Bready or Not Original: Slow Cooker Apple Steel Cut Oats
These Slow Cooker Apple Steel Cut Oats are not the most photogenic of foods, but they are delicious, healthy, and good, and probably one of the most convenient meals in my cooking repertoire.
I’ve been cooking this recipe for over five years now, tweaking it here and there, making it better. What I present here is really a foundation. This recipe can be customized all kinds of ways–either when the food is being assembled, by adding in different spices or apples, or by tweaking it at serving time.
I love using Gala, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady apples, but go for any good baking-type apple or a variety thereof. You don’t want the apples to go to mush. Or maybe you do? That might not be a terrible thing here.
I typically use unsweetened vanilla almond milk or cashew milk, but any plain or vanilla nut, soy, or oat milks would work, or you can opt for dairy milk.
This isn’t an overnight slow cooker oats recipe. I’ve tried that. Even on low and warm settings, the oats just plain overcooked for my preference. The consistency goes brick-like and the pot requires some intense scraping if you don’t use a removable liner. I prefer to make this during the day, and then portion out the oats to go in the fridge and freezer. They reheat beautifully.
Bready or Not Original: Slow Cooker Apple Steel Cut Oats
Equipment
- large slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups steel cut oats no substitutes
- 2 cups nut milk or oat milk, regular or vanilla, sweetened or unsweetened
- 2 cups water
- 2 medium apples peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in slow cooker and stir to distribute. Place lid on pot and put heat level to LOW. Cook for 3 hours before lifting lid again. Stir and taste to test doneness. Continue to cook for 30 minutes to an hour more, dependent on the desired texture for the oats. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will be.
- Serve oats fresh, or stash in fridge to reheat in microwave over the next week. These oats are great to portion out and freeze for later. If desired, add more spices, fresh fruit, or extra milk when serving–the customization possibilities are endless!
*OM NOM NOM!*
Bready or Not Original: Roasted Lemon Garlic Shrimp
This Roasted Lemon Garlic Shrimp recipe makes for a delicious supper! It’s super-easy and healthy, too.
I’ve made this recipe for about, gosh, ten years now. I make it every month or so. I like to buy 2-pound bags of frozen shrimp of Costco and divide it to make this dish.
One of the great things about this dish is that you can pair it with different foods depending on your own individual needs. Eat it on rice or egg noodles, or go gluten-free and low-calorie with some zoodles or cauliflower rice. The seasoned oil in this recipe makes everything taste good!
On the side, I usually serve steamed broccoli or green beans. Whatever is in season and on sale!
In all the years I’ve made this, we’ve never had leftovers.
Bready or Not Original: Roasted Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Equipment
- 13x9 pan
Ingredients
- 1 medium lemon
- 1/2 cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or one teaspoon dry
- 1 pound medium-sized shrimp cooked and deveined
- 5 garlic cloves
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 400-degrees. Wash and dry the lemon, then zest it; set aside lemon. If using fresh rosemary, shear leaves from the stem. Place zest in 13x9 pan along with olive oil, thyme, and rosemary. Bake pan in oven for 12 minutes.
- While the zest is infusing the oil, thinly slice the lemon and remove seeds. If desired, remove tails from shrimp.
- Pull out pan. Add shrimp and lemon slices--be wary, oil may pop from the dish! Mince garlic cloves into the pan; gently stir everything. Place back in oven to cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, until shrimp is heated through. Add sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Serve atop pasta, rice, zoodles, cauliflower rice, etcetera. The hot lemon oil is also great for dipping bread.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Apple Butter Blueberry Muffins
Apple Butter Blueberry Muffins! Fruity flavors combine in a delicious way in this original recipe.
I love apple butter. It’s delicious, versatile stuff. I’ve found it can work as a substitute in recipes that call for things like applesauce, bananas, and pumpkin puree.
Here, the inherent spiciness in apple butter adds a lot of flavor without the need to measure out extra spices–and the thick texture creates a cakey, moist crumb.
The fresh blueberries throughout are like flavor bombs, introducing a different kind of sweetness in contrast.
Do note that this recipe makes 24 muffins. It saves a lot of time if you have two pans, but this recipe could certainly be done with one. Make sure you have paper liners, though. There’s no sadness like my-muffin-is-stuck-in-the-pan sadness.
Bready or Not Original: Apple Butter Blueberry Muffins
Equipment
- muffin liners
- 2 muffin pans
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon heaping
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups apple butter
- 3/4 cup coconut oil liquid
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 425-degrees. Place muffin liners in two 12-count pans and apply a heavy dose of nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Wash and sort through blueberries, picking out stems or mushy berries. Pat dry. Place in a bowl. Add a tablespoon or so of flour and gently stir to coat berries. This will prevent them from sinking in the batter.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a big mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla, apple butter, and coconut oil. Gradually pour in the dry ingredients, scraping bottom several times, until everything is just incorporated. Carefully fold in the blueberries.
- Scoop batter into prepared liners, filling each no more than 3/4 full.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425-degrees. Don't open oven door. Lower temperature to 375-degrees and bake for an additional 16 to 18 minutes, until middle muffins pass the toothpick test.
- Remove pans from oven. Immediately (and carefully) use a fork to pry out each muffin. Keeping them in liners, set on rack to completely cool.
- Once cooled, pack in sealed containers. If freezing muffins, remove liners first.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Scottish Oatcakes
These Scottish Oatcakes are like a thick, wholesome, chewy cracker, and they are the perfect platform for cheese and charcuterie.
When I was on my UK trip last year, I made a pilgrimage to the Victoria Street location of I.J. Mellis Cheesemongers. Oh, bliss! I bought stuff for a personal picnic: cheeses I could never find in America, plus port chutney and Scottish oatcakes.
I loved everything. The oatcakes, basic as they were, really impressed me. They were oaty and fresh with a tiny hint of salt, and were ideal platforms for the cheese and chutney.
Upon getting home, I found no acceptable imported options for oatcakes, so I resolved to make them myself. I didn’t want to use processed flour or sugar. In the end, I ended up finagling my own recipe.
These oatcakes are basic and wholesome, and delicious in their simplicity. Get the consistency right, and these oatcakes are durable enough to handle smears of a soft-ripened cheese or cream cheese, and won’t crumble when you bite in.
Store these oatcakes for days at room temperature, or freeze them for ages. By ages, I mean as long as six months. That’s right, I forget I had some tucked in my freezer, and lo and behold they were fine half a year later.
Pair oatcakes with cheese, sausage, and mayhap a nip of scotch.
Bready or Not Original: Scottish Oatcakes
Equipment
- food processor
- large cookie sheet
- cookie cutter
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place oats in a food processor and chop on HIGH for about 15 seconds, long enough to make them slightly less coarse.
- Melt butter in a large bowl. Pour oats into the bowl. Stir to coat. Sprinkle salt over the top, then pour in water. Stir again to form a stiff dough that is just cohesive. If the mix won't come together, add more water in small increments.
- Sprinkle flour (gluten-free flour, if necessary) on an even stretch of counter. Use palms of hands or a rolling pins to press oats into a flat, cohesive layer. Note that the oatcakes will not expand or grow when baking. Use a round cookie cutter to slice into discs.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to gently flip them over. Bake for another 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then pack into sealed container.
- Store at room temperature. Oatcakes can also be frozen, with wax paper or parchment between the layers, for as long as six months, and thaw quickly.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Cardamom Cashew-Walnut Butter
This is a two-for-one Bready or Not posts: recipes for Cardamom Cashew-Walnut Butter, for both small and large food processors.
For the past few years, I had an 8-cup Cuisinart food processor. The thing was great, but as I tried more recipes, I found that most were designed for a larger food processor. Darn.
So when Costco advertised a Cuisinart double the size, I circled the ad and shoved it toward my husband, saying, “This is what I want for Christmas.”
After overcoming my initial anxiety about operating the darn thing (blades and pieces galore! confusing!), I delighted in the increased capacity. Now I can make bigger batches of stuff like nut butter!
This recipe is a particular favorite of mine. I created the original small batch recipe for my old unit, and then modified it for the shiny new machine.
You can substitute other nuts in the recipe, but the mixing time may be different. Almonds are harder, and take longer to process.
Also check out my Maple Nut Butter recipe!
Bready or Not Original: Cardamom Cashew-Walnut Butter [Small Batch]
Equipment
- 8-cup food processor
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cashews
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- If the nuts are unroasted, roast them first for a boost of flavor. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and preheat oven at 350 degrees. Spread cashews and walnuts in an even layer. Bake for about 6 minutes, whereupon they should smell pleasantly toasty. Let cool at least 30 minutes before continuing with next step.
- Fit processor with an S-shaped blade inside. Pour in cashews, walnuts, and sea salt. Process for about 5 to 10 minutes, stopping sporadically to scrape sides. The nut butter is done when the mixture looks smooth and flows over the blades like a thick river.
- Add the honey, ground cardamom, and vanilla. Process another two minutes to incorporate.
- Place nut butter in a clean glass jar (or jars). Store sealed at room temperature for as long as a year. Some separation of nuts and oil is natural--just stir them together again, if needed. If the nut butter dries out, warm what is needed in a microwave-safe bowl to make it spreadable.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Cardamom Cashew-Walnut Butter [Large Batch]
Equipment
- 16-cup food processor
Ingredients
- 3 cups cashews
- 2 cup walnuts
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- If the nuts are unroasted, roast them first for a boost of flavor. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and preheat oven at 350 degrees. Spread cashews and walnuts in an even layer. Bake for about 6 minutes, whereupon they should smell pleasantly toasty. Let cool at least 30 minutes before continuing with next step.
- Fit processor with an S-shaped blade inside. Pour in cashews, walnuts, and sea salt. Process for about 5 to 10 minutes, stopping sporadically to scrape sides. The nut butter is done when the mixture looks smooth and flows over the blades like a thick river.
- Add the honey, ground cardamom, and vanilla. Process another two minutes to incorporate.
- Place nut butter in a clean glass jar (or jars). Store sealed at room temperature for as long as a year. Some separation of nuts and oil is natural--just stir them together again, if needed. If the nut butter dries out, warm what is needed in a microwave-safe bowl to make it spreadable.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Granola Bars [Gluten Free]
These delicious White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Granola Bars are perfect for breakfasts and snacks–and they are packed with protein and gluten-free, too!
I love making no-bake batch breakfast recipes in the summer. No need to turn on the oven and heat up my kitchen! Or to fuss with making something every day!
This recipe is even better because it is SO GOOD. I made it numerous times to experiment with ingredients and amounts. I prefer it with cashew butter and almond flour as it gives it a very cookie dough taste, but use what you have.
To make this gluten-free, be sure to use GF quick oats from a place like Bob’s Red Mill. Also, DON’T use old fashioned/rolled oats. They are too dense. The time I tried that kind, I had to add a lot more nut butter and honey to make the mixture stick together.
Make these on the weekend and your breakfasts are ready for the week! Just grab a bar from the fridge, eat, and enjoy!
Bready or Not Original: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Granola Bars [Gluten Free]
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 cup almond flour or oat flour
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts chopped
- 1 cup cashew butter or almond butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a 9x9 or 8x8 square pan with foil and apply nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a bowl, measure out the quick oats, almond flour, and macadamia nuts. Also set aside.
- Place the cashew butter, honey, and salt in a large pot on the stove. Bring the temperature to medium, stirring everything until it is melted and combined. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until fully incorporated. Dump the mix into the prepared pan. Use a piece of waxed paper and a heavy glass to compress the contents into an even layer. Sprinkle white chocolate chips across the top and quickly press in by hand, as they will soften fast on the warm dough.
- Set pan in fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Use foil to lift square onto a cutting board. Slice into desired sizes. They keep in the fridge, in a sealed container, for as long as a week, and as long as a month in the freezer. If stacking, place wax paper between the layers.