Oatmeal in a Glass — Oatmeal Chai Smoothie

     Winter usually means hot oatmeal but for some reason, I’m not in the mood. So, I decided to drink it instead of eat it! Besides that, we just bought a NutriBullet (step up from the “Magic” Bullet). And, I would much rather add oats and seeds to my morning smoothie than kale or spinach. Yes, I’ve tried them. No, I did NOT like green vegetables mixed with milk and fruit!

     I’ve made so many smoothies that I don’t really measure anymore but I’ll try to add some specifics.

Oatmeal Chai Smoothie

3 to 4 tablespoons old-fashioned oats

2 cups+ of almond milk – vanilla flavored (if I’m using regular flavor, I add a little squeeze of agave nectar or honey; regular milk or soy milk could be substituted)

1 tablespoon flax seed (use flax meal if you don’t have a blender that will grind/pulverize seeds)

1 pinch (about1/8 teaspoon) ground nutmeg

1 pinch (about 1/8 teaspoon) ground ginger

1 pinch (about 1/8 teaspoon) ground cardamom

About ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon dark chocolate cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1 banana

A heaping handful of ice

1.  Add the oats to the bottom of the NutriBullet. Pour in enough milk to cover and let soak as you assemble the rest of the smoothie. (If you don’t have a blender that will grind and pulverize, you may need to let the oats soak a little longer.)

2.  Add the remaining ingredients and then add the remaining milk. (I add to the Max line on the NutriBullet.)

3.  Now it’s time to enjoy your oatmeal in a glass.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower - tender, tasty florets

     Super easy to prepare, oven roasted cauliflower is tasty and nutritious as well.

     Since I was making this dish for just two, I opted for half of a cauliflower but for company I’ll just double the ingredients.

     However, I do add a caution. Many roasted cauliflower recipe call for temps of 450° or higher – we find this burns rather than caramelizes the florets, and also makes them tough as it removes most of the veggies moisture. In our small Breville® convection oven, 400° was high enough.

    We highly recommend procuring some specialty olive oil and vinegar mentioned below for this recipe – it really adds layers of flavor . . . but it’s good without it, too.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower    About 2 to 3 servings

½ medium head cauliflower (about 1 1/8 lb.), trimmed and cut into florets

2 medium cloves garlic, finely

2 to 3 tablespoons cup olive oil (or use lemon-flavored olive oil such as The Tasteful Olive’s Lemon EVOO)

1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (could omit if using lemon-flavored olive oil)

¼ to ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Splash of lemon-flavored balsamic vinegar, such at that sold at The Tasteful Olive in Overland Park, Ks., optional

1.     Heat oven to 400° to 425°. Combine cauliflower and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

2.     Transfer, in a single layer, to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for about 25 minutes, only until tender; stir once. Watch closely near the end of the cooking time.

Ready to go in the oven.

Cooked to perfection.

3.     Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with lemon-flavored balsamic vinegar if desired.

Recipe without photos . . .

Oven Roasted Cauliflower    About 2 to 3 servings

½ medium head cauliflower (about 1 1/8 lb.), trimmed and cut into florets

2 medium cloves garlic, finely

2 to 3 tablespoons cup olive oil (or use lemon-flavored olive oil such as The Tasteful Olive’s Lemon EVOO)

1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (could omit if using lemon-flavored olive oil)

¼ to ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Splash of lemon-flavored balsamic vinegar, such at that sold at The Tasteful Olive in Overland Park, Ks., optional

1.     Heat oven to 400° to 425°. Combine cauliflower and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

2.     Transfer, in a single layer, to a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast for about 25 minutes, only until tender; stir once. Watch closely near the end of the cooking time.

3.     Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with lemon-flavored balsamic vinegar if desired.

Everyday Scrambled Eggs - - -light, fluffy & slightly moist

The “perfect” egg is in the eye of the beholder; each person has his/her own idea of what constitutes the ideal! This is the way we prefer our scrambled eggs – light, fluffy and slightly moist. And, since my sister and her husband seem to prefer them this way too, we are adding this recipe to the blog . . . for them.

It’s not hard to make these eggs, but there are tips that we think help make everyday eggs easy to make and good to eat:

·        A non-stick pan. Barry is enthralled with his relatively new green coated pan  . . .

·    *   A silicon spatula helps move the eggs around without damaging the pan’s non-stick surface.

·     * Using water for the liquid vs. milk (as the steam in the water evaporates, it creates a light, airy texture and helps avoid “watery” scrambled eggs). Seems that about 1 teaspoon per egg is about the right consistency for us.

·      * Whisking in the eggs in the bowl does create one more dish (and tool) to wash but we prefer the eggs to be a homogenous mixture rather than have chunks of white in the final product. (The more you whisk, up to a reasonable point, the more air bubbles become trapped in the shaken and unraveling protein of the eggs. As the eggs cook, protein molecules firm-up around the air bubbles resulting in a spongy texture and hopefully full and fluffy scrambled eggs.)

·      * Medium to medium-low heat. High heat toughens the eggs and creates a burnt fur smell that is not in any way appetizing!

·      * Relatively short cooking time.

Yes, for special occasions we often add a variety of seasoning and additions (chopped chives, sautéed onions and peppers, grated cheese, sometimes cream cheese or sour cream and sometimes we even blend the egg mixture, in a blender for about 30 seconds, for super-fluffy eggs) but for everyday eggs, here’s what we do . . .

Everyday Scrambled Eggs   1 or 2 servings

3 large eggs

3 teaspoons water

Kosher salt & coarsely ground black pepper to taste

1.     In a small bowl, whisk eggs and water until thoroughly mixed (homogeneous).

2.     Spray a non-stick skillet with pan release (we don’t like to take any chances that the eggs will stick). Set heat to medium to medium-low.

3.     Add the eggs and use a silicon spatula to keep eggs moving. Add salt and pepper; continue to stir and cook just until eggs are set. Immediately remove from heat and pour out on a plate.

Recipe without photos: 

Everyday Scrambled Eggs   1 or 2 servings

3 large eggs

3 teaspoons water

Kosher salt & coarsely ground black pepper to taste

1.     In a small bowl, whisk eggs and water until thoroughly mixed (homogeneous).

2.     Spray a non-stick skillet with pan release (we don’t like to take any chances that the eggs will stick). Set heat to medium to medium-low.

3.     Add the eggs and use a silicon spatula to keep eggs moving. Add salt and pepper; continue to stir and cook just until eggs are set. Immediately remove from heat and pour out on a plate.