This Wild Season

Sharing what I'm learning in the kitchen as well as outside of it.

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Slow Cooker Maple Spiced Steel Cut Oats and Quinoa

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Happy Thanksgiving Week! Anyone traveling this week? Or welcoming family into your home? Anyone preparing to feed lots of friends and family? If you’re in need of a super simple homemade breakfast option for feeding lots of people this week, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you. And if you’re making this recipe for just one or two, I’ve got instructions for freezing any leftovers to have later!

This Maple Spiced Oats and Quinoa dish is healthy-ish, hearty, so delicious and can be customized to suit each person you’ll be hosting this Thanksgiving. When you’re worried about getting the turkey in the oven, all the pies made on time, and getting Grandma’s stuffing just right, you really don’t need to be thinking about anything complicated for breakfast! Just get up early and throw all these ingredients in your slow cooker (try doubling it and adding some time if you have more than 8 of guests.) You can set out lots of topping options so everyone can customize their own bowl, and this dish is hearty enough that it’ll give everyone energy to help out with all your Thanksgiving dinner prep!

This recipe is adapted from two I found online – this Pumpkin Overnight Oats recipe from Well Plated and this Slow Cooker Overnight Quinoa and Oats by Chelsea’s Messy Apron. Feel free to adapt and adjust to fit your preferences!

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Slow Cooker Maple Spiced Steel Cut Oats and Quinoa

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 c steel cut oats (do not use old fashioned or quick cook oats)
  • 1/2 c quinoa rinsed (or purchase pre-rinsed)
  • 3-4 c water depending on how thick you want your oatmeal to be
  • 2 c milk
  • 2 Tbs chia seeds
  • 2 Tbs ground flaxseed
  • 1/4 c brown sugar
  • 2 Tbs maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbs cinammon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
Garnishes
  • Sliced almonds
  • Dried cranberries
  • Additional brown sugar
  • Chopped apples
  • Additional cinnamon nutmeg, or allspice

Method
 

  1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
  2. Rinse quinoa well, using a fine mesh sieve. (Skip this step if you bought pre-rinsed quinoa)
  3. Combine all ingredients except garnishes in slow cooker, stir well to combine.
  4. Set on high for 2-3 hours, stirring after an hour and a half so you know how much longer to cook it. This will depend on how hot your slow cooker gets. (See note below.)
  5. Oats are finished when they reach the consistency you desire - I like mine to still be slightly chewy, so I cooked mine for just over 2 hours.
  6. Turn off heat and serve topped with dried cranberries, sliced almonds, extra brown sugar, or whatever you like!

Notes

The recipe I adapted this from said to cook it on low for 7 hours or high for 4, but mine would have been burnt to a crisp if I let it go that long. Use your best judgement depending on how quickly your particular slow cooker operates.
If you want to make this recipe to save for later, use a muffin tin to divide the remaining cooked oats and quinoa. Let cool completely on the counter, then place in the freezer for a few hours. Remove oats from muffin tin once frozen, store in a freezer safe ziplock bag, and keep in freezer until ready to eat. Reheat in microwave, top with garnishes, and enjoy!

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Honey Wheat Bread for the Bread Machine

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Today I’m sharing a recipe that has become the go-to bread in our kitchen. Several years ago I “borrowed” my mom’s bread machine and somehow just haven’t given it back yet. The bread machine is one of those weird kitchen appliances that takes up entirely too much room, and is really only good for one purpose, but I really do think it’s worth its weight in gold.

Homemade bread is approximately 1273 times more delicious than store-bought bread, and the bread machine makes it so much more attainable. If I was kneading bread by hand or even watching it in my KitchenAid Mixer, I would rarely make it. With the bread machine I make bread almost every week. It’s so easy to throw all the ingredients in, push a few buttons, and forget about it for an hour and a half. I do prefer to use my machine to knead the dough and do the first rising, but then I bake it in the oven in a regular 5×9 loaf pan.

After the dough has completed its cycle, you just remove it from the bread machine pan and pat it out on a floured surface (I like to flour a rimmed baking sheet because it makes for easy clean-up!) You want your dough to be roughly rectangular, and about the length of your well-greased 5×9 loaf pan. Don’t think too much about this though – it doesn’t have to be perfect!

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Once you’ve patted the dough out, fold it into thirds. Look! It’s a little bread burrito!

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Once your dough is folded, gently lift it and flip it into your greased bread pan so that the seam or fold is on the bottom.

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Use a knife to make a shallow (about 1/4 inch deep) cut in the top of your bread. This will allow space for it to expand while it rises a second time.

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At this point we wait again. Time to let the dough rise. Set it aside in a warm place till it looks about the size you want it to be once baked. My method for this is to heat my oven up slightly and then shut it off. I put the dough in for about 25 minutes before removing it. This speeds up the rising process quite a bit, especially if your house tends to be cold.

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Once the dough is almost the size you want it to be when finished, remove it from the oven so you can preheat it to 375 F. Once the oven is good to go, put your dough in for 25 minutes. It’s finished when browned on top and hollow-sounding when tapped with your finger.

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Carefully remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely before cutting it. If you have a cooling rack, that’s perfect for this. If you place your bread flat on a plate, it can get soggy on the bottom as the steam from the bread will condense on the plate as it cools. And no one likes soggy bread.

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Mmmm. Fresh-baked bread perfection. That wasn’t so difficult was it?

If you’ve got a bread machine, use it! If your mom or grandma has a bread machine, borrow it! You can thank me later. This bread is perfect for sandwiches, grilled cheese, french toast, and even just dipping in olive oil and spices.

And one last note – if you don’t have whole wheat flour or prefer not to use it, you can follow my original bread recipe instead.

Asharae Kroll

Honey Wheat Bread for the Bread Machine

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 c warm water
  • 2 Tbs butter softened
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbs honey
  • 2 c bread flour
  • 1/2 c whole wheat flour
  • 1 packet yeast 2 1/4 tsp

Method
 

  1. Place ingredients into bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
  2. Mine recommends to put the water, salt, butter, and honey in first.
  3. Add the flours on top of that.
  4. Make a small well in the flour and add the yeast.
  5. Adjust your bread machine to the Dough setting, 1.5lb loaf and let it run. I like to check on it about 5 minutes in to make sure it's not too wet or too dry. If it looks too wet and sticky, add a tablespoon or two of flour. If too dry and flaky-looking, add a tablespoon or two of water. Let the machine run through its whole cycle and try not to peek at it too much! (Bread machines heat up slightly which helps the rising process, each time you open it you let some of the heat out which can cause it to rise slower.)
  6. Once the dough cycle is finished, turn dough out onto a floured surface. Gently press into a rectangle about 9-10 inches long (you can measure it along the side of your 9x5 pan). Fold one of the long sides in toward the center and fold the other long side on top of that - you're essentially folding it in thirds. Gently place the dough, seam side down, in your well-greased 9x5 pan. Use a knife to cut a small slit (about 1/4 inch deep) down the middle of the dough - this will allow it to expand.
  7. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes or so until it looks good. If your house is colder, this could take up to an hour or more. I like to heat my oven for a few minutes, turn it off, and place the dough in for about 30 min to speed up the process. Whatever it looks like now is approximately the size it'll be when it's done baking. Toward the end of this final rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. (Take the bread out at this time if you used the oven to let it rise.)
  8. Once dough is finished rising, bake for 25 minutes at 375.
  9. Bread is finished when you tap it with your finger and it sounds hollow.

 

Guest Post by Lauren Lee: Fresh Spring Pea Soup With Crème Fraiche & Garlic Croutons

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I’m so excited to have one of my dear friends share a fantastic springtime recipe here today! I have looked up to Lauren for a long time for her confidence in the kitchen, her love of cooking and sharing meals with others, and her fabulous restaurant recommendations. Our stories overlap back and forth, starting before she was even in college when we worked at the same camp together, extending to shooting her wedding a couple years ago, with a whole lot in between!

You might remember that I mentioned her family in a post last summer on stovetop popcorn – they get complete credit for inspiring me to learn how to make it!

I absolutely love that Lauren and her husband have ended up in North Carolina, not too far from us. If you’re ever in the Chapel Hill area and need a good restaurant suggestion, Lauren is the person to talk to!

I can attest that this soup is totally fresh and delicious. It’s perfect for these days lately that have been hinting at spring, but still get chilly in the evenings.

Without further ado, I’ll hand it over to Lauren!

Spring has arrived in North Carolina! It’s hard to believe that just three short weeks ago there were several inches of snow on the ground.

In honor of spring, I would like to share a recipe for Fresh Spring Pea Soup. I know that peas can get a bad rap, but this soup is amazingly flavorful, healthy, and shockingly green! It’s also a bit impressive when serving it to friends, but super simple (and quick) to make.

The origin of this soup comes from my favorite chef- Ina Garten, also known as The Barefoot Contessa. I love Ina for her classic and “Foolproof” recipes, and of course for her love of Paris. Paris and recipes aside, I believe my (more than minor) infatuation* with The Barefoot Contessa comes from the way that her food unites my family as we live states apart.

Every week my sister (Chelsy), my mom, and I share food stories over the phone. For me, the joy of making a great meal is only multiplied when I am able to share the details with them. Although we can’t physically sit down to eat dinner together, we love poring over recipes and meal ideas, laughing & learning from each other’s cooking fails, and celebrating successful dinners together.

I can’t quite remember if it was my sister or my mom who sent me this recipe the first time, but we’ve all made it at some point, and have decided to put it in our arsenal of good soup recipes. I hope you enjoy making & eating it, and that you find yourself sharing it with your favorite foodie friend.

*Chelsy and I have (somewhat jokingly) dreamed of going to the Hamptons to stalk Ina at her gorgeous home 🙂

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Adapted from Ina Garten

Fresh Spring Pea Soup With Crème Fraiche & Garlic Croutons

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 -6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups chopped leeks white and light green parts (about 2-3 leeks) (Asharae's note - if you're unfamiliar with leeks, fear not! They're easy to use - be sure to check out this video on how to clean your leeks before you get started!)
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 4 cups chicken stock homemade or store-bought
  • 2 10-ounce packages frozen peas (the freezing process locks in freshness)
  • 2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup crème fraiche
  • ½ cup chopped fresh chives
  • Garlic croutons for topping (see recipe below)

Method
 

  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
  2. Add the leeks and onion. Cook on medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes until the onion is tender.
  3. Add the chicken stock, and turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil.
  4. Add the peas and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the peas are tender.
  5. Turn off the heat, and add the mint, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
  6. Next is the fun part- Pureeing the soup until smooth. As Asharae has mentioned in her previous posts, the immersion blender is a great tool for soups like this. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use your regular blender or food processor to puree the soup until smooth. Just be careful when transferring the extremely hot liquid.
  7. Whisk in the crème fraiche and chives and add more salt and pepper to your preference.
  8. Serve hot with garlic croutons, a tiny dollop of crème fraiche, a sprinkle of snipped chives, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Asharae’s Note: If you’re looking for the immersion blender I recommend, check out this one. I seriously use it all the time.

 

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Garlic Croutons

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ loaf of crunchy bakery bread my favorite is a rustic Italian or French loaf, and day or two old works great
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
 

  1. Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. (You can make croutons in a skillet on the stove or in the oven. If making on the stove, read more about that method here.)
  3. Cut the bread into cubes. I never make mine look perfect- always going for that easy, rustic feel.
  4. Toss the bread cubes in a large bowl with a generous amount of olive oil (I tend to use a lot). Then add the garlic, a heavy pinch of salt, and several cracks of pepper to the bowl and mix it all together.
  5. Spread your croutons on a foil lined rimmed baking sheet (rimmed sheets are great for keeping these little guys from slipping off the pan, and foil makes the clean-up process way easier). You want them spread out and not too crowded.
  6. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown and crunchy. You will want to give them a good stir or shake about half way through to get all of the sides browned.
  7. Set aside to cool while you make your soup.

Notes

These babies are also awesome on salads (often with a bit of parm melted on them)

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.

Chicken n Waffles with a Spicy Sweet Sriracha Maple Sauce

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So we’re a couple weeks into 2015 – how are those New Year’s resolutions going? Meh? Mine too. Well, actually – I didn’t really make a resolution, so I suppose mine are going great!! But really, I’ve been finding myself teetering between wanting to eat super healthy foods and drink lots of water all day, to wanting to cozy up on the couch and stuff copious amounts of these cookies into my face.

This recipe was born out of that tension. The day I came up with this idea, I desperately wanted to have chicken and waffles – oh fried chickeny goodness! But I also didn’t particularly want all the grease that tends to accompany all that deliciousness. So I found this fantastic oven-fried chicken recipe over on The Recipe Rebel and proceeded to half it and adjust it to give it a little more crunch.

I started to run with the idea of a sweet/salty/spicy combination for this recipe and sought out a waffle recipe that would be a good base for that. We had some extra buttermilk leftover in the fridge (from a recipe I’ll share soon!) so I figured I should use it to make buttermilk waffles…as one does. (This was literally the first time I’ve ever bought buttermilk – if you don’t have any, just add 1 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5-10 minutes before using.) I found this delicious-looking recipe for bacon, cheddar, green onion waffles over on The Candid Appetite. Don’t those waffles sound incredible?? Well, I didn’t have any bacon on-hand. Or green onions. And I was too hungry for chicken and waffles to make a special trip to the store. Don’t worry, we’re going to make up for lack-of-bacon with our sauce!

I really wanted this recipe to have a kick to it – that’s where the Sriracha and jalapeño come in! While your chicken is baking in the oven, you can whip up this spicy sweet Sriracha maple yogurt sauce to drizzle over your chicken and waffles. If you’re not a fan of spicy food, leave out the jalapeño and take it easy on the Sriracha. The yogurt helps cool down the flavor a bit, so don’t be scared! Adjust the flavors to whatever your taste buds prefer!

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Chicken n Waffles with a Spicy Sweet Sriracha Maple Sauce

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Servings: 2
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken (Adapted from Recipe Rebel)
  • 2 chicken breasts cut into strips
  • 3 Tbs butter
  • 1/4 c flour
  • 1/4 c panko
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 Tbs seasoning salt I used this recipe to make my own. You can also use something like Lawry's seasoning salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
Waffles (Adapted from The Candid Appetite)
  • 1 c flour
  • 2 Tbs light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 2.5 Tbs butter melted and cooled
  • 1 c buttermilk at room temperature
  • 1/2 c cheddar cheese shredded (or cut into tiny chunks)
Sauce
  • 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 Tbs Sriracha
  • 1 Tbs + 1 tsp real maple syrup
  • 1 jalapeño diced and seeded
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
  • Chives

Method
 

Chicken
  1. Heat oven to 400F. Melt butter on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Keep watch on it and remove from the oven once it has melted.
  2. Combine flour, panko, salt, seasoning salt, pepper, and paprika in a large ziplock bag. Add sliced chicken and shake to coat the chicken. Place on buttered baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven, flip chicken, and bake another 10-12 min. (My chicken slices were fairly thin, so I only baked them 5 additional minutes.) Remove from the oven and let rest once finished. Lower the oven temperature to 200 degrees.
Waffles
  1. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Make a well in the center.
  2. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl, whisk together, and pour into the flour mixture. Add butter and buttermilk and stir together to combine. Fold in the cheddar cheese.
  3. Depending on the size of your waffle maker, cooking time will vary. Lightly grease your waffle maker before pouring batter in. I used a 1/3 c measurement to scoop the batter in and that made the perfect size waffles. Remove waffles when golden.
Sauce
  1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and keep in fridge until ready to serve
To serve
  1. Once the oven temperature has lowered to 200F, you can keep the chicken and waffles in the oven to keep them warm for a few minutes till you're ready to serve them.
  2. Top each waffle with chicken, spicy sweet sauce, and chives. Serve as an open-face sandwich or top with another waffle for a full sandwich.

Notes

Update - After making this recipe a few more times, we've found that we like our waffles to have a bit more crunch to them. We pop them in the toaster right before serving to ensure they're warm and create a slightly crunchy exterior.