NATIONAL OATMEAL MONTH
Oatmeal is one of those foods which we think of as a Breakfast Item, but it has many more uses than just that for Breakfast. Even though Oatmeal makes a wonderfully satisfying and nutritious breakfast, start thinking about it in other terms. In other words, what Oatmeal can and should be used for besides a breakfast cereal.
Here are some of the things that I use Oatmeal for:
#1 is probably what everyone thinks of as a use for Oatmeal besides breakfast and that is Oatmeal/Raisin Cookies. Well, what about Oatmeal/Raisin Waffles. Combining the Cookie and the Waffle in a newly delicious and nutritious breakfast. oatmeal-raisin-waffles/
Oatmeal/Raisin Waffle
Of course, the Oatmeal/Raisin Waffle is still a Breakfast Food but can be used for Lunch or Dinner as well. And speaking of Dinner, how about using Oatmeal in your Meatloaf instead of Bread Crumbs. It actually works much better because it absorbs a lots of moisture and helps to hold the Meatloaf together better than bread crumbs do. Just substitute and equal amount of Oatmeal for the Bread Crumbs in your recipe. ( I usually use about 1 cup of Oatmeal to 3 lbs. of ground meat.
Let’s not leave out the Cookies, though. Here is a link to a kid-friendly recipe for Oatmeal Cookies.
Meatloaf before Baking
The next item that i use Oatmeal for is for part of the coating for Fried Chicken. Try using my recipe – just substitute one cup of Oatmeal for 1 of the cups of Flour. You will be surprised how good and crunchy it is. /fried-chicken/
Oatmeal Fried Chicken
Categories: Dinner Ideas, Main, National Food Days Tags: baking, Chicken, Cookie Recipes, Cookies, family dinner, Meatloaf, National Food Days, Oatmeal, Waffles
MY CULINARY DIARY – BAKE – A – THON
MY CULINARY DIARY
April 29TH, 2012
Having been sort of neglectful on the Diary Front, here is a blog I forgot to post.
From the 24th through the 27th we were in Imperial Beach down near the Tijuana Border to do some Birding. We saw 73 different species of birds and added two new ones to our ‘Life List’. The new birds we saw were the Red Faced Comorant and the Beldings Sparrow. We went through La Jolla on our way home and saw tons of Breeding Brown Pelicans and more Cormorants in their rookeries. In addition we saw many seals; adults and pups.
The food we ate during this trip was forgettable but the food we are now eating at home is not, so let’s get down to brass tacks and actually talk about my Culinary Activities.
Since Wednesday, May 2nd is ‘National Truffle Day’ I decided to make the centers for some Truffles which I will serve to my Mah Jong Group on Wednesday. (The Blog just below this one) Of course, Ev also needed his ‘Chocolate Fix’, so I did that as well. It was time for Brownies and Ev decided he wanted some with Chocolate Chips in them, so I took it one step further and made White Chocolate Brownies with Semi- Sweet Chocolate Chips. As so often happens, the Chocolate Chips were heavier than the batter and sank to the bottom of the pan, but this was okay, because when they baked, it was like having a layer of pure chocolate at the bottom. These were especially good when they were warm and the chocolate was still gooey, but they still taste almost as good two days later.
White Chocolate/Chocolate Chip Brownie Batter (Adding the Choc Chips)
Sunday Morning was another Bake – A – Thon Day for me. I had three things going practically all at once. The first thing I had planned to do was to make some bread –this time Challah was on the agenda. I made the Dough using my Kitchen Aid and then covered it with a damp cloth and put it outside in the sun to rise. The warmth from the sun helped it to rise much more quickly than it would have done if I had left it in the house. Since I did want to get out and go shopping in the early afternoon, this was very helpful.
While the Challah was rising, I then decided to coat the Truffle Centers that I had made the day before. As I mentioned in the Truffle Blog, the White Chocolate Ganache was too soft to scoop and roll so I added some unsweetened Cocoa to the White Chocolate Ganache. This turned out to be an excellent choice. I still had the creaminess of the white chocolate and the richness of the cocoa. Please see the Truffle Blog for more on this activity.
Next, since the next day was National Raisin Day I decided to make some Refrigerator Raisin Cookies which are not only good for snacking but also are a quick and easy breakfast with a glass of juice or milk.
Mixed Cookie Dough
Before I was finished with the Cookie Dough, the Bread Dough had risen, so I had to bring it in, punch it down, let it rest and then shape it into loaves. The last time I made Challah, I braided it and made one large loaf. This time I divided the Dough into two portions, and twisted each portion. I then placed the Dough on a parchment covered baking sheet, covered it and let it rise for 30 minutes or until 50% doubled in bulk. The next step was to brush it with an Egg Wash and then I sprinkled it with Sesame Seeds. Poppy Seeds are also good for those who prefer them or for variety, use Sesame on one and Poppy on the other.
Thirty minutes later, the Bread had risen sufficiently to bake it, so I heated the oven to 375 degrees, making sure the baking rack was at the lowest level, close to the heat source. This insures that the bottom of the bread bakes as well as the top and sides. Just before placing the loaves in the oven, I misted them lightly with water. (This helps to insure that you have a good crust) Thirty minutes later the bread was completely baked. I took the pan of bread out of the oven and set it on the stove to cool slightly. When the loaves were cool enough to touch, but still warm, I put them on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Baked Challah
While the Bread was rising I finished the Cookie Dough, transferred it to a bowl and placed it in the refrigerator to set up. At this point I cleaned up the kitchen, got dressed and went out and did my shopping.
When I returned from shopping, I divided the Cookie Dough in half; shaped one half into a roll 2 inches in circumference and about 12 inches long and then wrapped it in plastic wrap.
Rolled & Wrapped Dough
Normally, you would just refrigerate this and then slice off the cookies and bake them as needed. I decided just to scoop half the dough and then freeze the roll for use at a later date.
Unbaked Raisin Cookies
The scooped cookies baked in about 14 minutes. I love raisins and caramel and the use of brown sugar in this cookie gives it a distinct caramel taste.
Having finished with the baking and candy making, I put away the groceries and then took a rest. At 4:30 I proceeded to start preparations for dinner. Tonight was going to be Meatloaf. This is another item, that I find it just as easy to make more than one, so I made a double recipe, shaped the loaves, wrapped one and froze it and then placed the other in my baking pan. I scrubbed some Potatoes to put in the oven along with the meatloaf.
Ingredients for Meatloaf
Free formed Meatloaf before baking
Meatloaf; leftovers for sandwiches
For our vegetable we had Broccoli sautéed with Olive Oil and Basil.
Categories: Baking, Breakfast Ideas, Dinner Ideas, Main Tags: baking, Bread, Challah, family dinner, Meatloaf, Potatoes, Raisin Cookies, Truffles, Vegetables
TEEN/PRETEEN CLASS AT LET’S GET COOKIN’ – WINTER COMFORT FOOD
Friday night, 11/13 was our Teen/Preteen ‘Winter Comfort Food’ Class.
Twelve young people between the ages of 10 & 16 gathered together to learn how to prepare and cook a menu for cold Winter nights.
Creative Vegetable Soup
Jeweled Meat Loaf
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
Foccacia
Apple Crisp
The students were divided up into groups depending on their skill level. Four students who had never made yeast dough before were put in charge of the Foccacia with of course, a supervising adult to guide them through the process. They made the Dough and then set it aside to rise. The actual Foccacia was made from a risen dough that had been made before the class started. Once the Dough was fitted into the Baking Pans and topped with Olive Oil, Herbs and Tomatoes, and Cheese the Bread went into the oven for baking.
The Foccacia Team
The Dough that the students made was divided up and given to the students that made it to take home and finish. They were told that they could make either Pizza, Foccacia or Breadsticks with it.
Two of the girls made the Apple Crisp. This involved peeling, coring and slicing about 10 Apples and combining them with spices and other ingredients. A streusel topping was made to go on top of the Apples. This dish was baked while the rest of the food was being made.
Two other students started the Soup. This is a wonderful Vegetable Soup that can be made with most any kind of Vegetables and Beef, Chicken or Vegetable Broth. Even though we generally advise the students to mise en place their recipes before they start cooking, the rule was changed for this recipe so that the soup would be done in time for the students to eat it. The Onions and Mushrooms were prepared first so that they could start sautéing them. While the Onions and Mushrooms cooked, the other Vegetables were prepared. After the Onions and Mushrooms were sufficiently cooked to start caramelizing them, the Stock was added and the whole mixture was allowed to simmer for about 45 minutes. Then the seasonings were added along with the remaining Vegetables. Once the Vegetables were almost cooked sufficiently, the tiny pasta was added.
While all this was being done, the Meatloaf was prepared by two different groups of students. One group put all the Vegetables into their Meatloaf and one group who preferred not to have Bell Peppers, put all the Vegetables, except for the Bell Peppers into their loaf.
Meatloaf Team
Cooked Meatloaf
While the Meatloaf was baking in the oven, the Cheesy Broccoli Casserole was prepared and baked. This dish does not take too long to bake. Once the students were done cooking, the tables were cleared and set with placemats and dinnerware and the soup and Foccacia were served. After the first course, the Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli was also served and of course, dessert finally came at the end.
Sitting down to Eat
Mealtime
Soup and Foccacia
The beverages for this meal were fruit juices and water. All in all, everyone had a good time and learned how to make several different dishes. Everyone took home recipes so that they could practice at home on family members. Keep an eye out for our next Teen/Preteen Class at Let’s Get Cookin’. February will be a Dim Sum Menu to celebrate the Chinese New Year ‘The Year of the Dragon’.
Categories: Baking, Bread, Cooking for Kids, Dessert Ideas, Dinner Ideas, Main, Pre-Teen Classes Tags: Apple Crisp, baking, Broccoli, Children's Cooking, family dinner, Foccacia, Fruit, kids cooking, kids recipes, Meatloaf, Potatoes, Vegetable Soup, Vegetables, Yeast Dough
MEATLOAF FOR DINNER
Meatloaf; leftovers for sandwiches
Even though meatloaf has long been a mainstay in the American diet, it has its origins in Europe. The Romans as early as the 5th Century had a version of meatloaf. Every European country as well as the Philippines seems to have its own version. Meatloaf is versatile, filling, nourishing and makes great sandwiches.
Meatloaf can be made from a variety of meats and can include a large number of other ingredients as well. The basic ingredients would be chopped or ground meat and depending on the origin this could include beef, pork, veal, lamb or venison. Today it is common to use ground turkey or chicken as well. A binder such as eggs is used to hold the meat together and usually a filler such as bread crumbs, matzoh meal or oatmeal is used. Salt, pepper, mustard and/or A-1 Sauce, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce or horseradish can also be used.
In addition to the meat, binder and filler, a variety of vegetables can also be used to give the meatloaf more interest and nutrition. For my meatloaf I use chopped onion, shredded carrot, diced celery, minced red & yellow bell peppers as well as parsley and garlic and sometimes basil. For the seasoning, I use salt, pepper and mustard. Some people like to use hard-cooked eggs baked into the loaf and this does allow for more interest, but the loaf is much easier to slice without the addition of th eggs. When I make meatloaf, I always make twice as much as we are going to need. One loaf is baked for dinner with enough left over for sandwiches and the other loaf is frozen for a later date. I always freeze it unbaked so that we have a freshly baked loaf when we get around to using the second one. Another thing you can do with the half batch to freeze is to shape the mixture into meatballs and use it for an entirely different different such as Spaghetti and Meatballs or Meatball Stroganoff.
Meatloaf can be baked in a loaf pan, but better results are obtained if the loaf is free formed and then put in a baking pan. This allows the juices and fat to be released without collecting on the sides of the loaf. If desired, when the meatloaf is finished baking, it can be transferred to a serving dish and then gravy can be made from the drippings. The meatloaf gravy can be used for another dinner for hot meatloaf sandwiches.
Our menu tonight included meatloaf, mashed potatoes and a green salad with a lemon/vinaigrette. The leftover meatloaf will be made into cold sandwiches with pickles, mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and sprouts.
The next time you make meatloaf try using your imagination and pleasing your tastebuds. You can do just about anything you want. One variation is baking the meatloaf with strips of bacon on top. This will give an additional flavor boost if you like the taste of bacon. Youo can also try using soy sauce, cilantro and ginger for an Asian flavor. Cooked or minute rice can be used instead of the oatmeal or bread crumbs. Whichever way you do it, enjoy!
Free formed Meatloaf before baking
Categories: Cooking for Everyone, Dinner Ideas, Lunch Ideas, Main Tags: family dinner, Leftovers, Meatballs, Meatloaf, Sandwiches, Vegetables
