What makes a great oatmeal breakfast?

If it's not a little spicy, it's nothing but plain.

     This is one of the delicious ways that I found to turn boring plain oatmeal into a can't get enough dish. 

Make your plain oatmeal as you normally would. You can add a Tbsp of Coconut oil to make it a little smoother. (Note: coconut oil is good for brain function and helping with other health issues,)  Add slices of avocado for some healthy fat and to spice  things up add a couple tablespoons of corn salsa.  You can also add a few black olives if you like. Don't add milk  there is usually enough liquid with the coconut oil and salsa. This dish makes a great meal anytime of the day and only takes a couple minutes to make. So the next time someone complains about plain old oatmeal.

Spice it up!

Oatmeal and Dark Chocolate Syrup

Dark Chocolate Syrup Oatmeal

Like I said many a time before keep it simple, and make it taste great.

In this oatmeal I simply added dark chocolate syrup over the top of my oatmeal. I chose dark chocolate for it's low sugar and health benefits. For those of you who have a sweat tooth use regular chocolate syrup. Cook your oatmeal as usual and simply top with syrup.

Now this is not one of my favorites, as I am not a chocolate fanatic, but as a kid I do remember looking for anything to make my oatmeal taste better. I also remember trying to come up with a good excuse as to why the chocolate syrup mysteriously disappeared and why I had chocolate all over my face. As an adult I don't have to make excuses, I just have to decide is it healthy, and does it taste great.

    I hope my readers understand that my main goal is to make healthy food like oatmeal taste great.

I look forword to hearing your constructive comments and ideas.

Make it simple, make it taste great.

Oatmeal and Spicy Salsa

Spicy Salsa and Oatmeal

One of my favorite Oatmeal's is just two ingredients, salsa and oatmeal. The great thing about it is that it is simple and there are a large variety of salsas to choose from. You can make it as hot or as mild as you want and it makes a great addition to your morning breakfast. It is also a great way to kick start your Agni fire if your into Aravada. So make it simple, and make it great tasting.

To a 1/2 a cup of quick oats, cooked as directed I added 2 to 4 tablespoons of my favorite salsa and that's it.

Sometimes you just have to try something different!

Basic Beef and 16 Bean Soup in a crock pot.

              Basic Beef and 16 Bean Soup in crock pot.

This is a basic soup recipe that can be applied to just about any bean soup cooked in a cockpot. The secret is in how you layer your ingredients in the crockpot. Making sure to put your meats on the bottom and your fast cooking items on the top.

Oatmeal raisins and dates breakfast

Oatmeal raisins and dates breakfast

To a bowl of quick oats add boiling water to make your oatmeal then add the following.

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 rounded teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of chopped dates (note: they are high in sugar so a small amount goes a long way)

1 teaspoon of raisins (optional)

And mix well

Add a teaspoon shredded carrot on top for color
Add almond milk ( milk substitute)

Serve with a small glass of Kefir (better than yogurt) and a cranberry orange muffin with sunflower seeds or toast.

(Warning: dates may have processed in a facility that processes nuts and dairy products. If you have allergies be sure and check product labeling before consuming)

Bacon and Eggs Oatmeal Breakfast

Egg Oatmeal Breakfast

This is a no sugar oatmeal breakfast and I have been told that it is a good breakfast for diabetics. The added proteins from the egg gives it a little extra pick me up and is good for brain function.

(1) Start with a half a cup or more of quick oats. Add boiling water and let set for a few seconds. Add a tablespoon of butter for a more flavorful and creamy texture (coconut oil may be substituted). Stir until melted. Then add one egg and stir in thoroughly.

(2) Add an 1/8 cup of chopped nuts or sunflower seeds, raw or roasted .

(3) Add some alfalfa sprouts or finely chopped carrots and onions, about 1/4 cup.

 (4) Add garlic powder, pepper or season to taste. I sometimes add bacon bits to give it a eggs and bacon flavor. The nuts and vegetables can be left out if they are not to your liking.

As we say in Nevada, dig in and enjoy

Love of cooking

For the Love of cooking

pitcher comes with measerment conversion chart on other side.

 

Love is like cooking by abadu44

Browse Zazzle for a different pitcher.

Chicken hearts and gizzards with rice

Chicken gizzard and rice

a

modern-day peasant dish

 





   

Chicken gizzards and rice is a dish that I have come to love in good times and bad. For some it is an acquired taste, but as a kid I came to love the taste and  chewie texture. Unlike in those days of only getting one set of giblets per chicken, modern times have made it available at most grocery stores in large packages. Although hearts and gizzards (how most are packaged these days) are the toughest part of the bird, they're also one of the lowest in fat content and one of the cheapest.

1.       Chicken gizzards …………………………………………… about $1.50

2.       brown rice………….…………………………………………………... $2.00

3.       one can cream of condensed mushroom soup…….…. $1.50

4.       salad of your choice including dressing …………………… $3.00

5.       in season fruit …………………………………………………………. $2.00

                                                                 4 Servings total: $10.00

Should feed a family of four for about $2.50 per person add grated cheese for an additional $.50 per person for a total of $3 per person. Prices may fluctuate depending on your location and seasonal fruit.

Cooking the rice

The first thing I cook is 2 cups of quick rice according to the instructions on the packaging. Use a pot large enough to allow you to add the gizzards and a can of condensed mushroom soup when rice is finished cooking. (About a two or 3 quart pan )This will take about 15 min. if you're using quick rice, if your using regular rice about 45 min. While rice is cooking I prepare the hearts and gizzards.

preparing the package of hearts & gizzards

Most chicken hearts and gizzards, come out of the package looking like this. Their machine processed and as a result most times are not a finished product. The yellow lining on the gizzards must be removed or your whole meal will come out tasting very bad and the meat will be unpalatable.



Using your fingernail scrape and peel any yellow lining you find on any of the gizzards and discard.  You can trim any additional fat that you find at this time but I usually find so little it's not worth the effort.

 

 

 

 

Once you have your gizzards peeled and meat washed their ready for cooking. I usually use a microwave oven and a casserole dish with lid. Place the gizzards and hearts in the casserole dish and season with pepper and salt and a dash of garlic powder. Cook in the microwave oven for about 7 to 8 min.  Be sure and use a lid as they will pop as they are cooking.

When done your hearts and gizzards should be a nice brown color all the way through with no blood. There may be some grease left at the bottom of the dish. This can be drained off and discarded or saved for soup stock.

When your rice is finished cooking add the hearts and gizzards along with one can of condensed cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup. 

(Note: put hearts and gizzards through food processor prior to mixing with rice for smaller bite sizes and less chewy meat.) 

Mix thoroughly.

You can add a half cup of your favorite shredded cheese to the mix or just use as a garnish as I have here.

Peel , core and slice a fresh pair and add your favorite  salad and there you have your high-protein, low-fat dinner on a low-budget.

 From the sandy beaches of Fallon, Nevada.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Cooking an extra-large homegrown turkey

Cooking an extra-large homegrown turkey

 

The following are a series of four video showing how to cook a large turkey using aromatics.

 

The turkey in this video is in excess of 40 pounds. Cooking a turkey of this size takes a long time and it is better to cook based on temperature rather than on the amount of time. It is also possible to shorten the cooking time by using a cooking bag, if you can find one large enough for this size bird.If you cannot find a cooking bag large enough, it may be necessary to cut off the legs in order to fit it in the bag. It is also possible to cut the bird in half or debone the bird and cook it in pieces. The end result will be the same when you go to serve the bird on the table.

 

 

 

Never cook stuffing inside the bird. It is unsafe to cook your stuffing inside the bird because it will never reach high enough temperature to kill the bacteria that causes food poisoning.

 

 

 

 

It should be noted that most commercial turkeys do not get to this size . The average turkey in the grocery store is between 10 and 25 pounds

 

 

Always use save cooking practices and never consume undercooked meat.

 Temperature in the thickest part of the meat should be at least 165°

 The following link is to the USDA website where you can find recommended cooking temperatures and other safe food handling recommendations .

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news/NR_052411_01/index.asp

or

http://www.foodsafety.gov/

This site has an easy to read chart for safely cooking meat.