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Steel Cut Oats – A Quick and Healthy Breakfast

by on February 17, 2013

Steel Cut Oatmeal

 

When I made steel cut oats for the first time, I knew that eventually, they would totally replace those instant oatmeal packets that I had been using for years, and now they have. Steel cut oats with fruit and nuts have become one of our favorite “quick” breakfasts.  They are right up there with grits and green chile – well, almost. :)

spoonful of steel cut oats

So what are steel cut oats?  Steel cut oats are the a hulled grain or the inner portion of the oat kernel. Rather than being rolled flat like rolled oats, they are hulled and cut into smaller pieces.  Because they aren’t rolled, they undergo less processing. Some sources say, that because of less processing, they maintain more of their nutrients than rolled oats. However, I did find some sources that said that rolled oats and steel cuts have the same amount of nutrients. Regardless, both make a highly nutritious breakfast;  therefore, it comes down to which one you like best. In this house, it’s no contest – steel cuts win out every time!  (Image source:  Wikipedia, public domain)

Steel cut oats normally take 30 to 40 minutes to cook; however there are a few methods that allow you to reduce the cooking time considerably. If you have a slow cooker, you can cook them overnight and they’ll be ready when you get up in the morning.  However, since I don’t have a slow cooker, here are two methods that I use.

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Shrimp and Grits

by on February 12, 2013

Southwestern Style Shrimp and Grits

 

Shrimp and grits is a very simple dish and there are hundreds of recipes. When I goggled it to write this post, I got 495,000 results!  I found recipes with cheese and cream, tasso and andouille, leeks and tomatoes.  The only constants seemed to be the grits, shrimp, and some type of red pepper spice.

My shrimp and grits recipe has evolved through the years from a few spicy shrimp on top of a bowl of creamy grits, to the recipe you see here.  This recipe was inspired by a bowl of shrimp and grits that I had many years ago at a restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was the best shrimp and grits I had ever had. Very traditional in flavor, but had more sauce than the shrimp and grits I was use to. I loved that sauce!  It really made the dish for me because it helped to incorporate the grits into the dish rather than just being a platform for the shrimp.  About a year later I returned to that restaurant for the purpose of ordering another bowl and trying to dissect it, but unfortunately, the restaurant was not longer there.  So at this point I was left to my memory (good luck there), and my taste buds.

This shrimp and grits recipe combines the flavors of Louisiana and the southwest in a pretty traditional southern dish. Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients. It really is an easy dish to throw together and takes less than 45 minutes. It tastes like it cooks for hours.
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Coconut Rice with Pickled Peppers

by on December 10, 2012

Coconut Rice with vegetables and pickled peppers

 

Some of the leftovers from Thanksgiving were a few pickled cherry bomb peppers. I had intended to put them on a relish tray with olives and marinated feta but totally forgot about the relish tray. A minor holiday mishap. The other night when I was making coconut rice, I decided to throw a couple of the peppers into the rice at the last minute. WOW! Coconut rice just got taken to a whole new level!

My coconut rice recipe has always been a few diced vegetables and rice cooked up in coconut milk and finished off with lime juice and cilantro.  For this recipe, I replaced the lime juice with minced pickled peppers.  Bobby and I both agreed this was the best coconut rice I had ever made.  It’s a very easy rice dish to make because everything gets thrown into the pan and cooked. In 20 minutes, you have a delicious little rice and vegetable dish and a very festive looking dish at that.
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Grits and Green Chile

by on November 30, 2012

Grits, New Mexico Green chile and cheese

 

Grits and green chile is the ultimate fusion of southern and New Mexico cuisine. It’s creamy, spicy, and cheesy, and definite comfort food.  It takes about 15 minutes to make and has only 5 ingredients, two of which are water and salt. You can’t make an easier or more comforting breakfast, lunch or dinner. With this dish, I have turned many people who disliked grits into grits lovers!

Ever since I discovered green chile back in the 70′s, this has been our favorite cool/cold weather breakfast. Bobby wasn’t that big on grits, but once he tried them with green chile, he became hooked and this is now one of his most requested breakfasts (right alongside Huevos Rancheros). I make grits and green chile at least once a week from fall to spring. It was a standard breakfast on camping and backpacking trips, and is a regular request from our houseguests.    And, like my Mushroom Garlic Soup, it’s a great dish to ease the common cold.

Even if you think you don’t like grits, please give this dish a try. You will be converted – I guarantee it! :)   And for those of you who don’t know what grits are, fear not – check out the Kitchen Notes.
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Buttermilk Cornbread

by on March 29, 2012

 

Last weekend I posted my Green Chile Succotash recipe and strongly suggested serving it with buttermilk cornbread, so what a perfect time to post my buttermilk cornbread recipe!

I have no idea how many years I’ve been making this cornbread. I don’t even know where it came from because I’ve been making it from memory forever.  Back in the pre-computer days I finally had to write it down in one of my recipe journals so Bobby could make it when I was out of town. It’s one of his favorite foods and that goes for me too!  This recipe is fast and easy, and the result is a moist and oh SO delicious cornbread. Enjoy!

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Preserved Lemon Rice

by on February 11, 2012

If you read my Preserved Lemon post from last summer you know that preserved lemons are one of my most favorite condiments and that I always have a jar in the fridge.  One of my favorite uses of preserved lemons is in this rice recipe. The rice takes only 30 minutes to make and it’s packed with flavor, vegetables and a little protein. It could be a meal or a side for fish or chicken.  No matter how you serve it – it’s SO good!

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