Berry Studded Baked Oatmeal
I already have 3 food related posts in my queue, but somehow I feel this great sense of urgency to share with you what I ate for breakfast this morning! Those posts will have to wait because you have breakfast to make this coming weekend and you'lll WANT to make this, no doubt. Let me start by saying that I almost NEVER make oatmeal and I'm not really sure why! My husband, who is a total oatmeal lover, gets the short end of the stick on this one. He's been away for work for the past few days and I thought it would be nice to welcome him back with something warm, sweet & tasty for breakfast this morning. You know...to make him realize how good he's got it at home! And yes...he already KNOWS this! After he finished the big bowl I served him, he said "This was excellent. I really loved it!" And that, my friends is reason enough to make this. Your favorite oatmeal loving person will be happy and that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you make something JUST right for someone special? That's nothing BUT love!
So, what does it taste like? Think rice pudding meets bread pudding meets berry cobbler meets oatmeal mixed with tart berries and sweet gooey bananas. Also, can we say how EASY it is? Line fruit on the bottom of a baking dish, add oats, then milk, top with more fruits & nuts and bake. I think this is going to be one of those recipes that becomes an improvisational staple at my house. Just thinking of the potential flavor combos has me excited! Ooh! What about crystallized ginger, honey & almonds? What about something savory with bacon, maple syrup & bananas?! I told you I was excited...
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Malted Waffles
Malt...how I love thee...Let me count the ways...
-I love you in a chocolate malt at a baseball game. You are the perfect ending to all the roasted peanuts & hot dogs I inhale. I love you so much that I endure eating you with a wooden spoon. Hey! It's not that easy!
-I love you in a strawberry milkshake at a diner. I always convince the waitress to add more of you in my cup, because you are THAT good.
-I love you in the Robins Eggs I eat at Easter. I love you so much that I've endured bloody cracked lips from wearing off the candy shell to get to you!
-I love you in these Matled Waffles. You add a yeasty depth that mimic the Weekend Waffles & the Buckwheat Belgium Waffles I've made in the past. The best part is that I didn't have to wait for any yeast to rise. You were perfect right off the bat! You make the waffles crispy on the outside and subtly chewy on the inside. You were a star! Now, what should I do with you next?!!
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Roasted Mangoes & Blueberries
If I was a painter, I'd focus my attention on making abstract paintings with roasted mangoes and blueberries.
Preferred canvas? A big white casserole dish!
My brush strokes would produce bits of fiery orange flesh with rich black dots speckled on top of a deep crimson wash.
Here's a glimpse at my latest painting.
What do you see?
The juxtaposition of ooey gooey blueberries & baked juicy mangoes masking the reflection of my happy face?
Wow, you're good! Did you go to art school?
Now that you've learned how to make Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Crisps, it's time to do something with them! I probably know better than anyone they do just fine on their own (hello! who ate a whole batch?!!) but let's jazz them up with another recipe! So baked mangoes & blueberries? Hmmm. At first your brain tells you I'M EATING PEACHES (cuz that's what it looks like) and then your taste buds say WAIT! NO! MANGOES! The combination of the blueberries & mangoes creates something almost raspberry like. So peculiar yet fun & totally unexpected. And let's discuss that color again! Can I just say that I want this as a flavored lip gloss. Hello Stila? You out there? Please help.
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Egg & Asparagus Gratins
I have a confession to make. This dish STRESSED me out. It's really not a complicated recipe, but the thought of overcooked eggs paved the way for me to be on edge with this recipe. Mix that with a incessantly meowing cat, a crazy bed headed mom with no coffee (ahem, me) and a toddler running around the house---OMG WHOA! I'm surprised I managed to pull this off. Dipping that piece of toast into that brilliant yellow runny egg was the money shot I was looking for. Thank god it happened. It was worth the stress. We dodged a bullet, people!
Let's have a look at that yolk!
Now that that's out of the way...this is a really good dish! I'd totally make it for company! It reminds me of the Herbed Baked Eggs I made awhile ago, but without all the herbies. The bright green asparagus were happy to take their place. If you are pressed for time, cook the asparagus in advance to make things easier. The Parmesan really makes this dish, so you should add more than it calls for. I won't tell anyone. I bet fresh breadcrumbs mixed on top would be FANTASTIC too. Look at the runny egg yolk being soaked up by my buttery toast. Do I really need to say more?
Easy Baked Potato Chips
It started with a mad craving for something crunchy and semi guilt free. I had a few sweet potatoes sitting around and thought I'd bust out a little recipe for baked sweet potato chips from one of those Martha Stewart Magazine cards I saved. Wait. Stop for a second. You don't see sweet potatoes in this post do you? NOPE. That's because I burned almost an entire batch of them on my first try. That's what happens when you try to do too much and don't pay attention to your kitchen timer. Story of my life. The select few that made it out of the fire were incredible. Sweet, crispy, crunchy with a little bit of tasty oil. I shared one with Cooper and he loved it. In hindsight it's a good thing that I didn't have two trays full of sweet potato chips. As you may know, I can't be trusted.
I needed to rectify my kitchen disaster QUICKLY. Unfortunately there were no sweet potatoes left in my pantry to try the recipe again but I did have 2 russet potatoes! I soaked them in a bowl of water for 10 minutes and patted them dry. Then I resumed the same recipe fore the sweet potatoes. I've seen this water/potato technique a few times on TV. It helps the potatoes get crispy because it washes some of the starch off. It totally worked. And I still ate more of these potato chips than I should have.
Fab. Easy. Salty. Crispy. Light. Sinful. Delicious.
You should make them! They are great on their own but of course the experimenter in me wants to tinker with the recipe. Next time I am going to make a rosemary salt to sprinkle on top. Maybe I'll serve them with a tasty chive dip? Or perhaps sprinkle some Parmesan on top? I wonder if I could make some vinegar chips? What do you think?
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Herbed-Baked Eggs
Our old neighbors brought us some fresh eggs from their chickens Friday night! Because these eggs are super special, I decided to make a fancy breakfast with them. My mom made us these eggs when Cooper was just a wee baby and I've thought about them ever since. The herbs, cheese and garlic are a wonderful addition to the eggs. You will delight in spearing the yolk with your toast because the combo creates a whole new dimension of garlic bread! Oooey gooey garlic bread!
Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits
I am not going to get wordy on this post. Just let the pictures speak for themselves.
Biscuits this good should be illegal. The addition of cheddar to the dough makes them utterly amazing.
The flavor? All I can say that it reminds me of a Cheez-It crossed with a buttery flaky biscuit.
Tangy, flaky, buttery goodness marbled with shreds of cheddar. Best when served hot!
I can't wait until you taste the bottom edge. You will thank me & Ina Garten for bringing this to your attention.
Take a look at the three stars of this recipe! Buttermilk, sharp cheddar and butter! Continue reading→
Baked Falafel
At least once a week, I like to make something vegetarian for us. I am always looking for some creative ways to do so! So when I spied these falafels at Chow Vegan a few months ago and knew I had to try them! They are BIG on flavor and HUGE on taste! I could seriously eat all 10 that I made...and then some!
They satisfy that protein craving and they are perfect for someone who is watching their waistline!
(ahem, moi)
EXTRA PLUS: They were a snap to make!
I started with some canned garbanzo beans...
Mashed them up with a potato masher- it's easier!
Lined them up on an oiled cookie sheet
I made a greek cucumber yogurt dip with lemon zest, yogurt & cumin
Here they are!
I served them with pita, hummus, cucumber yogurt dip, lettuce & tomatoes from our garden.
I had feta, but I didn't think remember to put it in and totally didn't miss it.
It's soo good when you slather a bit of chili sauce in the pita pocket!
You won't be disappointed!
I am sooo gonna make these repeatedly!
Baked Falafel
(recipe Chow Vegan)
Makes about 10 balls
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Put in a medium sized bowl and smash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls, about 1 1/2? in diameter and slightly flatten. Place onto an oiled baking pan.
Bake for 15 minutes on each side, until nicely browned (since it’s baked, only the part actually touching the pan will be browned and crispy).
Serve with mini pita pockets, hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.
