November 2011 – Page 2 – Bon Appetit Hon

Flashback Friday – Alton Brown’s Overnight Oatmeal

11 November 201124 October 2011by Wendi6 Comments

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 2/16/09 at Exit 51.

Alton Brown’s Overnight Oatmeal

My introduction to the Food Network came courtesy of Alton Brown and Good Eats. In thirty minutes, he not only presents multiple recipes, but he explains the “why” of it all. I guess I’m not the only person who wants to understand the how and why of the kitchen. Did I mention he makes it entertaining? Props and skits illustrate concepts or give brief history lessons. At the end of a show, I feel like I’ve really learned something and I get new recipes too. Five years of college and all I can show you is an unframed degree and student loan payment coupons….I definitely think I’m getting a better value from Mr. Brown.

ff_102_brown1_f1

Since those early days with AB, I’ve branched out to other FN personalities, but Alton remains a favorite. One recipe that I go back to over and over is his Overnight Oatmeal. I’ve made this so many times, and it’s so simple, that I no longer pull out the recipe. With only a few minutes of active prep and a crock pot set to low, I can have a week’s worth of breakfast at the ready. For a non-morning person such as myself, this is gold.

In a different life, maybe I would have the time, or inclination, or personal chef to make a full on breakfast each and every day. But as it is, I’m lucky to get out of the house dressed and fed each morning. So anything that saves me time is welcome. And unlike packaged cereals, I know EXACTLY what is in the food. No trans fat this, or high fructose corn syrup that. No guessing needed.

Really, what’s not to love about this recipe? It’s quick. It’s easy. It’s open to countless interpretations. It may not be the most glamorous dish to hit your table, but not every meal has to look like it came from the five star kitchen of the celebrity chef du jour.

AB’s recipe is below. I use whatever dried fruit I happen to have on hand – dried apples or dried peaches work very well. You use what you like. I also add about one half cup of unsweetened applesauce to the crock pot to give a little more moisture. If you have a cinnamon stick, throw it in crock pot. Just be sure to remove it before serving. Serve with a bit of brown sugar, preserves, jam, or syrup for a hint of sweetness. Leftovers keep in the fridge for about a week. To reheat, thin with a bit of milk, stir to combine, and microwave for about 90 seconds.

Alton Brown’s Overnight Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried figs
4 cups water
1/2 cup milk or half-and-half

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and set to low heat. Cover and let cook for 8 to 9 hours.

Stir and remove to serving bowls. This method works best if started before you go to bed. This way your oatmeal will be finished by morning.

Vegetables

Kerrygold Brussel Sprouts

10 November 201124 October 2011by Wendi19 Comments

Today’s Kerrygold Premium Spreadable Reduced Fat Butter tip crosses a line. The line between love who love brussel sprouts and those who don’t. And maybe, just maybe, this tip will inspire some to embrace the beauty of pan roasted brussel sprouts.

Think back to the Kerrygold Grilled Cheese. The only thing missing from that to make a balanced meal was some vegetables. Sure, you could microwave a bag of frozen vegetables but why would you settle for a one dimensional side when you could have the pan roasted goodness of brussel sprouts? Forget about the bland, mushy things that have been boiled to death. Pan roasting them in a bit of Reduced Fat Butter brings out a subtle, sharp, almost mustardy edge and they stay firm enough to spear on your fork. This is the only way we make brussel sprouts at our house. And there’s never a single one left at the end of the meal.

Did I mention that The Mistah and I used to be on opposite sides of the brussel sprouts line? We used to be…and then I pan roasted them for him. So on that night when you need an easy vegetable to round out your meal, give pan roasted brussel sprouts a try. You might just be surprised.

Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts

BAH Note: Don’t be alarmed if some of the leaves end up loose in your pan. Let these leaves get good and charred. They will add a bit of crunchy texture to the dish.

1 container fresh brussel sprouts
2 tablespoons Kerrygold Premium Spreadable Reduced Fat Butter
kosher salt
Kerrygold Ivernia cheese, grated (optional)

Trim the stem ends from the brussel sprouts, cut them in half, and remove the outer layer of leaves if they look a little sad.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the brussel sprouts, cut side down, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. When the cut sides are nicely charred, carefully shake the pan or use tongs to flip them over. Continue to cook, occasionally giving the pan a shake, until the brussel sprouts are bright green and are just tender when you bite into one.

Serve the brussel sprouts with a sprinkle of grated Ivernia cheese.

Official Disclosure: Kerrygold provided me with their Premium Spreadable Butter and Premium Spreadable Reduced Fat Butter to use in developing these tips as part of a contest. The opinions, and #butterlove, expressed here are my own.

Uncategorized

Kerrygold Grilled Cheese

9 November 201124 October 2011by Wendi17 Comments

Today’s tip on using Kerrygold’s Premium Spreadable Butter solves a common problem. It’s been a hectic day. And at the end of it, your plan for a slow cooked meal has fallen apart and you can only muster enough energy to pull together a quick dinner before running off to the next drop off, recital, or meltdown. You have to make a choice. You can reach for dinner out of a box or through a drive through window. Or. You can reach into the fridge. You’ve got bread, sliced turkey from the deli, and cheese…all the makings of a grilled cheese. Only you didn’t know this morning before you left the house that all hell was going to break loose and you would be making dinner on the fly.

That’s the problem that Kerrygold Premium Spreadable Butter solves. Straight from the fridge it easily goes onto the slice of bread that will become the foundation of your grilled cheese and the answer to your dinner dilemma. In about the same amount of time it would have taken you to corral the kids, get them into the car without starting World War 3 about who gets to sit in the front, and hand over a wad of cash for fast food processed burger patties and formed chicken pieces, you can bite into warm, melty grilled cheese goodness.

Kerrygold Grilled Cheese

BAH Note: I personally have the luxury to let my grilled cheese cook low and slow in the frying pan. But if you need to hurry things up a bit, raise the heat under you pan but be sure to check that it isn’t browning too fast. You don’t want the outside to char before the inside gets good and melted.

Sliced Bread
Major Gray Chutney (optional but highly recommended)
Sliced Turkey (or ham if that’s your thing)
Kerrygold Aged Cheddar
Kerrygold Premium Spreadable Butter

Butter one slice of bread and place it butter side down into a cold frying pan. Spread a thin layer of chutney, if using, on to the top of the bread. Layer the remaining ingredients in the following order: slices of cheese, turkey (or ham), slices of cheese. Spread a layer of chutney onto another slice of bread and place it chutney side down on top of the sandwich. Butter the top side of the bread.

Turn your burner to medium or medium low and cook until you begin to hear the butter sizzle and see it bubble at the edge of the bread. Use a spatula to carefully peek at the bottom piece of bread and adjust your heat down if necessary to keep the bread from scorching. When the bottom is nicely browned, carefully flip the sandwich over and cook until the other piece is bread is browned and the cheese has melted.

Enjoy as is or dip into a bit of chutney spooned onto your plate.

Uncategorized

Kerrygold Quick Bread Frosting

8 November 201124 October 2011by Wendi22 Comments

Since jumping into the world of the food blog, I have made wonderful discoveries. Lentils. Beets. A virtual community of gifted storytellers. These are all good things. But maybe the one closest to my heart is Kerrygold and their line of products.

If you search through the blog, and scroll through my Twitter stream, you’ll find examples of my public adoration of all things Kerrygold. The cheese. The butter. The customer service. Not only do they make quality products but they treat their customers right. I have conducted my own personal #butterlove campaign to share my love of Kerrygold with the world. And now I have a chance to be a part of Kerrygold’s campaign to introduce two of their new products to you.

Turns out the folks at Kerrygold have worked their #butterlove magic and produced new premium spreadable butters. Let those words sink in for a moment. Kerrygold. Premium. Spreadable. Butter. That means straight from the fridge, you can have Kerrygold goodness gliding onto your slice of bread or melting into the craters of your waffle. How do I know this? Because I’ve tried these new butters. I’ve used them in sauces and spreads. I’ve taken it out of the fridge one moment and licked it straight off of my fingers the next.

Butter has always had a special place in my world. Growing up, there was always a dish of butter out on the table. And because we put it on everything, the butter could sit out and not risk going rancid. We simply never let it stay around long enough to turn bad. But when I started cooking for myself, and later The Mistah, I couldn’t sustain that level of butter consumption. So my sticks lingered in the fridge where they stayed cold but got rock solid. There was no quickly buttering an untoasted slice of bread for a spaghetti sauce sandwich. And making any recipe that required my butter to be pliable and yielding required me to remember to take it out of the fridge well ahead of time so that it could soften. I can’t tell you how many sticks of butter I melted in the microwave because I forgot to set out the butter or how many I’ve mangled trying to get the thinnest slice off as possible. And that’s just wrong.

Now, thanks to the folks at Kerrygold, I have more options. And so do you. The premium spreadable butters are available in regular and reduced fat varieties. I know what you might be thinking…that reduced fat means reduced flavor. While I’m not a certified butter expert, I’ve had plenty of buttery experience over the years to hone my taste buds. When I tasted them both side by side straight from the container, I couldn’t tell the difference between them.

So how exactly am I involved with spreading the word of Kerrygold Premium Spreadable #butterlove? By taking their two new products and highlighting ways that you can use them in your own kitchen. Not only do I get to discover new ways to love Kerrygold, and share them with you, but I am also competing against other bloggers to come up with the best usage ideas for the products. Even if none of my ideas win a prize, I’m honored that the folks at Kerrygold chose me to participate in this competition.

Today’s tip is Kerrygold Quick Bread Frosting. Imagine that you’ve just made a double batch of your favorite quick bread….say pumpkin. Of the twelve mini loaves that came out of your oven, ten of them are to be given away. So you slice off a piece of one of your loaves, for quality control purposes. It’s moist with a nice mix of spice. But you want to fancy it up a bit. With nothing more than some Kerrygold Premium Spreadable Reduced Fat Butter, whipped cream cheese, and powdered sugar you’ve got a quick and easy frosting that takes your quick bread over the top without toppling the scale the next time you step on it.

Kerrygold Quick Bread Frosting

BAH Note: I worked on a very small scale to make only enough frosting for my immediate consumption but you could easily scale this up to make a larger batch. I used a ratio of 6:1 (6 teaspoons cream cheese [or 2 tablespoons] to 1 teaspoon butter) but you use what tastes best to you. Want a firmer frosting? Add more powdered sugar. Want something thinner that you can drizzle? Stir in some half and half a teaspoon at a time. This frosting is your friend, it wants you to be happy.

1 teaspoon Kerrygold Premium Spreadable Reduced Fat Butter
2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Combine the butter and cream cheese in a small bowl (think cereal bowl here, not ramekin). Use a fork to cream them together until smooth (this should take all of about 30 seconds). Add the powdered sugar to the creamed mixture and mix with your fork until fully combined.

Random

Words

7 November 201117 January 2012by Wendi17 Comments

I feel as though an update is in order. Today, as I begin this post, it has been many weeks since I last sat down to write. During this whole time, words have been swirling through my head. Words that I hope will provide some kind of light on this unknown path.

After my parents’ deaths, I began to reflect on what I hope will influence the rest of my life. Things like generosity, trust, empathy, joy, and grace. And each day, I have made a point of taking a few moments to consciously affirm these intentions…to myself and to the Universe. And while I think they all are equally important, two have been in the forefront of my mind recently – opportunity and surrender.

I know that I have missed out on seeing many opportunities because I have been too focused on being in control. Of discussions. Of situations. Of people. And if I would only pull back and surrender that need to control the world around me, so many more opportunities would present themselves. So while that’s been knocking around in my head, the Universe has indeed given me chances to put words into action.

I have been presented with opportunities to practice surrender. And what I find interesting is the different ways in which each one achieves that. I see them as ways to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new. Something that I may or may not end up being good at. But that will allow me to stretch and grow and redefine how I see myself…both in and out of the kitchen. I will be sharing those experiences with you here and promise that regardless of the bumps in this road, I’m still here cooking.

It’s hard to go back to writing about butter and sugar and bacon in such a lighthearted way after all of the turmoil that I have felt and still feel. But there are words to say and recipes to share.

Dessert, Sweets

Flashback Friday – HVD

4 November 201124 October 2011by WendiLeave a Comment

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 2/12/09 at Exit 51.

HVD

The ultimate Hallmark Holiday is nearly upon us. Why not whip up a little happiness courtesy of The Minimalist’s Chocolate Souffle? The souffle doesn’t care if you are alone on Valentine’s Day and savoring its chocolaty goodness all by yourself or if you’re sharing it with someone special. C’mon, desserts don’t discriminate. Remember the black and white cookie from Seinfeld? “Look to the cookie”.

valentine-hearts-3

Me, I like to look AT the cookies, and souffles, and tarts, and all sorts of treats. And I especially like to gobble them down. But if you happen to be around when I make this, I will most likely share some with you. You might have to shoot me with one of Cupid’s arrows to get my hands off the spoon though…just so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Oh, and if chocolate doesn’t happen to be your thing (as if), Mr. Bittman has kindly shared a non chocolate, Simple Souffle.

Chocolate Souffle

Mark Bittman – The New York Times

About 1 tablespoon butter for dish
1/3 cup sugar, plus some for dish
3 eggs, separated
2 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, melted
Pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 2-cup or one 4-cup soufflé or other deep baking dish(es). Sprinkle each with sugar, invert it and tap to remove excess sugar.

Beat egg yolks with all but 1 tablespoon sugar until very light and very thick; mixture will fall in a ribbon from beaters when it is ready. Mix in the melted chocolate until well combined; set aside.

Wash beaters well, then beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until whites hold soft peaks; continue to beat, gradually adding remaining tablespoon sugar, until they are very stiff and glossy. Stir a good spoonful of whites thoroughly into egg yolk mixture to lighten it; then fold in remaining whites, using a rubber spatula. Transfer to prepared soufflé dish(es); at this point you can cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.

Bake until center is nearly set, 20 minutes for individual soufflés and 25 to 35 minutes for a single large soufflé. Serve immediately.

Breakfast/Brunch

Overnight French Toast

2 November 201124 October 2011by Wendi14 Comments

Some recipes are like shooting stars. They pass before my eyes too quickly to capture on film. Overnight French Toast falls into that category. Hence, the pictogram up there.

Here’s how OFT and I came to meet. I made Nick Malgieri’s Brioche and I would find myself looking for any excuse to have a slice as long as it was in the house. Having bread near me is dangerous. So I needed an exit strategy…fast.

Enter Alexandra’s Kitchen and her Overnight French Toast. I had a hunch that Nick’s brioche would make a perfect canvas for baked custardy goodness…and maybe some blueberry syrup…to fancy up a Saturday morning breakfast. So with a little bit of prep the night before, and after a warm up before hitting the oven, I was rewarded with a scrumptious, hot dish of baked french toast.

The Mistah and I plowed through it so quickly that it was all gone before I realized there was no photographic evidence of its existence. But unlike shooting stars and comets, you don’t have to wait indefinitely to experience Overnight French Toast.

Overnight French Toast

Adapted from Alexandra’s Kitchen

BAH Note: Don’t want to wait overnight for your French Toast? Prep everything before you leave in the morning and voila, Overnight French Toast for dinner at the end of the day.

1 loaf brioche or other dense bread
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
1 2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt (or vanilla salt if you have some)
3 tablespoons sugar

Slice off six slices of bread approximately one inch thick. Cut the slices in half so that they are easier to arrange in the dish.

Butter the inside of a 9×13 baking dish and one side of each slice of bread. Place the bread, buttered side up, in the dish.

Whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Pour the custard over the bread and let it rest in the refrigerator, covered, at least an hour or overnight until the bread absorbs the custard.

40 minutes before you are ready to bake, remove the dish from the refrigerator to let it come to room temperature. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until the bread is puffed and golden brown.

Serve immediately with syrup.

{printable recipe}

Month: November 2011