Overnight Oats

I have been making and sharing this recipe for such a short time, only about a couple months, but it has literally changed my life, not to mention it has quickly become my most requested recipe OF ALL TIME...though technically I can take almost no credit for the recipe itself...

My best friend Meredith, pursuer and purveyor of delicious recipes everywhere and my most fierce cooking competitor, first introduced me to this delicious breakfast dish. I was at her house for one of my rare visits to Florida when she offered me a bowl as she described the ingredients. I'll admit, I was skeptical, not being a fan of yogurt in general, and especially Greek yogurt. (I know, I'm probably the only person IN THE WORLD who feels this way, I mean, c'mon, who doesn't like yogurt, what kind of ridiculousness IS THIS!! But it's true.) I also felt a bit unsettled about the chia seeds; I'd heard of them before, but never tried them. So I took a bite, and I remember it tasting good, but I think my yogurt-starved brain just couldn't get past the ingredient list long enough to really enjoy it. And that was it. I forgot entirely about the overnight oats, or muesli, as some call it (but not me because I don't even know how to pronounce it)...until one day a series of events happened that brought me to today, sharing this recipe with you.

A couple months ago, I read something on the internet (it's all true, every word on every page of the world wide web, you know) about the health benefits of chia seeds. And that brought back the memory of the bowl of overnight oats that my friend had shared with me. That day when I made my weekly trip to the grocery store, I was walking through the health food aisle when, lo and behold, the chia seeds were ON SALE! That was it. I grabbed them and put them in the cart before I could change my mind. I brought them home, looked up a few recipes online for overnight oats, and mixed up my first batch. The next morning, deliciousness ensued. I immediately contacted my ever-patient friend Meredith, who had been waiting for me to get on the overnight oats bandwagon for a while, and she gave me some additional tips that she'd discovered to further enhance the recipe, which I've tested for myself and consequently added to the completed recipe you see below.

Overnight Oats

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use instant or quick cooking oats)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 and 1/3 cups almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
3 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. local honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup fresh fruit of your choice

Stir first 6 ingredients together in a medium size bowl until mixed. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Stir in fresh fruit just before serving. 

Makes approximately 3-4 servings. 

And that's it! Five minutes of your time in the evening = a delicious, nutritious breakfast in the morning, and it's easily packed if you eat breakfast at your desk at work, like I do most mornings. I've made this dish a dozen times since the first time, and every time I eat it at work or share it with someone, I've always been asked for the recipe. It's so tasty, quick to make and fills you up so you're not hungry and snacking before lunch.

There are also a bunch of different additions/variations on this recipe on the internet, and probably on Pinterest as well, that you can try out just to change it up, or get creative and come up with your own custom variation (and please share in the comments if you do). My personal favorite is stirring in 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa when I'm mixing up the ingredients, then adding fresh strawberries and few dark chocolate shavings on top in the morning.

Also, you can use frozen fruit instead of fresh fruit if that's what you have on hand, just be sure to add it the night before, instead of in the morning, to give the fruit time to defrost. You'll probably notice that the end result isn't quite as "set" the next the morning, due to the extra liquid from the defrosting fruit, but you should be able to combat this by just adding a little less milk in the beginning. 

Source: This is the first recipe I tried and it ended up being the best one and the inspiration for my recipe, but the proportions have been adjusted and a few ingredients added based on my preferences and my friend's recommendations. (http://www.pepperlynn.com/2012/02/overnight-oats-two-ways/)

Pumpkin Pancakes

If you've finished your holiday cooking and have some leftover pumpkin that you can't decide what to do with, this is the perfect breakfast treat to use it in! These fluffy pancakes are easy to make and sure to be a hit any time of the year.

Pumpkin Pancakes 

1½ cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 eggs, separated

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cups flour

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

½ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. salt

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt. Add the milk, pumpkin, and egg yolks, setting aside the egg whites in a separate bowl. Stir all the ingredients just until mixed, batter will be slightly lumpy. Beat the eggs whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into pancake batter. Lightly butter a griddle or skillet and heat on medium heat until butter is bubbly. Pour 1/3 cup of batter directly onto griddle and turn to spread to 6" round. Wait to flip until numerous bubbles appear on surface of batter and bottom of pancake is golden brown. After flipping, resist the urge to flatten pancake with spatula during cooking, as this will ruin the texture. Cook second side until golden brown. Serve warm with butter and pure maple syrup.

Makes approximately 12-6" pancakes.

Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

The weather outside may be frightful, but in your tummy this soup is delightful! A warm, hearty and savory soup is just what you need to ward off the winter chill, and this soup is the perfect candidate for the job. Around this time of year, pumpkin dishes are aplenty, but mostly in dessert form. If you want to find a new way to add pumpkin to your menu, try this savory soup instead.

Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree

1-14oz. can coconut milk

1 cup almond milk or cow's milk

2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice

1/2 tsp. orange zest

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onions

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup shelled, roasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)

1/2 cup dried, unsweetened coconut, toasted, for garnish (optional)

Melt the butter in a large pot, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except pumpkin seeds and dried coconut, cook and stir until mixture comes to a gentle boil, turn heat to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and toasted coconut if desired, serve hot. Makes approximately 4 servings.

Definitely use fresh pumpkin puree versus canned pumpkin if possible, as it takes center stage in this recipe. Pumpkin puree is easy to make and use if you plan ahead a bit, and can be frozen until ready to use. Try this link to learn how to make your own pumpkin puree.

Sources: These recipes were the basis and inspiration for my original recipe above - Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Coconut Milk Soup.

Nacho Cheese Dip

This recipe is a great alternative to the very processed, not-even-real-cheese, Velveeta "cheese" dip that we've all probably eaten in a restaurant at some point or (gasp) even used to make at home. In fact, it's even better than that stuff, because this dip doesn't congeal as it cools, the texture stays pretty much the same whether it's served immediately, after it's been on the table for an hour or in the refrigerator for a day or two. And it's just as easy to make. Win-win.

You can serve this with tortilla chips, over nachos, or in tacos or burritos...or anywhere else that you would want cheese dip.

Nacho Cheese Dip

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups milk
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped jalapenos
1 tomato, seeded and diced 
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and baking powder to the melted butter, whisk until it forms a paste. Gradually stir in the milk so that no lumps form. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, this will take several minutes. Add cheese, stir until melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and add tomatoes, jalapenos, salt and chili powder. 

Source: I started with this basic cheese sauce recipe, and amped it up. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Nacho-Cheese-Sauce/Detail.aspx?prop24=RD_RelatedRecipes

Bacon Rolls

Ok, so I'm a little ashamed of sharing this recipe, because a couple of the ingredients are a little processed. But it's not all bad, I changed the original, which I've had in my recipe box for years and have no idea where it originated from, to incorporate as many fresh ingredients as possible. These rolls frequent show up in my dinner menus, potlucks and parties, they're always a huge success.

Bacon Rolls

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2/3 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz. can crescent roll dough
6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

Separate the crescent roll dough into 4 rectangles and lay out onto parchment paper. Mix bacon, mushrooms, mayo and garlic. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the 4 rectangles (approximately 1 1/2 oz. per rectangle), then spread bacon mixture evenly onto each rectangle. Roll up on long side, pinch to seal. Cut into slices with serrated knife, cutting to end up with about 3 dozen rolls (approximately 9 per roll). Place on baking sheet and bake at 375° F for 9 minutes or until lightly brown.

I know what you're thinking...you thought I was vegetarian but there's bacon in this recipe, what kind of alternate reality is this?! Well, I actually use fake bacon (I call it facon), which can be found in the freezer section; I use the Morning Star brand. It's definitely not that close to real thing, and I do consider it to be a processed product, but there's very little of it in the recipe when you look at how many servings you get of the final results, and it works great in this recipe by combining well with the flavors of the other ingredients. So if you're vegetarian and you haven't just unfollowed my blog in a fit of shock and anger, "facon" totally works in this recipe, so us veggies can enjoy it, too.

Source: Unknown

Cauliflower Cheese Cakes

Lately I've been stumped about what to serve with what I'm serving...you know, side dishes. I just don't have enough recipes for sides and complementary dishes. So I explored and created and discovered. Here's the first of three side-dish recipes that I'll post, all three of them being fairly simple and not incredibly time consuming to make, just the way that side dishes should usually be.

My cousin shared this recipe with me, and I love the simplicity, the fact that it's vegetarian and that its main ingredient is a vegetable. What a winner! The original recipe (see source at bottom of page) is actually a gluten free dish, but since it calls for almond flour, an ingredient not typically found in my kitchen on a regular basis, and since I am not striving to be gluten free, I used regular all-purpose flour instead, and they turned out great. However, my cousin has made these with almond flour and swears they're great that way too, so if you are avoiding gluten, pretty simple to convert the recipe.

My cousin also recommended adding more cheese, a stance I fully support, and the change is reflected in the recipe below.

Cauliflower Cheese Cakes

1 small cauliflower head
3/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. flour
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and place in a steamer basket. Steam until cauliflower can very easily be pierced with a fork. In a large bowl, mash the cauliflower until it looks like mashed potatoes, then add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Heat a skillet on medium heat and coat with olive oil. Drop 1" balls of batter onto heated skillet, then gently press down to flatten slightly. Cook each side for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, re-oiling pan after each batch. Serve warm.

Source: http://365glutenfree.com/day-38/

Oreo Cupcakes

My boyfriend is not a big dessert fan. (How we ever ended up together with such widely differing views on dessert, I'll never know, but somehow we make it work.) He rarely eats sweets, and never after 9PM. There is only one exception to this...if there are Oreos anywhere in sight, all rules are out the window. So when determining what to bake him for his birthday, I knew it had to have Oreos in it. And since I like cupcakes, it was an easy decision. The hard part was coming up with right combination of cake and frosting that best represented the cookies and cream flavor I was looking for. I wanted a dark, dense, semi-sweet chocolate cake, and a light, airy frosting. Here's what I came up with:

Oreo Cupcakes

Cake Ingredients:
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
2¾ cups flour
2 tsps. baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
4 eggs
1½ tsps. vanilla extract
24 Oreo cookies, plus more for garnish if desired

Cake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Carefully separate cookies so that one side has the cream intact and only the cookie remains on the other side. Set aside the cookies without the cream, to be used later in the frosting. Place the cookie halves with the cream, cream side up, at the bottom of each paper liner. In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. 
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat just until mixed. Fill paper liners ¾ full. Bake for 21-24 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5-10 minutes or until safe to touch before removing. Place in refrigerator until completely cooled and ready to frost.

Frosting Ingredients:
4 cups (2 pints) heavy whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
24 Oreo cookie halves

Frosting Directions:
In a food processor or blender, process cookie halves until blended into fine crumbs. In a large bowl, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the whipped cream holds stiff peaks. Gently fold in the cookie crumbs with a spatula. Scoop mixture into pastry bag and pipe onto cupcakes. Garnish with Oreo cookies if desired.

The final results were better than I had even dared to hope. The cake was everything I wanted: dark, dense, rich. The frosting is the literal interpretation of the cookies and cream taste I wanted, without the heaviness of a standard buttercream frosting. And it's delicious. I could eat it straight out of the bowl. The only thing I had qualms about was the cookie at the bottom of the cupcake. It didn't soften up during the baking process like I hoped it would, so the crisp texture of the cookie with the softness of the cake was quite the juxtaposition. But it's growing on me. I'll probably do it the same way when I bake them again. And I will bake them again, for sure.

Sources: Ingredients and proportions have been changed, but the main inspiration came from these two recipes- http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dark-chocolate-cake-i/detail.aspx, http://buddingbaketress.blogspot.com/2011/03/oreo-cupcakes.html