Banana Pancakes

Lately, I've been trying to reduce my calorie intake while still staying satiated.  A lot of overnight oats, low-carb high-protein muffins, and eggs.  I prefer the eating style of many small meals/snacks throughout the day (What? I like variety!) rather than 3 big meals--it helps me keep things in check and satisfy my desire for many tastes.  But this leads to not being able to partake in some of my favorite breakfast indulgences (I would kill for a full English brekkie one of these days).

Sometimes, though, you just want something.

It's been months since I've had pancakes.  I just..haven't let myself make them, which I guess is a good thing, because for a while there I was just baking up a storm constantly.  Pancakes would have just added to the torrential carb downpour :P.

Those of you in the paleo/gluten free/low carb world know the pain of flat, sad pancakes that barely hold together on the pan, let alone once they're on the plate and covered in your choice of syrup, fruit, nut butter, or what-have-you.  Not only am I tired of eating those kinds of pancakes, but I'm tired of serving them to my disappointed friends and family.  I feel like it's an insult to the glory that is delicious stacks of pan-baked comforting goodness that pancakes should be.

I delved into my new-found baking knowledge and decided to pull out the ingredients I have found most helpful in the last year, and I did it.  I made the fluffy paleo pancake that doesn't involve a million eggs, cheese, or coconut flour.  (Don't get me wrong, I love coconut flour...for some things.  But its texture and flavor often overtakes and puts me off.)

Are they low carb?  ...kind of?

Each serving of 3-ish pancakes has 21g net carbs.  I mean, we all know that's mostly the banana.  But it's worth it to me.  'Cause bananas are delicious.

Also, as with all things MyFitnessPal, I take some of these "facts" with a grain of salt.  It did, in the beginning, tell me that 2 bananas had over 2000 calories.

The recipe is as follows:

Dry:

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup arrowroot starch (or your starch of choice--you could also use tapioca to keep it paleo)

2 T ground flax meal

1 t psyllium husk powder

1 scoop unflavored whey protein (could also use vanilla)

1/2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

Pinch of salt and cinnamon

Wet:

2 medium overripe bananas

2 egg whites

2 eggs

Optional: sweetener to your taste

Combine all dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.

Add bananas and pulse until mixed in, then add eggs.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, to allow the psyllium powder and flax to "gel".

Ladle onto a medium-hot griddle and cook until bubbles are popping in the center of the pancakes.  Flip and cook for one minute more.

Makes about 8 "normal" sized pancakes.

Serve immediately with your choice of toppings!  Maybe a little bacon on the side, too...

Chock-Full-o-Veggies Chili

I hope everyone had a glorious holiday season as I did this year!  Food, family, friends (though I could have used more friend-time), gifts, singing, and all that good stuff--and it's not quite over yet!  I had my share of cookies, cake, pie, rich foods, peppermint mochas, and chocolate--so much chocolate!  Tell me of your holidays, I wish to hear!

Sometimes, you just need a ton of veggies after the holidays.  Like me, you're craving them after the ridiculously rich food and decadent sweets of Christmastime (I'm not kidding, I out-sweeted my sweet tooth this year).  That's where chili comes in--still hearty, filling, and delicious, but incredibly healthy and filled with good stuff!  And you can use up some of that leftover turkey!

UPDATE:  Just a note.  This recipe got rave (RAVE) reviews from my husband, who said that from now on, this is the only chili I will be making.  Just a bonus that it's so dang healthy!

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 stalks of celery, diced
3 bell peppers (of varying colors), seeded and diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 small butternut squash (or any variety, really), peeled, seeded, and diced
3 15 oz. cans of beans, varieties of your choice, drained and rinsed (I used cannellini and kidney)
2 cups leftover turkey, diced or shredded
1 pound ground chicken or turkey, or more leftover turkey
1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
2-3 cups chicken/turkey broth
2-3 T. chili seasoning (we used Penzey's CHILI 9000)
For extra spice: ancho or chipotle chili powder
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a LARGE stock pot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, garlic, and peppers and sautee until tender and onion is translucent.  Add in the raw ground meat, if you're using it, breaking it apart with the spoon.  Cook until browned a bit.  Add in the zucchini and butternut squash, and cook until a little tender (about 5 minutes--it doesn't quite need to be cooked through).  Toss in your seasonings at this point, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add in the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, and leftover turkey--bring to a simmer, turn heat to low or medium low, and allow to cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Allow to cook until it reaches the consistency you like (we like our chili thick), and correct any seasonings.

Serve hot and top with your favorite chili toppings!

This could easily be thrown into a slow-cooker (though I recommend browning the onions and meat first for flavor) and cooked on low for 8 hours.

"Detox" Salad

So sometimes I get a little overindulge-y on the sweets and carbs and good things in life (funnily enough, in the summer, there's WAY more dessert present in my house than any other time of year--thank you, fresh fruit!), and I just feel like eating a giant pile of vegetables for a meal.

I don't buy into the whole "detox" movement (or "cleanses" or "raw" or any of that, really), but it just feels...GOOD sometimes to eat a full-on healthy salad of not much more than shredded veggies, dried/fresh fruit, nuts, and very little dressing.

Maybe that's just me and I'm weird like that, but whatev!  I do what I want!

Your best friend, in this situation, is a food processor with a shredder attachment.  If you don't have that, this'll take a lot longer (and more effort) to make.

Inspired by this recipe, with a few additions/changes for my own tastes.

Ingredients:

1-2 bunches of broccoli, washed and stems cleaned up
3-4 small red beets
2 medium carrots
1/2 bunch of kale (curly or dinosaur, your choice), finely chopped
1/2 cup nuts, roughly chopped (I used cashew pieces and almonds)
1/2 cup unsweetened raisins
1/4 cup kelp powder
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 T.-1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2 T. olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Optional: handful of fresh berries on top :)

Instructions:

Using a food processor, finely shred broccoli (stems and all!), carrots, and beets.    Toss together in a large bowl.

Add in the kale, nuts, and raisins.

In a small bowl, mix together the kelp powder, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and oil.  Taste and season/add more honey.

Toss everything together!

Enjoy!

Chickpea, Tomato, and Chard Soup

I had a really bad night.  Today, all I wanted was easy, comforting food that combatted my tiredness and the falling snow outside.

This has a very similar flavor to minestrone--you could easily toss in some pasta, if you like.

Also, I've been trying to work on my food photos.  So there are a few "finished presentation" ones at the end :P.

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, or 2 small ones, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large carrot, or 2 medium, chopped
2 cans of chickpeas (or any other preferred beans), rinsed and drained
2 28-oz. cans whole or diced tomatoes
1 t. oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable (if you want it to be vegan) broth
1 bunch Swiss chard or kale, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add in the onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, and chard stems (if using).  Cook for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and tender.

Add in the chickpeas and tomatoes, bringing to a simmer.  Squash the tomatoes against the side of the pan as they cook, if using whole.  Add in spices/herbs.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add in the broth and bring to a simmer again.  Allow to cook for 10 more minutes.

Toss in the chard leaves, and cook until tender.  Season to taste.

Serve!

Slow-Cooker Balsamic-Tomato Chicken Stew

Balsamic vinegar is one of my favorite things on the planet.  It's up there with Sriracha.  I'll put it in everything.

Which brings me to this.

Oh my.

Delicious.

Just delicious.

I have nothing more to say.

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T. tomato paste
1 t. anchovy paste OR fish sauce (fish sauce is made from anchovies)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depends on how many you're serving)
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 t. marjoram/thyme
2 bay leaves
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cups of canned, whole tomatoes (San Marzanos are the best)
1 bunch Swiss Chard, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper to tasted

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add your onions and bell peppers and allow to cook until they are beginning to brown.  Add in garlic and stir together, cooking for 1 minute more.  Remove from heat.

Now place everything else except the Swiss chard and the salt and pepper into the slow-cooker.  Set on high for 6 hours.

If you want less liquid, uncover the slow-cooker about halfway through.

30 minutes before serving, add in the Swiss chard and season with salt & pepper.

Serve over rice, pasta, polenta, or, as we did, sunchoke puree!

I can't wait to eat the leftovers.  I think it'd be fantastic as a pasta sauce.

Vichyssoise (Leek & Starchy Vegetable/Root Soup)

Sometimes you just nee a nice, simple bowl of soup for your dining pleasure.

And sometimes you also bought too many leeks at the store because they were on sale!

Vichyssoise is very forgiving.  Don't have a lot of potatoes?  Use cauliflower, potatoes, celeriac--whatever you have on hand.  You can even toss in sweet potato chunks and be successful!  Don't have leeks?  Onions work as well!

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
3 leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced.
6 cups of peeled and chopped starchy vegetables (I used potatoes, cauliflower, and celeriac)
6-8 cups chicken broth (enough to cover the veggies, and my chicken broth was very dense, so I did half broth, half water)
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Clean and slice your leeks.

Chop up yo' veggies/tubers.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add in leeks and stir.  Allow to cook until soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Add in broth and bring to a simmer.

Add veggies/tubers, bring to a simmer again, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until veggies are fork-tender.

Using an immersion blender or a processor/blender, puree the soup.  Season with salt and pepper.  Some people put cream in their vichyssoise.  I don't think it needs it.

Serve hot!

Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon

Americans -- I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was good!  I'm sure you all gorged yourselves in glorious gluttony :).

This is a nice, light recipe for salmon that can help you lighten up your diet a bit for a few days!

I think you could even use some leftover cranberry sauce in place of the pomegranate molasses, hehe.

Ingredients:

4 6-ounce filets of salmon, skin-on (or adjust to however many people you are serving)

Rub:
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T. packed light brown sugar
2 t. corn or potato starch
1 t. lemon-garlic seasoning
1 t. coarse salt
1/2 t. black pepper

1/4 cup pomegranate molasses (recipe here)

Instructions:

Prepare the salmon rub in a small bowl.  Sprinkle over your salmon and rub into the flesh.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.

Heat a non-stick grill pan (or sautee-pan, make sure it's oven-safe) over medium-high heat.  Spray liberally with olive oil.  Sear salmon, skin-side-up first, for 2 minutes, until the rub has created a crisp, browned layer.  Carefully flip over and sear on the skin-side for 1 minute more.  Brush with pomegranate molasses and move into the preheated oven.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the salmon is done through.  Brush with pomegranate molasses a few times while baking.

Served with lemony leeks and green beens!

Citrus-Roasted Turkey

I went all Thanksgiving last night, since we had a turkey in the freezer and I spent a few days letting it thaw.  I kind of threw together this recipe using ingredients I had around, and I thought it came out great!  It would also translate well to roasted chicken.

Also, sorry, I have no pictures.  Next time!

Ingredients:

10-pound turkey, thawed or fresh, patted dry
1 lemon, zested, one half juiced, the other half reserved
1 orange, zested, one half juiced, the other half reserved
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
10 whole cloves
2 T. butter, melted
1 t. salt
1 t. thyme
1 T. rosemary
1 T. maple syrup
1/2 cup apple cider

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 325 F.  Place turkey in a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, mix together orange and lemon zests, butter, salt, thyme, rosemary, and maple syrup.  Rub all over the turkey, making sure to spread it evenly.

Place remaining halves of orange and lemon into the cavity of the turkey, along with the garlic cloves.  Truss (if you do that thing, I never do).

Place cloves underneath the skin of the turkey breasts.

Pour juices and apple cider around the turkey in the pan.  This will be your basting liquid as it cooks.

Cook for 3 hours (or more or less, depending on the size of your turkey), basting every 30 minutes.  If it begins to brown too much, tent it with aluminum foil and continue roasting.  Remove from the oven 30 minutes before carving, and allow to rest, tented.

Gravy:

1/4 cup GF flour/starch
Drippings from the pan (mine totaled about 1/2 cup in the end)
1/2 cup-1 cup chicken broth (depending on how thick you want your gravy)
Salt & pepper to taste
Extra rosemary & thyme, if desired

Take 1/4 cup of the drippings and heat them in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Once hot, add the flour and create your roux.  Once the roux foams, whisk in the rest of the drippings and the broth.  Whisk until the mixture thickens, taste, and correct seasoning.

Carve the turkey and serve together!

Pork Chops with Poblano Goat Cheese Sauce

This is a really simple and versatile recipe with a Southwestern flair to it.  It comes together really quickly and feel free to play around with it!  Credit where credit is due, here is where I got it: http://www.bitchincamero.com/2009/05/pork-chops-with-goat-cheese-roasted-poblano-sauce/

Ingredients:

6 pork chops (original recipe said on-the-bone, but I had center cuts)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. lemon-garlic seasoning
(play around with the seasonings, I did it to taste)

2 poblano peppers, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup-1 cup chicken stock (depending on how thin you want your sauce)
6 oz. soft goat cheese

Instructions:

Preheat your broiler to high and brush poblanos with oil.  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet, cut-side down, and boil 4-6 inches from the broiler for 10-15 minutes, or until the skin is charred.  Remove from the broiler and place in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, for 20 minutes.  After this, you should be able to peel away the charred skin.  I couldn't, seeing as my poblanos were very thin-fleshed, so I just threw everything in, charred and all.

Sprinkle your pork chops with seasoning and prepare them as you like.  Grilled, broiled, baked, seared, however.

Heat chicken broth and goat cheese in a small saucepan, until the goat cheese has melted down.  Place in a food processor with the poblano peppers and process until smooth.

Pour over pork chops and serve!  I ended up browning my chops and then baking them with the sauce on them, which made them look less than appealing, but they really tasted great!  It's a very versatile recipe, and I think it'd be easy to add in your own spin on the recipe for whatever tastes you're accommodating.

Served with pumpkin soup and steamed broccoli.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin isn't just for desserts!  I made this up, completely, after not being satisfied with any pumpkin soup recipes I found.

It has some flavors of both Southwestern and Asian cuisine, which (surprisingly) pair together nicely.  I would have loved to add some red curry paste if I'd only had it.  It pulls together very quickly.

Having a cold, my sense of taste is kinda crappy, so I was told I overseasoned this.  Take measurements with a grain of salt.

Also, it can easily be made vegetarian/vegan if you switch out the chicken stock for vegetable stock and the butter for olive oil/an oil of your choice.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 T. butter
2 small onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-inch knob of ginger, minced
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. paprika
1 t. thyme
3 cups pumpkin puree
2-3 cups chicken stock (depending on how thin you want your soup)
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  When butter bubbles and foams, place onions, garlic, and ginger in the pan.  Saute until onions are cooked through and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.

Add in the spices and herbs and allow to cook for a few minutes more.

Add in the pumpkin and chicken stock, bringing it to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

That chunk is some frozen puree.

If you prefer, pour your soup into a blender and puree.  I didn't only because I'm ill and didn't want to clean yet another thing :D.

Accompanying meal will be posted tomorrow.

About 10 minutes before serving, reheat your soup (if you've let it sit) and add the coconut milk.  Salt to taste.  Simmer and serve hot!

Pumpkin Puree

Just an alert, ladies.  Apparently when you drop below 20% body fat, your hormones can get all out of whack and cause lady problems.

Thank goodness it's fall, and I'll be gaining winter weight anyway.

Speaking of fall, I love October.  Why do I love October?

Pumpkins.

Now, people.  Pumpkins are not just for carving.  Or, what people seem to do here, just setting out on your porch as decorations.

Pumpkins are for eating.

I get sad watching the untouched pumpkins just sit and rot at all the houses in the area.  I want to steal them and put them to use in delicious desserts and soups and meals.  Make tasty snacks of their pepitas.  Feast on their delicious flesh.

Don't buy canned pumpkin puree.   Just make your own.  I got about 16 cups (that's almost 4 liters, Europeans/anyone NOT in 'Murica) out of a single pumpkin.

It was a huge pumpkin, yes.  But ONE.  That I bought for $2, because apparently pumpkins are sold dirt cheap here since no one uses them as food.

Excuse my pale and sickly appearance.  I was tired and not feeling 100%.

So how do you do this?

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F, and prepare 1-2 baking sheets with oil/cooking spray (depends on how big your pumpkin is).

Take your pumpkin.  Cut out the top, like you would prepping it to carve.

Cut it in half.

Scoop out the guts/seeds (save the seeds to make tasty snacks!).

Some people proceed to cut it into smaller pieces, but I don't.  I find it easier to roast two halves.

Spray/brush cut sides of the pumpkin halves with olive oil.  Place cut-side down on prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes (mine took about an hour), or until a fork easily pierces the skin.  Allow to cool.

Scoop flesh out of the skin and place in batches in a blender/food processor.  Puree.

This is half the pumpkin's puree.

I then pour mine into little freezer bags, in 2 cup portions, and freeze most of it for later use.

The possibilities are endless!

Greek-Inspired Chicken Burgers with Homemade Tzatziki

...and chickpeas braised with radish greens and spinach!

We had another sausage-making adventure this weekend (Charles had a few friends over to watch a videogame tournament final) and they were fantastic!  We used this recipe, but next time I will up some of the flavorings.  While it was delicious, I wish the sun-dried tomato flavor had been far more pronounced.  And the cheese kept melting out of the sausages on the grill!

I also made this very refreshing quinoa salad to go with it, which was a big hit, even among the men!  Quinoa is not one of my favorite things, as I often find it very bland.  But this came out very flavorful with a great crunch!  Definitely going in my mental book of things I will make over and over again.

A fun weekend was had by all, and I hope that you all had a great Labor Day!  I managed to run/walk a mile yesterday and today with no worsening foot pains, so hopefully *knockonwood* I'm on the road to total recovery!

Now, after a weekend of semi-indulgent eating and drinking (mostly the drinking part--GF beer, you will be my downfall!), I'm looking to make something lighter.  Yesterday morning, it was an omelette that was essentially a ton of vegetables with a little bit of egg mixed it (and, of course, Sriracha dumped on top).  Didn't eat lunch (one of those odd days where you're just not hungry at all), had the tiny bit of that quinoa salad left for a snack, and then leftovers for dinner.  Today, chicken burgers!

Chicken Burger

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground chicken or turkey (I home-ground 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. fresh basil, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed (I, for once, used my garlic press to get a paste-like consistency)
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 t. lemon juice, plus a little zest
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. Kalamata olives, finely minced (I did not have these, but they're in the original recipe)
1 t. brine from olives
Black pepper to taste

Buns and toppings

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients for the patties together in a bowl.  Cover and let marinate in the fridge for an hour.

Divide into four equal patties.

Preheat your grill, broiler, or stovetop grill-pan to medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until juices run clear.

Top with tzatziki and your other toppings and enjoy!

Tzatziki

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic (yes, one HEAD of garlic...you can reduce that if you're not a garlic-nut like me!)
1 500-g container of Greek yogurt (thickest you can find)
1 English cucumber, seeded and peeled (if you so desire, I didn't)
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. lemon juice (start there, add more if you wish)
Salt & pepper, to taste

Many recipes include a bunch of parsley and mint, but I didn't have either on-hand.

Instructions:

Process the garlic and cucumber in a food processor until finely minced (use liquids from the recipe to aid in the processing).  Also, add herbs, if you are using them.

In some cheesecloth or a fine strainer, squeeze out all the water possible from the cucumber.

Mix everything together in a small-to-medium bowl and cover, refrigerating for at least an hour.  Taste after letting it sit, and correct any flavors to your taste.

Eat it on burgers, sandwiches, use it as dip, etc!

Braised Chickpeas with Radish Greens and Spinach

So, I bought some radishes over the weekend, and they came with a large bunch of greens attached.  I thought, "I can't just throw this out!  This has to be edible!" Lo and behold, it is!  Others compare to flavor to that of other bitter greens, like Swiss chard or kale, so use accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch radish greens (or other greens!), washed and dried
1 cup baby spinach, washed and dried
2 shallots (or 1 large), finely chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Instructions:

Heat 1 T. oil in a deep saute pan over medium heat.  Cook shallots until translucent, then add lemon zest.

Add in chickpeas and saute for a minute or two.

Add in your liquids and bring to a simmer.  Allow liquid to cook down for about 10 minutes, and then add the greens. (I did the opposite and my greens ended up way overcooked).  Salt & pepper to your tastes.

Dinner is served!  Really, really delicious and healthy!

Bircher Muesli

Yes.  I know.  It's been a while.

I have been busy with people/lazy with updating.

My mother came to visit, my sister came to visit, Charles got home, and there was much rejoicing *cue Monty Python clip*.

We've had a wonderful insurgence of fresh local produce at markets, so I've been going eggplant crazy and zucchini crazy and managed to get some strawberry jam made (now I need to do raspberry).  It looks like we'll be another year without blackberry jam...I don't know why, but no one seems to grow them here.  Sad face.

On with the recipe!

This is a very simple breakfast recipe with many, many variations and options.  It's very filling and nutritious, loaded with protein, and it can be made at the beginning of the week and had for breakfast all week long.  I discovered it at the (AMAZING) breakfast buffet we had at the Novotel in Sydney, Australia, and have been wanting to make it since.  My sister brought me some gluten-free oats (something else that seems impossible to find here), and I now can do just that!

Mine is super-simplified because I choose to add the toppings daily, rather than mixing them in.

Bircher Muesli

Ingredients:

3 cups prepared oatmeal*
1 cup unsweetened applesauce OR a combination of grated/chopped tart apples and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup of honey

Garnishes/Mix-In:

Chopped walnuts
Sliced almonds
Other nuts!
Sultana raisins
Dried cranberries
Other dried fruit!
Fresh fruit!
More yogurt!
Flax seeds

The possibilities are endless!

*NOTE:  Recipes I have read call for rolled oats soaked in apple juice overnight (not cooked), but I cannot find ANY gluten-free rolled oats here, so I used steel-cut, which you really, really need to cook, haha.  Left them a little under-done so that they would soak up more liquid and have a bit of texture to them.  If you want to make the "real thing", a good recipe is here: http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/bircher-muesli.

The original recipe from the early 1900s is here!: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muesli#Original_Bircher-Benner_muesli_recipe

Instructions:

Take your prepared oats, mix them in a large bowl (with a lid) with the yogurt, honey, and apples/sauce, and refrigerate.

Huzzah!  You are done.  Mix in or top with whatever you desire!

So far, the batch I made is a little soupy, so next time I will try soaking the oats in everything overnight to see how they do.  Also, it's been enough for about 6 or 7 Amy-breakfasts.  YMMV.

Snack-sized (maybe 1/4 cup) with walnuts and concord grapes (nope, not blueberries).

Breakfast!  Sliced almonds, banana, concord grapes, dried cranberries, and wild blueberries.

Spiced, Baked Catfish with Simple Zucchini

Sometimes during the summer, when it's hot outside and my air conditioner is acting up and I just don't feel like eating a whole lot, I just want a really simple, light dish that doesn't take too much fuss to throw together and clean up.  Today's is one of those meals.

Ingredients:

2 catfish fillets (mine were "basa" fillets and they are HUGE)
Spices, to your taste:  paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, lemon, garlic, and parsley.  I used about 1/2 teaspoon of each.
Juice of 1 lemon
1 T. olive oil

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. lemon-garlic seasoning (I used Penzey's)
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Use the oil to prepare 2 pans, one for the zucchini, and one for the fish.

Sprinkle both sides of the fish with the spices and herbs and place in the pan.  Squeeze lemon juice over them.

Stir together zucchini, onion, and spices.  Place in prepared pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the fish flakes easily and the zucchini is cooked through (mine was a little undercooked, but I like it like that).

Serve hot, with tartar sauce if you desire.

Kalyn's Hungarian Pot Roast with Sour Cream & Paprika Gravy

I followed Kalyn's recipe nearly exactly for this recipe, only adding in 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms (they were in my fridge and getting ready to go bad). It's essentially goulash, but pot roast style. Pretty tasty, though next time I might throw in more salt or something to up the umami flavor.

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 rump roast, about 2.5 pounds (I had a blade/chuck roast, which also works)
generous amount of steak seasoning (about 1 T) to rub on roast before browning (or salt & pepper)
4 large yellow onions, cut into slices at least 1/2 inch thick
2 T sweet Hungarian or Spanish paprika (I used more)
1/2 tsp. sharp Hungarian paprika or smoked Spanish paprika (good because it gives it a kick. I used more.)
1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red bell peppers (I used freshly roasted ones from the last post)
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups homemade beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups sour cream

Instructions:

Heat 1 T. olive oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Rub the meat with the steak seasoning and brown well on all sides. This should take about 10 minutes.


Place the meat in the bottom of a slow-cooker.

Heat 1 T. olive oil again, over medium heat, in the same pan. Add onions and paprika(s) and allow to soften and brown (not burn! Mine did a little).


Place onions on top of and around the browned roast in the slow-cooker.

Slice roasted red peppers into 1/2 inch pieces, and place peppers and tomatoes in the crockpot (this is also when I added the sliced mushrooms, raw).


Place 2 cups of beef stock/broth in the same sauce pan as before and reduce until 1 cup remains. Add to the crock pot, and season with salt and pepper.

Cook roast on high, covered, for 4-6 hours, until the roast feels tender when pierced with a fork. Place the roast on a plate. Using a stainer, strain the liquid from the vegetables (KEEP THE VEGETABLES).

Place the liquid in a medium saucepan and, over medium-high heat, reduce the gravy by half. Using a whisk, add small amounts of sour cream gradually and mix until well-blended.

Place the meat and vegetables back into the slow-cooker.

Pour the gravy over it. Cook on high for another 20-30 minutes, or until everything is reheated.

Serve alone, or over brown rice or whole wheat noodles (for lower carb content--egg noodles if you're not following low-carb) and enjoy!


We had it alone, and I wished that there was something to mop up the gravy with. Next time I make it, I'll make a pureed cauliflower "mashed potato" substitute and see how that works out.