Chocolate Oatmeal with Cranberries and Granola

It's Christmas soon and I have been inspired to make dishes with either some holiday theme or that which uses holiday flavors and colors. Of course, when Christmas is just around the corner - the prominent fruit you'll always see are red cranberries so I thought I ought to use some cranberries for a breakfast dish.

Of course, there are dried cranberries in store-bought granolas but that's cheating 'cause it's already made for you. The only effort you expend is opening the cereal box and pouring some milk on a bowl. I want to do something a bit more challenging than that. Make a breakfast that's easy to whip up for when I am in a hurry (especially with the holiday rush and all) and yet something that tastes great too (despite exerting less effort - though a little more than opening a cereal box!).

Then I remembered one of our friends from Facebook mentioning that she puts some cocoa powder on her oatmeal to give it that yummy choco taste. And of course, there's my chocolate rice porridge - if I can use cocoa powder to flavor my rice - why not oatmeal? After all, oatmeal soaks up flavor so well and definitely cooks faster than rice (especially the quick cooking variety). But, I didn't want a baked oatmeal this time though (I want something quicker and been there, done that) - so it has to be something that can be done on the stove top but will still achieve great flavor as if it was baked!

So using pretty much the same ingredients as my baked oatmeal (milk, vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg except butter and eggs), plus some cocoa powder, I tried cooking the oatmeal with all the other ingredients on the stove top. It took literally just minutes and yet I came out with a beautiful chocolate flavored oatmeal which almost rival the champorado (chocolate rice porridge). I then added some dried cranberries to the cooked porridge (oh yum!) and it was heavenly already. To make it over the top delish - I included some granola to the mix (the store bought kind!) to add more texture and flavor. And voila!  The result is a delicious, I'd dare say - even fancy - breakfast treat that looks like you fussed over it but actually did not! Try it and am pretty sure you'll love it. My hubby (the taster) love it even without the granola but as usual I like it with the granola so follow your instincts (and palate too)! Have a great breakfast!

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons, vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons, unsweetened Cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups oats (quick cooking or old-fashioned)
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 cup granola or muesli (homemade or store-bought - optional)

Procedure

In a saucepan (big enough to accomodate about 4 cups of liquid) over medium heat, combine milk, vanilla extract, cocoa, the spices and brown sugar. Blend the ingredients by using a whisk. Bring to a simmer. Add the oats and cook, stirring constantly until tender (slightly mushy). Quick cooking oats will probably just need about 2-3 minutes while the old-fashioned ones will take a few minutes longer. It all depends on the kind of consistestency you want the oats to have.

When the oatmeal is cooked, stir in the cranberries or raisins and the granola/muesli until well-mixed.
Pour in more milk as needed.

Serve immediately in individual bowls. Serves between 4-6 people.



Enjoy!

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How to Cook Quinoa

I love rice!!! I am Asian and Filipino so, my country men and myself, normally eat rice 3x a day and that is not a joke! We have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, not to mention as a snack (think - Bahaw - cold rice) and when you add a little sugar/sweetener (like honey) with it - yes, it becomes dessert. While, I will forever be loyal to both brown and white rice - I have been looking for an alternative to them for variety's sake. Also, if  you're not careful with rice - you can honestly gain a lot of pounds - and not so much because of its high carb content but because (based on my experience) anything you eat with rice - especially curry! - you tend to eat more. It's like sugar - you always crave for more. Because rice is such a wonderful side dish that pretty much can be eaten with any main dish - yes, including noodles (we Filipinos are known to eat spaghetti with rice!) then chances are you'll eat more.

So, enter Quinoa - now my rice alternative. I will not go into the details of how much of a super-food Quinoa is or even debate whether a quinoa is a grain or a seed - you can google all this and find more information elsewhere. All I know is that I found a healthy option for a side dish (apart from rice and potatoes) which I actually like and enjoy! It's not as soft as rice but to me it has more of a couscous feel about it and quite nutty too, but when you cook it properly (no more funny taste) it truly absorbs the flavor of whatever sauce or dressing you add to it and that is such a big plus for me. This way it is similar to rice so it's my perfect rice alternate.

Anyway, here's how I usually cook my Quinoa. Just like how you cook rice actually - except that I add something to it to make it taste better or at least not have a funny after taste. I learned this through a friend who told me this is how to have a better tasting Quinoa. After she made it, I was sold to Quinoa. Now, I can experiment and add Quinoa to salads or just make it into a simple dish without any further enhancements - just like plain old rice. So next time, I fancy a stew and don't want to have rice with it - I have my Quinoa to the rescue!

A rice cooker would be so handy for this - it cooks on its own pace and turns off automatically when it's done so you don't have to monitor it every minute as it cooks. But if you don't have one it's fine, the stove top is always a good place to cook this too!

Ingredients

1 cup Quinoa (Take your pick - white or golden, red, or black or a combo)
2 cups water
Rind/Peel of one orange, chopped or if you want extra citrus flavor - grate the rind of 1 orange and just stir the orange zest in.
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Note: The ratio is 1:2 - 1 cup Quinoa to 2 cups water - just remember this when you want to increase the Quinoa to more than 1 cup. One cup of dried quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked. If you want a crunchier quinoa though - you can decrease the water by half a cup. Like my rice I like my Quinoa soft rather than crunchy but it's a matter of preference. :-)


Procedure

First, rinse the quinoa. This is quite an important process so don't omit this. I am not saying that the store-bought Quinoa is dirty but it is good to rinse the quinoa well to improve its taste. Rinsing the quinoa helps in removing its natural coating called saponin which gives the quinoa that funny bitter taste!

Place the 1 cup quinoa in a fine sieve or strainer. Using cold running water, rinse it for about 1-2 minutes. Rub the quinoa between your fingers to assist in removing the saponin. Drain really well. Others recommend toasting the quinoa after this on a dry pan to remove all excess water but I find this to be unnecessary based on my experience. As I said, I don't mind if the Quinoa is a little softer rather than crunchy.

Place the drained quinoa into the rice cooker or a sauce pan (big enough to accomodate about 3 cups  of liquid). Pour the 2 cups of water. Insert the chopped orange rind - they will float, but that's not a problem or stir in the orange zest. You can season it with a little salt if you wish. No big deal, I actually don't season it, so it's fine.

If using a rice cooker - how easy! - Cover then push the cook button and then leave it to cook. It will automatically turn to warm mode when it's done. 

If using the stove top - first, bring to a rolling boil using medium heat. Once it begins to boil (watch out 'cause you don't want liquid spilling all over) turn the heat to the lowest setting.  Cover then continue to simmer until the liquid has evaporated and the quinoa is tender approximately 15-18 minutes. A timer would be handy so you don't forget. Turn off the heat. Remove pan from heat and let it sit covered for about 10 minutes.

Thereafter, remove the orange rind if this is what you used and then fluff the quinoa gently with a fork, and serve.

Cooked quinoa is so versatile and can be used as ingredient for salads, even as a porridge or in making pilafs and as a regular side dish, much like white rice because it absorbs the flavor of whatever you put into it! Perfect!

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Ground Beef Barbecue Pizza

Before we decided to go on a more gluten-free diet, we really were big Pizza lovers and we still are though we make it more of an occasional treat nowadays. This particular recipe is a favorite of my little boy - William. He was only about 4 or 5 years old (he's 7 now) when I first made this pizza recipe but even at that young age this already became his favorite. Mind you, he's been eating curry too even at that age so his taste buds are quite use to diverse taste and textures! This picture tells you a lot about how much he loves this pizza! Surely, his favorite!

The inspiration for this recipe came from a cook book which I have read once at Barnes and Noble. We often go there as a family as my kids love reading so naturally that's a place for us to hang out during Friday afternoons, after class hours. My kids will check out the books they love (Sophie heads to the Princess' section as usual and William to any corner with books about Lego or robots - every little boy's favorite nook  I am sure!). Me? Of course, I always browse the Cook Book section, not so much to buy but just to get inspiration for new recipes to try, perhaps learn a thing or two about new ingredients and even check the latest culinary trends. Now I found this book, and I cannot recall what the title is (otherwise I would have heartily given credit to the author/s)  - perhaps it's a book about ground beef recipes (that's the most I can remember) and this particular recipe which I discovered there I cannot forget. It was not difficult to recall because the recipe was pretty easy to do and with only a few ingredients to remember. So armed with whatever was left on my memory bank, I tried to re-create this simple but quite delicious Barbecue Pizza Recipe. Am pretty sure your family will enjoy this and especially MOM! - after all, the ingredients are pretty much pantry staple (well, if you keep pizza dough at hand all the time!). So here's a quick  Barbecue Ground Beef Pizza for those nights when you fancy Pizza but want to make one at home. I use the store bought pizza crust for this but no one will stop you if you want to make your own too! :-)

 

Ingredients

1 lb / 1/2 kilo ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (10-12 inch) pizza crust, store-bought or homemade
1 cup barbecue sauce (your choice)*
2 cups of grated cheese (mozarella or sharp cheddar or a combo of both - this is good for 1 pizza crust)
*I often use Sweet Baby Rays but you can use your favorite barbecue sauce or make your own.

Procedure

Preheat the oven according to the pizza manufacturer's instruction.

Spray some non-stick cooking oil on a heated frying pan. Brown the ground beef. Crumble with a fork as you brown it to separate the meat. Stir in the chopped onion and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the barbecue sauce. Stir it in to ensure that all the beef are coacted with the sauce. Simmer on low heat uncovered for about ten minutes. Drain the beef if necessary.

Divide the beef mixture into two (if using two crusts). I usually freeze half of the sauce for later use and only do 1 pizza since we are only a small family of 4.

Spread all but 3 tablespoons (set it aside) of the beef mixture on the pizza crust. Sprinkle the cheese all over the sauce. Use the left over beef as topping for the pizza.

Bake in the oven according to the pizza manufacturer's instruction (approximately 10-12 mins with a temp range between 400F - 450F).

Enjoy a slice or two! Lovely with some salad on the side!

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Baked Spinach and Eggs

Have I already mentioned that I love hot cooked breakfast? Perhaps just a million times! I am a creature of habit, that's why. I grew up in our island of Marinduque having cooked breakfast all the time. Everyday. It was the norm. We had rice for breakfast everyday - almost always accompanied by eggs and with some meat cooked in a variety of  ways (pork tocino, beef tapa or perhaps even some left-over fried chicken) and yes, even fish - whether smoked (Tinapa) or fried (Daing - first comes to mind)! Of course, I should not forget the Ma-ling (Chinese Spam) or the more expensive Spam! I won't mind having them everyday though I will probably gain a few pounds if  I do so. :-)

But that's just the way it is, I assume, in most houses in the Philippines. Breakfast is almost like dinner in the sense that people still eat together whenever they can. Kids have to be up early for school and parents need to prepare for work so it makes sense for everyone to eat together. Well, at least it was like this in our house when we were growing up. There's only one cook - whether it was my mom or a helper who makes breakfast so it's impractical to cook each breakfast dish on piecemeal basis. If you want to eat a later breakfast, you may, but it would be a cold one. We usually gather at a certain time and though we would leave some food for anyone who wakes up later than usual, the food would have gone cold. My brother can attest to this! When we were young we didn't have a microwave so nuking the food to reheat it was not an option. Even nowadays, not many people in the Philippines use the microwave though already readily available.

Anyway, talking about hot breakfasts and eggs - here's a very easy dish that you can prepare in minutes. Love this breakfast anytime!

Ingredients

6 cups firmly packed baby spinach or 1 (10 oz or up to 1 lb) bag fresh baby spinach*
4 eggs (can increase to 6 if you are using more spinach)
Salt and freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp crumbled Feta Cheese for 1-2 eggs (about 2-3 Tbps in total)   
Baking spray or a little oil for greasing

*You may use frozen spinach too.

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray or grease with a little oil individual ramekins or other small oven safe dishes that can accomodate 1-2 eggs. See photo above. Set aside.

Place the spinach in a deep skillet or a large frying pan. Add a little water (2-3 Tablespoons). Using medium heat, cook the spinach just until wilted, roughly 3-4 minutes. Use either your hand or a spatula to pack in the spinach. Drain the excess water well especially if you are using  frozen spinach.

Distribute the spinach evenly among the prepared ramekins or oven-safe dishes.



Crack 1-2 eggs on top of the spinach. Season lightly with salt and pepper - lightly because Feta cheese is pretty salty on its own. Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese on top.

Place the baking dishes or ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until the eggs are set/cooked (whites are set and yolks look firm on the edges) to your liking. I like mine well-done but some like eggs that are a little runny. Whatever you like as long as the eggs are susbtantially cooked inside, it's fine.

Serve with some toasted bread or rice on the side and tomato juice! A healthy breakfast that will keep you going for hours! Enjoy!

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Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

I love peanut butter! In the Philippines, one of my mom's co-teacher make homemade peanut butter ever so often and we always made sure that we place an order so we get a jar or two of this favorite spread of ours! It's the  kind of Peanut Butter that I always imagine Peanut Butter should be - creamy, a little sweet and of course with the peanut oil floating on top to characterize its genuineness. For me, that's still the best peanut butter I have ever had and will always crave.

I have never thought though that the day would come that I would not only use peanut butter as a spread or for cooking (which is pretty common in the Philipines and most of Asia) but as an ingredient for a beverage. I can't drink peanut butter. Sounds awful, doesn't it?

But I have seen quite a few Peanut Butter Smoothies around and I have been intrigued ever since. So today to finally put this doubt (as to whether you can use peanut butter in a beverage or not) aside, I made my very first Peanut Butter Smoothie. I love texture in food so I used the crunchy Peanut Butter and yes, the kind with the floating oil on top!

My reaction - how could I have waited this long? I thought the only good smoothies are the pure fruity ones - mango, bananas, strawberry, avocado, soursop or a combo of any of these, just to name a few. Now this Peanut Butter smoothie has truly gone up the list and has knocked down one or two fruit smoothies in the process!

Of course, Peanut Butter is not complete without its sparring partner - the banana which add to the creamy flavor and gives it the smooth finish!

What a delightful smoothie! Use this recipe as a guide and then adjust as you please. I usually never measure a smoothie and depend on my taste buds for taste and texture.

Ingredients

2-3 ripe bananas (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup  Crunchy Peanut Butter (or to taste, I ended up adding more!)
Milk (begin with 1/2 a cup and then add more as needed)
1 Tbsp Agave nectar (or your favorite sweetener)
Ice (eyeball it)
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

*If your bananas are frozen, you probably don't need ice or only a few cubes. Just chop the bananas first so it's easier for the blender to break it down.

Procedure

Combine all the ingredients in a blender. If bananas are frozen, I place them on the bottom of the blender just like I would put ice (if using) on the bottom too. Process till everything is smooth and to your desired texture or consistency. I use the Smoothie/Milkshake button on my blender. Adjust the sweetness to your taste. Enjoy!

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