Fluffy Steamed Oatmeal

Yes, I am posting a recipe for something as basic as oatmeal!  But, believe me -- this oatmeal recipe is something special.  Rather than being simmered and stirred, the oats are toasted and steamed.  The result is extra fluffy oatmeal without even a hit of that gluey, sticky texture that oatmeal can sometimes have.  Even better, the formula for making it is extremely easy -- toast up any amount of oats you like, then add an equal amount of liquid (I've used various combinations of water and milk, all with great results), boil, cover, and steam off the heat for 8 minutes.  That's it!  Top with more milk and your favorite oatmeal toppings...I like brown sugar and cranberries, but you can get more creative than that.  Bonus: clean-up is much easier -- no oatmeal glue on the bottom of your pot!

Fluffy Steamed Oatmeal (adapted from Whole-Grain Mornings: New Breakfast Recipes to Span the Seasons)
Makes 2 small servings or 1 larger serving

1 T unsalted butter
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
Toppings - I like dried cranberries and brown sugar

1. Use a pot that allows your oats to spread out in an even, relatively thin layer (no more than an inch thick).
2. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat, and then add the oats and toast, stirring occasionlly, until they smell fragrant and nutty (5 minutes or so).
3. Pour the oats into your serving bowl, and let the pot cool off for a minute or two.  The return it to medium heat and add the milk and water.  Bring to a low boil.  Add the oats, stir to combine, and then remove from the heat.  Cover the pot, and let sit for 7 minutes -- no peeking!
4. Scrape the oatmeal back into your bowl, and serve with whatever toppings you like.

Secret Recipe Club: Bourbon-Orange Pork Tenderloin

My partner for this month's Secret Recipe Club was Melissa of A Fit and Spicy Life.  I was immediately drawn to her recipe for bourbon-orange pork tenderloin.  We love pork tenderloin for weeknight dinners because it cooks up quickly without a lot of attention.  I usually make this recipe, altering the fruit to match the season.  Melissa's recipe was a great way to get out of my pork tenderloin rut and try something new!  The pork is roasted alongside potatoes and carrots, and flavored with smoky spices, bourbon, and orange juice.  I loved roasting everything together in the same pan, and the flavors were delicious.  The only thing I would change next time is to remove the cover halfway through cooking to help things crisp up a bit.  Thank you to Melissa for a great new recipe!

Bourbon-Orange Pork Tenderloin (adapted from A Fit and Spicy Life, original recipe here)
Serves 3-4

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp salt
Several grinds of black pepper
1 pork tenderloin
4-5 carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 pound fingerling potatoes
2 small oranges
3 T bourbon

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and spray a 9x13 baking dish with oil.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Rub it all over the pork, and then place the pork in the baking dish.
3. Scatter the carrots and potatoes around the pork.  Cut one of the oranges in half, and squeeze the juice all over the pork and veggies.
4. Slice the other orange into thick slices, and lay them on top of the carrots and potatoes.
5. Drizzle the bourbon over everything, and then season the vegetables with a bit of salt and pepper.
6. Cover with tin foil, and bake 35-45 minutes, until the pork is cooked through.  Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

An InLinkz Link-up

Vegetarian Lasagna with Squash, Chard, and Red Onions

Tim's parents got me Mollie Katzen's new cookbook for Christmas, and we've been enjoying the recipes from it ever since!  As with her previous cookbooks, the focus is on vegetables, and the preparations are always unique and delicious.  This vegetarian lasagna is no different -- it's got layers of bold, delicious flavors that all magically meld together with each bite.  The greens are tender and mixed with slightly toothsome red onions that have been softened just enough to sweeten them up.  The greens are layered with balsamic-drizzled winter squash -- I used banana squash, but any hard winter squash should work here.  Alongside the veggies are pasta sheets and a creamy, garlicky mixture of ricotta and mozzarella.  Total heaven!  I guarantee you will not miss the meat.

This does have quite a few steps, and although none of them is difficult, I recommend either saving this for a weekend or preparing some of the elements ahead of time.  The squash layer and the greens layer can both be prepped ahead and stored in the fridge until ready to use, and then you just have to cook the noodles, stir together the cheeses, and layer everything together on the night you want to eat the lasagna.  Leftovers kept well, so this is also a nice option to take for lunch.

Vegetarian Lasagna with Squash, Chard, and Red Onions (adapted from Mollie Katzen's Heart of the Plate)
Serves 6-8

2 to 2-1/2 pounds banana squash or butternut squash
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 T balsamic vinegar, divided
2 medium red onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves removed from stems and chopped
Lasagna noodles to create 2 layers in your pan (preferably flat noodles, about 1/2 pound)
1 pound whole milk, fresh ricotta
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 tsp minced garlic
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a large sheet pan with foil.
2. Prepare the squash.  If working with chunks of banana squash, simply cut off the peel.  For butternut squash, halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, and then cut off the peel.  Then slice the squash into 1/2-inch thick slices.  Grease the foil-lined pan with olive oil, and then arrange the squash in a single layer (use another pan if necessary).  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast the squash for 20-30 minutes, until the squash is tender and nicely browned.  If the bottoms are getting browned too quickly, you can flip the squash part of the way through baking (I didn't find this necessary).  Sprinkle the squash with 1 T of the balsamic vinegar, and set aside.  Turn the oven down to 375 degrees.
3. Prepare the onions and chard.  Place a large skillet over medium heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the onions and a sprinkle of salt.  Cook, stirring, until nicely softened, 5-6 minutes.  Stir in the remaining 2 T balsamic vinegar, along with the chard and another sprinkle of salt.  Cook, stirring for about a minute, until the chard is just starting to wilt.  Remove from the heat.
4. Cook the noodles.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a little olive oil.  Add the lasagna noodles, stirring to keep them from sticking as much as possible.  Cook for just 4 minutes -- they won't be cooked all the way through.  Drain and rinse under cold water, separating any noodles that have stuck together.
5. Prepare the cheese layer.  In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, and 2 T olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and mix again, making sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
6. Build the lasagna.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with oil.  Add a layer of noodles.  Top with half of the cheese mixture, half the squash, and then half of the onion-chard mixture.  Sprinkle with about 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese.  Repeat the layers (noodles, cheese mixture, squash, onion-chard mixture, and Parmesan).
7. Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes, and then cover with foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the lasagna is heated through.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes out of the oven before slicing and serving.

Baked Tilapia with Millet-Scallion Pancakes and Peanut Slaw

Whew, sorry guys -- another long break in posts!  This has been a crazy few months...getting engaged, looking for jobs, working on finishing up my dissertation...so much going on.  I can now check one of those things off my list: we are officially moving to Boston in June!  If you know the area and have any recommendations, please let me know in the comments.  I am looking forward to lots of lobster rolls and clam chowder in my future.

Now, on to a meal I made a while back and never managed to post.  I have to admit: while I was making this meal, I did have a couple of moments of "Why did I decide to make something so complicated for dinner tonight?!"  This isn't the most complicated thing I've ever cooked, but it does feel like it when you're hungry.  :)  But, once I tasted the food, I decided it was well worth all the effort, because this dish is amazing.  Just save it for a weekend!

The fish is cooked really simply, and then paried up with more complex sides.  The slaw is creamy, crunchy, and peanutty in the best way possible.  I sometimes find peanut butter-based dressings to be overwhelming, but this one is perfectly balanced.  Word of warning: while some slaws keep beautifully, this one was definitely best the night it was made.  I probably wouldn't try to keep leftovers for more than a day or two.  Also adding crunch to the meal were millet pancakes.  The millet is cooked first to soften it up a bit, but it still provides a nice little crunch when stirred into a batter with scallions and fried up in hot oil.  The dipping sauce isn't strictly necessary -- in a pinch, you could just use soy sauce -- but it is really tasty and makes the meal feel extra special.

Baked Tilapia with Millet-Scallion Pancakes and Peanut Slaw (adapted from Taste of Home, Bon Appetit, and Heart of the Plate)
Serves 4

For the pancakes:
3/4 cup millet
Kosher salt
2 large eggs
6 T buttermilk
3 T cornstarch
1 T toasted sesame oil
6 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle, divided
Vegetable oil, for frying

For the slaw:
1/3 cup minced red onion
Boiling water
5 cups thinly sliced cabbage (from about 1-1/4 pounds)
2 T sugar
2 T cider vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
2 T smooth peanut butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

For the dipping sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 T unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp Sriracha (more or less to taste)

For the tilapia:
Olive oil
4 tilapia fillets (or sub another white fish)
Salt and pepper

1. Cook the millet for the pancakes.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the millet along with a few generous pinches of salt.  Simmer until tender, 15-20 minutes.  Drain off the water using a fine-mesh strainer, and then spread out the millet on a flat surface (such as a large rimmed baking sheet) to cool.
2. Make the slaw.  Place the red onion in a small bowl, and cover with boiling water.  Set aside.
3. Place the cabbage in a large salad bowl.  Sprinkle with the sugar, vinegar, and salt, and toss to combine.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, garlic, and 2-3 T boiling water (enough to make a smooth sauce).  Pour over the cabbage and toss to combine.  Drain the water off the onions and add to the cabbage, along with the grated carrot.  Toss again to combine everything well, and stash in the fridge until ready to serve.
5. Make the dipping sauce.  Whisk the dipping sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
7. Make the pancake batter.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, cornstarch, and toasted sesame oil.  Add all of the millet along with about 3/4 of the scallions, and stir to combine.  Set aside.
8. Stir the remaining 1/4 scallions into the dipping sauce, and set aside.
9. Cook the fish. Grease the foil-lined baking sheet with a bit of olive oil, and then arrange the tilapia in a single layer.  Rub each piece of fish with a bit more oil, and then season with salt and pepper.  Pop in the pre-heated oven and bake 10-15 minutes, until the fish is opaque in the middle and flakes easily.
10. While the fish is cooking, cook the pancakes.  Heat your most non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and add about 2 T of vegetable oil.  When the oil is hot, scoop three large spoonfuls of batter into the skillet, and use the back of your spoon to flatten them a bit.  Cook about three minutes on each side, until both sides are nicely browned and crisp.  Remove the pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate.  Repeat with the rest of the batter in  two more batches to get 9 total pancakes.  The batter may separate a bit as it sits, so be sure to stir well before scooping each batch of pancakes.
11. Toss the chopped peanuts into the slaw.
12. On each plate, place a couple of pancakes, a piece of fish, and a big scoop of slaw.  Either drizzle the pancakes with the dipping sauce and/or use it for dipping the pancakes and fish.

Salmon with Blood Orange-Cabbage Slaw

Bon Appetit included this recipe in their beginning-of-the-year 'foodie cleanse,' and it was a big hit in our house.  The salmon is cooked very simply with just salt and pepper, and you could easily substitute in another type of fish (or even chicken breast).  The fish is paired with a fantastic slaw made of cabbage, blood oranges, and Greek yogurt.  Everything comes together quickly, meaning this meal has it all -- it's fast enough for a weeknight, but also healthy and full of flavor.  You can always add bread on the side if you are not on a cleanse!

Salmon with Blood Orange-Cabbage Slaw (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Serves 4

2 blood oranges
1 small shallot, minced
Olive oil
4 skin-on salmon fillets
Salt and pepper
1 T plain Greek yogurt
1 very small (or 1/2 normal-sized) savoy cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced

1. Cut the peel off the oranges so that no pith remains, and then cut into rounds.  Working over a small bowl, break the rounds up into sections, discarding any large pieces of pith.  Reserve as much juice as possible as you work. Place the orange sections in a salad bowl and set aside.
2. Add the shallots to the small bowl with the orange juice.
3. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a swirl of olive oil and let it heat up for a minute or two.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper, and then add to the skillet, skin-side down.  Cook for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to medium and flip the fish.  Continue to cook until the fish is cooked through (as done as you like it).
4. While the fish cooks, add 1 T olive oil and the Greek yogurt to the bowl with the orange juice and shallots.  Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine.  Add the savoy cabbage and the dressing to the salad bowl with the oranges, and toss to combine.
5. Divide the slaw among 4 plates and top with the salmon.

Rolled Turkey Breast with Couscous Stuffing

Whew, it's been way too long since I've posted here!  But -- for good reason...I just got engaged!  All my internet attention has turned to wedding blogs.  :)  That said, I have so many great recipes that I've made that I want to share, just as soon as I find time to write them up!  This one is from Christmas, and it is a perfect holiday meal.  Since we had a smaller group this year, we didn't want to roast a whole turkey.  Instead, we went with turkey breast -- but we didn't want it to be boring.  This version of turkey breast is pretty fancy!  First, it's pounded thin, and then it's filled with a super-delicious stuffing of couscous, nuts, and dried fruit.  The combination is delicious, and looks so pretty when cut open.  The turkey got a tad dry, as turkey breast tends to do, so I recommend serving it with cranberry sauce and/or gravy just in case.

Rolled turkey breast with couscous stuffing, cranberry sauce, dressing, Christmas stollen, broccoli salad, mashed potatoes, and Royal Riviera pears.

Rolled Turkey Breast with Couscous Stuffing (adapted from Fig and Cherry, original recipe here)

About 3 pounds turkey breast tenderloins
1 cup dry whole wheat couscouse
1 cup grape-cranberry juice
2 T butter
2 small shallots, minced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 T fresh sage, minced
1 tsp lemon zest
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Spray oil

For the topping:
2 T butter
2  T olive oil
1 T honey

1. Use a meat pounder to pound out the turkey to about 3/4-inch thick.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Make the stuffing.  Place the couscous in a large mixing bowl and pour the grape-cranberry juice over it.  Let sit while your prepare the shallots.
3. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the shallots.  Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until softened and starting to brown.
4. At this point, the couscous should have absorbed the juice.  Add the cooked shallots along with the cranberries, raisins, pine nuts, sage, lemon zest, and eggs.  Season with salt and pepper, and stir well to combine.
5. Lay out the turkey in a single layer.  Spread the stuffing all over in a thick layer, leaving a bit of a border around the edges.  Roll up each piece of turkey as tightly as possible.
6. Spray two glass baking pans with oil.  Divide the turkey between the pans, placing it seam-side down so that it does not unroll, and leaving space between each turkey roll.
7. Make the topping. Combine the butter, olive oil, and honey in a small bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds until everything is liquid.  Mix to combine and then brush over the turkey.
8. Roast for about an hour, or until the turkey is cooked through.  Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Happy couple! Wine tasting on a trip up to Russian River to celebrate our engagement. :)

Secret Recipe Club: French Silk Pie

My partner for this month's Secret Recipe Club was Kate of Kitchen Trial and Error.  When I first explored her blog this month, I picked out her recipe for blueberry muffins to make.  As you might be able to tell from the title of this blog, I love muffins!  And, I thought Kate's idea of making a blueberry jam to swirl into the batter sounded delicious.  But...then I got to the grocery and couldn't find any good blueberries...the fresh ones just didn't look very fresh (and, of course, they're nowhere near in season), and the frozen berries were crazy expensive.  Time for a Plan B.  Luckily, while I was poking around in the freezer case looking at blueberries, my boyfriend spotted a French Silk Pie in the next case over.  We didn't buy the frozen version, but it gave me the idea to see if Kate had a recipe for the pie on her blog.  As it turned out, she did -- and this pie is so much better than anything you could get at the store!  It's definitely a labor of love, with lots of mixing in a double boiler over a hot stove, but the results are more than worth it.  The filling is rich, creamy, and almost fluffy, with absolutely amazing chocolate flavor.  You can use a store-bought crust to make your job a little easier (I did!), or click through to Kate's recipe to go 100% homemade.  Either way, definitely top each slice of pie with lightly sweetened, lightly whipped cream.  I guarantee you'll be in dessert heaven!

French Silk Pie (adapted from Kitchen Trial and Error, original recipe here)

1 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 T water
8 ounces bittersween chocolate, melted and cooled
1 T vanilla
8 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1 prepared pie crust (I used a graham cracker crust)
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, to serve

1. Whip the cream into stiff peaks, and then cover and stash in the fridge while you make the rest of the filling.
2. Set up a double boiler (or set a large bowl over simmering water).  Make sure there is enough room for the eggs, sugar, and water to at least triple, as they will expand as you cook and beat them.  Once the double boiler is set up and the water is simmering, add the eggs, sugar, and water to the top part.  Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture continuously for about 10 minutes, until the mixture registers 160 degrees.  Remove the bowl from the double boiler, and beat the mixture for another 10 minutes, until it is fluffy and at room temperature (a stand mixer will save your arm in this case!)
3. Add the chocolate and vanilla to the egg mixture, and beat until well combined.  With the mixture running, add the butter a piece at a time, until it is fully incorporated and no lumps of butter remain.
4. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the reserved whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.  Spoon into the pie shell.  If you used a store bought graham cracker crust, you might have extra -- I did, and I just stashed it in the fridge separately to eat like chocolate mousse!  Cover the pie, pressing a piece of plastic wrap down onto the top to prevent a skin from forming.  Chill at least 3 hours, and then slice and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.