Oatmeal Pancakes

When I first saw these oatmeal pancakes, I was intrigued.  I had recently tasted some oat and cornmeal waffles at a local restaurant and had creative breakfast foods on the brain.  I've tinkered around with the recipe a bit and have found many delicious variations.  Here are two of them.

Ingredients:
- 3/4 c. flour
- 1/4 c. cornmeal (coarse gives more crunch, but make sure it's not too coarse--ahem Bob's Red Mill-- or it won't cook enough.)
- 2  1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 c. buttermilk
- 1 c. cooked oatmeal (rolled oats, not quick or steel cut)
- 1 egg

Ingredients:

- 1 c. flour

- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

- 2 tbsp sugar

- 1/2 tsp cardamom

- 1/2 tsp sea salt

- 1 tbsp. orange zest

- 1 c. milk

- 1 c. cooked oatmeal (rolled oats, not quick or steel cut)

- 1 egg

Instructions:

- Whisk together everything but the (butter)milk, zest, oatmeal, and egg.

- Whisk the (butter)milk, zest, oatmeal, and egg together separately.

- Gently fold the dry into the wet until just combined.  This is a slightly thicker batter than usual, but it turns out wonderfully.

- Heat up a cast iron skillet.  When hot, add a little butter (just enough to give the pan a light coat).

- Drop in the batter, 1/4 c. for each pancake.

- Cook until you see bubbles rising to the surface then flip once.

- Serve hot with butter, honey, and fresh fruit.

These pancakes are a little heartier than the usual suspects and really keep you feeling full and energized all day.  Sure, regular fluffy pancakes are tasty but I really enjoy the well-rounded flavor that these have. I also like to tell myself that they're just a tad healthier.

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Breasts with Creamy Chard and Quinoa

This is just plain delicious.  After a few weeks of summer salads nearly every night for dinner, I took advantage of the cooler weather to make something a little more hearty, though still fresh tasting.  The chicken breasts stay nice and moist with the fresh herbs imparting delightful flavor and the natural tanginess of the chard is rounded out with a hint of cream.

Ingredients:
- 1 boneless chicken breast (get a nice, plump fresh one, not some scrawny, frozen cutlet)
- 4 fresh sage leaves (or more if they're small)
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano
- 2 tbsp crumble feta
- a drizzled of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and a dash of pepper

- 2 c. loosely packed shredded chard
- 1/2 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 c. chicken broth
- 1 tbsp cream
- dash of salt and paprika

- 1/4 c. quinoa (I used red quinoa)
- 1/2 c. water
- dash of salt

Directions:
- Score the chicken breast on both sides and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
- Place the chicken in small casserole dish.
- Tuck two of the sage leaves under the breast, place two on top, and sprinkle the chopped oregano on top.
- Drizzle with a just a little bit of olive oil.
- Add the crumbled feta to the top of the chicken breast.
- Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, broiling in the last few if the feta needs help browning.  I baked mine in my toaster oven, (it wasn't quite cool enough to want to heat up my kitchen), so time in a real oven may vary.  Use your good judgement.

- To chiffonade your chard, remove the spines, stack the leaves, roll them up, and chop the roll.
- Sautee the chard in a skillet with the 1/2 tbsp butter, salt, and paprika until thoroughly wilted.
- Add the cream and chicken broth and simmer over low heat.
- Cook until the liquid is reduced, stirring occasionally.  For a slightly finer texture, mash the chard a bit with a wooden spoon as it cooks.  You could certainly puree it in the blender, but I liked it rather 'lumpy'.

- Combine the quinoa, water, and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
- Pour any juices from the chicken casserole dish over the quinoa to serve.

I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it actually comes together quite simply and relatively quickly with the three components cooking simultaneously.  It's also easily multiplied to serve several people.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal in the summer?  Why, yes indeed!

Try substituting half of the water with coconut milk.  If you're in the mood, add a dash of vanilla.  When it's done, add the tiniest sprinkle of brown sugar, some toasted almonds, and a handful of fresh blueberries. Brew some good coffee and you're set for a day of summer adventures.

Enjoy!

Beet Green Dolmas

I'm on week 3 of my CSA share and have loved everything I have received.  However, there are only so many times you can saute greens before you start itching for something else to do with them.  Dolmas, sometimes just called 'grape leaves', are yummy way to use those extra leaves.  This is by no means a traditional recipe, but it is tasty nonetheless.

• Cook your rice.  I used a blend of brown rice, daikon radish seeds, and black barley.  Try making your own blend or see what your store offers.  I cooked 1 c. but only used about half-- it just depends on how many you want to make and how many leaves you have.
• Bring some water to a boil and blanch your greens.  I used beet greens that I had sitting around (with stems removed), but I think swiss chard would be wonderful, too.  Wash them thoroughly them submerge them in the boiling water for two minutes or so.  Immediately remove and dunk them in ice water (or if you're feeling lazy, run them under a cold faucet) to stop the cooking.
• While your rice cools, coarsely grate one zucchini.  Squeeze the shreds with your hands to get rid of the excess water.
• Add the zucchini as well as some salt, pepper, paprika, a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of white wine vinegar, and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
• Spread out a single leaf (or two if they're quite small or torn) and spoon some of the rice mixture onto one end.  Don't put too much!
• Fold the sides up and start rolling, continuing to tuck the sides as you go.
• Place them close together in a container and add some more olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.
• Refrigerate at least several hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

Eggplant and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Fall calls for hot things. Things that are stuffed are even better. Things that are hot, stuffed, and easy are the best.

Ingredients:

- 1-2 green bell peppers

- 1 medium eggplant (Italian variety)

- 1 minced shallot or 1/4 minced onion

- 1/2 cup vegetable (or chicken) broth

- 1/4 cup pine nuts

- 1/2 cup quinoa

- 1 tbsp lemon juice

- a handful of roughly chopped parsley

- salt and pepper

The completed filling before being stuffed.

Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350.
- Dice the eggplant into 1/2 inch pieces and combine with the shallots in a large frying pan that's been lightly drizzled with olive oil.
- Sautee for five minutes over medium heat, then add 1/4 cup vegetable broth and simmer, covered, until the eggplant is soft.
- Clear and area in the pan and add the pinenuts, allowing them to toast.
- Add quinoa and remaining vegetable broth, stirring everything together. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about five minutes.
- Add parsley, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cut pepper(s) in half and remove seeds and pulp. Sprinkle a little salt on the inside walls.
- Spoon the filling into each pepper half, being sure to stuff it all the way in.
- *I didn't have any goat cheese on hand, but this would be delicious with some plain, fresh goat cheese pocketed in the middle and/or crumbled on top.
- Bake in the oven for about half an hour.

This is enough to fill 2-4 pepper halves, depending on their size and how full you want them. If you don't use all if it at once, save it for another meal. The stuffing would also be good as a side with chicken or salmon, or as a cold salad.

Enjoy!

- Rori

Wheatberry Salad

This is a lovely, healthy dish that is great as a side or on its own. It's filling without being heavy and contains tons of good-for-you ingredients. I love making a batch of it to eat for lunches during the week. It's also perfect for experimenting with different flavor combinations and ingredients (pine nuts, apples, chick peas, red onions, tomatoes, grapefruit, chicken, etc.)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups wheatberries
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• Walnuts, roughly chopped
• Dried cranberries or cherries to taste, roughly chopped
• 1 can water chestnuts chopped
• A generous handful of parsley, chopped
• Olive oil
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Salt, Pepper, Spices that suit your fancy

Procedure:

• Rinse wheatberries. Combine with 5 cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer for an hour, then drain any remaining water. If you'd like to make a smaller portion, reduce numbers or put some of the cooked wheatberries in the freezer for future use.
• Sautee onions until they begin to become translucent.
• Add green peppers for last remaining minutes of sautee.
• After heated ingredients cool, combine everything.
• Toss with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and spices to taste.
• Store in tupperware in the fridge. It is best after it has been chilled for a few hours.

Enjoy!
- Rori