Crunchy Steel-Cut Oatmeal

There are some recipes out there for cooking steel cut oats, but I haven't found any that suit me. So I made my own! The work is minimal (of course), and the end result isn't too gooey. It still has the shape of the oats and a bit of crunch. I don't know about you, but if I want a gooey lump of pudding-like oatmeal, I'll make the one-minute kind. I'm not going to bother with steel-cut.


Crunchy Steel-Cut Oatmeal

1 cup steel-cut oats
2 cups water
1 cup almond milk (or some other milk)

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine steel-cut oats, water, and almond milk in an oven-safe container. I generally use a glass loaf pan. Cook oats for an hour or more, depending on desired consistency (the longer you cook it, the thicker it becomes). Top oatmeal with whatever kind of milk you'd like. I use almond milk. Sometimes I add chia seeds because they blend well with the oatmeal and add extra nutrition. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days.

My Favorite Black Bean Burgers

Black bean burgers. How I love thee. I've never have store-bought (they're super expensive, and I am suspicious of the ingredients), only homemade. And baby, they are good. I've decided to share the recipe with you. Because I only use bread crumbs to thicken the burgers, they are easiest to work with when frozen, or at least refrigerated.

My Favorite Black Bean Burgers

adapted from vegetarian.about.com

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained

1 medium onion, diced

2 slices of bread, crumbled

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

dash of cinnamon

Other seasonings: cumin,  paprika, salt, pepper

oil for frying

Saute onion with olive oil for 3-5 minutes until soft. Mash beans with a fork (if you have a death-wish), or  puree in food processor (I use my Ninja Chopper, which I love; Ninja Master Prep Pro (Google Affiliate Ad)). Combine beans, onions and seasonings (I add about three dashes each of cumin and paprika) in a large bowl. Mix well. Add bread crumbs until the mixture is fairly thick.You may have to add more bread, depending on the size of the slices used.

Refrigerate mixture for at least an hour. Form bean mixture into patties, approximately ½ inch thick, and fry patties in a small amount of oil until slightly firm. Make veggie burgers and enjoy! If you are making these for only one or two people, you can freeze the patties between wax paper in ziploc bags. Otherwise, you can store the mixture in the fridge for a few days.

Easy Taco Soup

I made some pretty delicious soup last night. I would include a picture, but frankly, it's not exactly beautiful-looking. I used tomatillos and a jalapeno because I didn't have any green enchilada sauce in my possession, but if you have green enchilada sauce, by all means use it. That makes it even easier.

I'm afraid I don't generally measure seasonings that I add, unless I'm adding a fairly large amount like in my black bean burgers recipe. But I think you can figure it out and adjust things according to your desires.

Easy Taco Soup
Adapted from high heels and grills

Ingredients: 

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained (and rinsed if you are so inclined)

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained (and rinsed if you are so inclined)

1 (10 oz.) can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)

1 (16 oz.) can refried beans

1 (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce (or 2-6 tomatillos and half a jalapeno)

1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth

Seasonings: chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, cayenne pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large pot. If using tomatillos and jalapeno, puree in a food processor and add to pot. Add seasonings according to preference. Heat until warm, stirring occasionally. Serve and enjoy!

Mac and Cheese in the Microwave

On Pinterest I saw a vague recipe for mac and cheese in a mug, made in the microwave. The picture led to a random site, so I conducted a search. Because I love mac and cheese.

The original recipe didn't include butter, but some people were complaining about the cheese not mixing with the milk well, and just causing a glob of cheese. Also, butter makes everything better. The original recipe also called for 1% milk, but that's just nasty. Go all out, my friends. 2% is the way to go (or whole milk, if you have it).

It was good. I enjoyed it much more than my foray into the world of microwaved cake. You could make it a lot better if you used high quality cheese, but I didn't have any, and I am nothing if not lazy.

The obligatory sad photo taken at night with bad lighting.

Mac & Cheese in the Microwave

adapted from TheNaptimeChef

1/3 cup pasta

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup 2% milk

approx. 3/4 tsp. butter (you can use more; I won't judge)

1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar/mix/etc.)

Combine the pasta and water in a large mug or bowl (I recommend a bowl so it doesn't overflow). Microwave on high for two minutes, then stir. Repeat this for at least 2 more minutes (until your pasta is cooked), stirring at each 2-minute interval. My pasta cooked in 4 minutes.

Remove it from the microwave. If there is excess water, drain it. Stir in the milk, butter, and cheese. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds and stir the cheese sauce thoroughly into the pasta. Enjoy!