grain

Savory Oatmeal

by // // No Comments

IMG_3092

 

It’s finally here. Ice season is upon us. My guy is now an ice fishing guide once again. This gives me plenty of alone time. Time to do various things, one of which is making food for myself. Normally I go vegetarian as he frowns upon meals without meat, but today I decided to give savory oatmeal a try. I have to say…I am a fan. I plan on experimenting a lot more with savory oatmeal in the future.

Savory Oatmeal (serves 1)

  • 1/3 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2oz kielbasa, sliced
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp garlic juice (from jar of minced garlic)
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
  • 1 cup water
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a skillet. Add chopped onion & sauté for 3-5 minutes until softened. Add kielbasa & cook for 3-5 minutes more. Add garlic juice and sauté for one minute more. Meanwhile, combine oats, pinch salt, & water in a small pot. Heat to boiling & then reduce heat to a simmer & cook for 3-5 minutes until desired consistency. Stir in cheddar cheese and then top with onion & kielbasa.

IMG_3092

Bulgur Vegetable Salad

by // // No Comments

I feel that people associate Minnesota only with heavy comfort foods. Hot dishes and meat & potatoes. In actuality, gardens are quite prevalent in Minnesota, resulting in many veggie based meals or at least veggie filled side dishes.

In my household, it’s rare to have a vegetarian meal. My guy is a meat & potatoes man & believes veggies are something to be used as a side dish. I, however, have never been a meat & potatoes girl. Don’t get me wrong, I love meat & potatoes. I love them together. But I love all food and vegetables have always been one of those foods. Since meeting me, my guy has probably eaten more vegetables with me than in his entire life before living with me.

I try to come up with tasty ways for him to eat them (as well as myself) even if it is just for side dishes. This isn’t a crazy vegetable dish by any means but it does incorporate the veggies from our garden this year in a way I haven’t made it in years. It’s sort of like a tab(b)ouli or tab(b)ouleh salad – pick your fave spelling – just modified for what I had on hand.

This can be eaten by itself or paired with some sort of meatball or yogurt chicken if you have a meat eater in your household as well.

 

IMG_1349

 

 Bulgur Vegetable Salad (makes 4 servings)

  • 1 cup bulgur
  • 2 cups water
  • olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, sliced into half moons
  • 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp each dried basil & oregano
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • dash onion powder
  • 1/2 a cucumber, chopped
  • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese
  1. Place bulgur & water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer & cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.
  2. Meanwhile, in a skillet sauté zucchini & onion in a small amount of olive oil until tender & slightly caramelized. Add garlic & cook for 2 minutes more.
  3. Drizzle the cooked bulgur with olive oil & lemon juice. Add the cooked vegetables & spices & stir to combine. Top with the raw vegetables & feta cheese. Drizzle with more olive oil & lemon juice if desired.

 

Kind of Sort of Huevos Rancheros

by // // No Comments

I never used to eat breakfast. I hated eating in the morning. When I would go to daycare as a child & eat breakfast, I had already been up for a couple hours so I could choke down some cereal or oatmeal. Once I started feeding myself I relied on liquid breakfasts mainly because food made me feel sick so early in the morning. Eventually I was able to train myself to eat in the morning. I don’t eat huge breakfasts by any means but it is now a whole other meal to come up with recipes. Normally I end up eating the same thing for awhile & then switching it to something else for a bit.

This particular breakfast was completely random for me. I had some leftover millet from a previous meal as well as black beans, tomato sauce, & feta cheese. The millet has a slight corn taste so it replaces corn tortillas from a more traditional Huevos Rancheros. It all flows well together in this Kind Of Sort Of version. Give it a try.

Huevos Rancheros

  • 1/2 cup cooked millet
  • 1/3 cup canned black beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1/3-1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1-2 tsp taco seasoning (store bought or see mix here Taco Seasoning)
  • 1-2 tsp hot salsa
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese
  • olive oil
  • 1 egg
  1. Add the cooked millet, beans, & tomato sauce to a skillet with a small amount of olive oil. Stir in the taco seasoning & salsa. Heat through. Sprinkle with feta.
    IMG_1311
  2. In another skillet, cook 1 egg to your preference in a small amount of olive oil (I made mine over easy but any preparation will do). Place the egg over millet mixture. Enjoy.

IMG_1312

 

 

Beet & Millet Salad with Goat Cheese

by // // 1 Comment

IMG_1100

 

The one thing I have realized since moving up north to Almost Canada is how much I took for granted the convenience of city life. I didn’t even live in the “city,” I lived 30-60minutes away from many conveniences. I was, however, able to access  what I needed with fairly minimal effort. My fishing guide is now showing signs of annoyances as well. Why is it so hard to get groceries? Why cannot one get CO2 for brewing beer? The list goes on.

Now I drive 2 hrs for many supplies including groceries. I know, I know…I’ve complained a lot about this. This time it is for real though. I cannot find goat cheese even when I do travel for groceries. I love cheese. I love all cheese. I especially love goat cheese. There was (1) 4oz pack and I bought it. I also bought beets.

I cannot remember the first time I had fresh beets. I was always exposed to canned beets & thought them vile. I tried them fresh sometime in my early 20’s & fell in love them. To me they taste kind of like earthy corn. Sweet, earthy, & I don’t know what else. They taste delicious. That’s all that counts.

Seeing as how I am the only one to enjoy beets in my household I knew that I could do whatever I wanted with them. I was not going to share any of the goat cheese either. I decided to make a salad with the greens of the beets, a beet, and some millet that I also picked up. It is similar to couscous or quinoa, but tastes a bit like corn, so I thought it would pair perfectly with the beets. Then, I would top it with goat cheese. A shining moment in the annoyances of shopping in Almost Canada.

While I know that these frustrations will be on-going, I also know that it is all worth it. I traded some luxuries & conveniences of life for luxuries & conveniences of another. Small town living has it’s disadvantages, but when I think about where I live and everything it offers, I can accept some grievances I have. I even have a pen on my property so maybe I will raise my own goats and have a constant supply of cheese.

Beet & Millet Salad with Goat Cheese

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • leaves from 1 bunch beets, roughly chopped
  • 1 beet
  • 1/4 millet
  • olive oil
  • rice vinegar
  • 1 oz goat cheese
  1. Chop the top and bottom off of the beet. Wrap the beet in aluminum foil and bake for 60 min in a 400F oven. Let sit in foil until slightly cooled and peel off skin (you can use the foil to scrape it off or run it under cool water and peel it off). Chop into bite-sized chunks.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the millet. Bring to a boil 1/2cup water and add the millet. Cover & reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.
  3. Saute the onion in a small amount of olive oil until caramelized. Add the beet greens & sauté until wilted. Stir into the cooked millet. Add the beets. Drizzle with olive oil & rice vinegar. Top with goat cheese.

IMG_1107