Tuesday, December 6, 2011
I’ve always been a breakfast person. I love almost any variety of breakfast food both savory & sweet. I am just not one of those people that can eat the same thing day in and day out, so I always keep my radar up for new things to try. I saw this recipe for a seasonal take on steel cut oats, and realized it’s been a while since I had steel cut oats. A warm bowl of this seemed like the perfect breakfast as the mornings turn colder. As my pumpkin obsession fades, it seems like I am more & more drawn to maple. And, we almost always have apples in the house, so this recipe was perfect.
I made a half batch of this, and REALLY wished I had made the whole batch. If so, I would’ve had a warm breakfast to grab & go the rest of the week. This wasn’t just delicious the day I made it, but the leftovers were amazing heated up. I cooked mine down a bit longer than the recipe called for, and also threw in an incredibly ripe pear I had on hand. The maple sautéed apples add the perfect amount of sweetness to the hearty oats. This is a great addition to my breakfast reportoire!
Steel Cut Oatmeal with Maple Sautéed Apples
Yield: 4 servings
Cook Time: 40 min
Total Time: approximately 45 minutes
As I mentioned, I added in a really ripe pear which was so soft it cooked down and thickened the syrup. I also cooked the apples a little bit longer than the original recipe called for. I have adapted the cooking time in the recipe below, but didn't include the pear in the ingredients. It's was just one of those "if I don't use this thing this instant I have to throw it away" kinda things.
Ingredients:
OATS:
3 cups water
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 cup steel-cut oats
1⁄4 teaspoon table salt
MAPLE SAUTÉED APPLES:
2 tablespoons (1⁄4 stick) unsalted butter
3 large firm apples (about 11⁄2 pounds), peeled, cored, cut into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices 1 tablespoon plus 1⁄2 cup pure maple syrup
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
OATS:
Bring the water and milk to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until just beginning to foam; add the oats and toast, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden and fragrant with a butterscotch-like aroma, 1 1⁄2 to 2 minutes.
Stir the toasted oats into the simmering liquid, reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer gently, until the mixture thickens and resembles gravy, about 20 minutes. Add the salt and stir lightly with the spoon handle. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon handle, until the oats absorb almost all of the liquid and the oatmeal is thick and creamy, with a pudding-like consistency, about 7 to 10 minutes. Off the heat, let the oatmeal stand uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve immediately with maple sautéed apples.
MAPLE SAUTÉED APPLES:
(Begin cooking apples when the oats have about 5 minutes cooking time remaining.)
Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and 1 tablespoon maple syrup; sauté until the apples are tender, about 6 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1⁄2 cup maple syrup and cinnamon; simmer until slightly reduced, about 2 minute.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
A winner has been chosen thanks to Random.org. It’s lucky number 100: Shalie. Shalie, I have emailed you and you have until Tuesday night at midnight EST to respond, or another winner will be chosen.
My original plan was to count up all the different ways that people enjoy using goat cheese, and include that info in this post. But… I kind of forgot. Whoops! But if you’re looking for creative & delicious ways to use goat cheese, I highly recommend you browse the comments on that post! Holy yum!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
One of the first questions I asked my doctor when I found out I was pregnant was what foods I should avoid, and what were myths regarding pregnancy & food. I was certainly relieved when she told me that soft cheeses such as goat cheese, blue cheese, etc were perfectly safe as long as they were pasteurized. And here in the US, it’s pretty hard to come by unpasteurized milk or soft cheeses. Pretty much anything you can purchase at the supermarket will be pasteurized. So, when I was contacted by Ile de France Gourmet Cheeses for a chance to sample their goat cheese and do a giveaway, I jumped at the chance! Of course, the first question I asked was whether or not their cheeses are pasteurized. Being assured they are, I am delighted to bring you this recipe!
With a quick look at my post history it’s easy to see I love goat cheese. From pizza & burgers, appetizers, steak, to muffins & ice cream, goat cheese is incredibly versatile. When planning the menu for my first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I knew I wanted a savory goat cheese dish. It didn’t take me long to settle on this recipe for goat cheese macaroni & cheese. I knew Nathan & I would like it, as well as our neighbor who we invited over. I just wasn’t sure if Nathan’s dad would like it. I know he certainly enjoys traditional Thanksgiving fare, and was worried the goat cheese macaroni & cheese would be a little too “out there” for him. I told him multiple times it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if he didn’t like it. Well it looks like I underestimated his palate! He really enjoyed the goat cheese macaroni & cheese, and even asked for the recipe!
In most dishes I make with goat cheese, I often say the goat cheese adds subtle flavor to the dish. But, in this one, I’ll say it certainly moves to the center stage. I found Ile de France’s goat cheese to be top quality, and it was perfect for this dish. This macaroni & cheese is creamy, rich, & savory. The cheese sauce is a bit thicker than your average sauce, and you’ll need a blender or food processor to help it all come together. This was one of the last dishes that came together for me as I was finishing up our Thanksgiving spread. Only then did I realize you can make the cheese sauce the night before. Haha, oh well! Despite that, it was still a simple dish to make. It was certainly well enjoyed by all of us, and I definitely think you will like it too!
***GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*** Congrats to the winner: Lucky number 100 Shalie
And now, for the giveaway! You can win a 5 cheese basket including a variety of Ile de France Cheeses, such as brie cheese, goat cheese, camembert and Roquefort. I can’t say exactly what the basket will include, however, and it may include some other French cheeses as well! Is your mouth watering right now? Mine is. This would be the perfect addition to your holiday or New Year’s gathering. All you have to do to enter is answer: “What is your favorite dish involving goat cheese?”
For one additional chance to win, tweet about the giveaway and leave an additional comment telling me you tweeted. ”@ErinsFoodFiles is giving a away an Ile de France cheese basket from @IDFCheese! Enter here to win: http://tinyurl.com/79vrdbe” Be sure to leave your twitter handle in the comment, so I can verify!
**Giveaway ends Sunday, December 4th, 11pm CST**
Goat Cheese Mac & Cheese
Yield: approx 6 generous servings
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1½ cups half-and-half
¾ cup heavy cream
1½ tablespoons white wine
1¼ cup fresh goat cheese (such as Ile de France)
½ cup garlic-herb Boursin cheese
1½ teaspoons kosher salt (or more to taste)
1⁄8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Dash of Tabasco
2/3 box (2/3 pound) cavatappi/corkscrew pasta (the original recipe called for 1/2 a box, and this was not enough for me, so I ended up cooking more pasta)
cracked black pepper
Directions:
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour to make a roux and cook for 1 minute.
Add half-and-half, heavy cream, white wine, salt, and white pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a high simmer, but make sure not to boil the milk. Cook the mixture on low for 10 minutes to thicken. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Put the cream mixture into a blender and add the goat and Boursin cheeses and Tabasco. Blend for 10 seconds on low speed until smooth.
Strain the cheese sauce through a mesh strainer back into the saucepan and set aside to cool until the pasta is cooked, or store it covered overnight in the fridge.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cavatappi, and cook until al dente, about 8 or 9 minutes (the pasta will continue to cook in the sauce). Strain the pasta and add it to the cheese sauce. Turn the heat to medium-low and warm the macaroni and cheese until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with more salt if necessary. Finish with a touch of cracked black pepper.
PS. Even if you don’t win, head on over to Ile de France’s website for coupons and giveaways on their site!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving to you & yours! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. You may not be surprised to learn that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The focus is on gathering with friends & family, and food! No materialistic focus or pressure, and plenty of good food!
I’ll be making another Cranberry Chess Pie for one of my gatherings. By the time the weekend is over, we’ll have eaten 4 Thanksgiving dinners. Yup, FOUR. Three will be in Kentucky, and the last will be one I’m cooking! I’m excited to plan a menu and cook for the first time. I’m also hoping to have enough leftover turkey to make one of our favorite soups.
This soup is hands down, Nathan’s absolute favorite soup. As soon as I mention the ingredients, he gets excited because he knows he’s getting this soup. If you’ve been following my blog since 2008 (and I bet that’s VERY few of you! haha), you’ve seen this soup before. This soup is one of the reasons I’m glad I have a blog. I first started a blog to keep track of recipes I’ve tried & loved. And this is certainly one that gets made again and again.
This soup is incredibly easy to prepare, and doesn’t need to simmer for hours to develop it’s flavor. From the first step in cooking this soup, your kitchen will be filled with the most wonderful & aromatic smells. I can’t describe enough how incredible this soup is! You really must try it for yourself! You can use leftover turkey, or chicken in this soup. We often purchase a rotisserie chicken and use the meat from that for the soup.
Because I often like to update some of the old recipes with newer photos, I don’t want to have duplicate recipes on my blog. So, just hop on over to the old post, and check out this AMAZING soup!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
I am BEYOND happy to finally be sharing this recipe with you guys. I first made this last year, the day before Thanksgiving. I also decided I would attempt my first homemade pie crust. What turned out was nothing short of ugly, due to what can only be described as “the incredible shrinking pie crust”. Miraculously I somehow made it work, and completed the pie. The final product was so incredibly delicious, I knew I’d make it again this year to share on the blog with all of you. As it turned out, I was asked to guest blog on a local blog I love, and my guest post would run the Thursday before Thanksgiving. What a great opportunity to share this incredible pie with even more people! To see the recipe, just head on over to Styleblueprint.
PS. I have no more guest posting duties lined up for a while, and no more birthdays, announcements, etc! I promise! Completely back to normal posting next week, with a recipe to utilize your leftover turkey!
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