[Recipe] "Sweet Morning After" Strawberry Banana Almond Overnight Oats

I'm never grouchy in the mornings.  For real.  I might snooze or lounge fifteen minutes longer than I should, but I never wake up on the "wrong side" of bed, so to speak.  Of course, that's kind of hard to do when you have this most adorable of puppies to wake up to each morning: 

But there is one thing that can frazzle me: running behind schedule and, of course, not having enough time to eat.  It's usually not a problem—it's easy enough to eat a banana and some yogurt or a bowl of cereal, but I like to change it up sometimes when it comes to the most important meal of the day, and I don't always have the time to cook before heading to work.

Enter, overnight oats.

"Sweet Morning After" Strawberry Banana Almond Overnight Oats
an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)

I first learned of overnight oats thanks to a featurette on Buzzfeed, which in turn led me to Kath of KathEats, whose colorful, beautiful photography are persuasion of the highest order.  Overnight oats are easy peasy, as long as you can remember to spend about 5-10 minutes the night before assembling all the ingredients.  The basic ratio is 1/3 cup rolled oats to 1/3 cup Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup skim milk, plus whatever toppings and mixings (non-crunchy) your heart desires, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until morning.  The milk can be substituted out for almond milk or coconut milk, of course, and the yogurt can be swapped out entirely (though it's recommended for thickening purposes), but the whole point is that the oats need to soak overnight.  It's actually better for digestion and nutrition, generally, for oats to be soaked (or "cultured," which is the more appropriate term).

And boy, is it delicious-- a second something worth waking up to every morning.

Ingredients
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup Chobani vanilla chocolate chip yogurt
1/3 cup skim milk (or almond milk)
1/2 banana, thinly sliced
5 strawberries, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons almond tea powder (or almond butter)
Pinch of salt

Directions
1.  Mix/layer all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl or mason jar, then cover with plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator overnight.

2.  In the morning, take out of the refrigerator and eat directly or pop into the microwave for thirty seconds on 50% power to take the chill out of the oats.

[Recipe] "Hearty Breakfast Special" Cupcakes

Nothing beats breakfast in bed, though I can't say I've ever really had it except while traveling for business.  I suppose, in those situations, I first have to get out of bed and open the door, hair mussed, but still, I love being in my PJs or wrapped up in a fluffy robe when feasting on pancakes or eggs benedict.

"Hearty Breakfast Special" Cupcakes
a recipe by Aaron McCargo, Jr.
Yield: 12 cupcakes

My friend Adam once asked for some relationship advice after he'd upset his very serious, live-in girlfriend.  Our mutual friend—a man—suggested flowers, but I told Adam to surprise his girlfriend with breakfast in bed.

Breakfast in bed is easy points, a wonderful surprise.  There's nothing like waking up to delicious smells and that amazing feeling of being completely cared for.  And it's not difficult: some toast, bacon or breakfast sausage, and eggs, scrambled or sunny side up.  Or pancakes (it can seriously even be made from Bisquick).  If you're feeling fancy, an omelette.  If cooking's not your thing, a nice bowl of cereal with fresh cut fruit.  Add a glass of juice or a mug of coffee, depending on your significant other's tastes, and it's the perfect start to any day.

Ingredients
Canola oil spray
6 thick-cut slices of good-quality bacon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
4 cups prepared pancake batter
8 oz. mascarpone
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare a cupcake pan with canola oil spray.
2.  Prepare a broiler pan and place the bacon on the pan.  Cook until well crisped, about 6 minutes.  Remove from the oven and reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings.

3.  Reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix the chives into the pancake batter and pour into the cupcake tins so that they are 3/4 full.  Bake for 12 minutes.

4.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the mascarpone, confectioner's sugar, maple syrup and the reserved bacon drippings.  Stir well to combine and set aside.  Crumble the cooked bacon and set aside.

5.  Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack, about 10 minutes.  Frost each cupcake with the bacon icing and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon.

[Recipe] Christmas 2013: "Celebrate This Night" Red Wine Risotto

Risotto: the so-called bane of nearly every Top Chef and Chopped contestant ever.  But I like a challenge, and I've always eschewed that age-old advice to never invite company over for dishes you've never made before-- they are not guinea pigs.

The Christmas risotto is definitely risotto, if only because it's inspired by Giada de Laurentiis' recipe (though much modified).  It's not very traditional, though.  There's no heavy cream and no white wine, not much cheese.  It's a red wine, but I thought it would be festive and charming in the winter.

"Celebrate This Night" Red Wine Risotto
a recipe inspired by Giada de Laurentiis

The secret to risotto, it turns out, is TLC, Tender Loving Care (okay, maybe the "T" could stand for "Time," too).  Risotto requires patience and constant attention, frequent stirring and adding and more stirring.  In this, it's like any relationship, romantic or platonic—you can let it simmer on its own for a bit, but you've always got to keep an eye on it, to tend to it, make sure no edges are burnt and that the rice is always absorbing more liquid, more flavor, and more love.

Ingredients
3-1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-3 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 lb. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 whole zucchini, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1.  Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Cover the broth and keep warm over very low heat.
2.  Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and saute until soft, about 8 minutes.  Remove from pan-- keep in a large bowl until needed.

3.  Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the same heavy large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the shallots and saute for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.  Then add the zucchini and saute until soft, about another 5-7 minutes.

 

4.  Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes, until the rice is toasted.  Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute.  Add the mushrooms back in.  Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes.  Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer.

PRO TIP (okay, this is Giada's Tip): At this point, the risotto can be made 4 hours ahead.  Refrigerate the risotto (the rice will still be firm) and remaining broth, uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep them refrigerated until ready to proceed.

5.  Bring the remaining broth to a simmer, then cover and keep it warm over very low heat.  Stir 3/4 cup of hot broth into the partially cooked risotto over medium heat until the broth is absorbed and the risotto is hot, about 3 minutes.  Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer.

6.  Stir in the parsley.  Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.  Spoon the risotto into bowls.  Sprinkle additional cheese on top and serve.

[Recipe] Christmas 2013: "Happy Holidays" Mulled Wine

I'm obsessed with Christmas music.  I listen to a ton of it immediately after (often during and slightly before) Thanksgiving and right through January.  

Few things remind me of Christmas so much as mulled wine.  Which is only funny because it had no place in my childhood or in any of my Christmases at all until a few short years ago.  But there's something so comforting and wonderful about the sweet, spicy aroma and the warmth spreading through your chest and down to your fingers and toes.

For my first attempt, I went with this amazing recipe, courtesy of Adeline & Lumiere.  I prefer my mulled wine sweet rather than dry, and the combination of fruits and fruit peels in this "appeeled" to me (I'm really into puns, #SorryImNotSorry).

"Happy Holidays" Mulled Wine
a recipe by Adeline & Lumiere


Ingredients
750 mL (1 standard bottle) red wine
150 grams sugar (castor, if possible)
1/2 cup orange juice
peel of one lemon
peel of one orange
1 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
pinch of ginger

Directions
1.  Place all ingredients except the wine into a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add just a small amount of red wine to the pan to ensure the sugar is covered and let cook for 4-5 minutes, until it becomes thick and sticky.
2.  Once the mixture has become sticky enough, add the rest of the wine and turn down the heat to simmer.  Be careful not to let the wine boil—the alcohol will evaporate.  Let cook for 5 minutes and serve hot with slices of fresh orange.

 

 

I wish I had thought enough in advance to take a pretty picture of the finished wine in our Christmas glasses, but I suppose this just gives me another excuse to make this.  It's still winter, after all, and everyone can use a little (holiday) cheer, no matter the month.