De Ma Cuisine

Grains Archive

Monday

30

March 2020

0

COMMENTS

Peanut Butter Bacon and Cheddar Dog Cookies

Written by , Posted in Baking, Cheese, Cookies, Dog, Dog Treat, Gluten Free, Grains, Pets

In my life, I haven’t experienced another relationship like the one between a dog and their humans. Can you imagine what life would be like if we got as excited as they do when our favorite person came home from work, or asked us if we wanted to take a walk with them? They forgive our bad attitudes and forget the grumpy mornings. They just want to be around us. Their tails flap excitedly when we walk into the room. They love us so much.

It was our best dog’s birthday the other day. He turned twelve. We tried to return some of the love he has shown us for all these years with treats and homemade cookies. And we let him dictate the plan for the day, which meant everyone lounged around until like 6pm then got hyper and went for a walk.

I winged it with the cookies. I’m not a baker, but sometimes I try. I’ve baked enough that I’ve got a general idea of what to do to make a cookie. Still, it’s a bit of a guessing game.

I wanted to incorporate some of Brando’s favorite things: bacon, cheese, and peanut butter. We don’t have a lot of flour left, so I did without. I made oats into oatmeal. And I used egg whites to bind it all together.

Brando ate his cookies while we watched the tiger show. Are you watching it? I can’t decide if I’m glad that we did. I guess it’s given us something to think about besides the Coronavirus. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(Singing and clapping) “THIS IS YOUR BIRTHDAY SONG. IT ISN’T VERY LONG.” Happy birthday Brando. We love you a lot!!

Peanut Butter Bacon and Cheddar Dog Cookies

Yield: 40 small cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 3-4 tablespoons egg whites
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons bacon grease (or olive oil)
  • 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 300°F with an oven rack in the middle position.
  2. Cook the oats and the water in a medium-sized saucepan until the oats have softened, about 10 minutes.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, egg whites, and bacon grease. Then add the cheese. Fold in the cooked oats and mix until combined.
  4. Using a spoon, drop the dough onto un-greased baking sheets, about 1 1/2 tablespoons per cookie. Leave a bit of space between cookies, but they don’t need too much. Bake until the cookies are set and a bit browned, about 35-45 minutes, rotating the pans every 15 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely, about an hour.

Wednesday

2

October 2019

0

COMMENTS

Roasted Grain Bowls

Written by , Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Condiments, Dinner, Eggs, Grains, Herbs, Leftovers, Lunch, Main Dishes, Quinoa, Rice, Roasting, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I’m sitting here shoveling this food into my face hole and I keep wondering what that B.O. smell is… Oh. It’s the unused scallions. Why even do they smell like that?! It’s kinda gross.

Not quite as yucky as dog toots, rotten stuff, or humidity. But, off-putting none-the-less.

Speaking of humidity, it’s kinda warm and rainy and humid today. Buuuuuut, tomorrow it’s gonna be in the 50s, Friday night it could freeze, and that, plus the blanket of leaves on our lawn, is making it feel like fall. Which makes me want to eat all the soup and bake all the things.

Today I baked an apple cake and some sandwich bread. I also roasted cauliflower for my lunch, even though what I really wanted were the Red and Green Enchiladas that I made a few weeks ago. But, I don’t have any tortillas and I didn’t want to go to the store or make them. I had the oven on and a bit of time before while the bread rose. I figured I should do something with the very old cauliflower that I’d forgotten about in the crisper. I tossed it with olive oil and salt and let it roast for a while.

I had frozen the leftover farro from the Kale and Farro salad that I made at the beginning of September. It was thawed and in the fridge, ready to be used. I added it to the baking sheet when the cauliflower was browned and delicious. Plus the stinky scallions, a smidge more salt, some Italian Hot Salt, and a grind of black pepper. It just needed to get warm and a bit crispy.

I’m sorry I said “stinky scallions”. That doesn’t make things sound delicious.

I wanted one more element, so I fried an egg in butter and popped it on top. Over-medium, so the yolk could run through the farro. Everything got topped with some local Sriracha and a bit of Maldon salt.

You could skip the egg and top it with a plomp of Fabanaise, to make it vegan. You could use brown rice, barley, or bulgur wheat instead of farro (maybe quinoa?? not sure how it would do – it could end up as tiny crispy bits… nope, that still sounds delicious). Just adjust your baking time accordingly. If you have broccoli, that would be perfect, carrots might be great, you could even use those green beans that are still growing in your garden. Treat this recipe as a starting point. Remember, you’re the boss of your meal. Make it how you want.

Happy Eating!

Roasted Grain Bowls

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 small head cauliflower, core removed, chopped into medium-sized pieces
  • 1 1/2 T olive oil
  • 1/2 t salt, divided
  • 2 C cooked farro (can sub: brown rice, barley, or bulgur wheat)
  • 1/2 T chopped scallions
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • Italian Hot Salt (or a pinch of cayenne)
  • 1/2 T unsalted butter or olive oil (optional)
  • 2 eggs (optional)
  • Sriracha, for serving
  • Maldon salt, for serving

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Roast, turning once, until cauliflower is tender and browned, about 30 minutes (time may vary depending on your oven).
  3. Add the farro, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the scallions, black pepper, and Italian Hot Salt or cayenne. Toss with the cauliflower. Bake until the farro is hot and a bit crispy, about 5 minutes.
  4. Fry the eggs in hot butter to desired doneness.
  5. Divide the farro and cauliflower mixture between two plates and top each with a fried egg, some Sriracha, and some Maldon salt.

Tuesday

10

September 2019

0

COMMENTS

Kale and Farro Salad with Bacon

Written by , Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Grains, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Pork, Quick and Easy, Salads, Vegetables

I have eighteen kale plants in my garden. That’s a lot for a family where only one of us likes kale. I’ve got everything from huge three foot wide plants, to a couple that I transplanted later in the season that are still pretty small. It was definitely the most successful thing I planted this summer.

I have plenty of uses for kale on here. Some of my favorites are: Massaged Kale and Tuna Salad, Hearty Kale and White Bean Quesadillas, and turning it into pesto to go alongside Spicy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes. I prefer it when it’s smaller, tender, baby kale. Tim, I believe, prefers it when it’s not served at all.

Today, I’m craving bacon, but feel a bit guilty about how much kale I have grown and not eaten. So, I’m gonna use them together. They’ll go alongside farro and some apples from our tree to make a quick lunch.

The dog is reverse hiccuping. Anyone else have a dog that does this? It freaks me out, even though our vet says it’s not dangerous.

I got advice for farro cooking from Bon Appètit. Their technique treats it like pasta. I can do that. I started with six cups of water, added a good amount of salt, and brought it to a boil. I toasted the farro in a dry skillet while the water heated. It ended up taking five minutes. Oh, and I rinsed the farro, before I toasted it (just gonna work backwards for a sec). I’m not sure if I was supposed to. But, I think that’s a thing with other grains, so I did it. I’m quite the authority on food.

I may not know a lot about farro, but when it comes to bacon, I know what I like: Mazzeo’s Danish bacon, cut pretty thick. Prefect for BLTs or cutting into lardons, like I did today. I totally didn’t cook enough though. I made two slices. I should have done six. What even was I thinking?!

I cooked the bacon and left about a tablespoon of the grease for the kale. I know that kale will wilt down considerably, but still I second guess myself when I add the whole salad spinner’s worth of kale to the pan. It will work. Right?!

Yes. It will.

Here’s what I like about this salad: the kale is bitter. Wait, I don’t like that. But, bitter kale, when accompanied by sweet apples, nutty farro, and salty, crispy bacon, mellows. And then I do like it.

If I’m honest, I mostly just want to eat the bacon. But, the rest of it is pretty good too. Ok, really good.

Top it all with Sir Kensington’s Golden Citrus Vinaigrette and, well, you’re golden… (are puns still allowed?). If you can get your hands on Sir Kensington’s products, I’d strongly recommend them. If you can’t, I’d whisk together some lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. I’d add a splash of maple syrup, a plomp of dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt. That’s my go-to dressing and I think it would taste great here too.

Sometimes after I eat a meal like this I feel so healthy that it makes me want to eat a huge pizza. You know, for balance.

Happy Eating!

Kale and Farro Salad with Bacon

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 C rinsed farro
  • 6 C water
  • 1-2 T salt
  • 2-4 bacon slices, cut into lardons
  • 6-8 C kale, stems removed, leaves washed and torn
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/4 C Sir Kensington’s Golden Citrus Vinaigrette
  • (Or whisk together some lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Add a splash of maple syrup, a plomp of dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt.)
  • 1 chopped apple, for topping

Directions

  1. Bring the 6 cups of water and 1-2 tablespoons salt to a boil. While it’s heating, toast the farro in a dry skillet until it gets a bit nutty smelling, about 3-5 minutes. Add the farro to the boiling water and cook until it tastes good, about 15-30 minutes (yeah, it can vary a lot – for me, 15 minutes was perfect). Drain the farro and set it aside.
  2. While the farro cooks, cook the bacon. Then drain on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 1 T of the bacon grease and leave it in the pan.
  3. To the grease add the kale and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss it until it wilts down (it will, I promise) and gets darker green and tender.
  4. Toss the kale with the farro and 1/4 cup of dressing. Top with bacon and apple slices.

Friday

5

February 2016

0

COMMENTS

Kohlrabi Stuffed with Cabbage and Apple

Written by , Posted in Cheese, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Grains, Herbs, Leftovers, Main Dishes, Meat, Nuts, Poultry, Quinoa, Rice, Sausage, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Stuffed-Kohlrabi-2

When I think of kohlrabi, I think of a taste that’s like a combination of broccoli and cauliflower. It’s kinda sweet and mild and buttery. When I look at kohlrabi, I think of Yoda… Green, kinda funny looking, but really awesome when you give it a try.

Stuffed-Kohlrabi-1

Steaming seemed like the best way to soften the kohlrabi without rendering them tough. They’re pretty dense, so it took a while, but that gave me plenty of time to work on a nice filling. I used leek, radish, cabbage, and apple. If you wanted to change those out for something else you could try shallots, onions, or carrots. Any type of cabbage would be great. Purple cabbage would add some great color, but I had green, and it was great. Thyme, basil, and parsley were the perfect herbs to compliment the kohlrabi and the filling. And some protein rounded out the dish to make it a main, rather than just a side. I used turkey, but chicken, tempeh, or even tofu would be awesome too!

Stuffed-Kohlrabi-4

Nuts and parmesan cheese are perfect for topping. If you want to keep it vegan, some nutritional yeast would be a great alternative to the cheese. I love to squeeze some lemon over most everything. This dish was no different. I prefer to have two lemon wedges at the ready. One for the start, and one to use partway through.

Happy Eating!

Kohlrabi Stuffed with Cabbage and Apple

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 4

Kohlrabi Stuffed with Cabbage and Apple

Ingredients

  • 4 kohlrabi, top and bottom sliced off, peeled if desired, but it's not necessary, greens reserved
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 C leek/shallot/onion, diced
  • 1/2 C radish or carrot, diced
  • 1 C cabbage, chopped
  • 1 apple, diced
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 1 t fresh thyme (or 1/4 t dried)
  • 1 T fresh basil (or 1 t dried), chopped
  • 1 t dried parsley (or 1 T fresh), crushed
  • pinch cayenne (or 1/2 hot pepper, ribs and seeds removed, minced) (optional)
  • 1 C turkey or chicken or sausage (cooked)/tempeh/tofu
  • 1 C brown rice or quinoa (cooked)
  • 1 bunch kohlrabi greens (or kale, chard, spinach, bok choy etc...), chopped
  • parmesan cheese, grated, or nutritional yeast, for topping
  • almonds, chopped, for topping
  • lemon wedges, for serving (2/serving)

Instructions

  1. Place kohlrabi cut side down in a steamer basket with about 2" boiling water in the bottom of a pot. Cover and steam for about 30-40 minutes, over medium heat, until kohlrabi is tender and pierces easily with a knife. Remove, let cool slightly, and scoop out the middle (and mash or chop and set aside).
  2. While kohlrabi steams, heat a skillet and add olive oil. Add leek through thyme and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Add basil through kohlrabi greens, plus any of the center of the kohlrabi. Cook until all veggies are tender and the meat or tempeh/tofu is heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
  3. Spoon filling into hollowed out kohlrabi. Top with parmesan or nutritional yeast and almonds. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/kohlrabi-stuffed-with-cabbage-and-apple/

Friday

11

December 2015

1

COMMENTS

Persimmon Apple Bread

Written by , Posted in Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit, Grains, Kid-Friendly, Nuts, Snacks, Vegetables, Vegetarian

PersimmonAppleBread-5

I don’t know if the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is true. But, apples have always been a favorite of mine, so if I can eat an apple every day that makes me happy. My favorite way to enjoy them is raw. Sliced, whole, chopped… it doesn’t matter. Since we go through apples pretty quickly, they don’t often get cooked. We either don’t feel the need, or there just aren’t any left. But, sometimes, I need to bake bread, and the bread needs to be studded with apples.

PersimmonAppleBread-1

For this recipe I used Pippins. But, in my kitchen, I’d use whatever I have on hand. I’m sure the experts would disagree. There are some apples that are better for baking (Granny Smiths), and some that are best eaten out of hand (Fujis and Galas). But, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m a frugal cook, so I prefer to make do and adapt to what I’ve got, if at all possible.

PersimmonAppleBread-2

This bread is a dense, muffin-like bread. You could call it an Apple Snack Cake if that’s more appealing to someone that you’re trying to convince to try it. You could bake it in muffin tins if that’s easier or more manageable.

When persimmons are no longer in season you could add a super ripe (or frozen then thawed) banana. When apples are no longer in season, you could sub pears, Asian pears, persimmons, figs, cherries, or stone fruit. If you wanted to add some grated veggies, carrots, parsnips, or summer squash could be easily hidden (ok, maybe not the carrots, but you wouldn’t taste them too much). You could add nuts and seeds, raisins, dried cherries or cranberries (why don’t we call raisins “dried grapes”?), or maybe even chocolate chips.

What I’m trying to say is, it’s pretty versatile.

PersimmonAppleBread-3

Like many baked goods, the dry ingredients are combined first, then set aside. The wet ingredients come together next. Everyone jumps into the bowl, then into a greased loaf pan. Easy. Quick. Snack attack time is near.

PersimmonAppleBread-4

I would suggest letting the bread cool completely before slicing. If it’s still warm it may be a little too crumbly (although still yummy).

PersimmonAppleBread-6

I opted for simple, and topped it with some homemade butter. But, you could also top it with caramel and serve it for dessert. You might spread some cream cheese on a slice, or top the whole thing with cream cheese frosting. Or, as an ode to one of my favorite snacks, eat it for breakfast topped with some crunchy peanut butter.

Peanut butter and apples. Apples and cheese. Apples and almonds… apples and almost anything.

Happy Eating!

Persimmon Apple Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 6-8

Serving Size: 1 to 1.5 slices

Persimmon Apple Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 C whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1/4 t cinnamon
  • 1 t fresh ginger, minced (or 1/4 t ground)
  • 1/2 C cold unsalted butter (could sub cold coconut oil), cut into small chunks
  • 1 C oats (can also use granola)
  • 1 1/4 C apples (or chopped pears, Asian pears, persimmons, figs, cherries, stone fruit, or grated carrots, parsnips, or summer squash), chopped
  • 1/2 C persimmon pulp
  • 1 egg
  • 1 t apple cider vinegar
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 1 T maple syrup
  • optional, for topping: seeds or chopped nuts

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
  2. Whisk the flour through ginger. Mix in butter or oil with a pastry blender or hands (until it resembles a coarse meal or pea sized chunks). Stir in oats and fruit. Set in the freezer while you assemble wet ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the persimmon pulp through maple syrup. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  4. Scoop into a greased loaf pan (or into greased muffin tins). Top with nuts and seeds if using. Bake for 35-40 minutes (20-22 for muffins), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/persimmon-apple-bread/