Ovenight Oatmeal

Adapted from delish.com

4 cups water (32 ounces, 907g)
1 cup carton unsweetened coconut milk or milk of choice (8 ounces, 227g)
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter (28g)
2 tablespoons maple syrup (17g)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups steel-cut oats (232g)
2 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch size pieces (669g purchase weight)**

**Can use pears instead of apples or both apples and pears.

Generously grease a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray if you do not have a nonstick insert.

Add water, coconut milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and salt to the slow cooker. Stir in the oats and apples. Cook, covered, on low setting for 7 hours or until apples are broken down and the oats are tender,

Turn off slow cooker. Gently stir oatmeal and let rest for 10 minutes in the slow cooker.

Spoon oatmeal into bowls. If desired, top oatmeal with toasted nuts, coconut palm sugar or maple syrup, and carton unsweetened coconut milk or milk of choice.

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Lemon Ricotta Muffin

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

These muffins are delicious. They are tender, moist, and lemony! These muffins are not only perfect for breakfast, but are also great with afternoon tea or Masala Chai. Since I don't normally line my muffin cups with paper liners, I am only able to bake up 9 muffins from this recipe. Recipe can be doubled to get 18 muffins.

Lemon Ricotta Muffins

7.9 ounces (224g) WHITE whole wheat flour (about 1-3/4 cups)

2/3 cup organic natural cane sugar (130g)

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (11g)

1/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (170g)

1/2 cup water (113g)

1/4 cup EXTRA LIGHT olive oil or expeller-pressed canola oil (48g)

Grated lemon zest from 1 large lemon (4g)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (28g)

1 extra large egg, lightly beaten (57g)
1/2 teaspoon lemon oil OR 1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (10g)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Position oven rack to the center of the oven. Spray 9 standard-size muffin cups with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, natural cane sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir well with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and water. Using a fork, smash up the ricotta cheese and the water until combined. Add the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg and lemon oil or extract. Using a wire whisk, whisk everything together until thoroughly combined.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the entire ricotta cheese mixture. Using a pastry fork or a wire whisk, gently stir-fold the flour mixture with the ricotta cheese mixture just until the dry ingredients are moistened. The batter will be thick. Divide batter among 9 muffin cups. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 18 minutes or until tops are lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan and transfer muffins to a wire rack to cook completely.

 

Best to store muffins in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. The muffins will become more moist as it sits out at room temperature of more than one day.

Yield 9 muffins

Quick Oat Ban and Banana Muffins
Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

These muffins are wholesome, moist, light, tender and delicious on the day it is baked, but even more fantastic the next day.

1-1/4 cups WHITE whole-wheat flour (166g)
1 cup oat bran (107g)
1/2 cup organic cane sugar (95g)
1 tablespoon baking powder (15g)
1/2 teaspoon salt (3g)
2 extra-large eggs (112g to 114g)
3/4 cup whole milk OR unsweetened carton coconut milk (170g)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (57g)
1 teaspoon pure banana extract or pure vanilla extract (2g)
2 medium-size riped bananas, cut vertically in fourths or sixths, then slice horizontally into chunks (282g to 286g)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted (57g)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, UNtoasted (57g)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position oven rack to the center of the oven. Spray a standard muffin pan with nonstick baking spray or line with paper liners. Set aside.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, oat bran, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir well with a wire whisk until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the center with a rubber spatula and set aside.

In a separate small mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a wire whisk. Add the milk and whisk together until blended. Add the coconut oil and vanilla. Whisk together until blended.

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Using a pastry fork or rubber spatula, stir/fold ingredients until most of the flour mixture is moistened. Add banana chunks and the 1/2 cup of toasted nuts. Using rubber spatula to fold everything together just until combined, but do not overmix.

Divide batter into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with the remaining 1/2 cup of UNtoasted nuts. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 to 10 minutes. 

Remove from muffins from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store muffins in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Next day, warm muffins in  the microwave for 15 seconds or eaten at room temperature.

Yield 12 muffins

Whole-Wheat Dark Chocolate Muffins

Whole-Wheat Dark Chocolate Muffins

These muffins were adapted from a Chocolate Buttermilk Bread recipe I found on Pinterest. Because I substituted the all-purpose flour for whole-wheat flour, the bread did not bake up well. The batter was quite thick and the very center of the bread was a bit raw after baking. The texture of the bread was quite dense, but it tasted delicious and very chocolaty. My second attempt, I made some modifications to the recipe. After 20 minutes of baking, the batter was starting to overflow out of the loaf pan. I immediately removed the pan from the oven and transfer the batter to a muffin pan. Not knowing what will be the outcome of this, I did end up with delicious and not-so-appealing-looking muffins. My third attempt, I decided to just bake the bread off as muffins. The muffins does not have a high dome which I was not able to achieve, but it is moist, chocolaty, and delicious. I like to warm these muffins in the microwave for 15 seconds so the chocolate chips are almost melting when you bite into it. Even if you don't, these muffins will still be delicious eaten at room temperature.

1-1/2 cups WHITE whole-wheat flour (7.1 ounces)
1 cup organic natural cane sugar (7.4 ounces)
3/4 cup Hershey's brand Special Dark Cocoa (2.5 ounces)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (6.6 ounces)
1 large egg (about 1.8 to 1.9 ounces)
1-1/4 cup buttermilk (9 ounces)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (4 ounces)
1/2 cup EXTRA LIGHT Olive Oil (3.4 ounces)
1 tablespoon Nescafe brand Clasico Dark Roast Instant Coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position twp oven racks to the upper third and lower third of the oven.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir well with a wire whisk until blended. Toss in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula and make a well in the center. Set aside.

In a separate small mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg with a wire whisk. Add the buttermilk to the beaten egg and whisk together until blended. Add the olive oil to the egg mixture and whisk together until blended. Lastly, add the instant coffee and vanilla. Whisk together until blended.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Using a pastry fork or wire whisk, stir/fold in ingredients until all mixture are moistened. Switch to a rubber spatula to complete folding all ingredients until blended, but not to overmix. 

Divide batter into 15 muffin cups lined with paper liners or sprayed with nonstick baking spray. Bake for 30 minutes. Let muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Keep muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm muffins in the microwave for 15 seconds or let it sit out at room temperature.

Yield 15 muffins

Shiitake Mushroom and Scallion Frittata

Shiitake Mushroom and Scallion Frittata
Adapted from Martha Stewart, Everyday Foods

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms*
12 whole scallions (aka green onions), including green parts, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces (about 5.7 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper as specified in direction
8 extra-large eggs (about 15.3 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces, then set aside about 1-1/2 tablespoons for topping)

*NOTE: Baby bella or cremini mushrooms can be substituted for the shiitakes, but will release a lot of liquid during browning. Saute until browned and all liquid have evaporated before proceeding with rest of recipe. Shiitake mushrooms are most reasonably priced at Asian food markets. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position oven rack to center position.

Wipe shiitake mushrooms clean with a damped cloth or paper towel. Cut off entire stems and discard (too woody to consume). If mushroom caps are large, cut in half and then sliced, crosswise, 1/4-inch thick. You will now have approximately 7.6 ounces of sliced mushrooms. Set aside.

In a medium-size bowl, mix together the eggs, about 1.5 ounces (or about 3/4 portion) of the Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt with a fork or whisk. Set aside.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof non-stick skillet on medium-high heat (8.0 on induction cook top). Wipe some olive oil around bottom and sides of pan. Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and swirl around the bottom of the pan. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saute until browned, about 8 minutes. Add more olive oil if pan becomes dry. When mushrooms are browned, transfer to a dish and set aside.

In the same skillet, add another 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl around the bottom of pan. Add the scallions and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Saute until browned, about 4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium (5.0 on induction cook top). Return mushrooms back to the pan with the scallions and cook together for another minute.

Add the egg mixture to the pan and gently give a brief stir to evenly distribute the eggs.When the edges are starting to set, sprinkle with remainder 1-1/2 tablespoons (about 1/4 portion) Parmesan cheese.

Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes before servings or transferring to a serving dish.

Yield 4 to 6 servings