My dear readers and friends, I have been neglecting this blog for so long that an apology hardly feels adequate or relevant at this point. I mean, how do you apologize and explain for not posting consistently for over a year? The feeble excuse of 'time sure flies' doesn't seem to cut it. There is just one reasonable thing to do, which is to try to make up for lost time, and hopefully be much more diligent about updating this little chunk of internet space!
Recently, I've made some delicious dishes that I am dying to share with you. Since I'm about to have my breakfast, I'll start with the breakfast I'm currently loving:
Steel cut oatmeal with dates and cinnamon
I have a funny history with dates (incidentally, this includes the going-out-with-a-person-you-kind-of-like variety...but that's a post for another day!), which is that I never really saw their appeal. They've always seemed weirdly mushy and grainy at the same time, and overly sweet - the dried fruit equivalent of that horrible 'caramel' coating on most caramel-coated apples. My teeth are aching from the sugar anticipation as I type about this! My dad loves them and they're always stockpiled at my parents', but I couldn't fathom why until fairly recently.
It started with an innocent little Larabar - I happened to notice they were majorly on sale at WholeFoods a few weeks ago, and figured I'd stock up for the office since they're made with good ingredients and very few additives. I didn't expect to love that first bite so much - soft and tender texture, filled with wholesome nuts and lightly, perfectly sweet from...dates?! Turns out they're the first ingredient in those bars! That's when I finally started paying attention to their potential.
The next time I went grocery shopping, I noticed some packages of Medjool dates sitting casually near the bulk food section of my local co-op, plump and shiny and ready to be taken home. I stuck a box in my shopping basket, tucked amongst my produce and bags of oatmeal and grains. A match made in heaven, I was about to discover.
I like to make batches of steel cut oatmeal for breakfast most weeks. They could not be easier or less fussy, and you get a versatile base for delicious and healthy breakfasts for the entire week. On a whim one day, I decided to chop up some of those dates and toss it in my oatmeal, along with a pat of butter, a splash of buttermilk, cinnamon, and some flax and chia seeds. The result was the most fluffy and light bowl of oatmeal - there was the wonderful mouthfeel you get from the smooth butter, and it was delicately sweet from the dates melting into the hot oatmeal, with a pleasant and subtle tang from the buttermilk. I couldn't stop raving about it, and apparently I still have the need to rave about it on this blog :) I hope you'll get a chance to try it - it's a nice way to mix it up for breakfast, and if you're already an oatmeal lover, perhaps this will make its way into your repertoire.
Ingredients (serves 4):
The work is all front-loaded here - making the oatmeal, chopping the dates, portioning out the rest of the ingredients. You can do this while the oatmeal cooks to save time.
Recently, I've made some delicious dishes that I am dying to share with you. Since I'm about to have my breakfast, I'll start with the breakfast I'm currently loving:
Steel cut oatmeal with dates and cinnamon
I have a funny history with dates (incidentally, this includes the going-out-with-a-person-you-kind-of-like variety...but that's a post for another day!), which is that I never really saw their appeal. They've always seemed weirdly mushy and grainy at the same time, and overly sweet - the dried fruit equivalent of that horrible 'caramel' coating on most caramel-coated apples. My teeth are aching from the sugar anticipation as I type about this! My dad loves them and they're always stockpiled at my parents', but I couldn't fathom why until fairly recently.
It started with an innocent little Larabar - I happened to notice they were majorly on sale at WholeFoods a few weeks ago, and figured I'd stock up for the office since they're made with good ingredients and very few additives. I didn't expect to love that first bite so much - soft and tender texture, filled with wholesome nuts and lightly, perfectly sweet from...dates?! Turns out they're the first ingredient in those bars! That's when I finally started paying attention to their potential.
The next time I went grocery shopping, I noticed some packages of Medjool dates sitting casually near the bulk food section of my local co-op, plump and shiny and ready to be taken home. I stuck a box in my shopping basket, tucked amongst my produce and bags of oatmeal and grains. A match made in heaven, I was about to discover.
I like to make batches of steel cut oatmeal for breakfast most weeks. They could not be easier or less fussy, and you get a versatile base for delicious and healthy breakfasts for the entire week. On a whim one day, I decided to chop up some of those dates and toss it in my oatmeal, along with a pat of butter, a splash of buttermilk, cinnamon, and some flax and chia seeds. The result was the most fluffy and light bowl of oatmeal - there was the wonderful mouthfeel you get from the smooth butter, and it was delicately sweet from the dates melting into the hot oatmeal, with a pleasant and subtle tang from the buttermilk. I couldn't stop raving about it, and apparently I still have the need to rave about it on this blog :) I hope you'll get a chance to try it - it's a nice way to mix it up for breakfast, and if you're already an oatmeal lover, perhaps this will make its way into your repertoire.
Ingredients (serves 4):
The work is all front-loaded here - making the oatmeal, chopping the dates, portioning out the rest of the ingredients. You can do this while the oatmeal cooks to save time.
- Steel cut oatmeal, prepared (Add 1 cup of oats to 3 cups of water in a pot, with 1/4 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and let it simmer, making sure to stir occasionally so it doesn't overflow out of the pot. I like to cook mine for about 20 minutes after the boil for soft and chewy hot cereal)
- 12 dried dates, cut into half length-wise then finely chopped into little cubes
- 1 tbsp butter, portioned for four
- 4 tbsp buttermilk
- 4 tsp chia seeds
- 4 tsp ground flax
- Cinnamon to taste
Stir together all the ingredients and serve hot, enjoy and savor the texture and flavor!
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