Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Woof. As I’m going through all of these recipes, I’m wondering what will stick. Once next January rolls around, what am I going to make again, what recipes will I suggest to friends, and most importantly, which recipes will I remember? I’ve already forgotten some things I’ve made so far, so I’m not sure how an entire year of recipes will remain on the brain. This is definitely one, though.

This thing is a beast. It’s filling, it’s tasty, you can make it at the beginning of the week and not have to worry that you’re out of Cheerios or milk or if you’re other people, oatmeal. Because this IS oatmeal!

You basically toss together a dry mixture of grated carrots, raisins, oats and spices, then add some milk and eggs to it.

Then mix up the crunchy topping (they suggest walnuts, but I used almonds, pecans, and something else I can’t remember or decipher from these photos, all coated in honey), and put it on top. Bake it. Eat it. Bask in its glory, daily.

Here’s the recipe:

Dry mixture:
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (or any rolled flakes), choose gluten free if you are celiac
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground vanilla or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch coarse sea salt
1 1/3 cups / 200 g / 7 oz grated raw carrot (about 4)
a handful raisins

Wet mixture
2 organic eggs or chia seed mixture (see top note)
2 1/4 cups / 500 ml / 17 oz plant milk of your choice

Crunchy top layer
4 tbsp maple syrup, honey or apple syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil, room temperature + extra for greasing the pan
1 cup / 180 g walnuts or nuts or your choice
3/4 cup / 100 g sunflower seeds or seeds of your choice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease the base of a 8 x 10 inch (20 x 25 cm) baking dish with coconut oil and then set aside.

Combine the rolled oats, baking powder, spices and salt in a mixing bowl, then add grated carrots and raisins and stir to mix. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs (or chia mixture), add the milk and whisk well to combine.

To create the crunchy top layer, put the sweetener, coconut oil, walnuts and sunflower seeds in a small bowl and mix with your fingers to make sure everything is well coated.
Spoon the oat mixture into the baking dish and then pour the egg mixture over the oats so everything is evenly soaked. Sprinkle the seed and nut mixture on top and bake for 25 – 35 minutes. When it’s done, the oatmeal should be set and the nuts and seeds lightly browned and crunchy. Leave to cool slightly before serving.

Find the original recipe on Green Kitchen Stories, complete with tweaks to make this recipe vegan!

Creamy Carrot Rice

A recipe borrowed from Martha Stewart is bound to turn out right. Right?

I chose carrots for May and wanted to steer clear of the basic cook-them-in-a-pot method, to try something different. This might have been cheating a little bit because I didn’t make this carrot juice. I purchased it and I doubt there was any other way, so I’m alright with that decision.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures, but this very simple to make! Just my speed. I did not have parsley, hence the bland looking (though still orange) rice. All in all, I’d say this was tasty, but could use a bit more.. something. Flavor? Maybe the carrot juice I got wasn’t concentrated enough? Maybe I didn’t put in enough cheese (doubtful)? Needs some tweaking.

Ingredients:
1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth, 14 1/2 ounces
1 cup carrot juice
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup long-grain rice
1/4 cup dry white wine, optional
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Combine broth, carrot juice, and 2 cups water in a 2-quart saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Raise heat to medium; add rice and cook, stirring until grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine, if using; cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup hot broth mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until most liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is incorporated and rice is tender but still a little firm to the bite, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon butter and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among dishes, and sprinkle with parsley and more Parmesan.

The original recipe is from Martha Stewart.

Broccoli Pesto

It’s June! I never even finished posting about April! Busy times.

I was excited about this one because basil hadn’t come around yet, and I hate buying that bunch in a package for  $3 when  summertime consists of a $3 plant that last the whole season. This seemed like just  the summer-y meal I needed to keep my brain from wallowing in the coldness that hadn’t left yet.

This was craaaazy simple. Just put things in a blender. You don’t even cook the broccoli beforehand.

The original recipe over at Green Kitchen Stories has beautiful photos, so rather than fill this post with them, I’ll direct you there. They also didn’t add cheese, so. I took matters into my own hand and added lots. My only thoughts after making this were that it was a bit acidic for me. Something to consider if you want to change it up.

Ingredients:

1 large head broccoli (around 2 cups)

A couple of stems fresh basil or sage
1/2 lemon, juice
1/2 cup hazelnuts (roasted chickpeas if you’re allergic)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp water
salt & pepper

Directions:

Throw all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse for about a minute. Taste it. Add more olive oil or water if it feels too dry, and salt & pepper according to taste. Makes 2 cups of pesto.
Serve with pasta, in a salad, on a sandwich or in a wrap.

Baked Broccoli Burgers with Tahini Sauce

These are… unattractive, to say the least. They’re pasty looking, a general tan color and appear to be a pretty unexciting dinner. If you have cats, they look like they’ve been inside of a cat at one point.

But in an effort to try something I hadn’t ever tried with broccoli (something other than it steamed or in a stir fry), I found this broccoli burger recipe. No burger or meat of any kind in it, but I was a fan of the straightforward, simple list of ingredients. They’d be perfect if they didn’t look so unappealing.

Chop up some scallions and onions.

Mix in chick peas, cous cous, broccoli, bread crumbs, tahini, water, oil, and cumin.

BLEND IT. Muchly.

Shape into patties, bake them, and whip up the tahini sauce that’s also in this recipe. It’s April, we’re apparently getting lazy, people. I suspect these will be my only two broccoli recipes this month, but who knows! Maybe I’ll make up for it once I have time again.

Enjoy, you broccoli lover you.

Baked Broccoli Burgers

Ingredients:
Burger:

1/3 cup dry couscous
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon sesame tahini
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Tahini Dressing
1/3 cup sesame tahini
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small pot, bring the water and couscous to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and allow the couscous to sit in the pot for 10 minutes, soaking up the water.

While the couscous sits, steam the broccoli in a steamer for 5-7 minutes (or use a microwave or stove method, you just want the broccoli to be soft in the end).

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the onion and scallions, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until the onion softens. Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the cumin.

Gather your couscous, broccoli, onion mix, chickpeas and sesame tahini and combine together in a food processor. Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the bread crumbs. Form it into patties and place the patties on a cookie sheet lined with foil.

Bake for 50 minutes, turning the patties over halfway through. You’ll know they are done when the tops begin to brown.

To make the tahini sauce, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined, roughly 30 seconds.

Top your burgers with the sauce, throw some pickles, tomato and lettuce on there, and go to town!

Original recipe from One Green Planet.

Beet and Carrot Burgers

Throughout this process, I’ve wondered what recipes will stick. Which I’ll make again, which I’ll remember, which I’ll tweak, and which I probably toss out the window.

This one’s a sticker. It’s surprisingly filling, appears to be made of things that are good for a person, and tastes great. Plus, who doesn’t love recipes where there are three main steps: 1) mix everything together 2) shape it into patties 3) bake. This recipe made about 12, so I had quite a few days of leftovers.

It involves a bunch of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.

Carrots.

Beets, duh.

Onions, cheese, brown rice, egg, parsley, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper.

Mix it all up.

Pattyshape it. Pretty sure that’s a word.

Bake it (yes, I greased the pan with butter).

I didn’t have buns, so I ate these plain with a fork. Also tried them with goat cheese on top, which was a good choice.

Baked Beet and Carrot Burgers

Ingredients:
butter for greasing the baking sheet
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups peeled, grated beets (1–2 medium beets)
2 cups grated carrots (about 4 carrots)
1/2 cup minced onion (about 1 medium onion)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1/8–1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with butter.

Place a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir them on the dry skillet just until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning them. Immediately remove from heat and transfer the toasted seeds to a dish to cool.

Return the skillet to the heat. Add the sunflower seeds and stir them on the dry skillet just until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning them. Immediately transfer them to the dish with the sesame seeds.

Combine the beets, carrots, and onion in a large bowl. Stir in the toasted sunflower and sesame seeds, eggs, rice, Cheddar cheese, oil, flour, parsley, soy sauce or tamari, and garlic (your hands work best here). Add cayenne (use 1/4 teaspoon for spicier burgers) and mix until thoroughly combined.

Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 patties and arrange them in rows on the baking sheet.

Bake the patties until brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Unless they are very large and thick, it should not be necessary to turn them. Serve alone or on buns.

The original recipe can be found here.

Beets with Sour Cream and Chives

Beets are baaaaack. When trying to find some recipes and suggestions for them, I found this nice little interactive graphic. Perfect, because I absolutely feared beets!

I can’t lie, this recipe was very much because I had leftover beets from the previous recipe, and happened to have (and love) sour cream and chives. I also wanted to know what cooking beets on a stove rather than roasting them would do. Turns out it does this:

A very easy side dish, and I preferred it warm. The recipe suggests serving over egg noodles (which I didn’t have on hand), and I suspect it would be even better in that case.

Ingredients:

2 pounds beets, chopped into 1-inch chunks, with the greens
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup stock
1/4 cup sour cream
chopped chives

Directions:

Peel beets, chop into 1-inch chunks. Roughly chop greens. Put both in a saucepan with butter and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cover, and cook until the beets are tender and the greens wilted, 20 to 25 minutes. Boil off any excess liquid. Stir in sour cream and toss with chives.

Recipe found here.

Beet and Beet Green Gratin

My March vegetable is beets! I don’t love them. They’re purple and sweet, and yeah. Sweet. Too much for me. But this is the beauty of this project – challenging myself to try some things. So I did!

Having been pretty unfamiliar with beets, I hadn’t even considered using the greens attached to them. But look how PRETTY. They weren’t bad.

They also look quite different once you scrub ’em clean:

I’m a bit behind on these posts, so I’m just going to cut to the chase. Overall, this was good. I had high expectations that weren’t quite met (because look at the photo from the original recipe), but my suggestions would be to add more cheese. Always. Add more cheese. I may have had a too-much-beet situation, but it seemed like there wasn’t enough of everything else. …Which means I had to much beet. Problem solved!

Ingredients:
2 bunches (6-8) beets, with the greens (about 2 pounds beets and 3/4 pound greens)
Salt to taste
3 eggs
3/4 low-fat milk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped chives (1 bunch)
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Roast the beets. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then cut the ends off, slip off the skins and slice across the equator.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens in two changes of water. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the pot of water comes to a boil, salt generously and blanch the greens for about one minute. (You can also steam the greens until they wilt, one to two minutes). Transfer the greens to the ice water, then drain and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet, and add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in the greens. Stir together for a minute, season the greens with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Beat together eggs, salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), pepper, milk, chives and the Gruyère. Gently stir in the greens and beets. Scrape into the gratin dish. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until set and lightly browned on the top. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Original recipe found here.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

I tried this, and it was worth it. Considering actual alfredo sauce contains around a jillion more calories, I think this definitely worth trying, especially for the cauliflower-averse. It’s not super cauliflower-y, but also not quite alfredo sauce. I think mine turned out a bit bland, but I didn’t stick to the recipe strictly, so maybe that’s why. Give it a shot. Let me know what you think. Oh, I added sausage, so that’s what that is.

I should also point out that it’s easy to make. Bonus points. You basically just put a bunch of things in a pot.

And then put those same things in a blender. Easy.

Your cat will also be confused about the fact that there is no cheese involved at all. Somehow she will have smelled cheese.

Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

Ingredients:
8 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
5-6 cups cauliflower florets
6-7 cups vegetable broth or water
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
½ cup milk (more to taste)

Directions:  

Saute the minced garlic with the butter in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned (browned or burnt garlic will taste bitter). Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower pieces to the blender. Add 1 cup vegetable broth or cooking liquid, sauteed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, and milk. Blend or puree for several minutes until the sauce is very smooth, adding more broth or milk depending on how thick you want the sauce. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender.

Serve hot! If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil.

Recipe from Pinch of Yum, who suggests adding Parmesan cheese. I wholeheartedly agree.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I made a cauliflower crust pizza. I’ve read and heard quite a few horror stories about bland, blah cauliflower crusts, but damn. This one’s gooood. And you apartment will smell good for so, so long after you make it. I only wish I had made more because this didn’t last long.

It’s surprisingly simple, too. Take a small head of cauliflower, chop off the large stem and keep the florets. Pulse in a food processor until you end up with a cauliflower snow.

Then microwave it for four minutes. And this next part is where I messed up. You should use a towel and wring out the excess water. When you don’t have a clean (or an extra, really) dishtowel, and you think even a very sturdy paper towel layered with another very sturdy paper towel will do the trick, it won’t. Let me save you the trouble and tell you that the sturdy double-layered paper towels will rip, and then when you decide to just press the cauliflower between a bunch of paper towels and two plates, you still won’t get enough water out. This just means your crust won’t be very crusty, and will be a bit.. cakey, maybe? Not sure what the word is, but even if you make this “mistake” it still tastes delicious. Win-win. Anyways, once you wring the water out you end up with a clumpy pile of cauliflower that smells amazing.

Mix in mozzarella and parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, and garlic powder.

Then add an egg.  Mix together, place on parchment paper, flatten into a circle, and bake at 450 degrees for about 8 minutes, or until brown.

Get your toppings ready! I chose onions and cheese (duh).

Put back in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese melts. Eat!

Ingredients:
1 small head cauliflower
¼ cups parmesan cheese
¼ cups mozzarella cheese
¼ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoons dried basil
½ teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoons garlic powder
red pepper flakes (optional)
1 whole egg

Directions:

Place a pizza stone in the oven, or baking sheet if you don’t have a pizza stone. Preheat oven to 450ºF. On a cutting board, place a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil.

Wash and throughly dry a small head of cauliflower. Cut off the florets—you don’t need much stem. Pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. You should end up with 2 to 3 cups cauliflower “snow”. Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Cook for 4 minutes. Dump cooked cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool for a bit before attempting the next step.

Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel and wring the heck out of it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy pizza like crust instead of a crumbly mess.

Dumped squeezed cauliflower into a bowl. Now add Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, kosher salt, dried basil (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), dried oregano (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), garlic powder (not garlic salt), and a dash of red pepper if you want. Now add the egg and mix away. Hands tend to work best.

Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down throughly, you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don’t make it too thick or thin either.

Using a cutting board, slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 8-11 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.

Add however much sauce, cheese, and toppings you want. Slide parchment with topped pizza back in the hot oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden.

Recipe from How Sweet Eats (Tasty Kitchen).

Cauliflower Soup

Let it be known, I’m enjoying cauliflower. More than I expected, actually. Since the fritters went well, I figured I could venture into uncharted territory – SOUP. I’ve never made soup, never had a huge desire to try to make soup, and actually didn’t like it for a good stretch of my life, but I’ve come around. And it’s freezing around here, so the idea of soup (and a yummy smelling apartment) won me over.

My only instinct with cauliflower is to roast it, so I avoided a roasted cauliflower soup in search of something a bit different. Pioneer Woman to the rescue! Cauliflower soup it is.

Get that cauliflower out, chop off the green and that inner core. Then coarsely chop the rest, unless you’re a perfectionist. I am not.

Cut up a stalk of celery, a carrot, and some onions. Melt some butter, toss the onions in, adding celery and carrots a few minutes later.

After that sits for a few minutes, add the cauliflower and some chopped fresh parsley.

Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring here and there. Then add 2 quarts of chicken broth, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer.

In the meantime, whisk together flour and milk, then slowly add the mixture to melted butter in a saucepan, whisking the entire time. I didn’t take photos of this part because it looks unappetizing. So you’ll just have to make it and taste it yourself. Add the milk/flour/butter combo to the veggie/broth combo, throw in a bay leaf or two and some salt, and let it simmer for 15 minutes more.

And this part is the best part. Pioneer Woman’s secret is to put a hearty cup of sour cream at the bottom of the serving bowl, add a little soup to warm and mix it up a little, and then pour in the rest of the soup.

The soup is pretty damn tasty. It’s not too creamy, not too brothy, and I much prefer having big pieces of cauliflower in a thinner soup instead of a pureed thick cauliflower soup. Success!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, divided
1/2 an onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1-2 whole cauliflower heads, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons Fresh or dried parsley, chopped
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth or stock
6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup Half-and-half
salt to taste
1 cup sour cream, room temperature

Directions:

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley, stirring to combine.

Cover and cook over very low heat, and after 15 minutes pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add the flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Stir immediately. Eat even more immediately.

Here’s Pioneer Woman’s recipe.