Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

 

Ingredients…

• 1 1/2 cup Flour
• 1 cup Oats
• Cinnamon [as much as you want]
• 1/2 cup Sugar [i used a heaping 1/4 cup instead]
• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 cup Milk [i used whole]
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp Vanilla

(also, mix up some cinnamon sugar for the center layer)

Directions…

1.  Combine dry ingredients for muffins. In seperate bowl combine wet ingredients, and blend well. Add to dry ingredients. Stir, just until dry ingredients is moistened. Don’t over mix.
2. Fill each muffin tin 1/2 way and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and then fill the rest of the way.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

(This recipe is based off Quakers “Best Oatmeal Muffins” recipe)

Vanilla Pudding

Quick and easy and awesome.

(This recipe makes 4 servings.)

Ingredients:

• a little less than 1/4 Cup Sugar (the full 1/4 is just a tad bit too sweet for me)
• 2 T Cornstarch
• Dash Salt
• 2 Cups Milk
• 2 Egg Yolks (really dont use the whites- it makes for a lumpy mess)
• 2 Tsp. Vanilla
• 2 T. Butter

Directions:

1. Combine Sugar, Cornstarch & Salt in a bowl.
2. In another bowl, combine milk and egg yolks.
3. Mix the wet into the dry.
4. Cook in a sauce pan over medium heat – STIRRING CONSTANTLY (milk and high heat is a difficult combo). Stir until the mixture starts to thicken and boil.
5. Boil and stir 1 minute.
6. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter [I used less than 1/2 of what it calls for but i’m sure the original amount is awesome. When is more butter not awesome?].
7. Pour into dishes and chill. [or eat it the second its done like i do. We top it with bananas sometimes which is great.]

Home Made Yogurt

I have the Euro Cuisine yogurt maker. Its small and cute and works like a dream. This is based off of their recipe.

Since its a time sensitive (and temperature sensitive) project, get your glass jars and utensils ready ahead of time. Heres the extra things you need to have thoroughly washed, dried and ready:

• Sauce pan with high sides
• Large metal spoon
• Thermometer
• 1/2 Cup Measuring Cup (for yogurt)
• Large Pyrex (to measure milk and to mix starter)
• Heat Proof Glass pitcher (to mix the final concoction and pour into jars)
• Glass jars and lids for yogurt maker

Ingredients:

•  Fage Total yogurt (used as the starter)
• 1 Qt. organic whole milk
• (Optional flavoring)

Directions:

1. Measure out a quart of Pasteurized Organic Whole Milk into a sauce pan.
2. Heat the milk slowly just until it starts to boil and climb the sides of the pan.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the milk to cool to 95 degrees. (to accelerate the process, but the pan in a cold water bath). Pour into glass pitcher.
4. Stir 1/2 Cup of the starter yogurt with a bit of the heated milk in the large pyrex. Combine really well.
5. Pour starter mixture into the pitcher
6. Stir really well again. (Add fruit, syrup or flavoring now and stir well)
7. Pour yogurt mixture into jars and put in yogurt maker (without lids)
8. Let yogurt maker do its thing for 9 hours
9. Take yogurt jars out, put on lids and refrigerate yogurt for a couple hours before eating.

Other Flavors to try:

Almond

Honey

Lemon (use lemon curd from Trader Joes?)

Chocolate

Coconut (use coconut milk and shredded/sweetened coconut?)

Kathy’s Chicken Marinade

This works on any cut of chicken but my favorite is wings on the grill

Ingredients:

• 3 T Olive Oil
• 1 T Lemon Juice
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1.5 tsp salt
• A large pinch of Rosemary, Tarragon, Black Pepper and Basil
• 2 Lbs Chicken

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Place chicken in shallow bowl and pour marinade over top. Marinate the chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (more is way better) and then grill.

 

(faux) Pho

The key to Pho is to strain out any impurities so you are left with a clear broth with TONS of taste…. which usually takes time….. of which I am limited. So this is our take on pho. Still awesome (but not as authentic).

Also note: dont waste a lot of time chopping vegetables carefully because you’re going to strain them out in the end.

(recipe updated and overhauled 2/14/13)

Ingredients: (makes 4 bowls of soup)

• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1tsp. Whole Coriander Seeds
• 3 Cloves
• 9 Cups Broth  (because so much of it boils off)
• 1 Onion, rough chopped
• 3 Celery Stalks, rough chopped
• 1 T Ginger, minced [I keep mine frozen and zest as needed]
• 1 T Fish Sauce
• 2 or 3 Green Onions, rough chopped
• Rice Noodles (or whatever kind you prefer)
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Sea Salt
• Chicken (2 Breasts)
• Shrimp (how ever many you want)
• Bean Sprouts, Green Onions, Cilantro, Hot Sauce & Lime for toppings

Directions:

1. Put all your broth in a medium sized stock pot. Add onion, celery, ginger, fish sauce and green onions. Cook on medium.
2. In the mean time, toast spices in a small pan on medium low for 3 or so minutes. Then add to broth and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. While thats cooking, prepare your noodles according to the directions and set aside.
4. Go take a break until the broth is ready.
5. After 30 min or so, strain out the vegetables from the broth and discard.
6. Add Chicken. [I used Trader Joes Frozen Chicken breast]. Simmer on medium until done and remove from soup. Add shrimp for a couple minutes and remove. [Its really alll about the broth so taste it now to see how its doing. If you like it, eat it. If its not concentrated enough flavor for you, take out your chicken and shrimp and boil it for a bit longer and taste again until you like it.]
7. Fill your bowls with the rice noodles and ladle soup over it.
8. Have your toppings in the center of the table: bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, limes and Sriracha (of course)

[This recipe has a lot of freedom for creativity… just shoot for a really flavored broth and dont overcook the meat.]

Good to know:

+ There are a ton of other ingredients you can play with as well : Lemon grasss, Hoisin sauce, Basil, Mint, Star Anise…

 

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tags: vietnamese soup, noodle bowl, chinatown, udon noodles, cellophane noodles, bean thread noodles, lunch, dinner, winter soup