Soaked Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cake

My grandma never bought sugary cereals for her kids, my mom was so bummed about this that she always knew that her kids were going to have sugary cereal.  And we did.  Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Crisp and Peanut Butter Captain Crunch were some of my faves.

While my elementary school had actually served edible food, middle school and high school did not.  So when I entered the 7th grade I came home VERY hungry.  I had to start eating a more substantial breakfast because I didn't touch the cafeteria lunches.  This was 2 packets of flavored instant oatmeal cooked in the microwave with extra sugar. 

So I have merged and healthified my favorite morning meals from the past to make this Soaked Peanut Butter Oatmeal.  It is has great peanut flavor, is slightly sweet and has a thin crispy crust on top.  If I forget to start the oats soaking 24 hours in advanced, I throw in ¼ cup rye flour or flakes to speed the breakdown of antinutrients.  This recipe is yummy with any nut butter, make your own with soaked and dehydrated nuts for super nutrition.

3 cups steel cut oats

3 tablespoons whey or lemon juice

3 cups water

1/3 cup sucanat

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup milk

Soak oats with water and whey for 24 hours.  Place in fine strainer, rinse well and let drip for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine sugar, butter and peanut butter, mix well.  Beat in eggs, salt and vanilla.  Carefully thin out with milk, mix in strained oats and pour into a 9 by 13 baking dish, spread evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Serve with bananas, raisins and fresh whipped cream.

I bet this chocolate whipped cream would be divine.
links; Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy, Traditional Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday

Roasted Vegetable and Garlic Quinoa

I am so happy when I see others diving into new territory and embracing it. You know you have "arrived"  when you start making your own original recipes with things you have on hand and they turn out great.  I have met just such person through my classes.  Kami, from Birth with Confidence has written this guest post.  She has put together some fabulous stuff I am so excited to share here on Taste is Trump.

I am a newbie to "real food," meaning, I've only been on this journey for about a year now, but it is a journey that has changed my life and my family's health. I feel happier, have more energy than ever before (quite a feat, for me), and am thinner than I've ever been. I am passionate about real, whole food and it is something I find great pleasure in learning about.Here is a simple, whole foods recipe that is not only incredibly nourishing, it is also delicious!

This recipe is extremely versatile. If you don't have the vegetables on hand that I listed, you can always use anything else. Other favorites of mine are asparagus, zucchini or yellow squash, sweet or red potatoes, and broccoli. If you prefer, you can roast the garlic along with the vegetables. I've kept it raw in this recipe in order to take advantage of the health benefits of raw garlic. It tastes wonderful either way!

6 brussels sprouts

1/2 head of cauliflower

1 red pepper, sliced

1 medium red onion, roughly chopped

5 grape tomatoes, halved

2 carrots, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt to taste

1 cup white quinoa

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cups water

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Herbes de Provence

The night before, soak quinoa in 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all vegetables in a glass dish and drizzle with olive oil and salt, to taste. Roast vegetables in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until slightly tender. Meanwhile, bring remaining 1 cup water to a boil. Stir in soaked quinoa mixture. Bring back to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer quinoa until water is gone. Remove from stove top and stir in salt, crushed garlic, a dash of balsamic vinegar, and herbes de provence to taste. Remove vegetables from oven and gently mix the quinoa into them. To serve, top with freshly shredded parmesan or romano cheese. Enjoy alongside a salad and crusty bread, to make it a fuller meal. Enjoy!


links; Works for Me Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday

Cilantro-Sweet Brown Rice

Sweet brown rice is a very short grain rice that is almost round. Slightly sweet and al dente, this grain is great in salads, breads, pilaf’s, I particularly like it for rice pudding. Any rice would work in this recipe, but this variety is fun for something different. A good seasoned rice is a fantastic addition to most any meal.

I brought this to family dinner last week and my sister-in-law commented on it’s “buttery” flavor. This is what a good chicken stock does, it imparts a nice flavor and texture, not to mention incredible nutrition. If you are paying the premium for high quality meat, you will, no doubt, want to make use of every last part.

2 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups sweet brown rice
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sucanat
2 cups homemade chicken stock
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt (if stock is unsalted)
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, zest and juice

Soak brown rice in water and lemon juice for 8 hours. Sautee onion and pepper in oil for 3 minutes. Add sucanat, stir until melted. Pour in soaked rice, stock, cumin and salt. Simmer for 25 minutes or pressure on high for 8, natural release. Stir in cilantro and lime.

This post is part of Fight Back Friday

Getting Started

When moving to a less-meat heavy diet, I have found the use of grains to be incredibly helpful. It is easy to ease into because it is not an all or nothing thing. Start out by replacing a little meat with a little grain, like ¼ cup or less in a whole recipe. As you and your family begin to adapt to the flavors and textures of grains, you will be able to accept more and more. This can get to the point where meat is no longer needed to make common meat dishes like sloppy joes or shepherd’s pie.

My favorite grains to stretch a pound of ground beef to two to three times its bulk are millet and red quinoa. When I have it cooked up in my fridge, I am more likely to actually use it and it is easy. When you are starting out and using a small amount, just add it into your regular recipes. Next; start cutting back on the meat little by little and replacing it with grains. 1lb of ground beef equals about 2 cups of cooked grains (about ¾ cup dry). If you go too far, just pull back a little next time and find a good place to settle.

For more ideas click on the “vegetarian-ish” link to the right and register for my class;

Vegetarian-ish

Meat’s role as a condiment.

Saturday, April 3 from 10 to 11 am

$10 per person

This post is shared with pennywise platter, and tuesday twister.

Cooking Chart

Per many a request I have put together a quick reference cooking chart for grains and beans. The water ratios are for cooking, unsoaked at a gentle simmer on the stovetop, harder boil = more water. When grains and beans are soaked for 12-24 hours, half the water listed is used for soaking and the other half for cooking.  When pressure cooking reduce the water ¼ cup (per cup of grain) for both soaked and unsoaked. The times listed for pressure cooking are from the time the pressure builds up to high to the time the heat is turned off and reflect that of natural release in an insulated pot. If you are using a traditional stove top pressure cooker you may find you need to add a minute or two.

Although it is great for my stats and makes me feel like I am changing the world when you come to check back again and again, I would suggest printing this chart and keeping it in a handy place in your kitchen.

Grain	Ratio Grain: Water (unsoaked)	Cook Time (Minutes)
		Stovetop (soaked/unsoaked)	Pressure Cooker (soaked/unsoaked)
Amaranth	1:1.5	10/25	2/6
Barley, Pearled	1:2	20/50	4/10
Barley, Hulled	1:3	30/75	5/12
Buckwheat, Hulled	1:1.5	8/20	1/4
Kamut	1:2.5	35/75	6/15
Millet	1:2	12/30	3/8
Oats, Groats	1:2.5	15/45	4/10
Oats, Steel Cut	1:2	12/30	2/6
Quinoa, Red	1:2	8/20	2/5
Quinoa, White	1:2	6/15	1/4
Rice, Brown	1:2	20/45	7/14
Rye	1:2	20/45	6/12
Sorghum	1:2	10/25	2/6
Spelt	1:2	25/60	5/12
Teff	1:3	6/15	1/4
Wheat, Berries	1:3	25/60	6/12
Beans
Small (black, adzuki, anasazi)	1:2.5	1.5/3 hours	15/45
Medium (pinto, pink, cranberry)	1:3	2/4 hours	25/60
Large (lima, cannelloni, kidney)	1:3	2.5/5 hours	35/76
Extra large (scarlet runner, mortage lifter, fava)	1:3.5	3/6 hours	45/90

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Ever since my beloved Pasta Pomodoro shut down in Mesa, I have been searching for a recipe that replicates the unbelievable flavor of their butternut squash ravioli. It was kinda like a, fall-flavored sugar cookie if you can imagine that! Mmmm. One thing I learned when experimenting with homemade ravioli is that it ain’t easy. The dough, the filling, the assembly, then the boiling and finally the sauce. There was too much to go wrong. I usually ended up with a pot of boiling orange water and floating squares of pasta, a huge mess to clean up and only a few prized ravioli that held together.

So on to gnocchi; it is a dense dumpling type pasta, typically made with only potatoes and flour. I really found it quite enjoyable to make and although mine didn’t come out looking so hot, they tasted delectable. The whole grain sprouted flour takes away from the brilliant orange of the squash leaving you with more of a brownish gnocchi, but that was all made up for in taste.

I consider this pasta super healthy if paired with the right sauce. Many people think that means low fat, but fat is just what this pasta needs. An unhealthy sauce in my book is one that starts with a stick of margarine, fat free “cream”, or a can of Campbell’s Soup. I like a brown butter crispy sage sauce or a really thin white sauce made with real cream and a strong cheese. I wouldn’t recommend marinara for this flavor combination.

butternut squash (3 lbs)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
5 cups sprouted flour

Cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds and roast at 400 degrees for 50 minutes. Let cool and puree in blender or food processor. Spread evenly on two half-sheet pans and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to mixing bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper, add almond extract if desired and mix in the flour with dough hook for 3 minutes. The dough should be very tender and smooth and slightly sticky. Divide into 12 pieces, using extra flour roll each portion of dough into a ½-inch thick snake. Using a dough scraper, cut the snake into ½-inch pieces. Continue rolling and cutting with each piece, as you work, arrange the gnocchi in a single layer on a silpat-lined baking sheet. Let dry for up to 2 hours. Freeze flat and transfer to a container or bag once frozen, keeps in freezer for 3 months.

To cook gnocchi, boil a large pot of water, add gnocchi (frozen is fine). Continue to cook until they float to the surface. in 2 or 3 batches in a large pot of boiling, salted water, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they float to the surface of the water. Toss in a simple sauce and top with parmesan cheese.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays, Whole Foods for the Holiday's

One Grain at a Time

--Teff--
A truly remarkable grain from Ethiopia, teff is a nutrient dense food. Super small in size and ranging in color from ivory, light tan to deep brown or dark reddish brown purple, depending on the variety. Teff can be used in virtually any recipe because it is so small. It has a mild, nutty, and a slight molasses like sweetness. The white teff has a chestnut-like flavor and the darker varieties are earthier and taste more like hazelnuts. Teff is very low in gluten, so low it has been approved for those with celiac disease.

Traditionally, teff is prepared by fermenting for three days and made into a spongy crepe-like flat bread called injera. Ethiopian’s use this bread to pick up bites of food instead of forks and spoons. In this picture, the injera is what the food is served on and also folded up along side.

Cost:
20 cents a serving at $2.00 per lb.
1 lb = 2.2 cups dry = 8 cups cooked = 4 cups flour

To Cook:
1 cup grain to 4 cups water
Simmer 10 minutes, soaked
Simmer 25 minutes, unsoaked

To Store:
-Whole; indefinitely in an air tight container in a cool, dry place.
For long term storage freeze for 48 hours before storing.
-Flour and popped grains; up to 2 weeks in an air tight container, or freeze up to 1 year.
-Cooked; refrigerate for up to 10 days, or freeze up to 6 months.

To Use:
-Use flour for thickening sauces and gravies
-Flour may be added to baked goods.
-Cook to make a hot breakfast cereal.
-Add to soups
-Blends well with ground beef
-Use as a substitute for poppy seeds
-Sprout for salads and sandwiches

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Carbohydrates 73.1 g
Dietary fiber 8 g
Fat 2.4 g
Protein 13.3 g
Thiamin 0.4 mg 26%
Riboflavin 0.3 mg 16%
Niacin 3.4 mg 17%
Vitamin B6 0.5 mg 24%
Pantothenic Acid 0.9 mg 9%
Calcium 180 mg 18%
Iron 7.6 mg 42%
Magnesium 184 mg 46%
Phosphorus 429 mg 43%
Potassium 427 mg 12%
Zinc 3.6 mg 24%
Copper 0.8 mg 41%
Manganese 9.2 mg 462%
Selenium 4.4 mg 6%

Red Quinoa Coconut Sweet Potatoes

For years I worked with Chef Brad, a local chef who has a passion for whole grains, and he really got me hooked on red quinoa. It can be hard to find, but is slowly becoming more widely available. It has the texture of white quinoa, so that would be the best substitution, but the flavor is pleasantly nutty and is worth getting your hands on.

Yams and sweet potatoes are very different tubers. You will not find an authentic yam at a regular grocery store, even chain health food stores have them mislabeled. Instead we see an orange variety and an orange-red variety, sometimes you may come across a whitish yellow variety. They are all very similar in texture and even flavor and nutrition, so find the one that suits your taste.

This is a recipe from Chef Brad that I adapted many times over as my food knowledge expands. Again I urge you to try using slightly less sugar each time you make sweets, you will notice more flavor and crave less sweetness in all your meals. This dish goes perfectly with Thanksgiving dinner and with many fall season meals. We have this for dessert on most days. The sweetness is a happy medium, I could do with less, but for a big family gathering I use more.

I like that there are no oats to worry about soaking and such, still the nuts give a nice crunch. I use this same topping for apple crisp on the apples from my apple turnovers. Save time by making a double batch of topping and refrigerate up to a week to use on a fruit crisp.

4 cups cooked sweet potatoes
1/4 cup honey
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups soaked and cooked red quinoa
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup roasted or soaked and dehydrated walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup sucanat
½ cup sprouted flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Mash sweet potatoes and mix with sweetener, milk, butter, eggs, vanilla and salt. Spread evenly in a 9x9 dish. Layer quinoa over potato mixture. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle on top of quinoa. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

If you need to free up some oven space and cooking time on thanksgiving day, may I suggest this cold, make ahead side. For more great ideas on thanksgiving sides go to this gallery.

links; Whole Foods for the Holiday's

Feel-Good Granola

I have had a hard time finding the right granola. The bars of coarse have all the icky vegetable oils and high fructose corn syrup, tasty, conveniently packaged, deceptive health food. There are tons of “natural granolas” that use less refined oils and sweeteners, but still contain lower quality ingredients for a sky high price. Besides, I always feel yucky after eating any more than a handful. Come to find out, oats are SUPER high in this new common term “phytic acid.” Along with nuts that are heavy in enzyme inhibitors—this stuff is just plain hard to digest.

Granola is great to have on hand for a filling, shelf stable snack and a quick breakfast cereal. Commercial boxed breakfast cereals are dangerously toxic. It is so sad that so many people are eating these every day, sometimes twice a day, most of the time doubling or tripling the serving size. The media and FDA have pushed these boxes as health food. Sadly, even the low sugar, color-free, natural and organic brands are making us sick. The problem is with the way that the grain is processed; high temperature, high pressure. This process of extrusion destroys nutrients and fatty acids and renders the amino acids toxic.

This has been such a wonderful replacement for us. Same great sweetness, crunch and shelf life of the boxed variety with none of the awful effects. When I have this for breakfast I am so satisfied, for a long time. The food is easy to digest and the nutrients are easily absorbed because proper care is taken in the preparation. I love that I can keep this raw by dehydrating instead of baking. Do yourself a big favor and master the art of nourishing granola making.

4 cups rolled grains (I use oats, barley and rye) THE MUSH

1/2 cup whole flax seeds
1/2 cup whole millet
1/2 cup kefir (vinegar or lemon juice)
5 cups water
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup sucanat
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 cup raisins
1 cup previously soaked and dehydrated walnuts
1/2 cup sprouted kamut flour

In a large bowl, place rolled grains, flax seed and millet. Add kefir and water, mix, cover and let soak on counter for 12 to 24 hours. The mixture will become a bowl of mush. Place mixture in a mesh strainer and rinse well. In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, syrup, cinnamon and salt. Fold in rinsed mush, coconut, raisins, nuts and flour. Spread out in a thin layer on 3 lined baking sheets. Bake on lowest oven setting until dry, turning as needed. I used my oven’s dehydrating setting at 115 degrees to preserve the enzymes and turned about every 6 -8 hours for 24 hours. The higher the heat, the more you turn and the less time it takes to dry.

Home-Sprouted Flour

In the process of experimenting with soaking grains for added nutritional benefits, I have come across some instances where it is not always possible. Sometimes a little more flour is needed at the end or there is no liquid in the recipe to begin with, other times I have just not thought ahead sufficiently. A healthy solution is to use sprouted flour which is whole grain that has been sprouted, dehydrated and ground, preferably right before use.

Sprouting changes the composition of starch molecules, converting them into vegetable sugars, so the body recognizes and digests sprouted grains as a vegetable. Enzymes are also created that aid digestion, complex sugars are broken down which can eliminate painful gas, and vitamin and mineral levels increase. Furthermore, sprouting neutralizes carcinogens and enzyme inhibitors, as phytic acid that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.

I have stayed away from sprouted flour because it is expensive to buy/ship and hard to find. Mostly, I am skeptical of the quality because I know how quickly flour looses it's nutrition once milled and going through a storage/buying/shipping/process takes a lot of time. Not to mention keeping it on hand for months as you need it. So when I found out I could do it at home, I decided to go for it.

The steps are simple if you have ever sprouted any grain. I used kamut and spelt my first time because I have had great success in sprouting those. I started in the afternoon and soaked the grains in half-filled quart jars, covered with filtered water. In the morning I rinsed them 3 times, swirling each time. I put a cut piece of cheese cloth held on by a jar band (could also use clean pantyhose.) This made it easy to dump the water each time while keeping the grain in the jar. I then let them drain tilted top down in a large bowl. I repeated the rinse in the afternoon and just before bed they had sprouted. Just a short white tail growing out of one end. I rinsed again and spread out in a thin layer on sheet pans. I set my oven to the dehydrate setting at 110 degrees and left them overnight. In the morning they were completely dry and ready to mill.

I only mill as needed and store the rest whole to preserve nutrition. Under these instructions, this flour is a raw food. Most ovens do not have a setting under 170. While this cooks the grain, which effects the enzymes, I feel this is still a worthwhile process. Most flour you are using for baking purposes, thus cooking the flour in the end anyway. I have not experimented much with the end result, but as I use this nutritious flour in recipes I will report back.

Do you use sprouted flour? If so, do you have any tips?