Corn is the name of the game, and this game I won!
The mr doesn%u2019t much like to eat corn. But I do. And this time of year I get like 10 ears of corn every week from farm share, which is a lot of corn for one person to have to eat every week and sometimes I just can%u2019t do it. So every now and then I make something that I think the mr will tolerate, if not like, to get him to help me eat the stash of a hundred ears or corn that I have going on in the fridge.
These fritters helped me with that and I think with all the future corn that I will get from the farm. They are soooo good! The mr liked them! As for me, I couldn’t stop eating them and almost didn’t want to share because they we just so dang good. Sweet fresh corn, nutty and slightly chewy oats. Scallions. And that%u2019s pretty much it. So fresh and clean and yummy tasting. A summertime fritter situation that takes corn to a place where even the corn hater likes it.
Although who the hell hates corn? I know one person. One. And I live with him. Weirdo.
Anyway, to the fritters!
The stuff. Fresh sweet corn, old fashion rolled oats, and a few scallion. Also some ground flax seed, water, baking powder, salt and pepper, and a little oil.
Start with oats. Add most of what we need to a blender and blend until it becomes oat flour.
Then the corn. Remove the kernels from the cobs. Best way is to hold corn in a large bowl and cut downward. Don%u2019t want corn flying all over the place!
Add most of the corn you just cut off the cob to the blender with the oat flour, along with with flax and water. Blend until smooth.
Chop the scallions into thin and tiny pieces.
Now dump the contents of the blender into a bowl, add in the scallions, the baking powder, and the extra oats and corn. Mix it all up and then let the batter rest for a few minutes (like 10) so the oats have a chance to really absorb all the liquid.
And then to cook them. Heat a lightly oiled skillet to medium high heat. Once skillet is hot, drop scoops of batter into it. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the bottom is a nice deep golden brown. Flip and cook the other side the same.
When fritters are done cooking, place them on a wire rack. So they don%u2019t get soggy.
And then serve them right away. I ate mine with fresh salsa. Definitely the way to go. So GOOD!
Now eat your corn.
-C
makes about 12 fritters
3 ears fresh corn ( about 1 1/2 cups of kernels)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2-3 scallions
1 tablespoon flax meal
3 tablespoons water
salt and pepper
a little oil for skillet
Combine water and flax meal, mix and set aside.
Place 1 cup of oats into blender or food processor and blend for about a minutes or until the oats are a fine flour.
Grab corn and remove from cob. Best way to do this is to place corn vertically in a big bowl and cut downwards so the bowl catches all the kernels. Cut enough corn until you have about 1 1/2 cups of kernels. Also, garb scallions and chop into very small, thin pieces.
Add in a cup of the corn, the flax and water mixture, baking powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse or blend until completely combined and the mixture is mostly smooth.. Dump mixture into a bowl and add in the remaining corn, chopped scallions, and oats and mix together. The mixture should not be runny, but also should not be dry enough to pack together. If the mixture seems too dry and tight, add in a tablespoon or two more or water. To wet, add in a small handful of oats.
Once batter is mixed, set aside for about 10 minutes to rest.
Grab skillet and place on medium high heat. Add a touch of oil to pan and make sure it evenly coats the bottom. Once pan is preheated, add scoops batter into pan (about 2 tablespoons each). Cook first side for about 3-4 minutes or until dark golden brown, then flip and cook the other sides for another 2-3 minutes until a dark golden brown. Remove from pan and either place on a wire rack or a plate. ( I recommend a wire rack just to keep them from getting soggy.)
Serve right away. Fresh salsa goes amazingly with them!
Any left overs can be stored in fridge and reheated in the oven.
Salad season is here. Green salads, fruit salads, potato salads, and grain salads. All the salads and we are not mad about it.
This is a good grain salad using millet, which I am sightly surprised to hear that a lot of people have never had. Millet is kind of like quinoa, but not. I cooks fluffy and looks kind of the same, and is gluten free like quinoa. I think the biggest difference is that millet is slightly softer and tastes a bit more nutty. It also is really good at absorbing liquid flavors.
But who are we to compare. The main thing is that it is nutritious and delicious so we will eat it.
Back to the salad. This is one of those grain salads that is good cooked and served warm but only gets better with a little age (like an hour or a day) in the fridge. Served hot or cold or room tempature, and is hearty enough to be meal like but is also a fantastic addition as a side to any of you meal plans. Like maybe a BBQ? Whatever the occasion, or non occasion, this is just a really good grain salad situation and I think you will be pleased, smiling all smiles while eating it.
To the millet salad.
The stuff. Millet, a couple handful of greens, a few mushrooms, an onion, dijon mustard, a little maple syrup, red wine vinegar, a lemon, a couple cloves or garlic, some toasted sunflower seeds, and salt and pepper.
Start by giving the millet a little toast, just enough to really up the nutty flavor and make it that much more yummy. It only takes a few minutes in a skillet on medium heat. Not an entirely necessary step, but you should do it.
Toasted millet goes into pot with water. Bring pot to a boil and then turn to the lowest simmer and cover.
While millet is cooking, get to the mushrooms and onions. Chop the onion thin and small and the mushrooms thin and small as well. Place them into the skillet with a drizzle of oil and place on medium heat. Mix around every now and then and cook until the mushrooms and onions are soft and a nice golden brown.
And make the vinaigrette. Minced garlic, mustard, vinegar, the juice of the lemon, and maple syrup get put into one place.
Mixed and now all is one.
Millet. Cooked and fluffed and ready to go.
Cooked mushrooms and onions go into the pot, along with the greens, the sunflower seed, and the vinaigrette. This step can be right away or you can wait a little while for things to cool as to not wilt the greens. Up tp you.
Mixed with love and hunger.
Even if you are making it ahead of time, just do yourself a favor. Grab a bowl, grab a fork, and get down on it.
-C
Seves 4-6
3/4 cup uncooked millet
2 cups water
1 sweet onion
3-4 big button mushrooms
Large handful or two of bitter greens like arugula, spinach or a mixture.
2 tablespoon brown or dijon mustard
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
handful toasted sunflower seeds
To start, toast millet. Dump the uncooked millet into a pan and place on a medium heat tt for about 5 minutes or until you start hearing the millet crackle.This gives the millet a slightly more nutty flavor but you can skip this step if you don%u2019t care.
Dump millet and water into medium pot. Place on high heat until water starts to boil then tun heat down to simmer and over. After about 15 or 20 minutes, when most of the water is gone, turn pot completely off. Let sit, covered for another 10ish minutes then take a fork and fluff it.
While the millet is cooking, cook the veggies. Grab the onion and slice it up into thin pieces. Clean off the mushrooms and chop them into small thin pieces too. Place the chopped stuff into the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on a medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook for about 15 minutes or until the onion and mushroom are a nice dark, golden brown.
And make the mustard vinaigrette. Mince garlic and place into a jar or bowl with the vinegar, the mustard, the maple, and the juice of the lemon. Mix and set aside.
Once the millet is cooked, the mushrooms and onions are cooked, and the vinaigrette is made, all you have left to do is mix everything together. You can do this while things are slightly warm which will wilt the greens a bit, o let them cool so the greens stay fresh. Up to you. (I like the greens fresh)
Finally, dump cooked mushrooms and onions into pot with cooked millet. Add in the greens and sunflower seeds and drizzle the vinegertte all over. Toss around until fully mixed. Sprinkle with lots of fresh cracked pepper.
Then eat. Or place in a container to bring to the BBQ.
I am sadly at my last few bags of frozen garden foods from last season. As of now I have a bag of tomatoes, a couple bags of shredded zucchini, and a bag of rhubarb. Well, had a bag of rhubarb. I think I have eaten almost all of it already. My rhubarb patch better get up and producing stalks soon. And as for the rest of the veggies that I will require. Guess I am going to be surviving mostly on roots from farm share (we are getting a lot more greens though!!!!) and probably doing a bit more grocery shopping then I care too. A few more months. I can do it.
Anyway, enough about my freezer and lack of fresh produce problems.
Here in Vermont maple season is well on it%u2019s way making it a perfect time for anything maple. And rhubarb. Yeah I am using my frozen rhubarb from last year, but any time now (after the snow melts) there will be plenty of stalks for the taking. There will be so much maple and so much fresh rhubarb which are the perfect taste combination. Exciting times! And when added to oatmeal, things just get more gooder. (I know gooder is not a word but I think it should be) Oatmeal, especially baked, is the stuff where all gooder things start.
Have you had baked oatmeal yet? It truly is fantastic. Not at all gummy and gloopy like stove topped cooked oatmeal (but I like it like that too). It still has a good bite to it while still being soft and creamy and boy oh boy is it just the bees knees. With the addition of some crunchy almond friends, well even better. Trust me. If you are a oatmeal eater, you must try it baked. Best part is that it can be eaten as breakfast but also I have been serving it to the mr for dessert with a healthy drizzle of more maple. It%u2019s that good friends. From breakfast to dessert. Everyone is happy.
To the baked oatmeal.
The stuff. Old fashion oats, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, rhubarb (fresh or frozen), REAL maple syrup, some plant milk, a few flax eggs, a bit of tahini, and some almonds.
To start. Oats, cinnamon. salt, baking powder and almonds get a quick toss together in a big bowl.
If you rhubarb is not already chopped up into inch long pieces, do that. I already did before freezing it so yea me. Once its chopped, layer almost all of it (reserve a few small needful to toss on top) into a lightly greased 9×9 inch baking dish then cover evenly with the oat mixture.
In now empty bowl mix together the milk, the flax eggs, the tahini, and the maple until evenly incorporated.
Pour the wet mixture all over the oats and let it absorb.
Once the liquid is all absorbed , top with any left over almonds and the left over rhubarb. For good looks.
Pop into a hot oven to bake.
Golden brown with crispy edges. Rhubarb and maple baked oatmeal for all your maple, oaty and rhubarbie needs.
Fresh from the oven scooped warm into bowls. Top with extra maple if thats what you should want do.
Enjoy and happy maple season!
-C
Make a 9×9 pan of oatmeal
2 1/2 cups old fashion oats (make sure gluten free if need be)
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb chopped into inch long pieces
1 1/2 cup plant milk (water works but it won%u2019t be as creamy)
1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional)
Preheat oven to 375
Lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking pan (I used metal because it makes for crisper edges but glass works too) and dump 2 cups of the rhubarb in and evenly distribute on the bottom. In a large bowl mis the oats, the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. Mix in chopped nuts if you are using. Evenly cover rhubarb with oat mixture. In now empty bowl mix together the milk, flax eggs, maple syrup, and tahini until evenly incorporated. Pour mixture over oats. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes until the oats have abosbed all the liquid. Toss the rest of the diced rhubarb and a few more chop nuts to the top and pop into the oven to bake.
Bake for 30-40 minutes (shorter time for a wetter oatmeal, longer for a denser crispier oatmeal)
Once baked to your likeness, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes just so it is not super hot. Scoop into bowls and serve warm with extra maple and milk or whatever you might want to serve with it.
Left overs last great in fridge for 3-4 days or individual portions can be frozen for a month or two. Just pop into microwave for a couple minutes to warm up.
Roasted veggies of any kind can get this girl in trouble. Place a sheet pan meant for many full of roasted veggies and watch out, I will probably eat them all. I can%u2019t stop, won%u2019t stop and you know what, I am not sorry, especially if its roasted brussel sprouts and squash.l I am grabbing at every last bit, especially all the really crispy, almost burnt pieces. Burnt food is one of my favorite flavors.
This dish is pretty basic, but also not. A slightly overlooked grain, spelt, makes for a hearty backdrop to the magic of roasted sprouts and squash, covered with a sunflower butter sauce which is a nice spin on a traditional peanut sauce. It%u2019s pretty easy to make and pretty to look at as well. A nice hearty and warming meal for all of those cold winter nights. And it%u2019s not going to make you feel heavy or gross, like if you sat and ate an entire lasagna. No, you will feel full and fantastic and ready for a cookie (it is the holidays after all).
The ingredients in this dish are mainly inspired by the half eaten jar of sunflower butter a friend of mine gave me at the gym, plus the fact that I have been getting a few stocks of brussel sprouts each week at farm share so we are eating them at ever meal, (plus I LOVE brussel sprouts) and me trying to use up all of the grains and such in the pantry before restocking anything more or new. A dish of convenience sure, but also a damn delicious one at that. With this being said, if you had a different grain you wanted to use, or an abundance of some other veggies that you have or prefer, well go ahead and use them. You do you my friend.
And really, I was thinking of you when I made this dish. Sometimes at this time of year people tend to forget to eat, or tend to eat on the not so healthy side. This grain bowl situation is just what your body is in need of. Simple delicious nourishment.
The stuff. Spelt that has been soaking in water for a while, half a butternut squash, brussel sprouts, a red onion. Also sunflower butter, a few cloves garlic, a lime, soy sauce, a touch of maple, salt and pepper, and olive oil.
The spelt will probably take the longest so get it on the stove. Strain away the soaking water and place into with fresh water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place a lid on pot ans let it go.
Next, get to the veggies. Halve the big sprouts (small ones can stay whole) chop onion into chunks and cube the squash.
A drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a good toss around and it ready for the oven.
Meanwhile, make the sunflower butter sauce. Its pretty basic. The sunflower butter, minced garlic, soy, maple, and juice of the lime all into a vessel that can hold it. Add a couple tablespoons of warm water to thin it out and done. Sunflower butter sauce. Easy Peasy.
After about an hour, your slept should be cooked (that sounds aggressive to me) Tender and chewy and just right.
The veggies should be roasted and done too. Crisp as you like ( I actually like mine even darker, but the mr does not so I went a light roast this time)
And it%u2019s all ready for you to eat.
Roasted butternut squash and brussel sprouts on a warm bed of spelt covered in sunflower butter sauce. Living the good life here.
Take care of yourself this week, and always for that matter. Eat some good food. Your body will be happy for it.
Bye.
-C
Serves 2-3
1 cup spelt berries (soaked in water overnight if you remember)
3 cups water
about 1/2 of a butternut squash
about a pound of Brussel sprouts
a medium red onion
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (unsalted and unsweetened)
2 tablespoons liquid amionos or soy
1 teaspoon maple or honey
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
Preheat oven to 425
Place soaked spelt berries in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring a boil then reduce heat, place a lid on pot and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until spelt berries are tender and all the water has been absorbed.
While spelt is cooking, cut sprouts in half (unless they are very small), cube the butternut into pieces about an inch big, and chop the onion up into chunks. Place all that you just chopped onto a baking sheet, drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and toss around. Sprinkle the veggies with a pinch or so of salt and pepper and pop into the hot oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until roasted to your desired doneness. (I like things a lot darker then the mr so I would leave my veggies in for closer to an hour)
For the sunflower butter sauce. Mince garlic and place into bowl or cup with the sunflower butter. Add in the maple, soy, and the juice of the lime. Mix together and add in a 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin out. Add more water if needed to get to a thick but pourable consistency.
Once the spelt is cooked, the veggies are roasted and the sauce is made, well you can assemble and eat. Spelt in a bowl, toss on some roasted veggies, and cover in the sauce. And then you eat it.
I feel like this salad is kind of a summery salad, or better yet, a salad that highlights all the best of what summer has to bring. All the fresh tender dill that is still growing (but not for long) , all the brightly colored and amazing veggies that are being harvested and are nearing the end (bye fresh cucumbers.) This salad might just be my little last hurrah of summer cooking before it is all root veggies and dried herbs and hot and hearty food. And not going to lie and say that I am sad to see summer go because I am so so ready for it to be over, but I will miss all the fresh fresh produce. And I will especially miss all the fresh dill because fresh dill is seriously the best.
Eat up what is left of summer now before it%u2019s too late!
The stuff. Quinoa, a bunch of dill, a cucumber, a pepper, an onion, and some cherry tomatoes. Also a clove of garlic, some salt and pepper, and red wine vinegar.
Mince the garlic, chop the onion, mince the pepper and the cucumber, half the tomatoes, and last but noblest, rough chop the dill.
All that goodness goes into. big bow, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and the vinegar Tossed around and left to meld.
Uncooked quinoa with water turns to cooked quinoa
Quinoa meets the bowl of veggies
And after a good mix, viola!
You got yourself a yummers fresh dill and veggie quinoa salad.
-C
serves 3-5 as a side or 2 as a meal
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
I bunch fresh dill (like a 1/3 cup chopped%u2026 But use as much as you want)
1/2 a small red onion
1 clove garlic
1 small Persian cucumer
1/2 of a sweet red or yellow pepper
handful or two of cherry tomatoes
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Start by cooking the quinoa. Place the water and the uncooked quinoa into a medium sized pot. Place on high heat until sorts to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and place lid on the pot. Let cook for about 15 minutes, checking at 10 minutes, to see if all the water has absorbed. When it has, remove from heat and let sit for a few more minutes then fluff with a fork.
While the quinoa id cooking, mince the garlic and chop all the veggies into small little pieces. Place into a big bowl. Chop up the fresh dill and toss into bowl too, along with the vinegar and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix it all around and let sit on the counter for a little so the veggies get nice and vinegary. Once quinoa is cooked and fluffed, dump into the bowl and mix around. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Eat warm or refrigerate and eat cold. It%u2019s defiantly one of those salads that taste great right away but tastes even better the next day.
I am one of those people that hangs out for far to long in the grocery store, mostly in the bulk section, looking al all the types of rice, and grains, and beans, and seeds, admiring the variety and colors and also wishing I was one of those people that had an extra $25 to drop on a pound of pistachios.%u00a0%u00a0(Them were some pricey pistachios fo sho.) I take my time, peruse the bins, maybe take a little taste or two, %u00a0and go for what I need. And maybe if something is on sale, get a little of that too. Things that usually make the list are spices,%u00a0oats, beans, maybe rice or quinoa, flours, and seeds. Pumpkin seeds were on sale so those were the seeds of choice and I also got some barely because when I was starting at all the grains,%u00a0it dawned on me that I don’t know many people that eat barley, or even care about it, which is a shame because it is awesome. It might not be trendy like farro or freekeh, but it is just as good, and damn if it is not a hell of a lot cheaper.%u00a0
With the barley and pumpkins seed in hand, I had the start of a salad. So I grabbed some oats, a few spices, some beans and ran away from the builk section, past the nuts before things got bad and I either a) got kicked out for eating my weight in cashews and almonds,%u00a0pretending to just need a taste, or b) paid the $25 for a pound of pistachios that I might not eat because I would need to save them for something really special because they cost $25 a pound. Then I grabbed veggies, walked around the wellness section for good measure, did another lap around the store just in case I forgot something, then finally made my way out of the store only to realize when I got home that I forgot something. (I always forget something)%u00a0
But I had all I needed for a barley salad situation so things went well. This is a fantastic salad. It’s quick and easy and tasty and good. Barley, tahini, veggies and pumpkin seeds… It’s all you need for a just right dinner, or a fantastic side to any meal. Or as a snack at anytime. Bring it to a BBQ, a graduation party, or a pot luck. it will get eaten, and if by chance you end up with a little left over, bring it on home and eat it for breakfast. It will still be just as good.%u00a0%u00a0
The stuff. Pearled barley, tahini, pumpkin seeds and garlic. And some red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, kale, a carrot, some cauliflower, a lemon, a red onion, and a cucumber. (you are not going to need the full amount of all these veggies)%u00a0
First off, cook the barley. The barley and water go into a pot, brought to a boil, then left on low %u00a0to cook until tender. Once cooked, strain away excess water
While barley is cooking (or is cooked) chop up the veggies into mouth sized pieces. I used half the cucumber, half the onion, some of the cauliflower, all the kale, and all the carrot. It’s not an exact measurement, you just want a good amount to toss into the salad.%u00a0
Barley in bowl, topped with the veggies and pumpkin seeds…. The pretty before the mix. You don’t need to add it like this, I just did it cause it looks good.
And the tahini sauce. Mince garlic and add to a jar or bowl with the juice of the lemon, vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper and give it a really good mix.
Creamy, zippy, oh so good.%u00a0
Drizzle and toss the dressing with the barley and veggies.
And that’s that. Now you are ready for eating.%u00a0
Enjoy wherever this salad takes you.%u00a0
-C
If eaten as a meal, serves 2-3. As a side dish, serves 6-8
1 cup pearl barley%u00a0
3 cups water
1/4 cup tahini%u00a0
1 large lemon%u00a0
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
1/2 of a cucumber%u00a0
1 small carrot
2 large kale leaves
1/2 of a red onion
1 cup of cauliflower florets%u00a0
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Note. The vegetable amount and type is more of a preference. You could use all cucumber and onion or add %u00a0broccoli and pepper, just make sure to have a least 3 good cups of some chopped up color.%u00a0
Place barley and water into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and continue to cook until barley is tender, but not mushy, which should take about 45 minutes. Once cooked, strain excess water.
While the barley is cooking, chop all the veggies into small mouth sized pieces.%u00a0%u00a0And make the tahini sauce. Mince garlic and place in a bowl or jar. Add in tahini, the juice of the lemon, and the vinegar. Mix well until smooth then season with salt and pepper to taste. %u00a0
When barley is cooked and drained, let cool for a few minutes then place in a big bowl. Add in all the veggies and the toasted pumpkin seeds, then drizzle with the tahini sauce and toss all around. Season with salt and pepper to taste..%u00a0
Now eat still warm, or later at room renature, or place in fridge for it to get cold. It can be a filling meal or a great side dish.%u00a0It’s good all ways, any way.
Another note. This salad is great for parties and BBQ’s and can be made a day or two ahead. If you do make ahead, hold off on mixing the pumpkin seeds and the tahini sauce with the rest of the salad until you are about to serve it.%u00a0
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 19, 2019 by maximios • Blog
Corn is the name of the game, and this game I won!
The mr doesn%u2019t much like to eat corn. But I do. And this time of year I get like 10 ears of corn every week from farm share, which is a lot of corn for one person to have to eat every week and sometimes I just can%u2019t do it. So every now and then I make something that I think the mr will tolerate, if not like, to get him to help me eat the stash of a hundred ears or corn that I have going on in the fridge.
These fritters helped me with that and I think with all the future corn that I will get from the farm. They are soooo good! The mr liked them! As for me, I couldn’t stop eating them and almost didn’t want to share because they we just so dang good. Sweet fresh corn, nutty and slightly chewy oats. Scallions. And that%u2019s pretty much it. So fresh and clean and yummy tasting. A summertime fritter situation that takes corn to a place where even the corn hater likes it.
Although who the hell hates corn? I know one person. One. And I live with him. Weirdo.
Anyway, to the fritters!
The stuff. Fresh sweet corn, old fashion rolled oats, and a few scallion. Also some ground flax seed, water, baking powder, salt and pepper, and a little oil.
Start with oats. Add most of what we need to a blender and blend until it becomes oat flour.
Then the corn. Remove the kernels from the cobs. Best way is to hold corn in a large bowl and cut downward. Don%u2019t want corn flying all over the place!
Add most of the corn you just cut off the cob to the blender with the oat flour, along with with flax and water. Blend until smooth.
Chop the scallions into thin and tiny pieces.
Now dump the contents of the blender into a bowl, add in the scallions, the baking powder, and the extra oats and corn. Mix it all up and then let the batter rest for a few minutes (like 10) so the oats have a chance to really absorb all the liquid.
And then to cook them. Heat a lightly oiled skillet to medium high heat. Once skillet is hot, drop scoops of batter into it. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the bottom is a nice deep golden brown. Flip and cook the other side the same.
When fritters are done cooking, place them on a wire rack. So they don%u2019t get soggy.
And then serve them right away. I ate mine with fresh salsa. Definitely the way to go. So GOOD!
Now eat your corn.
-C
makes about 12 fritters
3 ears fresh corn ( about 1 1/2 cups of kernels)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2-3 scallions
1 tablespoon flax meal
3 tablespoons water
salt and pepper
a little oil for skillet
Combine water and flax meal, mix and set aside.
Place 1 cup of oats into blender or food processor and blend for about a minutes or until the oats are a fine flour.
Grab corn and remove from cob. Best way to do this is to place corn vertically in a big bowl and cut downwards so the bowl catches all the kernels. Cut enough corn until you have about 1 1/2 cups of kernels. Also, garb scallions and chop into very small, thin pieces.
Add in a cup of the corn, the flax and water mixture, baking powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse or blend until completely combined and the mixture is mostly smooth.. Dump mixture into a bowl and add in the remaining corn, chopped scallions, and oats and mix together. The mixture should not be runny, but also should not be dry enough to pack together. If the mixture seems too dry and tight, add in a tablespoon or two more or water. To wet, add in a small handful of oats.
Once batter is mixed, set aside for about 10 minutes to rest.
Grab skillet and place on medium high heat. Add a touch of oil to pan and make sure it evenly coats the bottom. Once pan is preheated, add scoops batter into pan (about 2 tablespoons each). Cook first side for about 3-4 minutes or until dark golden brown, then flip and cook the other sides for another 2-3 minutes until a dark golden brown. Remove from pan and either place on a wire rack or a plate. ( I recommend a wire rack just to keep them from getting soggy.)
Serve right away. Fresh salsa goes amazingly with them!
Any left overs can be stored in fridge and reheated in the oven.
Salad season is here. Green salads, fruit salads, potato salads, and grain salads. All the salads and we are not mad about it.
This is a good grain salad using millet, which I am sightly surprised to hear that a lot of people have never had. Millet is kind of like quinoa, but not. I cooks fluffy and looks kind of the same, and is gluten free like quinoa. I think the biggest difference is that millet is slightly softer and tastes a bit more nutty. It also is really good at absorbing liquid flavors.
But who are we to compare. The main thing is that it is nutritious and delicious so we will eat it.
Back to the salad. This is one of those grain salads that is good cooked and served warm but only gets better with a little age (like an hour or a day) in the fridge. Served hot or cold or room tempature, and is hearty enough to be meal like but is also a fantastic addition as a side to any of you meal plans. Like maybe a BBQ? Whatever the occasion, or non occasion, this is just a really good grain salad situation and I think you will be pleased, smiling all smiles while eating it.
To the millet salad.
The stuff. Millet, a couple handful of greens, a few mushrooms, an onion, dijon mustard, a little maple syrup, red wine vinegar, a lemon, a couple cloves or garlic, some toasted sunflower seeds, and salt and pepper.
Start by giving the millet a little toast, just enough to really up the nutty flavor and make it that much more yummy. It only takes a few minutes in a skillet on medium heat. Not an entirely necessary step, but you should do it.
Toasted millet goes into pot with water. Bring pot to a boil and then turn to the lowest simmer and cover.
While millet is cooking, get to the mushrooms and onions. Chop the onion thin and small and the mushrooms thin and small as well. Place them into the skillet with a drizzle of oil and place on medium heat. Mix around every now and then and cook until the mushrooms and onions are soft and a nice golden brown.
And make the vinaigrette. Minced garlic, mustard, vinegar, the juice of the lemon, and maple syrup get put into one place.
Mixed and now all is one.
Millet. Cooked and fluffed and ready to go.
Cooked mushrooms and onions go into the pot, along with the greens, the sunflower seed, and the vinaigrette. This step can be right away or you can wait a little while for things to cool as to not wilt the greens. Up tp you.
Mixed with love and hunger.
Even if you are making it ahead of time, just do yourself a favor. Grab a bowl, grab a fork, and get down on it.
-C
Seves 4-6
3/4 cup uncooked millet
2 cups water
1 sweet onion
3-4 big button mushrooms
Large handful or two of bitter greens like arugula, spinach or a mixture.
2 tablespoon brown or dijon mustard
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
handful toasted sunflower seeds
To start, toast millet. Dump the uncooked millet into a pan and place on a medium heat tt for about 5 minutes or until you start hearing the millet crackle.This gives the millet a slightly more nutty flavor but you can skip this step if you don%u2019t care.
Dump millet and water into medium pot. Place on high heat until water starts to boil then tun heat down to simmer and over. After about 15 or 20 minutes, when most of the water is gone, turn pot completely off. Let sit, covered for another 10ish minutes then take a fork and fluff it.
While the millet is cooking, cook the veggies. Grab the onion and slice it up into thin pieces. Clean off the mushrooms and chop them into small thin pieces too. Place the chopped stuff into the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on a medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook for about 15 minutes or until the onion and mushroom are a nice dark, golden brown.
And make the mustard vinaigrette. Mince garlic and place into a jar or bowl with the vinegar, the mustard, the maple, and the juice of the lemon. Mix and set aside.
Once the millet is cooked, the mushrooms and onions are cooked, and the vinaigrette is made, all you have left to do is mix everything together. You can do this while things are slightly warm which will wilt the greens a bit, o let them cool so the greens stay fresh. Up to you. (I like the greens fresh)
Finally, dump cooked mushrooms and onions into pot with cooked millet. Add in the greens and sunflower seeds and drizzle the vinegertte all over. Toss around until fully mixed. Sprinkle with lots of fresh cracked pepper.
Then eat. Or place in a container to bring to the BBQ.
I am sadly at my last few bags of frozen garden foods from last season. As of now I have a bag of tomatoes, a couple bags of shredded zucchini, and a bag of rhubarb. Well, had a bag of rhubarb. I think I have eaten almost all of it already. My rhubarb patch better get up and producing stalks soon. And as for the rest of the veggies that I will require. Guess I am going to be surviving mostly on roots from farm share (we are getting a lot more greens though!!!!) and probably doing a bit more grocery shopping then I care too. A few more months. I can do it.
Anyway, enough about my freezer and lack of fresh produce problems.
Here in Vermont maple season is well on it%u2019s way making it a perfect time for anything maple. And rhubarb. Yeah I am using my frozen rhubarb from last year, but any time now (after the snow melts) there will be plenty of stalks for the taking. There will be so much maple and so much fresh rhubarb which are the perfect taste combination. Exciting times! And when added to oatmeal, things just get more gooder. (I know gooder is not a word but I think it should be) Oatmeal, especially baked, is the stuff where all gooder things start.
Have you had baked oatmeal yet? It truly is fantastic. Not at all gummy and gloopy like stove topped cooked oatmeal (but I like it like that too). It still has a good bite to it while still being soft and creamy and boy oh boy is it just the bees knees. With the addition of some crunchy almond friends, well even better. Trust me. If you are a oatmeal eater, you must try it baked. Best part is that it can be eaten as breakfast but also I have been serving it to the mr for dessert with a healthy drizzle of more maple. It%u2019s that good friends. From breakfast to dessert. Everyone is happy.
To the baked oatmeal.
The stuff. Old fashion oats, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, rhubarb (fresh or frozen), REAL maple syrup, some plant milk, a few flax eggs, a bit of tahini, and some almonds.
To start. Oats, cinnamon. salt, baking powder and almonds get a quick toss together in a big bowl.
If you rhubarb is not already chopped up into inch long pieces, do that. I already did before freezing it so yea me. Once its chopped, layer almost all of it (reserve a few small needful to toss on top) into a lightly greased 9×9 inch baking dish then cover evenly with the oat mixture.
In now empty bowl mix together the milk, the flax eggs, the tahini, and the maple until evenly incorporated.
Pour the wet mixture all over the oats and let it absorb.
Once the liquid is all absorbed , top with any left over almonds and the left over rhubarb. For good looks.
Pop into a hot oven to bake.
Golden brown with crispy edges. Rhubarb and maple baked oatmeal for all your maple, oaty and rhubarbie needs.
Fresh from the oven scooped warm into bowls. Top with extra maple if thats what you should want do.
Enjoy and happy maple season!
-C
Make a 9×9 pan of oatmeal
2 1/2 cups old fashion oats (make sure gluten free if need be)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup maple syrup plus more for serving
1 tablespoon tahini or any other nut butter
2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax seed with 6 tablespoons warm water)
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb chopped into inch long pieces
1 1/2 cup plant milk (water works but it won%u2019t be as creamy)
1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional)
Preheat oven to 375
Lightly grease a 9×9 inch baking pan (I used metal because it makes for crisper edges but glass works too) and dump 2 cups of the rhubarb in and evenly distribute on the bottom. In a large bowl mis the oats, the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. Mix in chopped nuts if you are using. Evenly cover rhubarb with oat mixture. In now empty bowl mix together the milk, flax eggs, maple syrup, and tahini until evenly incorporated. Pour mixture over oats. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes until the oats have abosbed all the liquid. Toss the rest of the diced rhubarb and a few more chop nuts to the top and pop into the oven to bake.
Bake for 30-40 minutes (shorter time for a wetter oatmeal, longer for a denser crispier oatmeal)
Once baked to your likeness, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes just so it is not super hot. Scoop into bowls and serve warm with extra maple and milk or whatever you might want to serve with it.
Left overs last great in fridge for 3-4 days or individual portions can be frozen for a month or two. Just pop into microwave for a couple minutes to warm up.
Roasted veggies of any kind can get this girl in trouble. Place a sheet pan meant for many full of roasted veggies and watch out, I will probably eat them all. I can%u2019t stop, won%u2019t stop and you know what, I am not sorry, especially if its roasted brussel sprouts and squash.l I am grabbing at every last bit, especially all the really crispy, almost burnt pieces. Burnt food is one of my favorite flavors.
This dish is pretty basic, but also not. A slightly overlooked grain, spelt, makes for a hearty backdrop to the magic of roasted sprouts and squash, covered with a sunflower butter sauce which is a nice spin on a traditional peanut sauce. It%u2019s pretty easy to make and pretty to look at as well. A nice hearty and warming meal for all of those cold winter nights. And it%u2019s not going to make you feel heavy or gross, like if you sat and ate an entire lasagna. No, you will feel full and fantastic and ready for a cookie (it is the holidays after all).
The ingredients in this dish are mainly inspired by the half eaten jar of sunflower butter a friend of mine gave me at the gym, plus the fact that I have been getting a few stocks of brussel sprouts each week at farm share so we are eating them at ever meal, (plus I LOVE brussel sprouts) and me trying to use up all of the grains and such in the pantry before restocking anything more or new. A dish of convenience sure, but also a damn delicious one at that. With this being said, if you had a different grain you wanted to use, or an abundance of some other veggies that you have or prefer, well go ahead and use them. You do you my friend.
And really, I was thinking of you when I made this dish. Sometimes at this time of year people tend to forget to eat, or tend to eat on the not so healthy side. This grain bowl situation is just what your body is in need of. Simple delicious nourishment.
The stuff. Spelt that has been soaking in water for a while, half a butternut squash, brussel sprouts, a red onion. Also sunflower butter, a few cloves garlic, a lime, soy sauce, a touch of maple, salt and pepper, and olive oil.
The spelt will probably take the longest so get it on the stove. Strain away the soaking water and place into with fresh water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place a lid on pot ans let it go.
Next, get to the veggies. Halve the big sprouts (small ones can stay whole) chop onion into chunks and cube the squash.
A drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a good toss around and it ready for the oven.
Meanwhile, make the sunflower butter sauce. Its pretty basic. The sunflower butter, minced garlic, soy, maple, and juice of the lime all into a vessel that can hold it. Add a couple tablespoons of warm water to thin it out and done. Sunflower butter sauce. Easy Peasy.
After about an hour, your slept should be cooked (that sounds aggressive to me) Tender and chewy and just right.
The veggies should be roasted and done too. Crisp as you like ( I actually like mine even darker, but the mr does not so I went a light roast this time)
And it%u2019s all ready for you to eat.
Roasted butternut squash and brussel sprouts on a warm bed of spelt covered in sunflower butter sauce. Living the good life here.
Take care of yourself this week, and always for that matter. Eat some good food. Your body will be happy for it.
Bye.
-C
Serves 2-3
1 cup spelt berries (soaked in water overnight if you remember)
3 cups water
about 1/2 of a butternut squash
about a pound of Brussel sprouts
a medium red onion
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (unsalted and unsweetened)
2 tablespoons liquid amionos or soy
1 teaspoon maple or honey
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
Preheat oven to 425
Place soaked spelt berries in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring a boil then reduce heat, place a lid on pot and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until spelt berries are tender and all the water has been absorbed.
While spelt is cooking, cut sprouts in half (unless they are very small), cube the butternut into pieces about an inch big, and chop the onion up into chunks. Place all that you just chopped onto a baking sheet, drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and toss around. Sprinkle the veggies with a pinch or so of salt and pepper and pop into the hot oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until roasted to your desired doneness. (I like things a lot darker then the mr so I would leave my veggies in for closer to an hour)
For the sunflower butter sauce. Mince garlic and place into bowl or cup with the sunflower butter. Add in the maple, soy, and the juice of the lime. Mix together and add in a 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin out. Add more water if needed to get to a thick but pourable consistency.
Once the spelt is cooked, the veggies are roasted and the sauce is made, well you can assemble and eat. Spelt in a bowl, toss on some roasted veggies, and cover in the sauce. And then you eat it.
I feel like this salad is kind of a summery salad, or better yet, a salad that highlights all the best of what summer has to bring. All the fresh tender dill that is still growing (but not for long) , all the brightly colored and amazing veggies that are being harvested and are nearing the end (bye fresh cucumbers.) This salad might just be my little last hurrah of summer cooking before it is all root veggies and dried herbs and hot and hearty food. And not going to lie and say that I am sad to see summer go because I am so so ready for it to be over, but I will miss all the fresh fresh produce. And I will especially miss all the fresh dill because fresh dill is seriously the best.
Eat up what is left of summer now before it%u2019s too late!
The stuff. Quinoa, a bunch of dill, a cucumber, a pepper, an onion, and some cherry tomatoes. Also a clove of garlic, some salt and pepper, and red wine vinegar.
Mince the garlic, chop the onion, mince the pepper and the cucumber, half the tomatoes, and last but noblest, rough chop the dill.
All that goodness goes into. big bow, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and the vinegar Tossed around and left to meld.
Uncooked quinoa with water turns to cooked quinoa
Quinoa meets the bowl of veggies
And after a good mix, viola!
You got yourself a yummers fresh dill and veggie quinoa salad.
-C
serves 3-5 as a side or 2 as a meal
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
I bunch fresh dill (like a 1/3 cup chopped%u2026 But use as much as you want)
1/2 a small red onion
1 clove garlic
1 small Persian cucumer
1/2 of a sweet red or yellow pepper
handful or two of cherry tomatoes
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Start by cooking the quinoa. Place the water and the uncooked quinoa into a medium sized pot. Place on high heat until sorts to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and place lid on the pot. Let cook for about 15 minutes, checking at 10 minutes, to see if all the water has absorbed. When it has, remove from heat and let sit for a few more minutes then fluff with a fork.
While the quinoa id cooking, mince the garlic and chop all the veggies into small little pieces. Place into a big bowl. Chop up the fresh dill and toss into bowl too, along with the vinegar and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix it all around and let sit on the counter for a little so the veggies get nice and vinegary. Once quinoa is cooked and fluffed, dump into the bowl and mix around. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Eat warm or refrigerate and eat cold. It%u2019s defiantly one of those salads that taste great right away but tastes even better the next day.
I am one of those people that hangs out for far to long in the grocery store, mostly in the bulk section, looking al all the types of rice, and grains, and beans, and seeds, admiring the variety and colors and also wishing I was one of those people that had an extra $25 to drop on a pound of pistachios.%u00a0%u00a0(Them were some pricey pistachios fo sho.) I take my time, peruse the bins, maybe take a little taste or two, %u00a0and go for what I need. And maybe if something is on sale, get a little of that too. Things that usually make the list are spices,%u00a0oats, beans, maybe rice or quinoa, flours, and seeds. Pumpkin seeds were on sale so those were the seeds of choice and I also got some barely because when I was starting at all the grains,%u00a0it dawned on me that I don’t know many people that eat barley, or even care about it, which is a shame because it is awesome. It might not be trendy like farro or freekeh, but it is just as good, and damn if it is not a hell of a lot cheaper.%u00a0
With the barley and pumpkins seed in hand, I had the start of a salad. So I grabbed some oats, a few spices, some beans and ran away from the builk section, past the nuts before things got bad and I either a) got kicked out for eating my weight in cashews and almonds,%u00a0pretending to just need a taste, or b) paid the $25 for a pound of pistachios that I might not eat because I would need to save them for something really special because they cost $25 a pound. Then I grabbed veggies, walked around the wellness section for good measure, did another lap around the store just in case I forgot something, then finally made my way out of the store only to realize when I got home that I forgot something. (I always forget something)%u00a0
But I had all I needed for a barley salad situation so things went well. This is a fantastic salad. It’s quick and easy and tasty and good. Barley, tahini, veggies and pumpkin seeds… It’s all you need for a just right dinner, or a fantastic side to any meal. Or as a snack at anytime. Bring it to a BBQ, a graduation party, or a pot luck. it will get eaten, and if by chance you end up with a little left over, bring it on home and eat it for breakfast. It will still be just as good.%u00a0%u00a0
The stuff. Pearled barley, tahini, pumpkin seeds and garlic. And some red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, kale, a carrot, some cauliflower, a lemon, a red onion, and a cucumber. (you are not going to need the full amount of all these veggies)%u00a0
First off, cook the barley. The barley and water go into a pot, brought to a boil, then left on low %u00a0to cook until tender. Once cooked, strain away excess water
While barley is cooking (or is cooked) chop up the veggies into mouth sized pieces. I used half the cucumber, half the onion, some of the cauliflower, all the kale, and all the carrot. It’s not an exact measurement, you just want a good amount to toss into the salad.%u00a0
Barley in bowl, topped with the veggies and pumpkin seeds…. The pretty before the mix. You don’t need to add it like this, I just did it cause it looks good.
And the tahini sauce. Mince garlic and add to a jar or bowl with the juice of the lemon, vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper and give it a really good mix.
Creamy, zippy, oh so good.%u00a0
Drizzle and toss the dressing with the barley and veggies.
And that’s that. Now you are ready for eating.%u00a0
Enjoy wherever this salad takes you.%u00a0
-C
If eaten as a meal, serves 2-3. As a side dish, serves 6-8
Note. The vegetable amount and type is more of a preference. You could use all cucumber and onion or add %u00a0broccoli and pepper, just make sure to have a least 3 good cups of some chopped up color.%u00a0
Place barley and water into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and continue to cook until barley is tender, but not mushy, which should take about 45 minutes. Once cooked, strain excess water.
While the barley is cooking, chop all the veggies into small mouth sized pieces.%u00a0%u00a0And make the tahini sauce. Mince garlic and place in a bowl or jar. Add in tahini, the juice of the lemon, and the vinegar. Mix well until smooth then season with salt and pepper to taste. %u00a0
When barley is cooked and drained, let cool for a few minutes then place in a big bowl. Add in all the veggies and the toasted pumpkin seeds, then drizzle with the tahini sauce and toss all around. Season with salt and pepper to taste..%u00a0
Now eat still warm, or later at room renature, or place in fridge for it to get cold. It can be a filling meal or a great side dish.%u00a0It’s good all ways, any way.
Another note. This salad is great for parties and BBQ’s and can be made a day or two ahead. If you do make ahead, hold off on mixing the pumpkin seeds and the tahini sauce with the rest of the salad until you are about to serve it.%u00a0