Baked Oatmeal Cups

or how I contaminated a previously healthy breakfast

A good, easy breakfast or mid morning snack can be hard to find.  It is easy to get lost in sea of pre-made options from the frozen foods section or burn yourself out on peanut butter toast.  And if you are in a state of pregnancy, such as myself, or just in the apparently rather healthy habit of eating 6 small meals a day in place of 3 large ones having something homemade that you can reach for at a whim is essential.  Now I am sucker for freezer meal options and cooking once to satisfy a multitude of meals so anything that results in a moderate bulk of food is right up my alley, so I went in search of breakfast options that reheat well and can last 3-4 days in the fridge before turning on you and attacking when you open the door.  There is a multitude of homemade breakfast sandwich options out there in freezer cooking world, but I haven't come to terms with the concept of freezing and reheating cooked eggs at home yet so those were out.  And there are a lot of bulk slow cooker breakfast casseroles out there, but they aren't all that great reheated in my opinion (sadly, I have tried).  So I went more towards a carb focused approach.

I found a fair amount of recipes out there for baked oatmeal and that seemed like something that was just crying out to be reheated since oatmeal is a pretty hearty substance to begin with so I thought that would be a great place to start.  Most of the recipes called for a single large baking dish method, not the best for my grab and go concept, so I continued to look around.  I found some single serving options on healthy eating blogs and settled on the one by Sugar Free Mom, diabetic friendly and focused on creating a healthier you.  That's all well and good, but since me and oatmeal are not long time friends I needed to sweeten up the deal.  I started by halving the recipe, then I added a bit more applesauce (I used homemade because I had it on hand), added a touch more milk, and infused it with refined sugar.  Frozen cherries were my filling of choice for a bit more sweetness, albeit natural this time.  The baking time is a bit longer, but that is probably from the extra liquids I used.  I was really happy with the texture at the end, though this is definitely  a spoon or fork dish and not one I would recommend picking up with your hands.

Here is my, much less healthy, take on the personal sized baked oatmeal recipe from Sugar Free Mom:

1 egg
1 cup applesauce
2 ½ cups rolled oats
1 ⅓ cups low fat milk (1-2%)
1 small banana smashed, or ½ of a large banana smashed
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup sugar (or 2 tbsp depending on preference, I like it sweet)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract
24-36 frozen cherries
salt
cinnamon sugar blend or dark chocolate chips for topping

Hardware: cupcake/muffin pan, cupcake liners
Makes 10-12 cupcake sized servings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a medium bowl mix the egg, vanilla, applesauce, mashed banana and sugar until well blended.

2. Next add in the salt, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix well with wet ingredients.

3. Stir in the oats until well blended and then pour in milk and combine.

4. Place 10-12 cupcake liners in the muffin pan.

5. Pour some of the mixture into the liners, filling each a little less then half way. Add 2-3 frozen cherries per cup, pressing down so they are partly submerged, and then add more of the mixture to cover.

6. Sprinkle the tops with a cinnamon sugar blend or dark chocolate chips (because it was just a little too close to looking healthy, and it is a nice touch of flavor).

7. Bake 35-40 minutes or until they look set. Cool and enjoy, refrigerate, or freeze individuality and then combine them in gallon freezer bags.

I like them reheated as is, just remove the cupcake liners first. But if you mash up the muffins and add a couple tablespoons of cream or milk you can have a thick oatmeal texture for some variety.

Ready for reheating at work:

(not the best photo, but it gives you the idea)

Pressure Makes it Better Applesauce

or steaming your way to homemade applesauce is a breeze...


I have three great loves in my kitchen that may not make the list in yours - my slow cooker, my pressure cooker, and my home canners (both hot water and pressure versions).  I have found on many occasions that to my surprise even the first two of these are not common tools in many of my friends' kitchens. I can understand the canners not making the cut, not everyone is as into home canning and preserving as me, and most did not grow up with the process as I did.  But the first two tools have long been essential to food prep in my life, even before I considered the process to be actual "cooking."  Now, I find that lately the slow cooker, or crockpot, is getting some new found love as a rising trend and I certainly do my best to encourage it here on my blog when I can, but the pressure cooker is still being largely neglected in the every day culinary world of home kitchens.  I, for one, would like to stand on my soap box for a minute or two shouting its praises.. (this would be far more impressive in person so I'll just let you imagine me up there passionately rambling on for another few minutes about its glories)   


Ok, now where were we?  Right, applesauce.  (don't look at me like that, I was going to get around to it eventually...)  Applesauce is surprisingly easy to make, though doing it with the stove top method it can take somewhat of a  time commitment.  The results are delicious, trust me on this, but we don't always have that much time to dedicate to it when we have apples ripening on the counter top.  So I suggest pulling out that trustworthy old pressure cooker and whipping it up in 30 min or less round trip.  A big time saver here, aside from the obvious cook time, is that you do not need to peel the apples - the pressure cooking process breaks them down enough to blend them into the mix.  This gives the resulting applesauce a lovely rosy hue.  If you do not like that particular color for your sauce you are welcome to peel the apples in advance, but I find it to be a nice change.

12 lg to med apples 
¾ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of nutmeg
¼ tsp cinnamon

Hardware: pressure cooker


1. Core the apples and cut into large slices

2. Add the apples to pressure cooker with the water.  Cover securely and bring to pressure according to manufacturer guidelines.  


3. Leave the apples to cook for 5 min then turn off heat and allow to cool down naturally

4. Use a stick (i.e. immersion) blender to puree the apples, they will mash easily with a potato masher but the blender dissolves the peels better.

5. Stir in sugar, vanilla, and spices until dissolved.  Adjust to taste.




If you are interested in delving into the world of pressure cookers even further, I highly recommend checking out Hip Pressure Cooking's website.  They have a good amount of resources and recipes to help you out along the way.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

or toss and roast your way to vegetable delight


Cauliflower and I do not get along so well.  We aren't exactly friends.  More like acquaintances.  I started to build the bridge to acceptance with my Cauliflower and Potato Soup a year ago today, and now on the anniversary of that initial gesture I am taking another step forward and facing it head on.  This recipe really lets the cauliflower shine in its own right.  It is cheap and easy, so there isn't a large financial or time commitment to fear in giving it a try.  Personally the rosemary and Parmesan cheese really sold it for me, but you can't discount the impact of the lemon juice on the process.  Whether you are a long time fan of this pale vegetable or just coming to terms with its potential, like myself, I suggest giving this recipe a try.  You never know, you may add a new veggie to the welcome list at your table...

½ bunch cauliflower
4 tbsp vegetable oil (or olive oil)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced or crushed garlic
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
Salt & Pepper
4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Hardware: baking dish (large enough to form a single layer with the cauliflower)
Preheat oven to 400 F


1. Chop cauliflower into small florets and toss with vegetable oil in the baking dish.


2. Add lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper.  Toss again to incorporate the flavors throughout. Shake the dish gently to create a natural, single layer (you don't want any over crowding or unwanted touching going on to ruin the mood).


3. Bake for 20 min, the edges of the cauliflower should start to turn golden.  Stir and then top with parmesan cheese, because cheese makes everything better, and return the dish to the oven for 5 min.

Cannoli Cream Dip (A Tasty Kitchen Treat)

or a big bowl of cream cheese heaven

This is a slightly adapted recipe, the original recipe can be found here: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/cannoli-dip/

The recipe is delicious, easily gluten free, and not one I can call mine.  As long as you give credit where credit is due over at Tasty Kitchen I encourage you to try it for yourself.  I made it a bit sweeter, a touch creamer, but essentially the same.  This is an incredibly easy dip to make for desserts or snacks at parties, or just because you happen to have a box of graham crackers laying around begging for a dip (though I really just use them as a spoon...).  This is easy enough to make just for yourself, but you may want to portion it out in that case or you'll find yourself wondering who snuck in and ate it all when you weren't looking.

I almost always have cream cheese in the fridge, and most of the other ingredients in the pantry, so this tends to be a very cheap thing for me to make as well.  I think the addition of heavy cream helps make this more scoop-able and reducing the chocolate chips helps to balance the increase I made in confectioner's sugar.  You could always make this in a stand mixer and that would be even faster, you may even get a more "whipped" effect which would be nice, but I have not tried it yet.

Here is how it goes:

8 oz cream cheese (I prefer reduced fat, it can't hurt and it softens faster)
1 stick of butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1-2 tbsp heavy cream (or milk)

1. Very important - soften the cream cheese and butter.  This can be done by leaving them out over night or softening in the microwave.  If you skip this essential step, it will use a lot more arm power to mix and take a bit longer to make.  My arms prefer if I soften the ingredients first but if you want to be hard core knock yourself out....

2. In a medium sized bowl combine the cram cheese and butter until you have an even consistency throughout.  Add the vanilla extract and 1 tbsp heavy cream and stir well.

3. Add in the confectioner's sugar and blend.  If you want it to be a little smoother, add another tablespoon of heavy cream and blend well.

4. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.  Serve with graham crackers or vanilla wafers.  Refrigerate leftovers, if you happen to have any.

Simply Spinach Au Gratin

or out of season, but on our plates, a veggie for the winter months

Vegetables are always important regardless of the season, unfortunately they just don't taste the same year round.  So there have to be creative ways to perk up those options and make them appealing when out of season or they just won't make it to the dinner table.  One of my favorite ways to entice less than optimal veggies to join the party to is to bake them them with some of my favorite flavors - mostly a dash or two of cheese and carbs (in the way of seasoned bread crumbs).  This dresses up everything from broccoli to asparagus to brussel sprouts, it really can't go wrong.  But when it came to spinach, those oh so healthy dark green leaves seemed to beckon for a bit more and a richness it so rightly deserves.  It may seem like a lot of food when you toss all this together, but it cooks down to a reasonable amount for a family of two to four.  This is a great side dish for heavier meats such as steak or thick cut grilled or broiled fish, and spinach isn't nearly as scary as it may seem when all dressed up like this.  Check it out:

1 large bunch fresh spinach
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup low fat milk
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
nutmeg
1 tsp crushed garlic
salt to taste

6+ tbsp Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1. Wash out the spinach and shake dry.  Cut of the stems and roughly chop if desired.

2. In a large bowl combine all of the remaining ingredients except for half of the breadcrumbs and stir well to combine.  Add in the spinach leaves and toss to coat.

3. Pour the mixture into a large baking dish and top with the remaining seasoned bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 F for 20 min or until the spinach is wilted and the "sauce" a bit thickened.  Allow to rest for a couple minutes to set before serving.

Side note: depending on how creamy you like this dish, you may choose to reduce the amount of milk and cream a bit after you make it the first time.  Just keep in mind if you are doing it while cooking that the end result is quite different than how it looks going into the oven.  It is part of the magic of the shrinking spinach syndrome. 

Sober Shrimp Scampi

or a creamy, alcohol free shrimp saute for any day

There are days when a "fancy" meal would really just make everything better, and unfortunately these tend to be the days when you just don't have the energy and initiative to do a lot of cooking.  I have been having more and more of these lately, and as I am currently relying on the hubby to cook when I am too worn out from this whole being pregnant and creating life thing I have been living on more packaged foods than usual and that only makes matters worse.  So what to do when the hubby looks at you like you have three heads when you tell him you are craving a homemade cream sauce or some rich and savory seafood?  Just do what I do - find a shortcut or two and pull it together while he mans the sides.  You may collapse afterward from the added exertion, but the food coma feeling that you get in return will make it all worth it.

This dish was definitely a pick-me-up and is about to become dinner again tonight.  We haven't had a lot of open bottles of wine around the house since I am currently unable to drink them so this went the way of a booze-free approach right off the bat.  I also initially used precooked shrimp to make it go even faster but you do not need to do that to make it work.  It may sound like a lot, but the total time investment is only about 15 min and it makes 2 servings.  Check it out and give it a shot, it's a great way to kick up any weekday meal without a lot of fuss.  (Sorry for the lack of photo, I have a problem with this dish with devouring it before I remember to get photographic evidence.  I will try again though, we'll see if I can remember...)

4 tbsp butter
16 peeled and deveined shrimp, you can even do the precooked frozen ones if you want (just thaw them first)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried parsley
salt to taste
2 tbsp flour
Grated Parmesan Cheese for topping

1. Remove the tails from shrimp if desired, I like to do this if serving over pasta.  And melt the butter in a small to medium pan.

2. Add the minced garlic and lemon juice to the butter and saute for a couple minutes to allow the garlic to season the butter.  Then add in the shrimp and saute until heated all the way through and no longer pink if using raw shrimp.

3. Remove the shrimp and about half of the butter mixture and set aside.  Gradually stir flour into the the remaining butter in the pan until a golden paste like consistency forms (a roux).  Then stir back in the remaining butter to create a creamy sauce.  Season with salt and parsley.

4. Add the shrimp back in and stir to coat.  Simmer for a minute or two.  Remove the mixture from heat to serving dishes and top lightly with shredded Parmesan cheese.  (optional - serve in individual ramekins topped with Italian breadcrumbs and broiled momentarily to crisp the top)

Stir and Go Slow Cooker Shells and Cheese

or so easy it's scary, comfort food made while you wait

So, a couple weeks ago, I was innocently making my own pregnant way through the work week when out of nowhere the migraine I had been fighting all week roared up and took over my life.  As anyone who has had a migraine knows, this took me completely out of commission immediately.  The main problem with this, aside from my hormonal reaction, was that I was home alone and needed to make sure that I was able to eat something without causing myself too much pain in the way of worsening my condition.  So chicken soup was out, I was out of prepped freezer meals, and I was desperately craving comfort food.  Enter the pasta...

Carbs are most definitely comfort food, cover them in cheese and how could you go wrong?  But the process usually involves at least occasional periods of effort, which meant more up and down and activity in general (which my migraine was seriously arguing against).  So what to do?  Use the slow cooker of course!  Now, this is not a recipe that I could set in the morning and have ready after work, since I do not have one of those new fancy slow cookers that are programmable, but on a day when I am home simply incapable of physically manning the kitchen - this was perfect.  The only real effort it took was stirring enough before setting it so that the cheeses were all incorporated.  And the result was delicious, perfectly comforting and ready and waiting when I awoke from my pain induced sleep, I mean nap....  This came to mind again today as my hubby is sitting at home with a head cold trying to nurse it back to health, if only he liked macaroni and cheese in general I wouldn't have to worry about him forgetting to eat.  Oh well, it brought it to my mind and therefor I bring it to yours to share.  Check it out, I hope you enjoy!

2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 ⅔ mini shells or macaroni, uncooked
3 cups low fat milk
10 oz shredded Cheddar & Monterrey Jack cheese
6 oz  ricotta
½ tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for topping before serving

Hardware: slow cooker, crock pot (3 qt sized preferred)

1. Toss all the ingredients together into the slow cooker and stir until the cheeses are well blended.
2. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
3. Serve immediately topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or top with Italian breadcrumbs and broil the top slightly to crisp in an oven safe container.


The leftovers are perfect for fried mac & cheese experiments, I haven't perfected my own variation yet but I will link it here as soon as I do!