oatgurt with tahini, orange, and roasted almonds

Is there anything better than a slow start to a day?

For hours, I savored this morning in Belgium, witnessing the residents ambling out of their homes, into the light drizzle, off to the market or maybe a friend’s house.

I was a traveler, but not in a rush to get to any destination, just content to be unhurried as well, starting my day in one’s own time like the people of Antwerp.

I had a cozy window seat with a view to all the comings and goings both inside and out while I nibbled at my blackberry porridge.

Unhurried and ambling has a tendency to reveal the best moments when traveling. In this case, taking time to notice the unfamiliar ingredients in my porridge, and bringing that newfound knowledge home with me to add fresh ideas to my own cooking.

I eat oatmeal almost every morning topped with fairly traditional things like cinnamon, hemp, flax, banana, and coconut milk. This porridge, however, had tahini, oatgurt, orange, and roasted almonds. Tahini so far, for me, had been constrained to making hummus. I had also never heard of oatgurt. Apparently, it’s a plant based yogurt made from fermented oats. While I sat, I did some research, and at home you can make it by adding a probiotic just like you would if you were making dairy yogurt.

Every meal in another place, near or far, can be an opportunity to improve and expand your cooking, and the way you pair foods together. That’s got to be high up there as one of the most amazing things about travel, wouldn’t you agree? What ingredients or techniques have you brought home from traveling and have now experimented with in your own cooking?

recipe: cherry cornmeal torte

This is the first recipe I tried from the cookbook Gather Around My Table and boy is it a keeper! With so few ingredients it was in the oven in no time at all. Yet, comes out looking like I spent hours on it. This will surely be my go-to recipe to whip together if I have unexpected guests. It's substantial enough to be served with just coffee or tea. And, I think has a rustic cozy look perfect for Fall!

I did have to look up what a "torte" is and how it compares to a cake. Apparently, it typically uses little to no flour, relying on ground nuts or breadcrumbs and whipped eggs. They don't rise very high, making them shorter and fatter than standard cakes. The author of this cookbook, Kay Chun, said this was inspired by the classic Italian olive oil cake. When cherries are in season, she pits, halves, and freezes them so she can make this cake year-round. She loves this most with cherries, but says other stone fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots are also terrific. The cherries I used were store-brought frozen whole cherries, and I didn't cut them in half. The mixed berries I get for my smoothies I think would also be nice in this (cherries, blackberries, and blueberries). So many options!

Cherry Cornmeal Torte

Ingredients:

Cooking spray, for greasing the pan (I just rubbed butter on the pan)

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cardamon

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature 

3/4 cup turbinado sugar, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling (I used brown sugar)

1/4 cup California-style extra-virgin olive oil 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

6 ounces cherries, pitted and halved (I used 1 1/4 cups frozen whole cherries)

2 tbsp slice almonds (I used 3 tbsp)

Instructions:

1) Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper; lightly grease the paper.

2) In a small bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cardamon, cinnamon, and salt and whisk to combine.

3) In a medium bowl, combine the butter and the 3/4 cup sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes (I used my stand mixer). Add the oil and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add one of the eggs and beat, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, until well incorporated; repeat with the remaining egg (I just threw them both in at the same time and mixed like normal). Sift the flour mixture over the batter (I just threw it in). Reduce the speed to low and beat until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top using an offset spatula. It will look like there is not enough batter, but the torte will rise during baking. Arrange the cherries in a single layer on top, then scatter the almonds all over and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbsp sugar. 

4) Bake until the cake is golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

5) Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 30 minutes. Unmold the cake and cool until lukewarm or room-temperature. Serve with whipped cream, creme fraiche, or ice cream (I just ate the torte plain and it was absolutely delish). 

Store the torte in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

recipe: homemade yogurt by re-culturing

 It really is this EASY to make yogurt!

1. Add 1 cup powdered whole milk and 3 1/2 cups water to a pan (or just use 3 1/2 cups already liquid milk).

2. Increase temp to 180-195 degrees F on medium low. Keep it here for 10-20 min checking periodically with a thermometer.

3. Remove from heat and let cool to 110-115 degrees F.

4. To the 110-115 F milk, add a few spoonfuls from a store bought container of plain yogurt (or form your prior batch of yogurt) and whisk or stir. It's okay if there are some clumps.

5. Pour into 2 pint jars and place in oven with the light on for 6+ hours.

Master Your Temperatures

Do your own research to ensure you are hitting the correct temperatures but these are the reliable basics I use to make fresh yogurt every 7-10 days. 

The best part? My cultures have been going active and strong now for almost a year now! In fact, the culture seems to be getting stronger over time. It now takes only four hours for my yogurt to fully solidify, compared to the six hours it took when I first started. Some yogurt makers on Reddit state that their culture gets weaker over time, but I have not found that to be the case at all.

Accurate Temperature Control

Maintaining the correct temperatures is the absolute key factor in making yogurt successfully:

- The heat stage (180-195 degrees F) - Heating your milk to this range kills competing bacteria so your yogurt culture can thrive. It also unravels the whey proteins so they can bond with the milk's casein, giving you a thick, smooth texture.

- The cool stage (110-115 degrees F) - You must ensure you do not add your starter culture to the milk until it has cooled below 115 degrees. Anything hotter will kill the beneficial bacteria. However, also ensure you do not let it cool below 110 before adding the yogurt and getting it into the warm oven as it needs to stay warm in order to turn into yogurt.

Customizing Your Texture and Batch Size

If you want prefer greek yogurt, you can easily strain the final product through cheesecloth to remove the liquid whey. However, I find this standard recipe is already perfectly thick, creamy and satisfying without any extra work.

This recipe yields two pint jars, which is the perfect amount for me as one person. It provides just enough to enjoy throughout the week without forcing you to eat yogurt every single day to finish it.

Keeping Your Culture Alive

Feel free to adjust the amount of milk to scale the batch size to your personal needs. Just remember the holden rule of sustainability: make your next batch within 7-10 days. This timeline allows you to use a small scoop of your current batch to safely innoculate the next one. Waiting longer than 10 days risks spoiling your yogurt and permanently weakening your live culture. 

spiced currant nut muffins

Whipped up these spiced currant nut muffins as a thank you to my neighbors for helping me get my car battery charged after it died. They said these were delicious and had the perfect amount of sweetness. I agree! They are great any time of year. However, with hints of pumpkin and cinnamon, they are particularly perfect for Fall. But, I doubt I'll be able to wait until then to make them again!

Spiced Currant Nut Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Equipment: two mixing bowls, whisk, spatula, large ice cream scoop, standard muffin tin

Ingredients:

Dry - 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup brown sugar 

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon 

Wet - 

2 eggs (beaten)

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup applesauce

2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix-Ins (both optional) - 

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup currants (or other dried fruit you have on hand)

Instructions:

1) Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl and wet ingredients in a separate slightly larger bowl.

2) Add dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and mix well.

3) Add in walnuts and dried fruit.

4) Use large ice cream scoop to drop batter into 12 regular muffin tins lined with baking papers. 

5) Top with a sprinkle of rolled oats.

6) Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 20 minutes, checking for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of a muffin and ensuring it comes out clean. They may need another two minutes or so more, depending on your oven.

Note: These muffins rise enough for my preference. However, if you want them loftier, you can try adding the whole wheat flour into the wet ingredients to sit for 10 minutes or so absorbing some of the liquid while you work on getting the rest of the recipe prepped.

Don't forget to pin this post if you want to remember the recipe for the next time you need a quick muffin recipe to offer as a gift of gratitude when someone helps you like my neighbors did for me.

RHUBARB COCONUT CRUMBLE BARS

Rhubarb is a perennial that can keep coming up each Spring for up to 20 years.  But, these are stalks from the same plant I gathered from when I was little... 

STILL ABUNDANTLY PROVIDING OVER 30 YEARS LATER!

My mom so carefully wrapped them with water to keep them fresh on the drive home.

If you've never had rhubarb, it is slightly sweet and tart at the same time, perfect for pies, bars, and jams.  

SO YOU WOULD THINK IT'S A FRUIT, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A VEGETABLE!

You can also pair it with more savory foods, but I baked it up into a typical crumble and it turned out oh so good!  

 

Total time: 1 hour (15 minutes prep / 45 minutes baking)
Serves: 24

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups fresh rhubarb, diced (approx. 6 stalks)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour and the confectioners sugar.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Pat into a lightly greased 9X13 inch baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
2) In a large bowl, combine sugar and remaining flour.  Add eggs.  Stir in the rhubarb, walnuts, and coconut.  Pour over Crust.  Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until set.  Cool on a wire rack.  Cut into bars.

The above recipe was adapted from Taste of Home's rhubarb dream bars.  I cut the sugar down by a 1/2 cup and they were still plenty sweet so next time I would trim it down even more!  It also called for sweetened shredded coconut, but definitely go for unsweetened.  There is absolutely no reason for all that extra sugar and junk ingredients.  Bob's Red Mill unsweetened shredded coconut is literally just "natural unsulfured coconut," nothing else.  Whereas other brands that make sweetened coconut have a ton more sugar to start with, typically are sulphured, and have preservatives and chemicals to maintain freshness.  Wondering what the difference is between sulfured and unsulfured?  Sulfur dioxide is added as a preservative and to stop fruit from turning brown.  Most information you'll find will say sulfur is fine to consume, but since the World Heath Organization has set the daily acceptable intake for a 2 year old to half a dried apricot, I am staying away!  And, even if you don't believe that sulfur dioxide causes any health issues, isn't it always best to opt for food as close to its natural state as possible?  Especially when there is a natural option so readily available.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU DECIDE TO GROW YOUR OWN RHUBARB, OR MAKE A SWEET TREAT WITH THIS FUN VEGETABLE!

YOGURT AND FRESH BERRY PARFAIT

I've always adhered to the mantra that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day."  My mom made for me (and still makes me when I go home to visit) a giant bowl of oatmeal for breakfast layered with raisins, flax seed, walnuts, and whole milk.  She taught me that a hearty breakfast and a healthy lunch will power you through the day, while a lighter dinner like a salad is all your body needs as it is about to go into rest. Her salads are no mean "light," containing a mix of greens, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, and Braggs nutritional yeast.  But, it makes sense to feed your body fuel when you need it and go lighter when it doesn't.

So, every morning for breakfast I scoop either oatmeal or yogurt into a mason jar for an easy, but hearty, grab and go on the way to work.  Summer weather has me gravitating towards the yogurt for obvious reasons (and the plethora of fresh berries at the grocery store make it a no-brainer as well).

I start with either organic whole milk plain yogurt or whole milk greek yogurt, then sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top.

Add some fresh raspberries, blueberries, or sliced bananas and drizzle with honey.

Repeat a second time and you've got a quick and delicious portable breakfast!

Many people (or most people I would garner to say) are nervous to choose whole over non-fat when staring at the cooler in the grocery store.  However, many studies have found consuming whole milk actually has numerous benefits compared to its lesser fat counterparts.  "At the simplest level, people eating more high fat dairy products will have enough calories so they won't feel hungry enough to need additional calories from sugary foods." (1)  "When people reduce the amount of fat they eat, they tend to increase their intake of refined carbohydrates and sugar, the driving forces behind the bulk of our nation's chronic health problems." (2)

Choosing regular vs greek yogurt is primarily based on taste and texture preference since they are deniably different.  However, greek yogurt does have an edge with protein and sugar.  "In roughly the same amount of calories, it (greek yogurt) can pack up to double the protein, while cutting sugar content in half." (3)

I have yet to try overnight oats despite not being a picky eater, I am wary that I would not like the texture.  Do you have any favorite overnight oats recipes that might overcome my hesitations?  What are some of your favorite things to make for breakfast on-the-go?

(1) Source: Time magazine
(2) Source: US News
(3) Source: US News