Steel Cut Oats, slow cooked

Steel Cut Oats
slow cooked overnight

About 2 months ago I decided I was going to like oatmeal.  I'd had it.  Oatmeal seemed like something I should like, but it was always bitter and had an odd texture and gelatinous nature that I just didn't like.  Every time I tried it, I found it inedible.  Keep in mind that I really do not like sweet flavors, so adding maple syrup, honey or sugar was not going to make it more palatable. 

With the slow-cooker craze, I started to see "crock pot oatmeal" and I started thinking about it, which developed into reading recipes and a final search for a small crockpot so I could make a batch overnight.  I even had a can of steel cut oats in my pantry that had been there… for years.

I started working on my recipe and finally settled on something really delicious that I top with fresh berries, bananas if I have them, chopped almonds and a bit of homemade cranberry sauce.  I even found a cute little 2 qt  crock pot with a ceramic bowl and glass lid at Target for $11.99.

This recipe makes enough oatmeal for two and can be doubled in the very cute little crock pot.  Left over oatmeal can be refrigerated for the next morning or even frozen.  You could multiply this batch and make it in a large crockpot for your family or reserve for later in the week. 

Prep time: 5 minutes; cook time 8-10 hours

COOKED INGREDIENTS

1/2 c steel cut oats (well worth the money)

1 1/2 c water (you may want to reduce the water slightly, but I'm finally settled on this volume)

1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or milk, soy milk, or your favorite sweetened flavor -- they all work)

~ 2 T butter or soy garden spread, softenend

1 apple, chopped in 1/2" pieces

1 T turbinado sugar (a rounded soup spoon works fine)

1 small pinch of salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1-2 star anise

TOPPINGS (optional)

1 c fresh fruit (this is a great way to get your berries in your diet)

1/2 c almonds, chopped (walnuts are great, too)

dollop of not-too-sweet cranberry sauce

dollop of plain yogurt

maple syrup

local pure honey

RECIPE

Drop the butter or soy spread into the crock pot and spread to coat the sides of the pot.  Put the remainder of the ingredients in the pot aside from the star anise and stir briefly.  Gently lay the anise on the mixture, cover and set your crock pot for low.  Cook for a minimum of 8 hours, but you can cook it for up to 10 hours without a problem.  

Open the lid and remove the star anise.  Neither the hull nor seeds are particularly palatable, but they do add a wonderful licorice flavor to the dish.  Mix the oatmeal through.  If you scrape down to bottom of the pot, some of the oatmeal may have cooked to the sides of the pot.  I find those browned scrapes particularly delish… reminds me of oatmeal cookies.  

Dish up the oatmeal and top with your favorite toppings.  You will not be sorry. 

Here's a shot of the cute little Crock Pot I bought for $11.99 -- it's a great deal and made of the same  ceramic and glass as my high quality large Farberware slow cooker. How fab. I have the tablespoon sitting by it to give you an idea of scale.  This little pot would be great for queso dip or fondue, too. 

Tuna Salad Salad

This refreshing tuna salad is a light meal that I really enjoy.  Please consider using chunk light tuna in order to limit mercury intake.  Here is the EPA website on mercury in fish and the health impacts.  Chunk light.  Okay?  Following the "tuna salad salad" recipe, I will break it down for a fancier "Seared Tuna Salad" variation as well as give my favorite way to hard boil eggs that works every time and peels oh-so-easily.  To be vegetarian friendly, I think this would be quite good with seitan.

Serves about 4 for a nice lunch plate.  You can keep it in the refrigerator 3-5 days provided you keep the tuna salad and lettuce/veggies separate.

EQUIPMENT
Colander
Zester (a microplane is a great tool to own)
Citrus reamer (another great tool; a heavy good-quality tablespoon works perfectly)
Large mixing bowl
Smaller bowl or measuring cup
Tablespoon
Cutting board
Knife

THE TUNA SALAD
zest and juice from one lemon ( ~ 1/4 cup)
equal amount of sherry vinegar (not sherry) or balsamic vinegar
pinch of sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1 14-oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and well-rinsed (or 1 cup seitan, shredded)
2 cans CHUNK LIGHT tuna (read above about mercury)
2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped
1/4 c finely minced onion (optional)
1/4 c finely diced celery (optional)

THE SALAD
1 head romaine lettuce, leave separated, rinsed and chopped horizontally into 1" slices
1 red bell pepper, diced
5-8 white button mushrooms, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced into rounds
1 tomato chopped

RECIPE
Start by zesting your lemon into a large mixing bowl.  Slice the zested lemon in half and juice it into a small bowl or measuring cup.  Remove any seeds that fall into the juice.  I have a little strainer to do this, but you don't need anything special.  Any pulp in the juice is fine.  Once the seeds are removed, pour the juice into your mixing bowl.

By eye, put an amount equal to the lemon juice of sherry vinegar into the bowl (note, NOT cooking sherry -- the grocery typically has them side-by-side, so be careful). Sherry vinegar is quite good and will remind you of balsamic vinegar, just a little lighter.  You can use balsamic in a pinch, but your salad will not be as pretty.  Other vinegars are just not quite as good.  Now, pinch in a teeny bit of sea salt and whisk through.  You can use the spoon if you like.  Use a whisk if you like. Add the dijon mustard and whisk it about until it's completely integrated into the liquid.  Finally, add your olive oil.  whisk thoroughly, top with cracked black pepper (I use a heavy dose for this dressing, so, lightly coat the surface of the dressing and you'll be good) and dump your rinsed and drained garbanzos in the dressing.  It's good for them to soak up a little dressing and absorb the lemony flavor.

Drain the liquid from your tuna to the best degree you can, being careful not to cut yourself.  Add the tuna, chopped eggs, onion and celery to the mixing bowl and combine until everything is lightly coated with dressing.  If the tuna salad is a little too dry, add a splash of vinegar and olive oil until you are satisfied with the wetness.  Set aside and assemble your salad.

Now, mix the salad vegetables together. My favorite salad for Tuna Salad Salad is above.  You can use what you like.  This salad is also good served old-school style in a carved out tomato, or anything that floats your boat.

Finally, plate the salad.  Salad greens with the veggies go first, then a hefty dollop of tuna salad, and finally a sprinkle of the vinegar you used around the greens just to be certain every thing is delicious.  Top with a little more cracked black pepper if you like and serve.

HARD BOILED EGGS
Put enough cold water in a sauce pan such that the water would cover the eggs by at least an inch and bring the water to a hard boil.  Using tongs or very carefully using a spoon, place cold eggs into the pot.  Take them straight from the fridge to the pot.  Once the pot is back to boil, allow the eggs to cook in a hard boil for 11 minutes.  After that time, immediately douse the eggs in cold water until they are luke-warm to the touch.  They are then ready to be peeled.

Alternatively, I had always used this method of hard-boiling eggs:  Place the eggs in a pot with enough cold water to cover them by an inch.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Once boiling, cover the pot, turn off the heat and allow the eggs to sit for 20 minutes undisturbed.  Then, cool the eggs in cold water.

GRILLED TUNA STEAK SALAD
It is my suggestion to leave the garbanzo, celery and egg out from this version and add a bit of endive to the lettuce mixture.  Instead of using minced onion, thinly sliced red onion would be great.  Artichoke hearts (frozen or packed in water) are nice here, too.  For an extra lemony-zing, marinate your artichoke hearts overnight in a bowl with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and one lemon sliced paper thin.  You can strain the juice out in the morning and use that as a basis for your marinade/dressing.

Make the dressing and reserve at least half for your salad.  You are going to marinate your fish with the rest, but add about a tablespoon of minced garlic to the marinade. Make a bit more than the recipe above in case you need it.  You could also substitute lime for the lemon, or use a pre-made marinade or even do a yogurt marinade.  Coat the fish in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.  Grill until the fish is cooked to your preference, but the longer you cook it, the tougher the tuna will be.  Allow the tuna to rest for 10-15 minutes.  Here's a great simple set of tuna cooking instructions from one of my favorites, Ina Garten.

Now,  while the tuna is resting, assemble the salad by tossing the veggies together and adding enough dressing to lightly coat each vegetable.  I typically use very clean hands to do this.  Slice the grilled tuna into 1/4" or smaller strips.  Plate the salad and top with the tuna.  Capers are a wonderful garnish for grilled tuna salad.

ENJOY!

Manhattan Clam Chowder (yes the red one)

As many of my friends know, I am not a fan of cream soups… in fact, I might be a bit of a dairy-phobe.    Aside from a little bit of seafood here and there, a slice of good cheese or a bowl of yogurt with fresh fruit, I rarely eat any dairy.  I find, however, most people adore them and as a result I rarely find a nice steaming bowl of Manhattan clam chowder when I head out for a bite.

This recipe was inspired by Sam Sifton's NY Times Sunday Magazine article dated August 10th, 2014 entitled "Founding Fodder," and it has four variations on the favorite.

Once I created the dish, I kept it hot in a crock pot to snack on throughout the day and offer to guests stopping by over the holiday weekend.

EQUIPMENT
Chef's knife (sharpened, please)
Cutting board
Stock pot or dutch oven
Large mesh strainer or colander
4 cup measuring cup

INGREDIENTS
2 cans chopped clams and juice plus one bottle of clam juice and water
-or-
24 medium-size top neck or cherrystone rated clams and four cups of water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil or (2 tablespoons if omitting the butter)
1 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 large ribs of celery, diced (include the leaves if they are on the stalk, they carry great flavor)
1 anaheim or banana pepper, diced
2 medium or one large carrots, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 large yukon gold potatoes
pinch of salt
3 sprigs of thyme, remove leaves from stalk and then run your knife through them
1 bay leaf
1 28-oz can of whole peeled tomatoes in sauce, crushed or roughly diced
1 14-oz can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 teaspoon "liquid smoke"
1/4 cup chopped parsely

PREPARING CLAMS
If you are using live clams, put them in a heavy stock pot with about 5 cups of water over medium-high heat.  Cover and cook until the clams have opened (about 10-15 minutes).  Clams that have not opened within 20 minutes should be discarded.  Strain the clams from the resulting broth, reserving the broth for later.  Remove clams from their shells and set them aside.

If you are using canned clams, strain the two cans into a to separate the clams from their juice.  Pour the bottled "clam juice" into the measuring cup and top with water to measure 4 cups.  Set the clams and clam broth aside.

Using the same stockpot, heat the pot over medium flame.  Once to temperature, add your butter and olive oil to the pot as well as the bay leaf, crushed red pepper, onion, celery and carrot.  Cook gently for five minute and be certain to reduce the heat if the vegetables begin to scorch.  Once they are halfway cooked, add the garlic and continue gently cooking until the veggies are cooked through (about another 5 minutes).

Now add your potato cubes and and a pinch of salt. Stir them gently into the mirepoix and allow the potatoes to gently cook for about 5-7 minutes.  Once the potatoes begin to soften, add 4 cups of your reserved clam broth and the thyme.  Quickly chop the thyme leaves to be certain that any remaining stem is chopped and palatable.  Raise the heat to medium high and once the pot begins to boil, reduce heat to a temperature which is gently simmering.  Partly cover your pot and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring every so often.

While you are waiting, chop the clams to bite-sized pieces if needed.

Once the potatoes are cooked, use your spoon to mash a few of them to allow their starch to help thicken the broth. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, liquid smoke and grind in the black pepper to taste.  Allow the chowder to come to a simmer and then turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf.

It is best to let the chowder rest and combine before serving.  Allow it to sit for at least 1/2 hour, then reheat and serve garnished with fresh parsley.  I also add chopped parsley to the pot for a bit of extra wonderful taste.

This soup is wonderful to reheat in your crock pot and leave on warm all day to enjoy with friends or family on a cold winter's day.

ABOUT LIQUID SMOKE
It's a good thing to have on hand when you want a little smoky flavor but don't want the fat, salt or nitrates of bacon.  I use it in homemade barbecue sauce, ketchup and mustards.  Sometimes I will add a drop to a manhattan just to throw a different note in the classic drink.  Remember that you are after a balance of flavors: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami.  You don't want to over do it with any of these.

FABULOUS TOFU SANDWICH
I also make a fabulous vegetarian sandwich with liquid smoke.  Drain and press a slab of tofu, removing as much of the water as possible. Cut the tofu in 1/4 inch slices and an area that will fit nicely on a sandwich.  Sprinkle the tofu on all sides with a mixture of equal liquid smoke and rice vinegar and bake in a 350 oven until the tofu begins to brown.  For bread, I like a hearty multi-grain, but you can use what you like.  Make a wonderful spread of peanut butter and tahini and coat on side of the bread with it.  On the other side goes a slice of cucumber, your baked tofu and a pile of bean sprouts. Sprinkle with a little more vinegar and top with the peanut butter-tahini covered slice.  Enjoy!