make a “mother” batch one day and then you have it for your family the rest of the week. To make the mother batch, the ratio is 2:1; 2c of water to 1c of oats and add a pinch of salt. Just add a little milk when you’re reheating it and you are good to go. I recommend not adding any sugar to the mother batch and just adding it to your individual portion. This will help control sugar content and make it easier to share with the family. (Children from about 8 months and older can eat oatmeal.)
Oatmeal is incredibly versatile so you can toss anything in. My favorite mix-ins are dried cranberries and slivered almonds. My son loves pureed apples and cinnamon, cherries, blueberries, or bananas. I always put some sort of spice like cinnamon, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice, allspice in it. The possibilities are endless! So whip up a big batch of oatmeal and start your day off with bang!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Olive Oil Poached Swordfish
During my weekly perusal of the grocery store ads I noticed that swordfish was on sale. Thankfully, on our recent family vacation/reunion on the east coast, my somewhat picky husband realized that he really liked swordfish, saying it tasted “just like steak!” So I knew that I would add swordfish to my menu this week. Ok, so one task down, but how to prepare it?
I usually have done grilled swordfish, which is really nice, but I just didn’t feel like getting out (cleaning) my grill pan. I came across a recipe I had seen before and just hadn’t tried, Olive Oil Poached Swordfish with White Corn, Guanciale, and Chive Oil from Bon Appétit September 2010. This sounded like a perfect recipe for a summer dinner!
Guanciale is salt-cured pork jowl, it is similar to pancetta. I had bacon already in the fridge so I just decided to use that instead of getting guanciale or pancetta. I think any recipe that starts out with corn and bacon can’t help but be delicious. So, you just crisp up the bacon and sauté shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes in the bacon fat then add the corn, a little chicken stock and some butter, and that’s it. So simple, yet so perfect! This corn makes a lovely little bed for the swordfish.
For the swordfish, you just heat some olive oil in a pot to 150 degrees and season it with some crushed garlic, rosemary, and lemon slices. When the oil is ready, add the swordfish and put the pan in a 350 degree oven until it is firm to the touch and just cooked.
The fish ends up just delicious, and you could do it with other firm fish as well. The flavor is so delicate and paired with the smoky sweet corn and the fresh chive oil-could there be a better summer meal?
I usually have done grilled swordfish, which is really nice, but I just didn’t feel like getting out (cleaning) my grill pan. I came across a recipe I had seen before and just hadn’t tried, Olive Oil Poached Swordfish with White Corn, Guanciale, and Chive Oil from Bon Appétit September 2010. This sounded like a perfect recipe for a summer dinner!
Guanciale is salt-cured pork jowl, it is similar to pancetta. I had bacon already in the fridge so I just decided to use that instead of getting guanciale or pancetta. I think any recipe that starts out with corn and bacon can’t help but be delicious. So, you just crisp up the bacon and sauté shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes in the bacon fat then add the corn, a little chicken stock and some butter, and that’s it. So simple, yet so perfect! This corn makes a lovely little bed for the swordfish.
For the swordfish, you just heat some olive oil in a pot to 150 degrees and season it with some crushed garlic, rosemary, and lemon slices. When the oil is ready, add the swordfish and put the pan in a 350 degree oven until it is firm to the touch and just cooked.
The fish ends up just delicious, and you could do it with other firm fish as well. The flavor is so delicate and paired with the smoky sweet corn and the fresh chive oil-could there be a better summer meal?
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Bourbon Bacon Jam
One day, while Aiden was napping, I was doing some very important Facebook perusing and I came across a link from Specialty Produce via Evil Shenanigans for a Bourbon Bacon Jam. I knew immediately I had to make it. Looking through the ingredients my mouth just started salivating; Bourbon, Bacon, Maple syrup, lots of spices. I couldn’t wait to get started, but first I needed to get the best bacon I could find. Trader Joe’s has this awesome Applewood smoked bacon that is to die for! The smell of any bacon cooking is just too good to pass up, but this bacon puts those to shame. So I got my 2 pounds of special bacon and I was on my way.
While there are quite a few ingredients in this recipe, for the most part they are things you have around the house already. As if you needed more of a reason to make this, it can almost be your “spice rack clear out” go-to recipe.
Bourbon Bacon Jam Yield 1 1/2 cups
1 pound thick-cup applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/4″ thick slices
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch fresh grated nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon dry chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup good quality bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Basically you cook the bacon until the edges are crispy but the center is still soft. Sauté the onion and garlic, and add the brown sugar to caramelize. Then add the spices, then liquid ingredients and simmer for 2 hours and pulse in a food processor to desired consistency.
How easy is that? Everything together just yields a very nice smoky, sweet, spicy flavor. I actually used a double shot of espresso instead of the regular coffee and thought it was pretty good. This jam would be great out with a cheese plate or even as a topping for some baked brie. My favorite way to use it was on an English muffin with a slice of heirloom tomato and some sharp cheddar cheese. It was the best breakfast sandwich. I also really liked it on my egg sandwiches. I think I would like it on almost anything!
Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures because I forgot to take them before I froze the jam. I was sending it to my parents and just didn’t think about pictures until it was gone.
While there are quite a few ingredients in this recipe, for the most part they are things you have around the house already. As if you needed more of a reason to make this, it can almost be your “spice rack clear out” go-to recipe.
Bourbon Bacon Jam Yield 1 1/2 cups
1 pound thick-cup applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/4″ thick slices
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch fresh grated nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon dry chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup good quality bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Basically you cook the bacon until the edges are crispy but the center is still soft. Sauté the onion and garlic, and add the brown sugar to caramelize. Then add the spices, then liquid ingredients and simmer for 2 hours and pulse in a food processor to desired consistency.
How easy is that? Everything together just yields a very nice smoky, sweet, spicy flavor. I actually used a double shot of espresso instead of the regular coffee and thought it was pretty good. This jam would be great out with a cheese plate or even as a topping for some baked brie. My favorite way to use it was on an English muffin with a slice of heirloom tomato and some sharp cheddar cheese. It was the best breakfast sandwich. I also really liked it on my egg sandwiches. I think I would like it on almost anything!
Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures because I forgot to take them before I froze the jam. I was sending it to my parents and just didn’t think about pictures until it was gone.
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