Search Results for: grains

Buckwheat Pancakes

April 28, 2015 by thiscookindad 2 Comments

When I think of weekend breakfast, two things come to mind. First, you’ve got eggs, sausage, bacon, etc. The natural add-on to that is a nice tall stack of pancakes and, while I love buttermilk pancakes, I’ve found buckwheat pancakes to have a more complex flavor that is perfect for Saturday morning or for an easy weeknight dinner.

We talked about grains back in March, but never really got to buckwheat. Buckwheat isn’t actually a wheat at all. It’s a pseudocereal, sort of like quinoa, and was originally domesticated in Southeast Asia as far back as 6,000 BC. It’s also gluten-free, making it a great option for those with celiac disease or otherwise watching their gluten intake.

Pancakes are pretty ancient as well, tracing back to Greek and Roman times. Effectively, they are a sweet batter poured onto a griddle until browned on one side, then flipped and browned on the other. Many cultures have different variations, but they all pretty much come down to this same basic method. They can be made with rice flour, whole wheat flour, coconut flour or any other flour. You can use buttermilk, whole milk, or even water to moisten the flour. Any other ingredients are really for flavor and for lift. I like a touch of cocoa for that hint of decadence.

To get started, measure out all of your dry ingredients. I learned long ago that, since so many of these ingredients are white, you should measure them separately in the bowl in the order listed on the recipe and keep them separate until you know that everything is in. That way, if you get pulled away because one of your kids is screaming about being hit by another one, you can go back and be right on track. Think of it like using a bookmark.

Once you get everything measured out, add your wet ingredients to the dry. This gives you a little more control over how much you have to stir to moisten your dry ingredients. Doing it the other way, you’ll stir too much and get tough, not fluffy, pancakes.

Wipe a thin layer of butter on your griddle…

…cook up your pancakes…

…and serve with your favorite toppings. I’m partial to Maple Bourbon Syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar.

What do you like with your pancakes? Throughout April, we’re talking about breakfast! What is your favorite breakfast food? Anything new that you’d like to try? Leave a comment and share your stories and suggestions!

Buckwheat Pancakes

Author: Brian

Ingredients

½ cup buckwheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 cup 2% milk
1 egg
3 tbsp butter, melted, plus more for the griddle
½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (through cocoa powder).
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the milk, egg, 3 tbsp melted butter, and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Brush the griddle or skillet with butter and wipe clean before adding ¼ cup scoops of batter.
Cook for 2-3 minutes or until small bubble form on the surface the the edges of the pancake start to turn dry. Flip and cook for another minute or so.
Remove the pancake to a plate covered with a dish towel to keep warm.
Serve warm with butter and syrup. Enjoy!

Popped Amaranth

March 31, 2015 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

Throughout March, I’ve been learning and talking about grains. For the most part, I’ve focused on grains that most of us are pretty familiar with. I thought that, for the last post of the month, it’d be nice to do something a little different. I’m going to focus on amaranth and share a very simple little snack of Popped Amaranth.

Like quinoa, amaranth is classified as a pseudo-cereal grain. It is, technically, more seed than grain, but is used more in the style of a grain. Another of the ancient grains from the Andean culture, amaranth has been grown for human consumption for over 8,000 years. The grains are tiny, but pack a huge nutritional punch and a great nutty flavor.

Amaranth grain, while ancient, is limited in it’s use. It has only been rediscovered in the past 40 years or so and can be difficult to find in your local grocery store. Look to health food shops or shops that sell bulk foods.

We are popping our amaranth today to make something akin to tiny popcorn. It really is amazing how much more bulk you get once popped. Here is 1 Tbsp. of amaranth before popping and afterwards. Crazy, right? All you have to do is put a deep pot over high heat. Once heated up, toss in your amaranth and keep that pot moving. It should start popping right away and be done in about one minute. Careful not to burn it! You’ll have some unpopped grains left, but that just adds to the nuttiness.

Just look at the individual grains side by side. The popped grains are pretty tiny (it’s easier to eat them with a spoon for sure!), but look at the unpopped grains! Just imagine how tough it’d be to drop these on the kitchen floor!

Once popped, you can serve these with a little milk as a breakfast cereal or with a little honey for a sweet treat. I like to toss the popped amaranth in a little olive oil with my Dilly Garlic seasoning to satisfy my salty cravings.

Have you ever used amaranth? How do you feel about about grains, in general? What are your favorites? Do you shy away from them? We’ll be discussing grains through March on This Cookin’ Dad. Please leave a comment and share your story.

Popped Amaranth with Dilly Garlic Seasoning

Author: Brian

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil
½ tsp dill
1 pinch each kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
1 tbsp amaranth

Instructions

Place a deep pot over high heat.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine oil, dill, and other seasonings.
Pour the amaranth into the hot pot and move around. Pop the amaranth for 1-2 minutes or until most of the amaranth has popped, but before it begins to burn.
Pour the popped amaranth into the oil mixture and stir to coat. Enjoy!

These Lentils are Hoppin’

March 26, 2015 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

Continuing with our grains theme for the month of March, today we are going to take a look at lentils. I’m also going to share a very quick option for a traditional Hoppin’ John recipe using lentils instead of black-eyes peas.

When we think of grains, we typically think of cereal grains like wheat, corn, or rice. Grains, however, cover a pretty wide culinary space. Lentils, technically, are a grain legume, or edible pulse. In many ways, they are a cross between the grains that we usually think of and beans. Lentils are an important part of the diet in many Middle Eastern countries, India, and even in parts of Europe.

I love that they have much of the nutrition of beans, but cook almost as fast as simple white rice. In fact, stewed lentils served over rice are very popular in much of the world and can be prepared in less than 45 minutes, making it an easy dinner for busy weeknights.

I have learned that the key to properly cooked lentils is to wait to salt them until after they have cooked. Salt toughens up the outer shell and they take forever to cook! Without salt, they can cook up in about 30 minutes and you can still add salt after the fact. After cooking my lentils, I love to add in a little bacon and some sauteed greens and sit back with a bowl and a nice slice of cornbread. YUM!

Have you ever tried lentils? How do you prepare them? How do you feel about grains, in general? What are your favorites? Do you shy away from them? We’ll be discussing grains through March on This Cookin’ Dad. Please leave a comment and share your story.

These Lentils are Hoppin'

I used red lentils here for the color, but any color lentils would work. Just just make sure to adjust your cooking time.

Author: Brian

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked through for any small stones
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices of bacon, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups baby kale

Instructions

Add lentils and water to a medium saucepan. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 20-30 minutes or until lentils are al dente. After the lentils are cooked, season with salt and pepper.
In a large sautee pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove crisp bacon from pan and reserve for later use.
Add olive oil to hot bacon grease, followed by baby kale. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, top lentils with kale and crispy bacon. Enjoy!

Cast Iron Cornbread

March 24, 2015 by thiscookindad 9 Comments

In today’s focus on grains, I’m going to take a look at corn and share my method for making crispy cornbread. I am from the southern United States and, for us, cornbread could very well be it’s own food group. I grew up eating cornbread with beans, greens, and everything in between. I’ve had it in squares and in muffin form, often baked in a 9×13 cake pan. By far, though, my favorite way to eat cornbread is in wedge form, slathered with butter, after baking in a hot cast iron skillet coated in bacon grease.

Corn itself is a major staple crop in the Americas. Originally domesticated in Mexico, corn began spreading amongst the native peoples as early as 2500 BC, and quickly spread through Europe and the rest of the world when European explorers discovered it the 1500’s.

Corn’s uses are very wide ranging. Food uses include the sweet corn that we eat as corn on the cob, popcorn, ground cornmeal that we use for grits and cornbread, masa that is used to make tortillas or tamales, and, of course, bourbon whiskey. Non human-food uses include corn use as animal feed and as biofuel. Did you know that about 40% of the corn grown in the US is for use as ethanol?

So corn can be used for just about anything, right? Why focus on cornbread? Mostly because I really enjoy eating cornbread! I think the most important part of the cornbread, though, is the crispy crust. In my opinion, the best way to ensure that is to use a cast-iron skillet.

It’s easier than you’d think! You put a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat while you mix up your batter (see recipe below). Add some reserved bacon grease into the skillet (if you don’t save bacon grease, you should start, but just fry up 3 or 4 pieces of bacon for now). Then pour your batter into the pan and toss the pan into the oven.

After about 30 minutes, you have cornbread. Easy, right? Cut it into wedges, top with a pat of butter, and eat. Oh, you can serve it with other stuff, too. Might I suggest a nice big bowl of chili? YUM!

What are your favorite memories of cornbread? How do you feel about corn and about grains, in general? What are your favorites? Do you shy away from them? We’ll be discussing grains through March on This Cookin’ Dad. Please leave a comment and share your story.

Cast Iron Cornbread

Author: Brian

Recipe type: Bread

Ingredients

1 cup medium grind cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp white sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1½ cups buttermilk
2-3 tbsp bacon grease (or 4 slices bacon)

Instructions

Set oven to 425. Heat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine butter, eggs, and buttermilk. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are moistened (batter will still be lumpy).
Drop bacon grease into heated skillet (or cook bacon). Once grease is melted down, pour batter into the skillet. Place immediately into the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the skillet for 10 minutes.
Slice into wedges, top with butter, and enjoy!

Red Quinoa Salad

March 19, 2015 by thiscookindad 6 Comments

All month long, we’ve focused on grains. Today, we’re going to take a look at quinoa and I’m going to share a simple recipe for a stunning, and tasty, Red Quinoa Salad.

Quinoa is classified as a pseuograin. It is different from the other grains that we’ve looked at so far in that it is not a member of the grass family, like rice or barley. Originally domesticated in the Andes Mountains of South America, quinoa has been a staple food of the Andean peoples for thousands of years. Only recently has it started to become known in other parts of the world, largely due to its nutritional value.

A superfood, quinoa is one of the few plants that is considered a “complete protein.” This means that it contains sufficient amounts of the nine essential amino acids that humans must obtain through diet in order for humans to synthesize proteins, enzymes, hormones, etc. That makes it a popular options for vegetarians, vegans, or anyone else looking to limit their meat intake. Quinoa is also a great source of many vitamins and minerals and it nutty flavor and chewy texture is perfect for incorporating into everyday foods like this Red Quinoa Salad.

To get started, prepare your quinoa in much the same way you would a pot of rice. Place one cup of quinoa and two cups of water into a pot with a pinch of salt. (I chose red for the color, but any quinoa would do fine. Just check the cooking time.)

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove from the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

In the meantime, dice up some cucumber, tomato, and red onion…

…and prepare a light vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, olive oil, some dried oregano, and salt and pepper.

While the quinoa is still a little warm, toss it with the vinaigrette and add in the vegetables. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

For a yummy lunch, serve it up with a sandwich and a small handful of potato chips. YUM!

Have you ever tried quinoa? What are your thoughts? How do you feel about grains, in general? What are your favorites? Do you shy away from them? We’ll be discussing grains through March on This Cookin’ Dad. Please leave a comment and share your story.

Red Quinoa Salad

This recipe uses red quinoa for the striking color, but any variety would work well. Just consult the package directions for appropriate cooking times.

Author: Brian

Recipe type: Side

Ingredients

1 cup red quinoa
2 cups water
salt and pepper
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
¾ cup olive oil
1 cup roma tomatoes, diced (about 2 tomatoes)
1 cup cucumber, diced (about ½ cucumber)
1 cup red onion, diced (about ½ red onion)

Instructions

In a medium pot, add quinoa, water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove from heat and keep covered for an additional 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Meanwhile, add vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper to a medium mixing bowl. Whisking quickly, slowly add the olive oil until fully incorporated.
Pour about half of the vinaigrette in the quinoa. Add the vegetables, folding carefully to combine. Add more vinaigrette to taste.
Enjoy!

Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers

March 17, 2015 by thiscookindad 8 Comments

All month long, I’ve been focusing on grains and while, yes, I did shift the focus to rice last week, I believe that rice is so varied and such an important part of the world diet that it warrants a little extra attention. This week, we’re taking a look at wild rice and I’ll share my recipe for Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers.

While white rice is the milled and polished version of domesticated brown rice, wild rice is an entirely different plant. A different species, even. Both are cereal grasses, but grow in different conditions, with white rice traditionally grown in Asia and Africa and wild rice more abundant in North America.

Wild rice also tends to have a chewier exterior. This, coupled with it’s increased nutritional value, may explain it’s popularity in the United States as opposed to other parts of the world. Still, since it is not as widely grown, wild rice tends to be more expensive which is why you’ll often see it sold as part of a blend with other rices, including white or brown rice.

Personally, even though I grew up eating white rice, I enjoy eating wild rice. Where white rice stretches a meal, wild rice becomes a major component of it. Where white rice soaks in flavors, wild rice stands up for itself, lending a nuttiness and flavor all it’s own. This is definitely clear in my Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers.

To get started, I saute up some onions, bell pepper, and a 28-oz can of diced tomatoes with some olive oil, herbs, and salt and pepper.

I also have a pot of rice ready to go.

While all of that’s cooking up, I get my peppers ready to stuff. Since I’m using this as a side dish, I want a little smaller portion, so I cut the bell peppers in half and rip out the seeds and veins.

I combine the rice and tomato mixture, tasting and seasoning as I go, and make sure that it is all thoroughly combined…

…before filling the peppers with the rice mixture. Make sure not to pack it to tightly.

I cover with foil and bake at 400 for about 40 minutes. If you want your peppers cooked a little more, take it to 50 or 60. A little less, knock it down to 30.

Plate up and serve with your favorite main dish. A roasted chicken or a yummy meatloaf would be perfect! Enjoy!

Are you a wild rice fanatic? How do you feel about grains, in general? What are your favorites? Do you shy away from them? We’ll be discussing grains through March on This Cookin’ Dad. Leave a comment and share your story.

4.5 from 2 reviews

Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers

Author: Brian

Recipe type: Side

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 cup wild rice or wild rice blend
5 green bell peppers, divided
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1-28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tsp Italian seasoning or mixed dried herbs
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook rice according to package directions.
Dice one bell pepper. In a large pan over medium high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and diced bell pepper. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until beginning to brown slightly. Add the tomatoes and Italian seasoning, stirring to combine, and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, halve the remaining peppers lengthwise, removing the seeds and veins. Place the 8 halves into a casserole dish filled with ¼ cup water.
Combine the rice with the tomato mixture, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and wait a few minutes for the rice to soak up any remaining liquid.
Carefully spoon about ¼ cup of the rice mixture into each pepper half.
Cover the peppers with foil and bake at 400 for about 40 minutes or until the peppers are done to your liking.
Serve warm and enjoy!

Easy Rice Pilaf

March 12, 2015 by thiscookindad 3 Comments

All month, we are talking about grains. One of the most important grains worldwide is rice. Today, I’m going to talk a little about rice and share my recipe for an incredibly easy rice pilaf.

Whether, long-grain or short grain, jasmine or basmati, brown or wild, rice is the staple food for over half of the world’s population. This means that over 3.5 billion humans eat rice daily or with every meal! Rice has been domesticated for over 10,000 years, explaining why there are so many varieties and so many different ways to prepare it. In fact, rice is so important worldwide that it is even used in many religious ceremonies. If you’ve ever thrown rice at a wedding, you know just what I’m talking about.

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-wedding-rice-spouse-launch-image32613696

Like I said before, there is a list a mile long of the different kinds of rice. Over 40,000 varieties! While I eat brown or wild rice varieties from time to time and I use arborio rice when making risotto, my go to is exactly what I grew up with, straight-forward long grain rice. Nothing fancy or expensive. Just the stuff you buy in the 1 or 2 lb bags on the lower shelf at the grocery store. It’s cheap, cooks quickly, digests easy, and soaks up flavors from my favorite dishes, like a good chili or gumbo.

One of the oldest rice dishes actually dates back to Persia and the times of Alexander the Great. Rice pilaf can be very complex, with meats, raisins, lemongrass, all kinds of herbs, etc. At it’s most basic, though, rice pilaf is just a cooking technique in which rice is fried in a little oil and cooked in broth. It’s not all that different from the 20 minute “dump and go” method that I typically use for white rice and it adds so much flavor!

To start, saute up some diced onion and one minced clove of garlic in a little olive oil until you just start to get some color.

Add your rice and saute for another 3-5 minutes. Note: Never rinse your rice before using. You wash away so many nutrients! Sure, you rinse away starch, but it’s rice…it’s supposed to have starch!

After the rice starts to turn a little clearer, add your broth. Bring it to a boil, turn to low, and cover for 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and keep covered another 10 minutes to fluff the rice. Serve warm.

So what kind of rice do you eat? How do you feel about grains, in general? What are your favorites? Do you shy away from them? We’ll be discussing grains through March on This Cookin’ Dad. Please leave a comment and share your story.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Easy Rice Pilaf

Author: Brian

Recipe type: Side

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 cups long grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth

Instructions

Heat oil in a 3.5 qt pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until onion just begins to brown.
Add rice and cook until nearly translucent, 3-5 minutes.
Add broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and let rest, covered for 10 minutes.
Season with additional salt and pepper and serve warm.
Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Vegetable Barley Soup with Carrot Top Pesto

March 10, 2015 by thiscookindad 6 Comments

All month long, we’re talking about grains. Today, we are going to take a look at barley.

Barley is a cereal grain. It’s one of those grains that I think we hear about a lot more than we actually use. In fact, I think more people drink barley than actually eat it! It is also used as animal feed, but has a long history of feeding humans as well. Barley was one of the first staple crops, feeding civilizations across Europe and Asia for centuries before wheat became more popular.

We’ve learned over time that grains, while not inherently bad for you, are definitely better used in moderation. Instead, we should be leaning towards more veggies in our diets. A big part of my focus is how to simply incorporate grains in a healthy, responsible way. This soup is my effort to make a convenient, veggie-heavy meal that is lightly kissed with a little grain to make it a bit more substantial.

The beauty of this recipe is that it takes virtually no time. A can of tomatoes, a quart of vegetable stock, and some frozen veggies are all you need to get started. Pour it into the slow cooker first thing in the morning and you are 90% of the way there. Toss in a little barley when you walk in the door from work (or have your kids do it when they get home) and it’ll be done just in time for dinner.

One of the keys to making this dish great is the Carrot Top Pesto. I buy a lot of my carrots with the tops still on because I know that I am getting a fresh product that way. Still, I find it difficult to find something to do with the carrot tops. Well, I decided that I would try to make a pesto with them to go with my soup. The tops, a handful of roasted salted pumpkin seeds, a dash of parmigiano-regiano, and some olive oil were all blended together for a lovely condiment. It turned out fabulous and was even great as a topping for some crusty bread on the side!

What I love most about this soup is that I can make it on Sunday with no effort and have a healthy lunch available for me and my wife throughout the week. It’s hard to top that.

How do you simply incorporate grains into your food? How do you feel about grains? What are your favorites? Do you shy away from them? We’ll be discussing grains through March on This Cookin’ Dad. Make sure that you leave a comment and share your story.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Barley Soup with Carrot Top Pesto

Author: Brian

Recipe type: Soup

Ingredients

Soup:
1-28 oz can whole, peeled tomatoes, hand crushed
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups water
1-16 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables
½ cup pearl barley
salt and pepper to taste
Pesto:
2 cups fresh carrot tops
½ cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
½ cup grated parmigiano-regiano
⅔ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the soup: Add the first 4 ingredients to a slow cooker. Set on low for 8 hours.
About an hour before serving, add the barley.
Just before serving, season with salt and pepper.
For the pesto: Combine carrot tops, pumpkin seeds, and cheese into a small food processor. Grind together.
While continuing to process, slowly add the olive oil.
After all has been incorporated, season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve: Top the soup with the pesto.
Enjoy!

Easy Overnight Steel Cut Oats

March 5, 2015 by thiscookindad 2 Comments

Throughout March, we’re talking about grains. Today, we are going to focus on one of America’s more popular grains, oats.

Oats are a superfood of sorts. You can use them for breakfast, to make cookies, and as filler in your favorite meatloaf. I’ve even cooked steel cut oats in a risotto style with mushroom broth for a yummy alternative to dinner. Studies show that oats can lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, help you lose weight, help control Type 2 diabetes, etc., etc. It’s like there’s nothing they can’t do.

Oats can be a bit dangerous, too, though. With oats being a little bland in and of themselves, it’s easy to want to add flavor (i.e. sugar) to them. Once you do that, you pretty much negate all of the health benefits that oats offer.

So…what to do?

Well, to start, you can choose steel cut oats. Steel cut oats are just the groat of the oatmeal plant, removed from the husk, and cut into small pieces. Rolled oats, commonly called old-fashioned oats, are steamed, and rolled thin and dried. Quick cooking oats are rolled thinner and instant oats are rolled thinner still, often breaking apart in the process.

Since steel cut oats have not been processed as much, they are slightly healthier than their faster cooking counterparts. Also, because more of the oat and bran are intact, they carry a nuttier flavor, lessening your need to add flavor (again, we’re talking sugar, right?) to your bowl.

The down side to steel cut oats is that they take much longer to cook. Rather than the 2-3 minutes that it takes for quick cooking oats, steel cut oats can take 25-30 minutes! That may not seem like a particularly long time, but try fitting 25-30 minutes into an already hectic morning schedule trying to get three kids out to the bus. That 25-30 minutes can seem like a lifetime. It just ain’t happenin’!

If, however, you have about 2 minutes and a slow cooker, you are in luck! You can sleep peacefully, knowing that breakfast will be ready when you wake up. It’s a simply ratio: 4 cups of liquid, 1 cup of steel cut oats. Mix together with a pinch of salt and you’re all set. That’s it! You can use all water, but I like to add a little milk to make it creamier.

Once you get up, the sky’s the limit. The kids wanted brown sugar and maple syrup (we just added a little bit…they’ll burn it off! Way less than that sugary cereal stuff, though). I went a little healthier with some unsweetened coconut, a sliced strawberry, and a drizzle of honey. If I need something a little more savory, I’ll happily top it off with an over-medium egg, some crumbled bacon, and maybe even some sauteed mushrooms.

YUM!

What healthy toppings would you add to your oatmeal? How do you feel about grains? What are your favorites? Do you shy away from them? We’ll be discussing grains through March on This Cookin’ Dad. Make sure that you leave a comment and share your story.

Easy Overnight Steel Cut Oats

Author: Brian

Recipe type: Breakfast

Ingredients

2 cups steel cut oats
2 cups 2% milk
6 cups water
2 tsp salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients into a slow cooker fitted with a slow cooker liner or prepared with 2 tbsp butter.
Set slow cooker to low for 8 hours.
Serve with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

What is a Grain?

March 3, 2015 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

This month on This Cookin’ Dad, I’ll be focusing on grains.

Grains are kind of a hot-button issue for some. There’s ever the argument of whole grains vs. refined grains. For those living on a budget, refined grains like white rice are a cheap way to stretch a meal. For those who choose not to eat meat, grains provide a healthful alternative to meats. For those carb-free or paleo types, grains are the enemy. If you get all three of those types into a room together to talk about food, you just might see bloodshed!

In my view, there is little better than a chunk of crusty bread slathered in softened butter, or a bowl of warm oatmeal sprinkled with slivered almonds and drizzled with honey on a cold, snowy morning. I also find comfort in my favorite bowl of gumbo, knowing that it just wouldn’t be the same without that sticky white rice. Health points aside, brown rice just wouldn’t be the same.

Still, research shows over and over again that too many refined grains just aren’t good for you. Research is now even showing that some of those whole grains that are so good for you, might not be so good for you, causing blood sugar spikes and inflammation that leads to pain issues and worse.

My goal over the course of the month is to show just how easy it can be to incorporate these grains into your daily diet, sometimes in a supporting role, sometimes as the star, but always with a mind to health and moderation. I’ll also expand my focus beyond the common cereal grains, bringing a category of grains called pulses (think lentils and peas) into the conversation.

How do you feel about grains? What are your favorites? Do you shy away from them? We’ll be discussing grains through March on This Cookin’ Dad. Make sure that you leave a comment and share your story.