Pumpkin Flax Oatmeal Muffins

I was playing in the kitchen today and used my Blueberry Oatmeal Muffin recipe as the springboard for some pumpkin muffins.  I used canned pumpkin puree, but you can certainly use freshly-made puree.  If you buy the canned stuff, make sure that it is just plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.  The hubs will be thrilled to have these for breakfast this week instead of our usual overnight oatmeal.

Pumpkin Flax Oatmeal Muffins
Makes 2 dozen muffins

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1.5 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1.5 cups ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line two 12-count muffin pans with cupcake liners.
• In a bowl, stir together the first 9 ingredients (dry).  Set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, ground flaxseed, vanilla, water and pumpkin puree.
• Gradually combine the dry ingredients with the egg mixture just until everything is moistened.  Do not over-stir. 
• Gently fold in the walnuts.
• Divide batter into the prepared muffin pans.
• Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Yogurt in a Klean Kanteen

I usually use a crockpot or my rice cooker as the incubator for making homemade yogurt.  But as I was having a little fun experimenting with different ways to keep the milk mixture warm as it cultured, I discovered that an insulated Klean Kanteen works rather well.  (Make sure it's an INSULATED Kanteen, not the regular Kanteen.)  It doesn't quite keep the heat long enough for a thick Greek-style yogurt, but it is perfect for a softer yogurt (think mainstream yogurts like Yoplait or Danon), or even a drinkable yogurt.  It's best to use a 2% milk (or even whole milk if you're so inclined) in this case, as opposed to skim, since skim milk doesn't thicken up as well as its fattier counterparts.

I used a 16 oz. insulated Klean Kanteen.  This would also work well in the 12 oz. insulated.  I would not use the larger 20 oz. insulated unless you're making a drinkable yogurt, only because it was a little difficult reaching the bottom of the 16 oz.; you would need an extra-long spoon to scoop from the 20 oz.  I can't wait for the insulated food canisters to come out, they would be perfect for making yogurt.

This recipe makes enough to fill one 16 oz. insulated Kanteen.

Yogurt in a Klean Kanteen


Ingredients:

• a scant 2 cups 2% (or whole) milk
• 2 tablespoons organic dry milk powder (optional.  Omit if you are using whole milk or making a yogurt drink instead of a spooned yogurt.)
• 2 tablespoons organic starter (store-bought organic nonfat plain yogurt, or reserved yogurt from your last batch)

Directions:

• Fill your insulated Kanteen with hot tap water, as hot as you can get it.  Tightly screw on the leakproof loop cap and set aside.
• In a small pot, combine the milk and milk powder.  Over medium heat, bring the milk to 185 degrees F, whisking frequently.  It will produce small bubbles.  In the meantime, fill your sink with about 2 inches of cold tap water.
• Once the milk reaches 185 degrees F, remove from heat and place the pot into the cold water bath.  Stir frequently until the milk temperature goes down to 120 degrees F.
• Once the milk goes down to 120 degrees F, whisk in the starter.  Make sure you whisk it well to dissolve it all.
• Pour the hot water out of your insulated Kanteen (shake it upside down to get as much out as you can).  At this point it should be warm inside.  Pour the milk mixture into your insulated Kanteen and tightly screw on the leakproof cap.
• Put the filled Kanteen somewhere draft-free and out of the way so it won't be jostled.  Let the yogurt incubate for about 5 hours.  I've found that after 5 hours the yogurt is only still barely warm, so at that point you should place it in the fridge until you're ready to eat it.  It will firm up a little more once cold.  If you want a softer yogurt for drinking, only incubate it for 3ish hours.
• Serve plain, or mix with some honey, preserves or fresh fruit.

Play around with the incubation times based on what kind of yogurt you like.

The above pictures were taken right after the yogurt had finished incubating for 5 hours.  Here is how it looked after being refrigerated for 24 hours.  So thick it needs to be scooped out because it won't pour.  YUMMY!

Plain Yogurt

I eat yogurt every day.  Not the regular Yoplait stuff, but the thick expensive Greek-style stuff.  I use it in refrigerated overnight oatmeal, which I eat for breakfast almost every morning, and many times I'll have a Chobani for snack during the day as well.  Then one day I saw a link for homemade yogurt on Pinterest, and yes, it piqued my interest.  So I followed the link, and then continued to do more research via Google.  There are a gazillion different ways to make homemade yogurt, with the most popular involving a yogurt machine.  Which I do not have.  And don't want to buy.  Because I lack storage space.  And counter space.  So I compiled a list of recipes and methodologies and began experimenting.

This is what works for me based on these two sites that I found most helpful:

King Arthur Flour - yes, their method involves a yogurt machine, but what I took away from here was that they used nonfat milk and added nonfat dry milk powder to thicken.  My first try with nonfat milk without the powder was too runny.  The addition of powdered milk thickened it perfectly.  When I use 2% milk I find I don't need to add the powder.

The Frugal Girl - she uses whole milk (blech!), but I liked her hot water bath idea.  Not in a big cooler, though.  Her 3-hour incubation time is way too short for 2% and nonfat milk, it was still runny at that point.  I had to incubate 12+ hours to get a nice, thick consistency.

My equipment was all stuff I had on hand: a tub of plain, nonfat organic yogurt, milk (I tried both 2% and nonfat), nonfat dried milk powder, a large sauce pan, some mason jars, and an incubating device (I tried my electric rice cooker, my crockpot, and my Klean Kanteen insulated bottle).  The rice cooker and crockpot worked the best, the Klean Kanteen did work well, but only retained the heat for about 5 hours, which is fine if you like a thinner yogurt (like Yoplait).  I just prefer it a little thicker, so I need longer heat retention for a longer incubation time.

The only thing I didn't have and had to buy was an instant-read thermometer, which I'd been meaning to get anyway.

Also, I had to fiddle around a little until I found the right ratios for my preferences.  So depending on how you like your yogurt, you may need to fiddle as well.  A half gallon is perfect for our family; it conveniently makes 4 pint-sized mason jars, plus an additional half-ish cup that I put into a half-pint jar and is the perfect amount to reserve for the next batch.

I love this homemade stuff because it's tangy and smoooooooooooth.  I don't normally eat just plain yogurt (I'm partial to a drizzle of honey), but I love this stuff straight out of the jar.  It's that good.  The kids and hubby like to add fresh fruit or a little bit of preserves to it.  It's thicker than regular yogurt, but not quite as thick as Greek-style yogurt.  If I want thicker yogurt I just strain it over cheesecloth for an hour or so.

The directions look long, but the process is really simple once you go through it: scald the milk, bring down the temperature to add the culture, place it into a warm incubator and let it set.  I just added a lot of detail.

Plain Yogurt


Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon organic nonfat or 2% milk
• 1 cup organic nonfat dry milk powder (omit if using 2% milk)
• 1/2 cup organic starter (store-bought organic nonfat plain yogurt, or reserved yogurt from your last batch)

Directions:

• For the incubator, plug in your electric rice cooker or crockpot.  Pour about 2 inches of water into the cooking receptacle, put the lid on and set to "warm".  Set aside.
• For the yogurt, pour milk and dry milk powder (omit powder if using 2% milk) into a large sauce pan.  Over medium heat, bring the milk to 185 degrees F, stirring frequently.  It will produce small bubbles.
  
• In the meantime, fill your sink with about 2 inches of cold tap water.
• Once the milk reaches 185 degrees F, remove it from the heat and place the sauce pan into the cold water bath.  Stir frequently until the milk temperature goes down to 120 degrees F.
• In the meantime, unplug your incubator and check the temperature of the water in your incubator.  My rice cooker and crockpot "warm" at about 135 - 140 degrees F.  If your incubator water is above 120 degrees F, add a few ice cubes at a time to bring it down to 120.  Unplug, then put the lid on to keep it warm. 
• Once the milk goes down to 120 degrees F, whisk in the starter.  Make sure you whisk it well to dissolve it all.
• Divide the milk into your mason jars.  Cap them tightly.
  
• Place the jars into your incubator's warm water bath and close the lid.  If using a crockpot, cover the whole thing with a thick bath towel.
  
• Put the incubator somewhere draft-free and out of the way so it won't be jostled.  Let the yogurt incubate for 10 - 12 hours (overnight is good).
  
• Once it's done incubating and reaches your desired thickness, refrigerate promptly.  It will thicken a smidge more in the fridge.
  
• Serve plain or topped with your favorite fruit, preserves, or a drizzle of honey.
  

Sprouted Bean Soup

Last week I started sprouting beans.  I sprouted some garbanzos and some adzukis.  The garbanzos are delicious eaten raw; I ate the entire first batch in a few days.  The raw adzukis did not taste good to me, they were a little too spicy/bitter.  So I thought I'd throw them in a soup for today's Meatless Monday menu.  It was really good.  I love me some random soups.  :-)

Sprouted Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 carton (4 cups) vegetable broth
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups sprouted adzuki beans
• 1 cup sprouted garbanzo beans
• 1 (15  oz.) can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1/4 lb. dry whole wheat shell pasta
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt, to taste

 Directions:

• In a large dutch oven, bring the broth and water to a boil.  Add in the beans and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook, covered, until the beans soften (but are not mush), 45 mins - 1 hour.  I like my beans with a little texture, but if you like them softer, go ahead and simmer them for longer.
• Add in the cauliflower and pasta and bring to a boil.  Cook for another 15 minutes.  Season with TSSS to taste.

Butternut Squash Stuffed with Chicken and Cheese

Shredded chicken is a staple in my freezer for quick meals.  It's a staple, but not very glamorous.  So I thought I'd try something new today: mix it up w/ cheese and marinara sauce, then bake until ooey gooey.  YUM!

I used some leftover butternut squash bottoms (the bulbous part with the seeds inside).  I'd already used the top parts for something else last week.  If you have whole squashes on hand, just cut off the straight top section, wrap it in foil and refrigerate it for another meal.

Butternut Squash Stuffed with Chicken and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash bottom, halved with seeds scooped out
• salt & pepper
• 1-ish cup cooked shredded chicken breast
• 1-ish cup prepared marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's from a jar)
• a few tablespoons shredded mozzarella
• a few tablespoons of parmesan (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place butternut squash halves, skin down, on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil.  Sprinkle lightly with s&p.  Bake for about 45 minutes until fork tender.  (You can pre-bake the empty squashes a few days in advance, then wrap them in foil and refrigerate until you're ready to fill them.  Or if you fail to plan in advance, like me sometimes, you can microwave the squash halves for about 4 - 5 minutes until tender.)
• Meanwhile, mix the chicken and marinara sauce together in a bowl.  Season with more s&p as needed.
• Once the squash is fork tender, remove from the oven and fill with the chicken mixture and top with the mozzarella (and optional parmesan).  Return the squash to the oven for another 20 - 30 minutes until cheese is melted and everything is bubbly.