McCann's Quick Cooking Oatmeal has turned out to be one of my favourite ingredients lately. I use it for the Maple Oatmeal Scones, amongst other things. On the McCann's box, there is a recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes that is excellent. The pancakes are tender and moist, and I have been making them over and over again.
I always make my pancakes in my Le Crueset cast iron frying pan. I think this is part of the secret. The pan is practically no stick, as I never wash it with soap, and I use either rice bran oil, grape seed oil or sunflower oil in combination with butter. Once the oil is nice and hot, I drop the pancake batter into the pan and the outside gets nice and crispy, almost fritterish. Sometimes I add fresh/frozen Harrow blueberries or raspberries, or small diced apple or even sliced fresh peaches; all depends on my mood and the season!
McCann's Oatmeal Pancakes
1 1/4 c. McCann's Quick Cooking Oatmeal
1 c. plain yogurt
1 c. low fat milk
1 t. honey or sugar
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt (kosher or sea salt preferably)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 c. chopped walnuts (optional and I have never added them)
1. In a large bowl, combine oats, plain yogurt, milk, and honey. Stir in flours, baking soda, and salt. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Batter will be thick.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Spoon about 1/4 c. batter onto hot pan or griddle for each pancake. Cook until bottoms are browned and bubbles on top start to pop, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until other sides are browned, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Add additional milk if batter becomes too thick. Serve hot with maple syrup or fresh fruit. Makes approximately 12 pancakes.
*This morning I am heating up the left over pancakes from yesterday in the toaster. Almost as good as fresh!
*The temperature of the pan is crucial. Too hot and the pancake burns and doesn't cook through. Too cool and the batter soaks up the oil and/or butter. Watch your pancakes carefully.
*I found my Le Crueset pan at Winners a few years ago. Keep your eyes peeled for one at your local Winners as they are very expensive in a regular kitchen store.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
My "IN" at Dean & Deluca
Last year, Lori & I visited NYC and our cousin Beth for the first time. Our weekend was filled with everything FOOD! Our first stop, after having an excellent lunch of oysters and "moules & frites" at Balthazar, was to the world renowned food store, Dean & Deluca.
The store was sensory overload and a dream come true for food lovers. Little did we know that cousin Beth would be working for them one day. Well, her day has come and Beth is starting her new job at Dean Deluca in early September. In a twist almost too good to be true, Beth's new job is "food forager" for the exceptional emporium. She will be going around the globe, searching out the best in food that the world has to offer.
We are very happy for her success and look forward to living vicariously through her in all things "food"! Congrats Uncle Beth!
The store was sensory overload and a dream come true for food lovers. Little did we know that cousin Beth would be working for them one day. Well, her day has come and Beth is starting her new job at Dean Deluca in early September. In a twist almost too good to be true, Beth's new job is "food forager" for the exceptional emporium. She will be going around the globe, searching out the best in food that the world has to offer.
We are very happy for her success and look forward to living vicariously through her in all things "food"! Congrats Uncle Beth!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Summer Wheatberry Salad
So far this summer, I haven't been doing a lot of cooking that I think is worthy of documenting. There have been some exceptions and my Father-in-Law's Birthday dinner was one. I like to try and impress Max as he doesn't give out compliments easily.
Two days before, I found a fantastic looking leg of lamb that was already de-boned. Our new town, Mount Albert, hasn't got much but we do have an organic grocery store called "The Clean Food Connection". They have excellent meat and veggies and we have our favourite milk ordered in weekly. When I saw the lamb, I knew exactly what I would do with it. I marinated it for the next two days in plain organic yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and fresh rosemary. I used the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa's Parties Cookbook. It turned out beautifully, cooked on the charcoal BBQ for about 45 minutes.
For a dish to accompany the lamb, I baked some sliced eggplant and then spooned a simple vinaigrette over the slices while they were still warm. The recipe came out of a magazine called "The Best of Fine Cooking: Fresh" from the Spring/Summer Issue. Also from that magazine, I made the Summer Wheatberry Salad. Wheatberries are something I have been experimenting with in the last year or so. I first made the Wheatberry Salad from The Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook. It was OK but I haven't made it again and probably won't. *(see bottom comment)
Bonnie Stern has a great Wheatberry Salad with Dill & Feta in her "Best of HeartSmart Cooking Cookbook". I have made that a few times. I really like that cookbook and I can always find something in there that catches my fancy.
Here is the recipe for the Summer Wheatberry Salad that I made the other night. If you can remember to boil the wheatberries at least an hour before you want to serve it, it is a quick salad and very good. There are "hard" and "soft" wheatberries and different recipes will mention one or the other. I have only tried the hard ones as the Barefoot Contessa recommended. She said the soft ones will go soggy.
Summer Wheatberry Salad
For the Salad:
1 c. wheatberries
6 c. water or chicken stock or veggie stock (I used chicken stock)
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. chopped artichoke hearts
1/2 c. quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 c. diced roasted red pepper
2 T. capers, drained and chopped
3 T. sliced green onions (white & green parts)
1/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted (I quickly toasted them on the stove until they smelled nutty)
2T. chopped fresh basil or cilantro
For the vinaigrette:
1/2 to 1 t. finely minced garlic
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. white wine vinegar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
In a heavy saucepan with a lid, combine the wheatberries, water or broth, salt, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer partially covered until the wheatberries are pleasantly chewy, which may take anywhere from 50 to 90 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and let the berries cool in the liquid and put the berries into a large bowl. Add the artichoke hearts, roasted pepper, capers, scallion, almonds, and basil or cilantro.
In a small bowl, whisk the garlic, lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss with the salad. Enjoy!
* There are very few recipes from the Barefoot Contessa that I don't make again. I could spend most of my time just telling you about all the recipes that I love but it is quicker to mention the ones that I don't like!
Two days before, I found a fantastic looking leg of lamb that was already de-boned. Our new town, Mount Albert, hasn't got much but we do have an organic grocery store called "The Clean Food Connection". They have excellent meat and veggies and we have our favourite milk ordered in weekly. When I saw the lamb, I knew exactly what I would do with it. I marinated it for the next two days in plain organic yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and fresh rosemary. I used the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa's Parties Cookbook. It turned out beautifully, cooked on the charcoal BBQ for about 45 minutes.
For a dish to accompany the lamb, I baked some sliced eggplant and then spooned a simple vinaigrette over the slices while they were still warm. The recipe came out of a magazine called "The Best of Fine Cooking: Fresh" from the Spring/Summer Issue. Also from that magazine, I made the Summer Wheatberry Salad. Wheatberries are something I have been experimenting with in the last year or so. I first made the Wheatberry Salad from The Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook. It was OK but I haven't made it again and probably won't. *(see bottom comment)
Bonnie Stern has a great Wheatberry Salad with Dill & Feta in her "Best of HeartSmart Cooking Cookbook". I have made that a few times. I really like that cookbook and I can always find something in there that catches my fancy.
Here is the recipe for the Summer Wheatberry Salad that I made the other night. If you can remember to boil the wheatberries at least an hour before you want to serve it, it is a quick salad and very good. There are "hard" and "soft" wheatberries and different recipes will mention one or the other. I have only tried the hard ones as the Barefoot Contessa recommended. She said the soft ones will go soggy.
Summer Wheatberry Salad
For the Salad:
1 c. wheatberries
6 c. water or chicken stock or veggie stock (I used chicken stock)
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. chopped artichoke hearts
1/2 c. quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 c. diced roasted red pepper
2 T. capers, drained and chopped
3 T. sliced green onions (white & green parts)
1/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted (I quickly toasted them on the stove until they smelled nutty)
2T. chopped fresh basil or cilantro
For the vinaigrette:
1/2 to 1 t. finely minced garlic
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. white wine vinegar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
In a heavy saucepan with a lid, combine the wheatberries, water or broth, salt, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer partially covered until the wheatberries are pleasantly chewy, which may take anywhere from 50 to 90 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and let the berries cool in the liquid and put the berries into a large bowl. Add the artichoke hearts, roasted pepper, capers, scallion, almonds, and basil or cilantro.
In a small bowl, whisk the garlic, lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss with the salad. Enjoy!
* There are very few recipes from the Barefoot Contessa that I don't make again. I could spend most of my time just telling you about all the recipes that I love but it is quicker to mention the ones that I don't like!
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