UB Cookin'

[Amigoo]

Baked Cabbage Plus

Not a completed casserole but foundation of much variety.
Prepare this simple recipe, then enjoy while noting that
many foods (especially veggies) could be added.

Ingredients:

1 lg head green cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup light oat bran siftings*
2 lg sweet onions, chopped
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup water

* "oat bran siftings" refers to the finer particles
of light oat bran sifted out to leave coarse particles.

Directions:

Lightly oil a large casserole dish with lid.

Toss chopped cabbage with oat bran,
then toss with remaining ingredients.

Press into casserole dish, drizzle on water,
then top with lid and bake 1 hr 20 min.

Drizzle on 3 tbsp virgin olive oil,
then serve hot (or cool then refrigerate).

Note: Sifted oat bran was created for previously posted
recipes: Pumpkin Muffin Logs and Oat Bran Biscuits.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: Baked Cabbage Plus

Spiraled sweet potato + chopped green onions complement these flavors
as well as textures and colors!

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: Oat Bran Biscuits - viewtopic.php?f=47&t=25032&start=1425#p203792

New option: Substitute sunflower seeds for caraway seeds.
A very versatile biscuit! Serve with butter, cream cheese, whatever.

Briefly rinse 1 cup sunflower seeds in warm water,
then stir into the prepared batter.

Rod

[Amigoo]

OB Oniony

A tasty mash potatoes substitute but with flavor and texture attitude.
Good accompaniment to chicken, turkey, white fish, pork, and sausage.
"What's 'OB'?" Oat Bran, soon replaced by steel cut oats.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups water
1 cup rinsed steel cut oats
1 cup rinsed red lentils
1 lg sweet onion, diced
1/2 tsp garlic granules
2 tbsp virgin olive oil
2 tbsp dried parsley
3 tbsp dried chives
1 tsp salt

Directions:

Lightly oil a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish;
pre-heat oven to 350F degrees.

In a large sauce pan, add water and bring to simmer.
Rinse steel cut oats and carefully spoon into water,
then cook 10 min., stirring a few times.

Rinse red lentils and immediately stir into oats;
continue to simmer 10 min., stirring several times,
then gently stir in remaining ingredients.

Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish,
cover, reduce oven to 325F degrees,
and bake 1 hr 10 min.

Tips: Mix with cooked chicken, turkey, or pork
before baking to add these flavors ...
even shout "fowl" with dried sage;
invite Pepper Jack for real comfort.

Rod
.

[Amigoo]

Re: OB Oniony

Chef's secret ...

Steel cut oats replaced oat bran after reading that beta glucan slows digestion of these carbs.
Who knew Briefly microwaved baby bellas (reduces moisture) complement these flavors.

Rod

[Sandy]

Thank you, Rod, for all your delicious healthy recipes posted the past couple weeks. I look forward to giving them a try.
First one...OB Oniony.

xxSandy

[Amigoo]

More about steel cut oats ...

Everyone knows that oats (oatmeal, oat bran, steel cut oats) are typically served
as a sweet breakfast cereal, but did you know? ...

Simmer the oats in less water and they substitute for brown rice:
Rinse 1 cup steel cut oats and spoon into 2 1/3 cups simmering water.
Cook, stirring a few times, until all water is absorbed (about 20 min.).

Try this for breakfast: 1/2 cup cooked oats, 1 boiled egg, mild salsa;
top with shredded cheese if desired. Tasty with breakfast meats.

Rod

[Amigoo]

More about dietary fiber ...

From November 2019 "Blaylock Wellness Report" ( https://www.blaylockreport.com/ )

"diets high in fiber enhance the growth of glucose-controlling bacteria"
(and fiber slows carbohydrate digestion, lowering blood sugars)

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: Pumpkin Muffin Logs - viewtopic.php?f=47&t=25032&start=1425#p203717

For better nutrition (especially fiber) ...
substitute 3/4 cup brown rice flour* for 1 cup all-purpose flour,
letting batter rest 5 min. before folding in the raisins.
* rice flour absorbs more moisture.

Rod


.

[Amigoo]

Niblet Coffee

A unique chocolate-flavored coffee experience,
with the nutritional boost of cacao nibs.

Microwave 1/2 cup water in a coffee cup to very hot
(but not simmering), stir in 2 tbsp organic cacao nibs,
then cover and let soak 20 min.

Fill cup with hot coffee,
stir in cream & sugar if desired,
then serve with a small spoon.

The soaked nibs, soft 'n crunchy,
are best eaten with accompanying
chocolate, nuts, or cookies.

Or try with a tablespoon of liqueur
like Kahlua or Grand Marnier.

Tip: Soaked nibs can also be strained
and saved for other culinary uses.

Rod

[Sandy]

Hi Rod,
I am now seeing oats in a whole new way. I am also planning on giving your Niblet Coffee a try tonight.

Thank you for the latest recipes and all you do to help us find our way to better health.

xxSandy

[Amigoo]

Easiest soaking of cacao nibs ...

Microwave 1 cup of water to very hot, stir in 1/2 cup nibs, cover and let soak 30 min.
Strain nibs and save for various uses (refrigerate if not used immediately) ...
save soaking water for the next pot of coffee (add to brewed coffee).

Rod

[Sandy]

Tried your Cacao nib coffee tonight I did. Delicious it was!
(Can you tell I have been watching way to much Star Wars that has been playing on TV over the past couple weeks? )
Thanks Rod for another "keeper."

xxSandy

[Amigoo]

Apples 'n OB

A super easy apple/oat bran dessert ...
or nutritious breakfast option!

In a medium sauce pan,
pour 1 cup natural apple juice
over 3 medium red apples (diced),
then spread on 1 cup rinsed dark raisins
and sprinkle on 3 tbsp fine oat bran*,
then 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg.

Cover pan and simmer until apples are slightly al dente,
then stir gently, re-cover pan and let oat bran soak 10 min.
Stir gently again before serving.

* Oat bran can be strained from package of light oat bran,
leaving coarse particles for baking or breakfast cereal.
Allow diced apples to cook before oat bran is stirred in;
fine oat bran particles cook fast with steaming.

Tip: Rinse raisins in hot water to soften.

Rod

[Sandy]

Thanks for that healthy dessert recipe, Rod. George and I need all the help we can get.

xxSandy

[Amigoo]

A diabetes discovery journey ...

Re: https://www.glnc.org.au/grains/allergie ... in-grains/

"'Gluten' is the name given to the protein in wheat, rye, barley and oats that affect people with coeliac disease.
It is a composite name* - 'gluten' represents: Gliadin in Wheat, Hordein in Barley, Secalin in Rye, Avenin in Oats"

After years of marketing that oats are gluten-free, research says "not true" (1 of 5 people react to Avenin).
For perspective, many people who claim to be allergic to gluten have not been tested to prove this.

For Type 2 diabetics not allergic to gluten, heavy processing of grains (e.g., flour)
makes those carbs more quickly available in digestion, causing higher blood sugar (IMO)
because of one's limited insulin production and/or insulin resistance.

Perhaps, Type 2 diabetes control is nothing more than limiting carbs per meal
to the amount of insulin produced (plus accounting for cells' insulin resistance).

* Re: https://www.checkmybodyhealth.com/gluten-3

"The word 'gluten' comes from the latin for ‘glue’. This is because, when combined with yeast, the gluten protein in a gluten-containing grain will trap the bubbles of carbon dioxide released from the fermenting yeast. These bubbles give dough elasticity and prevent it from falling to pieces or crumbling." ... thus, 'glut' (from 'glutis or glutem') + 'in' (from two ending letters of the four grains).

Rod

[Amigoo]

Every home chef knows that fresh cranberries are too tart and need sweetening.
While the traditional solution has long been to add a generous quantity of sugar,
sufficient sweetening is also achieved with fresh apples (plus applesauce):

Simmer 2 lbs of rinsed fresh cranberries with 3 medium diced red apples, stirring a few times,
then cool and refrigerate. When cold, stir in 1-2 cups of chilled natural applesauce.

Organic apples are best since the skins add to the nutrition, texture and flavor.

For gourmet presentation, especially on holidays, stir in chopped cherries, strawberries,
pomegranate arils, raspberries, or pineapple. Or try several of these!

Rod

[Sandy]

Hi Rod,
I wish I had known about sweetening fresh cranberries with applesauce and fresh apples years ago. I always had fresh cranberry salads at my holiday meals and to make them palatable there went into the mix a lot of sugar.

I can't find fresh cranberries here so ( sigh ) there is no way to test this recipe. But I will share it with my family. So I thank you!

xxSandy

[Amigoo]

Sandy,

Even in this large city, fresh cranberries are rare except at Thanksgiving and Christmas,
but frozen cranberries are frequently sold in the larger health food stores.
Tip: Frozen cranberries will cook faster than the chopped apples.

And I'm starting to "bond" with the Cranberry/Apple/Applesauce mixture
with sunflower seeds that were soaked in boiling water a few minutes.
Chopped, slivered almonds would also complement the mixture.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Who knew

Brown rice flour is the ideal coating for moist, dried prunes cut into mini-bites
and mixed with similar quantities of dark chocolate and walnut halves.

Tip: Stir the prune pieces with just enough flour to coat, then shake off excess.
Sunsweet D'Noir Prunes is a good reference for best moistness.

"Whatsit called?" A snack.

Rod

[Sandy]

Thanks for the cranberry tips, Rod.
I didn't find even frozen cranberries today, but I bought a small jar of whole unsweetened cranberry sauce. I am going to try and tweak it to make it more palatable with some of your tips.

XxSandy

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food ... fresh.html

"Berries, tomatoes and mixed vegetables: The foods that are better to buy and eat frozen"

Caveat: If the food has not been frozen for months, has remained frozen
and did not thaw before refreezing (loose food instead of a solid package).
Excess ice crystals in the package often indicates longer freezing time.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Who knew
that just 2 teaspoons of water are sufficient to fry/poach an egg:

Lightly coat a non-stick frying pan with oil or butter, crack eggs into pan,
carefully drizzle water against oppsite insides of pan, cover with glass lid
(easier to watch eggs cook), and place on pre-heated burner.

Eggs begin to fry/steam within minutes and are cooked "over easy"
when the yolk surface begins turning white.

Which comes first?
the fried egg or the steamed egg? Yes.

Rod

[Amigoo]

(another version)

Every home chef knows that fresh cranberries are too tart and need sweetening.
While the traditional solution has long been to add a generous quantity of sugar,
sufficient sweetening is also achieved with fresh apples (plus applesauce):

Simmer 2 lbs of rinsed fresh cranberries with 3 medium diced red apples, stirring a few times;
cool and refrigerate. When cold, stir in applesauce and/or 12oz pkg of frozen raspberries,
then refrigerate until raspberries are thawed. Berry delicious!

Rod

[Amigoo]

Very Berry Sauce

In a large sauce pan, layer 1 quart rinsed fresh cranberries,
then 3 medium diced red apples; add 1/2 cup water.

Cover pan and simmer until cranberries are cooked (about 15 min.,
diced apple will be slightly "al dente"), then allow to cool.

Stir in 1/2 cup crushed frozen raspberries, then refrigerate.
(more raspberries would dominate cranberry flavor).

Tips: Fresh orange pieces complement these flavors.
Add a few tablespoons of sugar for more sweetness.

Rod