Baking Your Breakfast

I love having slow-cooked oatmeal on lazy weekend mornings, but sometimes, I must admit: I don't get it right on the stovetop! I don't know why - but I find oatmeal far from fail-proof: too runny, too bland, too gluey, gloppy or gummy. Sometimes, getting it "just right" proves to be elusive. So, when I've got the time, I like to bake my oatmeal instead! I have much better luck this way. The recipe turns out a rich, dense, flavorful and nutritious warm start to your day.

Oven-Baked Oatmeal

• 2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup cream (optional, but if you omit it, add equivalent of milk)
  
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled or steel cut oats (not instant)
• 1-2 cups of fresh fruit (pictured with blackberries and diced apples)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pecans work well)
  
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, plus additional for crumbling on top
  
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Combine all ingredients and pour into an oven-safe casserole. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour, or until oatmeal is cooked through and liquid is absorbed (after 30 minutes, crumble additional brown sugar to taste over the top).

Make Me a Match

This "matchstick" salad came about in my quest to maintain bright, colorful, fresh flavors in my diet right on through the winter. The ingredients are all in season and even at the peak of their juiciness right about now, and this salad simply explodes with refreshing tastes we more associate with summer. So have a little sunshine on me!

Celery Root, Green Apple and Citrus Matchstick Salad with Champagne/Grapefruit Vinaigrette

• 1 small celery root bulb
• 1 large Granny Smith apple
  
• 4-6 fresh seedless clementines or seeded honey tangerines, peeled and segmented (canned mandarin oranges would also work)
• 1 fresh Ruby Red grapefruit, peeled and segmented

Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Champagne (Brut style works best; you can also substitute with Champagne vinegar)
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
• Kosher salt, to taste

Trim leaves, ends and stems of celery root bulb (keep the leafy greens for your stockpot though!); cut away outer edges to square off the bulb. Chop the bulb into tiny matchsticks. Do the same with the Granny Smith apple. While you are chopping, place the matchsticks as they are created in a bowl of cold water with a tablespoon or two of lemon juice to keep them from browning. Cut the clementine and grapefruit segments into bite-sized chunks; add to the drained matchsticks. Toss all with the vinaigrette and let set in refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes to let flavors set. It gets even better the next day!

And speaking of celery root - my friend Aerial sent me this recipe to add after seeing the original blog post above. She said it's an old Jewish recipe, and it sounds delicious!

Celery Root in Mustard Dressing
Contributed by Aerial Gilbert

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup light olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• White pepper, to taste
• 4 cups celery root (about 1 pound)
  

In a large bowl whisk together mustard and vinegar. Continue whisking and drizzle the olive oil a little at a time until fully incorporated; season with salt and pepper.

Peel and cut the celery root into julienne strips; toss with the dressing. Serve as a first course or on Boston lettuce as a salad.

Rainbow's End

I try my best to shop at Farmer's Markets and stick to cooking what is seasonal and fresh. This time of year, the pickings at the market are far from slim. My attention is always drawn to the gorgeous rainbow-colored Swiss chard, a cold-weather crop that just declares its deliciousness by its bright jewel-toned stalks. The colors are a welcome splash of brightness in a season largely devoid of the candy-hued market offerings of summer - just buying it makes me happy! It's scrumptious in so many ways - even just sauteed on its own with a glug of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and a dash of balsamic vinegar at the end. But to me, this fritatta recipe feels just like a warm, comforting hug on a brisk winter morning. Adding in the croutons or day-old bread came about as a tip from my good friend Betsy. Enjoy!


Rainbow Chard Fritatta

• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
  
• 4 cups rainbow Swiss chard, chopped
• 8 eggs, whisked (for a more figure-friendly version, use the equivalent in egg whites, about 2 cups; it's my preferred variation!)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
  
• 1 cup seasoned croutons or crusty day-old bread cubes
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

Coat the bottom and sides of an oven-safe saute pan with olive oil and sautee diced onions over medium heat until clear. Add the chopped chard to the hot pan and cook until wilted (You can add a tablespoon or two of water to the hot pan to create steam; it helps the chard wilt without burning. Just make sure to cook off or drain all of the water before continuing with recipe.) In a separate bowl, combine eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, croutons; mix well. Season egg mixture with salt and pepper. Once chard is wilted, add egg mixture to the saute pan. Stir to combine all ingredients, making sure the chard/onions are well-dispersed throughout. Place entire pan in a preheated 400-degree oven and bake until center is set, about 15-20 minutes (you want the eggs moist, but not runny).

Gourmet on the Go!

Pistachio Crusted Dayboat Scallops with a Brown Butter/Lemon Sauce, served with Carmelized Lemon Leeks and Oven Roasted Tomatoes - now that's a mouthful, literally! This collection of recipes may look and sound fancy and complicated, but the meal couldn't be simpler. Basic, quality ingredients combine for a scrumptious finish; a meal that takes 30 minutes - 45 tops - from start to finish. It makes for a great weeknight dinner when the last thing you have time for is spending hours in the kitchen. The addition of the arborio rice in the scallop coating is a trick I picked up from my backyard celebrity chef, Michael Chiarello of NapaStyle - it's a good one! Pair it all with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, and voila! Gourmet on the go! The recipes are listed in the order you should prepare them, due to prep/cooking time.

Carmelized Lemon Leeks

• Leeks (one large leek will serve two people; adjust accordingly)
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt

Slice leeks on the bias; discard ends. Separate into individual rings and rinse well to remove dirt. Soak in a solution of cold water and lemon juice (2:1 ratio); soak for a minimum of ten minutes before draining. Add olive oil to a saute pan, enough to coat the bottom, and heat to medium-high. Add leeks to the hot pan, and saute until leeks are soft and carmelized. Add salt and fresh-squeezed lemon to taste.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

• Small, ripe tomatoes of your choosing (plum, cherry, or the small heirloom varieties work and taste best)
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt

Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise; toss well with olive oil to coat completely. Place face-up on a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Roast in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until soft (but not melted completely).

Pistachio Crusted Dayboat Scallops

• 1 pound Dayboat scallops
• 1/4 cup shelled pistachios
• 1/4 cup arborio rice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste, depending on if the pistachio meat is salted or plain)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Combine pistachios and arborio rice in a spice grinder or blender; grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a shallow bowl; add spices and mix well. To coat the scallops, press both sides into the crust mixture so that it adheres. Coat the bottom of an oven-safe saute pan with olive oil and preheat to medium-high. Place coated scallops in the preheated pan and sear 1 minute per side. Transfer pan into a pre-heated 400-degree oven to finish cooking, approximately 5 minutes (any longer, the scallops could get too chewy). Remove from oven and serve on a bed of Lemon Leeks (recipe above); drizzle with Brown Butter/Lemon Sauce (recipe below).

Brown Butter/Lemon Sauce

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Continue to cook until butter foams and turns brown at the edges. Add lemon juice and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat when browned throughout. Drizzle over scallops.

Feeling Saucy

If you're like me, this time of year just calls for slow-cooked meals. Something warm and comforting, and yet simple to make. This recipe fits the bill perfectly: mix up a few ingredients, throw them all together, then walk away as it cooks itself. In addition to being a stellar pulled pork recipe, you can also use the simmer sauce with regular old pork chops or chicken breasts. And to simplify things even more, you can use the recipe in your Crock Pot instead of on the stove. Whatever the case, it's simple and delicious.

Pulled Pork in a Sweet Heat Simmer Sauce

• 1 2-pound pork roast (cut into chunks)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 7-ounce can of diced green chilies
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (or more/less to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine simmer sauce ingredients in a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet, dutch oven or Crock Pot. Bring to a slow boil (stove top only); add meat, and reduce temperature to a slow simmer. Cover and continue to slowly simmer for approximately 2 hours, stirring occasionally. After about 1-1/2 hours, the pork will be cooked through and tender enough for you to start breaking it up (this may take longer if you are using a Crock Pot). Shred the pork with a fork and coat thoroughly in the sauce; continue to simmer until ready to serve. Serve over rice or in mini "slider" style sandwiches (perfect for Game Day!).

Let's Get Crabby!

Happy New Year, everybody! Randall and I rang in 2009 with a Bay Area tradition: a meal of fresh Dungeness crab. We're so fortunate to live right here where fishermen pull these tasty crustaceans mere miles from our home. The crab we enjoyed on New Year's Eve was swimming the day before - it just doesn't get any fresher. We laid claim to our crab a few days in advance through our local fish market (it's so popular, you have to reserve your catch because it's a perennial New Year's sell-out) - and we even left the cooking and cracking to them! Makes a festive meal pretty darn easy. We served the crab up with drawn butter and lemon - no fuss no muss. And there wasn't much more to making the meal complete: Caesar salad, roasted asparagas, a loaf of local sourdough bread, and champagne, of course! So, here's a toast to 2009, wishing you all a great year of Fare to Remember!

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies and Christmas - the two go together without saying, right? In my family, this recipe has been passed down for generations, via my maternal grandfather's family. It's a recipe that is dear to my mom's heart, because it comes with some special memories of her grandma, Grace Bowen Winger. My mom writes: "For years, Grandma would wrap up 1/2-dozen of these cookies for each of her grandchildren, which numbered about 30. She had no money to buy gifts, and often apologized for that fact when she handed out these cookies and her hugs. I only wish she had known how loved she was and how we’d like to have those hugs again, along with the cookies."

So, these shortbread cookies endure, and always will - even if I have to start baking them myself (the horror!) Thank God my mom has taken that torch and continues to run with it. They're still even made with the very same tin cookie cutter that is older than I am - I don't think I could have them in any other shape (certainly they would taste different!).

Shortbread Cookies
By Grace Bowen Winger
Contributed by Judy Angell

• 1 rounded cup sugar
• 1 pound of butter
• 5 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Gradually add flour; the last cup should be worked in by hand. Knead dough until pliable. Roll out using wax paper over the dough; use cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. (Note: my mom, as per the family tradition, makes these cookies anywhere from 2-3 weeks prior to Christmas and stores them in tins lined with wax paper. The extra time ages the cookies and allows the buttery flavor to fully develop.)