Tag: recipes

Winter

Pistachio Raisin Muesli

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on Pistachio Raisin Muesli

I first discovered muesli while on study abroad in Ireland.  It was served at every continental breakfast, at all the B&Bs, and at every home I visited.  In the supermarkets, there were ample muesli choices, non just one or two like stores here at home.  Since I am already an oats-and-yogurt-breakfast-person, muesli was a natural step up to add more variety and fun to my morning ritual.

For those not familiar with muesli, it is a type of Swiss breakfast cereal that traditionally contains oats, nuts, and dried fruits.  In the couple of years since I’ve returned from study abroad, I’ve started making my own muesli.  Doing so gives me full rein to experiment with different fruit, nut, grain, and seed options.  I seem to never make the same mix twice.  And that is probably what I love the most about it.  Serve mixed in with yogurt, similar to granola, or cook as you would oatmeal, and serve hot.

Lately I’ve been experimenting with different grains like rye and buckwheat.  This mixture does have rye flakes, which are essentially the same as old-fashioned rolled oats, only with the rye grain.  If you can’t seem to track them down, using all oats for this mixture works just as well.

Pistachio Raisin Muesli, adapted from Good to the Grain
1 cup whole pistachios
2 cups rye flakes
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
Generous 2/3 cup flame raisins
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the rye flakes on a baking sheet and spread to a single layer.  Toast the rye flakes for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.
  • Toast the pistachios on the stove in a small skillet over medium heat, until just beginning to brown.  Remove and let cool.  Chop the pistachios into small pieces.
  • Combine the rye flakes, pistachios, wheat bran, flaxseed meal, oats, and raisins.
  • The muesli can be stored in an airtight container. It will last for several weeks.
Winter

Oatie-Date Tea Cookies

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on Oatie-Date Tea Cookies

I’ve admitted it before.  I have a weakness for sweets.  For the past two weeks, however, I’ve given up refined sugars, among other things, in the Whole Living 28 Day Challenge.  I honestly feel, though I know it will be challenging to permanently slash refined sugars from my diet, that I feel better without them.  For the past week I have been gradually adding ingredients back in, watching carefully, noticing the changes I feel as I add.  Now I am ready to add in baked goods, even if they are slightly more virtuous than usual.

Enter Oatie-Date Tea Cookies.  I was wary of this recipe from the get-go.  It’s refined-sugar-free and has no oil, butter, margarine, etc. In a nutshell, it’s wholesome.  While this is exactly what I was looking for, I’ve not great experience with virtuous cookies.  They just don’t turn out.  These however, were a prize in the making.  They received my resident cookie critique’s seal of approval.  And while they’re not as sweet or fluffy as your usual cookie, they go perfectly with a great cup of steaming tea.

Oatie-Date Tea Cookies, adapted from the Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book
2 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped dried dates
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, salt, and baking powder.
  • In another bowl, beat together the eggs and syrup, along with the vanilla.  Stir in the dates.  Add to the dry ingredients and blend well.
  • Drop the batter by teaspoons onto the prepared sheet and bake for about 10 minutes.  Smash cookies down with a spatula approximately two minutes before they are done.
Winter

The Comfort of Minestrone

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on The Comfort of Minestrone

Lately, I’ve been living without.  Without wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, corn, sugar, processed foods, coffee, and chocolate, all in the name of the Whole Living Action Plan 28-Day Challenge.  I must say I’ve had some surprises.  Sure I’ve missed my daily-mid-afternoon pick-me-up (coffee).  And it’s been a large adjustment to forgo my daily lunch sandwich, or a nice chunk of bread with soup at dinner.

What I’ve missed most, however, has been sugar.  I am a sweet-eater at heart.  I generally enjoy some sort of dessert nearly every day.  My day just isn’t truly complete without it.  Blame it on my dad–who in the absence of sweets in the house, will begin to nip spoonfuls of plain-white-granulated from the sugar bowl.  I kid you not.  And while I will likely never resort to that level of sugar-deprivation-induced-behavior, I do most definitely love my sweets.

One thing this challenge has given me is some perspective and sense of accomplishment.  I know I don’t need these things I’ve been giving up.  I feel my metabolism has kicked up without them.  I realize the things I’ve given up are mere luxuries I’ve been indulging in every single day.  And while my meals this past week have been rather wholesome, they are challenging as well.  They require some thought and advance planning, and much recipe manipulating.  They equire me to forgo most restaurant meal items (or perhaps even all).

They’ve also given me an opportunity to simplify.  Because at the end of the day, when you remove most allergen-inducing ingredients from your diet, you are only left with the most simple, basic, nourishing meals. Like minestrone.  This minestrone was pure simplicity.  I started with dry white beans and cooked them until they were really soft.  A long simmer really helps the beans soak into all the other flavors.  The soup was delicious and was consumed with much approval.

Minestrone (adapted from Good Mood Food)
1 medium-sized zucchini, chopped into small chunks
2 cups diced tomatoes, canned
5 cups cooked great northern beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
8 cups chicken stock
3 oz. rice noodles
2 Tbs. olive oil
A pinch paprika
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, as needed
  • Begin with 1 1/2 cups dry white beans and cook until soft.  Set aside.
  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic and onion until they become soft.
  • Stir in the celery, carrots, zucchini, and cook for about five minutes.  Add the tomatoes and chicken stock, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
  • Add the rice noodles, paprika and beans.  Stir in and cover the pot.  Cook gently for 10 minutes or until rice noodles are cooked.
  • Season with salt and pepper.