Sweet Potato Spice Oatmeal

As most of my regular readers know by now, my mother is visiting the USA for the summer. In between enjoying her home-cooked food, I've been introducing her to some of the WFPBNO foods I eat on a regular basis, one of which is oatmeal. To be honest, she's not sold on it yet. I made this awesome Sweet Potato Spice Oatmeal this morning and it was "just okay" according to her (LOL). I enjoyed this recipe a lot and here's why (a) it has no added sugar or butter (b) its made with all whole food ingredients and (c) it is ready and on the table in less than 20 min. 

Prep Time: 15-20 min

Ingredients (Serves 4): 

1. 1/2 cups Steel-cut Oatmeal
2. 3 cups Water
3. 2 Medium Sweet Potatoes, roasted previously.
4. 1/2 cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk (Almond, Soy, Cashew etc.)
5. 2 tbsp Slivered Almonds (or substitute with Pecans)
6. 2 tbsp Raisins
7. 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
8. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
9. A pinch of Sea Salt
10. Maple Syrup (as needed) 3 to 4 cups water

Directions:

Mix Steel-cut Oats, water, raisins and sea salt together and pressure cook under high pressure for 5-7 minutes. If you don't have access to a pressure cooker, simmer the oats on a stove until tender (approximately 20-25 min). Once the steam dissipates, add 1 tbsp almonds, 1/3 cup almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract and mix well. Dish out into 4 serving bowls, garnish with more slivered almonds and a small splash of almond milk. Dust on more cinnamon, if you desire. I didn't add any sweetener to this dish, but if you like it sweeter, add maple syrup to taste. Serve warm. 

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Breakfast Cream o' Wheat

This morning I wasn't in the mood for just another bowl of Oatmeal. I've been eating the same breakfast before work every morning for almost 2 years now and I still love it. Every once in a while though, I crave other things. It was going to be a chilly day, the first of many this fall and winter and I also wanted something with nuts in it. I stared at the pantry and then the fridge and then the pantry again before I remembered one of my favorite breakfasts growing up was Doodh ki Sooji ... essentially a creamy milky porridge made with Semolina (Cream of Wheat).

Breakfast Cream o' Wheat w nuts and raisins!

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/4 cup Medium-Grain Semolina (Sooji)
2. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
3. 1 tbsp Crumbled Cashews
4. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
5. 1 tbsp Raisins
6. 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
7. 2 tbsp Brown Sugar (to taste)
8. 1-2 tsp Maple Syrup (to drizzle on top)
9. 1 and 1/4 cup Almond (or any non-dairy) Milk

Directions:

Heat a non-stick skillet or large sauce pan to medium high and add the semolina. Begin dry-roasting the semolina (with constant stirring using a rubber spatula) to aid in uniform roasting. As the semolina roasts, the color will deepen to a golden (about 10 min) and then go even deeper. As it begins to darken, add the nuts and raisins and dry roast those as well.

As the raisins plump up in the pan with heat, add the cardamom powder, give it all a nice toss and then add the milk, saving just a splash to drizzle on top. Allow everything to come to a boil, turn heat to low until it reaches the desired consistency, adding more milk if needed.

Add brown sugar, to taste, mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with milk and maple syrup and enjoy!! Mmm Hmm good!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 486 (Fat Calories 134)
Total Fat 14.9 g; Carbohydrates 70.8 g; Fiber 9.7 g; Sugars 31.9 g; Protein 12.6 g


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Cardamom Almond Semolina

Happy Sunday!!! I started out my day dreaming of a breakfast dish my mom used to make when we were growing up. "Sooji" or Breakfast Semolina, made as a sweet creamy pudding in milk, or as a savory dry concoction with vegetables and spices is a favorite whole-grain breakfast food across many households. I personally liked it much better when it was made as a thick sweet pudding. That is what I tried to mimic today, with my own #WFPBNO twist to it ... i.e. I didn't use any oil or fat and used plant-based almond milk instead of dairy. 

This dish uses coarse semolina. In the United States, coarser meal coming from softer types of wheat is known also as farina. Also, in the United States, this kind of semolina is sold under the trade name Cream of Wheat. I buy my semolina from the Indian market in town so it has a more authentic flavor. Also, semolina from India is often specked with golden and brown spots, versus Cream of Wheat which is almost a pure white in color.

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 0.5 cup Coarse Whole Wheat Semolina
2. 1 cup Unsweetened Almond milk 
3. 2 tbsp Raisins
4. 2 tbsp Slivered Almonds
5. 2 tbsp Chia seeds
6. 0.5 tsp Ground Cardamom
7. 2-4 tsp Brown Sugar (optional)

Directions:

Dry roast the semolina in a non-stick pan, on medium to medium-low heat until it is golden brown and aromatic (it will smoke a little as it gets almost done, so watch to make sure you don't char it). Traditionally this is done with ghee (clarified butter) but I've found that dry roasting works just as well and has no effect whatsoever on the overall taste of the dish. When the semolina is almost done, add the almonds, raisins and cardamom seed powder. Skip the nuts if you're allergic or looking for a low-fat dish. I personally consume nuts and seeds so add both to my diet occasionally. If you wish to use cinnamon, feel free to substitute it at this time. You can also sprinkle both at the end but I find that dry roasting the flavorings makes for a more even flavor in the dish.  In just a couple of minutes, the raisins will plump up.

In the dry roasting pan!

At this point, add the almond milk. As the semolina is pretty hot so the almond milk will immediately simmer and boil so be careful. Reduce heat to low and allow everything to simmer for a few minutes. The semolina will lose some of its golden brown color and plump up with the addition of liquid. Simmer for a couple of minutes, add chia seeds at the very end (if desired), mix and dish out into 2 bowls. Serve with a splash of almond milk and little dollops of brown sugar (if desired for additional sweetness). Enjoy!!

Note: As I noted above, you can flavor this dish with whatever your favorite flavors are, cinnamon and maple syrup will work just as well as cardamom and brown sugar. If you're skipping the nuts and seeds, feel free to add dried fruits instead, or even top off with fresh bananas or berries. Once the basic semolina is ready, it can be easily adapted to your tastes.

Note: Next time you have some free time, dry roast a large batch of semolina until golden brown. Allow to cool and transfer to a well-sealed tupperware container. This stays in the freezer for several months. When ready to prepare the dish, heat up the semolina and add raisins .. moving forward from that step and Voila!! .. your overall cooking time is down to around 5-8 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, without added sugar): Calories 272 (Fat Calories 69)

Total Fat 7.7 g; Carbohydrates 43.7 g; Fiber 6.8 g; Sugars 5.6 g; Protein 9.7 g

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, without nuts or seeds): Calories 193 (Fat Calories 12)

Total Fat 1.3 g; Carbohydrates 38.7 g; Fiber 2.3 g; Sugars 5.4 g; Protein 6.1 g

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Its fall! Its time for pumpkin everything! I already did a post on Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal. If you're not much of a coffee fan, but love pumpkin, this recipe is for you :)

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1 cup Almond Milk (Unsweetened Vanilla) 
3. 1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin puree
4. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
5. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
6. 1 tsp Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
7. 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
8. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
9. 1 tbsp Maple syrup (optional, to taste)

Directions:

Mix almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk), oats, Pumpkin puree, almonds and Chia seeds in a microwave safe bowl. I usually use a large glass measuring cup. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. Remove carefully. Add pumpkin pie spice* and vanilla extract (and maple syrup, to taste). Mix well. Transfer to a bowl, add another splash of milk, top off with pepitas and enjoy!!

*Pumpkin pie spice is basically a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. If you don't have the mix, feel free to use the individual spices to taste :)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 331 (Fat Calories 122)
Total Fat 13.5 g; Carbohydrates 45.1 g; Fiber 14.4 g; Sugars 4.6 g; Protein 11.8 g.


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Another weekend, another bread. I decided I wanted to experiment with some whole-wheat flour today and experiment with my recipe from a couple of weekends ago. Today, Tony was in the mood for a Cinnamon Raisin Bread.

Time Required: 20 min prep time, ~2.0 hours rise time, 45 min oven time.

Ingredients:

1. 3 and 1/3 cups All-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
2. 2/3 cup Whole-Wheat flour
3. 1 tsp Vital Wheat Gluten
4. 1.5 cups + a couple extra tbsp Water
5. 1.5 tsp Ground Cinnamon
6. 1/3 cup Raisins
7. 2 tsp Coarse Salt (Sea or Kosher)
8. 1 tsp Active Dry Yeast

Directions:

Measure out both kinds of flour, gluten, yeast and salt into the bowl. I'm trying the gluten trick for the first time today. I read recently that VWG helps with the rise in WW bread by providing more gluten fibers. Get the yeast started by dissolving in a cup of tepid tap water (the water should be barely warm to touch) and set aside. In the next 5-10 minutes the water will be become cloudy and foamy (if it doesn't, discard and start with fresh yeast, and check the expiration date on your packet). 

Mix water/yeast mix with the flour in the bowl of a Cuisinart Stand Mixer to form the dough. The dough should come together as a large ball. If not, add water in 1 tablespoon portions until everything is well incorporated, but doesn't look too dry. Be patient with this step as it is easy to add too much and you will most likely not need to much. Today I needed 4 tablespoons of water to get to a nice wet, but not slippery consistency. Once you have everything incorporated, make note of the clock time and knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes. Once you successfully achieve a windowpane with the dough, you can stop kneading (when stretched out dough looks somewhat translucent - light goes through it like a windowpane). 

One ready, remove the dough onto a well floured surface. I used a silicone baking mat. Lightly dust your fingers and shape the dough into a ball. Keeping the seam side down, transfer to a bowl. I also tried another trick today, which used wax paper instead of putting the dough directly in a bowl to rise. The recommendation was that you can then transfer everything directly into the cooking vessel. This did not work for me at all.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for approximately 2-3 hours. If your house is cold, try the oven method I talked about in the last recipe). I only allowed around a 2 hour rise time today because the dough was ready to spill out of the bowl after 1 hour. After 2 hours, the surface of the dough was dotted with a lot of tiny bubbles and crevices. 

Preheat the oven and dutch oven (a 5.5 qt Round Le Creuset) to 450° F.  Remove dough from bowl and gently form into a round ball using the silicone mat and some flour for dusting. I did not score the loaf I made today.  For some odd reason, when I formed the ball this time, my down lost its rise and dropped to the same size it was prior to my 2 hour rise. I knew something was up :(! 

Remove preheated pot from the oven. Set lid aside. Do not grease the pot. Gently drop the dough into the pot, seam side down. Shake the pan a couple of times to help distribute the loaf, if necessary. Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes at 450° F. 

After 30 min, remove the lid and set aside, and bake for another 15 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown. Remove pot from oven, give it a good shake and the loaf should shake loose immediately. Gently remove the loaf from the pot and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Allow bread to cool completely before cutting into it.

The loaf today was a little lopsided :) !! The flavor was great. The raisins were moist and the cinnamon aromatic. I did get rise and a lot of alveoli (bread speak for air pockets) but it was still a pretty dense loaf! My whole-wheat loaf still needs work. 

Suggestions: If you were to make this loaf with 4 cups of All purpose or bread flour, it would be the perfect cinnamon raisin bread!! One your guests would rave about.

Nutrition Facts (One Loaf): Calories 1940 (Fat Calories 47)

Total Fat 5.2 g; Carbohydrates 414.6 g; Fiber 17.6 g; Sugars 30.0 g; Protein 53.5 g


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Chocolate Bread Pudding

I made bread pudding this weekend, instead of canning apples which is what I original planned to do. I improved on my previous recipe and made it yummy and gooier than before and used half a loaf of stale bread from the loaf I made earlier in the weekend. It was a loaf of no-knead bread which was awesome when it was fresh and warm out of the oven. However, I need to figure our a better way to store homemade bread because it always dries out. I've tried putting it in a plastic bread box (becomes sweaty and soggy) and I've tried wrapping it in a couple of kitchen towels and leaving it on the counter. Any other suggestions on bread storage would be most welcome. Anyhow, the half loaf that we had left after lunch yesterday was dried and not quite edible this morning. So I decided to transform it into something much more decadent than stale bread. 

Prep Time: 5-10 min + 45 min in the oven.

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups of stale home-made bread pieces, coarsely torn with your hands
2. 4 tbsp Raisins
3. 1/2 cup Non-Dairy Chocolate Chips
4. 1/8 cup Slivered Almonds
5. 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
6. 2 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 2 tsp Cinnamon
8. 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
9. 2.5 cups Almond Milk (Silk PureAlmond Unsweetened)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2.5 qt covered casserole dish. Spread bread all across the bottom in an even layer. Sprinkle raisins, Chia seeds, chocolate chips, brown sugar, almonds and cinnamon across the bread, as evenly as possible. Mix vanilla extract in 2 cups milk and pour it slowly across the entire dish, so as to soak as much of the bread as possible. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Once done, remove from oven. Uncover, pour the remaining 1/2 cup of almond milk across the pan and re-cover. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the excess milk to get absorbed and for the dish to cook down. At this point all the bread should be soft and gooey and the chocolate should have melted all over the bread. 

If it is not evenly melted, and the bread is still hard, make sure you add more milk and re-bake for 15-20 minutes to get the desired softness. Serve warm. 

My Assessment: Adding the brown sugar instead of maple syrup (my original recipe) makes for a thicker more yummy dish. Also, adding raisins to this dish added a new dimension this time. Even Tony loved it!!! My job is done :)

Kesar Badaam Oatmeal Kheer

I admit, I've been on an oatmeal kick lately. Its not a bad kick to be on. Oats are one of the healthiest grains for the heart. Oats have Avenanthramides - polyphenolic antioxidants that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-itching and anti-proliferative activity, and according to Dr. Esselstyn, oats also help stimulate the health of endothelial cells in our arteries. I've written about Oats before and posted this link for a blog post about Oats and Avenanthramides. Oats are supposed to help protect against coronary heart disease, colon cancer, skin irritation and so much more. So fix yourself a good size bowl of oats and enjoy ... they're not just for horses, you know :)

Kesar Badaam Oatmeal Kheer 

This dish was inspired by my longing for Kheer, a traditional Indian milk-based dessert - served for centuries .. and long before Western desserts like Ice creams and cakes took over the Indian Dessert menu. It is traditionally made with long-grain white Basmati rice and today I converted the traditional recipe to a WFPBNO, heart healthy, fiber-rich version. Also, the use of Flax seed meal as a thickening agent makes this version rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. And the other benefit of using flax seed meal as a thickening agent, along with oats, is that I didn't have to slave over this kheer for 3 or 4 hours like my mom still does when making kheer for a special occasion. Mine was ready in under 7 minutes from start to finish. 

Prep Time: 5-7 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 2/3 cup Old Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1.25 cups Almond Milk
3. 1 tbsp Raisins
4. 1/2 tbsp Ground Flax Seed Meal
5. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds (Badaam)
6. 1 tbsp Raw Cashews, crushed (optional)
7. 1/4 tsp Ground Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
8. 1/16 tsp (about a pinch and a half) Saffron (Kesar) 
9. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup, or more to taste (Brown Sugar or Honey are great too!).

Directions:

Mix Oats, almond milk, raisins, brown sugar (if using) and ground flax seed meal in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 90 seconds. It will appear really thin and runny at this stage but fear not as it will thicken considerably in the next few minutes. Remove from the oven once the first 90 seconds are done, mix well. At this point, add about half the saffron, cashews and slivered almonds, mix well and again microwave on high for about 90 seconds. Carefully remove from microwave as the bowl will likely be really hot. Do a quick taste test for sweetness (adding  honey or maple syrup now if using one of those). Add ground green cardamom now and mix well. Let sit for a few seconds to allow it to get thicker, if needed. Transfer to a bowl, garnish with remaining almonds, cashews and saffron. Serve :)

Kesar Badaam Oatmeal Kheer

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 423 (Fat Calories 138)
Total Fat 15.4 g; Carbohydrates 63.1 g; Fiber 9.0 g; Sugars 19.3 g; Protein 11.6 g

Orange Raisin Oatmeal

This morning, I was out of all fruits except a half a bag of mandarin oranges. After looking around for a few minutes at other breakfast options, I decided to come up with a new recipe using the mandarn oranges and my regular breakfast of Rolled or Steel-Cut Oats. This one was a winner!!! 

Orange Raisin Oatmeal

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 2/3 cup Rolled (Old-Fashioned) Oats
2. 2/3 cup Water
3. 1/3 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
4. 1 tbsp Raisins
5. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
6. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 1 tsp Vanilla extract
8. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup (optional)
9. a dash of Ground Nutmeg

Directions:

Soak oats, raisins and Chia seeds in 2/3 cup of water and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, squeeze the juice of 4-5 Mandarin oranges (I needed 4 to make 1/3 cup) into a separate bowl. Once the oats are done, remove from microwave, mix well, add slivered almonds, vanilla extract, maple syrup (optional) and then mix in the 1/3 cup Orange juice. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle a dash of ground nutmeg on top and garnish with a few sections, or a full slice. Enjoy!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, w Maple Syrup): Calories 432 (Fat Calories 102)
Total Fat 11.3 g; Carbohydrates 73.3 g; Fiber 11.6 g; Sugars 18.6 g; Protein 12.3 g

Poached Pear Oatmeal

As many of you know already, I consume a lot of oats .. can't swallow instant oats and use those only for baked cookie and dessert recipes. Instead I rely completely on Old-Fashioned (Rolled) and Irish Steel Cut Oats for my breakfast, and sometimes dessert (sheepish!) needs. Over the past several months I've perfected a recipe which I absolutely love and enjoy every morning - Everyday Oats is what I eat most mornings on my way to work, in the car, out of a cup. It works for me :)

Of late though, at least on weekends, either due to a lack of bananas at home (an essential ingredient of my standard recipe), or because I'm feeling adventurous, I've been scouting around for new and interesting recipes. Here's one I found this morning that turned out really great!! 

Adapted from: Sauteed Pear Oatmeal, The Oatmeal Artist

Poached Pear Oats

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1 D'Anjou Pear 
2. 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
3. 1/2 cup Rolled Oats
4. 1.25 cup Almond Milk
5. 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
6. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 1 tbsp Raisins
8. Pinch of Sea salt
9. 1 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup

Directions:

I used D'anjou (the original recipe calls for Bartlett) for this recipe since that is what I had at home. I chose not to peal the pears and diced them smaller than the original recipe. I call my version Poached Pears because I had the hardest time getting the golden look that is in the original recipe and ended up using almond milk and water as my poaching liquids. This helped me get the pears cooked nice and golden brown in about 15 min.  This might have been because I used a cast iron pan. In the end, my pears took on a much darker golden hue than the original recipe. Bring pan to medium heat and add pears, allow the pears to become golden brown adding splashes of poaching liquid (water or almond milk) from time to time to help release the sugars caramelized at the bottom of the pan. The pears are done when they're nicely caramelized and fork-tender. Whilst the pears are cooking, soak oats in almond milk, add Chia seeds and raisins and heat oats on high in a microwave for about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 tsp Pumpkin pie spice, stir and set aside. The original recipe called for 'cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger' - i.e. pumpkin pie spice. Once the pears are golden brown (or dark gold like mine), remove from pan and toss in a bowl with the remainder of the pumpkin pie spice (1/4 tsp).  Mix about 2/3 of the pears with the oats, toss well and transfer to a serving bowl. Top off with remaining pears, sprinkle a few raisins and a dash of sea salt. Drizzle maple syrup on top for a touch of sweetness and enjoy!!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 408 (Fat Calories 68)
Total Fat 7.6 g; Carbohydrates 77.7 g; Fiber 12.1 g; Sugars 35.0 g; Protein 9.2 g

Apple Cinnamon Oats

So Tony consumed the last banana this morning :) after he asked me!!! Since I didn't have a banana for my usual Everyday Oats I decided to venture out into another recipe for my usual breakfast of oats. I had apples, peaches and pears in the fridge. So I decided on Apple Cinnamon as the flavor of the day. Simple and easy, about as easy a recipe as my usual recipe. 

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Oats

Prep Time: 5-12 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1 Large Red Apple, diced, with skin on
2. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned or Steel-Cut Oats
3. 1 tbsp Raisins
4. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
5. 1 cup Almond Milk (Unsweetened, Plain)
6. 1-2 drops Vanilla extract
7. A dash of Cinnamon powder
8. Raw Honey (or other sweetener), to taste (optional)

Directions:

Add diced apple, old fashioned oats, raisins, chia seeds and almond milk to a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 3 minutes. Remove, add remaining ingredients, stir and enjoy!!! If using steel-cut oats, simmer oats in almond milk for ~8-10 minutes, then add diced apple, old fashioned oats, raisins, chia seeds and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the remaining ingredients. Stir and serve warm. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 368 (Fat Calories 80)
Total Fat 8.9 g; Carbohydrates 69.7 g; Fiber 14.4 g; Sugars 29.5 g; Protein 8.5 g

Raisin Bread w Cinnamon

For Easter dinner tonight, I decided to make a loaf of home-made bread. Since my last several attempts at making whole wheat bread have ended in a rather miserable loaf ;) I've reverted to All-Purpose Flour (at least when the intention is to feed my omnivore family!) and I've gone back to one of the recipes I've tried previously (see here). 

Raisin Bread w a hint of Cinnamon

Prep Time: 10 min + 3.5 hours in the Bread Machine

Ingredients (Serves 12):

1. 1.25 cups Water
2. 0.25 cup Maple Syrup
3. 3.5 cups All Purpose Flour
4. 1 tsp Cinnamon
5. 1.5 tsp Sea Salt
6. 2.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast
7. 0.25 cup Raisins (@ "add ingredient" stage, optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the order they are listed into the baking pan of your bread machine, with the exception of the raisins. Start the machine using the menu selection for basic white bread. Set the crust to medium or light. Start the cycle and when the machine beeps at the 'add ingredient' stage (just before the last 5-10 minutes of kneading), add the raisins. Allow the baking cycle to complete, remove the bread from the pan onto a baking rack and allow to stand for 20-30 minutes before slicing/cutting into the loaf.

My Assessment: My first loaf that was a complete hit and consumed 100%!!! Instead of cutting slices, I cut it into 2 halves straight down the middle and then cut each half into 6 wedges. Worked well as everybody got some part of the crust and everybody got some part of the soft middle. This recipe, was a hit for sure! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 162 (Fat Calories 4)
Total Fat 0.4 g; Carbohydrates 35.1 g; Fiber 1.4 g; Sugars 5.8 g; Protein 4.2 g

Everyday Oats

I was having a Spinach Smoothie for breakfast for the longest time. However, I'd read so much about not drinking one's calories that when I started on a new Corporate Weight Loss Challenge at work, I decided to change to oats instead. Of course, the added benefit of oats is how healthy they are (not that my smoothie was unhealthy). Oats have Avenanthramides - these polyphenolic antioxidants that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity, and according to Dr. Esselstyn, oats also help stimulate the health of endothelial cells in our arteries. 

Everyday Oatmeal

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (1 Serving):

1. 1/2 cup Rolled (Old Fashioned) Oats
2. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
3. 2 tbsp Raisins
4. 1 Medium Banana, sliced
5. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
6. 1.25 cups Almond Milk (I use Silk PureAlmond, Unsweetened Original)
7. A dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
8. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup (optional, if you like it super sweet only)

Directions:

Add the first three ingredients to a microwave safe bowl and nuke it on high, for 3 minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, mix well and serve. I almost never use maple syrup in this recipe because the banana and raisins provide ample sweetness. 

Everyday Oats

My Assessment: The perfect way to start the day. The nuts and the chia seeds help me stay full longer and also satisfy my crunch craving. Great way to start the day! Feel free to leave out the nuts or chia seeds if you're not a big fan. Just banana with pumpkin pie spice is great in this recipe.

Optional Ingredients: frozen or fresh blueberries, fresh blackberries, red raspberries. Sliced strawberries. Switch almonds with raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Switch raisins with or dried/diced apricots or half of a medjool date (those are super sweet, so add less than usual). 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 451 (Fat Calories 131)
Total Fat 14.5 g; Carbohydrates 76.9 g; Fiber 14.7 g; Sugars 26.4 g; Protein 12.4 g

Chocolate Raisin & Walnut Bread

Another weekend, another bread-making attempt ... I wish I could do this more often. Last week's attempt was actually quite good, with the exception of being a little too sweet. We ate about half of it on the same day and then I put the rest in the fridge. Unfortunately, when I took it out next, it was too dry and chewy to be eaten as bread. So I made my East-Indian Stuffing ... in January :) !!! It was pretty delish and half a loaf made me 4 good sized servings which I enjoyed for lunch this week. So here's today's attempt. Its in the machine now and is expected to be done in about 3 hours. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes + ~3.25 hours in a bread machine

Ingredients: (8 servings/slices)*:

1. 1 cup Water
2. 6 tbsp Apple Sauce (1 Mots Naturals Snack cup)
3. 2.5 cups All Purpose Flour
4. 0.5 cup Whole Wheat Flour (Atta)
5. 3 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
6. 1.5 tsp Sea Salt
7. 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
8. 2.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast
9. 1/4 cup Raisins
10. 1/4 cup Pecans
11. 1/4 cup Ghirardelli Non-Dairy Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the order they are listed into the baking pan of your bread machine, with the exception of the Raisins, Pecans and Chocolate chips. Most bread machines want you to put in liquid ingredients first, followed by dry ingredients and the require that the yeast be added at the very top, in a little hollow made into the dry flour. Make sure that any salt is not in contact with the active yeast. 

Start the machine using the menu selection for Basic White bread. Set the crust to medium or light. Start the cycle and when the machine beeps at the 'add ingredient' stage (just before the last 5-10 minutes of kneading), add the last 3 ingredients. Allow the baking cycle to complete, remove the bread from the pan onto a baking rack and allow to stand for 20-30 minutes before slicing/cutting into the loaf.

Chocolate Raisin & Walnut Bread

My Assessment: Adding a half a cup of whole wheat flour made it a tad denser than the 100% white bread I made last week. The recipe initially called for 2 tbsp of oil. Initially, when I substituted 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour, I added 4 tbsp of applesauce, instead of just 2. When the dough was initially formed, it looked just a tad too tight to me so I added 2 tbsp more. That was probably a good idea. I got very good rise and some nice air pockets. The bread was light, but not fluffy. I wonder if it can even be fluffy when I've added raisins and nuts and chocolate chips. This recipe tasted a lot like the Pepperidge Farm Raisin Cinnamon Swirl. Yummy! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 240

Total Fat 3.5 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 46.9 g; Fiber 2.4 g; Sugars 8.8 g; Protein 5.9 g

* I seem to have trouble slicing bread very thin. Especially fresh bread is even harder to slice in my opinion. The best I've ever gotten out of my bread machine is 8 slices. If you can slice thinner ... more power to you :)

Spicy-Candied Carrots

Candied vegetables are a great addition to a Thanksgiving dinner table. Orange vegetables, such as carrots and yams lend themselves really well to candying and are often also served at Traditional thanksgiving dinners. This recipe, Teekhee-Meethee Gajar, is so simple and so delicious, that I know I will always have it on my table.

Teekhee-Meethee Gajar

Ingredients: 

1. 3 packs of frozen, crinkle cut, carrots. 
2. 1/2 cup coconut milk 
3. 1-2 tsp Cayenne pepper, and more, to taste 
4. 4 tbsp Brown Sugar
5. Salt, to taste 
6. 2-4 tbsp Raisins (optional)
7. Freshly chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish. 

Stove Top Directions (60 min before Dinner):

Line a pan with coconut milk, and add cayenne pepper and salt. Once the cayenne releases its aroma, add coconut milk and raisins and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add carrots, toss well, and cook for a few minutes (just enough to thaw the carrots, but do not wait for the carrots to become fork-tender, as they will become mushy in the oven). Transfer to a casserole dish, with just a little bit of the coconut milk (save the rest for later). Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Cover and set in oven at 250 F until ready to serve. Check periodically to make sure they don't dry out. If needed, add more of the saved coconut milk mixture. Garnish with cilantro leaves just before serving.

Crock-Pot (Slow-Cooker) Directions (60-90 min before Dinner):

Line a pan with coconut milk, and add cayenne pepper and salt. Once the cayenne releases its aroma, add coconut milk and raisins and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to a measuring cup. Add thawed carrots to the crock and pour about half of the coconut milk mixture on top, and cover. Cook on low for about 45 min. Check periodically to make sure they don't dry out. If needed,  add more of the saved coconut milk mixture  Once the carrots become fork-tender, turn down heat to keep warm and be careful not to disturb them too much or they will become mushy. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and leave on warm until ready to serve. Garnish with more brown sugar and cilantro leaves just before serving.

Indian Hummus

I recently saw a clip from HLN TV where Julienna Hever demonstrated an Indian Hummus Dip. I thought that was a cool idea and finally decided to make it today. It turned out great!! The recipe is freely available on the internet, so I've posted it here. The credit of course, goes to Julieanna.

Indian Hummus

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 can of Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), drained & Rinsed
2. Juice of 1 lemon (~3-4 tbsps)
3. 2 tbsp Tahini (Sesame butter), drain the oil on top.
4. 1 tbsp Maple syrup
5. 1/2 tsp Turmeric
6. 1 tsp Curry Powder (or Garam Masala)
7. 1 clove of Garlic (1 tsp minced)
8. Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste
9. 1/2 cup Water
10. 1 cup Raisins (optional)

Directions:

Mix everything together and blend until smooth. Julieanna's original recipe called for 1 cup raisins to be mixed in the hummus after it was smooth. I didn't use any today. Also, I used Penzey's Sweet Curry powder since I have a small jar at home, but once that runs out, I'll be using Garam Masala to replace it. I had it tonight with some sliced cucumbers and will be enjoying the rest of it through the week with a bunch of other stuff. Love the fact that its homemade and hasn't been sitting on the refrigerated shelf @ Kroger's!! :)

Quinoa Fruit Chaat

While in San Francisco a month ago, we ate a lovely Sunday Brunch at The Palace Hotel's Garden Court and one of the memorable items on the menu was this lovely Chilled Quinoa Berry salad. Ever since then I've been thinking about making something similar at home. I bought Quinoa a few weeks ago, and have had a hard time keeping berries in the house (... we have a teenager with a voracious appetite, who happens to inhale berries on sight!). So finally, I gave up trying to recreate what I had in SF. Instead, I used what fruits I had on hand and made Quinoa Fruit Chaat instead. 

Quinoa Fruit Chaat

Chaat (Hindi: चाट) is a Indian term describing all kinds of savory snacks. Often, these are sold at road-side shacks or stalls or carts in India. Of course, chaat is served in restaurants across the country and also prepared at home. The flavoring includes Chaat Masala, which is most often a mixture of Salt, Dried Raw Mango, Pomegranate Seeds, Cumin, Coriander, Black Pepper, Black Rock Salt, Mint leaves, Ginger, Nutmeg, Chilli Powder, Cloves, Cumin, Asafoetida etc. One can use either each of these ingredients individually, to taste, or simply buy a ready-to-use mix online. You cannot go wrong with MDH's Chunky Chaat Masala - it has been tried and tested by generations of Indians and it still works!!  

Preparing Quinoa: Most colanders will not hold Quinoa very well because the raw seeds are rather small. To rinse, use either a metal-mesh strainer, or a cheese cloth. Rinse the seeds in ample amounts of water. For every cup of Quinoa, bring 1.25 cups of water or vegetable broth to a rolling boil in a deep lidded saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce heat to a simmer, and then reduce further to low. Cover and cook for ~20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove, and let sit for another 5-7 minutes, before removing the lid and fluffing the contents. Quinoa seeds like to show you when they're ready to eat :) the grain swells up to almost twice its size, becomes translucent and the germ ring pops out, forming a spiral around the seed. For salads, you may want to cool the quinoa, before it is chilled. In order to do that, transfer the steamed quinoa from  the saucepan to a large plate, let it sit until it reaches room temperature and then transfer to a storage container. 

Prep Time: 5 minutes with previously cooked quinoa.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup  Quinoa, cooked & chilled 
2. 1 fresh Mango, sliced & diced
3. 1 fresh Pear, sliced and diced
4. 1 tbsp Craisins
5. 1 tbsp Raisins
6. 1 tbsp Roasted Almonds, slivered or sliced
7. 1-2 tsp Chunky Chaat Masala, to taste
8. Lemon/Lime Juice, to taste
9. Salt, to taste.

Directions: Simply toss everything together :) and enjoy!! One cool thing about this recipe, you can use any fruit you have on hand. Simply cut it into bite sized pieces and toss it in. 

My Assessment: While this recipe didn't recreate what I had in SF a few weeks ago, it worked its magic in its own way. I loved the nutty flavor and texture of quinoa, which was enhanced by the roasted almonds and the sweetness of the fruit was balanced well with the savory flavor of the Chaat Masala. 

Quick Note: Chunky Chaat Masala tastes heavenly on just sliced bananas.  Sprinkle some directly on sliced bananas, and add some lemon/lime juice on top. Yumm!!

Dal Tamatar (Lentils w Tomatoes)

Prep Time: 20-30 min with a pressure cooker.

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup toor dal (yellow lentils), well washed, and pre-soaked for 20 min (optional) in 1 cup hot water.

2) 1 tsp turmeric powder

3) 1 tsp cumin

4) 1 large tomato (coarsely diced)

5) 1 tsp olive oil

6) salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the side of Corn & Carrots:

1) 1 cup  frozen crinkle cut carrots

2) 1/2 cup fresh frozen sweet corn

3) 2 tbsp raisins

4) 1 tsp mustard seeds

5) 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

6) 1 tsp olive oil

7) salt and pepper to taste

Lentils with a side of corn n' carrots

Directions:

Heat up 1 tsp olive oil in a pressure cooker (uncovered) over medium heat. Add cumin, salt and turmeric. Allow spices to cook for a couple of minutes and then add the dal-water mixture. Cover, allow pressure to build and cook under pressure for ~10-12 min. Depending upon the size of your cooker and stove conditions, you may need to adjust this (fully cooked toor dal should melt in your mouth and not require chewing). Allow the steam to dissipate and then add tomato and allow to simmer on the back burner for 5-7 min. Serve over steamed white or brown basmati (long grain) rice for the best home-made taste.

Two-fisting Dal :)

For Corn & Carrots, in a medium sauteing pan, heat olive oil and when hot, add mustard seeds. As the seeds sizzle and begin to pop, add the ginger-garlic paste and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Toss well.

Nikhil LOVES his dal and also loves Carrots & Corn. Great choice for a 2-year old. :)