Baked Steel Cut Oats

Do you agree that homemade baked macaroni and cheese is head and shoulders above that stuff on the stove, and that the stuff on the stove is head and shoulders above that stuff in the microwave? Well, this is the exact same situation. Oats in the microwave are good, oats on the stove are better and oats in the oven are THE BEST.

I have been wanting to try baked oatmeal for a while now and figured there's no better time than now--a lazy Saturday morning. I combined a few different recipes I saw on other blogs and came up with this concoction. While "winging it" when baking can be quite risky, it turned out wonderfully this time. Oh, and did I mention this is healthy? Enjoy!

Makes two hefty servings (I like a big breakfast)

Ingredients
1 cup steel cut oats (straight from the pantry, no soaking necessary)
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 cup fresh or dried fruit (I used fresh blueberries)
Dash of sea salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray two ramekins with Pam.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Pour mixture into ramekins and top with a sprinkle of brown sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Serve immediately with milk and sweetener of your choice. I used brown sugar today, but plan to try maple syrup and honey in the future.

I guess you could say we enjoyed this one.

Avocado Pasta

Okay, okay. This little baking blog has somehow turned into a foodie free-for-all, but I like it. This girl enjoys a little savory before her sweet so has decided to share it all. Happy 2012!

The season for binging is officially in the past and the new year is here to stay. Tis now the season for light eats and treats THAT ACTUALLY TASTE GOOD. It is a huge misconception that healthy food can't taste good. I present you with proof and introduce to you a unique dish that is so simple it will knock your socks off. Enjoy!

Serves Two

Ingredients
Pasta of your choice (I used a short pasta as it's easier to mix with the sauce)
1 ripe avocado
2 T light mayo (I used olive oil mayo)
1 handful chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 lemon
1 jalapeno (optional)
Salt and pepper

Directions
Throw your two servings of pasta in boiling water.

Throw the meat of the avocado, mayo, cilantro, garlic and the juice of one lemon into a blender or food processor and pulse until you achieve a smooth, creamy consistency. Salt and paper to taste.

Once cooked al dente, strain and rinse your pasta in cold water for a few seconds. Mix the pasta with your desired amount of sauce (I used it all). Plate the pasta then top with the zest of your juiced lemon and a bit of pepper. If you like a bit of spice, invite a sprinkle of chopped jalapeno to the party. Serve immediately.

A shout out to my foodie friend Sarah Hirst for introducing this recipe to me!

Norweigan Lefse

This post was recently featured on NPR's Chompsgiving and Chew Year's: Holiday Dishes segment.

As a born and raised Iowan, I didn't think a move to North Dakota would warrant much culture shock. I figured the winters were a little colder and the trees were more sparse, but the Midwest is the Midwest. Boy was I wrong. It wasn't long ago that the terms uff da, lutefisk and lefse sounded more like a sneeze than words with such history. I will never forget the day my North Dakotan-with-Norweigan-roots boyfriend, now husband, let out his first "uff da" in my presence.

My in-laws not only drop "uff bombs" left and right, but take part in a few Norweigan traditions, particularly around the holidays. Each year, my mother-in-law gets together with fellow family members to prepare, from scratch, over 100 "sheets" of lefse. For those that are unfamiliar, lefse is a traditional soft, Norweigan flatbread made primarily from potatoes, butter, cream and flour. Having helped with the process two years in a row now, I decided to share the process in hopes that lefse will someday attract a little more "yum" and a little less "bless you."

Ingredients

9 cups of potatoes (half red, half russet)

1 1/4 cup salted butter

1/2 cup cream

4 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

Materials

Lefse grill

Lefse sticks

Rolling pin and sock

Pastry cloth-covered board

Wax paper

Large towels

Directions (Day One)

Peel, chop and boil potatoes. Once soft, drain water and set aside.

Cube the butter and place in bottom of a large heat-proof bowl.

Pour cooked potatoes over the butter and beat with a hand mixer, just as you would for mashed potatoes. Mix in cream, salt, sugar and baking powder.

Let cool then refrigerate overnight. To avoid extra moisture in the potato mixture, place a paper towel over the potatoes to absorb any condensation.

Directions (Day Two)

Roll up your sleeves, take off your jewelry and prepare for a floury mess. Add the flour, one cup at a time, to the chilled potato mixture and mix thoroughly to create your lefse dough. Don't even bother getting a spoon dirty because you'll end up using your hands in the end.

Once completely incorporated, form walnut-sized balls of dough and refrigerate while you set up your workspace.

Preheat your grill to 500F. Do not grease the grill as it must be dry. On the counter or a nearby table, fold a towel in half and place a few sheets of wax paper inside the fold. You will stack the cooked lefse on the wax paper and cover with the towel as you go. 

Rub your pastry cloth with a generous amount of flour. Do the same with your sock-covered rolling pin. You will need to re-apply flour as needed throughout the rolling process.

Now you are ready to roll, literally. Dust a ball with flour and flatten it out. Place the flattened ball on the  cloth-covered board and with your floured, sock-covered rolling pin, roll the dough into a thin, large circle.

Do not be shy with your flour. If your dough starts to stick, you're being shy. Using a lefse stick, transfer the large round to the hot grill.

If your grill is hot enough, the lefse will begin to bubble immediately. Lightly spank those bubbles with your lefse stick. Yes, I just said spank. There's no better way to describe it.

Slide your stick under the round, lift and roll to complete your flip.

Each side only cooks for a few seconds. You are looking for light brown spots. If the  round's edges are brown or curling, you are cooking it too long. Stack the cooked lefse in alternating directions in between wax paper, covered with a towel.

Once you have about 20 sheets of lefse, wrap completely with a towel and set aside to keep from getting dry. Set up a new stacking station just as you did with the original.

Once all of your dough has been rolled and everything is covered in flour, yourself included, it's time to clean up and have a glass of wine. Actually, you should really have a full glass of wine as well as your favorite holiday Pandora station playing throughout the entire lefse-making process.

Once lefse is completely cooled, it's time to package it for future consumption. You will likely have a sheet or two right now, but should package the rest to share with family and friends throughout the long holiday season.

Unfold each sheet lefse and fold in the opposite direction. This will avoid the sheet from sticking to itself. Fold in half again and stack by the dozen. Put each stack in a baggie, then in a ziploc bag. As the lefse is very thin, it can easily become dry if not stored properly.

While you can eat it however you'd like, I prefer a light spread of margarine and a sprinkle of white sugar, all rolled up into a little piece of heaven.

Lefse keeps for about a week on the counter or up to two years in the freezer. Enjoy!

Oh, and if you still think lutefisk still sounds like a sneeze, good. Google it and you'll understand why.

Lemon Vegetable Risotto

Those beautiful, colorful veggies are a plenty this time of year and the last thing you want to do is let them go to waste. This year, my hubby and I planted our first vegetable garden and are having fun maintaining and eating up the homegrown goodies throughout the short, but sweet North Dakota growing season. On top of that, the summer squash fairy visited our doorstep this week and left us a bag of the biggest summer squash I have ever seen. If you find yourself with copious amounts of summer squash, green beans, peas or any summer veggies for that reason, make this light, summery risotto. Enjoy!

Ingredients

8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut

8 ounces peas

5 teaspoons olive oil

1 (8 ounce) summer squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

4 3/4 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon seasoning

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

1/2 cup roughy chopped yellow onion
Salt (pinch)
Pepper (pinch)
White sugar (pinch)

1 cup uncooked arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add green beans and peas; cook for three minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water then set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skilled over medium high heat. Add two teaspoons of olive oil to pan to coat and add one tablespoon of butter. Add the chopped yellow onion, salt, pepper and sugar and toss to coat. Let carmelize on medium-low heat for twenty to thirty minutes, stirring occasionally. Once carmelized, add squash and cook until browned on both sides. Set aside.

Heat remaining one tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for three minutes or until tender. Stir in rice and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine and cook until liquid is completely absorbed, approximately thirty seconds. Stir in one cup of the broth and cook for five minutes or until completely absorbed, stirring constantly. Reserve 1/4 cup of broth.

Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next. Sir in the vegetables, cook one minute, then remove from heat. Stir in reserved 1/4 cup of broth and remaining ingredients. I mixed in most of the cheese in the pan then plated the risotto. To finish, I topped the plated risotto with the lemon juice, lemon rind and a sprinkle of the remaining cheese.

The recipe was adapted from one found in Cooking Light magazine.

Spring Rolls

As the seasons change, cravings change. The comfort food that sounded good just two months ago now sounds, well, uncomfortable. When I walk in the door on a week like this, all I crave is cold, fresh salads with lots of veggies and fruit. Grilled meat and summer salads are always summer classics, but I encourage you to branch out and try something new this season. These simple spring rolls are not only easy to make, but are the perfect ending to a hot July day. If you grow your own lettuce and herbs like we do, this is also a great way to share (show off) all of those homegrown goodies with your family and friends. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Spring roll skins (Bahn)

Rice sticks

Crisp lettuce (green leaf or romaine are best)

Fresh mint

Fresh basil

Fresh cilantro

Shredded carrots

Butterfly pork chops (optional)

Teriyaki marinade (optional)

Hoisin sauce

Peanut butter

Directions

The first two ingredients on the list can definitely be found at your local Asian market if you can't find them in your grocery store. If you are opting for vegetarian spring rolls, then skip this first step.

Thinly slice your pork chops and pan fry with a bit of salt and pepper. Once cooked through and no longer pink, add some teriyaki sauce or marinade and toss to coat. Set aside to cool.

Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Add the rice sticks as you would pasta and cook for just a couple of minutes. Rinse in cold water and set aside.

Take a spring roll skin and soak it in hot water until soft (about a minute). Lay the skin on a large plate.

Now for the fun part. Simply layer these ingredients in whatever order you prefer. I usually start with the rice sticks and follow with the lettuce, carrots and herbs. Top with the pork then fold in both ends of the skin and roll like a burrito. The skin will stick to itself. It's much easier to roll tightly when you don't overload the skin with ingredients.

Hoisin Dipping Sauce

Put a few spoonfuls of hoisin sauce in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a teaspoon of water then microwave until almost boiling. In our weakling microwave circa 1945, this takes about a minute. But for those of you with a fancy microwave from this century, 30 seconds should do the trick. Once hot, remove from the microwave and add one spoonful of creamy peanut butter and stir until incorporated. The warm hoisin will melt the peanut butter down and create the most amazing dipping sauce you could imagine. I must admit that I always find myself eating this sauce with a spoon if there is a bit left over.

This recipe is adapted from Tien Tran's famous spring rolls she always made in college!

Magnolia's Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes

After a week of salivating over the endless tweets and posts about festive goodies, I decided to join the masses and do some baking in honor of the upcoming holiday too. While making a cake is typically less time consuming, it's just not as cute as a bunch of little cupcakes dressed up with sprinkles and the like. Plus, cupcakes are easy to share and when you bake, SHARING IS A MUST. This not just for the sake of generosity, but for your waistline as well. If any of you are like me, those cute little cupcakes just stare at you every time you walk through the kitchen, begging to be inhaled in excessive portions.

I have never been to Magnolia's famous bakery in NYC, but the pictures I've seen of the ridiculously long lines at Magnolia's speak for themselves. I adapted this recipe slightly as I had to improv on an ingredient or two, but they turned out wonderfully! I brought a tray of them out to my office this morning and from what I hear, they didn't disappoint. If you're looking for a fun treat that's relatively simple to make and easy to share, give this one a try. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Line two muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours and baking soda then whisk until smooth. In your electric mixer, cream the butter then gradually add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake papers, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for five to ten minutes, then let cool completely on a wire rack before icing.


Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
Cream the butter and sugar in your electric mixer. Add four cups of the sugar, milk and vanilla. On medium speed, beat until smooth and creamy, about three minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, one cup at a time, until the icing is thick enough for piping or spreading. This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes or one 9-inch layer cake.

A Five Course Dinner

I thought I'd share a few pictures from our very first, VERY successful five course dinner party we hosted last Friday night. Course recipes coming soon of course!

Wine and Cheese

Balsamic Greens with Cold Strawberry Soup

Creamy Chicken and Prosciutto Pasta

Marinated Flank Steak with Panzanella Salad

German Chocolate Cake